 |
Web Hosting by Netfirms | Free Domain Names by Netfirms |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Magnificent
Seven Save Ewes and Rams Worthing Tour
With several
stalwarts of previous tours unavailable, the touring party in May found itself
down-sized to the point where its ability to function appeared to be in
jeopardy when its members gathered at the Manor Guesthouse on the Friday
night. An expected squad of up to 16 had been whittled down to a committed
core of the Magnificent Seven--Ros Clemmans, Clare Huntley, Gary Wheaton, Alan
Cheffey, Dave Lury, Matt Coombs and Steve Mahoney.
Faced with the
prospect of everyone having to play every minute of every match and each
having to cover the ground of one and a half players, decisive action was
called for. We adjourned to a curry house recommended by our landlady Sandy
for food and drink and we bought her dinner to apologise for leaving her with
a half empty guesthouse.
There was much
talk over the meal of how we might swell the size of the playing squad but, as
we hastened to our first fixture on Saturday morning, the grim fact remained
that seven was all we had. Was it to be Ewes & Rams to the slaughter? Was the
thin purple line about to be swept away by the massed ranks of the opposition
on the wide open plains of West Sussex? No to both questions! Cue silver
linings to clouds, invention by Mother Necessity and laughter in the face of
adversity. Being short of players at Worthing is a formula guaranteed to
ensure more socialising with other teams. Our first opponents Broadgate lent
us 5 players (including the match winner) and from then on, with help from the
likes of Drunklins (who also tour in purple) and Shipwrecks (Sidmouth who were
at Worthing for the first time), we always had enough players to put out a
full team.
By Saturday
night and the BIG fancy dress party and disco, everyone had ceased fretting
about how to fulfil fixtures and relaxed into the spirit of the occasion,
sipping half pints of shandy (easy on the beer please) and staying up way past
normal bedtime of 10.30pm to strut their stuff on the dance floor.
Hindsight,
being a wonderful thing, leaves us with 10 lessons from this third Ewes & Rams
Worthing tour. Some won’t mean alot to anyone who wasn’t there but that’s
their loss and they can get “on message” by being part of the touring party
next May:
1. Commitment
to tour increases in line with the amount of deposit paid in advance
2. Worthing is
a social event where there is the periodic risk of a hockey match breaking out
in the middle of a drinking session
3. Teams from
Leicestershire, Rutland & Notts are like Martini when it comes to fulfilling
fixtures-any time, any place, anywhere
4. Tour
newcomers: Clare Huntley shows promising technique and stamina to become a
tour regular but needs more experience to perfect her position on rough, bumpy
grass pitches. (That’s what my notes say!)
5. Pub quiz
trivia: the Sneddon Scale is a test for eyesight not hearing
6. Worthing
hostelries: the Broadwater pub is “the pits.” No real ale and no food after
7pm on Sundays!
7. Saturday
night party: if you are going to wear fancy dress, make it lightweight and
cool
8.
Post-Saturday night party 2007: after a hard week’s crime fighting, Batman
likes to unwind with a “few” drinks on a Saturday night and no amount of
“medical attention” from the nurses is going to rouse him
9. That morning
after the night before feeling: a “purple nasty” is the perfect pick me up
10.
Accomodation: we need somewhere new to stay next year. Sandy is selling the
guesthouse
|
|
Website Designed & Maintained by Caroline Dredge. Last modified: 24-08-2009 |
