Map

I’m quite interested in football (yeah, thought that might come as a bit of a shock) and I like how fans always reminisce about the old days. Hot on the outside frozen on the inside pies, tepid bovril, old players, terraces, the list is endless and yet football has moved on so much since those days. Not just in the game itself but the whole business of football has exploded to the point that the match itself is almost secondary.

Below is my attempt at mapping these “additional activities” by including elements of the past and the present.

A Game of Two Halves 6.9Mb


Time to concentrate on the league then

So it’s all over for another year. Once again we boss Watford, they score 1 – which was a good goal I must admit – and manage to hang on to go thru’. 17 shots to their 3 says it all really. Even the laying of the ceremonial giant pasty and the Beeb and Gabby setting up their studio at our end didn’t help either. Still, we did get further than Liverpool and Arsenal and at least we’ll be able to get our revenge next season.

Laying of the ceremonial giant pasty at the Devonport End
Laying of the ceremonial giant pasty at the Devonport End

Argyle warming up
Argyle warming up

Argyle warming up again
Argyle warming up again


Que sera sera…

…whatever will be will be
We’re going to Wem-ber-lee
Que sera sera


Flying high up in the sky…

…we’ll keep the green flag flying high
Set a course for Wem-ber-lee
We’ll keep the green flag flying high


Wem-ber-lee, Wem-ber-lee…

…we’re the famous Plymouth Argyle and we’re going to Wem-ber-lee


Taster Day

Jamie and I did a computer taster day today with some year 12s from Plymstock School. We did the Net Trumps workshop in the morning and after lunch did a programming exercise which was kinda Java based. Highlight of the day for us, if not them, was a trip to the robot football lab. Seeing the robots “run” around with the ball and getting our hands on the components that make one up was fantastic. Needless to say, this has got us thinking about doing something robotic.

Watch this short video to be inspired.


10 men – we only got 10 men

Sky cameraman at Home ParkSky were in town today which usually means either we’re in for a hammering or it’ll be one of the biggest bore-draws of the season. I must admit, I did fear the latter during the first half. It wasn’t very exciting sat there so I dread to think how it must have looked on the box. Then, against the run of play we’re 1-0 up. I know it was a penalty and the purist might not consider it a “real” goal but then you don’t get many purists supporting Argyle. Derby equalised quite soon after with what looked to us (even without green tinted specs) a well offside goal but the game suddenly came to life…..just in time for half time.

So the second half gets under way and within a matter of minutes we’re down to 10 men. Why? Coz apparently the muppet with the whistle decided that fairly winning the ball is a bookable offence and as Matt was already on 1, he sent him off. Down to 10 men against one of the “form” teams, 1-1 would have been a good result. But no, Argyle then decide that the best form of defence is attack so they go for it. Another pen and a back post header and we’re only 3-1 up. We did so much pressuring that we made one of their defenders clear it for a corner from just inside his own half!!

That’s another 3-1 home win, we’re up to 5th AND Edworthy got into a strop again. What a nice way to spend Sunday afternoon.


They think it’s all over

I think I have shown some considerable restraint over the last month. The biggest festival of football and not one entry on it. No mention of how positive the Germans played or the battle of Kaiserslautern between Italy and the US or Joe Cole’s goal against Sweden or Argintina’s 24 pass goal or Ronaldo’s “diving” or the real Ronaldo setting a new record for scoring or ZZ’s head butt or even me only missing one televised game the whole tournament (which unfortunately wasn’t the Swiss v The Ukraine). Still to make up for it, here’s 2 of my favourite TV ads.

The Devil

The Mission


Bye bye Mickey

It didn’t seem like the usual “end of season with nothing to play for” sort of game today, probably coz it was Trigger’s last game. And what a great way to end his Argyle career by scoring the winning goal. Mickey didn’t score a lot of goals but he was a brilliant target man and held the ball up better than anyone I’ve seen in a green shirt. My 2 favourite Trigger moments were his header against QPR at the Devonport End in the title-decider and a free-kick against Swindon. He won this free-kick which the ref gave as indirect. He quickly put the ball down and blasted it at the keeper who tried to save it but there was too much power and it ended up in the net. Sheer class.

I’ve loaded up a couple of photos I took today. I think he must have had something in his eye coz it looks a bit watery.

“Henry of the Westcountry, Henry of the Westcountry”


Promotion

Tom won on Saturday, 4-1, and once again he got injured and had to come off. This kid came in really late after he had already made a pass and smacked him on the side of the knee cap. Coz of that, he ended up limping for the next 2 days. But, by the sounds of it, it was worth it as they are now promoted with 2 games left to play. Runners-up still isn’t guaranteed but it should be possible with the teams they’ve got left to play.