Thursday, June 26, 2008
I left the park last night in a grumpy mood. We were doing well but then it all fell to pieces. We constantly found ourselves a man short (if not two), not everyone was marking and those that were were getting more and more tired trying to mark two or more people. Disappointing to say the least. Am I going to have to start organising fitness sessions for us all?!
Anyway, the Mince played well together, linked up and kept going right to the end so well played to them. It was good to see so many of the regulars back.
Next week, if everyone's fit, then we could have a Hat of Doooooom situation. If anyone's not able to play then let me know please. At the moment, the only person out is Martie.
The Summer Extravaganza date has been set - the 19th of July. The only person that can't make that date is Foxy (sorry big man - we'll bring you back a present). I'll formalise details closer to the time but the plan is a game of Fitbaw at the usual place around noon-ish and then head over the West End for beers, burgers and banter. From then on we'll just play it by ear based on the weather, the amount left in the kitty and how pissed we get.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
All back to normal this week. Foxy has a bit of a sore knee after last week's exertions, Martie's great come back has been ended after turning his ankle last week and Scott is getting all his furniture out of storage tonight so won't be playing.
Si, Stu, Wills and Kyle are all back this week.
The IDOX boys have been challenged to our annual match against the DC guys. Paul is suggesting either Monday the 7th July or Thursday the 10th July. I think we're best playing on the Monday rather than try two nights in a row. So who fancies it? At the moment, it's just IDOX but if we can't get 5 then I'm sure the DC boys won't mind us pulling in a few of the non-IDOX Fitbawers. Please let me know if you want to play - it'll be on a first come, first served basis for Monday 7th July. GO!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
It didn't start off too positively - first off there seemed to be no one about to tell us what was going on and secondly the Tatties were sent to one of the micro pitches! Aw naw! However, thank goodness we didn't have to run all over a big park for the group games or we would have been even more knackered than we obviously were.
In our first game it took us some time to get going but when we did, we controlled the back and with some battling up front, managed to win 4-0. It maybe could have been more but to starting off with a win was important.
The next game saw us take on the group favourites. Wee Jinky Boy, Big Baldy Beardy Man, Chinese Guy and other such well known names had looked pretty strong in their first game - we knew this one would be the group winner decider. Initially we (or definitely me) underestimated Wee Jinky Boy who managed to pinch a couple of goals. From that point on we were chasing the game and all seemed lost. At that point it was important to limit the damage and we finished losing 4-0. So far we had a goal difference of zero!
The final group game should have been a walk in the park. Their keeper looked really shaky and we were more than a match for them. At least we would have been were we not playing two games back to back. It's amazing how tiring 20 minutes of fives is. I know we normally play an hour non-stop but competition level is just faster, tougher and all round harder work. Although we had a dozen chances to win the game, it finished 2-2. Who would go through? It was all down to goal difference! Luckily, we had lost to Wee Junky Boy's team by one less goal than these guys so through to the final stage we went.
On the other park, the Mince men were lacking a goal threat up front and had so far failed to score a goal. They had lost and drawn and it was all down to their final game. With the Tatties cheering them on, Andy broke free and coolly slotted home the winning goal that saw them through to the final stages too (with a goal difference of -2).
The Mince were first to play in the final stage and they were up against the Tattie's bogie team - Wee Jinky Boy (WJB) and Co. Games, by this point, were cut to five minutes and for most of those five minutes the Mince battled hard and held on, in no small part to the heroics on goals from Alan. WJB was fuming as Alan made save after save to keep the Mince in the game. WJB was going for another shot when Gordo pinched the ball off him in the corner. The ball popped up, Gordo flicked it over one guys, chased, headed it past another guy, chased, closed down on goal and LEATHERED the ball past the keeper to score the only goal of the game and win it for the Mince! Brilliant! Or it would have been had Gordo not tried to celebrate - he "jumped" into the air and punched his fist in a David Beckham style (when he scored that free kick against Greece). The only thing was he maybe made it about 2 inches off the ground and put in particularly weak punch. Maybe it was irony, maybe he was tired. Either way, it looked a bit soft.
It was then the Turn of the Tatties to make their debut on a full sizes park. It was against a team that had some moany guy up front. I don't remember much else about that match other than we won and it was probably Scott that scored.
I didn't see the final match for the Mincers so all I know was that they lost 2-0 to the eventual winners so that's not a bad way to go out. They finished 3rd I reckon so well done to them - a great result!
The Tatties next game was against the Mince's bogie team. Seeing as they had beaten ours, it was only right and proper that we beat theirs. It wasn't easy though as they were all huge, fast and strong but we managed to pinch a goal (again from Scott I think) and then spent the rest of the match defending (illegally sometimes too - "Are you not allowed to slide tackle ref? Oops - sorry! I didn't know!") but it all paid off and we made it to the final.
The final match was against the guys that had stopped the Mince from reaching the final and making it an all Fitbaw affair. We had no time in between to recover and so it was straight into it. The first issue was that they were a mix of dark and light tops which was just confusing. So confusing, in fact, that I managed to mistake a 5'10" black guy from Senegal for Neil! I passed to him and he scored so apologies to my team mates - I had a mare. They got a second too but I don't really remember anything else other than taking a pot shot from just outside our D - they probably scored of that actually so sorry again!
So that was that, we finished 3rd and 2nd so not too shabby. Well played to all the boys – Fitbaw can hold its head high. I’ll be happy to return to normal next week as I’m bloomin’ knackered after all that.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
AS you'll all be aware, this week, we are playing against other people! We were relegated to a 7pm kick off originally as there was a tournament on but the folks that run the tournament are friends of Gordo and were short of a couple of teams. Enter the Mince and the Tatties of Fitbaw to save the day, get their 6:30pm kick off back and hopefully win the whole damn thing!
The tournament kicks off at 6:30pm but we'll all need to be there a wee bit before hand just to get everything sorted out. If you could all bring both colours of top as that's how the organiser wants to differentiate between the teams. Gordo has contacted his mate and found out the following:
- 12-13 teams competing
- 4 in a group (so we'll play each other either once or twice - match duration to be decided)
- winners go through to knockout stages
- rolling subs allowed
- all teams to bring a dark and a light top
- buffet afterwards
- ref will be supplied
- NO slide tackles
- NO centre after goals
- NO passbacks
- NO players in D
- NO keepers out of D
- be there before 6.30
- teams mostly from JPM but outside agencies (such as us and a bunch of lawyers)
So still to be decided is the cost and the duration of the matches - Gordo's going to find that out tomorrow hopefully. Unless we hear any different, give me your £6 as usual and any left overs can go into the kitty. If it's any more then I'm sure the kitty could make up the difference.
The squad is below and the plan is to pick two even teams (just like normal Wednesday) so both teams have an equal chance of getting as far as they can:
- Gordo
- Iain
- Scott
- Foxy
- Neil
- Martie
- Andy
- Alan
- Craigo
- Jon
Teams will go up tomorrow at some point but remember and bring both tops still!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
It was nice to see Jon back (or Jon's Hispanic cousin) and also to see that not much has changed (other than his skin tone). Last night also saw out first foreign import in Javier who turned out to be quite handy - good work rate and took his chances well.
The teams may have seemed a bit unfair by the end last night but half way through the match, it was only 4-2 but I think some tiredness crept in to the Mince team's legs and the Tatties took advantage.
As I mentioned before, last week's result counts so therefore, so does the MOTM which was a joint win between Scott and Neil.
Next week Si may well still be out, Foxy's got a golf tie and Kyle and Wills are on holiday. Stuart hopes to be back and Martie may even make a comeback (for only a couple of weeks) but that's still to be confirmed.
I've updated the stats too which haven't been updated in a while. Gordo is building up a head of steam and Kyle and Wills seem to be benefiting by not playing too. We're only half way through the season so anything could happen!
Finally, Fitbaw Summer Drinking Extravaganza - how about the first Saturday in July? That would be the 5th of July - maybe a game early afternoon, followed by a few beers and maybe a bite to eat round and about the West End? Hopefully the weather will be good and we can just go from beer garden to beer garden. Thoughts?
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
First off, last week's result stands. I've thought long and hard about it and the only reason not to let it stand was because we did that last season. On reflection, I was being too nice - what's the point of being a dictator if you're not going to make a stand once in a while?
Looking back, it was only because I was on the winning team last time and I didn't want to appear to just decide in my favour but this time, I was on the losing side so no one can complain that I'm trying to fix anything.
From here on out, if someone gets injured, then man up and get on with it - shit happens. If it's a really serious injury and someone has to leave the field then we'll consider that on a case by case basis, but in general, it doesn't make any difference - just get on with the game.
This week Si, Wills, Kyle, Stuart and Martie are all out, Craigo is in and we also see the return of Jon "Tern" Treacher! Yay! We also have a new face of Javier - a friend of Gordo's who stepped in last minute as Si had to pull out. Javier himself says that he's not very good so we'll just have to play that one by ear.
Teams will be picked at the park as I'm out of the office all afternoon - please bring both tops. I'll collect all cash tonight.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Just under a year ago, on the 25th July 2007, Stuart broke his toe for the first time playing Fitbaw. Once he broke it, he played on in goals until with five minutes to go, he had to retire from the game.
Initially, the result stood until the losing side began to complain. I was always of the opinion that the result should have stood as both sides played on and in previous games when someone was injured to the extent that they had to stay in goals, the result stood too. However, being the fair and just dictator that I am, I put it to the vote.
Unsurprisingly, the winning team said the result should stand and the losing team said it shouldn't - the outcome was to put it down as a draw until such time that the same teams could be brought together again for a rematch in a "winner takes all" style. The rematch never came and the game went down in history as a draw (and ultimately seriously contributed to costing me the POTY - not that I'm bitter).
So that brings us to the present day. Stu broke his toe again. Stu had to play the rest of the game in goals. Out team were at a disadvantage because we were all knackered. The precedent has already been set. Do we call last night a draw too? Have read at what happened before and please leave your thoughts in the MOTM poll.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Si has a dead calf from the sixes, William's knee is a bit sore again bit both hope to be back next week.
In other news, when Foxy went to book the pitch this week, they told him that he didn't need to pay for next week's game as they have decided to abandon the early card payment scheme as too many people complained that it was too hard to manage. No surprises there then!
The extra account I was opening just for Fitbaw still hasn't come through so I can either cancel it and continue as we are or we could go ahead with the weekly standing order. I don't really mind either way so let me know tonight what you want to do.
Monday, June 02, 2008
The short version would go like this:
- We drew with Partick Thistle in first game of the tournament (the only team to take points off them all day)
- Thistle went on to win the whole thing
- We went on to the final of the plate but narrowly lost
The longer version doesn't read so well:
- We drew with Partick Thistle in first game of the tournament (after being 3-1 up at half time)
- We lost every other group game (against teams we really were better than)
- After deciding to chuck the knock-out game so we could get into the bar quicker, we started winning!
- We ended up winning all the knock-out games somehow and got into the plate final
- We were beaten by Ayr in the final and it was the last game of the whole tournament so the showers were ice cold and we were the last people to actually get a pint!
What ever the results were, it was a great day out in the sun with burgers and beers and the occasional game of sixes. Once we got into the plate knock-out, we were a different team. Si found some blistering form and scored a couple of great goals (one solo effort that included a knock over someone with his napper) - I think he got three in total. Kyle danced his way round the park and ended up with four goals for the afternoon. Scott had a few long range digs go in and Stu netted at least one too (against Thistle as well!). Even I managed to score after a nice one-two with Gordo.
Who knows what could have happened had Steven, our supposed star player, managed to not get injured in the first three minutes of the tournament but that didn't stop him wandering around the place with his top off all afternoon. An interesting decision with 98% of the attendees being male and the remaining 2% were women footballers or mothers down to watch! What ever floats your boat though Steven.
So here's to next year and maybe going a bit further again. Well done to all Fitbaw-ers who played - you did yourselves proud. Some photos may follow if Scott gets a chance to get them off his camera.