Attitude
Dawn is yet to break over the Home of Football, yet the chain gang is in animated mode as the stadium emerges from what was once a school playing field at the same rate as night’s blanket lifts and is replaced by what is universally known as #bestbitoftheweek #matchday.
Our 2014/15 goalkeeper, Samuel Austin, is part of this season’s stadium set-up crew as part of the volunteering section of his Duke of Edinburgh award, though he is now giving serious consideration as to his future philanthropic contribution, due to being subjected to The Groundsman’s hugely passionate, if slightly Cyclopean autobiographical tour of the various hospital wards at Gloucester Royal (Part One). The 30-minute, one-way dialogue ends when The Chef enquires, ‘More tea vicar?’ and in the two seconds it takes the orator to adjust his dog collar, SA has made it to the sanctuary of the programme box and normality of a sort is restored, for the time being at any rate.
Portsmouth are today’s visitors to GL2 and their arrival coincides with the sun breaking through the early-morning mist to set off the ground in all it’s glory. Not so glorious though is Captain Pathfinder Burgess, who has forgotten his early-season target barely seventeen hours after hearing it. A similar thing happened to Captain Edward John Smith RD precisely 106 years ago, whose ignorance of the necessity to ‘avoid a meeting with an iceberg at all costs’ met with slightly more catastrophic consequences.
Even so, setting an example like this when Myatt is in the room is, in all probability, a move towards a disaster of some description. To give added weight to this argument, the aforementioned Myatt has mistaken the changing room floor for a wardrobe and neatly arranged his shirt, tie, jumper, trousers and shoes in such a position that neighbours Caple and Jones can use the heap as a shoe cleaner, should they be of such a persuasion. Thankfully they’re not.
The game commences and Pathfinder probably sets up the opening goal on ninety seconds (I’m talking to Mrs Austin at the time, so have no idea whatsoever who it actually is, but after his recent bad press, Burgess needs a boost); what is clear though, is that Obieri’s finish moments later, is as neat as The Chairman’s Highnam-cum-GCHQ vernacular.
Vye, rejuvenated by his recent spell on the sidelines, supplies the cross for Obieri’s second, while Burgess confidently converts the spot kick awarded after Obieri is fouled in the box, shortly before the jaffa cake-less break. There’s been a pleasing momentum about the first half play, as Myatt, Vye and Fieldhouse have supplied the width and Burgess and Jones the central midfield dominance, while Caple, Freeman, Millward and Daniels are solid as the proverbial rock at the back.
Portsmouth’s biggest threat in the first half though comes courtesy of Caple who, encouraged by his first goal of the season at Vale of White Horse last week, fires a 60 mph back pass, Exocet-like, at High Definition - an effort that would have beaten a lesser man, but the situation is resolved and an equaliser averted.
Similarly exciting is Freeman being stung by a random wasp while having a rest on the sidelines, his jump at the point of hornet contact having a hugely positive impact on his ability to out-spring the Pompey forwards and connect with high balls once he’s reintroduced to the fray shortly after the break.
The scoring continues and Burgess finds the bottom corner from the edge of the box, Obieri completes his treble following Millward’s fine right wing run and cross and Vye drives a great strike into the top left corner to complete the scoring. There is no assist from Jones on this occasion – the midfielder, according to this week’s Citizen, having made the pass for our second goal last week at a time when he was actually sitting on the bench. Quality knows no bounds. For those who like utter trivia of this sort, Kevin ‘Jaffa’ Hardcastle claimed a hat trick of first period assists in the 6-3 win at Newport in February 1994, despite not coming on until half time. That though was a premeditated lie, while Jones’ extra stat was, in all fairness to him, a simple journalistic error. Don’t tell The Chairman.
Post-match and news filters through that The Yellows have scored seven at Erdington, meaning that for once, thirteen is a lucky number. For us, anyway. The Photographer is a happy chappie as the travelling Portsmouth supporters have formed an enthusiastic queue at the big red machine, which is particularly good news as it’s his turn to buy the pre-match grub at the Gloucester City (nee Evesham) burger bar in roughly an hour’s time.
The kit is packed into the customised Ikea bag, with all bar number five perfectly presented and turned the right way out, ready for its weekly appointment with Lemon Fresh. Meanwhile Fieldhouse, as usual, is at the head of the refreshment queue – neat, tidy and perfectly manicured. Behind him is High Definition, shirt only protruding from jumper at the front, while near the back is Wasp, shirt only protruding from jumper at front, middle, back and everywhere else in between.
Coach Wilson’s determination to get the Isle of Wight menu choices sorted to the point of absolute perfection results in Father Freeman missing D.Cipriani’s entire contribution to GRFC’s defeat at Munster, but Fieldhouse is pleased with the attention to detail as he’s finally found something he thinks he’ll like. Obieri though is dreadfully disappointed, having been told in no uncertain terms that he’s only got one choice per meal time and not his hoped-for ten.
The busy half term ‘break’ has got off to a positive start from a GPSFA perspective, but the last word goes to the Portsmouth players. At five and then six down, their defenders made three excellent last-ditch covering tackles on our centre forward, preventing yet more goalscoring opportunities. And in the eating room afterwards, every one of them was well mannered and respectful throughout. There are many things in life that are important, and the attitude behind these two occurrences would be right up there at the top of the list.
Gloucester: High Definition; Subway, Caple, Wasp; Aquarius, Pathfinder, Jones, Vye; Obieri; Fieldhouse.
Our 2014/15 goalkeeper, Samuel Austin, is part of this season’s stadium set-up crew as part of the volunteering section of his Duke of Edinburgh award, though he is now giving serious consideration as to his future philanthropic contribution, due to being subjected to The Groundsman’s hugely passionate, if slightly Cyclopean autobiographical tour of the various hospital wards at Gloucester Royal (Part One). The 30-minute, one-way dialogue ends when The Chef enquires, ‘More tea vicar?’ and in the two seconds it takes the orator to adjust his dog collar, SA has made it to the sanctuary of the programme box and normality of a sort is restored, for the time being at any rate.
Portsmouth are today’s visitors to GL2 and their arrival coincides with the sun breaking through the early-morning mist to set off the ground in all it’s glory. Not so glorious though is Captain Pathfinder Burgess, who has forgotten his early-season target barely seventeen hours after hearing it. A similar thing happened to Captain Edward John Smith RD precisely 106 years ago, whose ignorance of the necessity to ‘avoid a meeting with an iceberg at all costs’ met with slightly more catastrophic consequences.
Even so, setting an example like this when Myatt is in the room is, in all probability, a move towards a disaster of some description. To give added weight to this argument, the aforementioned Myatt has mistaken the changing room floor for a wardrobe and neatly arranged his shirt, tie, jumper, trousers and shoes in such a position that neighbours Caple and Jones can use the heap as a shoe cleaner, should they be of such a persuasion. Thankfully they’re not.
The game commences and Pathfinder probably sets up the opening goal on ninety seconds (I’m talking to Mrs Austin at the time, so have no idea whatsoever who it actually is, but after his recent bad press, Burgess needs a boost); what is clear though, is that Obieri’s finish moments later, is as neat as The Chairman’s Highnam-cum-GCHQ vernacular.
Vye, rejuvenated by his recent spell on the sidelines, supplies the cross for Obieri’s second, while Burgess confidently converts the spot kick awarded after Obieri is fouled in the box, shortly before the jaffa cake-less break. There’s been a pleasing momentum about the first half play, as Myatt, Vye and Fieldhouse have supplied the width and Burgess and Jones the central midfield dominance, while Caple, Freeman, Millward and Daniels are solid as the proverbial rock at the back.
Portsmouth’s biggest threat in the first half though comes courtesy of Caple who, encouraged by his first goal of the season at Vale of White Horse last week, fires a 60 mph back pass, Exocet-like, at High Definition - an effort that would have beaten a lesser man, but the situation is resolved and an equaliser averted.
Similarly exciting is Freeman being stung by a random wasp while having a rest on the sidelines, his jump at the point of hornet contact having a hugely positive impact on his ability to out-spring the Pompey forwards and connect with high balls once he’s reintroduced to the fray shortly after the break.
The scoring continues and Burgess finds the bottom corner from the edge of the box, Obieri completes his treble following Millward’s fine right wing run and cross and Vye drives a great strike into the top left corner to complete the scoring. There is no assist from Jones on this occasion – the midfielder, according to this week’s Citizen, having made the pass for our second goal last week at a time when he was actually sitting on the bench. Quality knows no bounds. For those who like utter trivia of this sort, Kevin ‘Jaffa’ Hardcastle claimed a hat trick of first period assists in the 6-3 win at Newport in February 1994, despite not coming on until half time. That though was a premeditated lie, while Jones’ extra stat was, in all fairness to him, a simple journalistic error. Don’t tell The Chairman.
Post-match and news filters through that The Yellows have scored seven at Erdington, meaning that for once, thirteen is a lucky number. For us, anyway. The Photographer is a happy chappie as the travelling Portsmouth supporters have formed an enthusiastic queue at the big red machine, which is particularly good news as it’s his turn to buy the pre-match grub at the Gloucester City (nee Evesham) burger bar in roughly an hour’s time.
The kit is packed into the customised Ikea bag, with all bar number five perfectly presented and turned the right way out, ready for its weekly appointment with Lemon Fresh. Meanwhile Fieldhouse, as usual, is at the head of the refreshment queue – neat, tidy and perfectly manicured. Behind him is High Definition, shirt only protruding from jumper at the front, while near the back is Wasp, shirt only protruding from jumper at front, middle, back and everywhere else in between.
Coach Wilson’s determination to get the Isle of Wight menu choices sorted to the point of absolute perfection results in Father Freeman missing D.Cipriani’s entire contribution to GRFC’s defeat at Munster, but Fieldhouse is pleased with the attention to detail as he’s finally found something he thinks he’ll like. Obieri though is dreadfully disappointed, having been told in no uncertain terms that he’s only got one choice per meal time and not his hoped-for ten.
The busy half term ‘break’ has got off to a positive start from a GPSFA perspective, but the last word goes to the Portsmouth players. At five and then six down, their defenders made three excellent last-ditch covering tackles on our centre forward, preventing yet more goalscoring opportunities. And in the eating room afterwards, every one of them was well mannered and respectful throughout. There are many things in life that are important, and the attitude behind these two occurrences would be right up there at the top of the list.
Gloucester: High Definition; Subway, Caple, Wasp; Aquarius, Pathfinder, Jones, Vye; Obieri; Fieldhouse.
