Monday, November 28, 2011
Back Online !
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Saturday, November 26, 2011
My Matchday - 304 New Broomfield
Airdrie United 3v3 Arbroath
Scottish League Division Two
Saturday 26th November 2011
It was my intension that last month’s trip north to Raith Rovers was to be my last journey to Scotland until the spring. However it was hard to resist taking a gamble on the weather to book advance trains to Edinburgh and if I couldn’t bag another ground there’s always the back up plan of a day on the lash in one of my favourite cities.The weather was rough in the West side of Scotland, but not match threatening, so I confidently headed up to Airdrie in North Lanarkshire. The town forms part of a municipality with Coatbridge in the former district known as the Monklands, situated approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow.
The Airdrie name is believed to have originated from Gaelic dialect; An Àrd Ruigh meaning a level height or high pastures land, or possibly from An Àrd Àirighe denoting a sheiling or wayside town
Airdrie United formed in 2002, born out of a collapse of one club and the takeover of another. Airdieonians with debts of almost £3m went out of business after finished runners-up in the Scottish First Division in the 2001–02 season, their vacancy in the SFL taking up by Gretna, a non-league side playing in the Northern Premier League in England.
Airdieonians fan and accountant Jim Ballantyne led a consortium to gain entry to the Scottish League with a newly formed club out of the ashes of “The Diamonds” with a buy-out of the ailing Second Division side Clydebank, to take over their League place and relocated to North Lanarkshire.
The new club kept the traditional Airdrieonians colours of all white with a wraparound red diamond and the name changed to Airdrie United. Although the club are officially a continuation of Clydebank, they are mainly recognised as a reincarnation of Airdrieonians, with Clydebank having been reformed by the UCS supporters group, plying their trade in the West Region of the Scottish Junior League.
Airdrieonians formed in 1878 and played at the original Broomfield Park from 1892. My own link to Airdrie, or should I say, the Tyneside connection to the club comes in the way of a famous son of North Lanarkshire - the legendary Hughie Gallacher.After signing from Queen of the South in 1921, Hughie made his name at Airdrieonians, earning the first of his 20 Scottish caps in 1924 going on to score 23 international goals. During his four years at Broomfield he scored 91 goals in 111 appearances before heading south to St James Park in a 6,500 deal in December 1925.
The wee man became one of the earliest legendary Newcastle number 9s, a key member of the 1926-27 title winning team with a remarkable 133 career goals in 160 matches before a big money move to Chelsea. Such was his popularity at United that when he return with the Blues a record attendance of 68,386 was set, with several thousand locked outside. Gallacher scored 81 goals in 144 games and was Chelsea’s top scorer in each of his four seasons at Stamford Bridge.
Hughie went on to play at Derby County, Notts County and Grimsby before returning to Tyneside in 1938 at Fourth Division Gateshead. A delighted and emotional Gallacher was quoted as saying “It’s grand to be back on Tyneside, my heart has been here ever since I left United eight years ago. I intend to spend the rest of my life with my adopted folk in Gateshead."
Crowds at Gateshead’s Redheugh Park soared to 20,000 as he hit 18 league goals for the club before retiring from football due to the outbreak of World War 2. Hughie continued to live in Gateshead until his sad demise and tragic suicide in 1957, taking his life just a short walk from my own home in Gateshead, stepping in front of an oncoming express train on the London-Edinburgh line at Low Fell.
Broomfield Park was sold to supermarket chain Safeway for £5.5m in May 1994. The club’s intention was to build a new, 10,000 all-seated stadium to SPL standard in readiness of gaining promotion from the First Division. However acquiring planning permission proved difficult as the club struggled to find an appropriate site, which meant Airdrie had to groundshare with Clyde at Broadwood Stadium in Cumbernauld for four seasons.
Once a viable site was found, building work on the Shyberry Excelsior Stadium (as it was originally called) was completed in time for the start of the 1998-99 season. The stadium is made up of four separate single tier stands with open corners. The Jack Dalziel Stand is the largest, having a row of executive boxes at the top and decked out in red seats with white diamonds and AFC (What about the ‘U’?) picked out in black. The Perspex dugouts are at each side of the tunnel and the stand also houses the ticket office, club shop, conference and banqueting facilities and a public bar.
Opposite is the East Stand which is closed to the public and is only used by the press. I was one of the eight in the spacious press box, made up of six writers and two on the TV gantry section. The stand is similar in height and appearance as the North and South Stands behind each goal, the seats are horizontally colour banded into white red and black.
The ground also has electric scoreboards behind each goal, four prominent corner floodlights and a new 3G artificial pitch which made its debut in August 2010.
Although only one stand was available to the paying public on this visit, overall New Broomfield holds 10,171 with a record attendance of 9,613 coming in the 2005 Scottish Challenge Cup Final between Hamilton Academicals and St. Mirren.
The biggest gate for an Airdrieonians match was 8,762 against Celtic in a Scottish League Cup tie in August 1998, as for Airdrie United it’s currently 5,924, set during the Scottish Cup 3rd round against derby rivals Motherwell in January 2007.
I arrived in a sunny but windy Edinburgh at 1130am. Predictably I spent my brief time in the Scottish capital visiting a couple of unchartered JDW pubs, namely The Playfair in the Omi Centre and the Alexandra Graham Bell on George Street, before taking the 1248 train west towards Helensburgh Central.
The journey to Airdrie takes just over 45 minutes. The closer I got to Lanarkshire the darker and wetter it became, but having seen the weather forecast I was well prepared, well wrapped and water proofed. On arrival I completed a ‘Spoons hat trick in Airdrie, calling into The Robert Hamilton before taking the 20 minute walk to the stadium in the piss-istent rainfall.
I entered the press area via a gate at the Main Stand, the steward handed me a programme and informed me I had to walk around the pitch to the opposite stand, plus if I needed a drink or something to eat I had to walk back.
This wasn’t a convenience, in fact it was bloody great news as I took the longer route around the perimeter, able to freely take pictures with no problems whatsoever and without any hassle from the stewards, not like those mardy jobsworth tits that I experienced at Clyde.
I always enjoy attending games in Scotland but over the last few years the standard of football in the SPL and SFL had been, if I’m brutally honest, piss poor! I’ve been long overdue a great game, and I got it, the game had plenty of goals with both sides fully committed, giving their all in continuous rain and a swirly wind.
The game got off to a lively start; in Arbroath’s very first attack they were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box. Gavin Swankie stepped up and from 20 yards he curled his shot inside the keeper’s right hand post to give the visitors a 57 second lead (according to my digital watch)
Airdrie equalised in the 5th minute, a cross by McClaren was handled in the box by Baxter and from the spot kick skipper Paul Lovering smashed the penalty in off the underside of the crossbar.
Arbroath regained the lead in the same fashion just before half time. This time a Swankie cross was handled by Green and Steve Doris made no mistake with his spot kick, then after the break The Smokies looked to have bagged the points when Swankie again was on hand to tee up Falkingham to fire home on 56 minutes.
Diamonds top scorer Ryan Donnelly rescued an unlikely point with a headed brace in a two minute spell, getting on the end of a Boyle cross on 69 minutes, then a minute later he was left unmarked to nod home from close range to take his goal tally to 18 goals in 19 games this season.
Both teams had chances to win it, the best effort falling to Donnelly who was denied a hat-trick with a tremendous tip over by keeper Hill, but overall neither side deserved to lose, a draw being the fairest result.
Full marks to both teams for producing a cracking game in horrendous conditions. I felt my planned arrival to Airdrie came 7 days too late after they pulled of a record 11-0 win in the Scottish Cup last week, but I’m quite happy to settle for a 6 goal thriller and an enjoyable but soggy day north of the border.
Matchday stats
AUFC 1 (Lovering 5pen Donnelly 69,70)
AFC (Swankie 1pen Doris 42pen Falkingham 56)
att.687
Admission:Press (£15)
Ground no.304 New Broomfield - Matchday Web album (22 pictures)
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Wii on the Horizon
First of all, a very happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the US! We don't have Thanksgiving here in Australia, of course, but that doesn't mean I can't be wistful for the turkey and cranberry sauce... The major holiday in November over here is Melbourne Cup Day, but with all the dressing up in expensive hats and betting on horses, I'd say it emphasizes few different priorities...
But Thursday wasn't a normal day for me! Far from it –– this Thursday marked the release of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in Australia. Well, technically the street date was broken (yet again), so you could pick up the game if you preordered it as early as Tuesday, but I got mine yesterday (don't get me started on street date breaks in AU).
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| Pretty sleek, no? |
It's not exactly a question of "if" I'll get one, of course, but more like "when" –– I know there will be some holiday sales soon enough and I can't decide whether I want to hold out until they roll around in December or not! So many decisions! In the meantime, I asked some of you on Twitter what games you'd most recommend for the console, but I decided I'd like to open the floor up to everyone. First, let's see what games I'm most looking forward to playing...
Murasama: Demon Blade
Basically, all you have to do is utter the word "Vanillaware" and I'll be there. The company's amazing art direction (though the lead artist's penchant for bubble breasts and thunder thighs leaves something to be desired...) never ceases to take my breath away, even if I'm not always a huge fan of the gameplay. Murasama's focus Japanese mythology makes it a must-have in my book.
Resident Evil 4
I'm putting this sucker on the list because I know my husband would quite enjoy it. I saw a significant portion of the game played back when it came out for the PS2, but I'm really just awful at tense games where I'm required to shoot things. I've heard the Wii controls really shine in this game, so I would love to see my husband give it a go. Honorable mentions in the category of "games my husband and I can enjoy together" would be Donkey Kong Country Returns (can you believe he's never played the original?) and maybe House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return.
Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon: The Labyrinth of Forgotten Time
There are few video game animal mascots I love more than chocobos. Actually, probably the only thing I love more than chocobos are moogles (sense a pattern?). I've never gotten into the roguelike genre before, and figure chocobos and cute things might soften the potentially harsh blow the traditional roguelike might have (I'm really a wimp when it comes to games). Also, Cid's design in this Final Fantasy spin-off is pretty rad (right).
Little King's Story
I'll be honest, I don't really know a whole lot about this game. But what I do know, I like, and this is definitely one of the top games on my "must pick up immediately" list. From what I've seen/heard, it seems like a Harvest Moon-type life simulator with some unique gameplay elements, and if that's the case, then I'm all for it!
Rhythm Heaven Wii
I shouldn't need to say much about this one. I loved Rhythm Heaven on the DS, and it goes without saying that I'll pick up this next installment. Problem is, I'll have to get a big chunk of play time in before my husband gets his hands on it! If he gets half as obsessed with this one as he did the last, he won't stop until he's got gold medals on every song! We still find ourselves humming some of those tunes...
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| I can't wait for this game |
Well, of course there are many many more Wii titles I plan on picking up eventually, including classics such as Kirby's Epic Yarn and Super Mario Galaxy 2 (I've seen a significant portion of the first already, would rather experience Yoshi). Any titles you think I should add to my list? Let's hear your top Wii games!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Santos la tenía, era suya...y la dejó ir...
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| * Santos ganaba cómodamente 0-2 * Darwin falla ( como siempre) lo que podía ser la puntilla * Cambio, entra Cárdenas; expulsión, sale Cárdenas. * Jaguares remonta aprovechando * Todo se define en el TSM Si somos sinceros, esas 5 líneas resumen completamente lo que fué el partido de cuartos de final (IDA) entre Santos y Jaguares. |
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| Éste es el cuadro que saltó a la grama del Estadio Chiapaneco, y se me hace que Suárez desde ahí ya iba jadeando. |
MAS INFORMACIÓN
En lo que parecía ser el duelo más parejo, Santos empezaba a tocar en la cancha del Víctor Manuel Reyna de forma tranquila, ordenada y pausada, desde el inicio del juego, lo que le daba el control total del partido y una mayor peligrosidad al frente, al abrir la cancha completamente buscando a Peralta, Quintero y Suárez.
Pero fué en una jugada de tiro de esquina en el area grande donde en un rebote Baloy toma el balón y de volea la incrusta en el angulo de la portería chiapaneca para 0-1 apenas al minuto 4, lo que le daba a Santos todavía más confianza de saber que SON MEJORES en la cancha, Jaguares por su parte, bajó los brazos, el gol les cayó como balde de agua fría y de inmediato se dejó sentir para ellos que la eliminatoria no sería nada fácil aún jugando en su casa ante el toque que mostraban los guerreros por conducto de Ludueña y el tridente ofensivo.
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| Baloy festeja un muy buen gol que ponía adelante al equipo 0-1. |
Salvo dos o tres llegadas del jaguar, que fueron bien controladas por la defensa, Santos se mostraba fuerte y seguía con el balón en los pies.
Generaba llegadas, tan es así que Peralta se pierde el 0-2 con una hermosa palomita dentro del area que no llegó a su destino.
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| OP24 hace el segundo ante la mirada de Hernández que refleja lo que era Jaguares hasta ese momento..."A walking dead". |
Jaguares se derrumbaba anímicamente, si el primer gol era pesado, el segundo abría la puerta para pensar en una eliminación desde el juego 1 y en su propia cancha, pero Darwin Quintero se encargaría de irles subiendo el animo con fallas que merecen ser dignas de análisis y es que el chavo de plano nomás nunca ha dado el estirón, se quedó como una "eterna promesa" y si bien de vez en cuando nos regala goles con chispazos son más los momentos en que literalmente se la mentamos desde nuestro lugar debido a su falta de contundencia, la cual a veces llega a ser IRRISORIA.
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| Prefiero poner algo hermoso aqui que una imagen de Quintero fallando. |
La segunda, la peor, cuando gracias a una excelente jugada por parte de OP24 que está convertido en todo un crack (sin burla, la verdad, Oribe trae un timming muy bueno y que mejor sería que aprovecharan todo esto, desgraciadamente a su lado tiene alguien que parece ser virgen pues no sabe como meterla).
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| Lo mismo que la anterior. |
Falla un 0-3 que hubiera dado la puntilla y habría cerrado el ataúd del jaguar que al ver éstas fallas resoplaba y volvía a la vida a sabiendas que un solo gol lo metería de nuevo a la pelea.
Vienen los cambios, sale Ludueña al 60" y entra Chema Cárdenas en un cambio que sigo sin entender, despues de ver como Suárez ya no respiraba en el terreno de juego y se encontraba fundido literalmente, total que entra Chema a marcar diferencia y cómo no, apenas 10 minutos de su ingreso, y tontamente ( por no decir más feo) se hace expulsar en una falta innecesaria por detrás y lo peor de todo...en medio campo sin haber peligro de por medio para una roja directa y sin vaselina. Santos se quedaba con 10 gracias a la puntada de un jugador que nos sigue debiendo mucho y que le falta el respeto al esfuerzo de todos sus compañeros al hacer esa jugada tan imprudente e innecesaria y de paso le da un vuelve a la vida al jaguares para que renaciera en el terreno de juego cuando ya se encontraba en la lona y contado casi el KO.
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| El maestro intentando corregir la chambonada de Chema Cárdenas. |
El maestro mueve sus piezas, saca al "Científico de las fallas" y mete a Moralitos, minutos más tarde, saca a OP24 y entra Toledo, a tirar el camión atrás...y apostar a la suerte para que Jaguares no anotara...cosa que no sucedería.
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| Se notaba la entrega en cada barrida en búsqueda por el balón, probablemente Chema quiso igualmente hacerlo, pero no en media cancha...a medio metro del árbitro y en una jugada de nulo peligro. |
Darwin Quintero tiene todo para ser una estrella, velocidad, hambre, movilidad incluso imaginación...pero no tranquilidad, y se hace bolas él solo, quiere hacer la jugada antes de que el balón llegue al pie y termina rebotándolo, perdiéndolo y desaprovechando tantas oportunidades tan claras que llega un momento en que dices sácalo porque no es posible que desperdicie esos balones. ¿Le falta entrenamiento? tal vez, probablemente alguien que lo agarre despues de cada uno, y lo ponga tal cual Beenhakker lo hizo con Juan Hernández en el América y lo convirtió de ser un simple lateral a ser EL LATERAL DE LA SELECCIÓN poniéndolo a centrar hasta 100 veces seguidas para que depurara su toque. ¿Por qué no hacerlo con Quintero?¿fallaste? OTRA VEZ ¿fallaste? OTRA VEZ ¿la metiste? OTRA VEZ no se, algo, si quieren y tal como dice mi amigo César Orona, cómprenle 2 balones, uno para que juegue y otro porque siempre pierde el primero.
El caso es que YA NO SE PUEDE DAR ESOS LUJOS, y tiene que demostrar el por qué está aquí y no que nos haga extrañar a los que se fueron. ( Chucho y Pony, incluso Jared, a otro, ni quien lo extrañe).
El caso es que Jaguares aprovechó de muy buena manera el hecho del hombre menos y en un santiamén, con gol ( con falta ) de (Michael) Jackson por medio del cabezazo y un trallazo en el que Oswaldo nada pudo hacer ( no así Galindo, que se nos volteó siendo que es defensa y créanme que ahi extrañe AL LORITO JIMÉNEZ QUE SE NOS AVENTABA DE KAMIKAZE con tal de que no cayera ni un solo gol, incluso exponiendo su físico) el caso es que el gol cayó y Jaguares hizo la hombrada que lo convierte en un aspirante serio a pasar a semifinales pues traen la motivación por los cielos, mientras que los Guerreros tendrán que volver a jugar con conciencia y no con el conformismo que tanto les afecta cuando se echan a la hamaca sabiendo que "ya la tienen ganada".
Se espera un buen juego en el TSM creo yo, Jaguares viene con toda las ganas de vengarse de eliminatorias pasadas, mientras que Santos -al menos- creo que buscará desquitarse de ese empate que no debió de haber sucedido en el Víctor Manuel Reyna.
Esperemos que Darwin tome conciencia, y que de una puta vez, se gane a pulso ese mote del "Científico del gol" porque hasta al momento ni a muchacho que hace su servicio social en un laboratorio llega y por cierto, si anota que no festeje poniéndose las manos en los oídos como diciendo "no los oigo" porque creeme que ni le queda después de soportar tantas fallas que han costado puntos al equipo.
Se viene un cierre de Cuartos feroz, esperemos que ambos equipos salgan a brindarse y no a cuidarse del gol que ponga en riesgo "la calificación".
Sale!
El resumen y los goles en video por si no lo vieron
Saturday, November 19, 2011
My Matchday - 303 North Street
Alfreton Town 1v1 Gateshead
Blue Sq.Bet Premier
Saturday 19th November 2011
This week I was back on the road with the Heed Army for a relatively short trip (compared with what I’m used to) to Alfreton Town to tick off one of the three remaining Conference grounds I need to complete Blighty’s top 116 clubs. Alfreton is a town and civil parish in the Amber Valley, neighbouring the districts of Bolsover and North East Derbyshire. The town was formerly a Norman Manor and later an Urban District.
Legend has it, that Alfreton takes its name from Alfred the Great, who drove the Danes from settlements in this area of the country and overhauled much of the damage. There’s also evidence that a settlement existed here in Saxon times.
Alfreton Town formed in 1959 following the merger of Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alfreton United. The club originally playing in the Central Alliance North Division One, before joining the Midland Counties League from 1961 - winning three league titles during the 1970’s.
Town became founder members of the Northern Counties East League in 1982, becoming league champions in 1987 thus winning promotion to the Northern Premier League.
Back to back relegations at the end of the 1990s saw the club back in the Northern Counties East League. However good fortune returned, two promotion seasons and a 4th place finish saw the Reds placed in the Conference North when the football pyramid was reformed in 2004.
Last season the club had their most successful season in winning the Conference North title with a ten point margin over nearest rivals AFC Telford to take their place at the top table of non-league football.
The local council provided a ground for the newly formed club on North Street, which was originally called the Town Ground. Within a year a covered banked terrace was built on the Welfare side, followed by seating for 180 and a small covered stand at the Alma Street end in 1963. The ground’s early years witnessed a record crowd when 5,023 saw a Central Midland league clash with Derbyshire neighbours Matlock Town in 1960.
In the early ‘70s the original stand was replaced with a covered terrace and seats combination, followed by floodlights and a new dressing room building, which was later renovated with a players lounge bar and directors box.
More improvements were made as the club progressed with the most significant change coming in 1994 with a new Main Stand. The stand runs pitch length and is split up into different sections, having two rows of blue seats and press box in the centre, the Tommie Bradley Terrace next to the club shop and at the opposite end of the stand is the Red Bar and the Lottie Bradley Hospitality Area.
The main turnstile entrance is in the corner off Bentley Close, where you’re met by the refreshment bar and club shop which has a huge selection of programmes and pin badges which is well worth visiting.Opposite is the Tom McRoy Stand named after “Mr Alfreton Town” himself who was responsible for the amalgamation of the new club 52 years ago and is still going strong, celebrating his 92nd birthday this year.
The stand is two-thirds covered with a scaffold assisted TV gantry on the roof, with half a dozen rows of blue flip seats which continue around to the Bentley Close end behind the goal. The seats were purchased from Leicester City’s old Filbert Street ground at a bargain price of £1.50 per pew. The Bentley Close has only four rows of seats which were bolted onto the terrace in 2003 and there are plans to add cover in the near future, as well as moving the changing rooms and adding other facilities around the ground.
At the top end on the Alma Street side is a small steep terrace known as the 'Tin End' which is split into three separate sections. This has a small covered area in the centre section and the back walls are painted red.
In 2004 a new £70,000 floodlighting system was installed courtesy a £45,000 award from the Football Stadia Improvements scheme and several wheelchair access ramps for spectator points for the disabled. The Impact Arena as it’s now officially known* has a capacity of 3,600 with 1,500 seats.
(* as a regular at St James Park for 37 of its 119 years history, I prefer to call grounds by their traditional name)
On current form I expected a convincing away win, confidently predicting a 3-1 victory for Gateshead, but if I was any good at this prediction malarkey I would be rich enough to pack in work and spend my leisure time exploring the delights of stadiums around the continent.
Alfreton didn’t look like a side that’s struggling at the wrong end of the table as they dominated early on. Kris Gate was on hand to twice to make goal line clearances and Jak Alnwick tipped over a free kick from Anthony Church as the Reds bossed the first half.
The opening goal duly arrived on 37 minutes with probably the best goal I’ve seen so far this season. The ball was played into the right flank to Jake Moult, who’s back heel flick teed up Paul Clayton who hit a bullet first time shot which found the postage stamp position in the frame of the goal.
The Tynesiders improved after the interval, the Reds invited the pressure with keeper Joe Day denying Gate and Cummins, with the Heed number 11 also going close with a near post header.
The equaliser came on 68 minutes from Chris Moore, Brittain played a square ball to the edge of the box and the substitute fired home from 20 yards.
In the closing stages the hosts should have won it as the Heed’s desperate defending saw goalmouth scrambles and goal line clearances, the best chance saw Marwood on hand to clear off the line from Clayton and a Leigh Frank shot just whistled over the crossbar which would have been the third cracking goal of the afternoon.
The Town fans post match view was that this was the best home performance of the season. The luxury of having almost a full squad to choose from making the difference and if they can produce performances of a similar ilk then they have every chance of surviving this season.
A travelling distance of just 146 miles from the Civic Centre to the ground meant a 10am departure and an arrival time of 1.30, so this gave me amble time to check out a few of the local hostelries. I had arranged to meet Squad #108 John Robinson his brother Neil and Squad#194 Keith Arthur when I arrived, but their replacement bus service from Derby was caught in heavy traffic so unfortunately they didn’t arrive till just before 2.30pm.
I did do a solo run to the local Wetherspoons – Waggon & Horses, followed by the King Alfred where I met a drunken exile Geordie from Birtley who had lived in Alfreton for the last 10 years. He was positive that he knew me from his days working in Gateshead, however he may have been mistaking as he was really really pished!
My last pre-match pub was The Victoria where most of the Heed Army had taking root and this was where I finally met John (ground no.509 today) and Keith (ground no.381) for the first time, which brings my 100FgC handshake total to 53/198.
Its always good to meet up and have a bit crack with some of the squad, also I was made welcome by the staff working at the ground who were very friendly, so overall a it proved a very good trip and a canny day out.
Matchday stats
ATFC 1(Clayton 37) GFC 1(Moore 68)
Att.651
Admission:Press (£13)
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