CAULDRON IN FINAL POSITION

ANOTHER PASS TO THE COLLECTION  

My old mate Steve on his last job before retirement . Ending a amazing rock and roll trucking career spanning 40 years . He had retired a couple of months ago, but was asked to come back for the Olympics . Fitting end to his music industry C.V that includes . Nearly all the Rolling Stone major European tours . It is easier to name the bands he has not toured with, in every European country both old and new . Taking in every festival along the way here and abroad . So nice one mate, I am sure they will tempt you back again in near future. Thats Rock and Roll ....... 

Glastonbury Oasis at the Olympics

water on all sides 

On Wednesday a good mate of mine phoned me asking me if I could help him out . His problem was he had injured him self working last week at the Pleasure Gardens a stones throw from the Olympic Park in London . His van was still there ,but he needed to get it off before Friday , before Olympic lock down and road closures , He was still laid up with the injury , with me knowing London and one day to go he was hoping I could help . So sick of watching all the coverage in the media wanted to see myself  ,I said “no worries” so off I went .

Central London was HOT HOT HOT . Police every where very twitchy and to be honest there was not much smiling going on . People and police had worried hot and bothered looks on their faces . It was  frenzied  at least 5 notches up on what central London usally is . After the packed underground journey it was on to the DLR (dockland railway) . Brand new and no one on it , very strange . With great views of the Olympic Park, the train travelling under the cable car from the O2 very impressive . Getting off the train at Pontoon Dock so easy the Pleasure Gardens was just across the road . At the security cabin it was G4S they where good laid back . It took a time for some one to come and meet me . But as it turned out they where all on sun break it was so hot .

I was given directions to where the van was . So I had a chance to walk around . Loads of familiar faces from Glastonbury Shangri La fields . The site had that Glastonbury feeling about it with winding gravel paths taking you round . With pieces of art work and facards that you always see up on the railway track . With a the large Victorian Warehouse as the back drop and central attraction.

To be honest I did not want to leave to go back into that London mayhem . But time was against me having to travel back through central London in a 30 year old VW camper . But I am well up for going to the Pleasure Gardens on a jolly over the next 2 weeks it is in good hands .

entrance 

The journey back in VW was well, eventful I would need a week to write about it. 

Click link 

http://www.londonpleasuregardens.com/

Rogers sticking to his Guns Good or Bad ?

With Brendan Rogers sticking to his guns of passing possession football . Sounds good but is it handing the opposition the game plan before a ball is kicked . Liverpool’s inability of breaking down the so called lesser opposition last season was clear to all . Teams came to Anfield knowing what to expect . They were happy to let Liverpool have the ball throwing men behind the ball . 9 times out of 10 we were unable to break them down . The league final standing spoke for its self .

So with-in his plans does the word unpredictability enter into his tactics . My biggest fears is 75% possession playing great stuff only to draw 0.0 or as happened last season the defeat .

The talk of not playing without a striker is understandable . I can see a two tier midfield with Suarez and Borini fitting into that . With maybe Dempsey tucking in behind as extra teeth .

But Rogers inability to back Carroll with in his plans worry s me slightly . Carroll impressed me in the later part of last season . Dropping deep hassling laying balls off putting it about in the box . My thoughts were if he kept off the piss in the pre-season he would have a 35 million season this year . But Rodgers seems not to be keen . Will that in-danger are element of surprise , is his tactics too set in stone , making it easy for opposition managers to counter act , That is my fear , I am all for my team playing attractive football . But after the last decade I would take a season of grinding out 1.0 victory’s . Keep teams guessing keep the ball but players have got to be comfortable on the ball .

Spain’s victory in the Euros was amazing but they played 3 different ways in their 6 games . The passing Spanish/Barcelona way is great, but it is on the verge of being sussed hence Spain’s switch in tactics over the tournament. So I am hoping Rodgers has a few strings to his bow , and not just a one trick pony . YNWA   

Glastonbury ghost

THIS IS SOME THINK  I PICKED UP FROM THE GLASTONBURY FORUM this what the lad said who put it up what do you think ?

Hi all, I've been meaning to stick this up here for ages, it is a photo taken at 2005s festival on I think the Saturday morning whilst wandering around the giant pond.  I took the photo of my 2 friends and it wasnt until I got it back that I saw we had an extra addition to the shot!
I remember taking the photo and have absolutely no recollection of him standing there, and he has no legs or body or shadow!
I know logically he is standing behind them and their legs are hiding his legs by a very slim chance but it just looks funny!  The way he is standing his pelvic area should be showing by the ladys (louise!) hand unless he has a very short body and very long legs, and hes standing at a bit of an angle so it just looks like you should be able to see at least some evidence he has a body!
Does anybody know this child?! It confuses me every time I look at it, I sometimes wonder if I've stumbled across a glastonbury ghost! Hehe
Anyway just thought I might share it with you guys hope u find it as funny as me

The C.D That Nearly Won The Cup

An old school friend of mine frustrated he could not find a job in the world of Football . Decided to look across the the pond for suitable qualifications to clime the football ladder . He opted for a Sports Physiology / Physio diploma in the States . He was well up on the physical aspects of the game but this diploma had a motivational twist on it .

He got the diploma and headed home. His actions looked like it had paid off as he landed a job in the physio team with Dave Jones at Cardiff . The year was 2008 and Cardiff where on an amazing cup run. They where preparing for a tricky away quarter final game at Middlesbrough .

He had brought back from the States a motivational C.D . That summed the motivational side of the diploma . On the team coach 30 minuets away from the Riverside he asked if it was ok to put the C.D ,he got the ok . The players were quite deep in their own thoughts on the game as he put the C.D in the machine . One by one it got the attention of the players as they watched in silence . The coach arrived at the Riverside . Cardiff played out of their skin, winning the game nil 2 . Booking themselves a semi final place at Wembley against Barnsley.

Fast forward to the 2008 04 08 again 30 minutes away from the ground this time Wembley . My mate was given the nod to put the C.D in the machine . Again the players in reflection watched the C.D in silence . They arrived put in a professional performance winning the game 0.1 . Booking a winnable game against Portsmouth in the F.A cup final .

So all the pre match hype began surrounding an F.A cup final . A lot of the hype was round whether Dave Jones was going to use Robbie Fowler in the super sub role. Win the cup for Cardiff in the twilight of his career . But Robbie was carrying a niggling injury . It was touch and go whether he would make the bench . Robbie was receiving treatment right up to the game he never travelled with the team in fact he caught the train to London with my mate . So you guessed it my mate never had the opportunity to play the magic C. D . The result was a 1.0 defeat . With Cardiff giving Portsmouth some early worry s but Portsmouth soon took control ending deserved winners . So my mates C. D never had a chance of effecting the game . But to my knowledge its one of the only a few state side pluses that maybe might   have effected are game . With exception of maybe Clint Dempsey and a few others . American owners of are Clubs, the jury’s is still out on that one . YNWA 

Football Supporters! What Sports Come Next ?

Its 6 weeks to the start of the season . If you don’t take the the Olympics in to consideration . But I will personally take them into consideration . Football is football is football , I am looking forward to them . But with a capital B if Team G.B were not involved and the Olympics were not in the U.K , The football would obviously not get the coverage that it is going to , So the die hard football supporters would have to turn their attentions to other sports . Do football supporters tend to lean to other sports in particular ?.

Well I can only speak for myself , family and close mates . As far as the summer Olympics are concerned the sports that create the most interest are .

Joe Calzaghe

(BOXING).......Football and boxing go hand in hand . When ever a Boxer wins a major title, he always ends up on the pitch at half time with his belt at his local Football club .

(HOCKEY).......The pitch is similar to football there are corners. It has the same sort of flow its physical . But the big plus with Hockey is that there are GOALS!! . I wonder were the governing body of Hockey stand on goal line technology ?. Also the women’s hockey is pleasing on the eye.

Click link for hockey rules
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/hockey/4188684.stm

From then on it gets difficult Beach Volleyball for more ways than one . Bit of Archery , weight -lifting may be . I don’t get the swimming athletics cycling thing, Gymnastics, boat racing, rowing. all a bit strange for me . I reckon it is what catches your eye as your waiting to go out .

But as I said earlier not a problem at this Olympics . There could be another 31 live football matches on the way . With a bit of boxing and hockey on the side . A couple of weeks of transfer specs and the whistle blows NEW SEASON . Next year will be hard work unless the winter Olympics is in the Southern Hemisphere . Then a bit of Ice Hockey goes down well .  Followed by a world cup year !HAPPY DAYS!  YNWA..... 

Euro 2012 week 6 review (FINAL)

RIGHTFULLY SO 

SPAIN 4 ITALY O

Spain European Champions

Golden Boot Winner Torres 3 goals 1 assist won it over Gomez on minutes played

Spain proved to be very adaptable and saved their best performance until the final . Along the way to the final they played without strikers . Getting a label from some as boring very unjustified . In fact it was the perfect tournament strategy, with every one around them guessing which way they would play . But strikers or not they simply passed teams to death . Bit by bit grinding teams down showing no complacency in becoming back to back winners of the tournament . To jump into the history books as the only team to win 3 major trophy’s in succession .

Italy just could not cope with Spain’s passing game . After early in tournament getting a credible draw against Spain . The brilliant Pirlo was passed out of the game . As for Balotelli would it be Super Mario, or Stupid Mario . It turned out to be invisible Mario he never got a sniff . Italy 2 nil down at half time quickly used all their subs to try and claw it back . Then went to ten men due to injury . 


It was a stroll for Spain at this point . So on came the Striker in the form of Torres . He quickly netted followed by an assist to hand him the golden boot . The final whistle could not come quick enough for Italy . Spain celebrated by bringing their kids on the pitch (nice touch) . Balotelli stormed off only to come back for his losers medal he will learn (maybe)

FINAL GOLDEN BOOT TABLE 

• Fernando Torres (Spain) - Three goals, one assist in 189 minutes
• Mario Gomez (Germany) - Three goals, one assist in 281 minutes
• Alan Dzagoev (Russia) - Three goals in 254 minutes
• Mario Mandzukic (Croatia) - Three goals in 269 minutes
• Mario Balotelli (Italy) - Three goals in 422 minutes
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) - Three goals in 480 minutes

After all the warnings of having a Eastern European Tournament it did not come to pass it was a very enjoyable event with by far the best team winning . Spain have defiantly set a very high bench mark to the rest of the football world . Setting it up very nicely for Brazil 2014 the count down has started I can not wait .

Overall tournament entertainment value 9/10 YNWA