Sheffield Wednesday 1 Hull City 1
Just got back from the lunchtime match between the club I have always supported and one of my home city's clubs - Sheffield Wednesday - nicknamed The Owls.
We were in The Leppings Lane end where in 1989 ninety five Liverpool fans were crushed to death as latecomers supporting the same club pushed their way in at the back of the central section of fenced off terracing. It was an FA Cup semi-final match and the legal repercussions of that awful day continue to grind on through the years. The number of words written and spoken about The Hillsborough Disaster could stretch from here to the sun and back several times over.
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| Hull City manager Steve Bruce At Hillsborough today. |
Today, The Tigers of Hull began brightly making Wednesday look quite ordinary but this is one of the things I have learnt about football through the years - if you don't put away early chances, it is likely that your opponents will come back and bite you. And that is precisely what happened in the twenty eighth minute when Fernando Forestieri clipped the ball into our net against the run of play.
We began the second half as brightly as we had started the game and in the fifty first minute, Uruguayan striker Abel Hernández brought us our deserved equaliser following a double save by Wednesday's keeper Westwood. High in The Leppings Lane end an idiot set off a smoke bomb during our supporters' wild celebrations. For a minute or two the air was filled with a choking fog.
I was watching the match with Shirley, my old friend Tony and his girlfriend or "partner" if you prefer such terminology. During the second half, three middle aged men stood three rows below us loudly bellowing out obscenities that were variously aimed at the referee, the linesman, Sheffield Wednesday's players and their fans - none of whom could hear their angry curses.
So I tapped the biggest one on the shoulder and said, "I say old chap. I am with two fillies up there and if you would be ever so kind we would like you and your chums to cease your swearing forthwith. Now there's a good chap!" The deranged and previously foul-mouthed fellow smiled and responded, "Oh, I'm awfully sorry old fruit. We didn't spot any fillies. Of course we will restrain our excitement henceforth. I hope you enjoy the rest of the match!"
The last paragraph was of course a blatant ****ing lie!
Reminds me of a time when we went to a Avalanche hockey game in Denver with the princess and her consort. There were three drunk young guys behind us and finally when they dropped food all over the back of my daughter's hair and shirt, my son-in-law had enough. Now, he is kinda' a slight chap, but strong and determined. When he confronted said drunk men, they yelled at him that, "you can't beat us up with your pink, flowery shirt. You must be a fag! And, besides, with your accent, you don't even belong here in our country!" That's when the police showed up and dragged them off to the klink!
ReplyDeleteSo, who won the match, Mr Pudding?
OOPS! I see at the very top of the post that it was a draw.
DeleteYes it was 1-1 MT. Give the princess's consort a pat on the back from me for having the guts to speak up against those morons.
DeleteDaft people like that sadly often manage to spoil the fun for others, or the risk of such an encounter makes them stay away from matches in the first place (as it would for me).
ReplyDeleteI wonder, what makes a person become a supporter of a certain club? In your case, it is not a club of your home town, so it can't be local pride.
Though Sheffield is my home city I was born and raised close to Hull and that is where I went to school from 11 to 16. I have tried to be a supporter of one of the Sheffield clubs but Hull City is in my blood. It is the only team, apart from the England national team that can make me "lose" myself when they score or better still win!
DeleteI assume Sheffield Wednesday are ordinary.
ReplyDeleteA draw is not bad......I know very little about football but don't they keep playing if it's equal at full time or is that just for special occasions.
Extra time only happens at the end of cup matches Adrian - not regular league matches. If you have any more questions about football I will be happy to direct you to the three fellows we saw below us yesterday. They will tell you every ****ing thing you ****ing want to ****ing know!
DeleteFootball matches of all codes are the modern day version of a gladiator fight; made worse by the sale/consumption of copious amounts of beer.
ReplyDeleteI guess that is why you are one of Cairns's most passionate sports fans Carol!
DeleteSome people feel they need to rant and rave at the ref's. It is a hard job , and I have said a few things as both coach and spectator.
ReplyDeleteI am in SE Iowa.
Thanks for calling by OOTP. I guess that when you rant and rave out on the prairie, only the coyotes hear you...
DeleteI989. (Bradford was 1985) Change it quick before anyone notices and then delete my comment. x
ReplyDeleteThank you Elizabeth! I am happy to hold my hands up and say "Fair cop guv!" Of course it was 1989. Frances was a baby and I first heard that the disaster was unfolding when I was in a local supermarket and she was in her pushchair.
DeleteI was in labour giving birth to my first, but it's one of those times when we all remember where we were and what we were doing.
DeleteYou are right Elizabeth. It was like 9/11. We all remember where we were that day.
DeleteNothing wrong with a bit of blatancy now and then, I say!
ReplyDeleteA point you might take note of Yorkie (and I am writing this in good humour). I often wonder at the number of useless researches that are done and yesterday I came across another "beauty" in the Sunday paper of a research that had been conducted by the academic "minds" of our present...and future. I want you to take special note of this if you are of the mind to tell further blatant lies.
Said Research said..."If you're going to tell a lie you will have more chance of doing it well, of being believed, if you lie when you have a full bladder."
Needless to say, I re-read the article a couple of times...my mouth open in sheer wonderment. I then had to ring a friend and read it out to her...it caused us much mirth!
So take heed!! :)
My penultimate paragraph was written when I was bursting to visit the loo Lee!
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