Tag: sheffield united

Two Photos

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I alluded to a good football score on the weekend, but I didn’t go into detail. Unable to watch because of the dodgy internet in the deep, dark wilds of deepest, darkest, wildest Africa (well, the very bottom bit of it anyway), I chose to nap the afternoon away, and catch up with the news at the end.

And what great news it was. But it was a couple of social media posts from the club which really brought home to me just what a special afternoon I had missed.

Here’s Jack Robinson (left) who – after a personally horrific first half – got our third goal. Yes, the passion and the relief is clearly evident, and Oli McBurnie looks like a naughty schoolboy running away having just chucked a stink bomb into the staff room, but the photographer getting the big screen in the background is what really makes this image so good.

And then the aftermath of that duo running to celebrate in the corner. (Is that the previous photographer bottom left?) (And is Oliver Norwood levitating?)

But everywhere you look: happiness, joy, unbridled glee. From the ball boy at the front to the dad missing the high five with his son on the left, and the chilled, gilet-wearing surfer dude in the grey beanie who is just taking in the moment. (I’m excusing the steward with the corner flag lodged in his chin – that must be painful). It’s another really great shot.

Football is a sport that often brings out the best (ok, and the worst) of passion in people, but we need more of this exaltation and delight in our lives, especially when you look around at what else is going on in the world right now. 90 minutes of escapism each and every Saturday afternoon seems like a very good idea.

I just wish I could have been there for this one.

Flying high

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This isn’t a football blog. This is a me blog, but I do like football and so there will be mention of it on here from time to time. And particularly at the moment, given that Sheffield United are top of the table going into the first of this season’s international breaks.

Mmm. Healthy stuff.
It’s early days, but I’m reminded of the line from KonKan’s 1988 dance classic I Beg Your Pardon:

Come along and share the good times while we can

Because there are still 36 games and therefore [kwik maffs] 108 points to play for and it might all go pear-shaped at any time.

So why not enjoy it while we are flying high?

I love this: so much joy in one image. No, not the steward, obviously.

In other news: perhaps an opportunity to get some extra posts done this afternoon, with a massive 4½ hours of loadshedding coming our way. We’ll be without power today – on a Sunday, nogal – for 9½ hours in total. Scary times.

I ‘ll probably do some exercise and get some sleep as well (plenty of time for many activities, after all).
I’m still a bit tired after hula-hooping the night away in a repurposed watermill last night.

As you do.

That was a good evening

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First off, a win for Guangzhou City in the much-anticipated Guangzhou derby against Guangzhou FC.

Then a resounding 8-2 victory for our 5-a-side team against the bottom of the league side (who weren’t actually that bad). One goal, three assists and an absolutely belted point blank range ball to the face for yours truly. So yes, some bits were better than others.

And then this:

Is there any better way to win a tight, well-fought match than with the very last kick of the game?

Delicious!

Feel it, it is here

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I’ve been waiting for this email. And now it has arrived:

I love a good package (who doesn’t?), and with just 4 days until the first Championship match of the new season (although 7 days until our first Championship match of the season), I was wondering if a good package was going to come my way. Well, finally, it has.

And there’s an early bird offer. Kaboom!

On the other end of the spectrum, there are the pay as you go deals: £25 per month or [gasp] £10 per game. Ten pounds!
That’s right up there with R500 per baboon. You could actually almost get an actual match ticket for that. Although the air fare might bump things up a bit.

Anyway, now that my email has arrived, I am going to sort my subscription so as not to miss out on anything exciting. And by that – incredibly – I mean Millwall at home next weekend.

UPDATE:
Aww yiss!

Double up

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I didn’t pay the £25 to watch United’s 6 pre-season friendlies. I wasn’t sure I could watch them all anyway, and £25 seems like a lot when the opponents are Casa Pia (won 2-1), Lincoln (see below), Scunthorpe, Mansfield, Burton and Barnsley. No offence to those clubs, but I would have thought a bit more about it if there had been a Spurs or a Bordeaux or something in there.

I might still go for the season long package again though, if it hasn’t gone up too much. And that even though there won’t be a Spurs or a Bordeaux or something in there.

Anyway, if I had bought into the friendlies, I would have got more for my money today, with United playing two (two!) back to back 60 minute training games against Lincoln City.

Fotmob handled this unusual scenario quite nicely (see above), but Google got all confused and claimed that the first game had been abandoned and the second one cancelled.
That clearly wasn’t the case, and personally, I would have liked a third game to see if we could have got to 23.

Again, no disrespect to Lincoln, but these are games that we would expect to be winning, so it’s all about the intricacies and the performances, rather than the results. And the boss seemed pretty happy with those aspects, so I think it’s safe to say that we’re definitely winning the league this season*.

Bring it on*.

* T&Cs apply