(no subject)
Early start yesterday morning, to meet Dick and Jenna in the car park of the Seagull in Portchester for the drive down to Plymouth for the FA Umbro Fives.
The journey there went without a hitch. We arrvied just after 10 and met up with Trev and the rest of the girls in the Goals Centre bar, then I was left to my own devices while the girls got changed and Trev and Dick did all the admin stuff. Read the Non-League Paper over a Coke with ice.
Before the competition began, there was a keepy-up competition which our girls persuaded Lauren to enter. She was one of three women who, for a while, appeared to have no male opposition until a couple of chaps responded to the PA announcer's cajoling and stepped forward. Cheered on by us all, Lauren came third, and had to pose in various positions keeping the ball up for the camera.
The women's tournament included two teams of Plymouth Argyle Ladies players, both thankfully in the other group. Our girls easily beat Ashmoor Ladies and defeated our main threat, a team of Cheltenham Town Ladies players, 2-0. Stacie was outstanding, and Lavinia and a player we're looking at named Charlotte were superb too.
During a break between games Yzzy, seeing my London 2012 cap, asked if I'd got Olympic tickets; I said I'd applied but hadn't heard whether I'd been successful yet. On hearing that women's football tickets were priced £40, £30 and £20, several of the girls decided they'd go along and pay on the day, since the sessions weren't likely to be sell-outs. Trev and Jess cheekily asked if, should I be unsuccessful in getting my premium tickets for Dame Rebecca's two swimming finals, I'd use the money to sponsor the team...
Hearing me cheer Ashmoor Ladies against the fourth team in our group, Alphy, Yzzy said to me "You're only supposed to cheer us." I explained that if Alphy failed to beat Ashmoor, we'd be assured of qualifying for the semis. "Cheer on," was Yzzy's reply.
Ashmoor did the business 2-1, putting Hawks through to the semis and meaning we only had to avoid losing to Alphy by a five goal margin to win the group. We succeeded, losing only 3-2, but Trev objected to my shouting "Well played, girls" and clapping them off at the end of the game. "Why are you applauding? We lost!"
"We did enough to win the group," I said.
Marine Academy Plymouth gave us a tough game in the semi-final but Stacie broke the deadlock near the end with a long shot. In the final we faced one of the teams from Plymouth. We scored an early goal, dominated from then on and ran out 3-0 winners. Lauren was carried off with an ankle injury near the end but insisted, carried by a couple of paramedics, on joining the other girls for the photocall with the trophy.
Back in the bar we reflected on having finally beaten the Plymouth Argyle ladies at something - Trev's revelation that the team we'd played in the final was the weaker of the two sides from Plymouth didn't take the gloss off - and looked forward to the national finals at Wembley. Trev remarked to Lavinia on how she'd only been at the club three months and now had won a trophy and was going to Wembley. After a mix-up over the winners' medals, resulting in Trevor having to go back down to the tournament area twice in his ultimately successful pursuit of a medal for Stacie who was originally overlooked, and after Lauren's travelling companions had done their best to minister to her ankle, we hit the road.
In the car Dick told me and Jenna how Trevor's been obsessed with going through to the national finals of the FA Umbro Fives for four years, and until now we've always fallen flat on our faces in the semis of the regional heat. Now at last his dream's come true.
We'd all agreed to stop at a roadside café in Kilmington. Before we got there, our car hit two traffic jams. Trev and Co, ahead of us, had dodged one of them so arrived at the café some way before us, but they waited for us before ordering. I went for an excellent quarter pound burger with the house's special BBQ sauce, chef's special coleslaw and chips. We talked about the coming Wembley trip over milkshakes and coffee, and Jenna said she'd try and get an earlier flight home from her holiday (she comes back on the day of Wembley) to play. When she said she'd have to get a lift from the airport Dick asked "Can't your boyfriend pick you up?"
I pointed out that her boyfriend is accompanying her on the holiday so would be left behind to catch their scheduled flight later in the day. Cue dohs all round. Jenna said she'd try and clear flying home early with him. Trev joked "Remember your options are open, you haven't got that ring through your nose yet [Jenna's getting married next year]. Volunteers are always welcome."
I asked "Volunteers to pick Jenna up from the airport, or to be taken on holiday by her?"...
We said our goodbyes in the car park, savouring the pleasure of saying "See you at Wembley", and wended our way home.
The journey there went without a hitch. We arrvied just after 10 and met up with Trev and the rest of the girls in the Goals Centre bar, then I was left to my own devices while the girls got changed and Trev and Dick did all the admin stuff. Read the Non-League Paper over a Coke with ice.
Before the competition began, there was a keepy-up competition which our girls persuaded Lauren to enter. She was one of three women who, for a while, appeared to have no male opposition until a couple of chaps responded to the PA announcer's cajoling and stepped forward. Cheered on by us all, Lauren came third, and had to pose in various positions keeping the ball up for the camera.
The women's tournament included two teams of Plymouth Argyle Ladies players, both thankfully in the other group. Our girls easily beat Ashmoor Ladies and defeated our main threat, a team of Cheltenham Town Ladies players, 2-0. Stacie was outstanding, and Lavinia and a player we're looking at named Charlotte were superb too.
During a break between games Yzzy, seeing my London 2012 cap, asked if I'd got Olympic tickets; I said I'd applied but hadn't heard whether I'd been successful yet. On hearing that women's football tickets were priced £40, £30 and £20, several of the girls decided they'd go along and pay on the day, since the sessions weren't likely to be sell-outs. Trev and Jess cheekily asked if, should I be unsuccessful in getting my premium tickets for Dame Rebecca's two swimming finals, I'd use the money to sponsor the team...
Hearing me cheer Ashmoor Ladies against the fourth team in our group, Alphy, Yzzy said to me "You're only supposed to cheer us." I explained that if Alphy failed to beat Ashmoor, we'd be assured of qualifying for the semis. "Cheer on," was Yzzy's reply.
Ashmoor did the business 2-1, putting Hawks through to the semis and meaning we only had to avoid losing to Alphy by a five goal margin to win the group. We succeeded, losing only 3-2, but Trev objected to my shouting "Well played, girls" and clapping them off at the end of the game. "Why are you applauding? We lost!"
"We did enough to win the group," I said.
Marine Academy Plymouth gave us a tough game in the semi-final but Stacie broke the deadlock near the end with a long shot. In the final we faced one of the teams from Plymouth. We scored an early goal, dominated from then on and ran out 3-0 winners. Lauren was carried off with an ankle injury near the end but insisted, carried by a couple of paramedics, on joining the other girls for the photocall with the trophy.
Back in the bar we reflected on having finally beaten the Plymouth Argyle ladies at something - Trev's revelation that the team we'd played in the final was the weaker of the two sides from Plymouth didn't take the gloss off - and looked forward to the national finals at Wembley. Trev remarked to Lavinia on how she'd only been at the club three months and now had won a trophy and was going to Wembley. After a mix-up over the winners' medals, resulting in Trevor having to go back down to the tournament area twice in his ultimately successful pursuit of a medal for Stacie who was originally overlooked, and after Lauren's travelling companions had done their best to minister to her ankle, we hit the road.
In the car Dick told me and Jenna how Trevor's been obsessed with going through to the national finals of the FA Umbro Fives for four years, and until now we've always fallen flat on our faces in the semis of the regional heat. Now at last his dream's come true.
We'd all agreed to stop at a roadside café in Kilmington. Before we got there, our car hit two traffic jams. Trev and Co, ahead of us, had dodged one of them so arrived at the café some way before us, but they waited for us before ordering. I went for an excellent quarter pound burger with the house's special BBQ sauce, chef's special coleslaw and chips. We talked about the coming Wembley trip over milkshakes and coffee, and Jenna said she'd try and get an earlier flight home from her holiday (she comes back on the day of Wembley) to play. When she said she'd have to get a lift from the airport Dick asked "Can't your boyfriend pick you up?"
I pointed out that her boyfriend is accompanying her on the holiday so would be left behind to catch their scheduled flight later in the day. Cue dohs all round. Jenna said she'd try and clear flying home early with him. Trev joked "Remember your options are open, you haven't got that ring through your nose yet [Jenna's getting married next year]. Volunteers are always welcome."
I asked "Volunteers to pick Jenna up from the airport, or to be taken on holiday by her?"...
We said our goodbyes in the car park, savouring the pleasure of saying "See you at Wembley", and wended our way home.