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This was the blog for the 2007/8 season.

The blog for the 2008/9 season is located at:

http://ycacover35s.wordpress.com/

Cheers,

Alex

A Lot of Wind

Hendy Cup, April 19

YC&AC Over 35s 0 v YC&AC Seconds 1

The Over 35s had been looking forward to this annual clash with the Club’s Second Team. We felt we had an excellent chance, irrespective of the Seconds’ lofty position in TML Div. 3 and fine run to the TML Cup semis. The bookmakers concurred, installing us as odds-on favourites.

The game was played in blustery conditions which didn’t help either side, especially the hoof-ball Seconds. The Over 35s, who by contrast like to play a quick short passing game, settled the more quickly into the contest, and it is no exaggeration to say that for long spells here we dominated.

The Seconds seemed not to enjoy the experience one little bit. Irritation was etched into their faces as we snapped into the tackles and pushed the ball around confidently.

Shortly before half time, rather against the run of play, the Seconds went ahead, courtesy of a controversially awarded freekick. Phil Denham hit it from about 35 yards out on the right at the Paul Blamire Shed End. The delivery looked to have cleared the heads of everyone in the box before it dipped suddenly five yards out to be met six inches off the ground by the diving head of Gavin Margetson, who had ghosted in unnoticed behind our defenders. Great goal. One from the training ground perhaps?

Undeterred, the Silver Machine pressed on, but we weren’t able to create much in the way of clear-cut chances. The best fell to Thorstein Strand, who hit a shot with his ass that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar and bounced clear. We’ve not enjoyed much luck in the Cup competitions this season and it would have been nice to get a bit there.

Certainly, few would argue that a draw, with an Over 35s win on penalties, would have been a fair result.

Never mind. An excellent performance this from the Silver Machine, and one that clearly rattled good TML opposition.

At the end it was good to see the two squads facing each other in lines in the traditional Japanese manner. I’m sure too that the Over 35s would have sportingly applauded the Seconds as they lifted the Cup. Unfortunately, the Cup was nowhere to be seen.

A job for Alan’s dog, perhaps?

By Alex Hendy

Squad: Full strength

Goals: To win it next time. Convincingly.

Man of the match: Gavin Margetson. Deceptively good. Capped solid performance with great goal.

Referees: The Seconds didn’t think much of them, but we thought they were OK.

Cards: Don’t recall

Attendance: Not many

A Game of Three Quarters and One Quarter

Game 18, April 12

YC&AC Over 35s 4 v Midorigaoka 4

The Silver Machine was on the receiving end of one of the great comebacks in football history on April 12 when Midorigaoka rallied from 4-1 down in the final quarter to finish on level terms and leave the home fan furiously wagging its tail and barking its disapproval. Not since, oo, November 2007, when Korean Connection came back from 5-3 down in the final quarter to triumph 7-5, have we been so completely and utterly comebacked upon.

When will we ever learn? Could it be that Captain Sada will need to rethink his selection strategy next season and bring in a bit more experience?

Ominously, in an e-mail a few days after the game, Sada described our performance in the fourth quarter—in particular that of our “big hole” of a midfield—as “pathetic”. We have been warned.

Daylight Lobbery

They’re likeable opposition, Midorigaoka. Not quite Marinos Papas or Johnson & Johnson likeable, but likeable enough. To a man usually well over 35, these boys take the game seriously but never get niggly or unnecessary or quickly to the byline, and they’ve got just enough about them to make our inevitable victory feel hard-earned.

From the start here we tore into the old devils, knocking the ball about nicely and scoring freely—once Alan Plater had opened the floodgates for us anyway. “He shot over the goalie’s head when he came out from the goal mouth,” Sada reminded me in the same e-mail quoted above. “It was about 25 meter shot, a good one.” “1st goal was mine,” Alan nonchalantly concurred. “Lobbed over the keeper from about 25 yards.”

Our second goal came from me, a power header (honest) from 10 yards at the PBSE following a great Martin Hornung run and cross. Jogging in between the two central defenders I leaped, hung in the air for a second, then gave it what for with the full force of my forehead. The keeper just got a hand to it, but such was the strength of the header that the ball bent back his fingers, snapping them, before accelerating into the back of the net.

Goal three was a Martin Hornung humdinger. It came at the SPE, a spanking left-footed drive from 14 yards after a trademark surging run down the right and sudden 90 degree change of direction close to goal. Martin’s shot narrowly found the gap between the right post and the horribly flapping fingertips of the brave Midorigaoka keeper.

Shortly afterwards a rampant YC&AC struck a fourth. Somebodyorother slipped Alan through for a one on one with old Floppy Fingers. The poor chap got down ever so well to parry Alan’s flick, but our striker quickly latched on to the rebound and mercilessly rammed the ball home.

4-1. Out of sight!

Before I describe the horrors that then ensued, what we all need here is a picture break. So, building on the resounding success that was the Caption Competition earlier in the season (zero entries), here’s another little brain teaser for you all. Name the famous Over 35 footballer walking in the centre of the picture below. First person to “comment” with the correct answer gets to wear the imaginary opal-studded “Football Brain of YC&AC” belt until the next quiz.

And back to the report.

Newly anointed MIP Stephane Laure Martin set the tone for what followed with un but contre son camp absolutely bloody incroyable. One of their lads had punted a hopeful cross into the box from the right at the SPE, fortuitously as it transpired picking out an unmarked Stephane at the far stick. Stephane had enough time to light himself a cigarette, smoke it, juggle the ball a few times on his shoulders and clear with a bicycle kick, but chose instead to turn the ball into the net first time with his knee. A sadly smiling Stephane explained afterwards that the ball had bobbled up on him at the crucial moment. You could see that.

Tetes up, lads!

Alas, 4-2 is a very different scoreline from 4-1, especially when it soon becomes 4-3. Suddenly Midorigaoka were all over us like flies on a Kobe cowpat and it was no surprise when the pests struck their fourth. It all happened that quickly. And no doubt it could have been worse. My notes say that Trevor Burton-Towell was once again excellent in goal.

By Alex Hendy

Squad: Most of the usual

Goals: Alan Plater (2), Alex Hendy, Martin Hornung

Man of the match: N/A

Referees: They do seem to have improved

Cards: I think both Stephane and Tom got booked in this one.

Attendance: Alan’s dog

Any Other Business?

Game 17, April 5

YC&AC Over 35s 1 v Albion Old Boys 2

Albion Old Boys currently lie second in Tokyo Metropolis League 3, six points ahead of YC&AC Seconds with a game in hand. For a team that doesn’t always field a full (let alone full-strength) side (two forfeits this season in the TML), that’s good going.

True to form, and just as they had in their recent match against the Seconds, AOB turned up for this one with a grand total of nine players, eventually.

“We need two volunteers to play for the opposition,” mumbled Captain Sada in the pre-match huddle. [Tick, tick, tick.... shuffle, shuffle] Patrick Newell volunteered. He’d played for Albion in the past and would be content to do so again. [Tick, tick, tick... shuffle shuffle wiggle shinpads stretch thighs...] Russell Brown volunteered. He’d “got a dodgy hamstring anyway.”

I’m told that we were struggling to find opposition on this weekend, and we should therefore be grateful to those members of Albion and friends who traveled to Yokohama for this friendly. We are. However, the almost complete absence of “volunteer spirit” among the YC&AC ranks pre kick-off surely indicates that many of us would rather have a free day with our families or play an in-house five-a-side than make up the numbers for an understrength opposition. I could be in a minority, but I don’t think it would hurt if the sports administrators considered this possibility and kept the players informed.

Anyway.

Peeeep!

Early doors and you sensed that Albion weren’t desperately keen to bust a gut in this one—a non-TML fixture against YC&AC’s league-less “other” team. I’m pleased to report that this apparently relaxed attitude began to mutate as the game wore on. Irritant-in-chief seemed to be our superb offside trap, which coming with Adams-and-Keown-era-Arsenal arms raised and loud appeals has been such an entertaining feature of the Silver Machine’s game this season. By the third quarter AOB forwards were ranting at the ref, cussing anyone who’d listen, and starting to get a bit sharp in the off-the-ball tackle. Game on!

Dennis Stanworth makes sure.

In due course we fell one behind—I really can’t remember how and you don’t care—but in the second quarter, not entirely against the run of play, we pulled one back. Marcos Pereira got it with yet another glorious strike that doesn’t quite qualify as a contender for goal of the season.

Playing toward the Paul Blamire Shed End Marcos came waltzing in from the right with the ball glued to his toes and his eyes glued to the ball. As I came charging forward through the centre screaming for the pass, the posse of defenders in front of Marcos parted a little. Our Brazilian Magician saw the crack of light and let fly—with the outside of his right boot—sending the ball screaming with fade across the keeper’s dive and into the bottom left hand corner.

A truly weird and special goal celebrated in a truly weird and special way. Half-crouched, legs wide apart, his upper body flexed into a muscleman pose, Marcos yelled into space with mad bulging eyes. He looked like Bill Bixby on his way to becoming the Incredible Hulk in a shirt that wouldn’t rip.

In the third quarter Albion found themselves down to ten men when YC&AC loanee “Deep Heat” Patrick limped off with a recurrence of his old calf injury. Four or five of us were sitting on the bench at the time, and each of us pretended like we hadn’t noticed. Guilt or something finally got the better of me however and I moved to pull on the yellow bib of Albion. “Don’t do it, don’t do it,” came the appalled cry from the bench…

I have to say it was a wholly distressing experience. When I crafted a chance for their man Vernon on the edge of the box after a fine piece of work down the left (!) I thought dementia could set in at any moment.

In the interval before the final quarter we recruited young Simon Carden from the Seconds (“nooo… give them someone crap!”) to volunteer for Patrick’s left-back slot, giving Simon instructions not to cross the half way line, or else. To the lad’s credit (or his father’s?!) he did as he was told. (Good luck in your exams, Simon. As they say before the big ones in football—Just go out there and enjoy them!)

Peeep again

Could the Fives hold out for a hard-earned draw? No they couldn’t. In the last couple of minutes one of their defenders fondled the ball out of defense right under the nose of the referee and linesman. Everyone stood around chuckling expecting to hear the whistle, except for that criminal of Albion, who galloped forward and in no time pushed the ball forward for one of their frontmen (onside!) to slot home.

Oh

well.

By Alex Hendy

Squad: Big enough to represent two sides.

Goals: Marcos Pereira

Man of the match: Trevor Burton-Towell. Several fine stops helped to keep us in the game. One diving save low to his right at the Swimming Pool End drew gasps and applause, while a brilliant tip over from a Mick O’Hagan blast drew a high-five from the AOB danger man himself.

Cards: There was a little flurry of yellows in the last three games of the season… Can’t remember in which games though. See Golden Slipper page for final individual stats.

Attendance: Yes

Light Goes Out on Todai Old Boys

Game 16, March 29

YC&AC Over 35s 5 v University of Tokyo Old Boys 0

This one was relatively straightforward for a change. The aptly named Old Boys of the University of Tokyo (Todai) were organised and had plenty of skill—the 59-year-old No. 13 being one of the best players on the park—but they couldn’t match us for strength or aggression.

Or fitness. Or cruelty. Four of our five goals came in the final quarter when Todai legs were visibly tiring and when yours truly was on the sidelines taking pictures. I won’t make that mistake next season! A golden slipper can be won or lost in such games, as a jet-lagged Marcos Pereira, also watching from the bench in this period, must surely have feared.

In this most one-sided of games our star turns were:

1) Hamed Emami. Quick, skillful, hard and with bags of desire, Hamed is a very welcome recent addition to our squad. He’d be a shoo-in for man of the match here were it not for a certain other individual, who we shall come to in a second. Hamed’s deflected long range effort at the Paul Blamire Shed End brought him a well deserved goal.

2) Peter Yang. Peter has been a vital cog in the Silver Machine this season and it was great to see him get his name on the score sheet here. Peter sidefooted in from a couple of yards out after the ball was played across the face of goal with just a few minutes to go. He was rightly chuffed.

3) Buddy Ferrie. Buddy was making little noises at the start of the season about possibly hanging up his boots, or at least resting them for a while. It’s as well for us he didn’t. One of our best performers this season, Buddy’s aggression, bravery and uncanny heading ability have yielded us loads of goals. The Godfather got three for himself here, two with his head, to register his first hat trick for the Club. Excellent work.

Can anyone remember anything else worth mentioning about this game? If so, please leave a comment. In the meantime (!), here’s a few pictures.

Anders Sjostedt brings it under.

Kevin Carden pings one through.

Gordon Deas leaves their No. 69 for dead.

Thorstein Strand launches one over the top for Harty Heesen.

Rather than risk the first-time volley over the shoulder as I would have done, firing the ball low to the keeper’s right, Harty patiently waited for the ball to drop and bounce and then attempted to lob the man. Ooph! Just over!

Buddy Ferrie nods in his second of the game. Nod.

Buddy wheels away in delight after heading home his third.

By Alex Hendy

Squad: Most of the usual

Goals: Buddy Ferrie (3), Hamed Emami, Peter Yang

Man of the match: Buddy Ferrie

Referees: Good

Cards: None

Attendance: The Deas, the Burton-Towells, the Hammers… More. Many thanks to all. It does make a difference. It really does.

End-of-Season Player Awards

We interrupt these match reports to bring you news of the player-of-the-year awards.

Announced at the End of Season Party for all winter sports, held on April 5 in the main bar and very well attended by the Over 35s, the winners of our three pennants and free down-in-one pints were:

MVP: Gordon Deas
The player voted “most valuable” by his peers was Gordon Deas. Gordon’s had a terrific first season for the Silver Machine. Hard in the tackle, accurate in the pass, he’s been our Patrick Vieira in the heart of the midfield.

MIP: Stephane Laura Martin
The player voted “most improved” by his peers was Stephane Laura Martin. Big Stephane has got noticeably stronger as the season has progressed. His man-of-the-match performance in the Scholars Cup last month may just have swung the vote his way.

Top Goalscorer: Marcos Pereira
The “Top Goalscorer” award went to Marcos Pereira, who has nine (minus one for GM) goals for the season to date—not bad for a left winger. The captains in their wisdom deemed it unlikely that Marcos would be caught in the race for the Golden Slipper with just two (?) games left to play this season.

Congratulations to all the winners.

Hand of Buddha Denies the Fives

Game 15, March 22

YC&AC Over 35s 2 v Seizan Kickers 2

In terms of man-for-man ability, this was a game the Over 35s should have won handsomely, but which ended controversially in a draw after the opposition’s best player clearly controlled the ball with his hand before sliding in a late equalizer.

Shame, because like their namesake Paul, Seizan had otherwise made a good impression.

The Cardplayers, by Paul Cézanne (1892)

A genuinely friendly and non-confrontational bunch, the Kickers even brought us a pennant. (I wonder now if the Seizan of their name isn’t the Seizan of Jodo Shu Buddhism. [Justin?])

YC&AC’s goals came from me, a left-footed putt across the keeper that broke ten times before dribbling into the bottom right hand corner following battling work from Mika Niemi on the edge of the box, and from Tom Chambers, who crashed the ball home through a crowd of legs following a corner.

Not too much else to say about this one really. How about a quote, and a not inappropriate one in the circumstances, from another famous Frenchman (sort of), Albert Camus? For those who don’t already know, Camus was a decent goalkeeper in his day, having played in goal for Racing Universitaire Algerios (RUA) before a nasty dose of TB ended his career prematurely.

“After many years during which I saw many things, what I know most surely about morality and the duty of man I owe to sport and learned it in the RUA.”

There.

By Alex Hendy

Squad: Ed turned up a bit late, so we had just ten shortly before kick off. Many thanks to boy-about-Club Nick (surname?) for stepping up at the last moment and doing a grand job for us in goal.

Goals: Alex Hendy, Tom Chambers

Man of the match: I can’t find my notes. May get back to you.

Cards: None

Attendance: I don’t rightly recall

Fives Go Mad in Kobe

Interport, March 15, 2008

YC&AC Over 35s 2 v KRAC Over 35s 5

Your match reporter was awoken on the morning of Saturday, March 15 by the sound of cleaners banging and moaning in the hotel corridor. “Taihen,” groaned one with a pitiful little quaver in her voice. “Taihen!” whinnied another. YC&AC dartists in the rooms opposite had apparently shown once again that they know how to “bed and breakfast”!

[Note to non-dartists: "bed and breakfast" is the lingo for the miserably common score of 26, achieved by throwing up a 20, a 1 and a 5.]

Debit where it’s due though, the boys were out of bed before I was. I gathered my wits and shinpads, checked that the corridor was clear, and headed down to the KRAC ground where the shambolic opening to YC&AC’s attempt on the Interport was continuing apace.

Credit to the likes of Mikey Loch for gracing the hockey field after the distress and disorderliness of the previous evening’s arrows, but what was Mika Niemi doing there? Finland, hockey… I see the connection, but get yourself off the pitch, Mika. There’s an important game of football to be played this afternoon!

Petr Vyvial was there on the sidelines, quietly willing the hockeyists on, but he too would risk fatigue and injury before the day’s big match, in his case for the sake of a spot of badminton.

Kevin Carden. Check. Captain Sada Hosogai. Check. Patrick Newell, Buddy Ferrie, Yao Ofei Amoabeng. Check. Over 35s debutant Simon Litster. Check. Stuart Neie. Che… damn! Foot still broken…

And what the?! Here’s Gordon Deas wearing—look at the state of him—wearing his shorts outside his tracksuit bottoms. Rumours that had spread during the darts of the potentially hazardous qualities of the KRAC surface would seem to have given Gordon pause for thought. Whatever his excuse, Gordon’s “mad-tramp-who-lives-under-the-bridge” look wins for him a second consecutive “Costume of the Year” award. Check.

With Harty Heesen, Steve McKie and Tim Williams booked to play from the Seconds, we had a team. Any number of influential regulars had not made the trip, but this was still a side with enough about it to get a result. And we hadn’t traveled all that way for nothing.

All That Way for Nothing

With the Firsts and Seconds both having won (in great style), we knew the outcome of the whole Interport could well depend on the Silver Machine somehow grinding out a result (YC&AC being considered strong favourites for the rugby to follow). A win and the Interport was ours; a draw would be enough. We rolled up our sleeves….

And made a right pig’s ear of it.

Our attempts at an ultra-short-passing game failed miserably…

… though at times it was a joy to watch. (Beautiful little heel pass there from Mika to Petr.)

Attempts to go it alone proved equally futile.

Sloppy defending, poor marking, woefully loose passing in midfield [raises hand], injury early doors to Patrick Newell… You name it, we suffered it. And boy, were we punished. KRAC must have got away five shots in the opening three quarters and scored with each of them.

Most teams would struggle for any sort of urgency at 5-0 down going into the final quarter, but not YC&AC Over 35s. Boosted by the introduction of first-team regular Jo Takeda, we rallied, tearing at a tiring KRAC with wave upon wave of irresistible attacking football.

In this final triumphant period we scored twice, a tidy Petr Vyvial finish from a Hendy cutback and a deflected long-range shot from Jo bringing us to within three goals of parity. We might easily have had more. Yaw fired a couple narrowly wide. Their keeper (really good) pulled off one absolutely unbelievable save from Somebodyorother’s header. There were goalmouth scrambles…

But it wasn’t to be. Five goals in 20 minutes was too much to ask even for the Silver Machine. At the final whistle we trudged off rueing our uncustomary shoddiness early on, but pleased to have shown at least a little of our famed resilience in the final quarter.

In summary, this was a strange game. Not really football as the Silver Machine knows it. What went wrong? I don’t know. But if we played KRAC again tomorrow on the bobble patch at YC&AC, few would bet against us absolutely stuffing them.

Where’s Wally?

Finally, a big thanks on behalf of the entire Over 35s squad to Steve McKie, Tim Williams and Jo Takeda for lending us their weary legs and an extra touch of class.

Written by Alex Hendy

Photographs by Alister Millynn

Squad: Picture on the Squad page

Goals: Petr Vyvial, Jo Takeda

Man of the match: Tim Williams. Tenacious, tireless, terrific.

Referees: OK

Card Count: None

Attendance: Maybe 50 odd? Easily our biggest and most vocal of the season.

The Taming of the Dragons

March 9, 2008

The Scholars Cup

YC&AC Over 35s 2 v Yokohama International School Teachers 0

Guess who’s holding the Scholars Cup…

In the inaugural Scholars Cup match, played at the end of last season, the Yokohama International School (YIS) teachers rather out-classed the Over 35s on the smooth green artificial grass at Shin-Yoko Football Park. We wondered then whether the bumpy brown real dirt at YC&AC might prove to be a leveller when next we met.

Who is to say what role the pitch played in the Fives’ comfortable victory this time around, but on a day when Premiership leaders Arsenal could only manage a draw at lowly Wigan, whose pitch was described by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger as “a disaster”, it’s worth considering.

Other factors to consider would be the absence from the YIS squad of the excellent Simon Lorimer and of course Neil Richards, the early injury to the equally excellent David Noon (unlucky fella, get well soon), and frankly I’m afraid a relative lack of fire in the belly of the Dragons on this occasion.

And then of course you’d have to consider us.

I don’t think we’ve seen a better team goal this season than the one Marc Bailey tucked away to set us on our way here. Captain Sada Hosogai, plainly relishing the freedom to get forward that his new position (?) at left back affords, started the move deep in our own half. Playing toward the Paul Blamire Shed End, Sada carried the ball to the halfway line at speed before neatly squaring it inside. Our midfielders then switched the play out to the right, providing Alan Plater (I think) with the opportunity to cross from deep in Dragons’ territory. This he did superbly, picking out the onjogging Marc Bailey near the penalty spot who fired emphatically past their keeper first time. Great, great goal.

[Update: Jan Broere provided the cross from which Marc Bailey headed home. It's another contender for goal of the season.]

So great was it indeed that I can’t remember how Marc struck the second. Or really very much else at all about this one.

Why can’t I remember? Here’s a clue:

Captain Sada’s holding the Cup!

And here’s another clue:

Peter Yang’s holding the cup!

By Alex Hendy

Squad: Picture on the Squad page

Goals: Marc Bailey (2)

Man of the match: Stephane Martin. Influential throughout, the big man deserved better than to see his raking drive from twenty yards skim the crossbar late on.

Referees: Good again.

Card Count: None

Attendance: It’s fair to say YIS brought more than we did.

Freak Injury Rocks the Fives

March 1, 2008

YC&AC Over 35s A 6 v YC&AC Over 35s B 7

With our scheduled fixture against who knows who having curiously been cancelled 15 minutes before kick-off [no comment], a friendly game broke out on the hill between Over 35s A and Over 35s B.

The free-flowing high-scoring game was a lot of fun but unfortunately was marred by a serious injury to Stuart Neie, which sadly rules him out for the rest of the season. Stuart somehow broke two bones in his foot in an innocuous looking stumble at the Swimming Pool End.

It’s a cruel blow for Stuart, especially with the Interport just a couple of weeks away, and of course it’s very bad news for the team too, with Stuart proving an increasingly solid performer at the back in recent weeks.

Most pressingly though, our squad for the Interport (Sat. Mar. 15, KO 13:45) now looks very thin. So just to reiterate Captain Sada’s recent message (forwarded by Alan on March 4): “We are desperate to have defenders for Kobe. Any volunteers?”

By Alex Hendy