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
