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Everton 3 v 1 Villa
By Chris Brown |
PART ONE
Where do you start when you have got
so much to say and you want to tell
everyone how proud and happy you
feel being a blue nose??
This particular episode started for
me early Sunday morning getting me
and my lad Tom out of the door to
catch the ESSCA bus from Southampton
Parkway, butties packed, stop at the
paper shop and we are off.
We get to the station and I think
“where is everybody” and I had that
mild panic were you think god have I
got the day right, how many did I
have last night, but no, they
definitely talked about the match on
the radio. Yes!!
Here comes the bus round the corner
and out of nowhere come all these
ESSCA commandoes I didn’t see them
appear, anyway relief and yes we are
on our way.
To me this is now like getting into
a time capsule I am being
transported into a little Scouse
bubble. Captain Ed is driving and
pleasantries are exchanged and the
banter starts, Robbo has had to wake
up Tommy “Gervaise” Carr (I‘ll
explain in a bit) and sure enough
Tom is doing a good impression of a
China man as those peepers have not
been open very long (hard night
Tom?).
I look around and there are many
familiar faces and some not so
familiar so if I don’t mention any
body by name apologies, anyway it’s
just great being part of what turned
out to be a great day.
Well we are off to East Ilsley and
going to pick Geezer Walsh who the
last time we saw was in thick snow
trying to make it to the M4 after
the Infamous EFC 1 - RS 0 piece of
history and yes Tom we were there!
We are trying to sort the music out
for the journey and Grey Dave has
supplied us with an IPod and Ciggy
adaptor but unfortunately the ciggy
lighter isn’t working which allows
Grey Dave to voice his concerns over
the build quality of this fine
vehicle built in the fine City of
Southampton you can guess which
expletives were used.
Quick change of seats when we pick
Walshie up Tom or should I say
Gervaise wants to sit in the back of
the bus but the lads don’t want
their hair perming Tom, Grey Dave
and Geezer decide to keep Captain Ed
company.
It’s at this point that GD gets out
what can only be described as a
colostomy bag out and tries to tell
us it’s the innards of his wine box,
it was the lumpy bits I wasn’t so
sure about.
It is amazing the contrast in
conversations between the upward
journey and the downwards journey,
the upwards one is almost sensible
and you learn a few things like what
people drive around in and what they
like to be seen driving in, one some
time relates to them as an extension
of a fellas anatomy, so we were all
a bit puzzled on hearing that
Gervaise has a little blue open
topped Peugeot 206 cc. Obvious
questions were asked like “Is it a
company car that they make you
drive?” but no his choice, no
accounting for taste.
Quick stop at Warwick Services and
onwards we go for another little
stop at Stafford services, we only
spot one Villain going to the match
so not much sport there.
It was a pretty good run up and we
the great unwashed get off at the
Megastore while Ed parks the bus and
the hares are running everyone is
going to their favourite haunts,
meet up with mates and family, what
a great day and the match hasn’t
even started.
PART TWO
Most of us are in the Park End,
Eddie and Andy in LG, Grey Dave the
UB, hobnobbing with the rest of the
pensioners no doubt.
Well my lad and me are in the ground
now and the Esscaonians are starting
to arrive and so is the atmosphere
in the ground and unlike many other
visits to the Holy Ground, I have
always been a bit nervous but you
could sense in the ground an air of
confidence but remember we are
Evertonians we are quietly confident
and never expect too much, but when
it comes we really appreciate it.
I could go on about the ‘orrible
villa fans whose sole aim seemed to
be how often they could use the word
sh#t in their songs and relate it to
us or our ground and who spent a
good proportion of the game trying
to intimidate the Park End (Every
dog has it’s day).
I would rather talk about the game
in general how the early goal
courtesy of our Jack was well
received but how often scoring that
early goal are you propelled on so
high to be then unceremoniously
dumped by having the rug pulled from
under your feet this time from Hibbo,
and I could see those little legs of
his were going as fast as he could
and in a split second which takes
ages everything went in to Slow Mo
and I just knew the minute he
started that slide tackle he wasn’t
going to make it. Penalty to Villa,
they score and those ‘orrible little
Villa fans start again.
Considering the side we have had to
field, we are playing attractive
football and it is a joy to behold
Dan Goslings ability to pull the
ball down out of the air and his
passing is superb, this was
complimented by Victor’s strength
and willingness to actually work
hard and fight for the ball and this
lad can do it when he wants to,
finally Jack Rodwell, confident
strong and not fazed by the
occasion, personally I think a
credit to the EFC Academy. Now I
could go on in great detail about
the match but you have all read
about it in every paper and website,
Big Vic got a Pen, Mikey put it a
way and finally Tiny Tim scuffed in
the third.
We had some close calls and USA
saved us, but Villa couldn’t
complain, we were the better side.
Now the enjoyable bit which is a bit
unusual for an Evertonian, we are
home and dry and we know it and the
ground is going mental “halcyon
days”.
This is the second time in as many
weeks I have been privileged to be
at Goodison and experienced and
contributed to the noise that only
Goodison can produce “It’s a grand
old team to play for”.
Back to the Elm Tree and rendezvous
back for the bus but not before a
couple of well earned pints and
start to meet up with all these
familiar blokes with big silly
grins, what a great day!
PART THREE
Well it’s back on the bus and that
familiar long drive home but do we
care me thinks not and soon the bus
is rocking to quaint songs led by
the music man himself Grey Dave, and
yes Tom I was there! (Tom asking me
this question is now in ratio with
how many pints he has had and I
think he is asking me this question
a lot more now.)
We have now sung many classics and
are now on to new a era of songs
such as “Who put the ball in the RS
net Super Dan, Super Danny Gosling”
Other such hits as “Who put the
skull on the pirates flag, Pirate
Pete from Pompey” A hit if ever
there was one.
One disturbing thing though did rear
it’s ugly head and this was the
“Scarf “ not any “Scarf “ but a
different one in fact not seen since
the visit to Analfield, indeed this
also brought out a ditty to the tune
of the drunken sailor “What should
we do with the Blue and red scarf ,
what should we do with the Blue and
red scarf , what should we do with
the blue and red scarf early in the
morning, Chorus: Burn, burn, burn
the B#stard. This as you can well
imagine was well received by the bus
chorus.
However it does not let our Les off
the hook, as with Siamese twins the
red will require surgically removing
from the Royal Blues half and never
the twain shall meet. Captain Ed I
fear will have to convene an
Inquisition!
We have now to make a detour as the
M6 is blocked, so a route through
deepest darkest Cheshire trying to
find the A51 and Whitchurch and we
are helped by such phrases as “If
youse don’t turn left we’ll be in
bleeding Chester”. Eventually we
find a little hostelry called the
Greyhound near Stafford and a few
more thirst quenchers are partaken,
back on the bus for the last part
and it’s songs all the way, what a
great day.
Robbo has now found his voice and a
few more “Songs from the Sixties “
are sung with great gusto, it’s now
I hear that Gervaise is asleep, no
wonder I haven’t been asked whether
I was there for the last five
minutes, bless!
East Ilsley next and it’s Walshie’s
stop and on to Southampton Parkway
and the stop for yours truly and the
Lad to get off, big thanks to Ed for
all the driving and jump in the old
jam jar back to Fawley.
Lots of thanks Lads for your company
and banter I wouldn’t miss it for
the world, so until the next round!
WHAT A GREAT DAY!
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