BFC 2-1 Blackpool, Saturday 27th April 2019

‘See you in the Championship.’

Looks busier than usual...

It’s getting closer.  And thanks to the Mackems and Pompey cancelling each other out, it’s in our hands.  Promotion is within touching distance.  Luton might draw and we snatch the championship.  Or we win by 5 more goals than they win.  Or we come 3^rd.  Or 4^th.  All I know is I’m having difficulty working it out sober, so god knows how I’ll manage come Satdy at Bristol…

East Stand.  A queue.  Shome mishtake shurely.

For half an hour, we looked very shaky against Blackpool.  Passes weren’t coming off, moves were breaking down.  Blackpoo had a slick one-touch move which took them 3 on 2 (ruined by the final ball).  We looked like strangers.  We looked nervous. Then the Oranges went a goal up.  Jammy ba5tards, a huge deflection (off Lindsay?) giving Davies no chance.  Don’t bottle it now, lads.  We’re nearly there.

The teams come out.

Then, 40 mins in, from nothing, Cauley pulls it out of the bag.  An odd goal too, as he took the ball on the edge of the box with his back to goal, took it 3 or 4 yards further away and then swivelled and shot.  Bottom corner.  BOOM!  Nerves unjangled.  Fans joyous.  Players relaxed.  Let’s play!  Suddenly no-one has any doubts.

'One Daniel Stendel.'  See what they've done there?

Half-time comes and it’s a chance to nip under the stand and warm up.  Yes, that’s right, f***ing freezing it was.  I thought this was the last home game?  Anyway, the Oakwell steamroller gets going and Blackpoo are crushed like the cheap tarmac they are.  Honestly, we shoulda scored 3 or 4 in that opening 15 of the 2^nd half, but we weren’t complaining – Lindsay’s front post header from McGeehan’s delivery had ended any lingering doubts.  

I've not seen the West Stand this packed since...well, ages.

Thereafter, save for a couple of late visits to our box and crosses into our crowd, it was as comfortable as it gets.  Davies did save a soft one which somehow dribbled through a crowd of players, but there was still 20 minutes and more to go.  No worries. The only team who would bag another was us, but the quality build up play wasn’t matched by the creation of chances.  Or when a chance came, Cauley missed.  

Onwards and upwards!

*** Mowatt.  A beautiful footballer.  The Stephen McPhail I actually like. 

** Pinnock.  A beautiful footballer.  The new Paul Futcher.  Supporters’ POTY.  Well done Ethan.

* Bahre.  Official MOTM, I’m bottling it giving him 3^rd, cos he was either a #10 genius, here, there and everywhere….or Luke Berry (here, there and everywhere, in a different way).  But what impressed me was the number of times his pressing was the cue for Blackpoo to get rid in a hurry – straight to us.

Londontykes' MOTM: 1. Bahre  2. Mowatt  3. Pinnock

Awaiting the final whistle.

Despatches:

Another faultless performance from Davies.  Anyone would think he’s playing for new contract (worked for Dire!)  Jordan Williams again showed promise at right back, which is a good job if rumours of a Cavare falling out are true.  Pinniloss continues to look solid if unspectacular, while I thought Lindsay had a splendid game, as well as notching the winner.  McGeehan flitted in and out, while Brown was laid out just before half time (replaced by Kiefer, who looked a square peg in a round hole).  I’d have had Cauley in my top 3 too, if he’d had his shooting boots on.  One 20 yarder is not enough for me.

Drink du jour: got a bottle of red for the train to the out-laws in Lichfield.  Celebrations start proper next week.

Away: 600?  ‘Your support is f***ing s***’.  The very nerve of these oranges.  I thought they were buzzing after getting rid of the previous owners?  Obviously buzz doesn’t quite equal numbers.

The Blackpoo hordes.

The Damage:
£17 train (one way)
£3 prog
£2 fanzine
= £22

The Tunes:
Big Balloon (Dutch Uncles)
Let England Shake (PJ Harvey)
Guilty of Love (Unloved)
Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars (Fatboy Slim)

East Stand pamorama

The old Main Stand

Nevermind the 'Yellow Wall'...

The Ponty v Blackpool

Toby orchestrates the crowd.

Match action.

Plymouth Argyle 0-3 BFC, Monday 22nd April 2019

‘You ain’t getting a bus from here you clown!’

Welcome....

This was one of the longest days of the season, and all I can say is thank f*** we won.  Having been checking on train prices since January, I never saw anything vaguely affordable for a west country jaunt to Plymouth, so had given up on the idea of going.  Then a conversation with the Two Andies t’other week after Coventry…the carrot of a lift (Reedy saw through that one – no chance!) and a bit of snouting around later, he has something approaching ‘reasonable’.  07:30 out of Paddington, back in London just before midnight, Two Together card at the ready – ours for the unprincely sum of £52!  Christ.  Oh, and work the next day.  I was well and truly fried, Tuesday.

Despite a refurb, the old facade thankfully remains.

I was at Paddington before 6 as well.  Unlike me, I know.  But these climate change protestors (good on ‘em!) had disrupted my bus route, so I had to jump on a tube.  It’s a weird feeling being early for the train.  I don’t like it.  Still, I bumped into Nice Guy Chris, and his wife, Nice Lass Jane, and M&S was open for a hot cross bun stockage (I make no bones about recommending their deluxe hot cross buns, the apple ones especially.  Mmmmmmmm….)

A first spot of the stadium / new roof on the old stand.

So, yes, we were in Plymouth 11ish, and what to do but go for a stroll and hit a seaside pub and have fish, chips and mushy peas in view of the ocean?  When else do we get chance this season?  Sunderland on a Tuesday night?  Course, we turned right at Plymouth Hoe, thereby missing all the other Reds fans down by the Barbican, but hey ho(e).  We strolled to another non-distinct pub for another before walking to the ground, through Home Park itself (if that’s what the giant bit of greenery is called around Plymouth’s Home Park ground).  All very pleasant, save for an emergency dash to the railway station toilet on the way.  As I stood outside the trap, I was this close (puts fingers very close together) to dashing into the ladies.  What does one do when you want someone to hurry up?  Do you SAY something?  (I didn’t; this being Easter, I just found God and prayed.  It worked, kids!)

Look!  The ocean!

Then we won a game of football.  In front of a near sellout crowd (it helps having only 3 stands, the main stand being rebuilt).  In fact, save for the first 5 minutes, we were imperious.  Again.  Then after an unlucky-for-Argyle 13 mins, Jordan Williams put a ball across for Cauley to superb control into his own path on the left and drag the ball into the far corner across the keeper.  What a finish!  Minutes later, Brown just about controls a cross from the left and pokes it home, before Mowatt curls a free kick in before the half hour.  Outstanding, Barnsley.  Outf***ingstanding.  (May I say, Mowatt’s goal came 5 seconds after Reedy commented about Mowatt’s lack of goals from free kicks this season, considering how bedazzling his left foot is meant to be).

Keeping the structure of the old Main Stand - love it!

Thereafter, it was a procession.  Davies did make one excellent save (a one-on-one) halfway through the second half, but otherwise it became the Kiefer show, as our talisman came off the bench and his teammates looked like they were trying everything to get him on the scoresheet.  Bahre put one into his path which was a gimme…so Moore put it wide with his left, while he blazed another one over the bar with his right.  Now, we know Moore has been training with the first team for a while., but it’s a pity shooting doesn’t seem to be amongst it.  Still, ‘lacking match practice’, etc.

Their flag does its rounds, pre-match.

*** Woodrow.  Cauley led the line superbly.  Great movement, holds onto the ball, brings others into play.  Scores.  Who is this Kiefer Moore?
** Mowatt.  Orchestrated midfield.  Again.
* McGeehan.  Between him and Mowatt they have central midfield tied up.  Needs to make sure his lunges connect with the ball though.

Londontykes' MOTM:  1. Woodrow  2. Mowatt 3. McGeehan

Onwards and upwards!

Looking towards the home side.

Despatches:
EVERYONE had a good game, though it’s nice to see Jordan Williams slot into right back so easily in Cavare’s absence.  (Where is Cavare?  Not even on bench was he?)  I felt for Plymouth though.  They match us for a while, then once they conceded, their defence dropped back and ceded midfield dominance to us…thereafter, everywhere the ball was we outnumbered them.  Most dominant game of the season and what a time to do it.
And since I’ve a potential 60 quid coming my way, I’ve become obsessed with the bookies’ odds (cos they’re never wrong, are they?)  What with Portsmouth nicking another tight win at lunchtime (boooo) and Sunderland conceding an injury time equaliser at Posh (celebrated as much as any Reds goal in the away end!) we remain 2^nd faves at 4/9, with Pompey on 4/5 and the Mackems drifting to 6/4.  We have got this nailed…haven’t we???   As any fool knoweth tho, if Pompey keep winning, they go up.  Can they do it at Sunderland next Satdy?  And can we f*** up all our hard work by coming unstuck against midtable Blackpool?  It’s back to the prayer mat for me…

The Dugouts.

Drink du jour: Weihenstephaner

Away: c900.  

The Damage:
£52 train
£24 ent
£3 prog
= £79

The Tunes:
Slowdive (Slowdive)
Until the Hunter (Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions)

Home Park panorama

You can't beat a club vehicle.

Outside the home end.

Walking around the ground to the away end.

Cherry pickers parked up for the weekend.

The Main Stand paddock.

The teams meet 'n' greet.

Match action on a beautiful day in Plymouth.

BFC 2-1 Shrewsbury Town, Friday 19th April 2019

‘Na na na na na na na na na na na….We’ve got Kiefer Moore, Kiefer Moore, we’ve got Kiefer Moore’

I love Good Fridays.  Much better than Bad Fridays.  And what can be gooder than watching the Super Reds cruise to victory and keep up the 2018-19 promotion campaign?  Course, the result mattered most and it was far from a cruise, as we crawled over the line against a Shrews side with nothing to play for.  Indeed, were it not for an outstanding performance from keeper Davies, we’d have been staring down the barrel of a 10 gauge shotgun.  Call it poor finishing, but 3 times they ran through to shoot unconvincingly.  But best of all was a a 25 yarder into the top corner which Davies somehow tipped over.  The closer he is to the end of his contract, the better he gets (funny that).

An ice cream van in Barnsley with THAT reg?  Surely no coincidence...

But all this is to ignore the real highlight of the match – the return of Kiefer Moore.  Initially ‘ruled out for the season’ after a clash of heads at Gillingham in February, our talisman has returned to provide the final push.  And what a reception!  On he came after the hour mark, 2-1 up, and the scene was set.  He didn’t score, but the buzz, the excitement…the FEELING.  BELIEVE!!!!  (Oh no, I’ve come over all Jose Morais.)

Everyone's favourite #19 is back!

But it could have been so, so different.  An early burst had the Shrews one-on-one and Davies saved, with Pinniloss on the cover clearing off the line.  Then Mowatt goes up the field and curls one with his RIGHT foot from 20 odd yards.  At the time, I thought it was a bit soft, but having seen it on telly it was a great strike and I did their keeper (and Mowatt) a disservice.  The Shrews equalise a few minutes before half time.  A crossfield ball has Pinnock barged over.  Mystifyingly, there’s no free kick and the loose ball is lashed home from 20 yards.  Great strike, to be fair, but the foul was obvious to all but the ref. 

The East Stand v Shrews.

We went in at half-time one-all, thanks to another Davies save and within 10 mins of the restart we were in front, Jacob Brown being Johnny-on-the-spot.  The Shrews had already missed a simple header at the backpost before Magic Mike (Bahre) jinked into the box and pulled the ball back for Brown to smash into the gap at the near post from close in.  He has a scorer’s instinct, Brown (see also: Walsall away).  Maybe we’ll see him yet play up front, his original position.

Otherwise, the Shrews missed another one-on-one (how many does a team need?) while McGeehan hit the bar following a slick move started on our left.  It might even have been Thiam setting it up.  Or was I dreaming?  Anyway, we got out of jail today.  Bigtime.

Onwards and upwards!

A decent away turnout shoulda been celebrating today.

*** Davies.  Wunderbar! from our German-born goalkeeper.

** Mowatt.  Controlled midfield, if not their breaks.  Official MOTM.

* Pinnock.  Not sure how they had chances when Pinnock never looked under threat.

Londontykes' MOTM: 1. Davies  2. Mowatt  3. Pinnock

Despatches:

No idea how anyone but Davies got MOTM.  Of 9 Londontyke voters, 9 voted Davies.  Just saying.

For a change, I went in the Ponty today, and what a game to choose.  Best (Oakwell) atmosphere of the season?  Probably.  There is just that BELIEF, what with Kiefer back, we’re going up.  Momentum is ours.  As St. Etienne sang…’Nothing Can Stop Us Now’ !!!!!!!!  Also, it was a good chance to have a proper look at the murals painted on the concourse walls.  I see BFC have even added a perspex cover, like it was a Banksy or sumfink.  Very impressive, well done.

Oakwell.  The home of Barnsley St. Peter's.

Drink du jour: JD and Coke.

Away: 594

The Damage:
£35 train
£3 prog
= £38

The Tunes:
Heroes to Zeroes (Beta Band)
Until the Hunter (Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions)
I Started Out With Nothing and I Still Got Most of it Left (Seasick Steve)
Barbed Wire Kisses (The Jesus and Mary Chain)

Ponty End panorama.

The East and Corner Stands.

Ref, I can see that shirt tug from here!

The sun's out, there's a spring in everyone's step...

The old Main Stand.

You Reds!

The teams come out, 2nd half.

Errrr...Peckham and London are THAT way!