24 Hours On

[Groyne Strain]

Christ, these things don't happen to us.  We have the odd good season, the odd bad, lots of mediocrity, and no ripples waved at all in the football world.  Cup runs?  Pah!  Don't be so silly!

I have a copy of the Echo beside me at work though.  It says what I thought I saw.  

Southend United 1, Manchester United 0.

Yes, I did write:

Southend United 1, Manchester United 0.

And in it we have "Blue Heaven", "Eastwood Slays The Giants", "Goal Of The Century", etc.  We're on the front page of the Sun, the editorial comment of the London Evening Standard.  

I came home to the voice of Nicky Campbell on 5 Live asking the nation "When was the last time we saw a goal like Freddy Eastwood's beating a team like Man. Utd?".  Tuning to Talksh!te was fat boy Brazil and Beaky babbling enthustically about "Fantastic result, brilliant from Southend, oh, that Freddy Eastwood."  Youtube is crammed with the goal, the saves, the night.

I've had texts and calls from across the globe, including an Italian woman I had just one evening's "liaison" with and completely forgotten about (she just said "Congratulations" though, so it may well mean I'm a father again, I suppose).

When I took my lad to school he was literally mobbed by his mates and other kids - and 2 teachers.  They wanted to know what it was like being there, every single second of it, saying how great he was on tv and that.  He had a smile wider than the Thames Estuary and his eyes sparkled more brightly than Ursa Major on a clear night.

These things don't happen to us.  24 hours on and I simply don't believe it.  We have Preston to deal with on Saturday.  Ordinarily we'd be beginning to concerntrate, by now with a little trepidation.  Certainly Tilly & Brush will have brought the players down to earth a little.  Spencer Prior already has.  

But I'm still walking on air.  The head is still dizzy.  I'm on a naturally induced high.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think we could ever compete and get the better of a team of Man ure's standing.  Until matchday, of course, when I always get a positive vibe.  

Yet here we are.  24 hours down the line and I'm facing up to the reality of:

Southend United 1, Manchester United 0.

Bloody hell!

 

[Jonesy tap-in]

Quote[/b] (Groyne Strain @ Nov. 08 2006,22:44)]When I took my lad to school he was literally mobbed by his mates and other kids - and 2 teachers.  They wanted to know what it was like being there, every single second of it, saying how great he was on tv and that.  He had a smile wider than the Thames Estuary and his eyes sparkled more brightly than Ursa Major on a clear night.

Awww, brings a tear to the eye. That's just what you need when you're a youngster to galvanise your support for your local team.

I was experiencing a curious combination of hungoverness & joy. Either way, the last place I wanted to be was in work!

Speaking of working in Manchester, the people on my floor are mostly girls or homosexuals - none of whom like football - so, quite annoyingly, there was very little gloating to be had. The ones I did find didn't really care that much.

 

[Groyne Strain]

Quote[/b] (Jonesy tap-in @ Nov. 08 2006,22:55)]the people on my floor are mostly girls or homosexuals

Does that make you the only non-gay in the village?

 

[J]

i love you all...
.
will you marry me eastwood?

 

[HUTTON]

still hasnt sunk in, maybe tomorrow i will relise that we have just beaten the top team in England

 

[Jonesy tap-in]

Quote[/b] (Groyne Strain @ Nov. 08 2006,23:04)]

Quote[/b] (Jonesy tap-in @ Nov. 08 2006,22:55)]the people on my floor are mostly girls or homosexuals

Does that make you the only non-gay in the village?  

Aye  

ha ha, but I do now have a picture of a man in shorts pinned on my partition wall...










... Freddy, obviously  

 

[J]

Quote[/b] (Jonesy tap-in @ Nov. 08 2006,23:09)]

Quote[/b] (Groyne Strain @ Nov. 08 2006,23:04)]

Quote[/b] (Jonesy tap-in @ Nov. 08 2006,22:55)]the people on my floor are mostly girls or homosexuals

Does that make you the only non-gay in the village?  

Aye  

ha ha, but I do now have a picture of a man in shorts pinned on my partition wall...










... Freddy, obviously  

dont we all

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

All three of my boys got congratulated at school.

Best of all was for my eldest who goes with me to each match. Surrounded as we are here in Suffolk by illiterate Tractor Boys he gets constantly ribbed about supporting Southend - no one else does, and its a bit of a burden for him I sometimes fear. And at a comp kids can sometimes be real bar stewards when their not focusing on their Murkey Mouse spelling lessons etc. Before one lesson on Tuesday a number of the class were taunting him big time about how Man U were gonna stuff us - he shrugged it off as usual, though like most of us probably believing them, and not looking forward much to school the following day.

But today he walked in head held high with a broad grin and got duly mobbed with congratulations and total respect for sticking by his team, and had a crowd of them chanting Southend at various times. He had a wonderful day. Congrats too from teachers who know about the habit his father has inflicted on him, so more respect. Quite seriously, this will do him a great deal of good and should give his confidence a tremendous boost.

Onwards and upwards. Thanks Tilly et al.

 

[Shrimp in a Kilt]

Quote[/b] (Jonesy tap-in @ Nov. 08 2006,22:55)]

Quote[/b] (Groyne Strain @ Nov. 08 2006,22:44)]When I took my lad to school he was literally mobbed by his mates and other kids - and 2 teachers.  They wanted to know what it was like being there, every single second of it, saying how great he was on tv and that.  He had a smile wider than the Thames Estuary and his eyes sparkled more brightly than Ursa Major on a clear night.

Awww, brings a tear to the eye. That's just what you need when you're a youngster to galvanise your support for your local team.

I thought I'd got past the damp-eyed stage and then you post that...

History teacher at my kid's school spent almost the whole lesson talking about it, and lots of congrats and praise from the other kids, and this in a Highland West Coast school 657 miles from Roots Hall.

SUFC have gone from being a rather unreliable crutch to turbo-charged super car!

 

[Groyne Strain]

As I aluded to earlier, I always treat victory and defeat as twin imposters. I think the tone and content of my posts these last few hours have borne that out.

 

[Shrimp in a Kilt]

Quote[/b] (Groyne Strain @ Nov. 09 2006,00:40)]As I aluded to earlier, I always treat victory and defeat as twin imposters.  I think the tone and content of my posts these last few hours have borne that out.  

Perhaps, but I think that victory produces your best (and it is very good) prose......

 

[pickledseal]

as a teacher, i had my scarf hanging from the 'pen tray' on my board
and the scorebaord photo as my laptop backdrop - which meant it was up on my whiteboard for most of the day

being in chelmsford its about a half and half split southend vs scum
my form have been going on about us being bottom of the league for a bout a week - but they were all coming in shaking my hand etc!
at parents eve last night, i think peeps were impressed with my sufc tie too

 

[Southampton Shrimper]

Another teacher here, and I had a lovely day yesterday, with pupils coming up to me all day congratulating me (yes, it was all down to me that we won!). I would have had a picture from the game up on my whiteboard, but I don't have the privileges to do that! I can do it if the OS puts something up as downloadable wallpaper though!

It was amazing how many times I could incorporate the result into my lessons as well, and I even manged to refer to it when asking a question at a public speaking competition last night!

On Tuesday afternoon three Year 11 lads who I don't teach were talking to me about the game, obviously felt sorry for me so said they would buy me some chocolate if we managed to score a goal. I accosted one of them first thing in the morning yesterday and told him I reckoned I deserved a chocolate bar from each of them. Sure enough, two of them appeared at breaktime with a Mars bar each, I should be getting the third one today apparently!!!

Still today I'm getting lovely comments and the odd cheer, and as a special treat all my classes today are getting a reward for working so hard by reliving Freddy's wonder goal on my tape of the game I've brought in!

Ah, happy days, and yesterday was great!

 

[J]

i love you tilly!
.

will you marry me?

 

[Clarky_Blues]

Quote[/b] (Jonesy tap-in @ Nov. 08 2006,22:55)]

Quote[/b] (Groyne Strain @ Nov. 08 2006,22:44)]When I took my lad to school he was literally mobbed by his mates and other kids - and 2 teachers.  They wanted to know what it was like being there, every single second of it, saying how great he was on tv and that.  He had a smile wider than the Thames Estuary and his eyes sparkled more brightly than Ursa Major on a clear night.

Awww, brings a tear to the eye. That's just what you need when you're a youngster to galvanise your support for your local team.

I was experiencing a curious combination of hungoverness & joy. Either way, the last place I wanted to be was in work!

Speaking of working in Manchester, the people on my floor are mostly girls or homosexuals - none of whom like football - so, quite annoyingly, there was very little gloating to be had. The ones I did find didn't really care that much.

Whereabouts in Manchester do you work Jonesy?

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Quote[/b] (Suffolk Shrimper @ Nov. 08 2006,23:12)]All three of my boys got congratulated at school.

Best of all was for my eldest who goes with me to each match. Surrounded as we are here in Suffolk by illiterate Tractor Boys he gets constantly ribbed about supporting Southend - no one else does, and its a bit of a burden for him I sometimes fear. And at a comp kids can sometimes be real bar stewards when their not focusing on their Murkey Mouse spelling lessons etc. Before one lesson on Tuesday a number of the class were taunting him big time about how Man U were gonna stuff us - he shrugged it off as usual, though like most of us probably believing them, and not looking forward much to school the following day.

But today he walked in head held high with a broad grin and got duly mobbed with congratulations and total respect for sticking by his team, and had a crowd of them chanting Southend at various times. He had a wonderful day. Congrats too from teachers who know about the habit his father has inflicted on him, so more respect. Quite seriously, this will do him a great deal of good and should give his confidence a tremendous boost.

Onwards and upwards. Thanks Tilly et al.

Hope the Hadleigh hounds are paying 'Shrimper' a wee bit more respect this morning as well - and that your cat Freddy got an extra portion of cream!

 

[Slipperduke]

Quote[/b] (Suffolk Shrimper @ Nov. 08 2006,23:12)]All three of my boys got congratulated at school.

Best of all was for my eldest who goes with me to each match. Surrounded as we are here in Suffolk by illiterate Tractor Boys he gets constantly ribbed about supporting Southend - no one else does, and its a bit of a burden for him I sometimes fear. And at a comp kids can sometimes be real bar stewards when their not focusing on their Murkey Mouse spelling lessons etc. Before one lesson on Tuesday a number of the class were taunting him big time about how Man U were gonna stuff us - he shrugged it off as usual, though like most of us probably believing them, and not looking forward much to school the following day.

But today he walked in head held high with a broad grin and got duly mobbed with congratulations and total respect for sticking by his team, and had a crowd of them chanting Southend at various times. He had a wonderful day. Congrats too from teachers who know about the habit his father has inflicted on him, so more respect. Quite seriously, this will do him a great deal of good and should give his confidence a tremendous boost.

Onwards and upwards. Thanks Tilly et al.

That's quality! My spine won't stop tingling!

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

All three of my boys got congratulated at school.

Best of all was for my eldest who goes with me to each match. Surrounded as we are here in Suffolk by illiterate Tractor Boys he gets constantly ribbed about supporting Southend - no one else does, and its a bit of a burden for him I sometimes fear. And at a comp kids can sometimes be real bar stewards when their not focusing on their Murkey Mouse spelling lessons etc. Before one lesson on Tuesday a number of the class were taunting him big time about how Man U were gonna stuff us - he shrugged it off as usual, though like most of us probably believing them, and not looking forward much to school the following day.

But today he walked in head held high with a broad grin and got duly mobbed with congratulations and total respect for sticking by his team, and had a crowd of them chanting Southend at various times. He had a wonderful day. Congrats too from teachers who know about the habit his father has inflicted on him, so more respect. Quite seriously, this will do him a great deal of good and should give his confidence a tremendous boost.

Onwards and upwards. Thanks Tilly et al.

Hope the Hadleigh hounds are paying 'Shrimper' a wee bit more respect this morning as well - and that your cat Freddy got an extra portion of cream!

 
Thanks Matt.

Freddy the cat caught two mice yesterday so he's on top form and not in need of any more cream (and given they are now dead and eatten we did not have time to christen the vermin Rooney & Ronaldo!)

 

[Groyne Strain]

I wouldn't put onto an internet message board the fact you eat innocent mice killed by your pet cat. The PC brigade will be onto you.