Macdonald (sometime in first half)

I will keep this short mainly due to the fact I didn’t turn up till just after half time. Not that I will get fined or disciplined by Bob or Mark but I had just returned from my cultural visit to the ancient city of Newcastle. Seeing as I missed the first half I will write about my weekend away instead. Some might say (Mark) that I don’t mention anything about the game anyway so what’s the difference, harsh but probably fair.

 

So my weekend. I told a bit of a white lie, it wasn’t a cultural visit unless you count watching Blackpool FC and getting pi**ed in the Newcastle pubs as culture then fine. Three things came out of the trip

1. Blackpool aren’t ready for the premiership (yet).

2. Blackpool Fans are the best in the land (see video below).

3. I am a top drinker.

 

Newcastle is an absolute fantastic place and the bars are simply superb. Friendly folk and punk music blasting out made for a perfect day (except for the match). The music was far superior than the dross the Thornton players listen to. You can’t get much better than “Anarchy in the UK” blasting out at full volume, Malcolm Maclaren would have been well chuffed if he hadn’t popped his clogs last week. We may have been thrashed on the pitch but I was immensely proud of the effort and heroics of the Blackpool fans as shown in this video.

 

 

Doesn’t it make you proud to come from Blackpool.

 

Anyway being a Top Drinker I had no after effects of copious amounts of alcohol and I was up at 7.00am to ring Mrs H to make sure she got Joe up for the footy. She wasn’t best pleased as she needs her beauty sleep and plenty of it. She had only just started talking to me as I had forgot to mention my trip to Newcastle and she thought I had just nipped out for a paper on Saturday morning. However she soon forgave me as I am the perfect husband. So I arrived at the Thornton match with four mates in tow whom I might add are not top drinkers (lightweights); they soon left as I headed to the bar only to be called back Mrs H (the spoilsport). I wandered over to Bob and Mark (neither of them running the line) who told me the score was 1-1 and we were playing really well against a Burscough side which had beaten us 2-0 only three weeks prior. We had scored a great goal but unfortunately I forgot to ask who scored it so for the purposes of this match report Liam Macdonald scored it. Bob and Mark also said that the Burscough players were very quiet and not the gobby, foul mouthed, whingeing lot from the last time we played them.

 

Now it maybe just a coincidence but ten minutes into my arrival the Burscough bunch returned to their moaning ways, questioning every decision, throwing themselves onto the floor, lunging into two footed challenges, pushing our players then demanding our players be booked. What a pleasant set of boys they are. The game was very tight and it would take a piece of genius or a mistake to win it. Unfortunately for Thornton it was the latter as a wayward pass in midfield led to Burscough grabbing the winner from their annoying No 10.

 

Thornton huffed and puffed but just did not create any clear cut chances. Their task was helped though by the sending off of Burscough’s captain with ten minutes remaining. A Burscough player had crudely hacked down James Neve which the Burscough captain took exemption to by pushing James then mouthing off to the Referee. The lad obviously had lost the plot as he then talked himself into receiving two yellow cards and walked much to his Managers’ annoyance. Thornton could not make the man advantage count and Burscough ended lucky winners again.

 

Despite rubbing our noses in it the Burscough players asked if they were getting chips. Not being childish or petty we obliged with our usual excellent hospitality and they tucked into their chips. What we didn’t tell them it wasn’t vinegar they were sprinkling on the chips though.

 

We have now slumped from first to sixth in a matter of two weeks with all the other teams catching us up. However, we have matched most teams in the league despite being the youngest side which bodes well for next season.

 

So its apologies for the shortened match report as I need to make sure Mrs H is slaving away in the kitchen making my “boil in the bag” Sunday dinner.

 

Stubbsy – cool in possession, strong on the ball, commanding in the air and generally brilliant. However, all the lad can say is “Where’s my tracksuit?”