Friday 2nd February 2007

Has January really gone? Are you sure? I know the month feels like it could last forever but we are here, into February. The second month of the year and here I find myself on the 2nd day, trying very hard to put together something coherent to say about the events of the past few days. There is just so much to cover, most of which is a blur in the far reaches of my memory banks. However, I will try write up the highlights. Let us start where my blog left you last weekend. Sunday was the FA Cup tie with Bolton but I had a few jobs or rather missions to complete before I could be given the afternoon off to enjoy the game. Dave had computer problems, or more specifically connectivity problems with his laptop and broadband. He had bought a wireless router but was not able to connect up. I had tried to help late on Friday evening last week but came to a brick wall when I realised that he had no ethernet port on his laptop or ethernet card in his old desktop. A workaround had been sought and provided by Lisa’s Dad’s laptop. Dave had this on Sunday morning and called me around 10am, he had a rare Sunday off work. Once we had everything plugged in correctly, it was quite straight forward to enable his Talk Talk broadband account and enable a secured wireless connection. He disappeared, having noted down the WEP key. I got on with getting ready for game. He sent me a text about half an hour later, he had just raced in Need for Speed Carbon against a guy from holiday. Not sure how well he did on his career mode and that all important XBox Live leader board. I was more than happy to help my best friend, after all it was something I would be doing on a day to day basis in the office. Anyway, with one very happy customers, all those hundred miles away in North Wales, I headed to Wycombe station, looking forward to a classic cup tie against Bolton. Our bogey team, but this was different. This was the first cup tie at our new home.

It was the same old story I am afraid. Giving away a goal, to let the visitors take a deserved lead. They carved us open like a knife through butter. It was humiliating to watch but for all their probing, Bolton deserved the lead. This was the wake up call we needed and we actually began playing some attacking football and Toure bought us level with a great header from a Fabregas free kick into the box. We should have pushed for the killer goal but it was not to be, there just was not the time. Plus, in all honesty Wanderers could have snatched a winner.

I got to my car, in the car park of Wycombe station at 19.48, just enough time to drive home and catch the return of Top Gear on BBC2. Not for me unfortunately. Firstly I had to get fuel, the computer system was politely bleeping at me, “Please refuel”. I went to the BP garage on West Wycombe Road and filled up with BP Ultimate. I want to give the car a trial on the super juice but according to Pav, it takes the engine around five tankful to adjust. We shall see. It is more expensive and so far I have only noticed my tank empty slightly quicker than on the ordinary BP diesel but time will tell. Another good reason to refuel was a long drive. I did not head directly home, I had to drive to Henley and drop something off at Chris’ place. It would be like my third trip into the town over the weekend. By the time I got home, Top Gear was over. I was gutted, plus there did not seem to be a repeat on during the week or the option to watch the show in full online. Beeb you disappointment me.

Talking of Aunty, this brings me onto my next subject. On Thursday I received two e-mails from You Tube. They were not nice e-mails. I had been warned about two infringements of copyright as the British Broadcasting Corporation had made a complaint that two clips were online which should not be. This was fair enough, they were referring to the interview with Richard Hammond I had ‘taped’ back in late December. I had a feeling that such a clip would be removed but uploaded it, purely to allow other people whom had missed the original screening of the interview (as had I) the change to watch it again in full. While I appreciate this was illegal and against the terms and conditions of my account with the video host, is there not an argument here. As a licence fee payer, am I not entitled to record and replay content, which I have already paid for? I suppose uploading it online was a mistake but then why does the BBC just not make such material available for download on their own web site(s).

On Monday evening, I finally started the regime to get fit. After dinner I headed over to Henley, to Chris’ house, making it my fourth trip into the town over three days. We then went over to Gillotts Sports Centre, on the grounds of Chris’ old secondary school. We got there a little early, so had to wait for a court to become available. We had court 1 or 3 from 9pm until 10pm, when the centre closes. I was rusty to begin with but slowly got into the game again after a few matches. It felt good to be running around, the blood pumping around my body and my heart beating at frantic pace. I had never really played the game within the rules before and it was good that Chris actually kept score. Is only criticism, was my lack of competitive aggressive nature in my play. I, however feel that will come over time. For a coach potato as myself, just being outside in a sports centre, away from the computer was a major step. We discovered that my Puma trainers are quite squeezed and that playing badminton in a thick hooded top is not recommended. Our next venue is Wycombe Badminton Centre, once again Monday evening.

Work has been exceptionally busy this week but I had Wednesday off. I wanted to work on some things at home, fit in my second piano lesson and then head over to Islington for the second leg of the Carling Cup semi final with the old enemy. Usually I would have swapped shifts and left the office around 3pm. Taking the day off was actually ideal. It enabled me to get some work done on some private matters, do some admin and actually take a break for a while. I then headed over to Thame for my second piano lesson. It went well, better than I expected and after a late lunch in the Bugle Horn towards Aylesbury I was about to head home. However, instead spent a bit of time working on a web site and looking at a few things for my friend. It was gone 5pm before I left. This was to have a knock on affect on the rest of my evening.

You would think, having the day off that I would make sure that I was on the train to Marylebone as early as I could. I had even commented to Terry just before the Bolton game at the weekend that I would be down early for the Carling Cup tie. He agreed with me, he would try and make it early. When I got home, it was coming up to 6pm and I had to rush around, change and then get my Dad to give me a lift to the station. The traffic on Marlow Hill was built up further up than normal. This did not help. Another thing that did not help was the fact I did not have a train timetable with me (I always tend to lose them) so had no idea when the next London bound train would be leaving. I was playing a dangerous game and considering that I could miss the kick off. A criminal offence in my book. (May this be the best time to mention that, I missed the entire first half of my first Arsenal match against Derby county back in 1997.) I got my ticket from the machine and headed onto platform one. The digital clock said 18:21, the next train was in three minutes time. Perfect timing. As I came up to platform three, the other side of the subway, I looked at the computer screen and realised this was the fast service, stopping only at Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross. Great. Maybe I would make it to Ashburton Grove in time, maybe. As soon as the train pulled into Marylebone station I was off the carriage like a rocket and just ran all the way to the ticket barrier. It had just gone 19:00. Then out came the Oyster Card and I rushed down the escalator to the on coming tube train. Straight on and off.

I came up to my seat just as the match was about to kick off. Perfect timing. I was in for an eventful evening within an electric atmosphere. It had all the classic ingredients of a cup tie. The score level from the first leg and the entire balance of play hanging on a knife edge. The strange way in which Arsenal’s two away goals would only count heading into extra time, gave some of the initiative to Spurs. We were nervous and it showed but given the young and inexperience across the spine of the team it was understandable. Here were were, 90 minutes away from Cardiff, as the PA announcer said before the match had kicked off. What a game! This was a clear example of why I love this sport and care so passionately for my team. The emotional roller coaster ride, Spurs scoring an equalisier, going into extra time and then killing the game off with two goals. Fantastic! What more could you ask for?

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