No Shame

A disappointing outcome to a really good game of football.

The game could have gone either way and both teams played with tenacity and commitment.

The Foxes played the best I have seen since I began supporting them almost 2 and a half years ago.

They had shape and discipline. They passed the ball with confidence and had good width.

They do lack some pace on the right wing I would say.

Overall though a very respectable performance and a shame they came out with nothing to show for it.

Doesn't stop me loving them though.

Leicester 'til I die!

Come On You Foxes!

Big day tomorrow.

I can barely wait.

A win for us by two goals or more would put us at the top of the Championship according to my calculations.

We've persuaded our local landlord to have the match on at the pub so I'll be down there with my pint of Stella and a packet of Mini Cheddars.

Fingers crossed then!

Il N' Y A Rien De Place

So there we were in The Fountain.

Junior Goonier joined us with 3 of his mates just after kick off.

Between us we were 3 Liverpool fans, a dyed-in-the-wool Arsenal fan and a Leicester City fan with a slight lean towards the Arse.

Tight start with neither side able to get flowing and both making silly errors when passing.

The odd tense moment.

But then Arshaven was heading for goal when he was brought down.

Great. A penalty.

But no. The ref gave a goal kick.

Revenge was sweet though with that lovely strike from Arshaven just a few moments later.

Nothing sweet about the penalty awarded against Almunia though.

The own goal by the Arse that followed just made me feel sick.

And to then have a wonderful goal in the dying minutes disallowed as offside.

No wonder it was all too much for Wenger.

Sent in disgrace to the stands.

And then a scene that almost made the loss worth while.

Wenger with nowhere to sit, so sweetly defiant.

An iconic football moment I would say.

Burn Him!

How do you spot a witch?

Are you one yourself?

These are questions I am sure have exercised (as opposed to exorcised) your mind during many a reflective moment.

It's been a fairly safe world in recent times for witches.

Until now.

For according to a certain Frenchman, for whom I have more than a passing admiration, the witch hunters are back.

St James' Park Beckons

That time has come.

After getting so close to hallowed turf during our holiday, those foxy boys are going to follow in my footsteps next Monday, and grace the interior of St James' Park.

I can't believe I'm so excited.

I think it will be a really tough and tight match.

Our away form to date has not been bad but this will be a real test.

We may come out with a spring in our step.

Or should that be dribble.

Then again our confidence may take a dive.

Like some others we might mention.

Who's Cocktail?

I am not quite giving you my full attention at the moment as I am posting with one eye on the Arsenal Celtic match. Celtic have just scored a consolation goal.

So then, what on earth went on last night in and around Upton Park?

It seems there was an explosive cocktail of factors which resulted in a recurrence of the violence that used to beset football on a much more regular basis.

Does this mean the beginning of a serious return? Is our beautiful game going to be stolen away from us to act as a vehicle to showcase some of the darker sides of our society?

Or do we have enough information to reduce the likelihood of further occurrences?

Lets see. What were the key factors last night?

Well firstly, there is the bitter rivalry between the two sides.

Then there is the fact that the match was not a league match and therefore an increased number of seats were available for non-regular fans (the regulars choosing not to attend what they see as a less important match).

Couple these with a reported upsurge in football violence 'pornography' and a society with an increased number of people with little to lose as the anesthetic of material wealth on credit card debt starts to wear off.

And some bad decisions about match arrangements .

Like putting away fans in the lower tiers instead of the upper ones.

And not having sufficient police presence.

Most of these things football can't fix on its own.

So anyone out there thinking of pointing a finger at the game and telling it to sort itself out needs to think again.

This is not just a problem for football. It is a problem for our society.

Spot The Difference

What's the difference between Notts County and Newcastle United?

Lots of things of course - like one being on an upward trajectory, and one, at least until recently, downwards. Oh and one has a new owner and one doesn't. And then of course there are Sven and Sol.

But apart from that, I would struggle to tell them apart.

I mean they both play in black and white stripes.

And they are both nicknamed the Magpies.

Hard to spot the difference in some ways then.

Although as far as I know, Notts County has never claimed to have a Messiah.

Let alone two.

Lost Treasure?

I read an interesting article in The Telegraph today.

It bore the intriguing title "The nation should cherish Michael Owen, not allow him to be caned".

As a girl still relatively new to football, my entry point to Michael Owen is probably different to most fans in that my 'knowledge' of him to date is limited to the following;

• He played for Newcastle when I first knew him - from which I deduced he was not good enough to play for any of the top teams
• He is very injury prone and has been out of action more often than not
• He is a spent force who once shone for England but is now a has-been

As you can imagine, therefore, I was surprised when he was bought by the ManUre. Whatever issues I have with Fergie his ability to spot, develop and optimise talent has never been in question.

Interesting then to read Henry Winter's account of the first time he saw Owen play in a competitive match and how he has never forgotten it, nor lost respect for him.

I for one will watch developments with considerable interest over the next few months.

Distraction

Do you believe that difficulties off the pitch affecting a member of the team impact upon team performance?

Whilst I recognise there is potential there for blaming poor performance on such events, I have seen enough examples to believe the theory has some validity.

For example, remember how the Arse flew out of the stocks at the beginning of the 07/08 and were heading in the right direction to win the Prem, then it all fell apart after that awful injury to Eduardo?

Everton seem to be struggling to find their form with the threat to poach Lescott still ongoing. And I note there are currently 1 - 0 down to Burnley as I post.

No surprise then that West Ham lost to Tottenham today in the light of the attack on Calum Davenport. Latest indication is that he might lose a leg. You can't help thinking there must be quite a story behind all that but at this time I am sure we all wish him a speedy recovery.

On a more positive note, Leicester seem to have their focus firmly where it should be. Illustrated by Matty Fryatt's beautiful goal yesterday against Barnsley. Accompanied by the new celebration to the sound of Kasabian.

Having Your Cake And Eating It

My mother always brought me up to believe that salivating is not a ladylike thing to do.

I think that in most circumstances I would agree with her.

But faced with the prospect in about 15 mins time of not only watching my first Match of the Day this season, but also a new BBC offering called the "Football League show".

Now in these days of wall to wall satellite channels you may be surprised to learn that we remain a 4 terrestial channel household.

So the next couple of hours or so are going to be as close to having your cake and eating it as it gets.

A Day In The Life .......

Tomorrow's itinerary;

9.00 Get up
9.15 Wash and put on Leicester home shirt
10.00 Go to hairdressers
12.30 Buy a pie for My Lover
1.00 Prepare for radio show
3.00 Radio show whilst following all the results
5.15 Celebrate Leicester's outstanding defeat of Barnsley

Sounds like a day to me.

I Say I Say I Say Have You Heard The One About Manchester United?

Fancy the ManUre getting duffed up by Burnley!

In other news, Tottenham look as if they are about to start a rampage of the Premiership. Watch with interest I would say.

Oh and Burnley beat Manchester United 1 - 0 last night.

Newcastle seem to be doing quite well despite all their troubles. Fair play to them.

Shame about Sir Alex's lot isn't it?

And another draw for the Foxes.

It's great to be back.

PS Did I mention that Burnley had a surprise victory against The ManUre last night?

Due For A Spanking

Oops!

There are a few people in the world of football in trouble this week.

Firstly there is that naughty boy, Joleon Lescott.

Then there is the ill -fated Mike Ashley.

It could only happen to him couldn't it?

But of course, the ones in most trouble are girls.

The Bitch Is Back

Like the odd Manchester City player, I have been absent without leave recently.

Sadly, the marriage of the dongle and the great outdoors proved not to be all that was hoped for.

And so I have left my poor readers bereft and adrift.

How can I ever make it up to you?

I need to produce something for you that will warm the cockles of your heart.

Something which encapsulates the joy that is the beautiful game.

I know just the thing.

My mouth is watering just at the thought.

Ready?

Here it comes.

Enjoy!

When Swine Flew

I'm still out here!

Sorry not to be posting every day - just impractical.

Hopefully my little 2/3 day updates are enough to keep you going until I return home next Monday.

We are now in Suffolk.

When we were planning this trip some months ago my lover said "I can't wait to take you to Suffolk to show you where they grow football pitches"

"Yeah right", I said. "That would be the same place Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy live then would it?".

Yesterday I saw a vast stretch of land being watered by huge machines. The ground was covered with beautiful, smooth, luscious turf. Amazing!

Later today we have a man in a red coat coming for a barbecue, along with another friend who will be paying a flying visit.

Telegram

Limited time left on dongle so sending today's news in brief STOP

GB and HL spotted in Whitby playing guitars and singing in the street STOP

The Foxes score two goals within three minutes in second half to get off to flying start in the Championship STOP

The Magpies sport their new away strip and manage a draw against the Baggies STOP

Delia is counting the cost of the Canaries' first taste of League 1 STOP

Football season is back STOP

Yippee STOP

Dead Ringers

I don't know if it is a symptom of being in unfamiliar territory or simply that on holiday you have more time to observe things around you, but over the last few days we have seen no less than 3 dead ringers for football celebrities.

First there was Wayne Rooney in the middle of Newcastle. Not as tall or beefy but none-the-less surprisingly convincing.

Then there was Rafa Benitez at the Jet petrol station, waiting in the car park for the RAC van to turn up.

Most bizarrely, however, was bumping into Steven Gerrard in the kitchen at the restaurant we went to last night.

Telling him he looked like St Stevie of Me proved to be a good move as after that he seemed keen to impress us, including taking us into the smokery to see the fish hanging over burning piles of oak shavings ("I'm not really supposed to do this but you seem like nice people").

Best of all though was when he showed us how to hypnotise a lobster.

You take it out of the water and being careful not to get caught by its snapping claws you tip it upside down and rest it on its head. Then you stroke it's back until it eventually goes to sleep.

Being on holiday is an education.

The World's Our Lobster

It's not proving possible to post every day due to my current circumstances. With no electric I have had to rely upon the people who own the site we are on (or more accurately the field we are in as the only facility is a water tap!) to charge up my laptop. So please bear with me.

Anyway since my last post we have continued to explore the coastal area of Northumberland.

One particular highlight was stopping at a local pub the other evening for a quick drink and emerging 3 hours later having got engaged in conversation with a couple of locals who proved to be a mine of information.

Useful 'facts' gleaned included;

• Don't call a Northumbrian a Geordie - they don't like it
• Scotland can't be as great as the Scot's claim otherwise there would not be so many scattered around the world. They would be living there instead
  
• No-one in their right mind would voluntarily pay a visit to the "Stadium of Shite'

Other than that, the last few day's have been fairly devoid of football, unless you count the conversation with my lover when we were marvelling at the legs of a couple of male members of a French dance troupe performing at the Alnwick International Music Festival, agreeing they were worthy of a Premiership player.

Today we visited Cragside which was fascinating. And I managed to find a football link. (The Armstrong family used to own Cragside).

Tomorrow we are heading off down to Scarborough to find more fish and chips, somewhere to busk and of course to broaden yet further our footballing horizons.

Tonight though we are off to sample some local kippers - or maybe even a lobster.

Champion!

I have got so much to tell you.

The reason I haven't posted for a couple of days is I am on holiday.

My lover and I are doing a world tour of the East Coast of England. In our tiny caravan.

We will be away for 2 and a half weeks and have set ourselves 4 objectives;
1. Visit all the main football stadia in the vicinity of where we stay.
2. Eat lots of good quality fish and chips
3. Busk here and there and raise a bit of money for charity
4. Have a groovy time

As I write to you we are in a field just outside Alnwick. Complete with laptop and dongle.

We arrived yesterday lunchtime and were walking around Alnwick late afternoon when we saw a sign saying "Sir Bobby Dead".

We looked at each other open mouthed and quickly bought a copy of the local newspaper.

It was true. Sir Bobby Robson dead.

Now I need to tell you I have never visited this part of the country in my life.

And here I am in Sir Bobby's homeland.

It was meant to be.

So of course today we went to pay our respects at St James' Park.

We joined the steady line of people pilgrimaging up the hill to the stadium. We followed them into the ground itself and spent time looking at the hundreds of flowers, scarves, shirts, messages, flags and pictures that adorned the seats.

Sombrely we walked back into the centre of the city, via a delicious Chinese meal in China Town.

As we journeyed back towards our car, I saw a man walking towards us.

There was something familiar about him. He was wearing a blue shirt - with a Foxes head on it. A Leicester City fan in the middle of Newcastle.

I stopped and chatted to him to learn that he too was on his way to pay homage to the great man.

Where else next then but to the Black Cats stadium? Eerily deserted apart from a couple getting married. Oh and a fantastic statue of Bob Stokoe.

Then to Consett to look with sadness upon a town abandoned by the outside world over a quarter of a century ago when they closed the steelworks and 6000 lost their jobs.

The best shop in the town was a music shop so we called in to get some strings for our guitars. Judging by the way the guy in the shop went on about St James' Park being a blot on the landscape and how the Magpie's away strip had already been reduced to half price, we guessed my just might be a Mackam.

Then back to our little paradise on wheels. Restringing guitars. Singing and playing tunes with a nice glass of wine.

Only one way to describe my day today.

In the words of the man we spoke to yesterday who smokes kippers for a living;

"Champion!"