As some of you may already know, I started to write a column for the local evening paper, the Chronicle & Echo, this week. Each Friday will will be publishing the column here, but why wait, rush out each Wednesday to your newsagents and get the pretty version.
THE EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER BEGINS
Well the emotional rollercoaster that is a Saints season started in spectacular manner with the nine try draw at Sales Edgeley Park on Friday night. Those supporters who travelled north or listened to the game via the radio or net were entertained right up till ‘Wee Dram’ hit that last gasp penalty to secure the draw well into injury time. Fingernails will be in short supply come next May if the lads carry on in this style but would we have it any other way? Aren’t those emotional highs and lows what make a season? The lows (only a couple this year please lads) makes those highs taste all the more sweeter. To me it’s all part of being a Saint. Going by Fridays ups and downs we are in for one hell of a season but fingers bitten back to our knuckles.
‘SOMETHING’ AND BREWERIES COME TO MIND
Thank god for the professional backroom staff we have at the Gardens. (there, that’s got me off on the right foot in my first column, but don’t expect it every week).
The shortage of cuticles in the Northants area was not helped by Sales ticketing arrangements for Friday nights game. The Sharks began selling tickets a month ago, but despite money being taken straight from local fans accounts on booking nothing dropped on their doormat in the ensuing weeks. Despite assurances that ‘they are in the post’ postie still didn’t deliver the goods and the fire at the Barrack Road sorting office just added to peoples anguish. One supporter was more worried than most as he had booked tickets for several friends so he contacted Sale direct. After several hours of calls and being fobbed off and disconnected he was dismayed to hear, after they had checked the book (yes the ‘book’) he had not ordered any tickets through them, despite them having HIS cash in THEIR bank account. He finally got into the game after a lot chasing around but we hear this was not an isolated incident.
So next time we have a gripe at the Gardens ticket arrangements remember we are much much better off than some other Zurich clubs.
YELLOW RED OR INDIFFERENT?
The facial injury to Andy Blowers on Friday put a dampener on the evening for all. Despite not being seen by any official, several supporters claim that it was clearly a punch thrown to AB’s head, even the local BBC commentator, forgetting his mike was still switched on post game, muttered ‘how the hell did the touch judge miss that punch?’ Video evidence may of course confirm or disprove this but surely if proven the punishment should fit the crime.
The week before in the not too friendly against Gloucester, Oriol Ripol was punched off the ball. The villain of the piece received a yellow card. The supposed punishment for killing the ball and slowing up the game was treated the same as an action which could end a players career, or worse.
Now referees do a sterling job and I’m not one to question their motives (just most of their decisions on a Saturday afternoon) but I think it is getting all too easy to hide behind a yellow card when a red should be mandatory for such acts.
Last season Matt Dawson was taken out quite blatantly in the opening moments of the Quin’s game at the Gardens. The perpetrator spent ten minutes in the bin, Daws spent a month on the sidelines. Where is the justice in that?
SEE, WE WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG.
Talking of referees, we have been graced by the company of a well known Zurich referee (I cannot tell you who he is but it rhymes with Mashley Sowden) on our site the last few weeks, answering, in good sport, questions on aspects of the laws of the game decision making etc. Accepting an invitation from one of our regulars he spent the Gloucester game standing in C Block of the Gordon Terrace to see things from the other side of the fence.
A good afternoon was had by all as the honoured guest kept us all entertained during the game with an insight on how a ref ticks and why he sometimes comes to decisions which fox the rest of us.
However one thing the ref did agree with was what a better view we had of proceedings from the terrace and even conceded that we all clearly saw a forward pass that on pitch referee Chris White missed. Which beggars this question.
In these days of cost cutting and on the field congestion would it not be more prudent to do away with officials and hand all decision making over to us?
Altogether now, 123 OFFSIDE!!!
A VISIT TO THE PRETTY CITY
So it’s off to Bath this Saturday for all and sundry for the game at the Rec against the once mighty Bath (although going on the last two seasons perhaps they should be downgraded to The Shower). It is always one of the highlights of the season and with the Saints going for a sixth win in a row against Bath, something unthinkable a decade ago, it’s a must go fixture.
For those thinking of letting the train take the strain, you should note that, yet again, buses will be running on the return stretch via London and there is planned rail work on the Birmingham, Bristol route.
However there is an alternative. If you can make the short trip to Oxford, trains run to Bath with a single change at Didcot Parkway. Not only does this cut around two hours off your journey time, giving you more time in the Pretty City, it is about a quarter of the normal price giving you more money to spend in The Boater.
See you there!!!
Well the emotional rollercoaster that is a Saints season started in spectacular manner with the nine try draw at Sales Edgeley Park on Friday night. Those supporters who travelled north or listened to the game via the radio or net were entertained right up till ‘Wee Dram’ hit that last gasp penalty to secure the draw well into injury time. Fingernails will be in short supply come next May if the lads carry on in this style but would we have it any other way? Aren’t those emotional highs and lows what make a season? The lows (only a couple this year please lads) makes those highs taste all the more sweeter. To me it’s all part of being a Saint. Going by Fridays ups and downs we are in for one hell of a season but fingers bitten back to our knuckles.
‘SOMETHING’ AND BREWERIES COME TO MIND
Thank god for the professional backroom staff we have at the Gardens. (there, that’s got me off on the right foot in my first column, but don’t expect it every week).
The shortage of cuticles in the Northants area was not helped by Sales ticketing arrangements for Friday nights game. The Sharks began selling tickets a month ago, but despite money being taken straight from local fans accounts on booking nothing dropped on their doormat in the ensuing weeks. Despite assurances that ‘they are in the post’ postie still didn’t deliver the goods and the fire at the Barrack Road sorting office just added to peoples anguish. One supporter was more worried than most as he had booked tickets for several friends so he contacted Sale direct. After several hours of calls and being fobbed off and disconnected he was dismayed to hear, after they had checked the book (yes the ‘book’) he had not ordered any tickets through them, despite them having HIS cash in THEIR bank account. He finally got into the game after a lot chasing around but we hear this was not an isolated incident.
So next time we have a gripe at the Gardens ticket arrangements remember we are much much better off than some other Zurich clubs.
YELLOW RED OR INDIFFERENT?
The facial injury to Andy Blowers on Friday put a dampener on the evening for all. Despite not being seen by any official, several supporters claim that it was clearly a punch thrown to AB’s head, even the local BBC commentator, forgetting his mike was still switched on post game, muttered ‘how the hell did the touch judge miss that punch?’ Video evidence may of course confirm or disprove this but surely if proven the punishment should fit the crime.
The week before in the not too friendly against Gloucester, Oriol Ripol was punched off the ball. The villain of the piece received a yellow card. The supposed punishment for killing the ball and slowing up the game was treated the same as an action which could end a players career, or worse.
Now referees do a sterling job and I’m not one to question their motives (just most of their decisions on a Saturday afternoon) but I think it is getting all too easy to hide behind a yellow card when a red should be mandatory for such acts.
Last season Matt Dawson was taken out quite blatantly in the opening moments of the Quin’s game at the Gardens. The perpetrator spent ten minutes in the bin, Daws spent a month on the sidelines. Where is the justice in that?
SEE, WE WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG.
Talking of referees, we have been graced by the company of a well known Zurich referee (I cannot tell you who he is but it rhymes with Mashley Sowden) on our site the last few weeks, answering, in good sport, questions on aspects of the laws of the game decision making etc. Accepting an invitation from one of our regulars he spent the Gloucester game standing in C Block of the Gordon Terrace to see things from the other side of the fence.
A good afternoon was had by all as the honoured guest kept us all entertained during the game with an insight on how a ref ticks and why he sometimes comes to decisions which fox the rest of us.
However one thing the ref did agree with was what a better view we had of proceedings from the terrace and even conceded that we all clearly saw a forward pass that on pitch referee Chris White missed. Which beggars this question.
In these days of cost cutting and on the field congestion would it not be more prudent to do away with officials and hand all decision making over to us?
Altogether now, 123 OFFSIDE!!!
A VISIT TO THE PRETTY CITY
So it’s off to Bath this Saturday for all and sundry for the game at the Rec against the once mighty Bath (although going on the last two seasons perhaps they should be downgraded to The Shower). It is always one of the highlights of the season and with the Saints going for a sixth win in a row against Bath, something unthinkable a decade ago, it’s a must go fixture.
For those thinking of letting the train take the strain, you should note that, yet again, buses will be running on the return stretch via London and there is planned rail work on the Birmingham, Bristol route.
However there is an alternative. If you can make the short trip to Oxford, trains run to Bath with a single change at Didcot Parkway. Not only does this cut around two hours off your journey time, giving you more time in the Pretty City, it is about a quarter of the normal price giving you more money to spend in The Boater.
See you there!!!
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