Tranmere Rovers were relegated from the Football League to the Football Conference this weekend when the mighty Greens beat them 3-2. That ended a 94 year stay in the League. It would have been more appropriate if it was a one hundred year stay which was ending, as it would tie in nicely with their total disregard of the celebrations commemorating the start of the First World War.
Tranmere used a field as their training ground, which adjoined Prenton Park, their home stadium. The field was a memorial to the men who lost their lives during the First World War, and who had been educated at the Birkenhead Institute. Those people included the well known war poet, Wilfred Owen.
The Club sold the field for a housing development, a decision which was furiously challenged by local people. The government of the time saw little reason to reject the planning application and the sale has now been completed.
How apt then that this relegation may be the first step on the path to oblivion for the club. The field may be no more, but, as Tranmere are now discovering, you mess with history at your peril.
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Messsage in a bottle
It's been a while since SWMBO and I have been out to a gig, so it was a pleasure to pitch up at the Manchester Arena on Monday for Paul Simon and Sting together on stage. It seemed an odd coupling when we booked the tickets, but the partnership worked well.
They did several sets together and solo spots designed to allow them a rest. No such luck for the audience as they went three hours non-stop. It was a score draw between the Police fans and the S & G fans as to who could sing along loudest!
Paul Simon still has the voice, but his range has become shorter. This was admirably compensated for as Sting was only too happy to sing the high notes in the wonderful rendition of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' which was their finale. That song has great memories of adolescence for me, Early girl chasing and live performances of 'Bye Bye Love' in The Polish Club, off Mutley Pain in Plymouth. The police were also involved then too, as they raided the place one night as there was underage drinking and the club did not have a license!!
Interestingly Paul Simon outlined the time when he was doing the Northern club circuit which was when he wrote 'Homeward Bound'. All in all an excellent night.
On the sporting front, the Wallasey Seniors did get the expected spanking at Vale Royal Abbey 2.5 to 5.5, but got our season back on course on Monday with a 7-1 win against Leasowe. The New Brighton v Birkenhead Park local rugby derby was a bit of a damp squib, with Park winning easily to clinch their promotion, and almost certainly guarantee New Brighton a first season relegation. Twickenham, on the other hand, managed to beat Guildford and so set up a winner takes all relegation decider against Cobham on Saturday.
The mighty Argyle hang on to the last play-off place in League 2 and now need only two wins form their last three games, but it is looking tough for Brentford in the Championship as a defeat last night in Sheffield see's them lose touch with the sixth place team and only three games remain to be played there too.
Now it's time to focus on the outdoor activities in the garden while the dry weather stays. There is still plenty to do inside as well before the S Club descend on us , but that can wait until the April showers arrive. That said, we are half way through so they better hurry up.
They did several sets together and solo spots designed to allow them a rest. No such luck for the audience as they went three hours non-stop. It was a score draw between the Police fans and the S & G fans as to who could sing along loudest!
Paul Simon still has the voice, but his range has become shorter. This was admirably compensated for as Sting was only too happy to sing the high notes in the wonderful rendition of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' which was their finale. That song has great memories of adolescence for me, Early girl chasing and live performances of 'Bye Bye Love' in The Polish Club, off Mutley Pain in Plymouth. The police were also involved then too, as they raided the place one night as there was underage drinking and the club did not have a license!!
Interestingly Paul Simon outlined the time when he was doing the Northern club circuit which was when he wrote 'Homeward Bound'. All in all an excellent night.
On the sporting front, the Wallasey Seniors did get the expected spanking at Vale Royal Abbey 2.5 to 5.5, but got our season back on course on Monday with a 7-1 win against Leasowe. The New Brighton v Birkenhead Park local rugby derby was a bit of a damp squib, with Park winning easily to clinch their promotion, and almost certainly guarantee New Brighton a first season relegation. Twickenham, on the other hand, managed to beat Guildford and so set up a winner takes all relegation decider against Cobham on Saturday.
The mighty Argyle hang on to the last play-off place in League 2 and now need only two wins form their last three games, but it is looking tough for Brentford in the Championship as a defeat last night in Sheffield see's them lose touch with the sixth place team and only three games remain to be played there too.
Now it's time to focus on the outdoor activities in the garden while the dry weather stays. There is still plenty to do inside as well before the S Club descend on us , but that can wait until the April showers arrive. That said, we are half way through so they better hurry up.
Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Whitewash
So home and straight into the old routine, a Friday night fuelled by alcohol, Saturday morning down the pub then into the lady's boudoir known as Rock an Rose for some tucker before going through the thrills and spills of England's mighty effort to beat France by 26 points. They hit the bar but given we beat Wales in Cardiff and finished above them in the table, a win was a win against France and everything pails into insignificance. There wer fourteen of us on parade, so a good weekend was had by all. Luckily SWMBO was on hand to drive home on the Sunday as I was a bit weary.
Monday gave me no rest bite as it was down to the golf club for the first Seniors game of the season, one which I was Chairman for the first time. I was voted in In Absentia on Friday.
We were playing Prenton, one of the closest courses to us, and I was under no pressure being paired with the new club Captain, Chris Kerin. There was an up side though, Chris plays of 5 so any lapse on my part could be more than compensated. Blessedly, my game held together pretty well, and we went round in level par better ball which gave our opponents little chance of a win.
It got even better in the bar when it transpired we had won 8-0, something which the more senior Senior's were struggling to remember doing before. It can, of course, only go one way from there though! My opening speech seems to have gone down well, so it's onto Prestatyn tomorrow and then our second fixture away at Vale Royal Abbey, always a hard place to get anything from.
A few days back and it seems like we have not been away. The twelve bags of washing indicate that we have though!
Monday gave me no rest bite as it was down to the golf club for the first Seniors game of the season, one which I was Chairman for the first time. I was voted in In Absentia on Friday.
We were playing Prenton, one of the closest courses to us, and I was under no pressure being paired with the new club Captain, Chris Kerin. There was an up side though, Chris plays of 5 so any lapse on my part could be more than compensated. Blessedly, my game held together pretty well, and we went round in level par better ball which gave our opponents little chance of a win.
It got even better in the bar when it transpired we had won 8-0, something which the more senior Senior's were struggling to remember doing before. It can, of course, only go one way from there though! My opening speech seems to have gone down well, so it's onto Prestatyn tomorrow and then our second fixture away at Vale Royal Abbey, always a hard place to get anything from.
A few days back and it seems like we have not been away. The twelve bags of washing indicate that we have though!
Thursday, 19 March 2015
walk on the wild side...
I have never seen so many bagpipes as in New York yesterday. The
St Patrick Day parade here differs from San Fran in a lot of ways. For a start
there are no vehicles or floats. It’s all one long march from 44th
to 65th. Our hotel is right near the start so we had a good view
early on. Second difference is it’s actually on the day itself and finally, the
number of people is huge.
So we walked the route then did the central library which
sadly had its two most impressive reading rooms closed and grabbed a cocktail
in The Campbell Apartments in Grand Central station. It’s a red velvet and
brown chair sort of bar going back the Twenties, hidden away and very pleasant
after a route march through mid-town.
Today was freezing at -3 degrees so a trip to Ground Zero should have been heart warming. It is still very much a building site, but
the two memorial waterfalls were certainly a fitting tribute to the victims,
demonstrating the footprints of the two towers at the same time. The viewing
gallery of the new World Trade Centre will open in the next few months, and the
views should be spectacular.
We walked most of the way back, and then finished the day
with dinner at a training restaurant aptly called L’Ecole. We were joined in
SoHo by our good friends Eins and Tina from Blundellsands who were also in New
York for yesterday’s parade.
Tomorrow it’s back to Blighty but we do have membership of
the Cornell Club for the day so will be dropping in there for WiFi and coffee
at some point.
All in all a wide and varied 28 days with much to look back
on and smile about….. talking of which did you know the tooth brush was
invented in South Dakota? Otherwise it would have been called the teeth brush…….
Monday, 16 March 2015
Food, glorious food....
Mega problems at check-in this morning as we are over weight.....' Its the same luggage came out with' I pleaded. 'Its not the bags sir', she said,' Its you'
I knew those meatballs last night were a meal too far!! Ah well five hours in the air feeling like an American!
I knew those meatballs last night were a meal too far!! Ah well five hours in the air feeling like an American!
Sunday, 15 March 2015
Bridge over troubled water
It was going to be jailhouse rock, but the first available tickets for Alcatraz were for Tuesday. The fallback was the open topped tour bus. It was a good choice.
We took in most of the major sights including Haight/Astbury, the hippy center of the sixties, the Victorian sector which survived the 1906 earthquake, and, best of all, got ride over the Golden Gate bridge. That was a tad windy but provided some great views.
We saw some very appealing art but the girl did not ship international, so its off to Little Italy for some tucker before an early start tomorrow for New York. I wonder what the strap line will for that?
We took in most of the major sights including Haight/Astbury, the hippy center of the sixties, the Victorian sector which survived the 1906 earthquake, and, best of all, got ride over the Golden Gate bridge. That was a tad windy but provided some great views.
We saw some very appealing art but the girl did not ship international, so its off to Little Italy for some tucker before an early start tomorrow for New York. I wonder what the strap line will for that?
climbing the stairway to heaven.
We left God's waiting room this morning after catching the first half of the England rugby, and I was pleased to see, when we got to our San Fran hotel, that the chances they squandered did not cost them the game. All to play for next week then.
So then cruise has ended and we now have San Fran and New York before returning home on Friday. For all the highs and lows of the last two weeks, nothing could compare with SWMBO dragging me away from the stage as I went to volunteer as a standup comic in the passenger variety show.....I think I would have got a laugh but she disagreed! Funnily one of the acts was a blind chap from Cheshire telling jokes....exit signs, are they on the way out?
So then cruise has ended and we now have San Fran and New York before returning home on Friday. For all the highs and lows of the last two weeks, nothing could compare with SWMBO dragging me away from the stage as I went to volunteer as a standup comic in the passenger variety show.....I think I would have got a laugh but she disagreed! Funnily one of the acts was a blind chap from Cheshire telling jokes....exit signs, are they on the way out?
We have been out to see the St Patrick's Day parade this afternoon and we are shortly off to tour some old world architecture and some stunning hotel reception area's. Then it will be Guiness and steak before retiring. Our hotel restaurant is one of the best around and is a converted 1950's ballroom, so it should be good.
Trouser belt still on same notch so here's hoping it will survive another week!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)