West End United vs Home Brand FC

All photos by me good mate Pandora Karavan (Pandy).


We're in the yellow and purple. Andrew's bum is on the left, Dorian on the right. We lost 3:2, but we managed to accumulate three injuries, two of which could not take the field again, and I also ask viewers to note the age difference between us and the opposition. The second half we played with 10 men due to the injuries.


Number 2 is Paul, our best central defender. He'd had a head to head clash with another of our own team. The other in the clash, Dennis, went home for stiches. I don't think this one went in, as I remember the first goal, and the only one in this half, as higher. I may be wrong. Yeah, that's yours truly in the goal.

A boot from Mark, who played a class game on the wing.

This was a potentially disasterous moment, but Daryl, screaming across (he's over 45), managed to kick the ball into touch.

Sean's been playing for a couple of years only so is not that much more experienced than me, but it doesn't mean one should think colliding with him is a great idea. He's a bloody solid defender.

Dorian, one of our strikers, in dribling action. The classy looking midfielder in the background is Peter, who in midfield is probalby our best player. Actually he seems to be everywhere.


Andrew congratulating Dorian after his goal. It was our second (the first was a penalty from Dennis who had to leave to get stitches in his head), and Dorian's first ever. Beautiful passing lead-up too. But no taking away from Dorian's beautiful finish.

Preparing for a corner. From left (in yellow and purple), is Andrew, me, Sean and Paul (who's bleeding had stopped, so he's taken his bandage off).

I'm pretty sure this is the second one that went in. I got my hand to it but it was too powerful and pushed through to goal. Hopefully with experience I'll be able to stop these. This was my first time in goal ever.

The worst thing about my most ludicrous moment of courage is that this guy had already been called off side.

One moment later. Me getting my neck challenged. I can still feel the bruising from jaw to collar on the right side of my neck.

Some more Daryl action. These blokes we're playing against are children.

Peter has some classy footwork. The bloke with the cool hair in the fore is Beppe, our Italian, who had an excellent game in midfield reclaiming possesion again and again.

Number 17 is Mark again. I got this puppy.

That's the formidable Sean on the right, Mark in the middle and the peep of bandaged head is Paul. I have no idea what's happening here, but it's a cool action shot. This was Pandy's first foray as a sports photographer, and I reckon she shows quite a knack.

Myself in a routine action, Mark again in the fore. For a Midfield winger he seems to be helping me a lot.

Me in some sort of existential, concentrated, action zone. I could really get to like this position, seriously.

Ok, I didnt get near the bloody ball, but this one didn't get through. It's coming from the right of camera across the goal and it went wide.

A very nice shot I reckon - well composed. Daryl again. No secret really that the blokes Pandy knows are Daryl (pictured here), Sean, Dorian and myself.

Dorian in action again. Note the dust - our home pitch is a fucking dry sandpit. Peter looking as sexy as ever in the background.

Look, I have given up this blogging thing ok? But with these pics available, what was I supposed to do? Here is our own, very grass-roots crew in action. It was a great game, these guys completely thrashed us last time, and with some serious circumstances we did really well. Did I mention we've never won a game? We're an over-35s team who were conned into an obscure open league with the rhetoric that all the teams were old and crap, and they're just not. We have a hoot anyway, and whichever way you look at it, the ball is still round.

Salud.