When I were a lad (quite an appropriate expression after a visit to Barnsley) I was very lucky in that my dad had a real taste for often black comedy on the TV – and radio – and by that token, I grew up with Steptoe and Son, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-in, Sgt Bilko, TW3 and so many others. Round the Horne and the Navy Lark?
Some of us will remember them, our younger readers by definition won’t.
When I was about 10 I got a telly in my bedroom. I could choose Monty Python, Do Not Adjust Your Set (featuring David Jason when he was a struggling jobbing actor and long before he was cast as Del Boy) or anything else my little mates advised me to watch. Okay, the dial you had to twist to change channels was held together with duct tape and the reception was via coat hanger, but this was the late Sixties after all.
One of my favourite programmes was always M*A*S*H*. Dad had to explain some – but not all – of the dialogue to me. I would imagine the presence of Loretta Swit was appealing to both of us, despite the generation gap. Ironically, her character name was Hoolahan.
The older I grew the more I understood and enjoyed the programme – thanks, Alan Alda. And when I hit 35 one of my favourite bands, Manic Street Preachers, managed to get their first Top Ten Hit from their reworking of the spooky theme tune. Their version isn’t spooky but the original (allegedly with lyrics written by series director Robert Altman’s teenage son) certainly is.
And bless me – NCFC is currently in M*A*S*H* territory. Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in that case; Colney collapse in ours.
As we stand we have: this writer with a collapsed back that “needs rest”. Cheers Doctor and thanks for making me waste nearly a tenner on prescription painkillers that patently do not work.
Then far more importantly there was a horrendous injury to Alex Tettey last night. As Gary and indeed others elsewhere have said, we all want to see him back on the pitch in our colours before his inevitable departure.
Tom Trybull is shafted until season’s end, as is Moritz Leitner.
Matt Jarvis either has a body core like mine or is the unluckiest guy on the planet when it comes to injury; I don’t expect to see him back anytime soon either.
Big Zimbo has lost a stone (that’s eight percent of his bodyweight folks) due to illness. But still, he turned out for as long as he could function.
Harry Reed is still stricken, also with a sickness bug.
Louis Thompson’s Achilles problem is one I really hope gets resolved. The trouble with that sort of injury is that it can leave major psychological doubts in the mind of the player. I’ve seen that happen before, albeit it at a much lower level.
And to top it all off Nelson has done his calf. People might say: what kind of injury is that? I say it’s bloody sore and try running on it. No fun. None whatsoever.
I might even have forgotten somebody from my stricken list. Maybe young Pierre Fonkeu.
So, to anybody who thinks a point against Barnsley was not an achievement, I would disagree. When the “bare bones” can achieve that I am really quite content.
Don’t expect miracles against Reading – it won’t be another 7-1 and we do not at this stage have a clue who will be available.
Finally, I am as mystified as others regarding why Sean Raggett was not on the bench on Tuesday. He always looked great playing in a red and white Lincoln top. Another situation gone Pete Tong? I so hope not.
With another nod to the Sixties in referencing Emergency Ward Ten I will definitely be avoiding Holby City and Casualty – I’ve never watched them in my life and I’m not going to start now.
Good luck and best wishes Alex – it looked really nasty and I hope you’re okay.
The one silver lining to the black cloud of our injury situation is that this may dampen any interest in some of our players such as Trybull, Thompson (I still think he could be great for us) and Leitner (will at least stop his price tag going up if we are planning cut price deal for him). Though I suppose the same will happen for Jarvis and we will never shift him.
Love the reference to MASH, I may not have been born when it was on but its still one of my favourite shows.
Thanks London.
Yes we can only hope to retain those players you mention by hook or by crook.
Maybe (just maybe) it will come to pass in those cases.
James Maddison is another issue altogether but all we can do is wait and see.
It’s gonna be one heck of a close season!
Martin, I always enjoy your pieces, even the more rambling ones, however I feel compelled to point out Mr Raggett was on the bench last night.
It does seem bizarre to me that he didn’t start if Zimbo was so unwell, regardless of Farke’s comments about then training him to play in a back 3. Is there a massive difference in defensive style, but also, surely as Klose and Hanley were fit, there would have been no better lesson than being barked at by those two.
Finally, Srbeny has had little to feed from and will take some getting used to the league, but without Oliviera, surely he has to be starting the games and finding how his team mates operate, and they finding his movements. Surely for him to be leading our attack next season, we need to be building cohesion now.
I don’t think a single fan at the club would sensibly protest at player experimentation for the remaining 9 games, that includes U23’s.
Cheers Matt – I DO tend to ramble cos I invariably crack my stuff out in half an hour flat which doesn’t always allow for very careful revision and Editor Gary is good enough to let me go with my own flow as long as I don’t insult anybody!
It’s not that easy to write from the front step when you have two terriers barking down your lugs and a Missus who would rather I was doing anything other than this – cos I don’t get paid and she’s cash-centric, ha!
I’d love the luxury of having longer to compose articles but it just don’t happen. Apart from our preview pieces of course, when I do get some time.
As for experimentation, Daniel Farke is on record as saying he doesn’t really want to test the waters this season.
The way our injury list is shaping up his hand might just be forced.
Thank you for your kind comment – this will be one heck of a summer, I am sure.
Sean Raggett was on the bench!
Yes Nick – your good and my bad. I’m sorry for that error and I apologise..
Raggett never emerged onto the pitch though, but my mistake remains.
Well done for not writing about the game in depth Martin. I heard enough to say much the same as the one against ….(enter opposition name)
But as you say with an injury list that continues to grow the closer we get to the end of this season, to get a point away isn’t that bad really, but Murphy should have wrapped it up. My only grumble was bringing on Wessi was far too late.
I don’t want to be too much of a Hawkeye but it was Hot Lips” Houlihan not Hoolahan .But she did get very close with her ex a Mr Dennis Holahan … sure my Radar memory serves me well . Perhaps Dr Finlay could help in our treatment room ?
Sorry that was a load of tosh. And now for something completely Different
Loved every word of that comment, Lad.
No tosh to me and I had no idea it was actually Houlihan. Radar would have done. I remember Dr Finlay (and Janet) too, the noo.
There’s a little Bob Dylan/Julie Driscoll line in your post too, which I appreciate.
Most kids of today would never understand. At least we grew up with some decent music, even if the football had none of the “glamour” of the PL.
I’d best sign off before I’m attacked by a homicidal maniac with a bunch of loganberries.
Hi Martin
Another enjoyable read and great bunch of memories and reminds me of a late 50’s supermarinations that didn’t take of a western calked 4 feather falls.
Reading the comments on as the game was being played there were numerous calls for Webber/Farke to be sacked, others were completely over the top on their condemnation of Watkins he has admitted city haven’t or aren’t seeing his best form and with 1 goal not a great return,
Someone mentioned that he should have gone to his other option Ipswich that could just have worked out wrong and he could have started the season on fire.
To me he is like the other new arrivals learning to pksy the Farke way, not had a long run or settled partner and the whole teams form isn’t that great, my biggest concern is the midfield and forwards are all relying on Maddison to dig them out of a hole.
They must all just look at him a pass the ball hoping thst he will create something to get the points on the board, Lietner was starting to show what he had to offer but could now be out for the rest of the season will this help city seal a deal that the $64 question.
One last injury that missed your list was Stiepermann, had the operation but no news on his return?????
I knew I’d miss one! I seem to remember Farke saying somewhere that MS was recovering well from a successful hernia op and he should be back in light training soon after the dreaded international break.
I share your concerns about our front three which consistently fails to operate as a cohesive and incisive “team within a team” which it ideally should.
The idea of sacking Farke at this point I find frankly ludicrous, as I would imagine do the majority of us.
And as for Maddison and Leitner, where they will be next season is truly in the lap of the gods.