This time last week I wrote that the Phoney War was about to end and the kind of real one was ready to begin on Friday, June 19 at 1800 hours precisely.
That hasn’t changed of course, plus I’ve had the bonus of regular MFW commenter John telling me the Southampton game is live on Freeview 11, aka Sky’s Pick TV, a channel I’d honestly never previously heard of – thanks John!
The worst-kept secret in the world was unveiled on Friday evening when we rocked up to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for what turned out to be four quarters of 30 minutes each as Spurs’ friendly with Reading on the Saturday had been cancelled at short notice, which doubtless suited both clubs.
There were a few pleasing elements about this. Details of the match itself remain sparse but we do know that Josip Drmic and Mario Vrancic popped up in the last 10 minutes to give us a 2-1 win. Meaningless maybe but it can only boost morale. More on Mario in a very short while.
I managed to raid the Spurs website with 68 images from the match and also later NCFC official with some more, and the only three players I couldn’t see were Timm, Teemu and Zimbo. I’m sure they were there though.
A mate sent me a Twitter clip of Mario’s goal – shades of Sheffield Wednesday or what. A brilliant strike from a free kick in the same position that he hit that corker against the Owls.
And afterwards Jose Mourinho said: “We didn’t play a game against Norwich City. We played a game with Norwich City”. Admirable.
With a bit of hope, and indeed anticipation, in my heart, I was coming around to the idea of “bring it on”. But then yesterday Gary [quite rightly] knocked my confidence back with his revelations from the world of Twitter whereby some so-called supporters of other clubs are on the cusp of claiming we have deliberately manufactured a positive test for Covid-19 on one of our players.
Get real numpties. Who on earth would contrive to contract that wretched disease?
No, we don’t [yet] know who the unfortunate player is but some sad weirdo will be trying to root it out as I write. Whoever it is I certainly hope it is asymptomatic and wish the poor fella well in every sense of the word.
And from a cynically pragmatic point of view, he is the only one who must self isolate for seven days – nobody else in the Norwich or Spurs squads or coaching staff. It’s the less-than-15 minutes of constant close contact ruling that sees to that.
Elsewhere there have been a couple of reports that really warm the old cockles.
There was a heartwarming story in the media the other day about Man U and England star Marcus Rashford who has shown how his considerable support for charity FareShare has more than helped them raise… drum roll… £20 million.
In his own words: “Mum worked all day every day for me. I always said if I was ever in a position to make a difference, I would”.
And closer to home through sales of her book The Story of Tommy T, Anna and Tom Trybull have donated £5,000 to both East Anglian Children’s Hospices and a local branch of Age Concern. Plus a large donation of personal clothing to the latter.
It’s funny how some folks stereotype footballers in particular and other folks in general isn’t it?
As a “dog person” with a couple of terriers, I was delighted to read yesterday that Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno has taken a leaf out of Teemu Pukki’s book and spent some of his springtime by “training” with his pooch in the family garden. Nothing I don’t do myself lads and I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I do.
To end with anybody who went to Carrow Road in the 1990s will recognise this all too well. It was inflicted on us immediately prior to kick-off for several years.
Europe – The Final Countdown (Official Video)
But for us in the here and now it couldn’t be more apposite.
Great read on a Monday morning Martin and I well remember that particular song.
Back to football related matters and I too read the comments perpetrated by ‘fans’ of other clubs that we were trying to get the season cancelled – I give up!!! Let’s just hope for all concerned that the player concerned won’t need hospital treatment.
Good to see that Mario is back to scoring from a free kick and also that many players were able to have some fairly realistic match practice. I guess many fans up and down the country will be suffering ‘square eyes’ by the time the season concludes from watching so much football on TV – I’ll be watching a few games, especially the FA Cup fixture and like every NCFC fan, just gutted at not being able to be there and be part of the team’s ‘12th man’.
I’ve just watched Marcus Rashford on TV and many football players have helped in their local communities in various ways during the pandemic, so let’s hope that they will continue to do so once this is all over.
4 days and counting!!
Great read on a Monday morning Martin and I well remember that particular song.
Back to football related matters and I too read the comments perpetrated by ‘fans’ of other clubs that we were trying to get the season cancelled – I give up!!! Let’s just hope for all concerned that the player concerned won’t need hospital treatment.
Good to see that Mario is back to scoring from a free kick and also that many players were able to have some fairly realistic match practice. I guess many fans up and down the country will be suffering ‘square eyes’ by the time the season concludes from watching so much football on TV – I’ll be watching a few games, especially the FA Cup fixture and like every NCFC fan, just gutted at not being able to be there and be part of the team’s ‘12th man’.
I’ve just watched Marcus Rashford on TV and many football players have helped in their local communities in various ways during the pandemic, so let’s hope that they will continue to do so once this is all over.
4 days and counting!! 😀
Morning [just] Ed.
We’re all gutted we can’t be there but at least 99% of us accept it’s not possible. We just don’t need the remaining 1% to turn up outside the ground and I fervently hope they don’t or the fines will follow as night follows day.
I must admit I found the comments on Gary’s Twitter round-up yesterday utterly ridiculous. How can a Boro fan [a club we largely respect], of all people, come out with something as dumb as that ffs?
Marcus Rashford has particularly impressed me with his actions and it’s only very recently the media have been featuring what he’s done as he quite nobly kept it to himself.
Thanks and keep good.
It’s probably the same Boro fan who had that MASSIVE rant when we beat them in 2018!!!! 😀
Oh you mean the slim, intelligent fella who surely should be the next James Bond of course 🙂
Hi Martin. Mario’s free kick was something special. I hope we get to see more like that.
On the Covid front, it seems a bit odd that while we have announced that a player has tested positive, the other club who tested positive on Thursday have not been revealed. As for Spurs checking the video to enable them to announce that our player wasn’t in contact with their players for 15 minutes, it just shows what a farce this whole resumption of the league is. The 15 minute “advisory” rule was meant for people meeting others in everyday life, not in the fast moving, sweat and spittle atmosphere of a professional football match. Even in everyday life, you don’t necessarily have to with someone for 15 minutes continually to pass the virus on. You can transmit it in passing contact, and even the 2 metre distance is no guarantee of safety. There was a government sponsored video a few weeks ago that showed how the virus could be contained in the outgoing breath of cyclists and runners, and stating that the 2 metre distance might need to be as much as 10 metres, depending on the speed of the carrier. How does that not apply to professional footballers? The whole thing is a joke.
Hi Jim.
The whole thing is a joke? Pretty much so to be sure.
Mario’s goal was a thing of beauty and it did remind me very much of the one against Wednesday last season.
Everybody who has ever played football at any remotely serious level spits on the pitch. You work your lungs very hard indeed and it’s a necessity. Even for the GK – after a 10 metre sprint to hack it away it’s a natural bodily reaction.
I’ve read reports “they’ll” turn a blind eye to it but try doing it at Liverpool Street station and see what sympathy you get.
I’d genuinely love to hear a medico’s views on this matter – my comments are only from personal experience.
Cheers.
Indeed Jim;
I have to agree it IS a joke.
And why can the other positive tester remain anonymous….the old “one rule for one and one for another” comes to mind.
However, the FA and TV gods in their protected and sanitised ivory towers need the money.
I suspect it took quite a time for them to come up with their “solution” to the 2 metre rule…
I suppose we really should be applauding their initiative but somehow I find that impossible!!
O T B C
That’s interesting John – we still don’t know which other club had a positive test result that day as you say.
One of the big boys maybe?
Martin, apparently there have been twelve positive tests in the Premier League since they started Project Restart, but I’m not aware that they’ve all been disclosed. I think Brighto were one club, and maybe one other disclosed, but most of them I think have been kept quiet.
Thanks Jim – I did find it a little bit strange that on the evening of the Spurs friendly it was announced that two players had unfortunately tested positive, one from Norwich and one from Club X!
I didn’t bother with the clip of The Final Countdown. That song in particular, and the stadium rock genre generally, are anathema to me.
I’ll be taking something cold out of the fridge on Friday at about 5.50pm. I’ve been more excited about games in the past (of course), but I haven’t been as excited by anything for about a quarter of a year.
OTBC
Hi Don
I did give forewarning in the article when I said the track was “inflicted on us”.
Nobody needs the Swedish Bon Jovi, neither now nor then. It wasn’t a bad guitar break though but at that point the teams came out and the music was shut off. Hair bands? They can keep ’em.
Maybe I should have used “Four Horsemen” instead but I wasn’t sure that [in the MFW sense] we’d all be familiar with it. And the title didn’t really fit although the concept did. That’s what I love about London Calling – there isn’t a bad track on it.
It’ll be hard to see the resumption in many ways. We’ll have to see how it goes.
Cheers pal.
Hi Martin
An interesting read on a bright sunny Monday in Blackpool.
Simon the owner of the Tangerines has admitted he voted to cancel the rest of the season due only to the Pandemic and wanting to keep all the staff and supporters safe and has paid all out of his personal fortune till football can resume so I can only say he is proving to be a good owner.
Norwich.
Twitter Morons of one I am not as I don’t have an account and don’t want one seem to love being controversial, yes I know they are few but they give the platform a bad name and it also gives lonely sad people somewhere that they can say without repercussions.
Jose was great in his summing up on the mix up with city and has given DF lots if praise for helping in the format, so it was a good workout for both clubs.
Wenger was in the papers yesterday saying that Brexit will have a big impact on the Premiership and saying other leagues can take advantage and become the major force in Europe and on TV we will just have to wait and see.
He also mentioned some team that might win a title and said that the football was good to watch but 19 teams haven’t really turned up so it will be a title with possibly many records achieved but the rest of the league must look at how they have performed over 38 games and none have.
We all have to hope that the top clubs once they have achieved their goals of qualifying for European football that they really keep the league so called integrity by playing full teams as it is said LIVARPOOL will use the final games to promote youth as in the FA Cup to rest his first team, only time will tell
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Keep safe and well
Hi Alex.
These are strange but interesting times in equal measure.
Good luck to the guy at Blackpool – I know very little about him to be fair.
Equally I knew next to nothing about Wenger when he first arrived on these shores all those years ago but I have since learned that his views are not to be lightly dismissed.
As for Twitter if you’re a working journo these days you simply have to be part of it – you really have no choice as your employer will insist on it [and if you’re freelance you cannot function without it] but all the young dudes are already on it anyway before they take up gainful. No skin off their snouts but I would never, ever do it. Mrs P gives me enough incoming abuse without the need for a torrent of the same from those younger than myself who need to see their ego massaged in public.
Retirement – early or otherwise – has a lot going for it.
Thanks mate.
Retirement I finished 2015 a month before my 65 birthday but with grandchildren and taking Maggie here there and everywhere I would prefer working full time LOL
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss certain aspects of work but not driving 70k miles a year and getting up at 4am to be in Manchester for 9, etc.
That would be after a midweek City home game of course, normally I’d stay over. I’d take grandchildren [or in our case dogs] over our ultra-boring monthly management meetings any day of the week!
Hi Martin. Good read as normal. Agree with above statment – the situation is farcial. As I said in yesterday’s post, why weren’t the players tested before the game instead of after, when they have mixed with others. My workmates would now be off for 14 days now if i had it, so its farcial in that respect. Hope he and family will be ok and hope you will enjoy the game on Friday, Martin
Hi Kevin
It is farcical and all about $$$ – nothing will stop them from dragging this ridiculous season over the line. I simply don’t know how long a test takes to process. Bloods can be done within 15 minutes if it’s considered vital enough by the NHS but I have no idea what the specific Covid-19 test involves
Sue’s number two son came back from a holiday in Thailand at the end of March and felt real bad with the symptoms, phoned the works manager and was told to stay off and isolate for a week, which he did. Get tested? He’s a sparky not a pro footballer so no chance.
They were very good though and kept him on full pay for the week and he’s been back at work for nearly three months now and there have been no problems on the site. Sue and I reckon we might have caught a mild version of it from him and actively hope so in a strange kind of way.
Keep good.
Hi Martin;
One suspects that given how much lucre the FA are throwing at the Premier League restart, they have access to a testing system which is (unfortunately) somewhat speedier than that available to the NHS. What a shame their funds couldn’t have been directed to have hastened things along for Joe Public…….and we might not have been in this mess!
Let’s hope we can perform in front of those cameras on Friday (glad you got the message!!!).
Oh; and I still cannot find out who the other positive tester was. Does anyone out there know?
O T B C
Hi John
We still don’t know the name of the other club declared to have a positive test result the other night, let alone the name of either player!
The only thing I can remember about the nature of the tests themselves is that one of our players [possibly Ben Godfrey?] said a while back that they were a little bit uncomfortable.
Perhaps the FA have a deal with a private lab worth megabucks? It wouldn’t surprise me if they did. How could they achieve the rapid results if they didn’t?
Cheers.