All things come to those who wait. Technically and mathematically we are still waiting to be coronated as EFL Championship trophy winners but not for very much longer now, I feel.
I’m not sad enough to deny Watford their right to join us in the Premier League. They had more than a few dodgy moments against a typically stubborn Millwall outfit but got the win they needed. Their celebrations were very much akin to our own with a very popular manager joining in with everybody, including a seemingly crazed chairman.
It reminded me of events post-Bournemouth exactly a week ago. Almost a carbon copy, except that our yellow shirts have more style than their jungle camo ones [more on sartorial elegance later].
Regarding the QPR match itself, our players had obviously had a jolt from the Daniel Farke electrodes and produced a workmanlike performance, including a superb turnover goal from Emi Buendia from a perfect Kenny McLean cross and a wonderful volleyed finish at the far post from Max Aarons, once more from a cross courtesy of the Mayor.
Earlier Xavi Quintilla scored what might yet prove to be his only goal in English football with a speculative effort that Rangers’ keeper Seny Dieng misjudged and by the time it had slid through him it was too late for his frantic scoop away from behind the goal line. Glad to see that referee Linington’s *watch* was working. He did a good job in a very entertaining and never over-niggly game, did Mr Linington.
But did we have it all our own way? No, we most certainly did not, and QPR more than had their moments, most significantly when Grant Hanley clumsily brought down Joe Willock in the box. It looked like Hanley was anticipating a move forward from Willock that didn’t happen and a penalty was the only option.
Lyndon Dykes versus Tim Krul. There was only one winner in that contest of course as Krul’s trailing legs kept out the straight down the middle effort and Krul recovered to catch the rebound.
After Max’s master-finish dictated this was to be the first match in which both City full-backs had scored in something like 20 years it wasn’t that long until it was squeaky bum time.
Quintilla went completely missing in action and a decent cross led to a flick from Charlie Austin and there was Dykes all alone at the far post for the easiest finish he’ll ever enjoy.
However Emi’s third calmed any nerves and we saw out the game quite comfortably after that. Service normal, job done.
Nerve-toll rating? 6/10.
And so it’s the Royals of Reading up next at the Carra. They blew their last-remaining hopes of reaching the play-offs in yesterday’s early kick-off by drawing 2-2 with a fast faltering Swansea City. How much fight will the Biscuitmen put up against us at the weekend? Very little I would imagine and I foresee City taking another three points against a team in blue and white hoops.
MFW’s Samuel Seaman spoke of a new kit announcement early yesterday morning and I was in a state of mild suspense until I got the official NCFC email later on.
As for the *excusive fans focused kit* I’m in two minds about it. At my age, sporting the yellow one might be a bit too much mutton dressed as lamb for my liking, so for me, it’s got to be the black goalkeeper one as modelled by our resident penalty specialist, aka Timothy Michael Krul.
But whatever the colour of the shirt, I always feel the NCFC badge should be the traditional yellow and green one so I have a cunning plan involving buying said shirt tomorrow morning, visiting a charity shop to buy a beaten-up old Xara shirt for a couple of quid, surgically removing the badge and getting Mrs P to employ subtle stitching to transform the shirt with my choice of badge.
It will be ready in time for Reading on Saturday.
And so will we. The time for waiting ends at approximately 1657 on Saturday, May 1.
Hi Martin
New city shirt none are my cup of coffee I got told a few years ago I would look a right P###t in one so since then I leave well alone.
Let’s hope all goes to plan come Saturday and as Watford have their last 2 games against playoff contenders will they both put out full teams that’s the question to hopefully get a better draw.
Reading might be looking to get some sort of revenge on city after the last thumping from us when we got promoted so this could just turn out to be a toughter game than we are expecting.
Farke and his coaches have done an excellent 👏 job of getting a disillusioned squad back to their best and put preformed the other 23 clubs most of the time with just a few hiccups along the way.
Can we get one last final effort to take the title for the second time in 3 years I really do hope so.
Soon we can look forward to all the speculation on comings and goings and lots more summer cricket New Zealand up first, then India and South Africa well into September so not a complete sports free off season.
Onwards and upwards
OTBC
Stay Safe and Stay Healthy 🙏
Hi Alex
I’ve missed out on a shirt as well – I was going to the Fan Hub this morning for mine but they’ve completely sold out. A few w***ers have put them on eBay for something like double bubble. Talk about no conscience, hey?
As I said I reckon Reading will have very little motivation on Saturday and we’ll know the title is ours if we win so I’d back us to do it.
How will the play-off sides line up against Watford? I know the answer to that no more than how Barnsley will line up against ourselves!
Cheers mate
I did wonder if some people would buy a commemorative shirt just to profit from it 🙁 The same happened with the share offer when NCFC wanted to upgrade Colney, but they never learn.
Let’s hope they print another batch and only sell them to ST holders.
Apparently there are no plans to produce any more shirts 🙁
A great read on another sunny, but chilly Monday morning Martin. I was reading at the weekend that we have had some colder nights this mouth than we did in January and negligible rainfall. 🌞
Quintilla’s goal did have a bit of good luck about it, but no more so than Phillips fumble from a Hornets’ free kick in the last minute of the game which gifted a win to the team which will be joining us in the PL next season.
I’m going to be ‘Royally’ (sorry) cheesed off if we haven’t secured the Championship title by 5pm next Saturday.
I see normal service had been resumed in that Watford’s promotion has attracted a fair amount of media coverage whilst ours went pretty much under the radar!! 😳
Another day when the 🐐 could EASILY have had a hat trick and let’s hope his young children can buy him some shooting boots for Father’s Day. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him try to go round a GK when he’s one-on-one with him, but usually tries to shoot across him. I’m sure that SW/DF have already identified a back up, as with Idah:s injuries and hernia operation, he:s had very limited game time this season. I wonder if he may be loaned out next season to gain experience.
I see the , silly season: has started on transfer rumours with TC destined to be a Villa player next season. DF in his presser on Friday made an excellent speech advising Aaron’s in particular against just moving to any club if the only benefit was to earn more 💲. Godfrey’s game has definitely improved since his move, but he does have Rio Ferdinand as his agent.
Isn’t it interesting in the week when the ESL flared up and died, Little Ol’ Norwich bring out a commerative shirt :For The Fans!!: 👍. Not only were they less expensive than the standard shirts, but £5 of every sale has been given to the fund for flags and banners to improve the Match Day experience. My son bought me one yesterday, but unless the club order some more, you’re out of luck, as ALL adult sizes had sold out by 4pm. 🎩 off to Dafabet for agreeing to them being printed without their logo!
I’d just like to end by saying a MASSIVE Well Done 👏 to TNC and everyone involved in raising over £20K in aid of Big C – an outstanding effort by all concerned. 😄
Morning Ed
Idah going out on loan is an interesting one. Personally I think that will be the way forward for him because as you say he needs to gain experience as well as playing time to prove his fitness.
I don’t think Watford got very much more coverage than we did, although there will always be an element of *the closer to London you are*, of course.
As I said to Alex [above] I can cheerfully accept not getting a shirt and saving Mrs P a few minutes sewing but what I cannot abide are the profiteering sharks on eBay and doubtless elsewhere. Their selfish actions make a mockery of the excellent initiatives such as this that NCFC come up with on a fairly regular basis and cannot be considered supporters.
Yes, this is going to be one heck of a silly season from hereon in. Unfortunately.
Cheers
I have a brother in law who lives on Loftus Road, so QPR away is one I would have enjoyed.
I have seen quite a few Reading fans giving us a hard time (no idea why) on Twitter, so it would be particularly pleasing to seal the Championship win against them. Good luck to Watford; they played well against us and their manager seems a really decent bloke-it’s a shame that he’ll probably get the boot if they lose 3 successive games next season.
Hopefully Carlton Morris’ Barnsley will join us in the sunlit uplands of VAR’s EPL next season.
Hi Don
I’ve been to Loftus Road a couple of times but can’t really say I enjoyed it that much on either occasion, particularly as we lost both games.
You make a good point about Xisco in that he seems a nice guy with the [job] life expectancy of a mayfly. I had a look at one of the Hornets fansites yesterday and several of their supporters feel the same way – although they all want him to stay.
Carlton’s goal on Saturday looked a bit elbow-centric to me!
Cheers
When did Loftus Road become the Kiyan Prince Stadium? I hate this trend for renaming traditional football grounds to satisfy the vanity of some new (probably temporary) owner. Wasn’t the owner one of the chancers who tried to buy City at one time, whatever happened to him, and who is Kiyan Prince?
Hi Jim
That was F1 *magnate* Tony Fernandes, who attracted his very own song during the Lambert era whenever we beat them as in *you bought the wrong club, you bought the wrong club, Oh Tony Fernandes, you bought the wrong club*.
I never refer to stadia by their new names unless the MSM have beaten me down, as in the Etihad and the Emirates. The only one I willingly refer to in that way is the King Power out of respect for what that Thai family have done for Leicester – the club and the city.
I do like to refer to St James Park as The Sports Direct Arena. As you can imagine, Newcastle fans love me for it.
Aww!
About 20 years ago my mate Andrew managed the Norwich branch of JB [not JD] Sports on Gentlemans Walk and was aware of Mike cA$hley and his methods even then.
I feel very sorry for Mags fans as I’ve always found them great. For all my many moans about Delia she’s never saddled us with that type of situation and even I must express a degree of thanks.
Sadly common sense tells me that us and the Geordies will be in a battle at the wrong end of the table next season – but we’ll see 🙂
Yellow shirts look great on the team, but on us older ones , just um no. I’ve got a couple of gk shirts and they look OK on .
Pity to see sold out as soon as that but that’s life.
Readings royals will be able to enjoy a championship celebration on Saturday , I’m sure Norwich will leave something in the away dressing room so they can toast the title winners.
Hi Bernie
I’ve got a shirt collection that’s well into the twenties and still wear some of the yellow ones quite often – it’s just that this latest one was a bit too vivid for me, although the short sleeved black GK top looked fantastic.
My sour grapes are caused by the rats trying to sell them online. No real NCFC supporter will bid on them, as much as they might want one.
As to what City will leave in the away dressing room, my guess would be somewhat akin to: bugger all.
Cheers mate
Excellent reading on a Monday as always Martin.
It was pleasing to see the lads return to some sort of normality on Saturday, and a Tim Krul penalty save too, just to show that he still has that particular skill.
Whilst it was pleasing to see Quintilla have the confidence to strike from distance, (and with a little help from their goalie), andscore, where on earth was he when QPR crossed from his side for their goal?
Will we ever get to see him play at Carrow Road? Somehow I doubt it as Giannoulis seems a more complete package for the PL.
And how pleasing to see Brentford stopping Bournemouth’s winning run in its tracks. With Reading stumbling again yesterday we now know the play-off contenders. I wonder if there will now be a bit of gamesmanship between them so they can (they hope) get favourable opponents.
As for this Saturday, will Reading already be “on the beach” (current restrictions applying of course)??
I tried to get one ofthe special shirts, but no luck. I just hope those selling on ebay and elsewhere remember the ethos of the club promising a cut to improve the atmosphere at the Carra…..and perhaps they’ll donate whatever extra they make to The Nest or some other worthwhile cause.
And a heads up to the Reeve boys and their 24 hour marathon over the weekend. Wht a great total raised for a brilliant cause. Not being into any social media stuff, I finally managed to make my own donation this morning…it only took me an hour to track down where I could donate!!
O T B C
Hi John
I strongly suspect Reading will be on the beach, and quite frustrated at being there this early when you consider the start to the season they had. 7 from 7 if I remember rightly.
The jockeying for the play-offs will be interesting and as I said to Alex [above] I have no idea how any of them will deal with it in terms of team selection or gameplan.
My previous attitude remains: anyone but Bournemouth. However I’m pragmatic enough to suggest they are the team the others will wish to avoid in the semi-finals.
Unfortunately parasites such as the shirt sellers will not make a donation to anybody except themselves. I know they’re not technically ripping of a good cause but morally they are and I find it indefensible conduct.
I ain’t no puritan but this is a step too far for me and I hope their actions come back to haunt them.
On that cheery note…….
Thanks 🙂
I don’t think anyone has answered Jim Davies question of who was Kiyan Prince. He was a QPR youth team player who was stabbed to death outside his school trying to protect his friend from assault. Whatever the right or wrongs in renaming stadiums the more people ask the same question as Jim the more awareness of a terrible trait in some young people will be highlighted.
Hi Richard
I’m so sorry none of us knew the name of Kiyan Prince or the circumstances surrounding the renaming of Loftus Road in dedication to his memory.
It’s not insensitivity mate, just ignorance, for which as the author I apologise profusely.
I’m East London born and bred, but sh*t like this happens in and around Norwich too. Unfortunately none of us are immune from it.
Respect.
Richard, thank you.
Given how much some clubs (are you listening Spurs??) ask/make from Stadium naming rights, what an absolutely brilliant gesture from QPR.
Long may it continue.
O T B C
Thank you Richard. I wasn’t aware of the stabbing, and it’s quite some gesture to rename Loftus Road for him. I’ll make an exception to my objections in QPR’s case (and also the King Power, for the same reasons as Martin).
It’s the commercial vanity ones I really object to. (I sit on the River End, no matter what it keeps getting called)
I was about to make a similar comment when I saw yours above Richard.
It was Kiyan’s father Mark, a former boxing champion, who set up the foundation after his son’s death as a way to educate young people about the dangers of knife crime and its impact on others and it was a wonderful tribute from the club to rename the stadium after the foundation.
Thank you all for your replies. I am just happy to have increased awareness of the significance of the change of stadium name.