WARNING , DISCLAIMER and WHATEVER else we need to do to cover our asses. Boozers Blog may contain unsavoury language, completely made up facts and otherwise distorted and unhinged perspectives that may be considered offensive and prejudice. His views do not necessarily represent the views of Valley RFC or human beings in general. If you’re down with that, carry on.
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Like many others, I suspect that all those summer months of gym and fitness training that you'd planned whistled right by as you wallowed around on Sunday's with lethargic indifference following a massive Saturday junk trip. You were gonna start the 09/10 season feeling stronger, fitter and more prepared than ever! And now, the season has opened and you realise that not only are you a lying b@stard but that you’ve actually gained weight, lost speed and remained skill less.... but had a champion summer nonetheless
We’re two weekends into the season now and the Valley men’s teams have started well with impressive wins in all divisions and equally impressive numbers at training. By jingoes, I was startled to see 30 blokes already at training at 7.14pm last Thursday, all brown-nosing Coach Higgie for a starting spot on Saturday! Thereafter 100 valley men and women shared the single pitch for team trainings. It was more chaotic than a Snoopy promotion at McDonalds. I was equally as startled to see myself at training. What the hell was I doing there? Freddie Laine then sidled up to me and announces that the Broncos had discovered “structure”. That’s when I knew that the whole world had gone as mad as a lorry. Structure, my @rse!
You always know when it’s the first fortnight of the season when you wake up Sunday mornings with the bed sheets stuck to your knees and elbows. It does make it twice as tricky to sneak out the door without saying “nice to have met ya, Sheila”. Apart from that, and the physical punishment of hitting a rock hard and dusty pitch, I love the opening weekends of the season where last season’s friendships and conversations are seamlessly continued after the summer break. There’s loads of good catch up banter, a few cold beers on the side line after a match and to ascertain which daft bastards have gotten themselves engaged, married or up the duff.
You’ll also discover, and thus be damned thankful for, the daft bastards who are insisting on "one more season". I’m pretty sure I played in Olse’s testimonial match last year but I couldn’t be happier to see him back on the field with the Mustangs this season – because it means a free cab ride from the DB ferry pier to the match. We obviously didn’t raise enough money to keep Olse off the field or Mrs Olse simply won’t have him moping around on Saturdays making the place look untidy and dishevelled.
In fact, it was thoroughly heartening to see all me old mates pulling on the boots once more even though many are on the best side of 39. The Deaytons, Clarkie, Sean the Murffit, Tommy Hall, Troyster, JK, Reibes, Laurent , Freddie - we’ve been playing together in various Valley teams since I arrived in 1996 and some have been rumbling around together for even longer than that. Fantastic stuff.
While on the subject of Valley fossils, a couple of mentions. It was great to see a good number of Valley sheilas in the National team in the weekend, beating Singapore 22-17. Becky “Rory” Underwood, scoring three tries on debut and pretty much sealing the result; huge. And what a photo of her on te back page of the SCMP on Sunday. We never get such a close up of the boys. Perverts. But also splendid to see Samantha Scott, daughter of one of Valley RFC’s founding members, Jamie Scott, representing the Barren Rock also.
Boozer -Your superior cackling hen