The Specials - E-Werk, Köln

The Specials

I waited a long time to see The Specials. One of the few bands from my youth which I missed the first time round. Then when they reformed, the gigs were in the UK and sold out within a few hours, so when I read they were playing 3 hours from me, I just had to get tickets. And I did. In January...for a gig in September. Nothing like being prepared is there?

This would mean me missing yet another Bückeburg game, this time away at bottom club Rotenburger SV. And would you believe it we win 2-1 after being a goal down. So two wins, and both times I have missed it. I think the football gods are trying to tell me something. I shall miss the next home game which for some bizarre reason is on a Friday, as I have tickets for Hannover 96 v Werder Bremen.

So it was off to a city which I despise, namely Köln (Cologne for all those anglophiles out there). Set off on Saturday midday and were staying overnight. 

Köln

 

 Whilst eating a meal, at a truly blinding gaff on the way to the venue, I checked my iPhone to see that Orient were 0-2 down at Huddersfield Town. Couldn't seem to find out how Romford were getting on at home to Needham Market, and Hannover earned a creditable draw away at Augsburg.

Turned off the phone thinking we had suffered yet another defeat, only to find Mrs Reject smiling at me, whilst looking at her phone. We had scored 2 goals in the last five minutes to draw. Kevin Lisbie with his first goal for the O's and Ben Chorley with the equaliser.

Big Ben Chorley

I was happy. May have also had something to do with the copious amounts of Weissenbier I had quoffed in the pub. And finding out that Romford had held one of the favourites at home to a 1-1 draw, Chuck Duru with our goal, I was feeling cock-a-hoop!

Our very own Chuck D

 The gig!


Phenomonal, what more is there to say? Although, I thought the vocals of Terry Hall and Neville Staple could have been cranked up a couple of notches. 


All the favourites were trotted out, complete with an encore. However, I was waiting for "Ghost Town", which they surprisingly didn't play. 


Atmosphere was good, as was to be expected. Venue, was also excellent but I have been there so many times, it is almost like a second home. 


Off to Bückeburg on the Sunday and more good news. In the Essex derby, Romford Raiders beat Chelmsford Chieftains 5-4 to maintain their 100% record. Even AJ Smith played with a mashed up thumb (against doctors orders).

Fellow Karl Pilkington fan, AJ Smith

Fantastic start to the season, and to be honest I can't really see us losing at all. It is bound to happen but to win ugly against your local rivals is pretty darn impressive. 

That's what it means for JJ McGrath

 

VfL Bückeburg 2 v RSV Göttingen 05 3

                                                                                   Bad, bad weekend for my teams. Leyton Orient lost at home, after taking the lead through George Porter, his first goal for the club, against Oldham Pathetic.

Georgie Porter with his 1st Orient goal

It is now only us and S*unthorpe who have not won in League One this season. Rumours are circulating that Steve Tilson or Aidy Boothroyd are being lined up as a replacement for Russell Slade. Even the name of Mark Robins has been banded about. 

Flag proudly displayed at The Emirates last season. Is time up?

              Romford had a tricky FA Cup tie, away to Southend Manor of the Essex Senior League. And prompty whimpered out 2-4. Cup run over for another year.

Captain, Paul Clayton, scorer of one of Boro's goal

One ray of light was the marvellous Romford Raiders, who went to Bristol and pulled off yet another victory, this time 7-2. Matt Turner with 2+1, turning in a MOM performance.

Super Matty Turner

 So to this afternoons game and I was feeling confident. We won 4-2 away to Eintracht Braunschweig II last week, obviously I wasn't there as was celebrating my first wedding anniversary on the Baltic coast. 

We were above Göttingen in the league, so a point at least was in the bag. Oh, how wrong could I be?

From start to finish, the Bückeburg team were abysmal. I wrote a couple of blogs ago about not having the time to dwell on the ball too long, and the accurary of passing. Today showed that I am in the Pep Guardiola school of managerial thinking. There was no idea. No passion. Second balls were not won, or even contested for the most part. Marking, particulary at the back was non-existant. The only player to come out of the game with any credit was Tim Engler in goal, as there was nothing he could do, being woefully exposed on each occasion. 

We went into the break at 0-0, Göttingen being reduced to 10 men after an elbow in our area. But we showed we had the spine of a jellyfish, with an inept display against a Göttingen team that were in truth, nothing special.

VfL Bückeburg v Göttingen. In other words: Spineless

I am not going to comment on the second half. RSV stormed into a 0-3 lead, and we got two late goals, one a scrambled effort from "Bubi" Bremer, the other a penalty from skipper Nico Werner, but it was too little too late, and if I am honest, the two goals were not deserved.

The Göttingen support was terrific. Their merry band of souls, complete with flags, banners and a fantastic array of songs, drunk and sung their team to victory. Although I thought I had ended up at a Cure concert, they were all dressed in black.

Göttingen fans?

 If I am at the Göttingen game, I shall probably stand with the Cider Boyz (the link escapes me what Göttingen has to do with cider, unless they have some tenous link with Yeovil Town or The Wurzels). Anyone with a "Hate Fascism" flag is alright in my book. The right way to support a club, what did Bückeburg have in return? The usual bloke who looks like he got lost on the way to Led Zepellin concert, blowing some sort of horn, and the man with the flag, which can't even be hung up straight! 

Göttingen fans

Good songs. Heard Hey Jude, some techno pap, and even at one stage the East German anthem, I am assuming with different lyrics. Good couple of songs in English too, although they need to work on the pronunctiation of "Team", in "We all follow a yellow football team".

 After the final whistle I wanted to do a "Sitton" and steam into the dressing room ranting how "I wanna be out there", etc...

So disapointing! 

It's a funny old game!

Frank Rjikaard - my hero

So said Jimmy Greaves. Only he didn't. It was Harry Enfield on Spitting Image that first coined the phrase, but has been attached to Jimmy ever since. 

There was a time when football existed before Sky. Before the Premier League. Before all seater stadia, cheerleaders, face painting and jesters hats. Some say these were simpler times. I am not sure if it was any better in "the old days". 

The racism and homophobia has all but disappeared. Facilities are better. You can now turn up 5 minutes before kick off, take your seat, and munch happily on your prawn sandwich. Watch the "pre-match" entertainment. When I first started attending football, this was the fights on the terracing, now it is scantily clad ladies with pom poms. 

A prawn sandwich

So is it better? I remember the away terrace at Reading's Elm Park ground. The toilet facility was basically a brick wall. No roof! No washing facitlites. Just a brick wall you weed against. So toilet wise, yes!

Following Leyton Orient up and down the country was a really thankless, stupid thing to do. We once went nearly 2 years without winning an away game. TWO YEARS. Think about that. Every week we would turn out, in the vain hope, "This is the one, this is it lads". It never was. But spirit in the face of adversity and all that, we were a rag tag bunch of old sweats, alhohlics, indie kids and general buffoons. It bonded us togther. So much so that on the coach to one away game, The Hood Squad was formed.

More to come when I can get some photos!