Acton Town lost another game that they really should have won yesterday, this time it was a home game against FC Tilburg Regent. The very team that I scored my one and only goal against last season.
We were doing OK at half-time, it was 0-0 and it looked like we had them rattled a bit but the curse of Acton Town’s second half performance hit us again and we fell apart. Despite this I felt the defence tried their best and this was proven by the fact that my colleague in centre back, Zico, was given the man of the match award for our team.
I pulled my groin in the game and had to play the remaining 20 minutes in absolute agony every time I ran for the ball or put in a tackle. Most of the team was aware of my pain and did not get on my back too much as they realised that I was playing through the pain in order not to let them down.
After the match Martin (coach) insisted that we all do the warm down which consisted of running around half the pitch four times, I don’t think he was aware of my injury but like an idiot I got up and tried to slowly run around the pitch. I think I managed about a quarter before I opted to walk and Jayson informed Martin of my injury and he told me to sit it out.
We got changed (I got changed very very slowly!) and we headed off to The King’s Arms pub around the corner for a couple of drinks. the others drifted away and it ended up being just me, Jayson and Martin. It as cool hanging out with them although I did stupidly consumed five pints of beer on a completely empty stomach.
During our talk they told me that I was a whisker away of being named man of the match for our team (we do this every game whether we win or not), damn you Zico! Damn you and your superior performance!
Thy also said that they were thinking of giving me the captain’s armband. This was a complete shock and I was speechless for a couple of seconds as they looked at me to gage my reaction. I told them that I was flattered and that I’d give it my best shot if they did give it to me.
I got the train at Ealing Broadway with Martin (he lives in Canning Town and normally gets the train with me) and no sooner had the train pulled away from the station I felt the urge to have a pee, I had to hold it for almost an hour and was moving around in my seat like a small child on a car journey.
I got off at Bethnal Green and jumped over the locked gate of Museum Gardens and went for a pee up against a tree near the fence. I obviously let out a rather contented sigh that is normally associated with holding a large amount of urine in your bladder for almost an hour.
I jumped back over the gate and realised that on the other side of that fence was a bus stop with a man standing there, as I walked past he looked at me and said “feeling better now?” I looked at him and could only muster a rather embarrassed “Yes, thank you” before hurrying on my way.
