Lords Victory

Last Saturday was the CB40 final. This is usually the game that brings the curtain down on the domestic cricket season. However it's rather more than that to me this year as Surrey are in the final.

What a week its been, I was lucky enough to spend Monday and Tuesday at the Oval watching the first two days of Surrey v Derbyshire, needless to say on Day 3 Surrey had the game wrapped up and were promoted to Division 1 for next season. It's been a fantastic last month , victory after victory propelled the team towards promotion.,

Meanwhile a victory over Sussex in the CB40 ensured a place in the final. For once football was sacrificed on a Saturday. A decision was taken to buy "posh seats" and we were off to Lords. We stayed the night before in Tooting, which made the journey much easier, and although the weather was changeable, the seats in the Upper Grandstand offered a spectacular view not only of the ground but also the London skyline, and as a bonus they were both under cover and padded !

I should have known it was going to be our day when Matt Spreigel had Marcus Trescothick stumped before he could do serious damage. Somerset never built a dominant partnership and 214 seemed gettable. However when the rain came Surrey were 46-2 and Steve Davies and Jason Roy were back in the pavilion, Roy on the last ball before the umpires took the players off.
Enter Duckworth/Lewis who revised the target, in what was to become a 30 over game.

The Surrey innings was dominated by Rory Hamilton-Brown and he got the team within striking distance before being run out. It was that to Spreigs to get the final runs, and the Cup was ours, and as soon as the lap of honour was completed, we made our way home in the rain !

Looking back on Norfolk

Had I not retired I would have been returning to work on the first week of September. All the more reason to ensure that we had alternative arrangements. For the second year we have madeour way to Norfolk, this time we settled on the North Norfolk coast and stayed in the small coastal resort of Wells next the Sea.

Wells provided an excellent base, small enough to walk around but large enough to have a range of independent shops,cafes and restaurants. A week without supermarkets and chain stores, absolutely wonderful.Fresh produce,much locally grown, personal service and people who had time to engage in conversation.

The beach at Wells stretched for miles and was wider than any I can remember at high tide. With schools having returned, walking on near deserted beaches was a delight. Looking a beach huts with only the occasional dog walker for company, was the experience both at Wells and at nearby Holkham.

I'd wanted to visit Holkham because of its place in the history of British farming. Little did I know that we'd walk amongst deer herds and cast eyes upon one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the country. We decided against a visit to the stately home but explored the farming museum.

For a number of years BBC Springwatch was filmed close to Fakenham at Pensthorpe. So a day there viewing rare breeds and walking through gardens was always going to feature on our plan. What I didn't know was the site is owned by cereal manufacturer Jordan, and obviously a considerable investment has been put into the whole site. Pensthorpe is used as a breeding colony for red squirrels,which are then transported to Anglesey and returned to the wild. In recent times there have been sitings of Otters on the river Wensum that flows through the estate.

Unfortunately my seal watching trip had to be postponned owing to gale force 6 winds., which makes a return visit to North Norfolk all the more likely. On the return home we stopped off at Trowse, Norwich to sample the delights of the River Green Cafe. A truly wonderful vegetarian restaurant, excellent food, organic cider, a great way to round off four days away.

Indian Summer

Over the past few months whenever anyone asked me what I planned to do in retirement, I have responded with I aim to become a professional cricket watcher. There's no doubt I've watched more this season than in previous years, in spite of somewhat indifferent weather.

It's been a joy to watch Surrey progress and the opportunity to go to games at the Oval and fortunately experience becoming an "away supporter" has been an added bonus. The performances of Jason Roy, Steven Davies and Matt Spreigel have all been memorable. During August we've been to Hove on a couple of occasions, and also went to Northampton for the first time. Northampton would not be everyone first chose for a break but the cricket was excellent, the Club very hospitable and the Travelodge at £10 for the night unbeatable. Hove is a great experience, the sea,the cafes and bars, the ground has an excellent feel. As an added bonus we went to visit local photographer Tony Bowall and were able to select some prints. All in all Hove has been a delight this summer.

On the bonuses of being a Surrey member is to be able to buy tickets for the Oval test match. England came into the Oval test match 3-0 up in the test series against India and as newly crowned World No1 test nation. However the Oval test showed that this England side has a ruthless streak and as a result the Oval was able to witness an excellent century from KP, a double century from Ian Bell and a match winning spell of bowling from Graeme Swann. Five days in SE11, now that's a summer holiday.

It only took nine years !

In all truthfulness,as years have gone by I've become all the more convinced that the English football season should not start till the beginning of September. I might compromise on August Bank Holiday weekend but no earlier. The way that football has encroached upon the cricket season I find both galling and offensive.Nevertheless there was one game that I wouldn't miss. It has been building all summer since AFC Wimbledon defeat Luton in the play offs at Eastlands.

On Saturday 6th August the Dons returned to the Football League. OK when the FA endeavoured to murder Wimbledon FC, we were a championship club, but in 9 seasons we have been reborn and have progressed from the Combined Counties League through the football pyramid the right way until we again belong among the 92 ( in truth 91 clubs and a franchise).

It seems a long time ago that I was writing " A Unique Solution", my account of AFC Wimbledon's first season, but somehow there was this inner belief that the wrong would be righted, thatthe Dons would again ply their trade in the football league.

Wimbledon FC had started their football league life in 1977, not in the blue and white of my youth nor indeed the yellow and blue that had seen them win the FA Cup in 1988. In 1977 when they took the field in the historic 3-3 draw v Halifax Town, they wore a white kit with blue trim. So it seemed appropriate that the Club should seek the approval of the Football League to produce a commemorative white kit to wear at Kingsmeadow for the 1st home league game.

The game kicked off not at 3pm, but at 12.45pm as it had been selected by Sky Sports to be shown live, Tv camera gantries, CCTV control boxes, and stricter segregation showed the step up from last years Conference.

On the day the occasion mattered more than the result, and the 3-2 home defeat seemed secondary. I got the job of producing the match report for the South London Press, which I include below. However the important news was the Dons are back and it only took nine years.

No fairytale ending for the Dons

AFC Wimbledon 2 Bristol Rovers 3

npower league 2

by Paul Jeater

Just after 12.30pm on Saturday 6^th August all around Kingsmeadow you could hear fans singing : “nine years, it only took nine years”. As the players walked out onto the pitch, the dream became reality –Wimbledon were back in the Football League.

A capacity crowd, the game had sold out days before, witnessed the Dons take the field in an “all-white” kit, a close replica to that worn by Wimbledon on their debut in the football league in 1977 when they drew 3-3 with Halifax at Plough Lane.

In front of Sky and BBCTV cameras the Dons soon fashioned the game’s first chance, the visitors defence were troubled by the pace of Christian Jolley and he found himself one on one with the Rovers keeper. Unfortunately the Dons striker failed to lift the ball and the keeper deflected it for a corner.

Gradually however the Rovers side packed with players with considerable league experience settled and able to expose the Dons defensive frailties. In 17^th minute Dons keeper Seb Brown released the ball to Ricky Wellard in central midfield, Wellard learned suddenly that at this level you do not get much time to dwell on the ball and he was rapidly dispossessed by ex Norwich City player Matt Gill. The ball was fed to the journeyman striker Scott McGleish, who used all his experience to fire low across Brown into the side of the net.

Within three minutes the Dons found themselves two goals adrift, this time McGleish turned provider. After Seb Brown saved his initial effort, the marksman had the presence of mind to cross the ball for the towering figure of Matt Harrold to head low into the goal.

Nevertheless the Dons continued to create chances and after 30 minutes Jack Midson sent Luke Moore through on goal but again Bevan in the Rovers goal smothered the effort. Jolley continued to pose a threat down the left wing and after the Dons striker was fouled from the resulting free kick AFC Wimbledon clawed their way back into the game. The set piece was taken by Sam Hatton and his kick was met perfectly by skipper Jamie Stuart whose glancing header was planted firmly into the net. The goal raised the spirits of both Dons players and fans as half time arrived.

Stuart had achieved the distinction of being the first player to score a league goal for Wimbledon since David Connolly scored a 90^th minute penalty against Bradford City at Selhurst Park in April 2002.

The Dons attacked the Tempest End at the start of the second half and after 57 minutes had a penalty appeal turned down when a Stuart header appeared to hit Harrold on the arm. Soon after the hour mark manager Terry Brown made inspired substitutions with Max Porter and Christian Jolley being replaced by Lee Minshull and Charles Ademeno. Within three minutes these two players had combined to produce the Dons equaliser. The combative Minshull challenged for the ball and it was headed into the danger area where Ademeno was first to react, swivelling and firing low into the Rovers net.

As the game reached its closing stages the visitors appeared to be finishing the stronger and Brown was forced into a number of saves. However the points were finally decided in the 85^th minute, following a high ball played into the Dons penalty area defender Brett Johnson jumped between two Rovers players, the ball made contact with Johnson’s raised arm and the referee had no hesitation in giving the penalty.

This time however, Seb Brown the hero of play off penalty shoot out, had no chance and Virgo produced a firm spot kick to the keeper’s left. Any hope that the game might finish 3-3 in keeping with Wimbledon’s first league game in 1977 vanished when in time added on, late substitute Chris Bush fired over from an acute angle.

Saturday’s game was as much about the occasion as it was the result. Manager Terry Brown knows that his first priority is to eradicate the defensive lapses that are easily punished in football at this level. Once that is achieved, the Dons can start to accumulate the 50 points that Brown has set as a target for safety as the Dons bed themselves back into the Football League.

Dons: Brown 7 Hatton 8 Gwillim 6 (sub 81) Porter 6 (sub 62) Stuart 8 (yellow 4),Johnson 6,Yussuff 6,Wellard 6,Midson 6,L.Moore 6 Jolley 7 (sub 65)

Subs: Bush (81) Ademeno 6(65) Mishull 7 (62) Not Used : S. Moore, Turner

Rovers:Bevan 7 Smith 6,Stanley 6,Gill 8,Harrold 8,McGleish 7(sub 62) Brown 6,Anthony 6,Anyinsah6 (yellow13,sub76) Virgo 7 (yellow 39) Zebroski 6(yellow 9,sub 52)

Subs: Lines (52) Carayol(76) Kuffour(62) Not used: Bolger,Brown

Attendance :4629

Referee: K.Stroud 7

Match Rating 8

Man of Match: Jamie Stuart –captain’s performance at both ends of the pitch

Best Moment: The moment that the two teams walked onto the pitch, Wimbledon are back!

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Holiday that never was

It's been six weeks since I've written. Traditionally these six weeks have been my summer holiday. We've taken the opportunity to get away before preparing ourselves for a new school year. This year is of course different. I've tried and indeed am trying to adjust to the fact that next Monday I won't be returning to work. After twenty years it's proving difficult to detach myself from the routines and thought processes that I've developed over the years.

I suppose the other reason for nor writing is that August is usually a "quiet month" month in the world of politics. This year,of course, the summer was dominated by the "shopping riots" as the French media so aptly described them. While people around the world demonstrate and take to the streets to acquire fundamental human rights, in urban England people riot and loot to acquire trainers and smart phones.

I decided not to immediate write regarding my feelings about the summer, but I'm left weeks later looking at deeper causation. If we promote a society where people are judged by their possessions, possessions that are marketted at young people who are then denied the opportunities to acquire the wealth to buy them, then don't be surprised by the events that occurred in high streets in London/Birmingham etc.

Weeks later, as London prepares for the 2012 Olympics, I read that to reach the Olympic Stadium from the railway station at Stratford, spectators have to pass through the newly built Westfield Shopping City. More and more we are seen as consumers rather than citizens, and this development, reinforces this view.

As of today I'm no longer being paid by my previous employer, I've become a pensioner. How will this affect my lifestyle and thought. I sense these may be themes that I will return to in the weeks ahead.