A trip down memory lane starting at a very busy Maries on Lower Marsh, near Waterloo station. An excellent breakfast but I was a bit jealous of the blokes opposite us who had a wait for their food but it turned out to be liver, onions, chips and gravy. What a top breakfast!
And then there is the obligatory visit to Ian Allan bookshop opposite - a one-stop shop for all your transport and military reading. It looks like train-themed Christmas cards for everyone this year!
We meet up with Jenny and Julia on the concourse of Waterloo station - a busy one too with a mixture of travellers, some gathering for the march on Downing Street and others decked out in their finery on their way to Ascot for the racing. I'm sure there is something ironic in that but I can't be arsed to give it much thought.
Chris T joined us at Clapham and we arrived in Aldershot just before midday. It is a good 15 min walk to the White Lion dodging various road works on the way but it remains the best pub in the town and is worth the effort.
On offer at the bar was the usual offerings from the local Triple F (fff) brewery - Pressed Rat and Warthog. Alton's Pride, Moondance plus a guest beer from somewhere else.
My lack of interest in the guest was due to the fact it was in a barrel on the bar and would be far too warm to drink. It turned out to be free as they wanted punters to try it so they could decide if they wanted to add it to the regulars.
We got chatting to an ex-pat Blackpool fan who watches Aldershot when not following the Tangerines. He was keen to know how their on-loan player was faring with the Millers.
I was pleased to meet up with another Aldershot fan, Quentin, who I've got to know over the years. As well as football, we also share an interest in beer and Hawkwind. What a winning combination.
Pub dog Millie was still in attendance but was giving us the cold shoulder, preferring the company of those watching the Spurs-Chelsea game on the TV, barking madly as various punters celebrated the goals.
Triple f brewery now produce their beers in bottles - all bottle conditioned - and I tried the Moondance (for me the best of their wares). It turned out to be even better in bottles although extremely lively but with a wonderful almost-saison taste.
The Millers left for the game whilst I finished yet another bottle of the Moondance. Eventually Quentin and I departed for the ground about 20 mins before kick-off and got into the ground seconds before kick-off.
My early shouts about Steve Evans and his short-comings were not appreciated by the more neandethal of the away contingent. I certainly know I would be disgusted if Darlo had hired him as manager - some Millers' fans feel the same but a surprising number are prepared to gloss over his illustrious past in pursuit of future glory.
I've always liked the Recreation Ground and what would Darlo give for a home like that now? It still has three sides but it looked quite busy even with a sub-2000 crowd. The home fans seemed very quiet - no drummer today to buoy their singing.
It isn't surprising the home fans are not attending in numbers as Aldershot have been doing badly and today they were rubbish. Rotherham took an early lead and from that moment the Shots seemed to give up. They went through the motions but a 3-0 defeat flattered them.
After the game we had a quick pint - Fullers Pride - at the nearby Royal Staff where we were able to digest all the day's results. Nice to see Darlo's winning streak continue with a 3-1 home victory over Bedlington Terriers.
And then the train back to Waterloo - Liz went home to feed the cats whilst Jenny, Chris and I took the Northern Line to Euston and a few bevvies at the Euston Tap. The colder weather means that it those who normally drink outside are cowering indoors.
For once I don't spend the rest of the night in there and head home at a reasonable hour to catch a curry before they all close.
As I head towards Euston Square tube I come across what must have been a nasty smash on the Euston Road. A large tanker has collided with a car, ripping the roof off as it almost squashed it.
It looked like all the action is over - no ambulances or fire engines in attendance with just a few uniforms in place, presumably checking what happened. You'd imagine no one would have got out alive but one of the police told me that there were no serious injuries. Amazing.
Showing posts with label Aldershot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aldershot. Show all posts
Monday, 22 October 2012
Monday, 10 August 2009
Aldershot Already?
And here we are again - first game of the season - something which looked highly unlikely several weeks ago but thankfully we've still got a club to support. Whether we'll actually have much to shout about remains to be seen but for the moment, we're just pleased to be here.
As ever, I met John at Waterloo for the ever predictable visit to Maries for the first pre-match breakfast of the season.
The No 7 and chips was as good as ever - just look at that plate of greasy goodness.
On the train to Aldershot, we bump into Quentin - an Aldershot fan we've made the acquaintance of during the past couple of seasons and a regular of the White Lion. He's trying to play down their chances today but he simply can't compete with our tales of woe.
Unlike last season's visits to Aldershot (for Darlo and Rotherham games), it isn't raining and we have a pleasant walk to the White Lion, which is the brewery tap for the Triple fff brewery.
Good to see that their full range of their beers are available today and even better the fact that my favourite, Moondance, is on special offer at £2 a pint. Result!
It isn't long before Millie, the pub terrier, has her little eyes on our group as prospective playmates.
She offers her tennis ball to us so it can be thrown and retrieved though she occasionally forgets to bring it back and then just looks at us forlornly. That's dogs for you.
We notice that one such regular bears a marked similarity to Paul Weller in his dodgy two-tone barnet phase - and so we're not totally surprised to later see him drive away in a van which suggests he's part of the Wellalive tribute act.
More DAFTS join us - John Bell and his mate Rod, Paul Brown and Iain Swalwell along with his son Robert on one of his rare visits to a Darlo game.
Quentin pops in too and during our conversation we discover that we're both keen Hawkwind fans (well I knew I was and he knew he was...) and that we're both off to see them for their 40th anniversary gig later in the month. How nice it is to find someone else with such taste. Cue a long chat on various space-rock nonsense not fit for you mere mortals.
Eventually it's time to leave for the big kick-off. We trudge up the slope to the away end through the trees and find one Darlo fan has collapsed before they've even got in - luckily St John Ambulance are in attendance.
There's a bit of a queue at the turnstile - only one of which is open - and by the time we get in they're halfway through the minute's applause for Bobby Robson.
By the time we've got ourselves settled on the paddock and checked out the many new faces in our squad, we're already a goal down. Damn and blast!
(left) Gavin on the bottle already
The first half doesn't improve and soon turns into a repeat of last season's visit when Aldershot put us under the cosh for long periods - the defence looks frail and new keeper Knight looks very unsure of himself (and not very tall from where we're stood).
In fact it's Knight's mistake in failing to gather the ball that leads to the Shots doubling their lead - the Darlo fans shake their heads, shuffle their feet and start to fear that a rout is in the offing.
Up front for Darlo, Thorpe wins quite a lot of headers but none of them go in the direction of Dean Windass who looks a bit lost. In midfield, it's Mark Convery who makes most of the forward running but we don't create any clear chances until almost half-time when one of the Smiths fires in smartly only for the ref to rule it out for a foul of a defender - looked very soft to us and we feel we're not getting the rub of the green from this ref.
If the disallowed goal suggested that we were getting back into the game, our hopes were dashed when Aldershot took a 3-0 lead just minutes after the restart. A breakaway on our right flank- where their player looked blatantly offside - lead to the ball rolling across our six-yard box before it was neatly slotted home past Knight.
A number of subs - Convery and Thorpe off, Dowson and Chandler on - come on in the hope that we can create some chances. We do look a bit busier - we soon get a free kick on the edge of their box - Windass takes it and forces a very good save out of their keeper.
We're still under the occasional bout of pressure and Knight makes one very good save to show us that he does have some talent, certainly as a shot-stopper.
In addition Steve Foster was visibly tiring and getting left behind by the their nippy forwards. The only cure for this is more games under the belt.
Darlo then breakaway as a clearance from Miller reaches Windass who neatly flicks through the ball through for Dowson to smash home past their keeper - something positive for the 214 Darlo contingent to cheer even if it is a case of too little, too late.
It's clear that the team have a long way to go before they're playing as a unit and it is a waste of breath to be negative after this performance - things are going to be tough and I'm sure there'll be some more poor performances - however we're just going to have to hold our tongues and try and be positive (although I may not be able to stop myself having a go at the alice-band wearing Smith).
After leaving Trevor at Waterloo, John and I retire to the Wheatsheaf at London Bridge for some post-match chilling - a pint of something-or-other from Phoenix and then an excellent pint of Patrick's Porter from Brysons of Lancaster (even if John though it tasted like the bottom of an ash-tray!).
As ever, I met John at Waterloo for the ever predictable visit to Maries for the first pre-match breakfast of the season.The No 7 and chips was as good as ever - just look at that plate of greasy goodness.
(left) Look away if your arteries are squeamish
Trevor popped along to join us there but clearly had already had his breakfast - he simply makes do with a cup of coffee as he watches us defile our bodies.On the train to Aldershot, we bump into Quentin - an Aldershot fan we've made the acquaintance of during the past couple of seasons and a regular of the White Lion. He's trying to play down their chances today but he simply can't compete with our tales of woe.
Unlike last season's visits to Aldershot (for Darlo and Rotherham games), it isn't raining and we have a pleasant walk to the White Lion, which is the brewery tap for the Triple fff brewery.
Good to see that their full range of their beers are available today and even better the fact that my favourite, Moondance, is on special offer at £2 a pint. Result!
It isn't long before Millie, the pub terrier, has her little eyes on our group as prospective playmates.She offers her tennis ball to us so it can be thrown and retrieved though she occasionally forgets to bring it back and then just looks at us forlornly. That's dogs for you.
(right) Millie wondering how many pints went into that?
Eventually Millie decides she's going to sit with me much to the bemusement of John and Trev though she occasionally jumps off to greet pub regulars as they come in.We notice that one such regular bears a marked similarity to Paul Weller in his dodgy two-tone barnet phase - and so we're not totally surprised to later see him drive away in a van which suggests he's part of the Wellalive tribute act.
More DAFTS join us - John Bell and his mate Rod, Paul Brown and Iain Swalwell along with his son Robert on one of his rare visits to a Darlo game.
Quentin pops in too and during our conversation we discover that we're both keen Hawkwind fans (well I knew I was and he knew he was...) and that we're both off to see them for their 40th anniversary gig later in the month. How nice it is to find someone else with such taste. Cue a long chat on various space-rock nonsense not fit for you mere mortals.
Eventually it's time to leave for the big kick-off. We trudge up the slope to the away end through the trees and find one Darlo fan has collapsed before they've even got in - luckily St John Ambulance are in attendance.
There's a bit of a queue at the turnstile - only one of which is open - and by the time we get in they're halfway through the minute's applause for Bobby Robson.
By the time we've got ourselves settled on the paddock and checked out the many new faces in our squad, we're already a goal down. Damn and blast!(left) Gavin on the bottle already
The first half doesn't improve and soon turns into a repeat of last season's visit when Aldershot put us under the cosh for long periods - the defence looks frail and new keeper Knight looks very unsure of himself (and not very tall from where we're stood).
In fact it's Knight's mistake in failing to gather the ball that leads to the Shots doubling their lead - the Darlo fans shake their heads, shuffle their feet and start to fear that a rout is in the offing.
Up front for Darlo, Thorpe wins quite a lot of headers but none of them go in the direction of Dean Windass who looks a bit lost. In midfield, it's Mark Convery who makes most of the forward running but we don't create any clear chances until almost half-time when one of the Smiths fires in smartly only for the ref to rule it out for a foul of a defender - looked very soft to us and we feel we're not getting the rub of the green from this ref.
If the disallowed goal suggested that we were getting back into the game, our hopes were dashed when Aldershot took a 3-0 lead just minutes after the restart. A breakaway on our right flank- where their player looked blatantly offside - lead to the ball rolling across our six-yard box before it was neatly slotted home past Knight.
A number of subs - Convery and Thorpe off, Dowson and Chandler on - come on in the hope that we can create some chances. We do look a bit busier - we soon get a free kick on the edge of their box - Windass takes it and forces a very good save out of their keeper.
We're still under the occasional bout of pressure and Knight makes one very good save to show us that he does have some talent, certainly as a shot-stopper.(right) Trev can't watch
In addition Steve Foster was visibly tiring and getting left behind by the their nippy forwards. The only cure for this is more games under the belt.
Darlo then breakaway as a clearance from Miller reaches Windass who neatly flicks through the ball through for Dowson to smash home past their keeper - something positive for the 214 Darlo contingent to cheer even if it is a case of too little, too late.
It's clear that the team have a long way to go before they're playing as a unit and it is a waste of breath to be negative after this performance - things are going to be tough and I'm sure there'll be some more poor performances - however we're just going to have to hold our tongues and try and be positive (although I may not be able to stop myself having a go at the alice-band wearing Smith).
After leaving Trevor at Waterloo, John and I retire to the Wheatsheaf at London Bridge for some post-match chilling - a pint of something-or-other from Phoenix and then an excellent pint of Patrick's Porter from Brysons of Lancaster (even if John though it tasted like the bottom of an ash-tray!).
Monday, 23 March 2009
Shots Down In Flames
As I'd been visiting my Mum in Northallerton for a few days, it was nice to have only a ten-minute train journey through to Darlo for our game against Aldershot.
Breakfast was taken at the apostrophe-free Rockys Tasty Bites on Victoria Road - this had been recommended to me and it has to be said that the Rooster breakfast had about everything you could want in a breakfast but was probably not the thing to eat before trudging up the hill to Ballantynes hotel to meet Steve.
We had been hoping today would afford us a good opportunity to finally get some decent shots of the Northern Echo Arena for the DAFTS site - and since it was a bright, sunny spring day we drove on down there.
(left) North and East Stands of the Arena
After a few minutes wandering around the exterior of the stadium, we were approached by Paul the stadium maintenance manager who was curious as to what we were doing. After a quick chat he could see we were friendly and let us into the ground so I could get some interior shots - the first time I'd been pitch side for quite a few seasons.
Paul originally came to Darlo as one of George Reynold's team and has worked hard at looking after the ground ever since - his recent tasks have varied from tarting up the dressing rooms for Elton John's visit last summer through to three days spent repairing the recently wrecked toilets under the south stand (the mind boggles at the idiocy of the fans who did this to their own ground)!
Following a good bout of snapping from all angles, we headed back into town and joined up with Cath before heading down to the Quaker. Still no sign of a new name over the door so we've still got Linda and Steve providing a great choice of beers.
It looked as it would just be the three of us for the day as we headed up to Number Twenty-2 - although we did bump into Aldershot fan, Jim, who I'd met briefly in the White Lion when I last visited the Recreation Ground earlier in the season.
We arrived at the ground about 20 minutes before kick-off and I managed to buy one of the last campaign t-shits with Dave Penney on the front doing his best Lord Kitchener impersonation. I've not tried it yet but it appears to be a one-size-fits-all. So that will be snug then!
The game was a bit of a stuttering affair in the first half - Aldershot had probably more chances than Darlo, most courtesy of their on-loan striker Jake Robinson but the linesman managed to thwart him on the rare occasions he escaped the clutches of the defence. Oakes also made a couple of decent saves.
We were all prepared for a nil-nil scoreline at half-time when Curtis Main popped up and neatly passed the ball into the net following a partially cleared corner - there were a few half-hearted offside appeals from the Shots defence but to no avail - the ref was not for turning. A great boost for half-time.
The second half was not much different from the first - fairly even - and following a great tackle from skipper Foster to prevent what looked like an equaliser, a tidy piece of work from Rob Purdie (my MotM) and a neat finish from Danny Carlton put the Quakers two up and gave Darlo a bit of breathing space with about 20 minutes to go.
Breakfast was taken at the apostrophe-free Rockys Tasty Bites on Victoria Road - this had been recommended to me and it has to be said that the Rooster breakfast had about everything you could want in a breakfast but was probably not the thing to eat before trudging up the hill to Ballantynes hotel to meet Steve.
We had been hoping today would afford us a good opportunity to finally get some decent shots of the Northern Echo Arena for the DAFTS site - and since it was a bright, sunny spring day we drove on down there.(left) North and East Stands of the Arena
After a few minutes wandering around the exterior of the stadium, we were approached by Paul the stadium maintenance manager who was curious as to what we were doing. After a quick chat he could see we were friendly and let us into the ground so I could get some interior shots - the first time I'd been pitch side for quite a few seasons.
Paul originally came to Darlo as one of George Reynold's team and has worked hard at looking after the ground ever since - his recent tasks have varied from tarting up the dressing rooms for Elton John's visit last summer through to three days spent repairing the recently wrecked toilets under the south stand (the mind boggles at the idiocy of the fans who did this to their own ground)!
(right) The less well known nature area of the Arena
Following a good bout of snapping from all angles, we headed back into town and joined up with Cath before heading down to the Quaker. Still no sign of a new name over the door so we've still got Linda and Steve providing a great choice of beers.
It looked as it would just be the three of us for the day as we headed up to Number Twenty-2 - although we did bump into Aldershot fan, Jim, who I'd met briefly in the White Lion when I last visited the Recreation Ground earlier in the season.
We arrived at the ground about 20 minutes before kick-off and I managed to buy one of the last campaign t-shits with Dave Penney on the front doing his best Lord Kitchener impersonation. I've not tried it yet but it appears to be a one-size-fits-all. So that will be snug then!
The game was a bit of a stuttering affair in the first half - Aldershot had probably more chances than Darlo, most courtesy of their on-loan striker Jake Robinson but the linesman managed to thwart him on the rare occasions he escaped the clutches of the defence. Oakes also made a couple of decent saves.
We were all prepared for a nil-nil scoreline at half-time when Curtis Main popped up and neatly passed the ball into the net following a partially cleared corner - there were a few half-hearted offside appeals from the Shots defence but to no avail - the ref was not for turning. A great boost for half-time.
The second half was not much different from the first - fairly even - and following a great tackle from skipper Foster to prevent what looked like an equaliser, a tidy piece of work from Rob Purdie (my MotM) and a neat finish from Danny Carlton put the Quakers two up and gave Darlo a bit of breathing space with about 20 minutes to go.
The game should have been wrapped up beyond any doubt when Carlton had an open goal but he blazed wide. Nevertheless we held out without too much trouble and earned what was a good three points without playing particularly well.
(above) The replica engine plate in reception
The journey home was going to be a bit of a stuttering affair too - the normal 17:57 service would go no further than Huntingdon - from there it was a slow bus journey to Hatfield with a driver who had a worrying habit of catching the kerb on bends. I was on my own too since Martin was too ill to travel - it's not often we see that.
We finally made it to Hatfield in one piece and thanks to Jim and a couple of his Aldershot mates, I avoided getting the slow train to Kings Cross, catching a fast train instead just a few minutes later, which meant I was in the Betjeman Arms for 21:30 for drinks with the London Millers.
This allowed me to finally try the Betjeman Ale brewed specially for the pub by Sharp's - it's quite light at 3.6% but is a surprisingly drinkable quaffing beer - and it seems in much better condition that the others on cask. DAFTS Recommended!
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Mis-Fortune
Brian was already in the pub by the time I got to the Quaker so I got my beer and together we made the first contributions to the DAFTS Beer Tax.
George, one of the 11am regulars at the Quaker, was a bit curious about our little collecting bottle and contributed £1 as well. Good man! Only another £299, 998 to go.
We then got talking to a guy who was a Sheffield United fan and who told us that the stadium had been bought by an Arab and would be dismantled and shipped over there. Cue incredulity from Brian and me - where do people get these ideas?
Tony and Colin then joined us - and so the contributions to the fund continued as we had more beers - before I headed off to Number Twenty-2. I found John and Bev hovering outside - she was itching to go elsewhere to watch the first-half of the Chelsea game. And so she did.
As I was about to get some snaps of the boys and our little DAFTS Tax bottle, I received a call from the Guardian football columnist, David Conn. David is an old chum of ours and was down at Feethams with a photographer, trying to find a way into the ground and see what was left of the old girl, prior to his doing a piece about Darlo's current troubles in the Guardian. I don't think he had expected the place to be quite as barren and flattened as it is.
Whilst David went off to do his research, we got back to raising some glasses - and more money for the cause. One of the barmen approached us to see if we wanted some takeaway pies. Apparently it was British Pie Week - I don't know how that slipped past me - but it seems they'd made too many and did we want to buy them?
Most of us had been to Taylors and were well provisioned but Brian and Tony were pastry-less and so bought a couple - and very nice they were too judging by the speed with which they were eaten.
I got a further phone call - again escaping the usual Number Twenty-2 mobile fine - this time from a Colchester fan, Martyn Stimson, who we'd meet earlier in the season before our game at Aldershot. Martyn and a chum had come up to make a groundhopping first visit to the Arena as well as visit as many of Darlo's decent pubs as they could.
After supping some wonderful stout (McConnells from the wonderful Thornbridge Brewery), we all taxi-ed down to the stadium - I wandered to reception and bumped into David Conn who was chatting with one of the administrators (who barely looked out of school!).
Reception looked a bit gloomy without the smiling face of Helen on reception - Karen from the Supporters Club was standing in for her and had a big collecting bucket so I deposited the tax we'd collected at lunchtime.
Thankfully block 11 seemed to be quite free of the West Stand hordes - Tony and Brian were down in front of us in their lucky seats whilst behind us we had my compatriots, the Darlo Tykes, in the executive boxes displaying their usual level of sophistication and wit.
The game was awful - we were poor, Macc were poor and the ref was poor - we suffered further injures and silly bookings and then the icing on the cake - a needless challenge by Clayton Fortune in the box on a player who was happy to go down.
Flag, Whistle, Penalty. Goodnight Vienna.
So the journey back promised to be a bit miserable for Martin and I but Martyn and his chum joined us and we had a good natter about football, grounds and pubs all the way back to King's Cross.
Over the road in St Pancras, the Betjeman Arms was having a beer festival so Martin and I wandered in - he likes the odd pint of real ale now and again - and before too long, we were joined by a horde of London Millers fresh from their sponsorship day and a nil-nil with Brentford.
I was quite surprised by the range of beers on offer, the majority straight from the barrel - a few I'd never come across before as well as some old favourites such as Woodforde Wherry and Oakham JHB. At least the day finished on a high as I savoured a beautiful pint of Naked Ladies, courtesy of the Twickenham Brewery...
David's piece on Darlo's current plight can be found here and go here to see some of the photos taken during his visit.
George, one of the 11am regulars at the Quaker, was a bit curious about our little collecting bottle and contributed £1 as well. Good man! Only another £299, 998 to go.
We then got talking to a guy who was a Sheffield United fan and who told us that the stadium had been bought by an Arab and would be dismantled and shipped over there. Cue incredulity from Brian and me - where do people get these ideas?
Tony and Colin then joined us - and so the contributions to the fund continued as we had more beers - before I headed off to Number Twenty-2. I found John and Bev hovering outside - she was itching to go elsewhere to watch the first-half of the Chelsea game. And so she did.
As I was about to get some snaps of the boys and our little DAFTS Tax bottle, I received a call from the Guardian football columnist, David Conn. David is an old chum of ours and was down at Feethams with a photographer, trying to find a way into the ground and see what was left of the old girl, prior to his doing a piece about Darlo's current troubles in the Guardian. I don't think he had expected the place to be quite as barren and flattened as it is.Whilst David went off to do his research, we got back to raising some glasses - and more money for the cause. One of the barmen approached us to see if we wanted some takeaway pies. Apparently it was British Pie Week - I don't know how that slipped past me - but it seems they'd made too many and did we want to buy them?
Most of us had been to Taylors and were well provisioned but Brian and Tony were pastry-less and so bought a couple - and very nice they were too judging by the speed with which they were eaten.
I got a further phone call - again escaping the usual Number Twenty-2 mobile fine - this time from a Colchester fan, Martyn Stimson, who we'd meet earlier in the season before our game at Aldershot. Martyn and a chum had come up to make a groundhopping first visit to the Arena as well as visit as many of Darlo's decent pubs as they could.
After supping some wonderful stout (McConnells from the wonderful Thornbridge Brewery), we all taxi-ed down to the stadium - I wandered to reception and bumped into David Conn who was chatting with one of the administrators (who barely looked out of school!).
Reception looked a bit gloomy without the smiling face of Helen on reception - Karen from the Supporters Club was standing in for her and had a big collecting bucket so I deposited the tax we'd collected at lunchtime.
Thankfully block 11 seemed to be quite free of the West Stand hordes - Tony and Brian were down in front of us in their lucky seats whilst behind us we had my compatriots, the Darlo Tykes, in the executive boxes displaying their usual level of sophistication and wit.
The game was awful - we were poor, Macc were poor and the ref was poor - we suffered further injures and silly bookings and then the icing on the cake - a needless challenge by Clayton Fortune in the box on a player who was happy to go down.
Flag, Whistle, Penalty. Goodnight Vienna.
So the journey back promised to be a bit miserable for Martin and I but Martyn and his chum joined us and we had a good natter about football, grounds and pubs all the way back to King's Cross.
Over the road in St Pancras, the Betjeman Arms was having a beer festival so Martin and I wandered in - he likes the odd pint of real ale now and again - and before too long, we were joined by a horde of London Millers fresh from their sponsorship day and a nil-nil with Brentford.
I was quite surprised by the range of beers on offer, the majority straight from the barrel - a few I'd never come across before as well as some old favourites such as Woodforde Wherry and Oakham JHB. At least the day finished on a high as I savoured a beautiful pint of Naked Ladies, courtesy of the Twickenham Brewery...
David's piece on Darlo's current plight can be found here and go here to see some of the photos taken during his visit.
Monday, 8 September 2008
Aldershot #3 - Less Palatable Fayre
I had a vague recollection of our last visit to the Recreation Ground in March 1991 - a re-arranged fixture after a Boxing Day cancellation - when we won 3-1 with goals from Gray (2) and Borthwick.
I do like this ground - it's just a few minutes walk from the railway station and although it only has three sides, there was a good atmosphere with both home and away fans standing in the East Bank.
It was also quite pleasant being able to stand on a small terrace between the away stand and the away seats in the South Stand - all very civilised and a reminder of just how regimented we are in new stadia.
It reminded me of Feethams in many ways...the only downside is the lack of decent pubs (by DAFTS standards) in the vicinity.
And it's just as well the ground had some features of interest because the football certainly left a lot to be desired. It only took a few minutes for last week's result to be forgotten as we defended poorly and conceded an early goal. In fact we were lucky to concede just the two goals in the first-half which saw us under pressure for the first 30 mins.
Thankfully a Hulbert goal on the stroke of half-time was just what we needed and gave us some hope.
The second-half saw a vastly improved performance from the Quakers as we pushed the Shots back in their own half for most of the half. Unfortunately our finishing was wayward - so much for Penney's encouragement for the players to shoot more often.
There was a lot of huffing and puffing but we ran finally out of time and it was a more reflective set of Darlo fans wending their way home this weekend...
I do like this ground - it's just a few minutes walk from the railway station and although it only has three sides, there was a good atmosphere with both home and away fans standing in the East Bank.It was also quite pleasant being able to stand on a small terrace between the away stand and the away seats in the South Stand - all very civilised and a reminder of just how regimented we are in new stadia.
It reminded me of Feethams in many ways...the only downside is the lack of decent pubs (by DAFTS standards) in the vicinity.
And it's just as well the ground had some features of interest because the football certainly left a lot to be desired. It only took a few minutes for last week's result to be forgotten as we defended poorly and conceded an early goal. In fact we were lucky to concede just the two goals in the first-half which saw us under pressure for the first 30 mins.
Thankfully a Hulbert goal on the stroke of half-time was just what we needed and gave us some hope.
The second-half saw a vastly improved performance from the Quakers as we pushed the Shots back in their own half for most of the half. Unfortunately our finishing was wayward - so much for Penney's encouragement for the players to shoot more often.
There was a lot of huffing and puffing but we ran finally out of time and it was a more reflective set of Darlo fans wending their way home this weekend...
Not quite so happy this week
Aldershot #2 - The Liquid Lunch
We caught the 10:53 to Aldershot and bar a fleeting chat with John Hopps in his smart new Lichtenstein shirt on his way to find other Loidlanders on the train, we arrived without incident and on time just before noon.
At Aldershot station we met John Grey and Rich Parker who'd managed to get down to London before the torrential rain in the north had disrupted train services between Darlo and York. Seemingly some people took over three hours to travel to York from Darlo and services back north had been suspended.
As we walked from the station to the recommended pub, the rain started to get heavier and so we were rather damp by the time we reached the White Lion.
The pub is owned by the Triple fff brewery in nearby Alton and had four of their brews on offer (after some changing of barrels - very busy the night before apparently). Normally there are a couple of guests as well but according to our friendly local, the pumps were US.
I went for a pint of Pressed Rat whilst the others all had Alton's Pride. My pint turned out to be the last of that barrel but was fine - a very nice mild with plenty of flavour.
The concensus on the Alton's Pride was that it was OK but no great shakes - we're not sure how it got to be Champion Beer of 2008 but it's preferable to GK IPA.
I moved onto the Moondance - a fresh barrel - and this was the best pint of the day despite having a slight haze - similar to the Alton but hoppier and with a nice bitter edge. I stuck with it for the rest of the session.
The pub started to get a bit busier - as happens to league new boys (or returnees in this case), a few folk had come along to tick off Aldershot for their 92 league grounds. This included Ginge Stimson - a Colchester fan with two of his friends plus a couple of Wolves fans who were combining football and real ale to good effect.
Local DAFTS Paul Brown and Iain Swalwell dropped in too - they'd brought along their Fijian friend who was wondering why they'd brought him out in this awful weather.
All too soon it was time to leave the comfort of the pub and head onto the Recreation Ground. At least it has stopped raining...
At Aldershot station we met John Grey and Rich Parker who'd managed to get down to London before the torrential rain in the north had disrupted train services between Darlo and York. Seemingly some people took over three hours to travel to York from Darlo and services back north had been suspended.
As we walked from the station to the recommended pub, the rain started to get heavier and so we were rather damp by the time we reached the White Lion.The pub is owned by the Triple fff brewery in nearby Alton and had four of their brews on offer (after some changing of barrels - very busy the night before apparently). Normally there are a couple of guests as well but according to our friendly local, the pumps were US.
I went for a pint of Pressed Rat whilst the others all had Alton's Pride. My pint turned out to be the last of that barrel but was fine - a very nice mild with plenty of flavour.
The concensus on the Alton's Pride was that it was OK but no great shakes - we're not sure how it got to be Champion Beer of 2008 but it's preferable to GK IPA.
I moved onto the Moondance - a fresh barrel - and this was the best pint of the day despite having a slight haze - similar to the Alton but hoppier and with a nice bitter edge. I stuck with it for the rest of the session.
The pub started to get a bit busier - as happens to league new boys (or returnees in this case), a few folk had come along to tick off Aldershot for their 92 league grounds. This included Ginge Stimson - a Colchester fan with two of his friends plus a couple of Wolves fans who were combining football and real ale to good effect.
Local DAFTS Paul Brown and Iain Swalwell dropped in too - they'd brought along their Fijian friend who was wondering why they'd brought him out in this awful weather.
All too soon it was time to leave the comfort of the pub and head onto the Recreation Ground. At least it has stopped raining...
Aldershot #1 - The Breakfast
A game in the south of England allows a more leisurely start to the travelling and so it was actually daylight when I left home to meet John and Bev (Wilson) at Waterloo station at 9:45am.
The idea was to allow us time to have breakfast at Maries Cafe on Lower Marsh, less than five minutes walk from platform 1 but overlooked by most people who use the station.
It was to be an extra- special treat for Beverley as it was their wedding anniversary - John is such a old romantic.
Trevor Rutter - down for the weekend with his wife - also joined us at Waterloo sans wife but he'd already been fed and watered.
John and I had been to Maries (who seem to have lost her apostrophe somewhere along the line) several times in the past year or two - most notably with Tony Waters before our win last season against Brentford. Hopefully an omen for our game today...
There is a multi-page menu available to list the various meals on offer - Thai food in addition to the normal breakfast fare.
However we opted for the simple menu which listed seven Speacial choices. Being a creature of habit it didn't take me long to decide to stick to my usual No. 7 and a portion of chips (and a nice strong cup of tea!).
The service here is fast and very friendly - the food is well cooked and decent quality - a great start to the day.
For those with time on their hands before catching a train, the cafe is opposite the Ian Allan Transport Book and Model shop which is one of those shops you feel a bit nerdy going into but which has a wonderful array of transport books, videos, models and such like.
I'll admit it now that I'm interested in railways - almost inevitable after growing up about 10 yards from a railway line back in the days of steam but I don't collect numbers - OK? The fact that I bought myself a book of Track Diagrams on my last visit is neither here nor there so please let's not mention that again...
The idea was to allow us time to have breakfast at Maries Cafe on Lower Marsh, less than five minutes walk from platform 1 but overlooked by most people who use the station.
It was to be an extra- special treat for Beverley as it was their wedding anniversary - John is such a old romantic.
Trevor Rutter - down for the weekend with his wife - also joined us at Waterloo sans wife but he'd already been fed and watered.
John and I had been to Maries (who seem to have lost her apostrophe somewhere along the line) several times in the past year or two - most notably with Tony Waters before our win last season against Brentford. Hopefully an omen for our game today...
There is a multi-page menu available to list the various meals on offer - Thai food in addition to the normal breakfast fare.
However we opted for the simple menu which listed seven Speacial choices. Being a creature of habit it didn't take me long to decide to stick to my usual No. 7 and a portion of chips (and a nice strong cup of tea!).
The service here is fast and very friendly - the food is well cooked and decent quality - a great start to the day.
For those with time on their hands before catching a train, the cafe is opposite the Ian Allan Transport Book and Model shop which is one of those shops you feel a bit nerdy going into but which has a wonderful array of transport books, videos, models and such like.
I'll admit it now that I'm interested in railways - almost inevitable after growing up about 10 yards from a railway line back in the days of steam but I don't collect numbers - OK? The fact that I bought myself a book of Track Diagrams on my last visit is neither here nor there so please let's not mention that again...
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