October 26, 2008


  • Football News

     

    It has been a long
    time since I wrote anything more than a line or two about my footballing
    exploits. I imagine you are wondering if – with all this biking I am doing – I still
    partake in a kick of the old leather ball on any given Sunday. And the answer –
    quite simply put – is yes indeed I do.

     

    The BML has been in
    recess for some time now, but we have had 2 seasons of the TPL since the BML
    season closed. The TPL has been played as a 7-a-side league at one of the local
    schools which has a plastic pitch. It is also the place where we train every
    Tuesday and Thursday evening. The first of the two league seasons went right
    down to the final day, with the Red Lions and Da An equal on points and goal
    difference, Da An ahead on goals scored. Our season had started brightly
    enough, with a 13-0 victory over TFC, with even me slotting in a penalty in the
    second half! Class!

     

    For our final game the
    weather was hot and it felt like a furnace at the pitch. We scored 8 goals,
    conceded 2, a last minute penalty being given away for handball. The guy who
    gave the penalty away made a movement with his elbow that was reminiscent of
    the dance from the Birdie Song. From that moment on he was called Chicken Wing.

     

    The penalty also
    became the most important moment of the season for us, as our opponents now
    only needed to win by 6, and not 7. They were 3 or 4 goals ahead for most of
    their game, and with time running out, fate once more conspired against us. For
    some reason, unbeknown to man, the defender – instead of clearing the ball up
    the field – tried a fancy back-heel, which went straight in to the path of the
    season’s top scorer who said thank you very much, and slotted it in to the net.
    They now needed a goal in the final 90 seconds to secure the league, which they
    got 30 seconds later. Bollocks. We ended 2nd.

     

    At the end of season
    party, held at the Tavern (which sponsors the Tavern Premier League) we picked
    up the runners up trophy, but there was a little disappointment in the fact that
    there was no award for best goalkeeper. This undoubtedly would have gone to
    your humble narrator, simply because we had the best defense by far, and I had
    been voted MVP in most of the games we played. But we live with minor
    disappointments in life…

     

    In the second TPL
    season, we came third, losing twice – against the team that had come bottom the
    previous season (and second this season) and our arch-enemies, the Animal Scum.

     

    In the Spring cup in
    Taichung – I think it may have been in June – the Red Lions took a barebones
    team down, which meant that your humble scribe was put up front. For the first
    game, against aforementioned Scum, I was put up front with Chicken Wing. Our
    first goal came from my striking partner, but our second was a bit of a
    surprise. From half way in to the scum half, the ball was played to your humble
    chronicler, who turned his man, sprinted on to the ball (alas the defender was
    now catching up), so after a quick shoulder barge to push him off the ball, I
    picked my spot for the shot, and watched as the ball sneaked in to the goal at
    the far post. That was pretty much my sum input to the football on the first
    day, and so I was put in goal for the second day, when reinforcements arrived. We
    ended up 3rd in the tournament, a great performance and team spirit
    shown by the Red Lions.

         

    For the Lions 25th
    anniversary celebrations, a tournament was arranged – the Lions entering 2
    teams of current and former players who made the trek back to Formosa for a
    weekend of drinking, clubbing, and even the occasional football game. Whereas I
    had been in good form for the 7-a-side games, I think it is safe to say that the
    Lions did not really take this competition so seriously, and I made one rather
    terrible mistake which led to a loss (1-0) with the last kick of the game.

     

    Today the 3rd
    TPL season of the year started – the Red Lions are no longer entering this one,
    concentrating instead on the BML, so Lions are free to go and play for other
    teams. I – with several other Lions – have decided to play for the Mighty Shane
    FC, and our opening game was against the Scum. Just can’t seem to get away from
    those bastards. We lost 3-0. I almost got sent off because the ref was a dick.
    Gave them a nothing penalty, missed a blatant one for us, and we lost 3-0.
    Other than that though, I think I had a decent game.

     

    The BML season is
    coming soon though and this is the one I will be looking forward to. Last
    season’s champions, Taipei City, asked me to play for them in the play offs
    against 1st division teams back in July/August. Having had a trial
    for them against the Scum – which we won 4-1 – we got stuffed completely in the
    play offs, the refs not once looking like they were going to allow the Chinese to
    lose face by having a foreigner team in the top division.

     

    I must have impressed
    them though because they asked me to play for them in the forthcoming BML
    season. I told the captain I would think about it and let him know. Despite
    wanting to win the league, which I think Taipei City have a good chance of
    doing, I decided to stay with the Lions. There’s something about this team that
    I love.