I never really expected us to get a point at Stamford Bridge so to be so angry that we didn't get three might seem a bit strange.
Phil Dowd well and truly screwed us over on Boxing Day. We might have had a chance to see what Chelsea were really made of if the second half had been 11 v 11. But no, not content with seeing a top four side 0-2 down and getting outplayed at home, Mr Dowd rewards Ballack for his pathetic, embarrasing swan-dive with a penalty and, shock, horror - a sending off for Zat Knight.
Naturally the second half is a defensive battle as we have ten men against their twelve but what courage our boys showed in the face of all this hyped up "big club" crap. Can I just add that I've been to Stamford Bridge many times in the 80's and 90's when they had piss-poor (but honest) crowds, had one half decent stand and were always an average club - nothing more.
Well, they've had a rich owner for a while now - it doesn't make them a big club. No matter what Sky may tell you.
So we claw ourselves back with Martin Laursen's strike from the incoming free kick only for Dowd to try and win the game single handed by awarding another swan-dive with a chance for Chelsea to win the game. Watch Joe Cole very carefully - he falls to the floor as if shot dead, his head actually lies motionless on the floor. Then Dowd blows the whistle and as if by magic his head pops up and he slowly rises to his feet - mission accomplished.
What a surprise - Chelsea score. Many teams would have folded - we didn't. Ashley Cole then claims he's clearly headed a goalbound effort off the line. Funny that Ashley, that's the strangest of clear headers when your left arm comes round to help with the process.
Gareth Barry scored, some justice was done, but we were robbed right on half-time by another referee who is looking after the top four. It wouldn't surprise me if in ten years time we're reading about how Phil Dowd is being done for match-fixing and taking bribes.
Martin O'Neill was taking no bullshit afterwards either - it was great to see. Our players stood up to Chelsea all day and our "special one" wasn't being bullied by reporters seemingly suggesting the "bigger club" had been wronged in some way.
Average club Chelsea got f*cking lucky against a team with a history (which includes winning in Europe - try it sometime) and actual traditon they can only dream of. That Avram Grant must be a real hoot at parties - what a miserable twat he is.
They should do well to remember that - they are not a big club.
The FA have just rejected Villa's appeal for Zat Knight's sending off. Well, what an amazing surprise that is. I hope they realise the message it sends out to kids playing football - cheat, act pathetically and you're OK - as long as it helps your team - it's OK.
On Saturday 18th of October 2003 I cracked a rib and bruised several others on my right hand side.
I was doing boxing sparring and by the end was really knackered as I was the only one who had turned up with the instructor and I was getting 2 minute rounds instead of one. The instructor is great and there is certainly no blame attached to him whatsoever.
At the end my legs were gone and one final hit knocked me down but I actually fell into some weights that sit round the room we spar in. For the rest of the day a rather bloody nose was my only concern but as the week progressed my rib began to hurt considerably - I had to wait 6 days to see the Doctor where he confirmed the crack and bruising.
Over the weeks I still can't sleep on my right side and the pain has moved around the rib-cage several times. Whenever I come off the painkillers it comes back again. The Doctor said it would be a month before the pain went and little could be done apart from painkillers.
I've been able to carry on doing Taekwondo, maybe at 75% and certainly not doing any sparring - the thought of getting a whack in the ribs is unbearable!
I found this link for any of you with rib problems - I know it relates to exactly how mine are reacting at the moment.
How people cope with a BROKEN rib is beyond me. It's a more nasty, annoying injury than I ever gave it credit for and unfortunately there appears that nothing can be done bar rest.
**W/C 27th OCTOBER**
Pain is immense. It hurts just to touch and is even worse with a sneeze or a cough.
**W/C 3rd NOVEMBER**
Being on holiday helps. Had a couple of swims and hot spa's which has helped no end. Still occasionally hurts with sneeze and I get very defensive if anyone gets close to my right side. I couldn't imagine taking a hit on that side at the moment.
*W/C 10th NOVEMBER**
Couldn't sleep on my right side on the long plane journey home. The overall pain seems to have eased but and jolt or prod is a reminder that it hasn't gone away.
**W/C 24th NOVEMBER**
General pain has gone but I still can't lie or sleep on my right hand side - I'm hardly taking any pain kilers at all now but pain does tend to come back now and again.
**W/C 1st DECEMBER**
Still can't lie or sleep on right and ribs started to hurt during a Taekwondo warm-up. The general pain is still pretty much gone but a sharp pain sometimes reminds me that the whole thing hasn't completely healed yet.
**W/C 8th DECEMBER**
Pain is now just about gone. It seems to have taken ages.
**W/C 15th DECEMBER**
It seems to be healed totally now. It's taken virtually 2 months to clear - TWO months of painkillers and no contact on the painful area.
Everybody will have a different recovery time - I kept very active but never did too much - it sometimes hurt more after inactive periods of time than when I was active.
Seagulls Are On The Attack!
Sunday morning off for a walk down to the shop, the last thing I expected was to be ducking seagulls like Mike Atherton used to duck Allan Donald bouncers.
Seagulls have been around our area for years but just tend to follow you for a bit as you walk around - they make a lot of noise but that's always been about it.
On Sunday though one decided to cirlce and then swoop straight for my head - so I ducked (no pun intened). Yesterday I saw a guy from the road opposite got swooped on from behind as the Gull dive-bombed him.
Apparantly it's the time when the chicks hatch and they got over-protective. Over the last two days I've read up a bit on this because I want to know what is going on. It's pretty interesting stuff and doesn't bode well 10 years on from now - I think I'll buy a Cricket Helmet this weekend.
There are 5 stages to watch for....
Stage one - starts with the bird standing upright and emitting loud calls at anyone approaching what it regards as its territory
Stage two - the seagull flies low overhead, still calling
Stage three - if a person continues to approach the bird's territory, the gull will launch into a swoop and bombard the intruder with the content of its bowels or its crop
Stage four - Determination to ignore the above warnings will result in an outright attack in which the gull will climb, lift its wings into a v-shape and dive straight down from behind.
Stage five - at a speed of 40mph it will strike with its feet, dragging them across the back of the target's head. Attacks are likely to be most vigorous where there are several nests close together. Colonies of gulls gain increasing confidence from a feeling of safety in numbers
The following report was from The Times newspaper in October last year.
Seagulls And You!
It’s got a 5ft wingspan, a sharp beak …..and the best defence is a stick with a hat on it!!! Read on because it does affect you!
THEY measure up to 5ft across, weigh more than 2lb and attack from above and behind at up to 40mph. They are also likely to be well-established in every town in Britain within the next 10 to 15 years, re-enacting scenes reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds as they terrorize urban communities.
Britain's first national conference on the menace posed by encroaching seagulls will be held in November 2003 at Gl*ucester - the inland city where, coincidentally, a car park attendant was attacked by gulls so frequently that he published a book about his experience.
But Gl*ucester is not alone. While seaside towns such as Ayr and Aberdeen and Bournemouth and Brighton on the south coast, have had problems for years, now the birds are moving aggressively inland. Here in Scotland colonies are well established in inland ; towns throughout the central belt, including Fa1kirk, Kilmarnock, Alloa, East Kilbride and Cumbernauld. The last named counted 430 breeding pairs this year. Aberdeen (3,350) Edinburgh (1,000), Glasgow (1,500), Dundee (290) and Inverness: (390) are already colonized by flocks of herring and black- backed gulls, attracted by an easier life in the urban jungle.
Andrew South of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) said: "We have made town living an easy alternative to seagulls' cliff-top nesting sites. They can live in chimneys or on flat roofing and feed on our scraps and rubbish.
"The consequences are that they now have their young in urban environments and be- come very protective in the breeding season. They do not set out to attack people out of spite. They view us as a threat to their eggs and their young."
Attacks have become more vicious. In 2001 a dog was pecked to death in Brixham, Devon, and the following year gulls attacked a pensioner, Wilfred Roby, 80, who had, climbed on to his garage roof to dislodge their nest. He died from a heart attack. A hospital security guard in Edinburgh needed emergency treatment after gulls knocked him to the ground
This year Marie Munro, 65, of Weymouth, Dorset, was stalked by a gull outside her home. When she tried to frighten the bird away it began dive- bombing her and then attacked her face, causing her to fail, splitting the bone down the length of her foot and rupturing her tendons. "All I saw was this bundle of feathered fury in my face," Mrs. Munro said: “I put my arms up to protect myself and slipped backwards. Now I am permanently scared”
Experts suggest that the best form of defence against an attacking gull is to carry a stick with a hat on it above your head, or an open umbrella. Gulls will attack the highest point of their target
The depletion of fish stocks is partly blamed for gulls increased urban scavenging. Flocks maraud around landfill rubbish sites, and eat discarded takeaways in the city streets at night. Peter Rock an ornithologist and visiting fellow at Bristol University who has made a study of urban nesting seagulls for the past 25 years, will tell he Gloucester meeting that Urban seagull populations are increasing exponentially".
"They have become a serious problem which will affect more and more of us," he said. “I believe there will be a colony within every town and city in Britain within the next 10 to 20 years."
Seagulls On The Attack II
There really are some amazing stories to read about these "flying rats". One revealed that Seagulls in one area were only attacking certain people while others could walk around without a problem! One woman could happily sit in her back garden but whenever the boyfriend or Dog came out, the seagulls dive-bombed them.
In one story a woman set off her personal attack alarm whilst being swooped on but his only served to make the gull even more mad. Strangely enough when I had my gull encounter last Sunday, a house alarm just down the road had been going off all night from 1.30am until 7.30am. Maybe they were just as p*ssed off as I was?!
The gulls are still flying around here although I haven't had any problems myself - apparantly the nesting time is virtually over so hopefully they'll f*ck off soon.
It's clear that my local council (Tewkesbury) doesn't give a f*ck, but the local papers certainly are interested - people need to be made aware of the problem and educated to stop them nesting in the same places and by using "zero tolerance" when it comes to litter.
I never realised the problem Gl*ucester had until I saw it for myself today - there are simply loads of them, although they were just flying noisily around and certainly not swooping on anyone (I was in disguise!).
Maybe if I wore a Brighton shirt....
Seagull News
More and more stories are making local and National press.
This year more than ever has seen these birds get more agressive but local councils are doing nothing, despite talking a good game as most politicians do. Cheltenham Borough Council has been active in dealing with the problem while it's still small, but Gl*ucester and Tewkesbury are sat on their f*cking arses - they'll be the ones with a price to pay....
Three of our little birdies were dive-bombing a woman getting out of her car yesterday. It's like having the Krays running our manor here - but what do we have to pay in protection money?!
**JULY 21 UPDATE**
Numbers seem to have increased over the past few days. Watched a bloke getting dive-bombed just walking along the main road yesterday. It's beyond a joke - I can accept Urban Gulls squawking and sh*tting everywhere but it's almost like they're attacking randomly and almost for fun. When I'm on my bike they just sit there and do nothing yet I've heard of attacks elsewhere where bikers get bombed big time.
EVERYONE ELSE - STOP FEEDING THE F*CKING THINGS AND IF THEY'RE NESTING ON YOUR HOUSE, ONCE THEY LEAVE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
Tewkesbury Borough Council Update: August 2004
We have recieved a letter from the council which gave us at least some decent information. It appears that there is one nest on an Old People's home on the main road. The male seagull is particularly aggressive and the home has suffered a number of attacks this summer (no sh*t Sherlock - they're right under the nest!)
Interestingly enough, the male has been calling other seagulls nearby to join in hence the growing numbers this year. The coucil have said it is up to the people who own the property to take the necessary steps but will be checking before next season that they have been applied.
**March 7, 2005 Update**
Another letter from TBC (credit to them for that) saying that the house where the nesting took place got a quote for £20,000 to make their roof Seagull-proof! These birds must be having a right laugh!
In August 2002, we went along to a local club/gym as there was a computer fair on and I was after some cheap CD's. On arrival, we were told it was £3 just to get in - just as we were heading off we saw a small advert for a Taekwondo demonstration.
This coincided with Manchester City visiting Villa Park so I missed it, but Mrs CT went along and came back with a very glowing report - so we decided to give it a try.
My only regret is that I never had the chance to start this 10 years ago. It is addictive, compulsive and gets you fitter. I've never been one for studying for any great length of time, yet this has got me engrossed - the black belts can teach you so much it's untrue.
Our teacher is Mr Martin Paradine, a 5th Degree black belt (who we were informed on Sept 22 2003) had just passed for that 5th Dan. He is awesome - If I can learn just a fraction of what he knows in the next few years, I'll be very happy.
Martin Paradine to you. Sir to the rest of us.
Sometimes he will hand off lessons to some of the other black-belts - all are excellent to learn various things from. We are always progressing - no two lessons are ever the same - patterns, sparring, kicks/punches on the kick-pads, self-defence techniques. When you see some of the kids doing it, it just makes me wish I could started then too, as I said before.
It seems very strange and uneasy at first when you call people "Sir" (including females!) but it something you get used to very quickly. It can often seem a bit like army-life, everything can be very regemented and have an order. It's all pretty much second nature now.
The gradings are very nervous affairs, certainly for some of us "beginners". The last time I had been that nervous was my driving test - 14 years ago! As well as the stuff listed below, you also grade on fitness, line-work and a grasp of the Korean language.
My Taekwondo Black Tag Grading
Sunday 3rd June 2007 was the date for my black-tag grading.
I'd been nervous for ages but had been training as hard as possible despite having a bad foot injury. If I had to hobble through this grading then so be it - I'd worry about pain afterwards.
We started around 2.15pm and "warmed up" while the juniors and lower grades did their proper gradings.
When it came to us we were given a thorough workout which lasted until about 4.40pm. Despite the fact I was knackered I got a real buzz out of this particular test and actually quite enjoyed it despite how tough it was.
Mr Sekulic gave a great, uplifting speech about "everyone making mistakes but the important aspect was to learn from it". He's well known for his tough gradings (he did my red-tag one too) but the fact you can look back and say "I really earned that" is very satisfying.
The following Wednesday I was told that I had passed along with a junior collegue. I am eternally grateful to Mr Paradine for getting me this far in my Taekwondo career - he's stuck with me all the way and hopefully I repaid him a little bit with the effort and focus I put into this grading.
Plus a huge thanks to all the other black belts, especially John, who have spent time with me working on certain things too.
My black belt grading is due in November. I have 5 big, big months ahead of me.
My Taekwondo Black Belt Grading
So here it was, stood very nervously in front of three of the top Taekwondo exponents around with three more sat to their right, about to show what I've learnt in the last 5 years. I'd been having headaches about this for the last week.
Six of us on the floor (two grading for 2nd Dan, John & Matt) we started off with some random patterns before turning round and doing some three-step sparring, the followed by two-step.
We were told the importance of one-stop sparring before we set into that, followed by some strong take-downs on the mat. I really enjoyed this section, especially as I was paired with John who I've worked on this with in training numoerous times.
Then it was on with the sparring gear and a few rounds of one on one, - then came the dreaded two onto one where it just becomes survival mode. This particular part of the grading always leaves me needing to catch my breath although I was just happy to come out of it with my nose fully intact!
After this the two grading for 2nd Dan had some "knife attacks" to see how they could dis-arm the attacker. We also had a go at this too. We also had some hand-grabs and lapel-grabs to get out of plus some head-locks - all things we've worked on a great deal and which I think I showed off quite well.
Some line-work followed and then more patterns - at the end everyone bar the two younger students had to break the board, fortunately my two elbow strikes broke first time as did my right side-kick. My left side-kick attempt wasn't so hot but I made up for it second time around. It was a jam-packed hour and three quarters.
At the end we had some questions, pattern meanings and also why we want to be black-belts.
I won't know any results for a while yet, all I can say was that I was determined to leave everything I had on the floor in the 2 hours and I felt I did that. Of course I made some errors but I think I minimalised that and in the main was pleased with what I showed - the main thing was that I came away with a soaking dirty kit so I know I put everything in effort-wise again.
I certainly didn't walk away from the Dojang with any regrets and that's as much as I can ask of myself. So that's it. My head's clear, my elbows, shoulder and hamstring are sore but that's fine - now I've just got to wait and see if I've progressed which I'll obviously update as and when I know.
The Night I Was Handed My Taekwondo Black Belt
December 17th 2007.
In my mind I'd accepted I wasn't going to find out the result until early next year and I'd played out all the scenarios of how and what I would be told. Mr Sekulic sat everyone down said a few words before handing one of the juniors their red tags. Then he carried on, his speech ending in me being handed my black belt in front of the class.
Initially it was very hard to take in and it was pretty overwhelming. I've seen quite a few students step forward and accept their belts but now I was one of two who would be accepting the honour.
Over five years ago stood outside a health club which was hosting a computer fair and deciding not to go in as the £3 was a bit steep. We noticed a Taekwondo advert on the door and Mrs CT decided to go along to the demonstration while I was at Villa Park!
She said it looked great so along we went, and that was it. Apart from a gap of about 8 months with my nose injury I've been there 2/3 times a week ever since. I've seen so many people come and go, trained with the some of the same almost all the way through the ranks and now have many of the juniors who are now as tall as me!
Ever since knowing the big grading day and also attending a seminar with 5th Dan Mr Champion, I trained even harder, going out running on my spare nights - even one night in a torrential downpour when everyone must have thought I was mad! I brushed up on the pattern & belt meanings and gave myself the best chance overall of passing.
I can't say enough about Mr Paradine for everything he's done for me. Saying thanks just isn't enough by a long way. The road from White to Black hasn't always been easy but thanks to Mr P and so many others, I've stuck at it and hopefully rewarded myself and more importantly them.
In that grading the most important thing for me was not to let Mr Paradine down no matter what.
Over the last couple of months Mr Carter has been helping me too down at AFCMPT Kick-boxing and all this extra training and advice has helped so much. With Mr Paradine's blessing, I'm going to push on with kick-boxing too and also my grappling and ground work with John every month.
Massive congratulations are also due to my two other class members who also passed and are now 1st Dan black belts. One junior female member who did superbly and one younger adult student who has trained for nearly 10 years to get to that point. Also to John, again, who passed and became a much-deserved 2nd Dan - massive thanks go to him too for all his help, especially on one-step and take-downs in which he excels.
This is my biggest sporting achievement ever and something I've still not quite got round to believeing! It may sink in by the new year!
What an incredible Christmas present. This is a position I never imagined I could attain, and the whole thing has made me very proud and honoured to be a Taekwondo black-belt.
ONE TO TEN IN KOREAN;
ONE - HANA / TWO - DOOL / THREE - SET / FOUR - NET / FIVE - TASUT / SIX - YASUT / SEVEN - ILGOPE / EIGHT - YADUL / NINE - AHOPE / TEN - YAUL
ORANGE BELT represents the Sun, which brings life to earth, signifying the start of Taekwondo training.
PASSED.
SECOND GRADING - 30th MARCH 2003;
PATTERN TO LEARN - CHON-JI (19 moves)
CHON-JI - Literally means heaven and earth. It is in the orient interpreted as the creation of the world or the beginning of human history, therefore it is the initial pattern played by the beginner. This pattern consists of two similar parts; one to represent the Heaven and the other the Earth.
THREE-STEP SPARRING - NO.1 through to NO.3
This grading is for YELLOW belt.
YELLOW BELT represents the Earth - a plant growing it's roots and that the student is now learning the basic techniques.
PASSED.
THIRD GRADING - 29th JUNE 2003;
PATTERN TO LEARN - DAN-GUN (21 moves)
DAN-GUN is named after the Holy Dan Gun, the legendary founder of Korea in the year 2333 B.C..
THREE-STEP SPARRING - No.1 through to NO.4
This grading is for "GREEN TAGS" on a YELLOW BELT.
PASSED
FOURTH GRADING - 28th SEPTEMBER 2003;
PATTERN TO LEARN - DO-SAN (24 moves)
DO-SAN is the pseudonym of the patriot Ahn Ch'ang Ho (1876-1938) who dedicated his entire life to furthering the education of Korea and it's independent movement.
THREE-STEP SPARRING - NO.1 through to NO.6
ONE FOR ONE KICKING EXCERCISE.
This grading is for GREEN belt.
The GREEN belt indicates that a student is growing as a Taekwondo student. The colour of the belt is compared to a plant growing its leafs.
PASSED
FIFTH GRADING - 14th DECEMBER 2003;
PATTERN TO LEARN - WON-HYO (28 moves)
WON-HYO was the noted monk who introduced Buddhism to the Silla Dynasty in the year 686 AD.
THREE-STEP SPARRING - NO.1 through to NO.9
This grading is for BLUE TAGS on a GREEN BELT.
PASSED
SIXTH GRADING - 18th APRIL 2004
PATTERN TO LEARN - YUL-GOK (38 moves)
YUL-GOK is a pseudonym of a great philosopher and scholar Yi I (1536 - 1584) nicknamed the "Confucius of Korea". The 38 movements of this pattern refer to his birthplace on 38 degree latitude and the diagram of the pattern represents scholar
THREE-STEP SPARRING - NO.1 through to NO.9
TWO-STEP SPARRING - NO.1 through to NO.4
ONE FOR ONE KICK SPARRING
HOLD BREAKS(BEAR HUGS, STRANGLEHOLDS, HEADLOCKS)
This grading is for BLUE belt.
The BLUE belt signifies the heaven towards which the plant matures into a towering tree as Taekwondo training progresses.
PASSED
SEVENTH GRADING - 14th NOVEMBER 2004
PATTERN TO LEARN - JOONG-GUN (32 Moves)
JOONG-GUN is named after the patriot Ahn Joong-Gun who assassinated Hiro Bumi Ito, the first Japanese governor-general of Korea, known as the man who played the leading part in the Korea-Japan merger. There are 32 movements in this pattern to represent Mr Ahn's age when he was executed at Lui-Shung in 1910.
THREE-STEP SPARRING - NO.1 through to NO.9
TWO-STEP SPARRING - NO.1 through to NO.4
ONE STEP SPARRING
BREAKING BOARDS - ONE STRIKE OF CHOICE ALLOWED
FREE SPARRING WITH HIGHER GRADES INCLUDING 2 ONTO 1
ALL PATTERNS, SEVERAL TIMES OVER WITH VARIOUS EXCERCISES IN BETWEEN
This grading is for RED tags on a BLUE belt.
PASSED
EIGHTH GRADING - 1st MAY 2005
PATTERN TO LEARN - TOI-GYE (37 Moves)
TOI-GYE is the pen name of the noted scholar Yi Hwang (16th century), an authority on neo Confucianism. The 37 movements of the pattern refer to his birthplace on 37 degree latitude and the diagram represents "scholar".
THREE-STEP SPARRING - NO.1 through to NO.9
TWO-STEP SPARRING - NO.1 through to NO.4
ONE STEP SPARRING
BREAKING BOARDS - TWO STRIKES DECIDED BY EXAMINER
FREE SPARRING, INCLUDING 2 ONTO 1
ALL PATTERNS, SEVERAL TIMES OVER WITH VARIOUS EXCERCISES IN BETWEEN
This grading is for RED belt.
PASSED
NINTH GRADING - June 3rd 2007
PATTERN TO LEARN - HWA RANG (29 Moves)
Video Of Hwa Rang Pattern
HWA-RANG is named after the Hwa-Rang youth group, which originated in the Silla Dynasty in the early 7th century. The 29 movements refer to the 29th Infantry Division, where Taekwon-Do developed into maturity.
THREE-STEP SPARRING - NO.1 through to NO.9
TWO-STEP SPARRING - NO.1 through to NO.4
ONE STEP SPARRING
BREAKING BOARDS - STRIKES DECIDED BY EXAMINER
FREE SPARRING, INCLUDING 2 ONTO 1
ALL PATTERNS, SEVERAL TIMES OVER WITH VARIOUS EXCERCISES IN BETWEEN
This grading is for BLACK TAG ON RED belt.
Passed!
TENTH GRADING - November 25th, 2007
PATTERN TO LEARN - CHOONG MOO (30 Moves)
Video Of Choong Moo Pattern
CHOONG-MOO was the name given to the great Admiral Yi Soon-Sin of the Yi Dynasty. He was reputed to have invented the first armoured battleship (Kobukson) in 1592, which is said to be the precursor of the present day submarine. The reason why this pattern ends with a left hand attack is to symbolize his regrettable death, having no chance to show his unrestrained potentiality checked by the forced reservation of his loyalty to the king.
Grading will involve everything ever covered over the past 5 years!
I've had to learn a fair bit about this over the last four months.
For those who may be unaware, the nasal septum is a thin piece of cartilage that separates each side of the nose internally. Normally it is straight, but it can be deviated naturally during growth or it may become damaged by an injury to the nose.
Well, four months ago yesterday I got (ahem) a slight whack to the nose during training. Initially it bled like a tap and didn't properly stop until six hours later. After a two hour visit to A&E and covered in my own blood, I was told I was "very lucky" it wasn't broken but there was some cartliage damage.
Anyway, after a Doctor's visit I was told I had a "hairline fracture" (Damaged Septum) and then had to see the ENT specialist at Cheltenham General and that corrective surgery would be required which will mean a stop-over in hospital.
It's not been the most comfortable few months to put it mildly so although it will initially mean some pain, I'll be happy to be able to breathe normally again sometime soon after the op. The op is called Septoplasty where the septum is straightened and also my turbinates will be trimmed.
I won't be able to do any contact sport for quite some time until everything has healed properly. Certainly for 2 weeks I have to take it as easy as possible, no lifting, excercises or being in smokey atmospheres or crowds.
I have read many articles from different people's experiences after the operation and I will be adding mine day by day here in the hope they will help others. Not all Septoplasty operations are the same and recovery times can vary quite a lot - this was just be my own personal account.
December 13 - Operation Day:
Had the operation around 10.30am in the morning and came round about 1.30ish not feeling too bad - a shot of morphene may have helped there though!
Back to the ward around 2pm with full nose packing in place although this wasn't nearly as uncomfortable as I thought it might be. Just a few hours later though, and much earlier than I'd expected - the packing was taken out.
This was by far the worst part. It seemed like two great canisters were being extracted from the nose and the blood didn't half pour out. The nurse pinched the nose for what seemed like an eternity and then I got very faint. Just a minute later for the first time in my life I was on the oxygen machine and stayed on it for 30 minutes.
The nose oozes blood for the rest of the day (which is normal) and it's not wise to move too much. It's hard to sleep at night - there wasn't too much in the way of pain (I suppose the pain killers did the job) but it was extremely uncomfortable.
Despite needing to go for a "No.1" it was very difficult. You can't strain because of the nose but nothing happens if you don't!
Shared my ward with 3 other guys who made the most horrendous noises - it was quite torturous. The guy opposite though was very friendly and had a similar operation to me.
December 14 - Operation Day +1:
Managed my first food for 36 hours in the shape of one piece of toast. Had my first actual look at the nose which is obviously swelled and quite bloody. The registrar came round and explained everything had gone to plan and that I would need some saline nasal drops to use straight away - the NHS didn't provide them though - Mrs CT had to get them from Boots!
Left hospital in the morning after being told I wouldn't even need a follow up appointment - I assume that was positive! Just told to take normal pain-killers and have to mandatory 14 days rest.
It's difficult to speak above a whisper - it feels very uncomfortable like the most massive head cold you could imagine. Spent most of the day in bed, nose continues to ooze - feels weird when you have a drink as it seems to enlarge and go pop inside (tried with a Lucozade and couldn't finish the bottle). Did manage a few hours sleep but still completely blocked up.
December 15 - Operation Day +2:
Got my first few tiny amounts of air through the right nostril today. Didn't last long but it's a start. Hopefully the Saline spray is starting to help a bit as it still feels very tight and crusty. Still got the blood ooze - actually feels like the nose isn't there sometimes as it's swollen and still a little numb. There is also a very small numb part just behind my two front teeth on the gums.
For the first time the nose stings a touch and my teeth have hurt a few times too.
December 16 - Operation Day +3:
Managed some reasonable sleep last night which surprises me considering I'm still breathing through the mouth. Unfortunately the blood ooze is still there but with a combination of tablets and saline spray there is a small improvement in breathing through the right nostril. Nothing at all apart from some tiny airwaves yesterday for the left hand side.
I'm quite alert and OK although if i stand or sit up for any more than 20 minutes I find I need to lie down again. Some small improvement in the left nostril but not that much. Occasionally get a stinging pain - nasty little dried blood spot on the outside of the nose which can't really be touched - no picking or blowing the nose for at least a week!
Went for a slow walk around the block today. Just to get a small sense of normality back. Progress is slow but just at the moment it's better than I'd hoped.
December 17 - Operation Day +4:
Had another walk today - got some very small blasts of cold air in the right nostril but not much. Still very caked up with blood and goo, would love to blow the bloody thing but know I can't - the blood ooze is still going but seems a little less of the red stuff at the moment which is good because I can't have that much left to lose!
Had small airflow at the same time which is encouraging, not oo much but still some all the same. I feel the spray is helping and I'm also taking Lemsip tablets too. The nose still stings occasionally but generally there is little pain. 99% of breathing is still through the mouth - I'm sort of getting used to it now - half the battle with this is staying relaxed and patient (two things I'm probably not best at) so I'm doing my best.
I think recovery is going OK (says quietly) but it's slow.
December 18 - Operation Day +5:
An early morning walk today after not such a good night. Very stuffed up this morning but slight improvement near lunchtime. The urge to blow your nose is unbearable but I said I would heed the Medical staff's advice and not do it for at least a week.
Just by blowing there was a lot of bloody mucous and I've got rid of a bit (yes it's gross, but it's factual!) and breathing has improved through both nostrils - not great but better.
On the negative side I've definitely had a slight loss of taste. I can't taste things to a point so I know what it is but everything tastes a bit sour and not quite right at the moment which I believe is pretty normal.
Smell seems OK, I actually managed to smell my little boy's dirty nappy which was interesting!
December 19 - Operation Day +6:
Tried a few things today. Popped a towel over my head and tried to sniff up some steam with some Vic's Vapour-Rub which helped and later on just some steam - certainly seems to de-crust just a touch. Had managed a few hours sleep overnight, probably about 3 - but I'm used to that anyway!
The loss of taste was a worry but that has gradually come back this afternoon, not completely but it's better which is a relief. Still using the saline spray which I hope is helping although the nose is still very crusty - the blood ooze appears to have stopped today too - for the first time I haven't got through endless numbers of tissues!
Had another walk but seem exhausted afterwards - slept for 2 hours after a 30 minute walk this afternoon. Got a couple of banging headaches which I took standard pain-killers for, in general though a productive day - I hope it continues.
The breathing through the nose ebbs and flows. Sometimes on side is OK but it's still generally plugged and most breathing is through the mouth.
December 20 - Operation Day +7:
Wow, one week seems to have gone pretty quickly.
Signs of improvement today after a very bunged up start. Had another steam session for 10 minutes which really loosens up all the crusty stuff inside and I managed to very carefully pick out a couple of nasty ones in the right nostril which when dry were hurting quite a lot.
Picking when dry was not an option but it seems to have improved since I "picked when wet". A few times have has breathing through both nostrils but mainly still through the right. Headaches are still a problem but that's what the pain-killers are there for.
The sense of taste is continuing to come back slowly - a ham sandwich today which actually tasted a bit of ham! It's not totally back but it's better than a couple of days ago when I was concerned and my appetite is definitely back.
After one week the signs of improvement are good - lets hope it continues.
December 21 - Operation Day +8:
Had a walk in town today and had a first go at blowing the nose, albeit pretty tamely. It certainly doesn't feel so crusty and tight and I'm definitely getting better airflow through the nose although it's still on and off.
The nose still runs occasionally and feels very numb, just like it did the day after it got the initial whack. At night the airflow is only through the right while the left is plugged up so I still end up breathing through my mouth while asleep.
Appetite has definitely come back - ate 15 chocolate biscuits in the day!! It's taking time but I'd like to think it's all heading in the right direction.
December 22 - Operation Day +9:
Headaches were order of the day today. With the left nostril still blocked I've had a couple of real belting ones - it's strange that when I walk about in the fresh air that the left clears a bit and things improve.
Still can't really blow my nose. I've likened it to driving a Rolls Royce but having the engine of a Nissan Micra 1.0 - there's no bloody power! Most of the crusty bits have gone but not completely. Still sounds like I have a heavy head cold at the moment.
Speaking to someone who had the operation earlier this year, they said it was approximately a month before normal breathing returned. I'm certainly finding at the moment that only one nostril works at and that sometimes switches - similar to before the operation.
December 25 - Operation Day +12:
One of my first real targets, getting to Christmas Day and being able to enjoy it with my family. Most of the time the airflow is through the right (managed to sleep for the first time doing this too) and occasionally swops out to the left.
Definitely improves when outside and on the move. Quite a few headaches since but in the main after 12 days it had improved enough that I didn't notice it too much during the day - plus I could taste the food too which was a bonus.
It still feels very numb but the improvement is still there, albeit a touch slow at the moment. Still can't properly blow the nose but the crusty bits are starting to go with a bit of "persuasive picking"!
December 27 - Operation Day +14:
OK, so it's two weeks now since the operation. Breathing is much improved, still mainly on the right but the left is joining in gradually especially after I try to blow my nose. I say try because it's still very hard to do - let's say I've improved from the Nissan Micra to a Ford Focus but it's still not enough!
My sense of taste appears to be pretty much back intact and the numb part behind my teeth has virtually gone apart from just a very small area.
The nose is still pretty crusty and I found it hurting this morning as I never used the Saline spray yesterday. It's still tender to touch and still feels very numb but it's getting there slowly.
Will update this diary again in a few days.
December 31 - Operation Day +18:
So where are we now? Well the breathing is still improving if not quite there just yet. Tends to be quite blocked at night, still better when up and about, more so in the fresh air.
Crusty bits are all but gone although right hand side still isn't clear yet. The nose still feels numb and is difficult to move by itself although there is some more power when blowing it now - I'm probably up to a Ford Mondeo now!
I'm still using the Saline spray but not too much now if I can help it. Basically it's still getting better every day but at it's own pace - patience is certainly a virtue with a Septoplasty operation and generally I don't have very much but with this somehow I have.
I've played everything by the book - didn't blow nose until day 9, didn't excercise until day 18 and stayed away from smoky atmosphere's.
Happy New Year!
January 13 - Operation Day +31:
So one calender month on - doesn't time fly?
I would say things are 90% there now - my sleep has improved no end, getting between 6 and 7 hours easy although last couple of nights have seen the nose a bit blocked - had a dream it was sealed up!
The airflow is pretty good with the right hand side being 100% and left about 75% but it's much better. I can blow my nose pretty well now and there are no crusty bits anywhere. It still feels slightly numb but that is getting better albeit slowly.
There is still improvement to be made but I can safely say that one month on things are so much better and I would recommend this operation to anyone who suffers with septum problems.
January 28 - Operation Day +46:
Been blocked up at night recently, especially the left side although it will change as it did before the operation. Had a very slight cold which wouldn't have helped but it always seems to improve as soon as I'm stood up.
In general things are good, I can excercise, swim etc with no problems and my sleep times are much much better. The nose feels like it's coming out of it's numb stage which makes it itchy with the urge to move it all the time.
I would say even now that there is still room for improvement but I reckon I'm 90% there.
February 28 - Operation Day +77:
A visit to a local ENT Doctor today to check all is well.
I've been experiencing airflow through one side and then changing - especially at night although during the day things are generally (but not always) OK. This would appear normal as the airflow should change around every twenty minutes as otherwise the inside would become too dry.
Doc said it was still actually "early days" and that I should keep using nasal spray to keep the inside moist - he also mentioned that it's still inflamed but that this was common.
It probably didn't help that I've got a stinking cold at the moment. Anyway, Doc seemed to be happy and said unless I was worried about anything there would be no need to see him again - so fingers crossed.
June 13th - Operation Day + 6 Months:
Six months. I can't believe that.
Overall the nose is fine - I'd say it's 90% fine as the left nostril still blocks now and again, plus I spoke to someone who had the op 2 years ago and said it would take longer to get "complete breathing". I've found the use of the nasal strips Robbie Fowler used to wear extremely helpful, especially overnight.
What else can I say apart from it's so much better than it was and overall was worth the early discomfort of the operation.
December 13th - Operation Day + 1 Year:
One year! Wow.
Well, it's certainly no fun when you have a cold. In the main I tend to find that one nostril will block up when I'm in bed but will clear as soon as I'm up and about.
If I lie on my left side my right nostril will stay clear and vice versa, though I find the left one not as good.
Generally though, when I'm not full up with cold, it's so much better and breathing is absolutely fine.
First album was Weapon Called The Word which spawned classics such as "Carry Me", "Together All The Way" and "England My Home"..
LEVELLING THE LAND;
I've been a big fan since 1991 and the Levelling The Land album. This was the album which grabbed me and never let go. My favourite Levellers track is on here - The Boatman. Other greats include "15 Years", "The Game", "Another Mans Cause" - just the whole album basically!
This album also included the anthem "One Way", which has been a Live favourite for years. "There's only one way of life, and that's your own" - never a truer lyric ever written.
LEVELLERS;
If you wanted lyrics that actually meant something, this was another album to buy. "100 years of Solitude", "Dirty Davey" and "The Likes Of You & I" stood out, but the whole album was again very impressive.
ZIETGEIST;
Zietgeist was superb. The singles "Hope Street" and "Fantasy" came from it but my favourites were "Saturday To Sunday", "Maid Of The River", "Forgotten Ground" and "PC Keen".. Yet another immensely strong album, lyrically and musically.
HEADLINES - LIVE;
The Levs released a live album from the 95/96 tour (which included a date at the Villa Leisure Centre - I reckon it's about time there was a another one. This one has all the "old" favourites on - "One Way", "The Boatman", "Liberty", "The Road" and "The Riverflow" etc...
MOUTH TO MOUTH;
Mouth to Mouth wasn't liked by some but I thought it was fine. "What A Beautiful Day" grabbed the public's attention but some top tracks included "Survivors", "Far Away" and the heart-tugging "Elation". It was at this point I had my first taste of the Levs live at Wolverhampton - and what a night it was.
HELLO PIG; Just to prove I'm not completely One-eyed, THIS was my least favourite of all the Levs albums, and I'd waited THREE years for it too. The "real" Levellers got lost somewhere on here - some tracks stood out - "61 Minutes Of Pleading", "Sold England" and "Edge Of The World" reminded me of past greats - but the album lacked, and Mark didn't need to mess about with voice machines when he has a voice like he has.
GREEN BLADE RISING;
The latest album is Green Blade Rising, and for me, a return to a more "traditional" Levellers sound. The album is excellent - in my personal opinion, only "Not What We Wanted" is a bit of a let down - the rest is excellent. "Pretty Target", "Falling From The Tree", "Wild As Angels" and "Believers" are my picks of the album.
Seen them live twice now- they have such power that they can get people really involved in a gig - even when some of those people didn't really know much about them in the first place.
Levellers: Truth & Lies Album Review
So, the mighty Levellers are back with another studio offering and it's the best stuff they've come out with for a while. The Album cover depicts Uncle Sam covered in sh*t with blood dripping from his fingers.
They're not evolving into any new musical directions and certainly not appealing to any new fans (No.38 for the single said it all) but this album shows there is plenty of life in the old dogs yet. "Green Blade Rising" was the last album and was good - but this is definitely better.
"Last Man Alive" is a brilliant guitar driven start and the closest thing I've heard to "Fifteen Years". The single "Make You Happy" does just that and "Confess" carries on the standard with a catchy chorus and lyrics that suggest they boys maybe tired but they would do it all again.
"For Us All" will be a favourite on the live scene and "Knot Around The World" keeps the pace up with a topical current war politics theme. "Wheels" is another great track on the album and "Who's The Daddy" reminds us all that we have little control over what goes on in our lives.
Small negatives are that Simon doesn't sing on his own on the album (which is actually a big minus) and the record does tend to drift for the last couple of tracks in my opinion.
Overall it's a very, very good return for the Brighton boys and should keep the live audiences well entertained over the coming months.
GIG WATCH;
CHELTENHAM TOWN HALL - MARCH 4th.
Although I'd seen the Levs in Wolverhampton in 1997, this was the first time I'd got to see my favourite band play in my home-town.
Support acts were very good - Kovak (not sure of the spelling there) were quite Travis like and the lead singer did a decent impression of Matt Bellamy (Muse) during one track.
Next up - lone man and guitar (Nick Harper I think his name was) - boy could he play and wail! Managed to change a guitar string during one track - very impressive.
IT'S 9.20pm....
Fantastic, absolutely bloody fantastic. I didn't really expect anything else from The Levellers, but they proved that they still give a live show that few can rival.
The old songs were without doubt received best by the home crowd - "One Way", "The Game", "Carry Me", "Liberty", "The Riverflow" etc. Slightly embarrassing when most people thought "Dirty Davey" had finished when there was still one of the most moving lines in music still to follow.
The Levs gave the latest album , Green Blade Rising a good airing too, opening with "Come On" and then blasting out "Pretty Target", "Four Winds" and "Aspects Of Spirit". The band looked as if they were enjoying it as much as the crowd were.
Didn't get to hear my personal favourite "The Boatman", but that was a very minor point. "Another Mans Cause" seemed very apt with War just around the corner.
Surprised at the mix of people there - if some of those who went were going just to check out the Levs they would have left as confirmed fans - they are just THAT good. I left with very sore legs (to go with the Knee/Thigh injuries!) but I didn't care, it was well worth it.
Simply brilliant. Best £15 I could have spent (+drinks!). Don't leave it so long before coming back again guys!
They didn't leave it too long....
GIG WATCH II:
Cheltenham Town Hall - April 5th
First up was a four-piece called The Mutts who could obviously play but got pretty boring after four or five tracks. Didn't have a clue what the lead singer was going on about.
Next in line were the Stateside Hombres - nine band members on stage here playing ska/reggae stuff and it was pretty good. One of the guys was linked with our former local heroes EMF (you remember them? - You're Unbelieveable!) The third track sounded very Bad Manners and certainly got the crowd interested and grooving - this was a bit more like it - I quite liked it.
The Levellers hit the stage just after 9.30pm and rattled through seven tracks from the "Levelling The Land" album which was most definitely the best received by the crowd.
Most of the studio albums were represented by something, a few different songs had an airing and the mix was pretty good. Simon sang song solo "When Love Runs Out Of Time" but "Dirty Davey" and "One Way" were the pick of the night as the guys were on top form yet again. The old tracks are always the best in my opinion!
The crowd seemed less in number than last year, although it was apparantly a sell-out. Some people there made me wonder why they bother going at all - one bloke near us never moved or clapped the entire night, even during all the upbeat happy tunes, the miserable tosser.
The night finished with "Wake The World" which, while a good track, is a strange one to finish on as it's so laid back and slow. The 2003 tour used that as its finishing song so I was surprised they kept it.
Overall they still produced a live show few will touch and £16 to make your ears ring like hell for 24 hours seems an absolute bargain
Mad Caddies, The Irish Club, Birmingham 2004.
When we visited L.A. last year, Roger played us a tape in his car of a band called the Mad Caddies covering Abba's track "S.O.S". Roger also said not to miss them if you get a chance to see them live, so me and Hatemanu took that opportunity on Friday night. It was well worth every penny.
Second support band Belvedere were OK but very samey and it got quite boring near the end so the crowd were well up for the Caddies at 9.20pm.
They played a mix of all sorts of stuff including their well known tracks such as "10 West", "Drinking For 11" and "Weird Beard". They covered the Abba track and also a short version of R.E.M's "Everybody Hurts". Anyway, after a very sweaty hour and twenty minutes they finished with the fantastic "All American Badass" which just about finished everyone off for the evening. They were brilliant and everyone loved it.
The evenings fun wasn't over yet as we dashed back to New Street Station just in time to see our 11.04pm train moving off the track one minute early. We'd missed our train home! It was looking like we'd be stranded in Brum for the evening but Hatemanu's Dad and friend Marilyn (who drove) came to get us at 1.30am - something which we were very, very grateful for. We owe them one for that.
We met some very interesting people on the night, the helpful lady at the Bus Station, the guy in the Iron Maiden t-shirt, the barmaid who didn't know what "Monkey Brains" were, the two guys at the Station offering "round the world" advice on where to sleep, and the guy with dreads who pushed me and Hatemanu over and then shook our hands! Thanks to whoever it was who helped me up by the way.
Mad Caddies: ALBUMS SO FAR
Duck And Cover
"Macho Nachos" is easily the finest track of the whole album, speedy punk with an unforgettable horn line which you will be singing to yourself for weeks. "Monkeys" is up next, complete with banjo and "Road Rash" and "The Joust" are my personal faves. A real mix of everything on here.
Quality Soft
"Goleta" will make you skank till you drop, that's for sure, but more importantly this album should put you into a good mood whenever it hits your CD player.
The Holiday Has Been Cancelled (EP)
Only 5 tracks on here, starts off with the excellent "Falling Down" and finishes with one of the best cover versions you'll here - Abba's "S.O.S".
Rock The Plank
Some classic stuff on here. "Mary Melody", "Days Away" and "Bridges" get the album off to the perfect start. Maybe less horns on here than normal but any album with "All American Badass" on it cannot be criticised at all. It just has to be one of my favourite tracks ever!
Just One More
The latest studio offering has everything the Mad Caddies can musically offer. "Drinking For 11" starts it off slowly and accoustically but "Contraband" changes the tone completely going into all out thrashing guitars. "Villains" is another highlight, along with "10 West" and "Wet Dog". Song of the album for me though is "Leavin".
Live In The Key Of Eh
Unless you've seen them live then you may not appreciate this as the album doesn't capture the "live" experience enough for me. This was pretty much the set list we saw on that night in Brum - a mixture of everything they've ever done.
The Toronto crowd seem pretty quiet during a lot of this but I'm sure they were jumping away getting extremely sweaty - as you do! All the old favourites are on here and it all ends with "All American Badass" - the only way possible.
But Why Are They So Unknown?
If it hadn't have been for meeting up with Rog in L.A. , I would probably still be blissfully unaware of the Mad Caddies today. Fortunately just 14 months and one gig later I'm a big fan - but talk to many in this country about the Caddies and you just get a blank look.
Getting hold of the live album "Live In The Key Of Eh" was difficult which obviously wouldn't attract too many fans. Amazon sub contracted it and it was imported in as no shops were interested in stocking it here.
Why though? These blokes play music and have a great time doing it but there's no compromise in the quailty. I love the guitar and horn mix - always have, and the drumming, bass guitar and vocals are excellent too.
If you want punk it's here. If you want Ska it's here. If you want Reggae, we'll it's here too and if you just wanna skank away silly then look no further. Probably the only band of it's type hyped in my own special way - on our hold music CD at work.
Fortunately I'm in charge of burning CD compilations for our hold music but I have to be a bit careful what I put on there. We listen to it all day but the customers also get to hear it while they wait so "All American Badass" and "Bridges" are off the menu - brilliant tracks though they are!
"Drinking For 11" is there though, as is "S.O.S" the Abba Cover, "Spare Change" and "Just One More" also features. I feel we have the best hold music in the country!
Hatemanu came with me to the gig but had been converted anyway, so go on, give em a try, you know you want to!
I've been a season-ticket holder for twelve years now (also now a shareholder too) and followed the ups and downs of this wonderful club. I am a firm believer that Mr Doug Ellis should stand down, and we MAY only progress when he does.
FAV PLAYERS - Tony Morley, Gary Shaw, David Platt, Paul Merson, Paul McGrath, Paul Birch and Alan McInally.
FAV PLAYER (CURRENT) - Olof Mellberg
MOST HATED OPPOSITION PLAYERS - Alan Shearer, Ian Wright & Dw*ght Y*rke
FAV MATCH - Tranmere (home) - League Cup Semi-final 1994
WORST MATCH - Oldham (away) FA Cup & Chelsea in the Cup Final.
A one and a half day trip over to the Lakes of Northern Italy was not without it's incidents. One of our number had too much to drink and never made it! God bless Ratty! The rest of us mingled with the nightlife including some idiot who tried to sit in a basket on the front of a pushbike - stand up Spanner1969! Can't remember who was riding it at the time though - oops!
The locals were very friendly but once approaching the intimidating SAN SIRO their mood changed. The atmosphere was as intimadating as I've known to this day with our fans being placed in the top corner, out of sight and sound. Our flags and voices were out in force but it was all to no avail.
Villa were taken apart by a side containing 3 German internationals and 6 Italian, although we will argue to this day that the winning goal should never have been as the cross had already gone out of play.
We never stood a chance that night. The first leg gave us all hope but nobody could have prepared for what the San Siro had in store for us. Noise and intimidation beyond belief. You had to be there to understand it. The attendance that night was 76,000. It sounded more like 176,000.
It was a fantastic trip, one that none of us have ever forgotten.
VILLA PARK;
ASTON VILLA 3 TRANMERE ROVERS 1; March 1994 An incredible match, my favourite ever, had everything. The build up had been all about them and their fans were lapping it up. Their attitude was one of "we're already there" and they had no worries about doing the job at Villa Park. Those of us who were at Prenton Park for the first leg may not have disagreed!
First Deano and then Shaun Teale put us 2-0 up and seemingly on course. Bozzie gave away a pen by tripping Aldridge, the latter getting up to score. The second half was a tidal wave but I honestly felt we'd tried our best but it wouldn't happen. Yet with 2 minutes to go Tony Daley put in the perfect cross for Dalian Atkinson to head home. Mental scenes!
Extra-time came and went, and then came those penalties. Everyone was "on the edge" - my nerves had gone, along with the voice. Ugo had the chance but missed. Ricco then blasted over and they were one kick away from glory. I remember their manager John King getting ready to run on the pitch, the cameramen were poised - a mate looked at me and I just shook my head....but Bozzie was unstoppable and he let everyone know it. Suddenly Ian Nolan was stepping up to keep them in it - and he didn't. We were going to Wembley for the first time in 17 years! (Cue tingle down the spine).
I have to admit to leaping onto the pitch in sheer emotion - we went over to the Tranmere fans, some of who had just one message for us - "If you get United in the final - F*cking beat em for us".
On Sunday March 27th 1994 - we did just that.
WEMBLEY;
ASTON VILLA 3 LEEDS UNITED 0; March 1996
A perfect day. A great session before the game in a pub full of Leeds fans had set the tone...
Brian Little stood with arms raised as Savo Milosevic, a striker who'd been ridiculed by the press, smashed in a goal from 25 yards that sent Villa on their way.
It ended as one of the most one sided finals in years as Ian Taylor and Dwight Yorke completed the rout. Mark Draper and Andy Townsend were brilliant in the Villa midfield and Leeds simply had no answer.
VILLA PARK;
ASTON VILLA 2 INTER MILAN 0; Oct 1990
An oh so memorable European night at Villa Park.
A little guy called Paul Birch put German International Lothar Matthius in his back pocket with a fantastic display. Inter had 9 current Internationals in their side but were put to the sword by the men in Claret and Blue.
The superb David Platt had seemingly given Villa the tie by scoring a second goal created by Gordon Cowans. The real gem of the night was Kent Nielsen's stunning strike that put Villa ahead. Nielsen formed a great partnership with Paul McGrath, aka God, at the heart of the defence.
Nights like this made supporting Villa a wonderous experience.
ANFIELD;
LIVERPOOL 1 ASTON VILLA 2; Feb 1993
10 Visits to Anfield it took me to see this! I always remember at half time standing in the bog and everyone saying "this always happens here" - referring to the fact that we always played well, but never got the breaks. We were 1-0 down to a John Barnes goal, but 2nd half Villa came out fighting and Garry Parker fired a rocket to level things up.
Then Dean Saunders took advantage of Torben Pichnik's awful defending to silence the Kop End. The away corner was delierious, but with 20 minutes left no-one took anything for granted. Despite the pressure, Villa finally won at Anfield. Ron Atkinson had moulded a team capable of results like this.
At a regular pub stop in Stone (Staffs), we treated ourselves to champagne. It meant that much.
BAZALY STADIUM
BANIK OSTRAVA 1 ASTON VILLA 2: October 1990
The first English travellers into Europe since the ban was enforced after Heysel. Our destination was the Eastern corner of Czechoslovakia and a small mining town called Ostrava.
A great trip included a trip to Prague and a stay in Pilzen where myself and Spanner managed to annoy a local groundsman by playing on the pitch of FC Pilzen (a 1st division side).
On arriving the locals were looking up gobsmacked at the double-decker coach we arrived in. They were very friendly and wanted to swap any souveniers that they could.
The match itself was edgy, Banik going ahead just before half-time from a free-kick, making it 3-2 to Villa overall. Fortunately a great header from Derek Mountfield and an own goal from Villa legend Ivo Stas saw the visitors thorugh.
Only 150 Villa fans were there that night and if you take away our party of 4 that left 146. Not too many people can say they were there on a cold Tuesday night on the border of Poland to watch the likes of Chris Price and Ian Ormondroyd ply their trade. It's something I am very proud of and loved every minute of it.
THE COUNTY GROUND;
SWINDON TOWN 0 ASTON VILLA 0; May 1988
The sort of organisation that Swindon attempted that day would be the result of a public enquiry today. Home fans not bothered never turned up, while one corner of the ground had as many Villa fans squeezed in as possible. While their fans didn't care, the team did, and they gave Villa the toughest test.
The game was tense, and we never got going. We knew that Bradford and Leicester were doing us massive favours, but after the whistle the announcer declared WE had gone up. Radio listeners knew different - there were SEVEN agonising minutes of play left at Boro.
Finally it all went ballistic! Leicester had held out and Graham Taylor had got us back up at the first attempt. Many a beer followed as the celebrations got under way.
VILLA PARK;
ASTON VILLA 1 JUVENTUS 2; October 1982
An amazing night at VP. This gobsmacked kid had literally just got to his seat with his mate as Paulo Rossi scored. Villa Park was packed to the rafters, but shocked into silence. The Italians had players such as Rossi, Boniek and Bettiga but it was a measure of Aston Villa's stature that when Sid Cowans equalised, all we could see was a winner for us.
However, Boniek scored again and the tie was effectively over. That night, people parked on lawns and Villa Park was the one of the hubs of European football.
The crowd reaction to Sid's goal was absolutely stunning.
GOODISON PARK;
EVERTON 3 ASTON VILLA 3; May 1990
One of the best atmosphere's at an away game ever in my opinion. Many of us had decided on beach wear for the day and this was a sound move as the weather was superb.
During half-time the away end reverberated to "Graham Taylor's Claret & Blue army" - non stop for 15 minutes and then afterwards too as the Villa fans refused to leave until Sir Graham had come back out to acknowledge the travelling support. It was the last time he would do so before leaving for the England job.
The match, although technically meaningless was a corker - Villa going 3-1 ahead with goals from Tony Cascarino, Gordon Cowans and Tony Daley. TC had actually scored an OG and Everton rallied near the end to level things up - but nobody really cared as the atmosphere and singing was relentless.
The drinking on the way home was relentless too.....
VILLA PARK;
ASTON VILLA 3 BARCELONA 0; Jan 1983
These were the nights that made Villa Park such a special place. A crowd of 32,000 made a deafening noise that night as Villa set about overcoming a 0-1 first leg reverse against the mighty Spanish giants.
With just 10 minutes left it appeared Villa had done all they could but from a knocked down free-kick, Gary Shaw pounced to send the tie into extra time. The tackles were flying in and the Spaniards cheated, fouled and acted just as expected.
A penalty in extra time from Gordon Cowans put Villa 2-0 up (Sid was subsequently kicked in the net by the Barca keeper) and a Ken McNaught header finished the night off. Villa ended up with 10 men when Alan Evans was dismissed - Barcelona ended up with nine!
Just months after winning the European Cup, Aston Villa were still capable of beating the best that Europe had to offer. It was a fabulous night and one I'll never forget.
VILLA PARK;
ASTON VILLA 7 WIMBLEDON 1; Feb 1995
On the face of it just another routine league game against one of the most miserable opponents of their time. When Wimbledon went a goal ahead it looked like another fruitless afternoon against the Dons for the Villa.
Tommy Johnson and Dean Saunders had other ideas as they systematically tore the Dons apart - TJ claimed a hat-trick and also the match ball - Saunders also looked to have scored three but had one taken away as an own goal. Dwight Yorke completed the seven goal rout which was totally unexpected by a meagre crowd of under 24,000.
Brian Little's reign at Villa Park was just taking shape - Villa were to be 4-1 up against Leicester in the next home game only to end up drawing 4-4 and in the process starting a nightmare run that nearly saw us relegated.
OLD TRAFFORD;
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 ASTON VILLA 1; May 1987
A few of us decided to "train" this one. With Villa already relegated we were going to have a good laugh today (as we did with most away games that season). Unfortunately two of us overslept and the other two got an earlier train. Myself and "The Spanner" however enjoyed a very lively journey of song, beer and fire extinguishers.
A quick exit followed at Manchester! A bit worse for wear we eventually stumbled into OT to be greeted by Villa wearing that marvellous Yellow Henson Kit.
The away end was standing then - completely packed and singing that went on for the entire 90 minutes which was well reported in the papers. Villa lost 3-1 with Andy Gray giving Martin Keown a verbal lashing right in front of us and Paul Birch scoring on our final top flight game for at least one year.
The days of trains, standing, singing etc are gone now and despite the modern legislation which I agree must be followed, football is the poorer for it.
There are certain goals that as a supporter, you will never forget. The ones that made you hug complete strangers, jump around like a lunatic and made you go mental - just that bit more than normal!
The following are my personal faves.....
STAN COLLYMORE;
Stan Collymore's goal against ATHLETICO MADRID in the UEFA Cup Q/Final was an absolute beauty. Cut in from the left and buried into the top corner. The crowd went beserk but alas in the end it was all to no avail - it was just a tiny glimpse of what might have been from Stan.
STEVE STAUNTON;
Steve Staunton's rocket against MAN UTD is next. Old.T was the venue at a time when Villa & United were going for the title and the away fans tickets numbered less than 700. Anyway, Stan picked up a loose ball and buried a shot with pace and accuracy into the top corner past a stranded Schmeichel and sent the small travelling army into raptures.
DALIAN ATKINSON;
Always known as the "umbrella goal"! Dalian Atkinson's amazing solo effort away to WIMBLEDON (at Selhurst Park) was a stunning goal to witness. Starting deep in his own half and shrugging off several challanges, Dalian eventually chipped over Hans Segers and came over to the Villa terrace with arms outstretched with a "is that OK?" expression on his face!
DEAN SAUNDERS;
Dean Saunders' rasping 40yrd volley against IPSWICH was scored during some brilliant team play from Ron Atkinson's side. Way out on the right hand side, Deano hammered the ball skywards and it dipped perfectly over the Town keeper. One of the best ever individual strikes I've ever seen which somehow didn't win BBC's Goal Of The Month!
SAVO MILOSEVIC;
Who could forget LEEDS - Wembley 96? Picking up a ball and taking several strides he unleashed a viscious 25 yard screamer over John Lukic that set Villa on their way to to one of the most comprehensive Cup Final wins ever. Savo had been ridiculed, even by the commentators - this shut them up as the young Serb hit his dream goal.
PAUL MERSON;
Paul Merson against COVENTRY next. The goal that finally rid the Premiership of the Sky Blues was a classic. After picking up a headed clearance, Merse curled a beauty into the top corner past Kirkland which signalled wild celebrations. Paul is probably still the only player we have capable of goals like that.
JUAN PABLO ANGEL;
Juan Pablo Angel from the same COVENTRY game. In desperate need of his first goal, JPA reacted quicky to Southgate's cross to bang home in front of the Holte End. Everyone was so relieved for the bloke and a new hero had been born.
SAVO MILOSEVIC;
Savo Milosevic also scored his first home Villa goal against COVENTRY and while his Wembley goal against Leeds seemed the obvious choice, this one made the fans just as happy. Savo couldn't bag his first VP goal for love nor money before this game but finally managed a far post header to send the Holte End wild. Savo then prodeeded to get a hat-trick!
SHAUN TEALE;
Shaun Teale scored Villa's second against TRANMERE in the amazing semi-final of the League Cup. His diving header put Villa right back in the game as Villa Park witnessed of the best games with the best atmospheres ever.
DALIAN ATKINSON;
Dalian Atkinson again, his first goal in the 94 League Cup Final against Man U gave Villa the belief they could beat the "hot favourites". Dalian chased a through ball and nudged past the now sadly departed Les Sealey to send the Villa faithful wild. Villa went on to win 3-1 and stop the cocky and arrogant United "fans" from celebrating a treble-winning season.
GARRY PARKER;
Garry was the scorer of many fine goals for Villa, and just one of them was at Anfield when LIVERPOOL were beaten 2-1. Parker hammered home a loose ball from 20 yards that rifled in and silenced the Kop End - it proved to be the catalyst for Dean Saunders winner and my first Villa victory at Anfield in 10 visits of trying!
ALAN McINALLY;
A relatively small crowd for a midweek cup fixture against MILLWALL at Villa Park saw "Rambo" score his best Villa goal. Whilst McInally scored several excellent goals this topped them all. Picking up a ball in his own half and beating everything that Millwall could offer before sliding past a helpless goalkeeper.
