|
Seaboard FC gain hard fought victory
MBMG Bangkok Casuals League
Seaboard FC secured another 3 points on Saturday with a
4-2 victory over an impressive German All Stars team. The Germans traveled
from Bangkok with a large squad and were determined to get their first
points of the season against a Seaboard side riding high after their victory
last week in Bangkok.
 Danny
Stevens (14) takes on the German defence.
The game kicked off at a fast pace and both sides managed
some neat interplay. The first chance of the afternoon fell to Seaboard
however on 3 mins. when Ernest Romario ran on to a through ball to cross for
Peter Ndjana to head just wide. Seaboard continued to press and Danny
Stevens managed to get to the bye line on 11 mins. only to see his dangerous
cross put behind by a German defender. Seaboard were slowly getting on top
but at the quarter hour mark a long cross field ball found an unmarked
German forward at the far post who although failing to initially control the
ball managed to cross it back across the face of the Seaboard goal for
another German forward to head home.
1-0 down, Seaboard soon rallied and almost drew level 2
mins. Later when a long ball from the impressive Lee Homer found the full of
running Stevens whose cross was driven narrowly wide by John Campbell.
Seaboard’s efforts were nearly rewarded when they were awarded a free kick
20 yards out after Ndjana had been wrestled to the ground by the German
defence. Stevens took the free kick that was well kept out by the German
keeper. Stevens was now causing the German defence a lot of trouble down the
right hand side and another one of his crosses was nearly turned in by the
on rushing James Phillips.
Seaboard thought they had equalized on 28 mins. when Paul
Derbyshire played through and beat the keeper to the ball. However, the
referee disallowed his effort for handball and promptly issued a yellow
card. Further efforts from Ndjana and Phillips came to nothing as the half
came to a close and Seaboard found themselves 1-0 down at the break.
Seaboard came out for the second half and made their
intentions clear right from the start when a 50 yard ball from Homer was
excellently controlled by Stevens but the ball was taken off his toe by a
German defender and put behind for a corner.
On 46 mins. Seaboard managed to draw level although with
a little fortune when a free kick 45 yards out from Homer was dropped into
his own net by the German keeper. The home side was now in the ascendancy
and shortly after his introduction to the game the young Adam Gardner sped
past a couple of defenders before putting in a cross which the German keeper
managed to beat away. Now playing with a lot of confidence, Seaboard took
the lead at the 61 minute mark. A neat ball was played into Cliff West whose
superb control allowed him to play the ball inside to Campbell who hammered
home from 18 yards out.
Seaboard were now in control but made life difficult for
themselves when Derbyshire received his second yellow for a late challenge
and was dismissed on 69 mins. Rather than sit back and defend Seaboard still
took the game to the Germans and scored again on 74 mins when Homer won a
tough challenge on halfway and hit the ball wide to Romario whose ball
inside was well finished by Mark Brittain.
Seaboard had still not finished and a through ball was
cleverly left by Brittain for Romario to race through and score Seaboards
fourth on 76 mins.
There was still time for some more excitement however
when a through ball from the Germans was collected by one of three players
that looked in an offside position and he ran on to slot home to make the
final score 4-2.
Another well-earned 3 points and with some tremendous
performances especially captain Gary Munro in defence and Craig Banks in
midfield, the season ahead looks good for Seaboard.
A mention should also be made for the German team whose
performance on the afternoon was very good and they can expect to do very
well themselves this season.
Seaboard’s next game will be away in Bangkok against
the Londoner on Saturday October 29, kick off 4:30 p.m.
Seaboard FC has been fortunate enough to secure the
sponsorship of AGS Four Winds International Movers for this season and would
like to thank them for their support.
Anybody who could be interested in joining Seaboard FC,
whether their stay in Thailand is for a long or short period is more than
welcome to come down to the football pitch in Naklua every Tuesday evening
at 6:30 p.m. contact them at seaboardfc@ hotmail.com or call Peter on 01 810
1470.
Sky’s the limit
Peter Nordhues
The Sky
Bar and Woaw’s Pub are hot favourites for the Jomtien 8 ball pool Grand
Prix.
For the last two months, a new team has been taking part
in the Jomtien 8 ball pool league. The Sky Bar is proving to be a popular
venue for fans of the green, blue or red baize. At the moment, every
Thursday, there is the match to determine who will win the the 8 ball
Jomtien league Grand Prix. Although Sky Bar has a regular team, new players
are always welcome and there is also an opportunity for youngsters to come
down to the Sky Bar for pool lessons. Interested parties should contact the
bar manager, Juergen
The sky Bar is situated on Jomtien Beach Road, near Jomtien Complex.
Sport enthusiasts can call for event schedules Tel. 01-864 7267.
Jeff Wylie leads the big hitters parade at Ban Chang Emerald
PSC McAllister’s Golf
Friday October 7 - On a course clearly under management
transition, 27 golfers turned out at Century Ban Chang, now renamed Emerald,
last Friday. After several days of heavy rain the course was very wet and
not in its usual condition - some of the fairways had not been cut and most
of the greens had been sanded. To score well one had to have pretty much a
complete game, which is something that Jeff Wylie obviously has scoring 40
stableford points off a handicap of 6 to win the day. Second on 39 points
was Hamilton (Paddy) Wilson on 39 points, with Bob Benda coming in with 38
points to pick up third place. Paul Taylor and Dennis Willett came in with
36 points tied for fourth. For the higher handicappers amongst us, the
course on Friday was nothing short of a total torment and we look forward to
the results of the promised upgrade in the weeks to come.
(l-r)
Winners Dennis, Jeff and Bob with Khun Nut standing in for Paddy Wilson.
McAllister Bar & Grill was packed for the
prize-giving presentation made by Gerry Carpenter, and all enjoyed the food
and hospitality offered by Don McAllister and his staff late into the day
and for some of us into the early evening.
All are welcome at this popular event. Show up on Fridays some time
between 7:30 a.m. and 8 a.m. and you will be sure of a game with a very
friendly group of golfers.
Sports Quiz
Congratulations to Paul Quodomine for being the first in
with the correct answers to last week’s quiz. In case you missed them,
here they are.
1. Who won this year’s Men’s Singles at the Australian Tennis Open?
Answer: Marat Safin
2. Who won the 2005 World Snooker Championship held at the Crucible Theater
in Sheffield, UK?
Answer: Shaun Murphy
3. Who is the WBA Featherweight Champion?
Answer: Chris John
Remember, be the first to send in the correct answers and win a weekend
carvery for two at Jameson’s Irish Pub. So, here they are:
1. Who won this year’s Tour de France?
2. Who captained the All Blacks this year against the British Lions?
3. Which team in ice hockey won the Stanley Cup in 1989?
Wednesday Quiz League
Rob Dolan turns up the power
at Pattaya C.C.
IPGC Pattaya golf society at the OK Corral
Thursday, October 6 – On hearing that Ban Chang was in
poor condition, the Pattaya golf society left the OK Corral, relishing the
thought of playing a stableford competition at Pattaya Country Club for the
first time in more than a year. It was a wise decision, as the course was
well prepared with consistent greens and good fairways. The large field was
cut at fifteen and under and both flights threw up some fine scores. In
division one, Swedish golfer Mikael Andersson shot the day’s best gross
of 79 (35 points) and only a double bogey on the eighth prevented him from
taking a victory. Instead he was ousted by the duo of Harry Riley and John
Cunningham whose matching 37 points were a fine return and gave them a
share of the top honours. Harry was left to rue the severing of his 3-wood
clubhead on the third, which certainly cost him a point or two.
Division two saw some fine competitive golf as the returning Sunny
Khanna, first posted a leading score of 38 points, only to see Ya
Chaiyanont head him with an excellent 39 point haul, her second sub-par
round of the week. The Pattaya Golf Society’s most regular player, Rob
Dolan, has missed only one outing in the last five months and he finally
came good with a slight modification to his grip. He posted his year’s
best score of 40 points to take the flight. John Cunningham took the rolled
over two’s pot with the day’s only birdie two on the par three, 12th
and elsewhere in the field, a titanic contest was being fought between
‘Boss’, Denis and Len Jones. The contest was only resolved on the final
hole, in favour of the ‘Boss’, thus relegating his partner to the
bottom of the list. Both were left to raise their glasses with the Booby
Bevy award. The clubhouse was in darkness when the field returned and the
long power cut had meant warm beers and no showers but on the course, Rob
Dolan had shown power enough to win on one of the most enjoyable golfing
days at the OK Corral.
Peter Johansson’s lifetime best
IPGC golf from The Haven
Monday October 3
Mountain Shadow, Stableford
1st Norman Isherwood, 33 cb9 17
2nd Roy Thornton, 33 cb9 16
3rd Frank Boyd, 31
4th Barry Traynor, 30 cb9 14
5th Roar Berger, 30 cb9 13
Continuing where they left off the previous week, the
hopefuls from The Haven again found the beautiful Mountain Shadow course to
be a little too tough to handle. For the fourth successive outing, no one
managed to match par. Norman Isherwood and Roy Thornton handled the
conditions and the course best to record scores of three over, with Norman
just winning out on count-back over Roy. Frank Boyd was as surprised as
anyone to find himself in third place with 31 points ahead of Barry Traynor
and Roar Berger. Richard Garland and Norman Isherwood shared the twos in the
first division, whilst Roy Thornton had the only one in the second division
to claim the pot, which included several carry overs and was worth more than
the winners’ prize. Before presenting the prizes Richard Livingston, the
resident PGA teaching professional, welcomed new members Mikael Jansson,
James Sykes and Colin Aitcheson. He also welcomed back Sam Hill and Frank
Boyd.
Wednesday October 5
Pattaya Country Club, Strokeplay
1st Larry Richard, 67
2nd Barry Traynor, 68
3rd Dave Stockman, 70
4th Trevor Schirmer, 71
Larry Richard was so concerned that he would be
considered anything but a worthy winner, that he made a special trip back to
his hotel before the prize giving to collect his club handicap certificate
to confirm it. On the day, he was indeed a good winner with a 5 under return
to just edge out Barry Traynor, who must have thought he had won by a street
following the recent poor showings of the last four competitions. Dave
Stockman made a welcome return with a very workmanlike performance which
showed a two under return. Trevor Schirmer, recently struggling with his
golf, showed a little of the old spark to take the final podium placing at
one under. Trevor Schirmer and Arthur Hancock shared the twos in the first
division but there were none in the second division so the pot was carried
over until the next competition.
Prior to the prize giving Richard welcomed new member
Larry Richard and also welcomed back Dave Stockman and his son Nhwee. Before
the start of the competition, Dave gave his son a 14 shot reduction in
handicap after playing with him the day before and seeing his up to date
potential. This is a welcome occurrence with so many trying to play from
ever higher handicaps to garner a few measly prizes. In the event, try as he
might, Nhwee was not quite as good as his mentor thought he was but the
spirit of it all was appreciated by everyone.
Friday October 7 Green
Valley, Stableford
1st Peter Johansson, 39
2nd Suzi Lawton, 36 cb9 21
3rd Larry Richard, 36 cb9 20
4th Roar Berger, 35 cb9 19
5th Barry Winton, 35 cb9 16
Once again, Green Valley has been redesigned, this time
by an unknown farmer from Udon Thani. There is now a huge advantage in local
knowledge backed up with a top of the line GPS, a range finder and an innate
sense of direction. You could also add that you need a streak of luck to be
able to find the holes and not be disqualified for playing the course in the
wrong order or even wrong direction. Overcoming all the obstacles and with
the benefit of the designers grand daughter as caddy, Peter Johansson had
his best round ever to record a well deserved victory by three clear shots
from Suzi Lawton and Larry Richard, who had to be separated by count-back
for second and third places. Roar Berger got onto the podium for the second
time in a week to underline his improvement, even when the courses are not
playing at their easiest. It was also some feat to keep the slim-line Barry
Winton behind him with a superior count-back over the back nine. It was
noted however, that Barry seemed more interested in getting to the nearest
snack bar than the next green over the closing holes. With Barry Winton
again in the field after his recent lay off due to excessive dieting, it was
surprising that there were no twos in the first division but Gordon Fraser
and Tony McCormack had one each in the second division to prove that it was
not as difficult as the first division was making it out to be.
Back at The Haven, Richard welcomed new members Brian
Dunbar and Paddy Fitzgerald and also welcomed back Suzi Lawton, who declared
a 9 shot reduction in handicap and Gordon Fraser who had declared 6 bottles
of Glenlivet on arrival at customs in Don Muang.
‘Diana Gold’
Charity Golf Tournament
Eastern Star Country Club & Resort
Friday November 11, 2005
Sponsored by Blue Ice Beer & Eastern Star
The 7th annual ‘Diana Gold’ Charity Golf Tournament organized by the
Diana Group and featuring a One Baht Gold Prize On Every Hole
Format (Course closed for Diana Gold – all players off 10th
tee):
Singles Stableford in Four-balls. Tee Times from 07.00 am to 12.15 pm
Registration 6.15 a.m. – 11.30 a.m. Divisions I, II & III, plus Ladies
Division
Entry:
Entry Form, with 2,000 baht Entry Fee, should be given to John Cole or
Khun Komsan at the Golf Center, Diana Inn Lobby; or to Mike Franklin.
Entries close 5 p.m. Saturday 5th November (unless full before)
Entry Fee
Entry Fee includes Green Fee, Caddy Fee, ‘Diana Gold ‘Shirt, 3 Lucky
Draw tickets. Buffet (guests B.300), Live Band and Happy Hour prices at
Diana Garden Resort, plus Lucky Charity Draw with many prizes, including
airline tickets to Singapore. Dinner Buffet from 6 p.m. with Prize-giving at
7.30 p.m.
Prizes:
‘Diana Gold’ Championship Trophy & Prize; Overall Low Gross.
Trophy & Prize for Winner, 2nd & 3rd
places Divisions I, II & III;
Trophy & Prize for Ladies Winner, 2nd & 3rd
places.
Technical Prizes: Every hole will feature a technical prize of One Baht
Gold**
Rules And Handicaps:
R&A and USGA Rules will apply. Plus, Eastern Star Local Rules.
Handicaps accepted from PSC, IPGC, Bangkok Golf Groups affiliated
With the USGA or R&A, or any official USGA or R&A Handicap. All
Non-PSC or IPGC golfers must show proof of current handicap at Registration.
Charities
All proceeds from the Tournament and Lucky Draw will go to support the
Chonburi Juvenile & Family Court Observation and Protection Center,
provide scholarships for children at Banglamung Schools, contribute to YWCA
projects, and the Tawanyim (Sunshine Radio) project.
Philbrook & Payne
‘The Podium Pair’
Mike Franklin
Simon Philbrook and Jason Payne paired well to card a
gross 71, (net 67.6) in Jameson’s Pairs Scramble at Plutaluang, October 5.
Despite the occasional thunder and lightening, we got through the day
without too much rain, so it was an enjoyable round of golf on the two, well
prepared south and east nines. Not too far behind the winners were Mikael
Andersson and Mike Guassa with a gross 73, (net 69) to take runner-up spot.
Matty Swire was technically on form by being nearest the pin on East #5 and
longest with the putter on South #9. Philippe Berra was nearest the pin on
South #4 and Debbie Philbrook claimed the long putt on East #9.
Jason
& Simon (centre & right) celebrate their win.
Back at Jameson’s, newcomers Mike Guassa and Kevin
Dinan were duly welcomed as were the returning Philippe Berra, back from
Switzerland and to Harpic Bryant from Banglamung. Creativity will be the
theme for our next outing on Wednesday October 19 to Pattaya CC, for a 4
Clubs Pairs Scramble. Come down to Jameson’s and sign up!
Results:
Pairs Scramble winners: Simon Philbrook & Jason Payne, gross 71 (net
67.6)
Near Pins: Philippe Berra, S4, Matty Swire, E5.
Long Putts: Matty Swire, S9, Debbie Philbrook, E9
Tony triumphs at Bangpra
P.S.C. golf from The Cafe Kronborg
Monday October 3 Treasure
Hill, Stableford
 Marty
Allred, Tuesday’s ‘A’ Flight winner
The Treasure Hills Country Club was the venue for a
Stableford competition in Two Flights, A Flight 0 to 15 and B Flight 16 and
above. The course was wet due to heavy rains over the weekend but the greens
were still some of the fastest around. Marty Allred took The A Flight from
Aussie Jeff Wylie on a count-back with both players on 36 points. One shot
back, Tony Scamber took third from Larry Richard, also on a count-back.
Aussie Barry Kerr took the B Flight with 32 points, one ahead of Irish Jimmy
Flannagan whilst Keith Hodges took third on a count-back from Wayne Koch,
both 30 points.
Near Pins: #6 Tim Gallagher, #17 Kevin Callaghan.
Thursday October 6
Bangpra, Stableford
Bangpra, is the oldest and some say the best golf course
in the area. It is always with a great sense of anticipation that one
ventures out on this fine mature course. It has suffered lately, due to the
drought but with the rain of late, the golf course is now back in fine trim,
with grassed fairways, fine, fast greens and all the ponds full again.
Certain work is being carried out on the fairways, but the G.U.R. is well
marked. On this day the Monkeys were out in force and one had to be very
careful to guard your property.
 Tony
Scamber capped a fine week with a win at Bangpra
Despite rain in the surrounding areas, the day was dry
for the golfers and they took advantage to put in some good rounds. In the A
Flight, the winner was Tony Scamber with 37 points ahead of Clive Haddon in
second with 36 points and Jon Pratt in third with 35 points. The B Flight,
went to Brian Noguer with 39 points ahead of Kris Helgasson in second with
38 points and Ebrahim in third with 36 points.
T.T.F.N.
Near Pins: #8 Kris Helgasson, #12 Jon Pratt
Eddie and Jerry share halfway lead
PSC golf with The Bunker
Crystal Bay Country Club -
Monday October 3
Today was day one of a 2-day competition to determine the
Bunker’s Annual Champion. Without a moment to spare, last year’s
champion William Macey just returned to Pattaya on time to defend his
trophy. At the halfway stage, Eddie Martin and Jerry Cooney share the lead
with net 71s.from Geoff Parker, who is one stroke back. Binni Josteinsson is
a further shot back on net 73 whilst William Macey stands in seventh place
with a net 75. The normal competition was also held with two divisions. Near
the pins were won by Paul Smith, David Lightfoot, Mick Ramshaw and Binni
Josteinsson. Round two is scheduled for 10 October at Mountain Shadow
Country Club.
The Emerald
(Century Bang Chang) Wednesday October 5
Today was the first day that the Boy’s from the Bunker
departed without having a registered tee-time. Once we arrived, we could see
why the Century Bang Chang staff was not answering the phone. The new course
is now called The Emerald and their phone number has changed. Geoff Parker
kept his winning form as he returned with 37 stableford points to capture
first prize. Jim Shand scored 34 points to win second place honors and P.J.
Redmond came third with 31 points. Near the pins were won by William Macey,
P.J. Redmond, Jim Shand and Alan Cicolat.
Phoenix Country Club –
Friday 7 October
A few clouds and a couple of showers did not slow down
the Bunker Boys’ in a medal competition that resulted in Mitch Malone
winning the “A” Division with a nice round of net 70. Barrie Barnes was
second with net 75 and William Macey scored net 76 to take third place. In
“B” Division, P.J. Redmond shot level par, net 72 to capture the
victory. In second was Harry Cowling with net 75 and third place was shared
by Bryan Rought and Jim Payne both returning net 76s. Near the pins were won
by Harry Cowling, Barrie Barnes (2), and Eddie Martin.
The Bunker Boys are located on Soi Chaiyapoon (near
X-zyte disco and across the street from Tony’s Disco II). Monthly golf
schedules are available or consult the Pattaya Mail every week.
Winners and bananas pack ‘The Shack’
IPGC golf with The Caddy Shack
Tuesday, October 4 Green
Valley
A large field of golfers left The Caddy Shack and
travelled to the very popular Green Valley Country Club. As usual on
Tuesdays, the format is Medal Play. The golfers were split into two divisions
and the cut was 17 and under. The joint winners of division one were Mark
Joshua and Emmet White with very nice, under par rounds of net 68. Steve
Nowell was all on his own in 3rd place with a net 70. The second division
honours went to Steve Davies with a fine net 71 whilst Mr Loy and Tony Duthie
took joint 2nd place with net 74s. The huge pot for the twos was won outright
by Mike Allidi. The Bananas were awarded to Rob Heath for his worst round
ever, so it’s back to the drawing board for you Rob! A tip came in from an
anonymous golfer that said Rob was standing too close to the ball... after he
had hit it! As usual, back at The Caddy Shack there was a lucky draw for all
the participating golfers. This day’s winner was Les Hall who won a
complimentary 3 course Sunday dinner at the Shack.
A lucky
draw prize winner at The Caddy Shack.
Thursday, October 6 Phoenix
The management were very pleased to announce the biggest
field play to date from The Caddy Shack, twenty nine golfers in all. The
choice of the popular Phoenix course as our venue had a lot to do with the
large attendance. The format was Stableford and the courses of Mountain and
Lakes were selected. The golfers were split into two groups with the cut
being at 15 and under. Once all the golfers had teed off, the weather decided
to change and there was a very nice electrical storm with lightning flashes
all around. We all took cover and within 30 minutes it had passed and we
managed to carry on with no more interruptions. In Division two, Steve Davies
with 40 points was the outright winner. Richard Wardell put together a very
nice round of 38 points for 2nd place and Geordie managed 34 points to come
in third. In Division one, the scores were higher as some of these golfers
know this course better than their back gardens. Big hitting Aussie Bob Philp
was our winner with a superb round of 42 points off his 8 handicap. In 2nd
place was Mark Joshua with 41 points off his 9 handicap whilst Steve Nowell
took third place with 38 points.
There were a total of 5 twos on the day shared by Steve
Nowell, Alan Bissel, Lamun Hanley and Bob Philp (2). Rob Heath has managed to
pull off the double of the week as he took the Bananas again! Well done Rob.
The lucky draw winner was David Palmer.
Tuesday, October 18 we go to Mountain Shadow for a medal comp and 2 days
later we go to Eastern Star for a Stableford comp. The Caddy Shack is
situated on the second part of Soi 17 on the same road as the Harley Bar. For
anyone wishing to play golf, we leave the bar at 11 a.m. for a midday tee
off. We play every Tuesday and Thursday and all are welcome.
Ya gets it right at Green Valley
IPGC Pattaya Golf Society at the OK Corral
The Pattaya Golf Society from the OK Corral might have
been excused for losing their way when they went to Green Valley on Tuesday,
October 4 to play their weekly medal event. The course has been re-routed,
beginning on hole 12 and continuing through 13, 14, then 11, 1 - 10 and 15 -
18… got that? You will need to if you’re planning to play there during
the imminent high season.
 Ya
found the secret at Green Valley.
Stableford will be impossible with the current course
layout. Is all this really in the interests of golf, we asked ourselves?
Exasperatingly slow, uncut greens added to the frustrations of the day but
despite these problems, some very good scores were posted with the full
field average being net 77. Mikael Andersson’s best gross of 83 may have
been disappointing but almost half his shots came on the fluffy greens.
Chaten Patel, Harry Cowling and Len Jones fared better than most with their
net 73s to share runners-up place but one player who got it right on the day
was lady golfer, Ya Chaiyanont. Ya’s card bore nine fine pars and only an
uncharacteristic treble bogey on hole 6 (or was it 3?) spoiled an otherwise
excellent round of golf. Her secret may have been her status as an ex -
Green Valley caddy and, therefore, being in a position to fully understand
the vagaries of this golf course. Well done Ya! There were no birdie two’s
posted and although the confusing, non-appearance of one of the listed
competitors had been logged at the OK Corral the previous day, no-one had
thought to pass the message on to the organizers. And for that, Khun Nean
received the Booby Bevy. It really had been one of those days
Golfers
A new PSC Golf Bar is teeing off in Jomtien
The Hide-A-Way Bar, Soi 1, Jomtien Complex
is the ‘new face’ to join the Pattaya golfing scene. The owners are John
& George, two Scots from Glasgow, offering unequalled Scottish
hospitality. Matt Anderson, (ex-Rising Sun Bar) will be acting as the golf
organizer and a full list of the upcoming society fixtures can be found in
the Pattaya Mail each week.
Anyone interested in taking part can contact Matt on
092476673. For those unaware of location, Jomtien Complex is situated on the
right hand side of Thappraya Road, about a ‘five iron’ down from the
lights and just before you turn right to Jomtien beach.
October golf dates: Tues 18 Pattaya CC, Thurs 20 TBA,
Tues 25 Green Valley, Thurs 27 TBA
Plutaluang plays tough in the rough
PSC golf from the Grapevine
Thursday, October 10 saw 39 golfers head off from The
Grapevine to Plutaluang, to play the tough combination of North and West –
and tough it was! With only one golfer bettering his handicap, I think it is
reasonable to say that the course had the better of the match.
 L
to R: Barry K., Fergus B., Da, Mike L., and Keith H.
Winner in B Flight (18+) was Mike Larsen (21) with an
impressive 37 points. Runner-up was Barry Kerr (20), just pipping Keith Hodges
(26) on count-back. Both had 32 points. In the A Division, Fergus Brennan’s
(16) 35 points was good enough to take the top spot ahead of Jeff Wylie’s (6)
34 points while Bob Lawrence (13), came in with 33 points.
Due to a couple of no shows at the presentation, the lucky
draw pool was also boosted, so those not as successful on the golf course could
still go home with a prize. These lucky recipients were Dave, Ian, Brendan,
Dick, Grant, and Ray. All six agreed attendance was well worthwhile with some
good tucker (spaghetti Bolognese this week) and a prize.
Despite good scores being thin on the ground this week, all
enjoyed the day and will look forward with enthusiasm to next week. As the peak
season is approaching and golf prices soon on the rise, maybe you should get in
quick and sharpen up your game by joining the Grapevine golf on Thursdays. We
are located on Soi ‘0’ off Beach Road, Regent Marina. For more information,
call 038361736. Cheers and good golfing.
JW
Near pins were won by Barry (2), Mike W., Paul, Frank, Steve,
Jeff, and Bill.
Long putts were recorded by Mike L., Alan, Dick and Graham
Shenanigan’s grabs
first place after week 17
Pattaya Sports Club Friday Bowling League
200
Bowlers – Kran, La, Tui, Jon and Mio
Shenanigans won two and a half points from Brother D and
grabbed the first place lead by a half point over Mai’s Thai Restaurant. They
split their match with Three Sisters at two points each. VFW Post 9876 fell to
third place after losing three points to Domicil. Caf้ Ole got three
points from Friends and Jack & Tar won three points from House of the Golden
Coin. Caf้ Kronborg had the only four point sweep of the day as they got
the best of Grape Vine.
Best bowlers of the day were:
Kran, Caf้ Kronborg: games of 194, 202, 192 - 588 series
La, Three Sisters: games of 182, 207, 173 – 562 series
Lenz, Mai’s Thai Restaurant: games of 176, 188, 196 – 560 series
Udom, Three Sisters: 540 series
Mio, House of the Golden Coin: 203 game – 530 series
Bill Gibson, Caf้ Kronborg: 518 series
Nual, Caf้ Ole: 516 series
Tue, VFW Post 9876: 513 series
Mai, Jack & Tar: 511 series
Stuart cleans up at Burapha!
PSC golf from Tropical Bert’s
Tuesday October 4 Burapha,
Stableford
I always like Bert’s on Tuesdays, as do many people.
For some it is the free super breakfast or the free food when you get back.
For others, it is the slick organization of Aussie Bob or the relaxing drive
up, unless you drive. But for Tim, Max and myself, it is the chance to not
have to stagger so far when we go home.
On this day we played ‘American Wood & British
Link’ at Burapha. Sounds fine does it not and in effect it is. This is a
very fine 18 holes and is always enjoyed by the players. The course was in
super condition and we were able to play quickly, as it was relatively
quiet. Back at Bert’s after filling up, Max did the presentation as Bob
was otherwise occupied and then as usual, we learned how to stagger home.
T.T.F.N.
Results:
Winner: Stuart Thompson, Runner Up: Dick Warburg
Near Pin: Mike Wing, Ray Spence, Stuart Thompson, Fergus
Brennan, Danny Dyke, Bob Short, Ray Glenwright, Max Matthews
Long Putt: Stuart Thompson, Keith Avery, Danny Dyke, Grant Thompson
Loz wins two Sundays in a row
IPGC Golf From Lewiinski’s
Sunday October 2
Green Valley
White Tees, Stableford
A Flight
1st Nick Strasshine, 41 pts
2nd John Emmerson, 38 pts
3rd Klaus Schackt, 37 pts
B Flight
1st An Kaesavane, 41 pts
2nd Frank Pilkington, 36 pts
3rd George Jackson, 35 pts
C Flight
1st Loz Shaw, 40 pts
2nd Marlene Prudden, 36 pts
3rd Mike Craighead, 36 pts
NP’s: #2 – Dave Shelling; #9 – Rick Sharp; #12 – Terry Phur
2s: Nick Strasshine; Jim Brackett; Rick Sharp; Loz Shaw
Our title boy wasn’t the ‘man-of-the-match’ but he
certainly has been ‘the man’ of the last-two Sundays. Loz followed his
brilliant, 45 point performance of last week, with another 40 points this
week, off his new 26 handicap. He finally has some time to play and practice
and the hard work is beginning bear fruit. Of course, if he continues at the
current rate, Loz may have his ‘hanging fruit’ removed by his buddies at
the Sugar Shack. Imagine what he would shoot from the Red Tees! Loz was
chased in by a pack of four at 36 points and in a chivalrous move seldom
seen in the society; the lads yielded to the count back winner Marlene Shaw
and then fought it out amongst themselves. The Mechanic’s guile and
treachery made short work of relative youngsters, Robbie ‘I’m a lot
older than I look’ Bennett and The Principal.
In the A Flight, Nick Strasshine bulled his way to an
impressive 41 points, shooting an even more impressive medalist winning
gross 75. That put him three clear of the still recovering Dengue Fever
victim, ‘The Golf Manager’ and yet another above the Volkscomputer.
The more comely half of the Schackt household, An
Kaesavane, B Flight, tied Nick for the daily honors. She was five clear of
The Pilk whose taillights were visible to the knotted trio of One-Ball
Jackson, J.J. Wright and Geoff King. There was no need for a referee’s
decision as George’s whining about “never winning a ‘#@*&+$%’
count back” was so touching that the other two gentlemen deferred.
October 4
Laem Chabang C & A
Black or White Tees,
Stroke Medal
1st Black Flight: Mark Wood, net 74
2nd Black Flight: Simon Philbrook, net 75
1st White A Flight: John Mills, net 75
2nd White A Flight: Kerry Beck, net 76
1st White B Flight: Dave Porter’ net 69
2nd White B Flight: Howard Marson, net 77
NP’s: #A2 (Black) – Jim Brackett; #A2 (White) – Rick Sharp
2s: Jim Brackett; Phil Mitchell; Dave Snell; Dave Porter
Mark Wood, fresh off the oil rigs of the North Sea, edged
big Simon of Philbrook by one as both players had exemplary rounds of the
‘way back’ Blacks. Australian mates, John Mill and Kerry Beck divided up
the A Flight off the significantly shorter White tees. David Porter was six
clear of the entire B Flight White Division as he won by eight strokes. One
stroke or eight strokes, the second place B Flight money was well spent by
recently returned Howard Marson.
Wednesday October 5
Mountain Shadow
Blue Tees, Stableford
1st A Flight: Jim Brackett, 35 pts
2nd A Flight: Claus Birk Thomsen, 33 pts
3rd A Flight: Ian Ashenden, 32 pts
1st B Flight: Seamus Brennan, 36 pts
2nd B Flight: Vic Hester, 34 pts
3rd B Flight: Ray Dell, 33 pts
2s: Blacks: Jim Brackett; Claus Birk Thomsen; Ian Ashenden; Peter Blok.
Whites: Chaten Patel; Roger Koehler
Shameless Seamus Brennan, returning from wherever it is
he goes, was the only player to shoot to his handicap and in doing so, he
took the honors in B Flight. Victor ‘The Inflictor’ edged Ray ‘The
Farmer in the’ Dell to round out the junior flight Jim Brackett, a newly
ensconced resident of Joe Banks’ White House, took the top step in A
Flight over CBT and the returning, teaching pro, Ian “The Ashes”
Ashenden.
Friday October 7
Eastern Star
Blue or White Tees,
Stableford
Blue Flight
1st Jim Wickstrom, 35 pts
2nd John Emmerson, 30 pts
3rd Sunny Khanna, 29 pts
White Flight
1st Rick Sharp, 37 pts
2nd Joe McArdle, 36 pts
3rd Arthur Hancock, 35 pts
4th Mike Craighead, 34 pts
Near Pins: #A3 White – Jim Munns
2s: Blue: Claus Birk Thomsen; Whites: Mike Craighead; Robert Sellick
The week rounded out with a short trip to a
well-maintained Eastern Star Resort. ESR resident Jim Wickstrom, wielded the
home field advantage effectively as he took the Blue Flight by 5 points over
‘the ol’ Golf Manager. It should be noted that the recovering Silver
Back made two podiums ascents this week. Sunny “Bobby Hebb” Khanna
rounded out the Bomber Division but only after a count back over Brent
“Who’s Your Caddy” Merron. The Hermit edged that Irish ‘Cup o’
Tea’, Joe McArdle , by a single point. That was the separation for all
four of the White Flight positions as nearby resident Arthur Hancock took
third and The Mechanic fourth.
The Beautiful Game?: Christmas? Bah! Humbug
Riz Taylor
There’s no pleasing some people when international football
comes along, or perhaps it’s just an English thing. Having struggled to beat
Austria at Old Trafford in their penultimate group fixture last Saturday,
perhaps it was fitting that England were guaranteed qualification to the World
Cup finals not through their own football but by another result. The Netherlands
beat the Czech Republic to ensure England progressed without needing a nervy win
over Poland on Wednesday.
England’s run of poor form was obviously far from behind
them as they laboured against the vastly inferior Austrians, during a game that
will be remembered not for silky soccer but for David Beckham’s unique
achievement in becoming the first England captain to be sent-off. In addition,
he also claimed the record of being the first English player to see red twice
for his country, after two yellow cards in as many minutes. Congratulations to
young David.
Three points and qualification isn’t enough for everyone,
though, and the moans and groans about Sven Goran Eriksson’s tactics, use of
Beckham and the choice to play lanky striker Peter “good touch for a big
man” Crouch could be heard even before the overly fussy Spanish referee had
blown his whistle for the last time.
Is there any other nation that is arrogant (or daft) enough
to demand 5-0 victories each time the team step onto pitch? And why is it that
in the Premiership, a win whilst playing badly is a wonderful sign of a great
side but in internationals, it’s almost a disaster? Answers on a ‘Pattaya by
night’ postcard to the usual address, please.
Perhaps it’s being away from home or just the weariness
from years of hype and disappointment, but I’m becoming tired by the whole
process of following England. It’s either pure elation or complete
devastation. It’s usually the latter but what really irks is the expectancy
whipped up by newspapers, that give us Englishmen reason to believe we have a
divine right to win the World Cup every four years just by turning up. In
reality, England are just another side with a slim chance that need the
Brazilian team bus to break down en route to the match.
Holland, England’s new best friends, will fancy their own
chances after the win in Prague. Their first victory in the Czech capital since
1972, also ensured their progression and guaranteed that the World Cup Finals
will be graced by thousands of strange looking people with orange faces, milling
around Dortmund come next June. Rafael van der Vaart’s opener and a second
from Barry Opdal was enough to claim qualification, with Manchester United
goalkeeper Edwin van der Saar also playing his part by saving a penalty.
Knighthoods all round.
Next year’s tournament will unfortunately be without other
British nations such as Scotland Athletic, Wales Town and Northern Ireland
Academicals but anyone in search of an underdog to follow need look no further
than Africa, where results ensured the continent will provide four finals
debutants. Along with Tunisia, unfamiliar names such as Angola, Ghana and Togo
will all crash the German party as the traditional achievers fell by the
wayside, including 2002 quarter finalists Senegal and ‘Super Eagles’
Nigeria. But surely the biggest shock, came as the Ivory Coast team dusted down
their lederhosen after a Pierre Wome penalty miss, in stoppage time against
Egypt meant his Cameroon side, such a familiar sight in World Cup finals, missed
out.
Everton wake to alarm bells
Everton travel to London tomorrow in an attempt to lift
themselves from what surely is one of the most miserable spells in their recent
history. Finishing last season’s Premiership in fourth position was supposed
to be a platform for further success, yet someone neglected to inform chairman
Bill Kenwright’s scriptwriter friends. Even pre-season was a disaster for the
Toffees and maybe the injury to defensive signing, Per Kroldrup was a sign of
the impending disaster at Goodison Park. Other major arrivals, such as James
Beattie and Simon Davies are also yet to make an impact as the side begins to
look nervously at the fixture list. The dreaded ‘R’ word is even being
whispered, though mainly from troublemakers such as myself.
Everton’s last match was at the City of Manchester Stadium
a fortnight ago; in what was the Premiership’s earliest ever kick-off at
11:15am. Some Manchester City fans arrived dressed in pyjamas in protest but
might have wondered why they clambered out of bed in the first place as they sat
through a messy, scrappy contest that was suddenly lit up by Danny Mills’ 30
yard effort. His 71st minute goal heaped more misery on David Moyes and his band
of not so merry men. Observers point to the loss of Thomas Gravesen, to Real
Madrid during last January’s transfer window as the turning point of
Everton’s fortunes, whilst others suggest that the reliance on ‘long ball’
football is finally returning to haunt the side that has transformed from last
season’s heroes into this season’s zeros. Moyes was furious after the
Manchester City defeat, and cancelled a day off for his players. “The players
have had to be told and shown what I was not happy with. The fact is we have to
do better. We want to be upbeat but we have to face the reality of our
situation. I had to tell them, to get it across. I’m not happy - and they
aren’t either,” said the Scotsman.
In between dealing with other crises such as Mikael Arteta suffering a fit
during the recent defeat to Dinamo Bucharest and complaints from Australian
coach Guus Hiddink about the club’s refusal to release midfielder Tim Cahill
for a training camp, Moyes will hope that tomorrow’s fixture against third
placed Spurs will see the start of a resurgence in fortunes for Everton Football
Club. Next week things get even easier - the visitors to Goodison are Chelsea.
It never rains!
The Square Ring
by Howie Reed
“You were on your way to writing the great boxing column
until you erroneously wrote Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals were playing
in Mexico. It was another bay team, the San Francisco 49rs. At least you
didn’t say the San Jose Spartans and the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals
played so well you’d think the Pope was coaching them. The ‘Niners’ could
not find any oxygen in the high Mexican altitude with air so thick you could
bite a taco out of it. The only reason I know is because I announced the game
for CBS Radio. That would have been good if the Raiders had played in Mexico
City ‘cause you know Raider fans would have gone there and been part of the
103,467 fans and crime would have dropped in America.” That note came from
former NFL kicking great Benny ‘I Keek a Touchdown’ Ricardo. He’s now a
sports announcer ‘sans parallel’... to say nothing of being a great guy.
Whoops, best try for the great column again next year.
It’s pretty much accepted around the sports world that
boxing is in a fight for its life. That as a sport, it’s been pushed off the
front of the worlds sporting pages to pages reserved for “Oh by the way.”
When it’s not on those pages it’s usually because the sport has shot itself
in the foot as it did last weekend in Las Vegas. Diego Corrales, (40-2) was
defending his WBC/WBO lightweight titles against Jose Luis Castillo (57-7-1) in
a rematch of what has been up to now the fight of the year. Only one slight
problem, when Castillo stepped on the scales they read 137 which is 2 pounds
over the 135 lightweight limit. The Nevada Commission gave Castillo time to lose
the weight. Seventy minutes later, back on the scales Castillo now weighed
138.5lbs. Yep, he gained 1.5 pounds. Prior to this reading, Marc Ratner
Executive Director for the Nevada commission caught Castillo’s Dr Amando Barak
with his foot under the pad on the scales to help the fighter make weight. It
was after Dr, Barak was escorted from the venue that the 138.5 reading was
confirmed. After much yelling, shouting and other fine things it was then
decided that the fight would go on at a catch weight of 147. In the process
Castillo was fined $120,000 USD, half of which will go to Corrales and half to
the state of Nevada.
What was suppose to be a fight for the WBC/WBO lightweight
titles turned into a farce thanks to Jose Luis Castilo and his promoter Bob Arum
of Top Rank. Poor Diego Corrales was like a lamb led to slaughter thanks to
Castillo/Arum and his own totally inept promoter, Gary Shaw. How’s that?
When Castillo couldn’t make the official weight, the fight
should have been called off right then and there with Corrales getting his pay,
as he was ready to fight. That’s not what happened. First, Shaw let Arum
convince him to let them proceed at 147lb rather than 135lb. To make matters
worse, he also agreed to a weigh in at 3pm on the day of the fight. At that
time, Castillo weighed 147 as agreed and when he entered the ring that weight
was probably more like 150 to 154. Corrales probably gave up 10 to 12 pounds to
the hard hitting Castillo. The bout from the opening bell resembled their first
contest in May which was a “Katy Bar the Door” event. Cut in the second,
staggered in the third and sent to the canvas in the fourth, Corrales was unable
to beat the count of Referee Joe Cortez. In short, Castillo looked great at 154
but would have gotten beat at 137. Corrales was again sold out by his promoter.
Jeff Fenech, who was coming off his ill adventure with Mike
Tyson, must have felt that he could help Husseun Hussein (28-2) in his rematch
with Jorge Arce (40-3-1). The first time the two met last March, it was an all
out war. The rematch would be another war except this time, Arce would take the
part of the USA with Hussein the Taliban. Arce came out firing the heavy
artillery to drop Hussein in the first and second, forcing Fenech to surrender
on behalf of his battered fighter at 2:50 of round two.
Most readers will remember last weeks comments from O.R.
Cross in regard to the recent Roy Jones jr.-Antonio Tarver meeting. Here’s
another reader jumping in. “Hi Howie, couldn’t wait for your to take on this
one so I’ll jump in. I’ve always thought Roy was one of the greatest boxers
I had ever seen. His speed was unprecedented. I was never a fan of Jones because
of his attitude towards the fans and his lack of effort for those fans.” I
know we’re not gladiators and we don’t have to fight to the death but we are
pugilists and that means we fight not dance. I have been at amateur fights when
kids run like that and the referee stops the so called ‘action’. He
says,”you have to make contact or at least try. If you don’t want to engage
each other, I’ll stop the fight.” Now as I say, I’m all over Roy on this
one but Tarver was not much better. As for the so called “pound for pound”
best guys in the world, I’m speechless. I was in a sports bar with about six
other fighters and the bar was full of guys. We struggled through it with a few
comments like, “Is there not a re-run soap or yesterday’s soccer on the
other channel?” This one is from Scotty in Canada who is a former boxer and
now trains boxers, “Your comments every week about why boxing is declining is
the number one comment again this week, oh well what ya’ gonna do?”
Doug Fischer is one of the better boxing writers. He
currently writes for Max Boxing .com amongst others. “Thirty years after
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought their hearts out in the final bout of their
all-time great trilogy, the third match between Antonio Tarver and Roy Jones Jr.
did nothing to honor the memory of the classic rubber-match that took place in
Manila.” Funny but Jones and Tarver have a different take.
If you had just read what Jones and Tarver said after the
meetings and had not seen the putrid performance by both men, you would think it
was the greatest sporting event since I spent the evening with #78, #93 and # 26
from the Twilight Zone (Khun Monkey House Fred , Proprietor) and the magic blue
pill.. Here’s Tarver, “A lot of the news media and experts have been saying
that Jones is a shot fighter but I’m glad I didn’t listen and I worked my
butt off. You saw the best Roy Jones tonight that you’ve seen in the last ten
years and any fighter he faced in the last ten years, he would have certainly
beaten tonight but he just can’t beat the champ, the Magic Man. This is a
sweet victory for me and I am glad that my home, here in Tampa and Orlando could
share this with me. We’re on the road baby!” One can guess that Mr. Tarver
has some serious reality issues.
Roy Jones “How many people do you know of, who are crazy
enough to come back after two consecutive knockouts and fight one of the guys
that knocked you out? When it comes down to it, this really shows the heart that
I got. I’ll be back. I got hurt once and I think that was the turning point of
the fight. He hit me with a good shot but I kept coming. Can’t nobody else
beat me but Tarver, why? I’ll tell you why, it’s because God blessed me with
a true talent. It was hard to go out there with me being knocked out twice the
last couple of times. I’m a true champion. I’ve been at the top. Being the
champion that I am, it was good. I was satisfied with my performance but I do
realize that I lost the fight. I’m not the kind of fighter, like Johnson that
can brawl and that’s the way you have to fight to beat Tarver. Tarver would
have given me all I could handle in my best days as a light heavyweight.”
First off Roy, Glen Johnson kicked your ass. Secondly, if Tarver would have
given you all you could handle when you were on the top, you’re a fraud and
always have been. Bet both have been inhaling copious amount of ganja.
The continuing saga between Rocky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton and
Frank Warren is schedule to hit the Old Bailey on October 20. Warren wants to
block Hatton’s November 29 fight against Carlos Maussa (20-2) at the Hallam FM
Arena in Sheffield. The bigger battle is whether Hattan and Warren still have a
contract for future fights or if Hatton is a free agent. One fight that did come
off spot on, was the contest where featherweight, Terdsak Jandaeng (19-1)
captured the vacant WBO Asia-Pacific 126lb title by stopping Jaime Barcelona
(reportedly 20-26) at 0:57 seconds of round nine. The fight card took place at
City Hall Ground of Nakornrachasima Province. I know what your going to say,
“Big deal, he KO’d a guy with 26 loses.” True but Barcelona had only been
stopped on two other occasions. Nice comeback for Jandaeng who got blown out in
his last fight against Joan “Little Tyson” Guzman. Ex IBF 105lb title
holder, Ratanapol Sor Vorapin (41-6-1) had no trouble stopping Indonesian Dicky
Timor at 2:12 in the opening stanza. Timor had a record of “naught” going
in.
Just got a note from ‘Dapper’ Dave Stewart that his
upcoming fight with Danny Hunt (17-1) for the British Lightweight title is on
hold… in box talk it’s called “back to purse bid”. Meanwhile the
unbeaten King of Second Road gets a spot on the Sky TV card from Bethnal Green
next Friday. Who’s he fighting? A member of the ‘TBA’ family. Drink to
that? I’d love to.
Aussie Rules: Not for the faint-hearted
Peter Cummins
It is almost a ‘High Noon’ face off. No guns but huge
fists poised in the air, when two gigantic ‘ruck-men’, (average height
2m, weight 90 kg) stalk each other, waiting for the field-umpire to bounce
the ball in the centre of the enormous playing field. A game of Australian
Rules football is about to begin
The game explodes as one team or the other grabs
possession from the ‘tap’ and lofts the oval-shaped ball anywhere from
50 to 70m to the attacking forward zone, where upwards of 10 other giants
leap to try to ‘mark’, (catch) the ball.
Already, we are only a few seconds in to the play, which
will last at least 100 minutes of non-stop speed, long kicking and high
marking. Each team of 18 men shoots towards to two big goal posts and two
smaller side posts. A goal, booted, untouched between the two big posts is
six points. Either side is a point.
Although these men wear no protective clothing, only
shorts, pullovers and specially-designed non-skid boots, physical clashes
are frequent and each team is allowed a bench of four substitutes to replace
the injured. The crowd roars as a player takes possession of the ball and
with a mighty kick, sends it goal-ward, as a massive pack of big men tussle
for possession.
The game is relentlessly fast, with a score (goal or
point) by the contestants recorded on average, every half minute of the
100-minute game. Long-kicking, high marking (catching) and incredible
accuracy keep the crowd for at fever-pitch. The record Grand Final crowd was
121,600 in 1970.
Mooted as the oldest football game in the world, the
Australian Football League, consisting of sixteen, 22-man teams from all
corners of the vast continent, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1996.
First played in 1858, Aussie Rules is a blend of exquisite skills, brute
strength and speed. As one chronicler recalled at the 100th anniversary,
“A scrappy, 40-a-side game on a ridiculously large playing-field, has
evolved throughout the years, into a slick, lightning-fast spectacle
regularly attracting crowds of more than eighty thousand. A Grand Final, as
witnessed last week in Melbourne, can draw upwards of 100,000, the record
being 120,000 and, there is basically no crowd violence.
“It’s a game,” continues the chronicler, “which
demands players who are heavily muscled but can run like gazelles. This
national, Australian obsession first started with some 80 students fighting
and yelling, dodging trees, chasing a piece of oval leather across the park.
The game was chaos, with young men running in all directions and with the
opposing goals so far apart, a player could barely see both ends.”
By the 100th anniversary in 1996, this game had
transmogrified from the 12 Melbourne suburban teams of the Victorian
Football League to 16 teams, country–wide in the Australian Football
League. It happened that in that same year, famous American comedian George
Burns also celebrated his 100th year. Burns cancelled every other engagement
for his centenary to promote a game he “knew nothing about”.
The 2005 season was the closest in the history of the AFL
and the final show-down was an epic battle between the West Coast Eagles
from Perth and the Sydney Swans, with some 7,000 km of territory between
them.
The Sydney Swans were formerly South Melbourne and their
last premiership was in 1933, two years before I was even born.
Curiously, when I left Australia’s shores as a
wretched, young, gullible and almost penniless traveller in 1956, intent
upon seeing at least some of the world, I did not take too much ‘Aussie
baggage’ with me. My major love was classical music and opera, beer, women
and friends. Thus, apart from the obvious wrench of leaving family and
friends, I was able to duplicate these other predilection almost anywhere
else. So, there was not any cultural or historic burden – except “Aussie
Rules” which, in itself, was very hard to find overseas. It extended an
umbilical cord, albeit a spider-web slim one to the Brown Continent.
Over the years, I have tried to fathom American football
with the players seemingly ready to roam the terrorist traps of Iraq with
all their armament and very little action. I sat through 90 scoreless
minutes of a game in the World Soccer titles and I have watched the gorillas
of Rugby bashing each other. As the French say it so well “Chacun a son
gout”. These games left me bored stiff.
Then there came the 2005 Aussie Rules Grand Final. My
secret “vice” had survived and I was back to my first love: the game
that is an eclectic development of soccer, gaelic football, basketball,
rugby and almost any other ball – dominated sport one could conjure up:
except Grid Iron.
Aussie Rules is not for everybody, granted! But as Sydney
and the West Coast slogged it out for the 2005 honours, my own 50 years of
travel, trying to adapt to other boring forms of football, were reduced to
that magic 100 minutes. Sydney prevailed by just four points, in the last
few seconds of the game. The 1,000 people gathered at the Royal Orchid
Sheraton for the transmission of the game, rose as one – winners or losers
and downed a few more Aussie beers and wines.
In Bangkok, my umbilical cord was intact and I even won the sweepstake at
the Roo Bar in South Pattaya run by Rowndy and Bob. It has been a great 50
years – and well worth the wait!
|
