Friday, December 30, 2011

Because Of Boxing Day......

If there is one thing I really miss about english football, it's the fact that while the mere mortals are enjoying a few days off over Christmas and New Year, the football fixture list is full.

In our house, the Boxing day trip to a game is as traditional as turkey for Christmas dinner. It's the males chance to get out of the house, let off a bit of steam, and leave the clearing up and making of leftover sandwiches to the ladies. I know that sounds sexist....but that is how it is. It's never that important what game, although if an Arsenal, QPR or a team followed by one family member, all the better. Like at the theatre, with matinee sessions, football puts on it's entertainment over the holidays. Even as a teenager I can remember going off with my mates to either White Hart Lane or Highbury for the North London derby - boxing day was always derby day.

Now this becomes a problem when the family come down to Spain every second year. There's a void, and we fellas are at loose end on Boxing day. There's only so much wii'ing, so much board game you can play, and so many chocolates or mince pies you can chomp through before you get the itch. And no footy can mean frayed tempers.

It's a shame, but I think that player power will very soon put an end to Christmas and New Year footy in the UK, and players will be able to join their european counterparts in having a nice 3 week break (really, I mean, it's not that they really work hard for the other 49 weeks is it?). I feel this will be rather sad, from a social and family point of view. How many bored henpecked husbands will kick their dog? Plus the fact that that english games soothe the rest of the footy-mad continents football deficit.

This year I was able to attend, with my father, my brother and my son, the first lower level game (League 2 - Hereford United against Port Vale) I have seen in England for some years. Used to segunda B in Spain and it's totally empty stadiums, zero atmosphere and terrible football, it was good to see a reasonably full ground, 500 visiting supporters, good atmosphere, and warm weak tea to go along with the awful football.

Long may we be able to enjoy holiday football - it keeps a lot of men out of a lot of trouble.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Real Murcia 3 Alcoyano 2


It was looking pretty grim when Alcoyano scored their second. The truth is, Real Murcia seemed lost, we huffed and puffed without creating much. Going 2 down seemed to awaken a kamikaze spirit. Coach Alonso had already thrown caution to the wind taking off defenders and putting on attackers. The fact we scored our first very quickly seemed to drain Alcoyano of any physical strength they had, and the fans that had remained drove Murcia forward towards a win that had looked totally impossible a few minutes earlier.


Real Murcia:
Alberto
Molinero - Oriol (Borja 67') - Jorge - Rubén Párraga
Aguilera (Pedro 53') - Richi - Isaac Jové - Sutil
Emilio - Cristian García (Luciano 92')

Alcoyano:
Maestro
Devesa - Rojas - Morcillo - Carrión (Xavi Molina 68')
Fran Miranda - Miki - Cañadas (César Remón 79') - Guille Roldán
Gato - Paco Esteban (Álvaro 45')

Goals:
0-1 Álvaro 47'
0-2 Álvaro 76'
1-2 Borja 77'
2-2 Cristian García 82'
3-2 Sutil 92'

Referee: Miranda Torres. Brave enough to send off an Alcoyano player in the first half.

Att : 7.110 at the New Condomina. Strange lot, Real Murcia supporters. These is a core of say 4,000 who stick with it through thick and thin, and who have the hope and belief that any adversity can be overcome. Then there are many that, when supposedly easier games come along, think that their support isn't needed and don't even bother to go to the game - yesterday's attendence a couple of thousand lower than the norm. Then there are those of little faith, sprinting for the exit when Alcoyano's second hit the net. The 4.000 that remained were rewarded with a spectacular comeback. I can only imagine the anger of those who preferred to leave, grumbling and swearing, making promises of never coming back, when, in their cars listening to the radio, they hear of Real's bouncebackability. Just another example of how Real slap them in the face, taking away the opportunity to mock and criticise.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Sorry....

Sorry about the lack of blog recently. Very busy and stressed time at work....

Hope to get things back to normal over the next week or so.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

El Arbitraje.

Ayer, antes del encuentro, el fondo sur protestó contra los árbitros. De nada sirvió, ya que se vio el mismo arbitraje parcial que venimos sufriendo hace ya 5 años. A el rival se le perdona todo (deberían haber quedado con uno menos en el minuto 15 por doble amarilla, y ni en el minuto 88, con el partido acabado, una entrada criminal tipo karate a la altura de la cabeza, merece expulsión), pero a el Murcia no pasa ni una....la expulsión de Christian Garcia es de chiste, el balón está en juego, tiene posibilidades de llegar, le estorba un defensa, y no llega a dar con el portero. Pero es tarjeta roja.

Yo creo que todos reconocemos que son personas y se pueden equivocar. ¿Pero siempre en contra? Tan solo esta temporada, incluso en los últimos dos partidos se refleja lo que hay. Dos goles casi idénticos, el del rival sube al marcador, pero el del Murcia se anula. Se castiga a un jugador del Murcia con una amarilla ridícula, que llego queda expulsado por la segunda, pero un defensor comete penalti como una catedral, y no se pita ni es expulsado. Ayer, en nuestro mejor momento, intentando remontar, el árbitro tardo nada en cortar la reacción de cuajo, dejándonos con menos opciones.

Es que llueve sobre mojado. No mojado. Inundado. Desde la primera jornada no se pitan penales a favor pero no podemos ni tocar que los árbitros están esperando castigarnos. Hay una larguísima lista. Cagadas tremendas como el penalti más que claro a Kike en Elche (recibe tarjeta amarilla por simulación, para luego pasar 4 meses lesionado. Le rompieron la pierna) hasta ayer mismo que decididamente los jueces hicieron lo suyo para dejarnos sin opciones. Mira que el linier señala saque de puerta en una acción ante sus morros que era córner. Lo sabe, no cabe duda, pero quiso jodernos.

Hay premeditación. La pasada temporada nos dieron un respiro, lo que indica que el que da las instrucciones de castigo esta dentro de la LFP. Nuestro dueño, Jesus Samper, cae mal por donde vaya. Es un empresario de éxito, pero es un cabezón y un torpe para las relaciones. Sus batallas con Javier Tebas, ex presidente del la LFP, traen este resultado. No conozco ningún presidente de ningún club que aguanta tanto "error" callándose como una puta. Quizás las protestas, lejos de ser para los árbitros, deben mirar a Samper como causante de la situación.

Lo que sí, Murcia como ciudad y nosotros como afición, merecemos un respeto. No pedimos favores, solo el cese del castigo continuo. Ya nos mandaron a segunda B una vez, y si no paran de ningunearnos, nos mandaran otra vez.

Es que la lista de árbitros que han pitar parcialmente ya es demasiado largo para ser casualidad. El hecho de liderar la tabla de las tarjetas y expulsiones tampoco. Es una política de la LFP. Castigo a Samper. Nosotros y el Real Murcia somos daños colaterales. ¿Lo Peor? La mitad de la afición sale del estadio diciendo que el árbitro no ha influido en el resultado.

Real Murcia 0 Alcorcon 2

Real Murcia:
Alberto
Mario Marín - Jorge - Iván Amaya (Richi 66') - Óscar Sánchez
Iturra - Emilio Sánchez - Cerrajería (Isaac Jové 46') - Pedro (Sutil 71')
Cristian - Chando

Alcorcón:
Herrera
Anuarbe - Babin - Agus - Bermúdez
Mora - Rubén Sanz - Fernando Sales - Saúl (Montañés 71')
Borja (Miguelez 10') - Quini (Riera 64')

Goals:
0-1 Miguelez 16'
0-2 Montañés 84'

Referee: Mr. Ocón Arráiz.

Att : 7.720 at the New Condomina.