Shagger reports

Malaga CF 0 v Sheffield United 1
(Billed as First Team)

Pre Season Friendly

Played at Ciudad Deportiva D. Jose Burgos Quintana, Coin, Spain

Friday 14 July 2017

Twitter @ball_sup

The 193rd ground I have seen an SUFC XI play on. All ages, all teams, all competitions, all surfaces. If it's got goalposts, it's in.

Because my friends know that me & Mrs Ball Sup are joined at the hip. And, because I very rarely go on LADS holidays. There was a period, when I was on the occasional one, where my friends would call me SHAGGER. Named (ironically) after the bloke in the Stag Group with that on the back of his Lads On Tour T-Shirt. So. In honour of the at home Mrs Ball Sup. This is  Shagger reporting from the Costa Del Sol.

A story of modern football economics here. I don't know. But I suspect. This is a multi dimensional deal. Bought by Coin City Council. Sold to Portuguese, Slovakian, you name it TV. Sold to Bookmakers. He pays a bit, they shave a bit. And, it ends up with a La Liga club playing a Championship club. Up in the hills. On a park pitch.

We've had the perfect storm on the coach on the way up there. The hero of the story is the fella who has organised two coaches & a minibus up to the ground from Benalmadena for a hundred people he doesn't know. But….

Alcohol had been taken by some. Some blue on blue fisticuffs in the pub. (Although the injuries looked like joint headbutt). Here's the thing. For every 21 year old holding a bottle of San Miguel in the air at 4pm and singing a new Evans misogynistic ditty. There are three 41 year olds on the periphery filming them on their phones.

Much singing on the coach. You can't hear yourself think. The ground really is in the middle of nowhere. And we're in convoy. Because our driver doesn't know where it is. And we have to have a piss stop. And we lose the convoy. And he's on twisty turny mountain roads. And he misses dirt track turn off after turn off. And no one speaks anyone else's language. And. Well. It's a perfect storm as I said.

Our tickets had been sourced through a Malaga CF Ultra group. So, I was on the opposite side to the main group of Blades.

That looked like a thoroughly decent workout for United. Wilder kept a core of defenders & midfielders for most of the game. But, juggled it around up top at half time. Feisty at times. Chopping fouls. Bookings. I felt United were chasing Malaga early on. But, got themselves organised & came more into it. Nothing negative nor dour. A bit backs to the wall towards the end. But, got in it, went ahead, stayed in it, won it.

I noticed Sharp & Brooks tracking back and doing the defensive hard yards when necessary. I thought it was a good game & a good performance so early in pre season. Staying with much of the successful formula from last year. And building on it.

In n out job. No real opportunity for Spanish Beer Hunting. I did manage to hoover up some of the Cruzcampo range. And Spanish Industrials tend to differ regionally. So, that keeps you honest. Meaning Spanish Beer Ticks stand at 22.

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