Sheffield United U16 4 v Al Dhafra U16 0
Youdan Trophy
Played at Hallam University Sports Ground, Bawtry Road
Wednesday 2 August 2017
Twitter @ball_sup
Did I say before, I'm Against Modern Football. I look to days like today as an Antidote. This is the U16 leg of the Youdan Trophy. At Bawtry Road. But, don't be fooled. Modern Football is waiting in the most unlikely places. Be on your guard. It's coming for you. There is a lovely, modern Pavilion up at Bawtry Rd. Because it's part of Sheffield Hallam University it's probably called The Sports Hub or similar. Certainly, what I'll call the bar & cafe is called The Social Hub.
Today, there was a new Biro & BluTack sign on the cafe door - VIP Area - Referees Scouts and Media Only.
Subtext. Fans who've paid Three English Pounds not welcome. How do they come up with stuff like this? It's been open to the unclean in previous years. It was open to the great unwashed on Monday. Now. It's a VIP Area. OK. Shit happens. Literally. The new VIP Area is upstairs. You know. Where the Bogs are. But, the staff are at the bottom of the stairs. So, as a £3 paying punter, you have to ask permission to go upstairs and do a plop in the same lavatory as Scouts & Media. Come on really. Who comes up with this?
So, anyway. As I came back downstairs from the VIP Ben Ghazi. I told the lady wearing the Facility Manager badge that I thought it was ridiculous. I mentioned that the alternative facilities seemed to be that fans could simply stand in the rain. Fair do. One of her colleagues told me that it wasn't raining. She'd got me there. So, I minced off like a good 'un. Could/should have ended there. Except they sent A Senior Tournament Official out to continue an argument I'd got no intention of continuing. He'd got a range of tricks…
Make you the villain. “These people aren't complaining”. He declaimed pointing at some Patsy. (May have been a double act plant).
Criticise your lifestyle. “So, you want a drink at a Junior Football Tournament”.
Monetise it. “Let me give you the email address of [forgot name] who has put £100,000 [forgot actual amount] of his own money into the tournament” (I don't know what good that would do me).
I've got a bigger cigar “Do you know how many Premier League Scouts we've got here today?” Like I care. Tellingly, I asked him how many paying punters there were. Boom. he’s still on the canvass from that one.
Remember. I've minced off once. HE HAS COME AFTER ME to make these jaw dropping points. Don't think bad of him. He's as much a victim of Modern Football as you & me. His basic approach was to make sure I understood where I am in the pecking order. How he felt that'd make things better, I've no idea.
He should take pride in the fact that I've been to far fucking worse tournaments than his. Mostly organised by FIFA. I remain firmly Against Modern Football. But I didn't think I'd get bounced by Scouts & Media at Bawtry Rd. This game is full of surprises.
Day saved by a great debate with two Gents whose lads were on trial for a team in the Tournament. One bloke from Kerry in Ireland. One bloke from The Gold Coast in Queensland. Having travelled some distance to support their boys, I hope they fully understood the English Football tradition of having to ask permission to go for a Piss. In case the stream mixes with a VIPs.
That looked quite easy for the Young Blades. Unfortunately one Al Dhafra lad got an injury which required an ambulance to be called. I couldn't quite make it out. Didn't look to be anything broken or strapped up. And he was sitting upright on the grass. I hope the young fella is OK. A number of changes to the Young Blades side from the one I’d seen on Monday. Maybe only the Media VIPs are allowed to know who is who. So, I can’t go into many details. Based purely on size, it did look a particularly young side. The Irish & Aussie fellas broke the ice with us, by asking if the game was U14 - given the size of them all.
The Al Dhafra Coach was a castigator. “Why have you done that?” “What are you doing that for?”, etc. I didn’t warm to him. While SUFC Coaches might be loud & vocal. What I notice is that they are supportive & explanatory. If something goes wrong, it’s more like “next time, try & do this, so that their defender has to do that”.
After all the aggravation, I fancied a North of 7% beer. Having virtually been accused of alcoholism by the Youdans, I thought I might as well revert to type. Played for & got.
Brewdog, Pump Action Poet on keg at 7.5%.
That is certainly my last Youdan Trophy game of this year’s Tournament. Good for us to have a cooling off period. Great Tournament. Lovely football. Nice people on the touchline. Poor bar policy.
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