Mask Me Up

Carshalton Athletic 0 v Walton Casuals 0 

Carshalton Athletic 4 v Worthing United 0 

Pre Season Friendlies 

Saturday 22 August 2020 

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We have to go through this. To get to there. Although tbh, I don't want to get back "to normal". I don't want to embrace "the new normal". I want to move forward "to better". Here. Have an anecdote. To avoid being photographed by Italian Plod as I was being deported (for the first time) from the 1990 World Cup, I used my money belt as an impromptu mask. To avoid being photographed by the English Press as I arrived at Heathrow, having been deported (for the second time) from the 1990 World Cup, I used the in-flight sick bag as an impromptu mask. The point I'm making is masks have saved me in the past.

Wearing a mask to help Carshalton get that game on. So that everyone could be polite with each other. So that. So that. So that we can go through the gears. So that YOU can get back to The Lane. I'll do that. No. Drama.

In the ground, the amount of space, the inbuilt social distancing, meant that many Carrier Baggers (including me) could de-mask. Although I did notice that the Carshalton Ultras, gathering on "the smashed fence end", where the two metres was a bit more difficult, all masked up. Of course that was helped by the superb gesture from Carshalton Athletic. You could buy tickets for this Double Header online. Pounds, Eight, English. Or for Thirteen, you got a mask with the Club Crest on. Don't fight it. Come on in. The water's lovely.

Somewhere bizarrely, I've been to the Carshalton War Memorial Sports Ground Clubhouse before. But for a Wake, not a game. I do know they have Cask Ale available "in normal circumstances". Which these ain't. So, the Industrial Big Brand Keg Lagers were on. But, other colours were just in bottles. I did;

Badger Beers, The Fursty Ferret, English Bitter at 4.4%.

But, that was just a between games, gratuitous, put some money in the club & feel gooooood about it drink. Because. The real drink was in The Hope. The London CAMRA Greater London Pub Of The Year. I had to make an online table reservation for that. Give your name at the door. You provide all the track & trace info as you make that reservation. Superb mix of cask & craft keg offerings across the pumps.

Downtown Brewery, New Forest Ale, English Bitter on Cask at 3.8%.

Kent Brewery, Cafe Brasilia, Coffee Stout on Cask at 4.3%.

And Outstanding Beer Of The Day

Kent Brewery, The Quiet American, Pale Ale on Cask at 4.2%.

That was in superb condition. And tasted great. Lovely balance. I felt there was a lot of sweetness up top at first. And although I thought oh no, here we go. That really just set up the floral hop finish. Which was very long. A lip smackingly good beer.

I'm very short on non-league knowledge. But, I think both Carshalton & Walton Casuals are at Step 3 - albeit playing in different leagues. Worthing United are, I think, Step 6. So, I assume that was something like "Carshalton Reserves" in the second game. Anyway. No fucker is saving themselves for the bigger games ahead on a day like today. Get At It, or Get Out. Lovely, full on competitive games. Pushing & shoving flare ups. Desperate appeals for penalties. In the main game, Carshalton hit the woodwork (it was metal actually) three times. But, Walton missed a penalty. I say missed. Giggling. He's tried a two step run up & rolled it to the keeper.

In the second game, Worthing United ran out of steam a bit towards the end. It didn't really feel four nil. But, you've got to keep them out fellas.

But. I hear you say. Weren't they just meaningless, half paced, no one is bothered, games Phil? WHAAAAT? Mate, it's got FANS. It's not a made for TV, painful watch, like the Champions League Final. Which, I now read, also took place over the weekend. In the words of Ander Herrera - It's Shit.

Interesting poignant bit of the day. We had a minute's silence before the 6pm game. Lead by the Worthing United lads. It was five years to the day since the Shoreham Airshow Crash. When a Hawker Hunter crashed on the A27. Eleven people were killed. One was Matthew Grimstone. One was Jacob Schilt. Both played for Worthing United. Both were on their way to a game. FFS.

Stats

I have now Blogged from 917 games in 2,195 days