Easy being Green

Most leagues seem to have finished their fixtures, so The Barber was surprised and delighted in equal measure to find that four games were being played simultaneously at Osterley Sports Club on Saturday.

The enclosed pitch had CB Hounslow United v Worcester Park in the Combined Counties League’s Reserve Section. But, on an afternoon when Man U won their 18th title, I was in a crowd of 12 to see history made by another ‘United’ on another pitch a few yards away.

When you’re playing your last game of the season and need three points to guarantee winning the league, you’d be happy for the opposition to be bottom of the table with a solitary win all season.

That was Bethnal Green United’s situation as they travelled across London to play FC Deportivo Galicia in the Middlesex County League’s Premier Division. Surely there was only one possible result – but I heard one Green official by the dugout mention that Deportivo were a bit of a ‘bogey’ side.
I won’t repeat his exact words.

A gale blowing down the pitch made controlling the ball, passing and shooting all quite problematic. With the scent of the title in their nostrils, Green poured forward at every opportunity, but they had nothing to show for their endeavours in a nervy first 20 minutes. Then Deportivo pushed up too late as Green’s No.10 burst through and expertly lobbed the ‘keeper for 1-0.

Now Green could relax a little. Some of their team had played at much higher levels – one, we were told, had worn the shirts of West Ham United and England U21s – and they really clicked into gear after that important breakthrough. It was 4-0 at half-time and 6-2 at the end. That’s when the water flowed like champagne. Or possibly the other way round.

When I left Paddington for the game, there was a sunny blue sky. Within ten minutes, before the train had even reached Ealing Broadway, the sky had gone completely grey and the rain was lashing against the window. That’s May for you – and every other month too, of course. Needless to say, I’m looking at those Chad brochures again. It hasn’t rained there for 200 years.

It was wet and windy again on Sunday afternoon for Camden Town’s Greater London Women’s League Division Two North fixture with KIKK United (yes, those Swedish ladies). Fortunately there was some cover at Tufnell Park Playing Fields, whereas there’d been none at all at Osterley.

That’s what I’ll miss most when the football season is over, being battered by the elements. KIKK were without some of their superstars and, but for the heroics of ‘keeper ‘Anna’, a 3-1 defeat could have been something a lot more embarrassing.

I also went to Southall v Indian Gymkhana at Argyle Road last Wednesday (3-0), so that’s 137 games this season and 5,672 altogether.