retired_destiny1124

"Lady?"

"Yes Lord."

"When I have somehow ventured past the barrier- into whatever strange world that we have viewed- it seems as if I, or rather my mind, is really there. Can that be possible?"

"Yes, Lord- as I told you it may well be possible. I am not sure how much interaction you might actually have with the world, but it is certain that you may at least see what might be seen there."

"Would that be similar to the seeing balls? The palantir?"

He noticed her intake of breath, "Lord, what do you know of palantirs?"

"Only what little my father, Denethor, relayed to me when I was younger. He talked about some of their properties- but he indicated that they were relics of the past."

"Nay, Lord. They still exist. Your father never discussed their specific use?"

"Nay, Lady. He talked of them as if they no longer existed. He spoke of their being able to see something far away."

"That is true Lord. The ability to show a person something far away. But, they required strength of the mind on the part of the user. Because of that, they could also be used for evil purposes to control another's mind- if they weren't strong enough. Therein lies the danger of their use- for certainly the Dark Lord has one."

"Would they be similar to what seemingly I am experiencing with this strange world?"

"Yes, Lord. Their use would be similar to what you are experiencing."

Faramir considered her words before replying, "Lady, I have the sensation that someone is encouraging me onward with my ventures- when I have travelled to this other place. It defies explanation, since it is only the fleetest of feelings, but I sense there is something there for me to accomplish. A goal or a purpose for my presence there."

"When do these feelings touch upon you Lord?"

"Only when I stretch beyond the barrier and into the other world. It is not something I feel when at rest here."

"That is strange Lord, but in no way do I discount that feeling- I have felt it here as well, in this world."

"How does it feel to you Lady?"

"A reassuring touch. Little more than that can I tell you, though it seems to reassure me that this is somehow the proper path that I have embarked on with your care."

retired_destiny1124

2.3.02
Rangers (3) Dundee United (3)
Rangers- B.Ferguson 14 M.Mols 59,86
Dundee United- Butra 69 T.Venetis 86 D.Griffin 90
MOM- Tassos Venetis, Dundee United

"Oh, you are going to love this one," said Gond to Faramir with a smirk on his face.

"What's that?"

"One of the sportswriters just told me that Sammy was still furiously typing away moments ago- seems he already had his piece of vitriol finished- and then Danny (Griffin) deflected Tassos' (Venetis) free kick past Klos to gain us the draw and his whole piece was worthless."

They both doubled up with laughter at this, as the last of the fans trickling out of Ibrox looked at them with curiosity.

***

9.3.02
Rangers (4) Dundee United (1) Scottish Cup 5th round
Rangers- R.De Boer 13 T.Flo 41-P,56-P,77-P
Dundee United- T.Venetis 45
MOM- Tore Andre Flo, Rangers

"They gave the Man of Match honours to the wrong person- they should have presented it to Mr. Fleming, our wonderful referee," yelled Faramir as he tossed his clipboard against the office wall in frustration.

Gond was equally mad, "Three penalties! Can you believe it? Not too mention 6 fouls on us, none on 'Gers- and awarding us 3 yellow cards."

Still shaking his head, Faramir reigned in his anger, "Well, they finally found a way to beat us for the first time this season. Let's see if we can turn this into motivation for our stretch drive and beat them out of a place in the standings."

Rangers Triumphant Over Dundee United
by Sammy Gohl
In a match that featured the ill-tempered Dundee United club running amok, it was the gallant 'Gers that rolled on to the next round in the Scottish Cup. After having taken a 1-0 lead, the desperate squad from Dundee started bashing the 'Gers around- resulting in many whistles and yellow cards. With all the banging, it was no surprise when Dundee United started getting penalty kicks awarded against them. Tore Andre Flo was the marksman of destruction for the bully side as he converted three penalty kicks in sending the 'Gers on with a 4-1 win.

retired_destiny1124

16.3.02
Dundee United (1) Hibs (2)
Dundee United- M.Kerr 58
Hibs- M.Taylor 13 S.Widera 90
MOM- Florentin Petre, Hibs

"I don't believe it- two matches in a row," sighed Faramir.

"We had the match, he took it away from us for sure," agreed Gond.

"You would think he would have been set- having already ruled off one goal on offside, instead he has to overrule his Assistant and rule off a 2nd goal. If we get that goal, we would have won the match," grumbled Faramir.

"Not only that, but awarding the corner in extra time that allowed them to score the match winner was another choice decision, especially with the ball out over the sideline and not the baseline."

"How did the Motherwell-Rangers match turn out?"

Gond leaned over and glanced at the TV screen, "Motherwell beat them 1-0, so they are three points ahead of us now."


Hibs Hang Dundee United
by Sammy Gohl
Hibs came back to hand Dundee United more just desserts as they scored in the last moments of play to earn a 2-1 win over the struggling side. Sean Widera scored on a tidy corner to win the match in the last moments of play. Dundee United again pursued all their ways to try and gain advantage through trickery, but the referee was wise to their antics and ruled off two goals during play.

***

30.3.02
Dundee (0) Dundee United (5)
Dundee- None
Dundee United- C.Miller 8,51 M.Kerr 33 M.Nicholls 78 T.Venetis 83
MOM- Tassos Venetis, Dundee United

"That was a fine Derby showing, if I say so myself," commented a pleased Faramir. "We did everything much sharper than in the last couple matches- I think having Mark Nicholls back for the first time from injury helped a lot."

"He was a good influence up front. I don't think the rest of our forwards quite qualify as 'snipers', but Mark sure does..."

Faramir looked at the TV and sighed, "Well that does it for the SPL race, Celtic won again and clinched it."

Gond shook his head in amazement, "We haven't even reached the Playoff grouping and they have it clinched- damm good season they are having."

***

6.4.02
Dundee United (2) Aberdeen (1)
Dundee United- M.Kerr 18 M.Keith 62
Aberdeen- H.Zerouali 70
MOM- David Hannah, Dundee United

"Well, that was the way I was hoping we would go into the Playoff Group- on the heels of a win."

Gond nodded, "It was a strong win, even though the score doesn't show it. We played excellent offensively in the match."

"It was very encouraging. If we can avoid injuries for the final matches, we should have a decent chance at a good finish."

retired_destiny1124

13.4.02
Motherwell (2) Dundee United (5)
Motherwell- S.Elliott 9,30
Dundee United- M.Nicholls 10 T.Venetis 19 C.Miller 45 M.Keith 56 A.Barsom 90
MOM- Tassos Venetis, Dundee United

"That was the win we needed. Now I think we can make a good finish and hopefully see Europe next season," smiled Faramir.

"That was the best we have done against Motherwell this season. Oh, Paul (Gallacher) is still a bit miffed that you pulled him in the second half," said Gond.

"When he muffed that free kick and it was almost the equalizer- sorry, but it was time to get him out of the match. He will still be starting our next match though."

***

20.4.02
Dundee United (2) Celtic (3)
Dundee United- Butra 56,89
Celtic- S.Petrov 10 J.Hartson 73 D.Balde 81
MOM- Butra, Dundee United

"I thought we were going to do it," sighed Faramir. "When Butra evened the match up, I thought we had enough momentum that we were going to at least earn a draw. Instead we made another defensive mistake- Hartson scores and then it snowballed."

"Hartson's goal hurt, but we really let down when Balde scored on that rebound. Paul (Gallacher) had the ball and shouldn't have let it get away. After that, down two- we could have quit- but the boys still gave it their best shot."

"I don't fault their effort or determination- it was our execution that was lacking. Celtic has only lost twice this season- you can't afford to be at less than your best against them- and that is what we were."

Celtic Cruises Past Dundee United
by Sammy Gohl
SPL's newly crowned Champions Celtic proved to be much better than a bumbling Dundee United side as they won out at Tannadice Park. Despite the scoreline, the match wasn't that close and Celtic yielded a pair of second half consolation goals enroute to another impressive win. The win decreases Dundee United's chance at a top 3 finish in the SPL.

***

27.4.02
Dundee United (0) Aberdeen (3)
Dundee United- None
Aberdeen- R.Winters 8,34 B.Thornley 77
MOM- Robbie Winters, Aberdeen

"Ouch. We picked a bad time to play one of our worst home matches all season," sighed Faramir.

"Not only that, but Rangers won today. If they beat us at Ibrox in our next match then they will be ahead of us on goal differential," quietly offered Gond.

Faramir glanced at the post-match report on his desk, "Adding injury to insult, we will be without Tassos (Venetis) for the rest of the season, Taribo (West) won't be ready for 'Gers match, but may be ready for our last one against Derby, David McCracken and Jamie Fullarton are both out for the remainder, and Jamie McCunnie may just be fit for Dundee. Remember when I mentioned injuries?"

Gond nodded.

"If I talk about them before they happen again- please just shoot me!" They both allowed themselves a small laugh at the comment.

Aberdeen Crushes Struggling Dundee United
by Sammy Gohl
Aberdeen showed up Dundee United in front of their Tannadice faithful as they walked over the struggling side in a 3-0 win. Robbie Winters, showing the form that has this reporter touting him for the National side, scored a dazzling pair of first half goals to propel the visitors to the win. The loss places Dundee United squarely in the sights of their next opponent- Rangers at Ibrox- and a loss their will help seal a disappointing finish to their season.

retired_destiny1124

4.5.02
Rangers (2) Dundee United (2)
Rangers- M.Mols 14 R. De Boer 16
Dundee United- A.Barsom 3 R.Youssef 77
MOM- Abgar Barsom, Dundee United

"They had us. All they needed to do was close us out- and they were playing better than us," commented Gond.

"You're right Barry, but they should have known this club has a lot of heart and determination. I would have loved to see Gohl's face when Rabi rapped that rebound past Stefan Klos- it must have been priceless."

Gond laughed deeply, "Yes, I am sure *he* didn't get any pleasure out of the result. His preseason prediciton of relegation for us looks pretty ridiculous at the moment."

"The draw means we need only a draw or a win in our Derby match- and we will finish 2nd to Celtic. That would be a great finish for a fine season."

***


11.5.02
Dundee United (4) Dundee (1)
Dundee United- M.Kerr 3,56 A.Barsom 50 M.Nicholls 66
Dundee- J.Sara 33
MOM- Mark Kerr, Dundee United

"Excellent wayt to close out the season- another big Derby win that clinches our 2nd place finish," offered a very happy Faramir.

"That was a great way for Mark (Kerr) to finish up as well- he has really exploded on to the SPL this season," agreed Gond.

"It was a great season Barry, you deserve a lot of the credit here."

"To think, you weren't willing to agree with me before the season that you could do this job. You also wouldn't agree you are a fine match tactician- you are both. Best of all though, you are a leader- and that was what this club needed."

Faramir shook his head and smiled, unwilling to respond directly to his comments, "Let all the players know they have a month off starting now- then we will have to start getting ready for Europe next season- so back to the summer grind."

retired_destiny1124

It was a sunny day. The cloudless sky seemed to stretch its light blue carpet for an eternity, but it remained cool due to the incessant gusts of wind that haphazardly swirled across the woods.

As Faramir walked the pathway he was reflecting upon the past season. Overall, he considered his first season at Dundee United a success. With the help of Gond, they had revived the flagging club's fortunes and surprised most of the pundits with their fine showing in SPL play. He chuckled at the thought of the veritable silence from Sammy Gohl on their SPL play and the entirely more muted and subtle attacks he was forced to resort to because of their success. He was speculating in his mind what the next season would bring- their foray into Europe, their trying to prove that this season was no fluke, the future muzzling of his favorite journalist...

Looking hard, he realized he had come to an opening that in the trees that was familiar. As he stared at it, the comprehension came to him- this was the same spot he had seen the old man at the fire during the winter. Wondering at the fact that he hadn't noticed the spot in his many walks since then, he strode toward the opening. He was a bit stunned to find the same old man sitting upon the same log, smoking a long pipe and quietly humming to himself.

Shaking himself a little to shed the feeling of deja vu, Faramir entered the hollow. "Hello again sir."

The old man seemed to shake with some unheard laughter, "Sir? Boy, do you really think I deserve such respect? Ah well, I am willing to accept your courtesy at least."

The man waved at the log worn smooth by many sittings opposite him, "Sit down boy. Rest a moment."

Particularly why he felt compelled to stop and converse with the old man again- he couldn't say- but Faramir sat down on the log and waited. He waited a bit expectantly, seemingly knowing the old man had some specific comments for him.

The old man regarded him with a slight gleam in his eye. "You have done well in your first season as manager. More than your success, you have learned things about both yourself and your strength that will carry you far in your future travails."

Looking through narrowed eyes, Faramir replied, "You mentioned something that life had in store for me last time. Now you are talking about future travails. What do you know of my future?"

The old man just waved his pipe around, "Oh little enough, to be sure. But where there is life, there is also trials. You can't be any different in that regard."

Unwilling to accept the breeziness of the old man's comments, Faramir leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, "You called me a nexus at our last meeting. You mentioned help was arriving. I don't even remember your leaving our last meeting. What is going on?"

The old man halted his patter, "Boy. It is too soon yet. You have learned, but not enough. You must learn more of your craft and you must learn it quickly- there are more trials to come. You will have help- that much I have seen- but you still need to be able to accomplish a task on your own."

Shaking his head in frustration at his lack of understanding, Faramir blurted out, "What is going on??"

The old man folded his arms and stared back with a reassuring gaze, "Soon you will be called on to make an important journey. No," he held up his hand to stop the comments coming to Faramir's lips, "there is nothing of this to speak of now- the journey is coming, but how soon? I do not know."

"What is this journey? You say I will be called on to make this journey, but how will I know- since it is apparently not now? What will this journey be for? Why will it be me to make this journey?"

The old man answered only the last of the jumble of questions, "Because you are the only one who can."

Standing up the old man swirled a tattered traveling cloak around himself, "I have need of haste boy, I can stay no longer. I will return- you will see me here again when I am able." He walked off into an unseen exit in the trees.

As Faramir tried to follow him through the exit, he found himself once again on the pathway- with no evidence that there was any hollow in the woods where he believed he had been. He stood still searching around for the opening with his eyes, until the chill breeze again stirred him into walking, and he noticed the sounds of the world- which had seem still and muted- had returned in their loud chorus.

retired_confal2

A fine end to the first season, both on the pitch and in the gradual lifting of veils in the story. :thup:

Looking forward to the next chapter

retired_destiny1124

Thanks Dave for the kind words.

The story obviously isn't going to be the quickest one to unfold, but don't worry- plenty to come

***

"Lady?"

"Yes, Lord?"

"Though I can not offer an explanation for this, I seem to sense something or someone urging me to continue my forays beyond the curtain."

"How do this urging seem to come to you Lord?"

"I can feel it somehow...just at the edge of my senses. It is not wholly substantial, yet I feel its urgency."

She was quiet for several moments, "I sense a similar reassurance on our purpose Lord. It is familiar- yet not. I also lack for a more complete explanation other than I sense we both have somehow been placed upon this path for a specific purpose."

"Yes, that reassurance seems part of what I sense as well."

"I am wary of the Dark Lord's tricks, yet this seems much too subtle for his ways. There is some other familiar presence at work here- at least that is my belief- but I lack any method of identifying it. I am sorely taxed to maintain you here."

"Then let me go back Lady. Do not overburden yourself for the likes of me."

"Lord, it is not time. When it is time, we both shall do as needs be, but for now this is the way it must be for both of us."

retired_Kemp

Yes, when this challenge is completed, I expect your story to be longer than the LOTR triology itself

Great story.

retired_destiny1124

*chuckle* Well the Challenge is a bit of a beast in length anyways, it was a bit of a problem to develop a storyline that would accomodate playing years and years- but I am happy with what I have. You're right it will be long, but hopefully worth it

***

Season 2- 2002/3- Dundee United 1st stage of Challenge

"Well, what do you think of our new acquisitions so far?" asked Faramir.

"I will tell you better after I see them in the friendlies- but both Thomas (Myhre) and Scott (McDonald) seem to fit in very nicely with our current group," stated Barry Gond.

"You're right, we need to see them in match action before knowing for sure- but I was pleased to bring both of them here."

"How much did we have to pay for them?" asked Gond.

"For Myhre- nothing- he signed on Bosman from Everton. It cost 400K on decision to sign McDonald- and I think he is a bargain at that price."

"I see Steven Thompson isn't here- who else is gone?"

"Thompson went Darlington for payments spaced out over 12 months. We also sold Jean Licina to Calais for payments spaced out over 6 months."

"Ah, that's right- no wonder I didn't miss him- Licina hadn't made much of an impression last season. Even on the reserve side he didn't play well and was obviously homesick."

Faramir nodded, "Oh, by the way, the official notification came through- we are in the UEFA Cup competition."

"Not in Champions Cup? Ah that's right- the poor performance by 'Gers in there last season knocked SPL down to one spot in it."

"They haven't announced when we start yet- but I am looking forward to it."

Gond looked pointedly at Faramir, "I heard a lot of rumors that Charlie (Miller) and Jamie (McCunnie) were on their way to English clubs?"

"No. Not yet- at least, though Charlie is a little upset over it. I turned down a 5 Million bid from Leeds on him. I turned down several bids on Jamie, but he isn't unhappy to stay."

Gond laughed, "Has Sammy (Gohl) gotten on his soapbox on those?"

Faramir pondered thoughtfully, "Actually he hasn't. That might be more worrisome than if he was spouting his usual vile commentary."

***

"At least we have an easier opener this season- St.Mirren," stated Gond.

"They are eager to prove themselves at SPL level, it won't pay to take them lightly," replied Faramir.

"Who is on the Senior side to start the season?"

"We will have:
Gk- Thomas Myhre, Paul Gallacher
Def- Jim Paterson, Jamie Buchan, Danny Griffin, Taribo West, Jim Lauchlan, Jamie McCunnie, David McCracken, David Partridge
Mid- Charlie Miller, Tassos Venetis, Mark Kerr, Craig Easton, Hugh Davidson, Abgar Barsom, David Hannah, Jamie Fullarton, Billy McKinlay
SC- Scott McDonald, Mark Nicholls, Marino Keith, Butra, Rabi Youssef, Derek Lilley"

Gond thought for a moment, "You are going to let me use Anthony Boyce on reserves?"

"Yes, Hugh Davidson developed nicely- he deserves a shot at Senior side. Boyce still needs to develop more physically at this point."

"No takers on Lilley?"

Faramir shrugged, "Some interest- but nobody that will make an offer. Everyone and their brother is making offers on Jamie (McCunnie) though- but I won't let him go."

Faramir picked up the phone, "Yes. Ok, that sounds promising. Thanks for the call."

Gond looked at him with curiosity, "What's up?"

"They just completed the UEFA Qualifying Round draw. We drew USV Eschen/Mauren of Liechtenstein."

"Who?"

"Sorry, Barry. I have never heard of them either."

"Hey, did you hear who Celtic grabbed to replace Henrik Larsson?"

"Who?"

"Alan Shearer."

"Hmm, that will be an interesting combination up front for them- Shearer and Sutton. They are going to be tough again this season."