Tekn50

When this season is over post the league table and also work out from the games you saw:
Wins, draws, l**ses, goal difference etc. and see where that would have finished in the table.
I'm still enjoying it btw.

retired_jgirl87

Thanks Majalo, but how do I treat the games where my team gets beaten and I change allegiance to the new one? That's the point of the story - I never get to see "my" team get beaten. All I'm left with is wins and draws.

retired_goddess

Thanks Majalo, but how do I treat the games where my team gets beaten and I change allegiance to the new one? That's the point of the story - I never get to see "my" team get beaten. All I'm left with is wins and draws. </BLOCKQUOTE>

I think for Majalo's idea you would have to have the games were you switch allegiances as losses. So far you have not had to change team as much as i would've expected.

shannon2007

Superbly written story and an excellent original twist, which is so rare these days, well done :thup:

retired_jgirl87

Majalo - I'll do as stebs suggested at the completion of the story and see where my compilation of various teams ended up on the table.

PM7 - Thanks for the support. :thup:

retired_jgirl87

I’ve been spending a lot of time with my new girlfriend Karen over the past week. We have been scheduling our travel plans for the remainder of Spurs matches this season. It has been great being able to spend time with a girl who is also a mad keen football supporter. Things are going along really well and Karen’s parents and her brothers are all glad that she’s found a decent bloke who happens to be a Spurs supporter as well. This weekend’s match is away at Portsmouth and we have decided to travel down on the Friday evening and stay at a B&B for the night. It will be our first “sleepover” and obviously I’m champing at the bit for it to come around. The next day we’ll go to Fratton Park together and watch Spurs take Portsmouth apart. What with Tottenham being in 6th place and unbeaten in 6 matches, Portsmouth’s 14th spot and 3 wins so far this season doesn’t look too much of challenge for us. So I’ll get my leg over on Friday night and Spurs will do over Pompey on Saturday afternoon, which will complete a lovely weekend for me.

Saturday 30th October 2004:

Portsmouth v Tottenham – Fratton Park, Portsmouth

I was very pleased to see that Spurs settled into a dominating role early in this match. Portsmouth were not offering much in the way of danger to Paul Robinson’s goal, but our early efforts to get on top were limited to a couple of headers from Freddie Kanoute. Simon Davies was giving the left side of Pompey’s defence a hard time with his probing runs and tempting crosses. The first clear chance was Michael Brown’s 22nd minute free-kick which Hislop did well to palm away. Kanoute sent a 20 yard half-volley inches wide in the 28th minute and Brown saw his volley from the edge of the area bundled away by Hislop after 34 minutes as we continued the pressure. Despite all this, we nearly went a goal down in the 38th minute when Berger ran onto a through-ball from Bosvelt and homed in on Robinson’s goal. Berger shot hard and low to Robinson’s right, but our keeper pushed it aside, thanks to his superb reflexes. As injury-time began, I was beginning to think that we wouldn’t have anything to show for our domination. Just at that moment, Noe Pamarot swung over a cross which Timothee Atouba and Primus challenged for. However both players missed the ball and Kanoute suddenly found the ball arriving in front of him. Kanoute stuck out a knee and bundled the ball past Hislop to put us 1-0 in front. Portsmouth barely had time to kick off before the referee blew for half-time and left us with our well-deserved lead.

The first 20 minutes of the second half produced only a low shot from Kanoute which Hislop palmed away for a corner, but I could see that Portsmouth were starting to get back into the game. After 69 minutes the Spurs defence gave too much time and space to Berger when he was 25 yards from goal and suddenly he unleashed one of his trademark left-footed drives which speared past Robinson and flew high into the net for the equaliser at 1-1. It didn’t appear to demoralise the team though, as the players fought straight back and retook the lead after 73 minutes. Mauricio Taricco’s long ball found Davies on the right wing and he laid a delightful first-time pass into the path of Kanoute just inside the box. The lanky striker took a touch to steady himself. Then, as Hislop charged out, Kanoute rolled the ball though his legs to put us back in front at 2-1. The team couldn’t hold on to the lead for the second time in the match though as substitute Pericard headed in Kamara’s cross after 78 minutes to tie things up at 2-2. After that we had to rely on Robinson to push away Berger’s low shot in the 83rd minute to maintain the status quo. In the end the match finished up as a 2-2 draw with both Karen and I agreeing it was a case of 2 points dropped rather than a point gained.

Portsmouth 2 Berger 69, Pericard 78
Tottenham 2 Kanoute 45, 73

Portsmouth: Hislop, Primus, de Zeeuw, Stefanovic, Bosvelt (Duffy), Faye, Mezague, Taylor, Berger, Riordan (Kamara), Fuller (Pericard).

Tottenham: Robinson, Pamarot (Mabizela), Naybet, King, Taricco, Davies, Brown (Redknapp), Davis, Atouba, Silva Sousa (Mendes), Kanoute.

My MOM: Freddie Kanoute was dangerous all day and, with Defoe and Keane absent, he led the line with great responsibility.

Warning #1: Don’t ever stay at Upton’s B&B in Langdon Street, Portsmouth. It’s a goddam dump!!

Warning #2: Watch yourself with a randy girlfriend at the football. She won’t give you a moment’s peace to concentrate on the game!!


Next up: Tottenham v Bolton – White Hart Lane, London

retired_jgirl87

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Premier League - 31st October 2004------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Pos | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |1st | Liverpool | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 4 | +16 | 29 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |2nd | Chelsea | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 26 | 7 | +19 | 25 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |3rd | Arsenal | 11 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 11 | +12 | 24 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |4th | Southampton | 12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 13 | +7 | 21 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |5th | Aston Villa | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 19 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |6th | Man Utd | 11 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 19 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |7th | Tottenham | 12 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 19 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |8th | Newcastle | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 8 | +3 | 18 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |9th | Charlton | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 21 | -4 | 18 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |10th | Birmingham | 12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 17 | 13 | +4 | 17 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |11th | Bolton | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16 | 17 | -1 | 16 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |12th | Fulham | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 15 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |13th | Portsmouth | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 25 | -7 | 13 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |14th | West Brom | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 16 | -7 | 13 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |15th | Crystal Palace | 12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 19 | -7 | 11 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |16th | Everton | 11 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 19 | 26 | -7 | 10 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |17th | Man City | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 12 | 21 | -9 | 7 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |18th | Blackburn | 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 19 | -9 | 6 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |19th | Middlesbrough | 10 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 22 | -13 | 5 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |20th | Norwich | 12 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 22 | -15 | 5 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>

retired_jgirl87

With a record of 4-7-1 so far this year, I’m happy about the one defeat, but the seven draws are just too many. Only Chelsea (2nd) who are unbeaten and Liverpool (1st) with one defeat have a better record than Spurs when it comes to losses and look where those two sides are on the table. Thankfully we have got a home game against Bolton this weekend and that should ensure three points for the team. Bolton are in 11th place and, to be honest, I think that position flatters them. Sam Allardyce has done a good job cobbling together a workmanlike team, but they are never really ever going to be able to compete with the big teams from London, Manchester and Liverpool.

Saturday 6th November 2004:

Tottenham v Bolton – White Hart Lane, London

Karen and I watched as Bolton trotted out their standard 4-5-1 formation with just Bridges pushed forward as the lone striker. I was hoping to see Spurs really go at them, but strangely it was Bolton who looked the more attacking side, especially when Fadiga and Diouf quickly moved forward in the wide positions. Paul Robinson was busy for most of the first half. Firstly he blocked Diouf’s shot in the 15th minute after Okocha had sent the Senegalese forward clear of our defence. A couple of minutes later and the England number one was punching away a fierce drive by Okocha. Michael Brown had our first clear chance when he curled his 25 yard free-kick just a few inches over the cross bar in the 29th minute, but we just couldn’t seem to get to grips with Bolton. Only the cross bar saved us going a goal behind after 33 minutes when N’Gotty’s free-kick struck Sean Davis in the wall and then looped up invitingly for Diouf to send a header goalwards with Robinson totally wrong-footed from the initial free-kick. Luckily it struck the woodwork and Mbulelo Mabizela was able to hack the rebound away. Still, despite this, we had the chance to go in front in the 41st minute when Timothee Atouba cut inside N’Gotty on the left and homed in on Bolton’s goal. With his options covered in the middle, Atouba shot hard and low towards the near post and nearly caught Jaaskelainen unawares, but the Finnish keeper managed to block it with his legs. There were signs that we were finally getting into the match, but it was perhaps lucky that we were still tied 0-0 at the break.

It was a boring start to the second half and the only thing of note was a double substitution by both sides after 60 minutes which would end up having a significant bearing on the match. For Spurs, Jamie Redknapp and Jermain Defoe came on for Brown and Atouba whilst Bolton bought on Pedersen and Davies for Bridges and Fadiga. In the 67th minute, Gardner sparked a quick counter-attack for Bolton by finding Pedersen on the left wing. He dribbled forward before whipping in a cross to the near post where Davies leapt in front of the static Ledley King to head Bolton 1-0 in front. I couldn’t believe that we were a goal down to Bolton!! Almost immediately Redknapp played a ball into Freddie Kanoute’s feet, but he drove his shot straight at Jaaskelainen. Bolton fell back to defend their lead as Karen and I joined in the frantic calls for an equaliser by the Spurs supporters. Nothing was happening though, until the 89th minute when Kanoute got free on the right wing and drove the ball across the Bolton penalty area. The player that arrived at the far post was left-back Erik Edman and he sent a scorching half-volley flying towards the far post, only for Jaaskelainen to leap across his goal and turn the ball away for a corner. It was a match-saving effort and Bolton then held on to record a 1-0 win.

As we left White Hart Lane I told Karen that I wasn’t feeling too well and I would have to head home instead. In reality, I didn’t want to be seen in the company of a Spurs fan. I zipped my jacket up to the neck to hide the Spurs shirt that I was stupidly wearing, telling her that I was suddenly feeling the cold. She accepted my story and gave me a kiss on the cheek as she headed home and I went towards the tube station. As soon as she had gone, I nipped down a lane and removed the Tottenham jersey before shoving it in my daypack. I was already thinking ahead and planning how to get a new Bolton jersey before the Trotters next game.

Tottenham 0
Bolton 1 Davies 67

Tottenham: Robinson, Mabizela, Naybet, King, Edman, Davies, Brown (Defoe), Davis, Atouba (Redknapp), Kanoute, Keane (Silva Sousa).

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, N’Gotty, Jaidi, Rowe, Gardner, Diouf (Hunt), Ivan Campo, Okocha, Speed, Fadiga (Davies), Bridges (Pedersen).

My MOM: Gary Speed worked immensely hard in the midfield for us, chasing and closing down as well as creating chances.

I just love it when: We put one over a pack of those arrogant twats from London. Magic!!

I wonder what: Karen will think about having a Bolton supporter as a boyfriend. Worried!!


Next up: Southampton v Bolton – St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton

retired_jgirl87

It was just as well that there has been a three week break between matches for Bolton. International fixtures and the rescheduling of the Chelsea match (in order for them to play their delayed League Cup tie against Manchester City) meant that I had 21 days between games, but I needed that time to get Karen’s brothers off my back after I broke up with their sister. It hadn’t been a pretty time at all. Karen couldn’t understand that I needed to watch Bolton instead of Tottenham and, being a typical female, she had figured it must have been her fault. I tried to explain that it wasn’t her, but she wouldn’t listen. She said that if I wanted to follow Bolton it must be because I really wanted to break up with her. It was all so stupid and silly. I was sure mixed-club relationships could work, but she was a sobbing mess by then. I threw my hands up in exasperation and stormed off, only to have two of Karen’s brothers round at my flat a few hours later banging on the door and threatening to do me over. It took two weeks of looking over my shoulder before I felt comfortable walking in the street again. Those four lads are a bit nasty, but they aren’t the smartest tools in the shed, so I figure they have probably forgotten about it by now.

Saturday 27th November 2004:

Southampton v Bolton – St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton

Southampton came out with all guns blazing and pinned us back for the first 20 minutes. Fernandes was particularly causing trouble on our right wing, giving young Michael Gillan a real run-around at left-back. Twice he tested Jussi Jaaskelainen with shots that were luckily aimed straight at our goalkeeper. The pressure reached its peak in the 21st minute when Oakley fired in from 25 yards and the ball cannoned back off our cross bar. Finally we managed a shot of our own in the 32nd minute when Ricardo Gardner lashed the ball about three feet wide from the edge of the Southampton box. The Saints responded with a raid from Phillips which saw him drive the ball across our six yard box, although thankfully there were no opposition forwards on hand to knock the cross home. I felt that we were dodging bullets and one would soon find its mark. No sooner had I thought that then Lundekvam released Beattie with a long ball down the right wing and he cut inside before squaring the ball for Phillips to sidefoot home at the far post. We were 1-0 down after 36 minutes. There were no further chances in the remaining ten minutes and I breathed a sigh of relief when referee Mike Riley signalled an end to the first half. Bolton needed to regroup and step things up a notch if they were going to have a chance in the second half.

Fernandes switched over to the left wing for the start of the second half and Bruno N’Gotty seemed to have as much trouble with him as Gillan did in the first half. 52 minutes had passed when Fernandes sent an inch-perfect pass inside the full-back and Phillips ran onto it before calmly stroking the ball past Jaaskelainen from 10 yards to put Southampton 2-0 in front. Before I had too much time to panic, we earned ourselves a penalty and the chance to get back into the game. Gardner’s long cross had been headed partly clear by Lundekvam and Feli Condessa handballed just inside the box as he attempted to chest the ball down. Stelios Giannakopoulos took the spot-kick and stroked it low into the bottom left-hand corner to make it 2-1 after 54 minutes. We were now back in the game, but Jaaskelainen had to deny Saints substitute Prutton with a fine save to keep it that way. However the replacement wouldn’t be denied and Prutton made it 3-1 in the 62nd minute when he sweetly volleyed home Phillips headed pass from 14 yards range. Giannakopoulos was really coming into the game on the right wing and he looked to be our best chance of salvaging something with his tricky running and fine passing. Jay Jay Okocha blasted a fine pass from our Greek winger over the bar before Kevin Nolan did much better when Giannakopoulos set him up in the 79th minute. A quick break had seen Stelios reach the bye-line before he pulled the ball back for Nolan to crash the ball home from 8 yards out and make it 3-2. Big Sam had the boys pouring forward now and I thought we had equalised when Stelios sidefooted home from Gardner’s cross after 84 minutes, but the Jamaican wing-back was ruled offside in the build-up. Radhi Jaidi had come on for Florent Laville earlier in the half and the Tunisian centre-half was inexplicably left unmarked in the 86th minute as N’Gotty took a free-kick. Jaidi was left free to control the ball before he blasted it past keeper Smith to pull us level at 3-3. It had been a stirring comeback and it showed that this Bolton team certainly had some guts.

Southampton 3 Phillips 36, 52, Prutton 62
Bolton 3 Giannakopoulos 54 (pen), Nolan 79, Jaidi 86

Southampton: Smith, Telfer, Lundekvam, Jakobsson, Le Saux, Fernandes (Higginbotham), Feli Condessa, Oakley, McCann (Prutton), Beattie, Phillips (Best).

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, N’Gotty, Laville (Pedersen), Ben-Haim (Jaidi), Gillan, Giannakopoulos, Ivan Campo, Okocha, Speed, Gardner, Davies (Nolan).

My MOM: Stelios Giannakopoulos was in brilliant rampaging form on the right wing and he sparked our comeback.

Possibility #1: UEFA Cup football for Bolton next season. Wahey!!

Possibility #2: That my flat may have been fire-bombed by Karen’s brothers while I have been at the game today. Uh-oh!!


Next up: Bolton v Portsmouth – Reebok Stadium, Bolton

retired_jgirl87

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Premier League - 30th November 2004------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Pos | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |1st | Liverpool | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 5 | +20 | 35 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |2nd | Arsenal | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 12 | +16 | 30 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |3rd | Chelsea | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 28 | 8 | +20 | 29 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |4th | Newcastle | 15 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 17 | 9 | +8 | 28 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |5th | Southampton | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 19 | +6 | 25 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |6th | Fulham | 15 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 20 | 16 | +4 | 25 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |7th | Tottenham | 15 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 22 | 15 | +7 | 23 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |8th | Birmingham | 15 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 17 | +5 | 23 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |9th | Charlton | 15 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 18 | 24 | -6 | 21 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |10th | Man Utd | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 22 | +4 | 20 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |11th | Bolton | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 20 | 20 | 0 | 20 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |12th | Aston Villa | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 18 | +2 | 19 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |13th | Portsmouth | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 30 | -6 | 19 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |14th | Everton | 15 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 24 | 31 | -7 | 15 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |15th | West Brom | 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 20 | -10 | 14 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |16th | Blackburn | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 22 | -8 | 12 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |17th | Crystal Palace | 14 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 13 | 24 | -11 | 11 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |18th | Man City | 13 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 13 | 24 | -11 | 8 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |19th | Middlesbrough | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 28 | -16 | 7 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| |20th | Norwich | 15 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 26 | -17 | 6 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>