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17th of April 2004<P>This afternoon it is the turn of Stan Collymore to be praised by various football journalists around Spain and also, apparently, a few rival managers. I again acknowledge the English striker’s contribution to our cause (13 goals in 28(1) league matches) in the hope that he will reconsider his position. The fans are also happy that I’ve found the time to acknowledge Collymore’s contribution.<P>18th of April 2004<P>Primera Liga – Game 33: Osasuna v Cartagonova<P>A couple of my players are tired after the ultimately fruitless exertions against Sporting Gijón during mid-week, so I swap things around to hopefully inject some fresh enthusiasm into the side. Unfortunately, Filipescu is still not available, and Moya has looked shaky at the back, but I decide to persist with the Argentine defender. But he lets Oktay get a good sighter at goal on three minutes and I cringe when the Turkish international hits the post from 25 yards. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] This isn’t great defending, fellas! But we are absolutely robbed blind when the referee completely disregards a blatant foul on Esnáider inside Osasuna’s box and waves play-on rather than giving Stan Collymore the opportunity to score. On 24 minutes, Moya again loses sight of the man he is supposed to be marking and this time, Oktay punishes us with a drive that beats Vidal all ends up. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG]<P>I blast the boys at the break for not concentrating on our opposition and not making enough of our possession in their half. I want at least a goal to consolidate our spot in the top four, and the way we’re playing, this isn’t going to be easy to come by. Coming down the left, Oliver is probably our most potent midfielder and we begin to channel our chances through the young winger. But he can’t do it all by himself and in desperation, I drag Moya off on 65 minutes, replacing him with Gabrich and switching to a 3-3-1-3 formation. Five minutes later, Collymore is again bundled over inside the box and once again, the referee ignores our perfectly valid claims for a penalty! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] This is getting ridiculous and it seems that today we can’t buy a goal. Redondo strikes the cross-bar with a vicious shot with five minutes to play and in the break, I haul off Rufete and Couto for Cañizares and O’Neill respectively, hoping to find some creative spark to rescue a point. Redondo almost breaks through in injury time, but our desperate attempts come to nought. Another disappointing match. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG] [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG]<P>Osasuna (4-4-2): Ramón; Ibán Pérez, Saavedra, Mateo (c), Guillermo; �ngel Luis (Quique 57), Rousel, Cohelo, Javi González; Gershon (Fernando 57), Oktay.<P>Cartagonova (4-1-2-1-2): Vidal; Lacruz, Moya (Gabrich 65), �lvarez, Ballesteros; Couto (c) (O’Neill 86); Oliver, Rufete; Esnáider (Cañizares 86); Redondo, Collymore.<P>Final score: Osasuna 1:0 Cartagonova
MoM – Oktay

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After the match, I personally take Moya aside and give him a strongly worded dressing down, culminating in an official warning as today’s match is the latest in a string of poor performances by him. But his volatile Argentine temper erupts and tells me in no uncertain terms what he thinks of my treatment of him. So much so that he demands a transfer immediately. I tell him contemptuously to grow up and stop acting the baby. Of course he doesn’t get his transfer and I hope that in the calm light of a few weeks’ time he will look back and say that he was wrong. In the meantime, Mariano Fernández will plug the gap for our next match against Espanyol.<P>Thankfully, though, Alavés does us a favour by defeating fifth-placed Celta Vigo 2-1. <P>23rd of April 2004<P>“… And there is big news from Cartagonova this morning with Sporting Gijón announcing that it has offered Cartagonova’s all-time record goalscorer Stan Collymore a contract to join Sporting at the end of the season. Collymore is out of contract at the end of the season and has previously professed a desire to return to England to finish his career. It is rumoured around the club that Señor Flatline has immediately contacted Stan’s agents to offer him a new contract. Stay tuned for further developments in this breaking story…�<P>Damn. How the hell did they get hold of the fact I’ve offered Stanley a new contract? It is, unfortunately, all true.

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25th of April 2004<P>Primera Liga – Game 34: Cartagonova v Espanyol<P>Today’s the big day to take some three points from a side struggling to avoid the drop – Espanyol is in 15th place, although they are eleven points clear of Elche, one place below them. Keeping true to my vow, Moya is dropped in favour of compatriot Mariano Fernández who makes his first start in the league (he has played one cup match previously). Otherwise there are no changes. <P>We find it slow going to start with but after 16 minutes, Rufete’s exquisite pass is blasted home past Esteban by Stan Collymore from 30 yards, no doubt gladdening the heart of the Sporting Gijón manager. But chances are few and far between with Redondo well held by his markers and Collymore restricted to long range efforts. Mid-way through the second half, things take a turn for the worse when Argentine danger-man MartÃ*n Posse breaks free of his markers and runs onto Zubizarreta’s pass to tuck away the goal. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG] A minute after coming on, O’Neill embarks on a mazy run before testing Esteban with a fierce shot while Collymore again hits the target only to see the keeper turn his shot aside. But we can’t force the winner. It’s two points dropped and I’m not a happy camper, particularly with Real Madrid next weekend in Madrid. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG]<P>Cartagonova (4-3-1-2): Vidal; Lacruz, Fernández, Ã�lvarez, Ballesteros; Oliver (O’Neill 64), Couto (c), Rufete; Esnáider (Gabrich 81); Redondo, Collymore.<P>Espanyol (4-1-2-1-2): Esteban; Juanma, Pochettino (c), Rotchen, Soria (Tasevski 62); Morales; Nacho (Soldevilla 56), Komijenovic; MartÃ*n Posse; Abreu, Óscar (Zubizarreta 56).<P>Final score: Cartagonova 1:1 Espanyol
MoM – Iván Vidal

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28th of April 2004<P>“… The focus this evening switches to international football as a host of European countries play international friendlies. We start the round-up at the redeveloped Wembley stadium where over 56,000 fans will be demanding their money back after Holland destroyed an inept England 6-0. Ruud van Nistelrooy led the way with a first-half hat-trick, Arnold Bruggink contributed two goals while Roy Makaay scored a goal and was highly instrumental in picking apart the poor England defence. England’s manager, Kevin Keegan, could find no answers for the way his team fell apart, particularly in the first half when his team conceded four goals to the rampaging Dutch. No doubt that the tabloids will be calling for Keegan’s head tomorrow but the manager himself vowed to fight on. But the Dutch had contributors all over the field – none more dangerous than Makaay who was a constant menace with his probing passes and clinical finishing – while England’s Sol Campbell and Joe Cole could come close to holding their heads high after the match. To make matters worse, Jon Harley was sent off just thirteen minutes after coming on.�<P>“In Brussels, Portugal needed to withstand a final flurry from Belgium to take the match 3-2. Nuno Gomes and João Pinto did the damage early in the first half, while Karaca and van de Paar helped make the score respectable for the Belgians. At Landsdowne Road, Roy Keane scored the only goal of the match after 69 minutes to secure victory for the Irish against Greece. Sylvain Wiltord grabbed the last minute winner to sink the Germans 1-0 in Berlin. Italy emerged the victor 3-1 over Croatia in an entertaining match in Rome’s Olimpico stadium – AC Milan’s Gattuso was the linchpin for the Italians’ victory. Finally, Romania provided an upset after defeating Spain 4-2 in Bucharest, thanks to an Adrian Mihalcea hat-trick.�<P>On the home front, only Keith O’Neill was involved in international football as he again played 30 minutes for Ireland.

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2nd of May 2004<P>Primera Liga – Game 35: Real Madrid v Cartagonova<P>The Santiago Bernabau isn’t completely full for today’s clash of the top club in Spain versus fourth-placed Cartagonova (that’s us!). After the controversy surrounding the future of Stan Collymore, many people are all agog about his place, but after reviewing the credentials of the competitors for his spot, I decide to stick with the devil I know more, rather than the devil I know less (like Gabrich and Sosa). But the strikers are looking around the crowd for faces they know as Real Madrid’s Raúl, Ronaldinho and del Piero wreak havoc in the opening five minutes. I quickly leap to the sidelines and yell to Couto to pick up del Piero and, if possible, put him in an ambulance. However, Raúl still manages to test Vidal with a fierce shot despite close attention from �lvarez, yet Redondo repays the favour on 12 minutes when a flashing header sees Iker Casillas flying across the face of his goal to keep it out. The young keeper does the same to Collymore when the Englishman manages to escape the attention of his marker on the 20 minute mark.<P>Then Esnáider picks out the perfect pass with just minutes of the half left to find Redondo lurking in a modicum of space. But that’s all the star striker needs and he thunders a fierce shot into the top of the net. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] But right on half-time, Filipescu’s lack of match fitness is shown up by Ronaldinho as the little Brazilian slips him and heads home del Piero’s cross. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG] After half-time, Filipescu again loses Ronaldinho and while Vidal manages to parry his shot, Diego Simeone picks up the rebound and tucks it away to give the league leaders the lead. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif" alt="frown[/IMG] After we earn a corner, I decide to replace the ineffective Michel and Rufete with O’Neill and Box (that’s a surprise!), but Filipescu again makes a mistake and he lets Ronaldinho go once too often. The Brazilian punishes his mistake and us to make the score 3-1. But Esnáider isn’t quite done yet and taking Box’s pass in his stride, from thirty yards he cuts the deficit to a goal with a brilliant finish! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] A few moments later, O’Neill’s forcing run sees the ball roll into the Argentine’s path, but the ex-Espanyol midfielder pushes his shot wide. Real Madrid has the better of the final five minutes and our chances of escaping with a point are dashed.<P>Real Madrid (3-4-1-2): Iker Casillas; Isma, Iván Helguera, Kalla; Munitis, Cambiasso, Simeone (Morientes 60), Vivar Dorado (César 65); Del Piero (Stankovic 88); Raúl, Ronaldinho.<P>Cartagonova (4-1-2-1-2): Vidal; Lacruz, Filipescu (Moya 76), �lvarez, Ballesteros; Couto (c); Michel (O’Neill 65), Rufete (Box 65); Esnáider; Redondo, Collymore.<P>Final score: Real Madrid 3:2 Cartagonova
MoM – Juan Eduardo Esnáider

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We don’t lose fourth place after the defeat because Valencia does right by us in defeating Celta 2-0 in Valencia. However, I lose Couto and �lvarez to suspension as they both picked up yellow cards that crossed the threshold against Real Madrid. They are out of the home match against Alavés in a week, but before that we have the job to do against Sporting Gijón.<P>Vidal and Esnáider make the bench for the Team of the Week. Ronaldinho is also on the bench with them.<P>Atlético Madrid’s eccentric president, Señor Jesús Gil, fires his second manager of the season as ex-Deportivo title-winning manager Irureta is given his marching orders. Atlético is mired deeply in relegation trouble and with three matches remaning needs to string some victories together to stop the slide.<P>3rd of May 2004<P>Joining Irureta on the unemployment scrap-heap is ex-Juventus and Inter Milan manager, Marcello Lippi. Tenerife has struggled all season against relegation, but a couple of weeks ago seemed to have secured survival. But now they have sunk to twentieth and last in the league.<P>Keep smiling! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]
Dixie Flatline

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Great Story. It is good to have an entertaining story to read everyday. I just wish I wrote that diligently and well.<P>mao.... one of the many faces in the stands.

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Thanks, Mao! I'm glad you enjoy the story! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG]<P>The story will continue... next!<P>3rd of May 2004
“…Cartagonova fans are devastated this evening when Stan Collymore officially announced through his own web site that he will leave Cartagonova at the end of the season and join Sporting Gijón. Sporting has made no secret of its desire to sign the volatile Englishman since he first burst onto the scene at Cartagonova two seasons ago but Cartagonova fans will feel betrayed after Collymore openly professed his desire to return to England to finish his career.�<P>“Cartagonova manager, Señor Dixie Flatline, was unavailable for comment about Collymore’s transfer but we understand from sources close to the Cartagonova manager that he is furious with how his club has been treated by Collymore and his agents over this season. It is not known whether Collymore will be included in the squad that travels to Madrid this weekend to play league leader Real Madrid. Cartagonova will sign former Italian U-23 international Mauro Esposito next season from Udinese to replace Collymore, who has scored 14 goals in 30(1) league appearances this season, and 54 goals in all competitions since he joined Cartagonova three seasons ago.�<P>[IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_mad.gif" alt="mad[/IMG]

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5th of May 2004<P>Copa del Rey – Semi-Final, second leg: Cartagonova v Sporting Gijón<P>The instructions for this match is simple – kill `em dead! Nothing less than victory by two clear goals will be acceptable as we attempt to reach our first ever cup final in the admittedly short history of the club. It takes us 12 minutes to test Bizzarri but Collymore forces the corner and Rufete’s corner is thumped home by Morán! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] It’s a good start, but we still need to build upon it. The goal forces Sporting to come out of their shells and they start to test Vidal, who is up to the challenge, fortunately. In fact, our second goal comes rather against the run of play as Collymore and Redondo play a neat one-two for the Englishman to poke home his fifteenth goal of the season against his future employers. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] We reach the break at 2-0 and 2-1 on aggregate, so we have a foot in the final. Can we put both feet in there?<P>When Makelele picks up the trickling ball from Ã�lvarez’s tackle on Rubén and fires it past Vidal, it doesn’t look likely as the pendulum swings back in Sporting’s favour. But on the hour mark, Otero commits his second yellow-card offence and Sporting’s manager needs to reorganise his defence. It takes us 10 minutes, but Ã�lvarez thunders home the rebound to put us 3-1 ahead on the night and 3-2 on aggregate! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] Five minutes later, his central defensive partner Iulian Filipescu makes the tie safe with a brilliant goal from the edge of the box and we spend the rest of the match trying to play keep-ball! Finally, the referee blows his whistle to bring the curtain down and the players leap into each other arms!<P>Cartagonova (4-3-1-2): Vidal; Lacruz, Filipescu, Óscar Ã�lvarez, Ballesteros; O’Neill (Michel 66), Couto (c), Rufete; Morán (Cristian Ã�lvarez 89); Redondo, Collymore.<P>Sporting Gijón (5-2-1-2): Bizzarri; Rivarola, Fernando González, Cáceres, Otero, Luis González; Barselleta, Makelele; Farinós; Rubén (Calderón 78), Da Silva (ManjarÃ*n 59).<P>Final score: Cartagonova 4:1 Sporting Gijón
Aggregate: Cartagonova 4:2 Sporting Gijón
MoM – José Manuel Redondo

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9th of May 2004<P>Primera Liga – Game 36: Cartagonova v Alavés<P>I spring a couple of surprises to the expectant home fans with home-grown hero Pablo Box taking the central midfield position in place of the suspended Couto, while O’Neill keeps out Michel and Oliver despite an indifferent performance against Sporting. And it is Box who almost sets us on our way, testing the giant Polish international Jerzy Dudek with a rasping drive from the area on 5 minutes. The midfielder is instrumental, however, in creating the opportunity that Collymore converts on 14 minutes as my players indulge in a bit of creative passing that drags Alavés’ defence in all shapes. [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif" alt="smile[/IMG] We keep the pressure on our opponents for the rest of the half, with shots from Box, Collymore, O’Neill and Redondo all going close, but we need to wait until the verge of half-time for the second goal. Rufete picks up Box’s long pass to slide the ball beneath Dudek to give us that warm, tingly feeling heading into the break! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG]<P>We continue scoring as after the break, Keith O’Neill repays my faith in him as he heads home Rufete’s corner on 48 minutes! [IMG]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif" alt="big grin[/IMG] With 21 minutes to play, we conclude the goal feast for the afternoon as Redondo scores his fiftieth league goal of his Cartagonova career and we wallop Alavés 4-0 in a brilliant result! Combine that with Celta Vigo losing to Sporting Gijón in Vigo and suddenly we’re looking that much better for finishing fourth!<P>Cartagonova (4-3-1-2): Vidal (c); Lacruz, Filipescu, Moya, Ballesteros; O’Neill, Box, Rufete; Morán; Redondo, Collymore.<P>Alavés (4-2-4): Dudek; Téllez, Eggen, Karmona (c), Contra; Ibon Begoña, Astudillo; Tomic (Madeiros 69), Javi Moreno (Juan Carlos 63), Sequeiros, Epitié.<P>Final score: Cartagonova 4:0 Alavés
MoM – Pablo Box