retired_charlene

Cheers Brian

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"Great stuff Nick! You play like that tomorrow in the match and we'll win hands down!"

I turned round. It was Smithy, the keeper.

"Sorry?" I replied.

"I said you played well."

"Oh right. Cheers."

"You alright Nick? You've seemed a bit distracted over the last few days."

"Well, I've had a few things on my mind recently, that's all," I said, hoping he'd just drop it and go away. He didn't.

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"It's just...well, I've got this friend, right?"

"Oh yeah, a friend," he said, seeing through my frankly pathetic cover story.

"...Yeah, and there's this girl he's liked for..."

"Right, OK. D'you know what my advice for your 'friend' would be? To come down the pub with me and a few of the lads tonight."

"I don't know. I mean, I'm not...sorry, he's not much of a drinker, especially the night before...work?"

"Ah, don't worry about it. He can just have a couple. We'll be on cokes most of the time anyway."

"OK then Smithy, thanks for that."

"No worries Nick," he said as I headed off out the door. "We'll see you about 8, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, and don't forget to bring your 'friend'."

I got the feeling he wasn't going to forget about that for a while yet...

retired_charlene

"Oh mate, she is so fantastic! I mean, I look at her and I think 'Wow! You are so fantastic!', you know?"

"No, I don't know. I don't know you, and I don't want to know you," he said as he walked off towards the door.

"Charming, that's just..." I realised I was talking to myself, although not before noticing my glass was empty. "Barman? Barman! BARMAN!!"

"What now?"

"I would like...a hal...no, a pint of your very finest lager sir."

"Here you go. Anythin' else?"

"Er...have I told you about Beth before?"

"Yes, you've told me about Beth before. You've told me how her hair shines on a bright summer's day, how her smile lights up the entire room, how she's the best friend you could ever have, and how you're such an idiot for letting someone get her first."

"Yeah, but there's one thing I ain't told ya 'bout her, yeah, and that's...yeah? You know?"

He gave me a funny look, although in the condition I was in, I could barely notice he was there, let alone how he was looking.

"Take him home, will ya mate?"

I turned to the right, and saw who he was talking to.

"Martin!"

"Er, it's Kevin."

"Yeah, well, you're all good."

"Listen Nick, I think we'd better get you home, alright?"

"Sure thing Martin, whatever you say mate! Here listen mate, have I ever told you about this girl I know, Beth?"

retired_charlene

I woke up with a jump, and then about a second later my head nearly imploded.

"Oh, Jesus H...what time is it?"

"Just after 10," said a familiar voice. I looked up. It was Beth.

"Beth?" I shook my head, trying to get some sort of sense into it. "What are you doing here? How'd you...?"

"Your mum let me in as she went off to the shops, so we're all alone."

"Oh great, did she seem upset or anything?"

"I didn't really notice to be honest. Anyway, I've got something to talk to you about."

"Oh yeah?" I said, as I tried to sit up in bed, whilst keeping out of the light as much as possible.

"Yeah, it's about us. We've been friends for years now, but there's only so much that friends can do, and there's so much more we could do if we were more than just good friends."

"Well yeah, now you come to mention it, I was going to ask you to come to the match this afternoon, and you'd be..."

"Nick, I wasn't thinking about football."

"Well, what then?"

"Oh, why don't I give you a clue?" she said, as she started to unbutton her blouse.

"Er...what you doing?" I said.

"Oh come on Nick, I know you want it," she whispered as she removed her top

I blinked for a second, not really knowing what was going on, and when my eyes reopened, she'd removed a lot more than just her top.

"What's going on?"

"Nick, come on, take me. COME ON NICK! NOW!"

"But..erm..."

"NOW!"

"...but..."

"NOW!"

"..but...what about the dog? I can't do anything with him looking at me."

She looked at the dog coldly, and it looked back at her.

"Oh, all right," it sighed. "I'll go and see what I can find in the kitchen for breakfast. Honestly, some people..."

"Well," I said as my mouth started to form a smile, "I guess we could..."

And then it dawned on me.

"Hang on. Dogs can't talk..."

retired_charlene

I woke up with a jump, and then about a second later my head nearly imploded.

"Oh, Jesus H...what time is it?"

"Just after 11," said a familiar voice. I looked up. It was my mum.

"11...oh shi-"

"Oi! Watch your language!"

"Sorry Mum, I'm late!"


I got to the stadium about an hour late, which given that I probably lived nearer than anyone to the ground, was a bit embarrassing.

"What time d'you call this?" asked Mick impatiently.

"Oh sorry, Mick, I slept in a bit."

"And why's that?"

"I may have had a drink or two..."

"...or ten. I can smell your breath from here. Anyway, get yourself in there and get ready for the match."

"You mean I'm still playing?"

"Of course. I'm not paying you to sit in bed being sick now am I? Well get to it then!!"

retired_train2paris

absolutely top notch :thup:

retired_charlene

Cheers Steve

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English Second Division vs Oldham Athletic (h)

This would be an interesting match for me after the previous night. I knew that normally I wouldn't be playing, but with the vastly limited resources, which includes the playing squad, I pretty much had to. Happily for us we welcomed back Kevin O'Connor to the side. Sure, he hadn't done all that great in the disaster that was out pre-season, but he was by far our best and most deadly striker, although to be honest being able to kick a ball straight gave you that honour by default.

We set ourselves out confidently, as after the previous two result we felt that we had a decent chance against anyone if we could hold teams who effectively had Division One quality sides. However, our confidence was soon rattled after Oldham started really well, and apart from a counter attack where I put the ball over the bar, they were all over us.

Smithy was certainly earning his pay, and after denying Darren Sheridan from distance, he pulled off a magnificent save when he pushed a Paul Murray shot from a little over six yards onto the post, and we managed to get the rebound away.

But he couldn't save us from going behind just a few minutes later when Claude Wijnhard pounced on a dreadful back header by Philippe Christanval, and the Dutchman's lob left Smith absolutely stranded.

We were behind for just four minutes though. Kevin O'Connor, who was pulling wide to the right regularly, was causing real problems for their defence, and allowed me to sneak into the penalty area when he made a run in behind the defence to the right. His cross was almost Beckham-esque, and I flunn myself at the ball, trying to get the final toucg, but missed it completely. Luckily for me Leon Constantine was standing at the back post, and was left with a relatively simple finish to level the match, and we were looking good again, and probably had the best of the match up until half time.

After half time, we got the goal our play was starting to deserve. Smith knocked a long ball towards the right edge of the penalty area just as I made a run to that part of the pitch, and I knocked it back into the middle with my head towards Constantine, who was left with acres of space just ten yards out, from where he made absolutely no mistake with the finish, and we were in the lead of a match for the first time all season.

Soon after we'd scored though, Mick pulled me off the pitch. After the previoys night's exertions, I was never going to last the ninety minutes, and was only playing in the first place since we didn't really have anyone else to play instead of me.

The rest of the match was a bit of a blur to me. I headed straight down the tunnel, through the changing rooms and to the toilets where I was sick for a good fifteen minutes, but since I didn't hear any real cheers from the away fans, I assumed we held on for the three points, and indeed we did.

Final Score:- Brentford 2-1 Oldham Athletic
Team:- (3-5-2) P. Smith 7; Roget 8, Christanval 8, Marshall 7 (Sonko sub 87, 7); Naysmith 7, Hutchinson 7, Fullarton 7, Rowlands (c) 8, Greenan 8 (J. Smith sub 57, 6); Constantine 8(2), O'Connor 8.

retired_charlene

"I'm sorry, you'll have to speak up a...Hello? HELLO?? YEAH, I SAID YOU'LL HAVE TO...oh hang on, that's better. Right, we still on for tonight?...Good, good. Do you know if...yeah? All right then, I'll se you later then...'bout 8?...Yeah, OK then, bye mate. Bye."

Just what I needed after the previous night's episode was another night on the town. However, this time it was a bit different. Instead of going out with some lads from the team, I was going to meet up with all my proper friends, barring one exception hopefully.

First of all, there was Alex, who was the main reason for us all getting together. He was in the year above us at school and college, and so had left over the summer and gone off to university in Leeds. Tonight would be his first night back after he moved up there, and we were determined to make it a night to remember.

Next there was Joe, the youngster of the group, and he looked it. Baby-faced and knee high to a grasshopper, he always struggled to get past the security, although he'd always get in, be it through the front door or the back window, as long as he could take part in his favourite past-time: birdwatching, and not the feathered type, unless they're into that sort of thing, I don't know.

Last, but certainly not least, was Jen. Jen was the sister I wish I'd had instead of the idiot I actually got. We always seemed to get on really well, and right from the off we felt we could tell each other anything. I was the first to know when she had said she fancied on Rob in 7W, and she was the one I went to when I accidentally broke one of my mum's vases, and when we made a botched attempt at disposing of the evidence, she even tried to take the blame for it to save me getting in trouble. And she was the only person I'd dared to tell about my feelings for Beth.

Happily for me, she wasn't due to turn up tonight. Joe said she was going out with some other friends, although who and what gender they were he didn't know, and I didn't greatly care. At the moment I still wasn't ready to see her, although with her not knowing what was going on, she'd guess something was up sooner or later. I was definitely hoping for the latter...

retired_zamzam

Yep, fantastic stuff Nick.

retired_charlene

"About time you got here," said Alex.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that, got held up on the way down here. Everyone got here yet?" I asked, my eyes scanning the room for familiar faces.

"Yup, and it appears to be your round."

"Triffic. Usuals?"

"Yup. We're over there, OK?"

"OK, see you in a minute." I had a feeling it was going to be my round quite a lot tonight.

"You want a hand with those?" said a friendly, female voice.

"Jen! How you doing?"

"Oh you know me, always good. And seeing as it's your round, you can make mine a double."

"And who's to say it wouldn't have been anyway?"

"Er, everyone you know you bloody cheapskate!"

"I am not a cheapskate! What about that necklace I got you for your birthday?"

"That was reduced to clear."

"Those DVDs?"

"3 for £20."

"...Jumper?"

"Your nan knitted it!"

"OK, OK, maybe I've been a bit careful with my money..."

"Careful? Bloody tight-fisted, you mean!"

"You're not going to let this one go, are you?"

"Not until I get a drink out of you! They should have a camera crew here for that one..."

It was just like the old days that I'd missed it so much. We just sat there for ages, joking around, talking about pretty much nothing whatsoever, and it was great. Nights like these were going to be rare, what with Alex at uni, and Jen and Joe going in the summer.

And my future was also uncertain too. Brentford weren't doing too well financially, and Mick told me that a few clubs from the Premiership and First Division had been sniffing around me, but he'd rejected the offers. He didn't tell me who, and how much, but I was happy to stay at the moment. We had a good chance for promotion, and I had a two year contract that I was happy to honour, and possibly extend, depending on where the club is.

Jen often talked to me about where I'd like to play if I left Brentford, and to be honest, I didn't know. She wanted to know before she applied for uni, but I wasn't going to have her going somewhere just because of me. I knew she could practically pick anywhere she wanted to go, and they'd have her, and I wanted her to go somewhere great like she deserved to. She was always a really hard worker, almost the exact opposite of myself. Half the time she'd end up doing my homework, or letting me copy it, since I never bothered to do it myself, and one more missed piece of homework was always going to get me in trouble.

But then again, after I discovered football, schoolwork was never really of any interest to me. My teachers always said I had potential, but that I just didn't bother to realise it. I was always too busy playing, talking, or thinking about football to be that bothered about my work, and Jen would always help me out with that anyway. Anyway, we both got where we wanted. I was playing football, and she was going off to whichever university she wanted.

And at that moment, I couldn't be happier....

retired_brinker317

Well if we take Zamora odd for Barrett, we won't bloody score will we?

Impressive though