A short diversion

[MajGenl.Meade]

I've just reached goal #1086 on the DVD set "Fergie's 2,000" - documenting the 2000 goals scored by Manchester United in Fergie's first 20 years as manager and I noticed something rather interesting (apart from great goals).

In 1986 and on the normal goal-scorer's reaction was to turn and run back towards his team mates in the direction of the half-way line. The players were mostly British and mostly just a tad older. Gordon Strachan, Mark Hughes, Brian McClair (a great player) etc. No error - they were excited by goals and bounced about but.....

By 1998-2001 the majority of goalscorers react (even for the most mundane score) by running away from their team mates, further from the half-way line, mostly to one corner or other at the opponents end where they proceed to point at their chests, put fingers to lips, point their thumbs over-shoulder down towards their number on the back, make little plays with the corner flag, slide on bums or knees across the turf etc. Now the players are more international and much younger - but there's no diff between British and non-Brits - they are all boastful. (Actually Ryan Giggs spoke about a little routine he developed with Andy Cole - "we thought it was great but now I look at it and it's daft")

...anyway, the theory that I have developed, and this is my theory what it is, ahem is this:

When the shorts were really short, men behaved better

Meade

[Gob]

I blame the damn colonials they employ these days...

[Lord Jim]

Fergie's first 20 years as manager

Been wondering what she's been up to....

[Gob]

She now collects pet dolphins, apparently.

[Sean]

So how, Meade, would you explain the old days when shorts were down to the knee and goals were celebrated with a brisk handshake and, on very special occasions (and we're talking last gasp cup final winners here), a hearty slap on the back?

[Sean]

On a side note my son shares the same first name as Mr. Ferguson. SMF wouldn't let me have Lawman, Besty, Giggsy or 20legend as she claims that they are not real names...

[Gob]

Ryan woudl have been a splendid name for him, a good Welsh name!!


Rio? Ruud? Jaap? Ole?

[Sean]

I tried Ole... see above...

20 was his shirt number you see...

[Gob]

Ah, that was very creative of you....

[Sean]

I can't claim credit for it...

[MajGenl.Meade]

So how, Meade, would you explain the old days when shorts were down to the knee and goals were celebrated with a brisk handshake and, on very special occasions (and we're talking last gasp cup final winners here), a hearty slap on the back?

Real leather boots that came up your ankles and weighed a ton (and a half with the mud). Slows down any celebration. Or game. Or small fat kid with glasses who was always made full back at everything - football, rugby, cricket, javelin - and broke his little ticker striving to keep up with all the good looking, tall, muscular, athletic types who got A- from Mr. Elliot and nobody cared that even if he did get D for P.T. and Games at least he got A+ for English and History and his boots were leather and up to his ankles and weighed a ton and they laughed, they laughed and pointed fingers and slapped each other on the back and those were his dad's boots and you hadto hammer the studs in because they kept falling out but there wasn't money to buy new ones like the good looking, tall, muscular, athletic types and even his best friend Terry who was a weakling stick and a dweeb but had new boots and they made him wear number 10 while he hadto wear number 2 and not always on his shirt either which had this faded washed out look and....

Why do you ask?

Meade

[Jarlaxle]

On a side note my son shares the same first name as Mr. Ferguson. SMF wouldn't let me have Lawman, Besty, Giggsy or 20legend as she claims that they are not real names...

I went to school with someone named after Joe DiMaggio & Lou Gehrig.

He was a rabid Red Sox fan.

(I do not imagine that went over well...)

[Sean]

Another reason for not sliding along the grass in the '80s... Loftus Road and Kenilworth Road were AstroTurf (carpet burn) and Old Trafford was mostly sand (complete flaying).

[oldr_n_wsr]

My name is Sue, how do you do?

[Sue U]

No it's not. Mine is.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Unless you are actually Guin.....

[Guinevere]

If only that were actually my name .....

[oldr_n_wsr]

You mean people don't use their actual names here?
I do.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Welcome aboard, Ido!

[oldr_n_wsr]

Hi
I'm Ido_n_wzr