Bank holiday weekend, the sun was shining, the beer was good, the malts were even better, what could go wrong? Enter referee Russell and a dodgy radiator!

Up in Wiltshire early on Saturday as I had to play landlord and work was to be done on the cottage in Highworth, 7 miles north of Swindon.

Well, the work was actually done by someone else, I just handed over the cheque. 92 pounds worth of cheque. For placing a radiator back on the wall. What recession?


So I drowned my sorrows with a pint in the Saracens, and another in the Wine Cellar. The sun was shining. Life didn't seem so bad. For a couple of hours anyway.

Savoy

Missed some mates who had driven up the M4 by minutes as I left for town, time was getting on and there was some serious drinking to be done.

Found myself in the High Street Weatherspoons where I drank something Scottish which wasn't very nice, but it was only £1.89 so I'm not complaining.

Glue Pot

Next stop the Pub Crawl choice of the Glue Pot where I was pleased to see some drinking Shrimpers, hope they read about it on here first!

Hop Back Brewery Logo

EEB just couldn't stop at a pint of Bambling Cross, well it was very good......as was the malt

By now it was nearly two and the plan was for one more pint. An excellent pint it was to from the Hop Back brewery, Brambling Cross. It was so good, I just had to have another, would have been daft not to, might never see it again.

Oh, and a shot of whisky. They had an offer on the Jura 10-year old malt, that would have even dafter, I mean money is tight, one has to take advantage of these bargins.

Decided to meet mates in ground as they were enjoying driving around the magic roundabout so much.
Bugger, twenty minutes to kick-off, no worries, only a 15 minute walk, at a brisk jog!

Sat in seat at 14.59, mates found!

However......

Funny to read Swindon supporters calling us a physical side, wait till you play Millwall and Huddersfield guys!

And as for the Christophe cheating, I would love to read what they would have said if the ref had sent one of their guys off for that and then turned down both those penalty appeals. Why didn't he book Moussa then?

He was poor people and you'll get one away from home just like him one day, just don't turn to this site for sympathy!

Francis was rubbish. How does he do that? Two games brilliant, one game crap, sums up his career with us.

Mr. M'Voto will prove himself to be one of Tilly's masterstrokes.

Scannell took his goal really well and looked lively as soon as he came on with Laurent. Though the pair didn't repeat the Bristol Rovers show from last season it may be enough to give them both a start against our friends from the East End Friday. Time to attack Tills.

To be honest the display was not that different from the previous league games which were all quite good, the fact we've only got four points aside!

As the close season was similar to last, so has the start of the league, but at least we didn't lose 5-2 to Walsall! Let's hope the Orient result is the same though!

The real drama was at half-time and soon to be hitched Lee losing his sense of direction with four melting Yorkies in his pocket, luckily I'd grabbed mine before he went walkabout! Hope you enjoyed yours lads

So off to meet gaz1959, a Swindon supporter who missed the match due to work but was obviously in a far better mood than me!

A text arrrived asking me what I wanted to drink!

'After that, a large bloody whisky!'



And there it was, waiting for me in the GW hotel bar right opposite the station, along with a pint of Arkell's 3B!

'I must get the 17.29' as another round was bought and Arsenal took the lead at Old Trafford.

Oh I missed that, it's now 17.31!

Running across the road there was a 18.01, it was 17.50, time for another malt then back at the bar, not sure if it was from Jura but it was bloody good all the same, especially knocked back with another pint of 3B.

Leaving Garry at about 17.59 to get the train, (nice to meet you mate, I owe ya ,) my problem was would the ticket allow me through the barriers, it did.

Train on time, settled down to listen to the rest of the game. Fell asleep.
Paddington by 19.00, the barriers worked again, home 30 minutes later.

The German had only got back in as well after a couple of glasses of large red after her stint at Borough market, so I sort of got away with it, though falling asleep again half way through one of her faves, Mahler's No. 4, (that's a symphony, not another Arkell's beer), live on the Beeb at the Proms, (well not actually live, he died in 1911), raised an eyebrow or two.

Depressing stuff anyway!

Bring on the Borient!!!