As the Sun rose early on Saturday morning, a few beams of light shone through several cracks in Jambo’s blinds from his window bringing the player to a sudden awakening. Most of the time when you wake up after a deep sleep, it takes a while for ones brain to spark into action and the activities for the day to drift into the cavities of the mind. However this was no normal Saturday, thoughts focused instantly about this day…it was Judgment Day.

Judgment Day, Saturday 19th February 2005 AD, a match, no, a contest was scheduled; Garnett C verses Bend It like Beckham, a classic top of the table clash. For Garnett, promotion was secured however a point was enough to gain the title, however Bend It like Beckham knew a win here and next week would give them the top seat providing Garnett slipped again. Tension was high, with Jambo, Nunn and Simms trying hard to remove complacent thinking and replace with a more focused outlook towards the game.

The line-up was strong, after successful bartering, Jambo managed to retrieve the services of the irreplaceable Rory Kroon in goal. The defence of Haines, Nunn, Simms and Swigg was solid, with the latter making his final Garnett appearance, after a fantastic season for the club. Rob Wallace returned to partner Brown in central midfield, with Lavery and Atkinson on the wings. Jambo and Appleby completed the line-up.

As the Earth rotated and aligned to an approximate angle of 47o, the clock struck 2 o’clock and Referee John Millican blew the whistle for the proceedings to commence. Garnett started well, much more positively than their opponents, Brown and Wallace solid and Lavery with a determined and energetic work rate. Several attacks from Atkinson caused problems for Beckham down the left flank and it was around the 15 minute mark a break through came. A shot from Atkinson, ricocheted off a diving defender, only for another to practically catch it one handed in the area!! Appleby lined up to take it and slotted home with ease, showing why he is top scorer this season and his ambition for a golden boot. After the Beckham lads had stopped querying the sanity of their centre back, the game resumed from kick off. The game became quite scrappy, with neither team creating any attractive football, with the defences “hoofing” the ball back and forth. Beckham had a great chance 10 minutes before the end of the 1st half to get back on level terms, when a mistake in defence let in the Beckham striker, only for him to weakly tap into Kroon’s Gorilla like arms. The half time whistle went, with Garnett marginally ahead. Jambo took himself off at half time for Barker, quietly content to have received no offside decisions against him!!(I’ve seen your Wednesday report KROON!!!)

The second half kicked off and continued like the first, poor football with few major chances at either end. Lavery now up front, made some probing runs at the Beckham defence, and Atkinson again with his cannon boot killed some more wildlife in nearby trees minding their own business. A tense last ten minutes saw Beckham step up the tempo, however Garnett held on to claim the Intra Mural Division 3 title, with a game left to go!

Changing room banter after saw Jambo produce a bottle of bubbly only for him to spray it everywhere but the players’ mouth, leaving the lighting system looking less than stable. It was also a tearful goodbye to the one and only Rich “Swiggy” Swigg! We all wish him the best for the future and he will be sorely missed as a player and a friend! ATB!

WELL DONE LADS!!

Author: Jambo

Team: R.Kroon, D.Haines, R.Swigg, S.Simms, C.Nunn, B.Brown (MoM), L.Lavery, R.Wallace, J.Royal (G.Baker), L.Appleby 1, J.Atkinson

NB: The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the
views of the Gosforth Garnett Bohemian Football Club as a whole.