EuroNet '97
The Dennis Law Backheel Appreciation Society
Back Row (l-r) Sam Al-Hamdani, John Warrington
EuroNet 97 Charity Quiz CHAMPIONS
Front Row (l-r) Martin Ford, THE TROPHY, Col Surrey
EuroNet 97 through the eyes of The Wookie
Having read through this I appologise for it's length but
the event did take 2 days.....
Day1 - Saturday 28th
It's Saturday Morning - Very early Saturday morning - so
early in fact it's only 3 hours since I went to sleep thanks
to a slight change in plan for Friday night, but that's
another story. One swift pack later i'm on my way to
Middlesborough minus the two other players i'm supposed to
be giving a lift to who have pulled out last minute but not
to worry there's spare in the squad I think to myself.
It's raining, i'm slightly hungover, I should be in bed
dreaming nice dreams well into late morning, but no, I'm
about to take part in the greatest internet footy tournament
ever staged, besides the weather is always better the other
side of the Pennines on days like this! I was wrong - the
rain on this side is a torent on the other and gets
progressively worse the further I go East.
I arrive at 5 minutes to 10 to enter what appears to be
something akin to a refugee camp. Clothing, sleeping bags &
bodies litter the floors of all the rooms of the main
building, the only thing missing is the aid workers. After a
quick search I find our illustrious manager / organiser
(Martin Ford) in a state of minor panic, i'm the 3rd to
arrive. Martin & John had stayed over the Friday night and
listened to Celtic War songs for a good deal of it!
Things didn't improve much. We had until the start of our
first match at 12.30 to produce a team of more than seven
players or we were out. By 10.45 we had six (Col Surrey,
Martin Ford, John Warrington, Gary Fung, Rob Watson & Sam
Al-Hamdani) plus the promise of two from Celtic's massive
squad if we were desperate, we could at least play now.
Further consolation was that Utd were in an even worse
position, they only had five players at this point, nobody
would lend them any (they were too busy taking the p**s) and
their first game was at 11.10.
Ten past eleven duly arrived and Utd we're forced to forfit
their game with Watford. Faced with going home in disgrace
and ourselves in a not much better position, 11 drenched
Manc's decided to bury the hatchet and merge the two teams
before it was too late. (I know we will be critised by some
for this but when you've driven 3 hours through the pouring
rain, you've got an undermanned team that'll get hammered
every game and you're in the position of strength (6-5), the
ends justified the means.)
3 more reds arrived and so the team reformed under the name
Dennis Law FC in our group as Utd had already been knocked
out of theirs. Arguements about who's kit we were playing in
we're simply solved by playing in both colours. Drawn in
Group F we faced local rivals Stockport County first up. In
appauling conditions, to the backdrop if the ICI works
belching clouds of strange brown smoke into the atmosphere
we began our challenge. (Mrs Emerson is no fool - i've never
been to teeside before and I won't be hurrying back!)
The combined might of Manchester got of to a good start. 4-0
up at half time with some impressive play & goals (all from
Utd players) & the crossbar only just intact after a Wookie
piledriver, we went on to get another goal in the second and
have a penalty awarded against us in the closing minutes.
(Rob swears it went nowhere near his hand and most people
agree so it appeared to be a vote of simpathy by the ref for
a bemused Stockport outfit.) They scored it so 5-1 it was at
full time.
Game 2 saw us face Red Leicester, a bizzare combination of
kit, as it was a team of Leicester & Reading combined and
everyone appeared to have a different version of their
respective team strips. That with our multikit must have
been a ref's nightmare. A delicate left footed chip over the
keeper from The Wookie saw the Manc's off to another great
start and then a moment of Magic. Sam picked up the ball on
the left of midfield, then danced Kinkyesque through the
massed defence to slam the ball home top right from just
inside the area. 2-0 half time. Another goal in the second
half made it 3-0 at full time and Dennis Law would have been
proud as his namesakes qualified for day 2.
Our final game of the group stage was against one of the
tournament favs in the form of Aston Villa who had also
already qualified from the group. A lot of the other teams
had finished for the day and with the rain down to a steady
drizzle and everybody soaked to the skin anyway we suddenly
found ourselves the proud owners of a large and noisy crowd.
I've never been booed before to my recollection and the fact
that the team was half City didn't appear to be noticed
until late in the second half. On the strength of massive
crowd support Villa started strongly and took the lead. Cue
a Pitch invasion as the crowd (mainly Watford & QPR) mobbed
the goal scorer!!! Still bemused by what had just happened
we conseeded another almost straight away by the same lad.
Cue invasion Mark 2 - it was at this moment a QPR fan took
pity and offered me a swig of his pint while the ref cleared
the pitch. "Nothing against you we just hate the reds." The
goal scorer looked a bit pale - someone had grabbed him by
the stones - he didn't score again. Half time 0-2.
The second half was more composed from my substitued vantage
point on the side lines. It is at this point where I say we
were proud owners of the crowd because I could join in the
chanting and at least got them to cheer when a blue got the
ball & just boo the rags. The only 2 incidents of note were
the d**khead Terry Nutkins (of "Animal Magic" fame) look
alike - yes his hair really was that sad - who decided that
slide tackling with your studs up was a valid method of
getting the ball & consiquently side lined Martin for the
rest of the tournament & the Watford streaker who did a lap
of the pitch just for the hell of it 0-2 Full time. We we're
through to day 2.
One v.v.cold shower later (the price of a late start and 500
players) it was into the evening routine of food followed by
celebrations & comiserations depending on how each team did.
With a few beers already nicely settled in the Surrey
stomach it was EuroNet 97 football quiz time. Split into
teams with a max of 5, the 4 remaining MCIVTA blues (Col,
Martin, John & Sam - Rob & Gary had other sleeping
arrangements) formed The Dennis Law Backheel Appreciation
Society. (the true team title although the rags didn't know
it!) After much brain scratching and a maximum 22 points of
the last question we emerged VICTORIOUS!!! and to many crys
of "Where's your anorak?" Martin strode proudly onto the
stage to lift the EuroNet 97 Quiz trophy (bigger than the
one for the tournament!) & so claimed Man City's first
silverware of the season.
Many a celebratory beer was drunk & the rags departed to
their hotel. Probably wise as the quiz was interupted
several times by chants of "stand up if you hate Man U".
I've never seen anything like it - it was cruel, but fun to
take part in ;-))
Day2 - Sunday 29th
One surprisingly good nights sleep (A delibrate effort was
made NOT to sleep on the floor in the same room as the huge
Celtic contingent who'd gone out clubbing!) & cooked
breakfast later we were into Day 2. Martin scanned ALL the
morning papers for news of our triumph but word was
obviously slow in reaching London of our success!
We had drawn the Baggies (West Brom - Boing, Boing & all
that) in the last 16 and it was still drizzling. Tierd limbs
pumped hard for the full match in which for the first time
we had some support. The Wolves players, while not exactly
cheering us on (except when a blue shirt had the ball), were
trying their hardest to put the Baggies off. And so with a
minute remaining to half time we gave them the goal they
wanted and a pitch invasion followed in our favour for once.
1-0 half time.
The second half was as close fought as the first & following
an injury to our star midfielder Chris, (Meaning I peformed
the fastest rolling substitution of the tournament - I had
just stepped over the side line when I had to go back on!)
we held out for a one nil win and a place in the Quarter
Final.
With Gary also out of the next game through a knock, it was
11 knackered Manc's who lined up for the next game without
hope of substitution unless in an emergency. We were up
against Birmingham City in the next round & now at last our
luck ran out. Both teams battled hard with no impact but
late in the second half a break provided Brum with the
opening goal. Throwing caution the wind we piled forward
searching for the equaliser. A mad scramble ensued from a
corner and a brum defender handled on the line. The ref
(from Leeds - not that i'm suggesting bias or anything!) put
his whistle to his mouth.... & let play go on. The
Birmingham player was later to admit his guilt to the ref
but too late came the cry! Brum broke up the pitch and
scored a blatently offside goal. The ref blew his whistle
and we were gone. 2-0 but a valent performance that will go
down in folklore as the first ever union of the two Internet
teams. (And who will get the seeding at next years
tournament???)
A hot shower(!) later it was time to contemplate the trip
home. Bradford City were the eventual champions, beating
Birmingham City in the final, after only scoring ONE GOAL in
the ENTIRE tournament (that in the final)!!!
Incidently we joint top scored with nine so no disgrace for
the six who turned up and heaps of shame on the sad lads who
let us down! We have one title to defend - next year we're
going for the double!!!
