Three-zing out Viacom

On the coldest night of the year Philosophy turned out with renewed strength and depth. This has been the season of the legends: Big Brian, a legends team to Madrid and now Neil and Tamber returning.

The team was determined to put last week's defeat behind them and a new sense of professionalism was evident from the start as Kieran led a (much-needed) warm-up. Philosophy attacked from the off; reverting to 3-5-2 strengthened the midfield and enabled wingbacks Ally and Tamber to break up the line safe in the knowledge that the back three would stand firm. All the early chances fell to Philosophy with Kieran shooting over after a few untidy clearances and Neil and Clarkey outpacing Viacom's lethargic defence. Brian even attempted an Alonso-style lob from the half way line prompting Cornish Al to remark from the sideline: "Against the run of play is not a phrase we want to hear at this point".

When Clarkey was put through and saw the ball hit the post, spin across the line and out it just didn't look like Philosophy's night. Sure enough Viacom came back into the game and created several good chances forcing corners and shooting wide from ten yards. Honours even at half time.

The second half began in scrappy fashion with neither team able to get the ball down and play for sustained periods. It needed a breakthrough and it came via the boot of Bryan as he attempted a cross-come-shot from the edge of the box. The ball sailed over the keeper to put Philosophy ahead [at least this is what I hear happened as I was retrieving a ball from the trees].

Philosophy looked in control at this point beginning to move the ball around without the usual "the ball is a bomb" panic. However, after a defensive slip from an innocuous through ball Viacom's speedy striker nipped in to slide the ball past a stranded keeper. 1-1 and the battle was on.

Philosophy eventually came out on top through determination, concentration and sheer force of will. Damo held the backline without putting a foot wrong all night, Bryan fought on through a pulled hamstring and Kieran just kept running. When Clarkey beat the offside trap to easily slide the ball home it was thoroughly deserved. Viacom kept pushing in the final 20 minutes but strong substitutions enabled Philosophy to hold onto same the lead that slipped away last week.

The only thing left to add was the icing on the increasingly cold cake. Neil had said before the game that every time he returned for his "last game" he ended up losing without scoring. The curse was finally broken as he burst down the line and lobbed the keeper from a near-impossible angle. A great strike and just reward for his never-say-die attitude. We know he’ll be back for more.

3-1, 3 points and closing in on that 4th spot...

Buidling a Classical Music Library - Introduction

The musical approach on this blog so far has been resolutely contemporary. That’s about to change.

As someone who is unimpressed by the uniformly bland industrial sound that comprises today’s chart music, I shall be writing a regular guide to “classical” music.

I am not an expert. I’m a poor musician, have a limited range of music on my shelves and don’t attend many live concerts. But I do love classical music.

When the kids aren’t forcing me to listen to plinky-plonk music in the car, I’ll listen to Radio 3.
One of the greatest artistic experiences of my life was listening to the Russian violinist Maxim Vengerov playing a Shostakovich violin concerto with the London Philharmonic, conducted by Mitoslav Rostropovich, a man who knew the composer. In its way, it was as insightful a portrayal of madness as anything you might find in King Lear.

But I want to know more than I do and extend the range of music that I’m familiar with. So, this is the introduction to a series of entries dedicated to building a library of classical music.

It will be a chronological survey of 50 of the greats. The list and much of the information is taken from Phil G. Goulding’s book Classical Music: The 50 Greatest Composers and their 1000 Greatest Works.

Each month, I shall briefly explore a composer, his life and his music. I shall recommend a key work or works.

For example, the first composer is Palestrina. As he specialised in religious music, I shall pick a key composition in that genre.

Other composers, such as Mozart, were equally adept in a range of styles (choral, chamber and symphonic) and I shall choose a key piece in each of those styles.

Inevitably there will be heinous omissions and basic errors. So be it – hopefully they will be a starting point for further discussion.

The aim is a selfish one: to put in place the essentials of a library for my own enjoyment. But the journey will be more fun it others were to join in.

Al's elegies

A couple of poems from Cornish Al: two moving elegies to Fillipo and the Chairman

BALLAD FOR BARKER
(or FROMA THE PIJAMA)

Our dirretore tecnico
Our Ronnie, now says “Ciao”
He’s off to pastures new, my friends
Madrid: The Bernabao

Our sadness that he’s leaving us
Is tempered by some talk
Of joining him in Spain one day
On tour with Peter Falk

‘Til then we can remember, friends
The things we saw him do
To write them all would fill a book
So here are just a few

His clothing in the changing room
All cultured and discrete
The Count of Monte Cristo’s gown
And sandals for his feet

Now we are smarter on the pitch
Our shorts and socks one shade
And afterwards no beer or crisps
Its jamon Spanish-made

His dive in Tooting caused offence
A chase got underway
But as he told the angry mob
That’s how Italians play

When Stefan made Swiss match day plans
A time as well as date
4pm, the third. Fil cried
“‘Cos 4.01’s too late!”

Enquiries strange at Regent’s Park
Were heard above the din
Of shouts and showers. “A socket please,
To plug my hair drier in”

His legacy, though laughter-filled
Is more than it may seem
He leaves us with a lesson too
In passion for the team

So let us thank him with applause
And hope when he returns
The club he loves will still be strong
To show the lesson’s learned

OUR CHAIRMAN

What team is there, in England or abroad,
Whose Chairman is like ours? I ask you friends.

A man who sees in football something more
Than players, profit, merchandise and rights,
Than violence, race, these Premiership things.
His eye sees beauty, culture, friendship, thought.
Tradition, oh … And quotes to put on shirts.
A love of hist’ry marks him out as well.
In Rome, his talk was full of rise and fall,
And motorbikes. His easy learning wide
Enough for Gibbon and for Moto Guzzi.
To patience, now friends, shall we turn our minds
And ask: Is this a virtue of our Chairman?
In Maida Vale or Prague or Willeseden Green,
On sidelines cold and wet he stands for hours.
For legends games he occupies the middle,
And blows and blows again a silent whistle.
The Chairman’s age then. We have been found blind.
By youthfulness our vision he obscured.
But now we see, and find ourselves amazed,
That 50 years have passed our Chairman’s eyes.
Our celebration marks though, not the end,
But just our joy at what has been so far.
So thank you God for our friend Mr Tisdale.
We love him for his wit, his warmth, his shirts.

What team is there, in England or abroad,
Whose Chairman is like ours? There is none friends.