Thursday, July 28, 2005

Riding the bike

In just over a week, I'll be taking part, once more, in the London Triathlon - 6th August, London Excel Centre. This is rather strange, as I can't swim, and have had a bad knee for the past two years or so (which prevents me running)! But I'm lucky, because I can ride a bike, and this triathlon allows three people to enter as a team. The team members each do one discipline - Dom swims, I cycle, and Nats does the running.

In 2003, my company paid for the entry for two teams; the three members of the other team all moved on from work into new jobs, but Pedro45, Dom and Nats remained to enter again thanks to the company entry fee in 2004. This year though, Nats and Pedro45 have taken the big fat pay cheque and left our former employ, which means we have had to pay the entry fee ourselves.

The reason we do this each year is two-fold: one, we really enjoy it, it gives us focus, and allows us to try to keep/get fit with a goal to aim at, and two, we have been able to raise money for charities - about £4,000 so far including this year.

I'm a bit competitive most of the time, so the first year we did it was kind of feeling the ground, not expecting to beat many (except the other company team!!!). In the end we came 78th out of 88, therefore beating ten other teams. This after I managed to fall off the bike at speed and break the gears; I reckon I lost about ten minutes or so because of this. Last year the aim was to beat our previous time (as we didn't have any company team to beat) and it should be simple if I stayed in the saddle and didn't break the bike. We did this, but only just. Reason? I was injured a few weeks beforehand and could not improve on my time. We came 88th out of 128, beating 40 other teams, so improved overall.

This year, after my knee operation, I have been training hard (thanks Jo!) and fully aim to beat my previous times by at least nine minutes. We don't think Dom can improve on his time that much as he's a pretty good swimmer anyway and is usually one of the leaders (top twenty) out of the water, but Nats thinks she can reduce her time if she is fit. Unfortunately, she hasn't done to much training this year so far and is going rely on her natural athleticism to get her through.

Our aim therefore is to knock around ten minutes off our time this year in total. If we do that, we should beat about half the other teams I reckon, and I have reason to believe that there are 190 other teams entered this year! So anywhere in the top hundred should be good...

I'll keep everyone up-to-date with the result once I've got my breath back after next Saturday...

If any of my readers feel they would like to sponsor us - our chosen charity is CHAS (Children's Hospice Association of Scotland) - drop me an email (or comment) and I'll pass on the Justforgiving sponsorship URL.

Now I'm off to the gym once more...

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Not the 92 Club

Having followed Charlton for quite a few years now, I've been to many English football grounds to support the lads.

There is a "club" in England set up for supporters who go to all 92 league grounds - divisions 1 - 4 in the old days, and now The Premiership, Fizzy Div, and leagues 1 & 2. I have never tried to become a member of The 92 Club, even though you can become an associate member for going to over 70-odd grounds, which I qualified for many years ago.

My quest, unwritten until now, is and has been to see Charlton play at as many league grounds as I can. I doubt if I've been to more than many fellow supporters, but I must be somewhere in the top hundred or so. My count does include a number of clubs that no longer play in the leagues, having fallen on tough times - Southport, Hereford and Aldershot (then in Division three), and Barnet, Lincoln, Colchester, Shrewsbury and Exeter (amongst others) who have been yo-yo-ing between the league and the conference. Also, a fair few of the grounds I visited have been bulldozed for supermarkets (or housing), and I may not have been to the new super-dooper all-seater stadia that have replaced the old terraced versions.

The list of teams I've seen Charlton play at is (in no particular order) as follows -(o) = old ground; (o/n) = old and new ground:

1. Charlton Athletic (o/n)#
2. Queens Park Rangers
3. Millwall (o/n)
4. Crystal Palace
5. West Ham
6. Arsenal
7. Tottenham Hotspur
8. Chelsea
9. Brentford
10. Orient
11. Watford
12. Reading (o)
13. Southampton (o/n)
14. Portsmouth
15. Brighton (o)
16. Gillingham
17. Southport
18. Hereford
19. Bristol City
20. Bristol Rovers (o/o)*
21. Swindon
22. Exeter
23. Plymouth
24. Cardiff
25. Swansea (o)
26. Wrexham
27. Barnet
28. Southend
29. Colchester
30. Ipswich
31. Norwich
32. Cambridge
33. Peterboro
34. Lincoln
35. Nottingham Forest
36. Notts County
37. Leicester (o)
38. West Bromwich Albion
39. Birmingham
40. Walsall (o)
41. Aston Villa
42. Wolverhampton Wanderers
43. Stoke (o)
44. Port Vale
45. Chester (o)
46. Aldershot
47. Manchester United
48. Manchester City (o)
49. Oldham
50. Bury
51. Huddersfield (o/n)
52. Bradford City (o/n)**
53. Leeds United
54. Halifax
55. Newcastle
56. Sunderland (o)
57. Middlesboro (o/n)
58. Derby (o)
59. Chesterfield
60. Barnsley
61. Rotherham
62. Sheffield United
63. Sheffield Wednesday
64. Luton
65. Grimsby
66. Hull (o)
67. Carlisle
68. Blackpool
69. Blackburn
70. Burnley
71. Bolton (o)
72. Liverpool
73. Everton
74. Tranmere
75. Coventry (o)
76. Oxford (o)
77. Bournemouth
78. Shrewsbury
79. Wimbledon (o/o)***
80. Fulham
81. Northampton (o)

# - Obvioulsy I've seen Charlton play at The Valley, but I've also seen them play home games at Selhurst Park and Upton Park
* - Saw them play Charlton at Eastville and Twerton Park
** - Saw them play Charlton at Odsal and rebuilt Valley Parade
*** - Saw them play Charlton at Plough Lane

I could add Torquay to my list but I didn't see Charlton play them.

The reason for my missive is that it has been rare in recent years to add to my list. I have half-heartedly hoped that we would draw cup matches with Rochdale and the like, so that I could pop along to the replay, but no such luck!

Welcome then Wigan, to the Premiership; I intend to visit the JJB stadium later this season and take my tally up to 82.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

One down - four to go...

I guess it was inevitable that, after collapsing to 21-5, England lost the first test. It was nice to see Pieterson stand up and biff them about a bit, but worrying that no other batter looked comfortable.

The mind games have obviously started in earnest - Warne deliberately delaying each ball to Bell; the odd comment aimed at each batsmen, except Pieterson who got the cold shoulder (except when McGrath left him face down in the dirt first ball Friday); and the short pitched bombardment to lower order batters in retaliation to England's initially similar approach.

The worst part of the defeat was the seeming inability to cope with Warne (and it wasn't exactly the best (worst) turning pitch in the world!). The team has changed a lot recently (with five making their debuts versus the Aussies), and we may have lost the technique that, say, Stewart, Hussein, Atherton, and Thorpe had when playing the leg spinner. Trescothick and Strauss dangerously played no strokes, Bell fatally! Others slogged, or blocked, with hope on each occasion. To me, Warne only bowled two type of ball in this match - the "leggie", and the "slider" (which looks like a leggie but acts like the "flipper" and goes straight on). You would like to think that the management may have prepared the players for these balls? Watching TV pictures of Bell batting against a mechanical contraption that could spin the ball prodigiously was fun - but the machine bowled the same ball time after time, and you knew what was coming - maybe Bell should ask Warney what he's bowling before each ball? Crazy!

The bowlers did OK - and can do better. Harmison looks good and dangerous each spell; the Aussies are paying him respect which means he must be good! Flintoff is accurate and aggressive; Jones (S) a bit in and out, but when on song, aggressive; and Hoggie swings it when the weather is right and tries hard. Giles was ineffective and long-term needs replacing (Monty Penasar?).

Jones the glove lost his confidence after the one-handed drop (why did he not use his left hand too???) and must now be under real pressure. His batting will save his place for test 2 but he needs to improve...

Vaughan also needs to improve his captaincy, which (as Hussein did) follows the ball after it has gone.

Marks out of ten? 4....mainly due to the bowlers and our Kev.

Friday, July 22, 2005

Ashes to Ashes

Well, it didn't take long did it - the first call for captain Michael Vaughan's head came this morning (via FiveLive) just one day into the Ashes series. I bet that if Pieterson hangs around with the tail and adds another 80-odd this morning, we roll them over a second time for 120 then knock the runs off on Saturday morning for a couple down with Vaughny scoring the winning run he will be hailed as god-like. Doubtful though isn't it!?!

Pedro45's thoughts on yesterdays play? Very intense! I thought it was great to see Harmy hitting Langer, Hayden, and (especially) Ponting. The Aussies know now that he ain't no pussy! The bowling could still have been much better - too many no balls and legside... We need to have a plan to counter McGrath (and I don't mean hitting him in the throat Freddie!), who if you let him (and we did) will just put the ball in exactly the right place to get you out. I'd like to see the openers attack him occasionally (as per the ODIs) as this makes him think a little (not his best job...) about where to bowl. Oh, and Jones and Pieterson batted very sensibly.

The only bad thing about my day on the couch watching the game was the new round of bombings in London. Just as the sad memories of July 7 were being dealt with in the service at BMA House it starts again. Luckily, as the bombs didn't explode as they should have, we should have enough evidence to catch the would-be murderers. I think them lucky that the brave people who chased after them didn't catch them; if I'd been there and got close to one, I'm not sure if I could have controlled myself until the police arrived...

Thursday, July 21, 2005

ASHES 2005

Well, today is the first day of the latest Battle for The Ashes. Who's going to win - the Pedro45 view??? The media are saying players are the most important factors, and to a certain extent I agree, but they are missing two further areas - the toss, and the weather.

England have had a real raw deal with the toss in tests over the last ten-fifteen years. Gooch, Atherton, Stewart, Hussain all seemed to call wrong away from home, and toss badly in home series - check the averages!

If England are to win this series, it is imperative that they win at least the majority of tosses. If the Aussies bat first in good weather on good pitches, then England will have a whole heap of trouble trying to match first innings scores and save the game.

Second, the weather. Today is lovely (and a great day for batting it seems), but other upcoming days will not be so - we need to have the luck when it comes to batting in cloudless skies and bowling when it's overcast if we are to win. We may also well need the rain to come along on those occasions when we are under the cosh - allowing us to re-group, focus, and do media interviews!

Players to watch out for are pretty obvious - the English bowlers look a good bunch (pace, swing, seam, accuracy), but can they get the Aussie batters out twice in a match? The Aussie bowlers have the better confidence so can the English batters survive the new ball, and then Warne's persistence?

Realistic prediction time:
Score - 3-0 Australia (sorry...)
Top runs scorer - Aus - Martyn
Top runs scorer - Eng - Jones G
Top wicket taker - Aus - Lee
Top wicket taker - Eng - Harmison
Heart ruling head time, the best scenario is to win the toss this morning, bat till 11.30 on Saturday, then for it to get cloudy (but dry) and bowl the convicts out twice over the next eight sessions (69 years of hurt...). Then it's needs to rain incessantly for the next two months. There. Done deal! Ashes coming home and all that!

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

CHARLTON LINE UP

So, now most (but maybe not all) of the transfer activity has died down this pre-season, what will the first team be on the opening day and afterwards?

The squad is certainly much larger than we are used to -


Based on the facts we know, ie that El Kak is injured and probably not going to be fit till October at the earliest, and that Sorondo is suspended for the first three games, here's my guess at the first eleven versus Sunderland on August 13th.

  1. Anderson
  2. Young
  3. Hreidersson
  4. Smertin
  5. Spector
  6. Fortune
  7. Ambrose
  8. Holland
  9. Bartlett
  10. Murphy
  11. Bent

Subs: Keily, Powell, Thomas, Jeffers, Kishishev

The team above allows Curbs to go in with the favoured 4-5-1 with Bent withdrawn to the right (where he usually played for Ipswich), and Ambrose on the left but able to switch to 4-4-2 (with Bent up front and Holland moving to the right) if necessary.

The side picked is experienced, but has youth, it's solid at the back (or as best we can until Sorondo and El Kak are back), stronger than last year in midfield but still allowing Murphy to pull strings and support the frontmen, plus has greater attacking options and better workrate out wide.

Of course, if Euell, Lisbie and Jeffers are not sold, and have good pre-seasons, or if anyone gets injured (or Holland's knees don't get better), it could all change. And then again, we could sign Bowyer and Corradi and AN Other and improve the team even further. Then who gets dropped?

Strange, but Euell and Jeffers are the two who are getting the most plaudits in pre-season so far - is it because they both want out and need to impress suitors?

I guess at this stage it's all still up for grabs, though Curbs does have a habit of following the Clive Woodward line and going for players who have done well in the past but may not necessarily be the best option at that time...


Monday, July 18, 2005

Tavistock Square

I went up to my gym today which was open for the first time since the bombs went off on 7th July. My gym is in a hotel about fifty yards down the road from where the bus bomb exploded outside BMA House. I used to work in that building, and my girlfriend still does. She (as with many BMA/BMJ staff) had the unfortunate experience of being able to view the aftermath from the second floor balcony within seconds of the blast, and you can imagine that it was not a very pretty sight. Thankfully nobody at BMA/BMJ was injured physically, though the images and mental anguish will remain with many of the staff for years to come.

My blog wishes to highlight a couple of points that I haven't seen mentioned elsewhere...

Firstly, the bus was a number 30, going from the East end to Marble Arch. Now number 30's don't normally go past BMA house (I checked again this morning by looking at the numbers on the bus stop), so what made the driver go that way? I know that the roads around the area may well have been crowded - the tube bombs went off about an hour earlier, and parts of Euston Road would have been closed, even by then - but is it normal for buses to take such detours? Is it possible that the bomber was heading elsewhere (speculation was that he wanted to get on the Northern line at Kings Cross but couldn't for some reason)? Was he caught out by the apparent detour and worried that he might not be going to, say, Oxford Street? Is this why the bomb was detonated soon after the driver made the turn? I don't know, and am merely highlighting this as nobody else seems to have mentioned it.

My second point is that Tavistock Square is a Peace Park - unless you've been into the square you probably wouldn't realise. It has a statue of Gandhi and also a monument to the victims of the atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is a lovely small park to have lunch in, with plenty of shade and grass lawns. The CND hold a get together in the park every 8th August (I think) to remember the first nuclear blast. I cannot see this park as being a target for the bomber but the irony is not lost on me... It may well be that a new memorial is built in the park to remember the 14 who died on the bus?

Hopefully the bombs are now behind us and we can look forward to making London a great place to live, work, and play in again.

Finally, I'd like to mention that my thoughts have been with the victims of the four blasts over the last couple of weeks and their families, and I hope that they can recover their lives as much as possible.

With love and a tear in the eye...

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Pre-season

Well, the boys have been back in training for about two weeks and have started the round of friendly games that do so much to help match fitness.

It seems that anyone and everyone who is fit gets a run out at least for a few minutes. It also gives us fans a chance to see who isn't getting their chance and who is not playing and therefore obviously injured or up for sale.

Talal El Kakouri is one of those rumoured to be quite badly injured according to other websites, and will possibly not be fit until November.

Mark Fish, he of the free transfer that nobody wants, is another not getting much playing time so far.

Good to see Lloyd Sam getting at least two lots of 45 minutes so far, and Frannie Jeffers has put his beer down long enough to get a couple of goals today. I heard on the radio this morning that he (Frannie) owns a horse along with Ian Poulter (the golfer with the loud trousers) and someone else who's name I've forgotten. Poulter was asked if it was a flat or jumps horse, and he said "both!". It hasn't run yet but is costing a load in stable fees so is a bit of a dud - a bit like Frannie according to some...

This is my blog/website and I plan to publish anything I want due to the fact that I own the domain name. It may be to do with my life - past, present and future; it may be to do with Charlton Athletic - my team; or it may be something else that I am interested in.

I plan to headline each section so that navigation is easy, and once I'm used to this web-publishing lark, add lots of super-dooper links to all things pertinent in our (or rather my) world.

My pseudonym is Pedro45 (or whatever you want to call me), and I am from one of the following depending where you are from and how much you know about England - Bromley, which is in Kent and also (arguably) South East London, which is part of London, Capital of the World, and England, part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is (currently) part of the European Union or Greater Europe or United Europe...

I was born in Bromley, but brought up in Chislehurst, about three miles from where I now live in Bromley.

More blog will follow on my interests pages...

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