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Praise to the Geriatrics and their new boots! I should talk, of course! Older than the oldest player to don his new pair of boots to compete in the Maccabi Masters Geriatrics League, I must confess to green-eyed jealousy when it comes to these brave geriatrics taking the field once again to re-enact old routines of decades (long) gone by. What ever the quantity of scorn wives might throw at these poor old souls, I've got to admit full admiration for these great guys and in truth I only wish I was out there pulling on that yellow shirt to join them. So, unable to sustain a mere standing position to watch them play for any length of time, I can but only spectate, propped up against a wall, tree or fence if my buttocks are unfortunate enough not to secure a bench. And there I was doing the former on 24 September to see Temple Fortune's old gits take on Kenton at Woodhouse College. From my vantage point behind the wire mesh fence in Fenstanton Road, I witnessed a pretty mundane match which commenced Temple Fortune's Masters programme for the season. Kenton, looking like a poor (old) man's Newcastle in their black and white stripes, were debutants in the Masters event, entering virtually a synagogue team and certainly looking the part rather than Shearer and Co. The yellow shirted Fortune players fared little better and the ball ping-ponged around the sloping pitch with little semblence of skill applied to its leather coating. What was stiking to me amidst the mistakes and misses and injuries – there were two players crocked who looked close to hospitalisation – was the number of brand new boots shining on an otherwise gloomy morning. Umbro, Reebok, Nike, Mitre, Puma, Patrick – all the usual brands, with their bright fluorescent stripes and fancy shapes, were shamelessly adorned for the first time. Ignoring the lack of ability and snail pace, I enjoyed the match for the geriatrics' effort and revived sense of competitiveness, the pick-'em-up if they fell down and mutual respect for one another. No screaming at the ref, no nasty sliding tackles, shirt pulling, confrontations or any of the other vindictive antics which ruin all too many matches in the Maccabi (Southern) League. Masters football for geriatrics, brand new shiny boots and all. A joy to behold and long may it continue! |
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