Odd Week

It's been a strange week.  A quiet start then on Wednesday we headed over to Leamington for a lecture on Christmas traditions.  Having made the journey we arrived at the theatre to find the dates had been changed and we'd missed it by 2 days! Neither the literature or the website had been updated.  Clare even called the Box Office the day before to check it was still going ahead and was told that it was. We ended up heading home.

What made things worse was that I missed the football!  Blues were away at Braga in the Europa League.  It was being shown on ITV4 but by the time we got home it had finished. Blues lost 1-0 which means our European adventure could be over soon.  We need to beat NK Maribor and hope that Bruge lose to Braga.

Friday we had people over, played bingo and had a good laugh.  We had some Christmas crackers which we bought from the RSPB.  Inside each cracker was a wind up penguin. In the box of crackers is a material race track.  Wind up the penguins and watch them race!   It was really good fun and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Yesterday we headed into Birmingham for a bit more Xmas shopping. Originally we were due to meet friends and do some shopping in Nantwich.  Probably not the first place that springs to mind but it's close to where a friend lives.  This was cancelled and we had planned to pop over to RSPB Sandwell Valley but when we awoke yesterday we were not really in the mood so opted to join the crowds of shoppers in the Bull Ring.

Today has been quiet with breakfast at Sainsbury's and then, whilst I watched the FA Cup (AFC Totton 1 Bristol Rovers 6), Clare sorted out the Christmas decorations.

Despite not going birdwatching yesterday I have watched the birds in the garden today.  Jay, Woodpigeon, Redwing, Blackbird, Robin, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Song Thrush, Magpie, Carrion Crow and a Goldcrest.  We also had a flock of Siskin!

It's been a nice relaxing sort of day which is good because shortly we will be heading back over to Leamington Spa to see The Vaccines!

Birmingham City 2 Club Brugges 2

On a mild November night I was at St Andrew’s to watch Blues fight back from two goals down to earn a point against Club Brugge in the Europa League.

The Belgian side went ahead after 39 minutes through Thomas Meunier who scored from a corner. 5 minutes later it was 2-0 when Joseph Akpala side-footed past Colin Doyle.

Jean Beausejour pulled a goal back in the second half after Brugge failed to clear Nikola Zigic's effort. Marlon King levelled the score from the penalty spot after Ryan Donk fouled Beausejour.

The point leaves Blues second in the Group H table, on head-to-head, with two games to play.

To be honest, the first half performance was poor but after King, Wood and Burke were brought on after 65 minutes we looked a better side.

It was good to see another full house and I was surprised at the amount of Brugges fans who made the trip. 3000 of them all in good voice (well at least until Blues scored).

A nice moment was the applause on 23 minutes. It turns out that Club Brugges fans do this at each match in memory of  sriker Francios Sterchele who passed away in a car crash back in 2008. When we played them at their place the Blues fans who had travelled over joined in, the only away team to do so. Last night we did it again. Both home and away fans came together for that minute, something the Club Brugges fans appreciated. At the end of the match they even sang Birmingham City’s name! A nice touch and something I’d not seen before!

Although we only managed a draw it was a great night and I’m hoping for many more European nights before this competition is over!

Another Week Passes By

Here we are again, over a week since my last post.  So what have I been up to since then?  Let's start with last Thursday.

Thursday night and St Andrew's played host to European football for the first time in 50 years (not including the Anglo Italian Cup in the early 90s) and I was there along with nearly 28,000 other supporters to witness Blues cruise into the group stages of the Europa League.

A nervy start saw Nacional have the better of the play but after about 15 minutes the game settled down. This was due largely to a cracking goal by Nathan Redmond, 17 years old and already a crowd favourite. 

The second goal came a few minutes later via Murphy's head.  Blues were making it look easy!  It was great to see us going forward and players actually queueing in the box to have a go.  A massive contrast to last year!

The third and final goal came in the second half. Chris Wood wrapped it up for Blues in the 86th minute.  I great evenings entertainment and all for a tenner.  Can't be bad. 

Friday and I missed the draw for the next round as I was at a family occasion over in Derbyshire.  It was good to see cousins again after 20 years. Hopefully we'll stay in touch now.

Saturday was a quiet day and on Sunday Clare and I headed to Sutton Park.  I'd not been there for years!  The weather was grey and a little on the chilly side when the wind got up but it was nice to wander around.   When we first arrived I noticed a rabbit in a field.  He was wild and kept disappearing into his warren.  The odd thing was he was jet black!

We wandered around the lakes and through the woods for a good couple of hours and eventually found the Blackroot Bistro. Stopping here, we had a bite to eat.  Clare ended up taking her bowl of chips back as there must have been half an inch of oil at the bottom and they were under cooked.  It's a shame as it was nice sitting under a brolly with a hot drink and food as the rain came down.

We intended to do some bird spotting whilst there ad came away with a pretty average list although we did see a bird of prey which we were unable to identify.  My gut instinct was Hen Harrier but I couldn't say for certain.

My gut instinct was ruled out on Monday when we went to Sandwell Valley. They had been reports of Snipe but it turned out one had been seen flying over. 

We arrived and as we approached the marsh we heard the distinctive call of Water Rail.  Things were looking good.  As it was we didn't see anything new but it was good to see hundreds of House Martins (and the odd Sand Martin) feeding over the river and lake.

Whilst looking at the lake we bumped into one of the volunteers who we'd seen a couple of times before.  We got chatting and he was giving us handy hints and telling us the best places to see this or that. I asked him whether it was a Hen Harrier we had seen but he didn't think it was.  He offered up no alternatives. We ended up walking over to Forge Mill Farm and sat around with a hot chocolate each, chatting. 

Eventually we went our own ways.  Clare and I decided we would explore more of the valley.  We walked around Swan Pool and up tracks and through woods eventually coming out on one of the two golf courses. Despite the map stating it was a public footpath it was at this point we turned around and headed back to The Reserve.

So there you go, brief but at least we are all up to date again.

This Week

Firstly, the lunar eclipse on Wednesday night was a let down due to cloud cover. It seems I never have any luck when it comes to star gazing.  This was a long eclipse and the moon turned blood red although we didn't get to see it.  Last night and Tuesday had fantastic views of the moon (through the clouds) but Wednesday's show wasn't to be.

Secondly, Alex McLeish's move across the city.  Having resigned from Blues last Sunday it has been announced this morning that he has now been installed as the new Villa manager.  This despite fan protests at Villa Park and Blues insisting on compensation (Villa have agreed to pay 2 million).

To be honest, I don't blame him going.  I think Blues have some real problems behind the scenes but I am surprised he has crossed the city!  I think Blues fans are unhappy about it but not as much as Villa fans. Some sections are talking about giving their season tickets back.  A few wins under his belt though and it will soon be forgotten.  In the meantime Blues have to find a new manager and start planning their bid for promotion and their campaign in Europe.  Interesting times ahead!

Finally, the fixtures for the coming season have been announced today. Blues kick off against Derby for the first game and end the season at home to Reading.  The last away game is Brighton!  Hopefully a trip to the seaside to celebrate our return to the Premier League!

Now I Wasn't Expecting That!

I was just about to write up my day when I received a text with some odd news. I checked it out and this is what I found on the BBC Sport website.

Alex McLeish has resigned as manager of Birmingham City.

Birmingham won the Carling Cup in February but went on to be relegated from the Premier League at the end of the past campaign.

The club's board had stated that McLeish's job was "safe" in the aftermath of their drop into the Championship but the Scot has now decided to leave of his own accord.

Aston Villa are already being suggested as a possible destination for McLeish.

"Birmingham City Football Club can confirm that Alex McLeish has resigned as manager," said a statement on the St Andrew's club's website.

"Acting chairman Peter Pannu received an e-mail resignation from McLeish earlier today [Sunday] while away on business in Amsterdam.

"No further comment will be made at this moment in time and updates will be released in due course."
More to follow.

I'm a bit surprised but not sure that I'm that upset by it.  I'd like to know his reasons.  Is it because Blues seem to have no money or has he had a better offer from the other side of the city.  Time will tell.

Signing Up

So Clare and I finally did it.  We have talked about it for some time and today we finally took the plunge.  We joined the RSPB.  Having made our way to Sandwell Valley for their guided walk we took the opportunity to sign up.  For our money we came away with the latest copy of the RSPB quarterly magazine, a welcome pack and a lovely book on Garden Wildlife.  Not only that but we also have the satisfaction of knowing that we are doing something to help our wildlife.

The day itself promised to be a good one, warm and sunny!  As we headed over to Sandwell it was lovely but at the start of the walk it turned cloudy.  Not only that but the birds seemed to have disappeared!  We got to the lake and all the usual suspects were there Lapwing, Gadwall, Tufted Duck and Mallard.  There were a couple of Common Terns, Lesser Black Backed Gull and plenty of Canada Geese.  At the hide we watched a Great Crested Grebe making repairs to it's nest. Also on a nest was an Oyster Catcher. 

The highlight for me was a Black Tailed Godwit which we watched wading through the marsh.

We got home in time for the England versus Switzerland match.  If I'm honest I hadn't really given it a second thought.  I've sort of grown tired with the whole England Football Team.  A manager who we don't want and who doesn't want to be there. On the pitch it's the same old faces and the same old lack lustre performance. 

As a Euro qualifier it should have been a much more exciting prospect but it didn't really fire the imagination. I put the TV on but rather than watch it properly I just had it on the background.  In the first half England went 2-0 down but pulled it back to 2-1 through a Lampard penalty.  In the second half Ashley Young levelled the scoring.  The game finished 2-2 and England are still top the group but I can't for one moment believe that, if we qualify, we could actually go on to win the competition.

Bank Holiday Weekend

It's a grey and wet Bank Holiday Monday and so I'm not venturing out today,  Instead I'm going to stay at home and spend the afternoon listening to music. I'm going to do an End Of The Road playlist as this year I have decided not to go to Moseley Folk Festival and head off to Dorset instead.  With the likes of The Fall, Mogwai, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Allo Darlin' and Beirut it is too good to miss.

Despite the weather it hasn't been a bad day so far.  Earlier Clare checked her bank and it looks like we've been allocated tickets for the Olympics although we have no idea which event we will be going to (don't get me started on the whole ticket process thing. The way it has been handled is terrible but out of the 3 or 4 events we applied for we have managed to get tickets for one at least).

Although the rest of the weekend has been dry it has been grey, windy and a little on the chilly side and so we haven't ventured far. 

Friday, I met Clare and my parents at All Fired Arts before heading to the Kitchen Garden Cafe for afternoon tea.  It's not the cheapest but the sandwich was lovely. You also get a scone and a slice of cake, washed down with a large cup of coffee.
Saturday, Clare and I went into Knowle, bought bread from the The Bread Collection bakery and had a look around the shops.  On the evening we settled down to watch the Champions League Final between Manchester Utd and FC Barcelona.  A good game, held at Wembley, which Barcelona won 3-1 (which I was chuffed about). Rodriguez put Barcelona ahead after 27 minutes. Rooney levelled the score 7 minutes later.  In the second half  goals from Messi (54) and Villa (69) put the game beyond Man Utd.

Sunday, Clare and I went to Solihull Nature Reserve. We stopped at the cafe in the park before following a footpath alongside the River Blythe. It takes you through the woods and out into an open field alongside the M42.  We followed the path for a bit and then took the bridge over the motorway and onto the fields beyond.  We decided to turn around and head back, saving the footpath for another day.

Whilst following the path we came across a Greater Spotted Woodpecker nest.  A hole in a dead branch of a tree we could hear the chick calling from some way away.  As we stared up at the tree a small red head popped out of the hole! We watched for a while before moving on.

We saw about 30 species of bird including Willow Warbler, Whitethroat, Chaffinch and Bullfinch.

After the walk we headed back to the cafe where we met my parents for a bite to eat. They said they would like to see the Woodpecker and so we headed back along the path.  When we reached the field we found the gate was blocked by cows who had no intention of letting us into the field.

Having been over the reserve for over six hours we decided to head home, my parents joining us for coffee.  Not long after they had left my brother arrived. He stayed for most of the evening and when his girlfriend picked him up she also popped in for a bit.  It was a lovely day spent with my family.

Update

Not much to say except that Blues and Blackpool were relegated.  Wolves, despite losing 3-2 against Blackburn, stayed up along with Wigan who, to my suprise, managed to beat Stoke 1-0.

Blues went 1-0 down five minutes into the second half ( a great strike by Pavlyuchenko) putting us into the bottom three.  Craig Gardiner equalised with ten minutes to go. Just as I started to believe we would be OK  Wolves pulled a second goal back against Blackburn which put us back into the relegation zone on goal difference.  In the dying seconds of the game Pavlyuchenko scored his second and condemned Blues to the Championship.

Not the greatest of afternoons but as the song says Keep Right On To The End Of The Road!

Last Weekend

I'm still being a bit lax when it comes to writing this but I will try and improve things this week.

Saturday morning and it was off to Cherry Red's for breakfast.  I had the hearty veggie breakfast which was huge!  Consisting of veggie sausage, beans, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, potato rosti, grilled haloumi, fried egg and toast.  With extra toast and coffee it was the perfect way to start the day!

Afterwards we did some shopping (I ended up buying a couple of CDs from Poundland. A live Ramones compilation and Kaiser Chiefs' Employment!).

We headed home and I settled down for the FA Cup Final (Man City versus Stoke). Not the greatest of matches. I had hoped for a Stoke win but it wasn't to be.  Man City finally breaking them down, winning 1-0.

After the football it was time to head to St Mary's Church in Acock's Green for Skittles Night!  Their annual fund raiser is usually a relaxed night.  Fish and chips (or soup if you prefer) are included in the ticket price. Take your own drink and await your turn.  If you win you become the proud owner of a shield which you keep for a year before returning to defend your title.

Sunday and we decided to walk to Earlswood Lakes.  It's about 4 miles and took about an hour.  Having refuelled at the local shop we headed for the lakes.  There was plenty of birds to be seen with Swallow, Swift, Great Crested Grebe and Arctic Tern. 

We walked around the lakes and then around the woods.  We could hear a number of cuckoos but unfortunately never got see one.  After a couple of hours we headed back, stopping at the Reservoir pub for a quick drink and a packet of crisps before getting a taxi home.  A lovely day but it did get a bit chilly around the water's edge.

The Weekend (part 2)

I spent the day in front of the TV yesterday.  Watched a bit of the football, England beating Wales 2-0 in a World Cup Qualifier and watched the news coverage of the anti cuts demo in London (wishing I was there but to be honest it had passed me by).  I also watched the Boat Race (Oxford beating Cambridge emphatically).

After the race it was time to get ready for Clare's works night out. This was a follow on from the Christmas meal for those people that couldn't make it last time. 14 of us in total, with one or two new faces.  The meal was at Anderson's Bar & Grill in St Paul's Square.  I've already mentioned it on this blog but just to recap it specialises in steak but also has a veggie option.  Last night I opted for the whipped goats cheese with cracked black pepper, marinated beetroot and truffle honey dressing as my starter and  a lovely tart tatin for my main. Just like last time I missed out on a desert and cheese board. 

I like Anderson's and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening, not only was the food good but I met some really nice people as well.  All in all a really good night out.

Today started with breakfast and newspapers at the cafe in Sainsbury's before doing the shopping. Although I had a fair amount to drink last night I was tired more than anything else (losing an hour as the clocks went forward last night, BST begins!) and so have had quite a quiet day, catching up on the TV I missed over the last couple of nights (Friday Night Dinner, White Van Man).

Clare and I did pop out early this afternoon for a walk around the park. We took some bread to feed the ducks but they were not interested.  With the daffodils in full bloom and the trees in bud the park, well bits of it, looked lovely in the Spring sunshine.

A good weekend despite England's cricketers losing to Sri Lanka in the quarter finals of the Cricket World Cup!

The Weekend So Far

With the earthquake (8.9 on the Richter scale), tsunami and possible nuclear catastrophe in Japan it doesn't seem right to say that my weekend has been pretty good so far.  Watching the footage on TV makes me thankful that I live in a place that is, geographically speaking, pretty safe.

That said, my weekend started by taking delivery of a copy of Autopia, the new album by Eat Lights Become Lights.  I have to say that Enraptured Records have a great system. I ordered it on Tuesday and yesterday it arrived in sturdy packaging ensuring my new LP was in pristine condition. I haven't had time to listen to it yet but I am really looking forward to putting the needle on the groove and kicking my feet up.

Today, the postman arrived with a couple of DVDs which Clare had ordered for me (Y Tu Mama Tambian and Red Road). A nice surprise and a lovely way to start a Saturday morning.

We were meeting friends for a walk this morning.  Originally the plan was to head up to Shropshire but our friend up there cancelled so we decided to stay local.  We ended up wandering the fields and lanes around Barston, stopping to each lunch in St Swithen's churchyard in Barston. Spring was most definitely in the air and it was quite warm especially when the sun came out.  Unfortunately as we were making the walk up as we went along it wasn't quite as long as usual.  It probably wasn't a bad thing though as it seemed to get colder towards the end and as I write it has started raining.

Getting home early meant I was able to catch the second half of the Blues vs Bolton in the FA Cup Quarter Finals.  Blues lost 3-2 ruling out another trip to Wembley.  To be honest, I'm not too bothered as with the danger of relegation looming we need to concentrate on staying in the Premier League.

Round Up

It's been a strange old week, lots of chores, but I'm still buzzing from my trip to Wembley last Sunday.  I still can't believe that Blues will be in Europe next season!  I need to get my passport sorted!

Last night saw the return of the tawny owl. Sitting in the tree outside the window hooting away. This time though, there was no reply. He was there for a few minutes and we managed to get a good view of him before he flew off.

Eat Lights Become Lights' album was due for release on Monday but there seems to be some confusion.  A couple of record shop sites are now saying it will be out in March.  It will be available on green vinyl and download.  I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. in the meantime I will have to make do with the videos.

We've Never Won F*** All

On Sunday I got up early and headed to the train station.   I was on my way to Wembley for the League Cup Final between Arsenal and Birmingham City. Arriving at the station I rounded the corner to find a queue just to get on to the platform. Over an hour later I was on a train London bound. It was standing room only but the two hours passed quite quickly.  The atmosphere was fantastic.

Eventually I got to Marylebone and after a short walk to Baker Street met my brother and some mates. We found a small pub just around the corner (Bok Bar) and stayed there until it was time to head over to Wembley.

The weather, when I arrived, was lovely but by the time we left the bar it was raining and had become quite chilly. 

Before I knew it I was walking up Wembley Way and within minutes was inside the stadium.  It all seemed quite surreal.

I'd been to Wembley before to watch England but to walk in and see a sea of blue and white was something special.

The game itself seemed to pass quickly and a lot of it is still a blur. Luckily Clare has taped it for me so I can watch it back when I get the chance.  Standing behind the goal was a great place to see Birmingham's Zigic rise to head in the first goal after 28 minutes.  The Blues fans went wild but 11 minutes later Van Persie's great strike meant it was all level at half time. 

The second half saw Arsenal have a good spell and most of the Blues fans were getting frustrated.  We were expecting an Arsenal goal but as the time ticked away we were all thinking of extra time and penalties and then it happened. In the 89th minute a long ball from Foster is met by Zigic in the Arsenal area.  Koscielny (Arsenal defender) should have cleared the ball but Szczesny (Arsenal goalkeeper) came out to collect. The ball is miskicked and rolls to the feet of Martins (Blues on loan striker) who is faced with an empty goal.  He taps it home and the Blues fans cannot believe it. The 4 minutes added time seemed like forever but eventually the whistle blew.

Blues had won the the Carling Cup.  Despite being written off by the bookies and the media we had done it.   Our first major trophy in 48 years.  Everyone was ecstatic and as the Arsenal fans filed out of Wembley the Blues sang.  Keep Right On, Mr Blue Sky, Food for Thought.

When the team collected the trophy I don't mind admitting I had tears in my eyes (I wasn't alone).  Eventually we left Wembley and the party continued.

Blues were going to party all night but I was shattered so eventually made my way back over to Marylebone to catch the train home.  I could have caught it at Wembley but figured I had a better chance of a seat by heading back across London.  I was right. 

3 days later and I still can't believe we have done it.  It's not a cheap day out but it was worth every penny!

The Kenilworth Greenway

I went walking with friends earlier.  The Kenilworth Greenway is a disused railway line that runs between Berkswell and Kenilworth.  It is also part of the proposed route for the HS2 High Speed Rail Link.

We met at a friend's house in Balsall Common and headed over a couple of fields before joining the Greenway.  The walk itself is straight and flat, flanked on either side by trees.  The weather was blustery but mild and the trees provided some cover from the wind.  There were plenty of birds flitting amongst the trees and a Green Woodpecker flew in front of our path. 

I'm not sure how long the path is (between 4.5 and 6 miles depending on which website you use) but it took us a couple of hours to reach Kenilworth. 

Once we reached the end we made the short walk to Kenilworth Common and found a fallen branch to sit on while we ate lunch.  Whilst the others finished their food I wandered around and came across a Treecreeper. 

Another couple of hours to walk back, arriving home in time to watch the second half football scores roll in.  A record breaking day in the Premiership, 38 goals from 7 matches with Wolves v Man Utd yet to kick off!

Back to The Kenilworth Greenway.  I never knew the place existed until today but it seemed very popular with walkers, cyclists and others just out walking the dog. There were people of all ages, from families with young kids to elderly people.  I know that it's original purpose was that of a railway line but I feel it would be great loss if the government drive a high speed rail link through it.  This is place to get away from the real world, a place where kids can learn about nature, a place where you can ride your bike without fear of traffic. It's a place where dog walkers stop for a chat and where wildlife thrives (Purple Hairstreak butterflies can be found close by in Crackley Wood).  I have been opposed to the HS2 since it's announcement and having walked a stretch of the route today I am certain that I made the right decision. 

Below is a link to the HS2 website and also a link to the Stop HS2 petition.

http://www.hs2.org.uk/

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-hs2/sign.html

It's A Long Long Road......

Last night my football team qualified for their first major trophy in 10 years.  Blues last made the final of the League Cup back in 2001, losing to Liverpool (on penalties) at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.  Blues have won the cup once, back in 1963 when they beat local rivals Aston Villa.

Last night they beat West Ham 4-3 on aggregate and booked their place at Wembley where they will face Arsenal.

West Ham came to St Andrew's with a 2-1 lead after the first leg.   That game had seen Blues fail to make an impact in the first half but gave a much better performance in the second.

Last night was very similar.  A dire first half saw Carlton Cole score for the visitors.  The second half saw the introduction of Zigic and much better Blues performance.  Bowyer levelled the score, on the night, after 59 minutes. As the game entered it's final stages Roger Johnson's header levelled the score on aggregate and took the game to extra time.

Craig Gardener had already hit the post twice with long range efforts and put the ball in the back of the net in extra time taking the final score to 3-1 on the night.

The final takes place on 27th February.  I hope I'm able to get a ticket!!

And The Winner Is...

RUSSIA! After a short delay the 22 executives finally reached a decision and the announcement made by Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA.

England's presentation , this morning, was a good one. Built around Eddie Afekafe's story (on the dole, no future, volunteers for Manchester City Youth Project, football changes his life) it featured David Beckham, David Cameron and Prince William.  With a film that showed nations around the world watching English Football the presentation was slick and well presented. It seemed to be well received by all and Sepp Blatter called it remarkable.

Outdoor screens were erected around the country including Birmingham, London and Manchester and crowds gathered to hear the result.  I don't know how it came about but this announcement became "an event".  Was it the hope of a nation or was it the media building it up?

As the announcements began, rumours started circulating that England had been knocked out in the first round of voting. This proved to be true and it means that England will not host the World Cup until at least 2030. 

FIFA have, once again, ruined my football dreams.

Today's The Day!

Today's the day England find out whether their bid to host the 2018 World Cup has been successful.  With the Prime Minister, Prince William and David Beckham amongst the delegation in Zurich trying to sway the votes. A presentation at 10.00 and the winning bid been announced at 15.00 has given the media the chance to report something other than the weather.  From what I can gather it's very close and it's proving to be quite exciting.

The bid seems to have been strong but a Panaroma investigation alleging corruption of certain FIFA Officials and other allegations in the press probably haven't helped the cause.  Something else that wouldn't have helped would have been the scenes of violence during the Carling Cup Quarter Final Match between Birmingham City and Aston Villa last night.  Birmingham won the game 2-1 and face West Ham away in the Semi Final.  After the match a pitch invasion by Blues fans led to flares being fired and seats ripped up as they tried to get to the Villa fans.

I'm not going to talk about the rights and wrongs of football hooliganism but I will say that a lot of these so called hooligans are the same fans that will travel the country week in week out, whatever the weather and whoever their opponent may be. 

The West Midlands derby has always been a passionate affair, on and off the pitch and is often overlooked by the media. The game is usually played on a Sunday lunchtime at the insistence at of the police.  Last night however it was decided that the game would not be moved and the trouble followed. 

The game itself was scrappy albeit played at a fast pace. Blues took the lead thanks to a Seb Larson penalty after Lee Bowyer had been bought down.  Blues scored again  but this was disallowed.  Villa then went up the pitch and scored, although this should also have been disallowed for offside.  With extra time and penalties looming Zigic managed to put the ball in the back of the net and send Blues through to the next round.

On an evening when the temperature never made it above -2C I thought I was being clever staying at home and watching it on TV. Having seen the match and what followed afterwards I think I made the wrong decision!

A Quiet Night In

Having spent the previous four nights watching bands last night was a quiet night in front of the TV.  First we had the football and then what the continuity announcer said was "one of the must see TV events of the year" This Is England 86.

England's Euro2012 qualifying campaign is off to a good start.  Two wins out of two and top of the group.  I missed their opening match against Bulgaria as I was at Moseley but last night I sat down to watch them beat Switzerland 3-1.

A strong England performance with Wayne Rooney, Adam Johnson and Darren Bent (his first goal for England) on the score sheet.

Theo Walcott was injured in the move that lead to the first goal and had to be taken to hospital. Jermaine Defoe was also stretchered off as the game went on.

With England in the driving seat at 2-0 and Switzerland down to 10 men, after Lichtsteiner was sent off for a second bookable offence, a fantastic strike by Shaqiri gave Switzerland a fighting chance before Darren Bent sealed England's victory.

A good England performance but nothing more than what we should expect given the opposition. 

After a short break it was time to settle down for This Is England 86.  The new Channel 4 mini series that reintroduces us to the characters of the 2006 film This Is England.

If you've not seen the original film it centres around a young lad called Shaun who falls in with a group of skinheads.  When an older skinhead, Combo, returns following a prison sentence he takes Shaun under his wing.  Combo is a racist and eventually attacks the only black skinhead in the group. Shaun becomes disillusioned with Combo and walks away from the group following the attack.

It is here where last night started.  The series catches up with Shaun and the group 3 years later.  The first episode was mainly an introduction of the characters with Shaun running into his former friends and girlfriend following a trip to the hospital.

The show is what I would expect from Shane Meadows. The bleak Yorkshire landscape, the clothes and the music all blend to give a great snapshot of life in the mid 80s.

The hour flew by and the disappointment of having to wait a whole week before the next episode is something I haven't felt  for a long time.

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable night in.

The Full Time Result

So, Spain lived up to expectation and lifted The World Cup, beating the Netherlands in the World Cup Final. In a match that couldn't be settled in normal time, an Iniesta goal put Spain ahead with only a couple of minutes left to play in extra time. 

It was the right result in a game that saw 14 yellow cards and the Dutch reduced to 10 men.  It wasn't a pretty affair but as the second half drew to a close and extra time came in to play, you can't say it wasn't exciting!

The World Cup 2010 has been a mixed bag.  There have been some good games and plenty of drama on and off the pitch. There has been some terrible decisions by the officials and England's disallowed goal prompted me to email Fifa demanding a review of goal line technology.  They never replied but at least they have now said they will look at it again.

There has been controversy with the ball, goalkeepers saying it was unpredictable, ground staff not being paid resulting in a walk out and demonstrations and team hotels and journalists being robbed.  There were even court cases.  The England fan who managed to evade security and get into the England Dressing Room and some Dutch girls who were taken to court because they were promoting a beer that was not officially approved by Fifa.

Then there were the Vuvuzelas.  A plastic trumpet that the South Africans blew throughout most of the games.  At first I didn't mind them as I thought they sounded good in South Africa's opening match but as the tournament went on they became annoying as it killed the atmosphere of the other matches.  Fan's chants were drowned out by the sound. I suppose one saving grace was that a lot of the matches were not sold out and so it cut down on the amount of Vuvuzelas.

On the pitch, the French camp were in disarray and the team never made it past the group stages. Nor did the Italians.  England scraped through finishing second in the group behind the USA, only to be humiliated by Germany, losing 4-1 in the first game of the knock out stages. 

So, a mixed tournament in all.  Spain can now join the other 7 nations who have won the World Cup since 1930 and the TV schedules can return to normal.

Catching Up

Over the years I've lost count how many times I've climbed the Malvern Hills.  I'd also forgotten how steep some of the inclines are!  Although saying that, on Saturday,I found myself on a route I'd not taken before.  The first part of it must've been at least at a 45 degree angle!
Clare and I decided we were going to climb to the top of Worcestershire Beacon. At 425 metres it is the biggest of the hills.  It was a very warm day which made the climb that little bit more difficult.  It's always worth it though.  From the top you can look across seven counties and the breeze from the west went someway to cooling us down. 

After a rest, we descended via a more direct route. Back in town we headed straight for a cafe for a sandwich and a cold drink.  It was lovely.  Sitting outside watching the world go by.  We then browsed the antique and book shops.  Malvern isn't a big place so doesn't take too long to get round so, after a while, we headed for the train station.

Great Malvern is a lovely station and we sat and had another drink at a little cafe on the platform.  Our train home was waiting for us and with the driver sitting at the next table, having a couple of tea, there was no danger of missing it!

Once back I managed to catch some of the Spain versus Paraguay match.  Blimey, talk about an incident packed second half!  The biggest surprise though was when I saw the Germany 4  Argentina 0 scoreline.   Now I wouldn't have predicted that!

England's cricket team couldn't manage to finish the series on a high, losing to Australia in the final One Day International.  At least we still won the series 3-2.