December 11 2005

Julian Speroni

Another Saturday, another 1-1 draw. Jamesey ruminates.

For the first 20 minutes of our 1-1 home game against Wolves we played some very creditable football - a colossal improvement on our abysmal display against Millwall the previous week.

Then something happened. They scored against the run of play.

From where I sit Speroni looked culpable but other supporters I talked to, who saw the goal from a different perspective, disagree.

Well, whatever your view, thank heaven, Andy Johnson was there to put us level just before half time.

Three points rather one would have been nice, but, all in all, it was a good, entertaining game of football and Wolves were never going to be a pushover like our last home win against Coventry City (2-0, Nov 22).

A few years back when I first started writing for this website, I suggested to the "management" that we have a meet-up in the Selhurst Arms.

The result was an assembly of four (Penge Eagle, Guntri, myself and another bloke whose name, I am afraid, escapes me).

Things had certainly changed by February 04, the last meet-up I attended, and the Arms was packed to the gunwales with HOL-lers of every size, shape and sex, all eagerly quaffing the cup that cheers and all in states of varying intoxication.

The scene after the Wolves game was not quite so crowded but it was a great pleasure for me to meet and mingle with some very pleasant people...I rarely get the chance to meet many youngsters nowadays and it is refreshing and educational for us oldsters to hear how they are thinking.

Apologies to many folk I talked to not mentioned but my special thanks go to:

Moose - for his charm and courtesy and for buying me the beer he promised.

Re-born - for at least arriving, then leaving and not buying me the beer he promised.

AJ'sShorts - for a chaste peck on the cheek and for an apology that was totally unnecessary.

Saucy-Minx - for a dazzling smile that practically lit up the bar.

Cristallpalace - for telling me he thought this column was written by a much younger man.

dowie101 - for spilling my beer over me but having the decency to attempt to mop it up.

Neillo - for inviting me to a wine- and port-drenched City lunch in January.

Daughter of Neillo - for being so good to look at (I'm not that old!).

Email Jamesey with any of your comments to Jevans3704@aol.com

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