Where has he been I hear you ask! Yesterday is only the second day since lockdown when I haven’t blogged not because I didn’t know what to write actually the opposite I have been writing my story regularly through the last week. I incorporated the new idea that came to me one night, it meant a few extra chapters (they are not that long) interspersed throughout the story. My next job is to read it through to see how it flows and then I shall pass it on to my resident critic before I start redrafting. I did get thoroughly immersed in the writing process, it helps the lack of sporting distractions and of course no Story Telling. I am going to investigate doing some virtual performances over the next fortnight.

Today I managed a social-distanced cycle ride with a couple of friends and despite the wind and getting caught in two heavy showers it felt really good for our well being to be out with friends (keeping our distance of course).

I was going to write quite a bit for the third part of the teeth saga but will try and condense it! I will take you back to that dentist waiting room a few years back and the magazine article about Fever Pitch. Well the pain of that assault was finally put to bed on a magical  April day at Wembley Stadium (old version) that Mr Hornby mentions in his book. He says it was one of the worst days of his life for some of us it was the best sporting moment.

I could wax lyrically about one of the most entertaining footballing finals at Wembley as the Hatters defeated a powerful Arsenal team but I won’t. Instead some of the bits around that day – I had called in a favour in the scramble to get tickets-I had done much work with the English Schools FA running a Stroud representative team for a few years and so i got two tickets from them for my Dad and brother right by the half way line. My friend Colin got me a ticket in the Arsenal end for a teaching mate and we had some tickets scattered at the Luton end. I had driven three of us up in my Fiesta to meet my Dad and two fellow Hatters in a pub in Acton. Everyone in the pub apart from our little group were Arsenal fans who were condescendingly polite to us along the lines about us having a wasted journey etc.etc. Six of us squeezed into the car and miraculously we found a parking slot near the stadium. We all scattered into the ground for the match. At the end of a dramatic game we had triumphed! As I stood on the terrace hoarse and emotional I smiled as the ghost and pain of 74 was finally laid.

So Nick Hornby “Your boys took a hell of a beating……..”  (Picture of winning goal below and picture of some unruly Luton supporters you might recognise one in the mid 70s!)

Today’s Quiz is all about sporting underdogs and comebacks  to continue the blog theme.

a) (snooker) How many opening frames did Dennis Taylor lose to Steve Davis before going on to win the World Championship in 1985?    b) (cricket) India were 274 behind Australia in 2001 but went on to win by 171 runs because of two great hundreds by Indian batsmen who were they?   c) (football you can guess the final score) Charlton were losing 5-1 to Huddersfield in 1957 with ten men and thirty minutes to go and they won what was the final score?****   d) (Cycling) Which cyclist won the Tour de France in1987 having had to have oxygen on a final climb when he amazingly pulled back a minute and 26 seconds on his rival?   e) (football) What unlikely  team surprised everybody by winning the Premier League  in 2016 ?

*****I once played in a game for Brimscombe in late 70s and we were losing a cup tie 5-1 with twenty minutes to go and the opposition had a penalty-they missed we ended drawing 5-5 and winning on penalties!