Relief

Big apologies all round for my recent lack of keyboard action. I have been up and down and round and about for the last week or so, add to that the fact that I have had no laptop with me you kind of get the message - iPhone not great for long blogs and I didn't want this site to turn into 'Twitterdom' e.g 'just popping to the shop, could be a shortage of limes due to the volcano'
Well on the football front we are heading for more play-off excitement/stress after a great spell over the last few weeks. The first leg is a week tomorrow and three days later we will have played the second leg and I will know whether it is going to be Wembley three seasons in a row. I am still yet to fight off my ailments but hopefully I will return to action on Saturday.
As far as my old 'muckers' at T.U.F.C are concerned I am just delighted for everyone at the club that safety is guaranteed. A great run of form has seen them leave the pack at the bottom and now everyone can breath a big sigh of relief. Beating Grimsby on Saturday was a brilliant result but for my old hometown club it is a shame that relegation looks an almost certainty. After surviving last season more by luck than judgement I thought that the club would have learnt their lesson but to be fair once you are at the bottom it is very difficult to drag yourselves out of it. I have said before in their local press that it isn't a complete disaster to drop into the conference but that it is vital within a couple of seasons at most to get back in. So many league clubs have dropped out of the league and have never recovered so fingers crossed it will be a quick return for the Mariners.
Together with the rest of the team at Oxford I popped in to see the sponsors after Saturdays game, basically to have a few photos and more importantly a chat about the season. The feeling of support from the fans reminded me of a night last year with the Torquay fans. Just go and do it!
This week the children have started back at school with their normal enthusiasm, my wife is back at work, and I am back on the motorway. I was actually relieved to get home last night though after seeing a few odd sights on the roads during my journey back. Firstly and worryingly I saw a car just sort of carry on through the central reservation and plough over the top of the barriers and into some rough ground. I couldn't stop as I was pulling off the M4 onto the M5 with cars all around me but I seemed to be the only one to spot it. It was a miracle that the car landed on its wheels, but it did which was obviously a major bonus. I rang the old 999 lot and after giving some directions put the phone down. They took my number and said they would let me know if they found the car and if all was OK. Ten minutes later the phone went and I actually had a feeling that is was going to be bad news but to my relief the officer said they had found the car and that the bloke in it was OK. He had been confused, had misjudged the junction in a massive way, and before he knew it was flying through the air and into some soft grass and bushes. All this at at least 70 mph. A minor miracle me thinks!.
From that point on I was driving like Mr Bean again and everything seemed to be in 3-D. About five random animals ran into the road at different intervals just missing the wheels, from nowhere a boulder hit the windscreen mercifully not smashing it, and finally a jeep swerved full on towards me with the driver totally oblivious he had veered over three empty lanes - until I battered the horn, lowered the window, and gave him some well known hand gestures that is!.
As you can imagine I was delighted to finally roll onto the drive and after a quick security check in next doors garden (their gate slammed shut when I got out of the car at 1 a.m and they are away!) I crawled into bed traumatised after a night of madness.

P.S Massive thanks 'pops' for the car TLC, and to all the Grandparents for two weeks of top hospitality and entertainment for the clan.

P.P.S I did the co-commentary for Plymouth v Newcastle on Monday night and what a sight it was to see those fanatical Geordie fans in full swing. I was really gutted to see Plymouth relegated because I think it is important to have a South West club in the Championship but to see those Newcastle fans travel down all that way to Plymouth and see their team promoted you have to hand it to them - and the twenty lads on the front row with their bellies out, 'Newcky brown' and a pasty kept the warmth in!.

CH