FIXTURES: Weekend of 10/11 August
Mighty Saints: Dulwich Hamlet (A)
Lesta City: Wolverhampton Wanderers (H)
TLF: Fairport’s Cropredy Convention (A)
Finally! Time for the traditional early August fixture that takes place in the Folky Theatre of Dreams that is a village just outside Banbury.
Now a Cropredy festival veteran of some 21 years, TLF is clearly a loyal one-club player; and brings grit and determination to the midfield; the N-Golo Kante of lager drinking if you will. But we all know that this game isn’t about one player. It’s about the group.
And oh my goodness what a team we fielded (BOOMBOOM!) this year. As ever we saw that strong spine, with the centre of defence anchored by the TLF Parentals, not only do they bring even more years of experience to the team but they also bring the tent, the chairs, the flag, the food and the Stella.
Over the years there has also been the introduction in the midfield of a bit of continental flair with the Swedish brothers Stefan and Christa being crucial cogs in the (very) well-oiled machine. Custodian of the phone chargers, James ‘the big fella’ brings some much needed height and dry humour in front of the onion bag. We were carrying an injury this year though with Jon, our no-nonsense striker on the subs bench due to a bad back. And yet he still had a bit of pace in his locker, coming off the bench to make it to our preferred bit of festival field at top speed on the Satday.
Swedes audition for a new tango advert
Like any good team we also know when to freshen things up a bit. So, we saw the debuts of the Big Fella’s missus, the return of Stefan’s daughter and son in law and then taking a real gamble on youth there was the inclusion of two members of the Swedish Under 3s team. What Stefan’s grandkids lack in height they more than make up for with their pace and energy.
It’s pacing rather than pace that has been a problem in the past. Well a lack of pacing actually. Who can forget the shocker that was last year’s Shots Friday which left the team in such disarray – the defence carved open, wellingtons mislaid and several hours lost. This year though TLF had learned the lessons of previous seasons; sharing the more dubious looking options, eschewing (BOOM!) shot hat tricks and even taking the responsibility of pouring.
Cropredy’s finest Sommelier gets to work
The great thing of course is the engagement and patter with all the other teams around the field that we only see once a year – like a festival of…..Oh well actually like ‘Britain’s friendliest festival’ ©the Grauniad. We all emerged pretty unscathed, hungover of course, a bit damp round the edges, windswept but happy and hoping that ‘it all comes round again’.
Fairport Fox