WLKRAS Posted April 2, 2006 Author Share Posted April 2, 2006 So long ago I don't remember when That's when they say I lost my only friend They said she died easy of a broken heart disease As I listened through the cemetery trees © Wallflowers – One Headlight I glanced at the calendar without needing to. The date had been burned in my memory with a searing white needle. Well, not literally of course, but you get my meaning. I had tried to blank it from my memory, but every year when the day got nearer, it all came rushing back. It felt even worse this year, probably because it was the fifth anniversary of her death. It sounded wrong every time I said it, but I had gotten used to people around me using the word so much, that I’d come to terms with it. Time heals all wounds and all that crap, I guess. I got up from the chair and donned my suit jacket. A last look at the calendar before taking the roses off the table with my right hand, while grabbing my shades with the left. It was time. I got out the door and started walking in the afternoon sun. Next stop, Nazeing cemetery. It was a two-and-a-half mile walk to the cemetery, which usually took me just under an hour. I always walked to the cemetery, although I have no idea why. Just one of those things I guess. After my quiet stroll through Nazeing, I arrived at my destination. I nodded at the vicar tending his garden and he waved his hand in return. He probably knew why I was here, which meant he wouldn’t disturb me. Just as well. I entered the cemetery through the big iron-wrought gates and turned right at the first path, following it until I stood in the shade of the great old oak on the south side of the cemetery. Thankfully, the place was quiet, deserted even, apart from the vicar across the road. Mustering the last bit of courage I needed, I spoke softly at the black marble gravestone. “Hey there sunshine.†As usual, the gravestone didn’t talk back. Not that I expected it to do so, mind. You’d have to be pretty daft to expect a gravestone to reply to your mumblings. I knelt down and lay the roses against the marble. “I’m sorry sunshine. You know I am. You know I think of you every single day. And that I can’t forget what happened. But this year is different. I have to move on with my life. My visits will not be as frequent as they have been. But you know I won’t forget you, don’t you sunshine? Because I won’t. You’ll be on my mind forever. I just wish things had worked out differently and I’d be talking to you instead of making a fool out of myself taking to a marble gravestone.†I imagined her smiling at my last remark. She probably would have. “Farewell sunshine. I’ll be back someday. I just don’t know when. See ya, Jen.†I put my hand to my lips and then rested it on her name in the black marble for a few seconds. The black suit groaned in agony when I got up. When I turned around to leave, I just caught a glimpse of a similar black suit before something crashed into the side of my head and everything went black as night… Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted April 2, 2006 Share Posted April 2, 2006 So long ago I don't remember when That's when they say I lost my only friend They said she died easy of a broken heart disease As I listened through the cemetery trees © Wallflowers – One Headlight I glanced at the calendar without needing to. The date had been burned in my memory with a searing white needle. Well, not literally of course, but you get my meaning. I had tried to blank it from my memory, but every year when the day got nearer, it all came rushing back. It felt even worse this year, probably because it was the fifth anniversary of her death. It sounded wrong every time I said it, but I had gotten used to people around me using the word so much, that I’d come to terms with it. Time heals all wounds and all that crap, I guess. I got up from the chair and donned my suit jacket. A last look at the calendar before taking the roses off the table with my right hand, while grabbing my shades with the left. It was time. I got out the door and started walking in the afternoon sun. Next stop, Nazeing cemetery. It was a two-and-a-half mile walk to the cemetery, which usually took me just under an hour. I always walked to the cemetery, although I have no idea why. Just one of those things I guess. After my quiet stroll through Nazeing, I arrived at my destination. I nodded at the vicar tending his garden and he waved his hand in return. He probably knew why I was here, which meant he wouldn’t disturb me. Just as well. I entered the cemetery through the big iron-wrought gates and turned right at the first path, following it until I stood in the shade of the great old oak on the south side of the cemetery. Thankfully, the place was quiet, deserted even, apart from the vicar across the road. Mustering the last bit of courage I needed, I spoke softly at the black marble gravestone. “Hey there sunshine.†As usual, the gravestone didn’t talk back. Not that I expected it to do so, mind. You’d have to be pretty daft to expect a gravestone to reply to your mumblings. I knelt down and lay the roses against the marble. “I’m sorry sunshine. You know I am. You know I think of you every single day. And that I can’t forget what happened. But this year is different. I have to move on with my life. My visits will not be as frequent as they have been. But you know I won’t forget you, don’t you sunshine? Because I won’t. You’ll be on my mind forever. I just wish things had worked out differently and I’d be talking to you instead of making a fool out of myself taking to a marble gravestone.†I imagined her smiling at my last remark. She probably would have. “Farewell sunshine. I’ll be back someday. I just don’t know when. See ya, Jen.†I put my hand to my lips and then rested it on her name in the black marble for a few seconds. The black suit groaned in agony when I got up. When I turned around to leave, I just caught a glimpse of a similar black suit before something crashed into the side of my head and everything went black as night… Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 I woke up a few hours later, my head feeling like someone had taken a shovel to it. I tried to get up, but a calming voice advised against it. It’s better if you lie down, Chris. You took a nasty beating. I recognised the vicar’s voice. I tried to speak, but my throat was so dry I couldn’t. “I’ll get you some water†the vicar said. He left and returned a few seconds later with a glass of water. After taking a few sips, I managed to speak. “What the hell happened?†“Someone must have attacked you in the cemetery. I noticed you coming in, but I didn’t see you leave so I went to check. I found you next to Jennifer’s grave, lying on the ground. Whoever it was, they got you good. The doctor should be here shortly, he’ll check you out.†“Did you see who it was?†I asked. “I didn’t see anyone else enter the cemetery, if that’s what you’re asking..†I had no enemies in Nazeing and although I wasn’t on the best of terms with Jennifer’s family, they weren’t violent people and I couldn’t imagine any of them actually trying to hurt me. Just then, the doorbell rang. The vicar got up from his chair and went to answer the door. He returned shortly after, with the doctor in tow. “How are you feeling?†the doctor asked. “Like hell†I replied. “Let’s have a look then†he smiled before subjecting me to a series of examinations. When he was finished, he took off his glasses, removed a handkerchief from his pocket and started polishing them. “Well, you don’t seem to have sustained any broken bones or gaping wounds. Quite a few cuts and some bruises to your face and a mild concussion though. You’ll probably suffer from headaches for a few days. Do you still live alone?†he asked. The question hurt, like it had before, but everyone in Nazeing knew what had happened. “Yeah, why?†“You’ll need someone to wake you up a couple of times during the night, to make sure you stay conscious, so it would be best if you could stay with someone, or go to the hospital†the doctor continued. “You know how I feel about hospitals, doc†I replied. “I’m sure I can stay at Nick’s if I asked him†I turned to the vicar. “Could you ring him for me? Ask him if it’s all right?†“Sure, no problem†the vicar replied. He left the room to make the phone call. “Do you have any idea who attacked you?†the doctor asked when the vicar had left the room. “No idea. All I remember is visiting Jenny and then everything goes black†“Best take it up with the police, Chris†the doctor advised me. The vicar returned to the room a few minutes later. “Nick is on his way over, he said it wouldn’t be a problem†“Great, thanks†The doctor left and about ten minutes later, the doorbell rang again. It was Nick. “Christ, you look like hell†was the first thing he managed to say, which earned him a stern look from the vicar. “Mind your language, Mr. Young†he said sternly “Yeah, yeah. C’mon Chris, let’s get you home.†Nick helped me off the couch I was lying on, and then had to help me out of the vicar’s house as my legs were pretty wobbly. His car was an old Renault Five that was on its last legs. Once we got in, he fired the engine and backed out of the vicar’s lot. It was only a short drive back to Nick’s and he didn’t bother with any pleasantries. It was just as well, as I wasn’t really up for them anyway. Once we got to his place, I quickly checked into the spare bedroom and slept until well into the next morning. I don’t remember Nick waking me up throughout the night, but I’m sure he did. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted April 3, 2006 Author Share Posted April 3, 2006 The next morning, I was feeling a lot better and it was decided that I would go back home. Nick wasn’t too certain about it, but I wouldn’t have it any other way, so after some mild objections, he agreed to take me back home. He drove his car over to my place and then used my keys to open the door. Once he did so, he was greeted by chaos. Someone had turned the entire house upside down, obviously in search of something. “Well mate, I think your day just got worse…†“Oh that’s just grand…†Whatever they had been looking, they’d been very thorough in their search. A threatening note was left on the kitchen table. We know you have it. Your life is in danger unless you hand it over immediately. We shall return shortly to claim it. PS. Don’t go to the police. We will know if you contact them… The note wasn’t signed and the handwriting didn’t look familiar to me. “What the devil are they on about?†Nick asked. “Beats me. Obviously someone’s pretty ****ed off about something.†“Yeah, I’d figured that one out. Well, we can’t stay here, especially if they’re coming back and they’re as serious as they sound.†“You think these are the same blokes that attacked me in the cemetery?†I asked Nick. “No idea, could well be. They obviously know where to find you. And according to this, we can’t go to the cops either. Best go to Martin’s and figure out what the hell is going on here†“Right†was all I managed to say. A few minutes later, we were back on the road, towards Martin’s place. It was just a couple of blocks away, so we got there pretty quickly. Martin was a friend of ours, who used to be a sergeant in the SAS until he had a fling with the base commander’s daughter and got kicked out as a result. He seemed pretty concerned about what happened and decided to go and check out the house for himself. He returned after just fifteen minutes. “Some blokes returned to the house just after I arrived. Good thing I was at a safe distance when they did. I don’t think they noticed me, but I think it’d be best if we left town as quickly as possible. These guys look like they mean business†Martin reported. “But where’d we go?†was Nick’s reaction. “My first thought would be to get out of the country. Especially if these people have connections with the police. An uncle of mine has a holiday home in Portugal. It’s in a small town, remote enough that no-one would notice us. We can lay low there for a few days, more if necessary. If we’re lucky, we’ll get to spend a few days on the beach and all this will blow over. At least until we figure out what the hell is going on…†Martin said. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeWillAlwaysBeALight Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 great stuff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spav Posted April 3, 2006 Share Posted April 3, 2006 Intriguing start, WLKRAS. I look forward to all being revealed eventually. In the meantime enjoy the sunny climes of Portugal. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted April 4, 2006 Author Share Posted April 4, 2006 Thanks guys Two days later, we were sitting in the pleasant afternoon sun, next to the private pool of the holiday home. It was within spitting distance of the beach, on the Atlantic coast. The town was called Esmoriz, a place in the North of Portugal, just below Porto. It was a pretty popular holiday town and even though the holiday season hadn’t started yet, there were plenty of tourists and three sunburn-pink Brits weren’t entirely out of place. The cuts on my face were healing pretty quickly, although the scabs that were now forming made me look like something that walked out of a poor 50’s horror movie. Martin had contacted a friend of his to keep an eye on Nazeing for us, but we hadn’t heard from him yet. While Nick and myself were trying to enjoy this short holiday, Martin was nervous as hell. He was constantly walking around, checking the security he’d installed the previous day. It wasn’t anything hi-tech, just some basic tripwires made out of empty cans. But it did the job anyway. After five days, we received the first message from Nazeing. Apparently, it was still a big mess back home. The amount of burglaries had tripled in Nazeing and my house was still being watched according to Martin’s friend. It left us with no choice than to stay in Portugal for a little longer. Not that I actually minded. I was starting to feel quite comfortable. My face was healing quicker than expected and the worst of the sunburn had disappeared. I even felt relaxed enough to take a trip to the beach with Nick. We scouted out the town and we found a pub to see the Champions League final in. And what a game it was. Although Liverpool weren’t my favourite side, Nick was a big fan of them and we cheered together as they battled their way past AC Milan. Weeks went by unnoticed. I quickly forgot about my problems back home. This pleasant little town was starting to get a hold on me. Little news came from Nazeing about what happened to me, or who was behind it. And once the scabs had healed, I quickly forgot about what had happened. Eventually, the news trickled through that two men had been arrested while trying to break into the vicar’s house. Apparently the police suspected them to be connected to the increase in burglaries. Certainly, they had dropped again after the arrest. But most importantly, Martin’s friend told us that my house was no longer being watched. Just to be on the safe side though, we decided to stay for a little while longer. Martin’s uncle didn’t mind, and neither did we. The trips to the beach became a daily event and the evenings were mostly spent in a local bar, discussing football or the Ashes series while enjoying a few beers. Like we did last night. But when we were getting ready to leave and putting money together to pay our tab, we came to the scary conclusion that we’d run out. There were just a few euros left in our pockets and not nearly enough to pay for the bill. Thankfully, the owner was a decent enough bloke and agreed to let us do a job for him to pay for the bill. We spent the following morning cleaning the bar, while discussing what the future held. “I wouldn’t mind staying here actually. There something about this town I like†I said to the others. “Yeah, but we can’t stay in Uncle Eric’s holiday home forever. He’s been very accommodating as it is.†Martin said. “Yes and we’re grateful for his help, Martin. But if we can find a job here, we could afford a place for our own. A house here costs f-all.†I replied. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m not planning to clean up this bar every day†Nick objected. “I agree, we have to find something that we all like, something we all have a passion for†I said thoughtfully. “Well, that leaves three things: Drinking beer, watching cricket, or talking football†Martin laughed. “There’s not much money to be made by doing that though†Nick observed. “Hang on… Don’t they have a football team here?†I asked, leaning on my broom. “There’s a stadium two blocks from the holiday home. Not sure what level they play at though. Or if they have a job opening for that matter.†Martin said uncertainly “Only one way to find out†I said, putting my broom aside. The others quickly followed me outside, leaving the bar half-cleaned and the owner fuming, sending all sorts of Portuguese niceties our way. I tried to flag a cab, but thankfully, there were none in sight. We didn’t have the money to pay for it anyway. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Snellink Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 It's all coming together, now... Great read so far Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted April 4, 2006 Author Share Posted April 4, 2006 Cheers Mark A good forty-five minutes later, we arrived at the stadium. Well, stadium is a big word for the 1500 capacity Estádio da Barrinha. It was basically a patch of grass with a stand on one side and standing room on the other three. It wouldn’t have looked out of place in Nazeing to be completely honest. There was a small building on one side of the pitch that most likely contained the dressing rooms and whatever passed for an office. We headed straight for it. When we tried to enter, a jumped up dwarf came running the direction of the stand. He was in his late forties, sporting a big moustache and a cigarette in each hand. He started gobbing off in Portuguese at first, but when it was clear we didn’t have a clue what he was on about, he switched to something that probably was supposed to pass as English. “No enter! No enter! Izza private building†he shouted while waving his arms about. “Alright, alright, don’t lose your pantyhose†I replied. “Zhis is a private property. What you do here?†the dwarf asked us. “Easy mate, we’re just looking for someone in charge here. We’re wondering if there’s a job opening here†I said calmly. “I am charge. I am Salvador Lourosa, chairman of Sport Clube Esmoriz†“Ah right. Well, I’m Chris Brown and these guys here are Nick Young and Martin Taylor. We were just wondering if you have some work for us. A place as coach, or scout perhaps?†“You have coaching papers?†“I have a British lower-league coaching badge in fact. Not sure whether it’s valid here, but it’s a start I guess†I replied. “What about you?†Lourosa said, pointing at Nick and Martin. “I have no coaching papers, but I am a qualified fitness instructor, as well as a medic†Martin replied. “I don’t have any coaching papers I’m afraid†Nick said truthfully. “Well, I have opening. Head coach has left for rivals Espinho last week. We are now without head coach. Perhaps you like to take job?†Lourosa said, pointing at me. I was speechless for a moment, but I quickly recovered. “I’d love to. But what about my friends?†I asked. “We can make arrangement. Come watch, Luis is making practice now†Lourosa said, before jogging off again towards the stand. We hobbled off after him. We observed the training from the stands, while Lourosa gave us some background on the club. “We are small club, not a lot of money. Luis Campos is only coach. All good players go to rival Espinho, because they have mucho money. Most players here also have other job, working during day. Our only goal this season is surviving. It is difficult league†Observing from the stands, I noticed most players were probably not good enough to make the Nazeing pub team, never mind play football at any decent level. It would be hard work to keep these blokes in the league. But what am I complaining? I’ve just been offered a job as football manager in sunny Portugal, how bad can life be? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chonner Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 liking the start, Martin is As always look forward to more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted April 8, 2006 Author Share Posted April 8, 2006 Cheers Martin After the practice session, we were introduced to the players and the staff. Apart from Coach Luis Campos, there was a physio, a elderly gent by the name of Manual Barbosa and a scout, a middle-aged bloke by the name of Helder Machado. The players seemed sceptical about this bunch of Englishmen coming to take over their club, but Lourosa made it clear that he would tolerate no dissent within his club. With the formalities out of the way, we were shepherded back to the club house, where three sets of contracts were drawn up. Martin would join the club as physio, Nick would become my assistant and I was put in charge as head coach/manager. While the pay wasn’t exorbitant, it was good enough to keep us going. Once the contracts were signed and everything was done and dusted, we started our work by analyzing the squad. Goalkeepers: 20. Bruno, 19 years, GK, Portugal, Listed for loan Back-up, not good enough for the first team. 13. Hélio, 22 years, GK, Portugal, Listed for loan Like Bruno, no more than a back up. 24. Justino, 18 years, GK, Portugal, Listed for loan Young and he has some potential. It will be difficult to break through with all this competition though, so he may be best off going on loan for now. 1. Nuno, 31 years, GK, Portugal The better of the two veterans, Nuno will be the #2 goalie. 25. Petiz, 31 years, GK, Portugal, Transfer listed Not good enough to hold down a first team spot. Transfer listed. 12. Ricardo, 21 years, GK, Portugal Young and talented, well for the level we’re playing at anyway. #1 goalkeeper without a doubt. Overall Verdict: We have way too many keepers at the club. Hopefully we can offload at least two of them on a short notice. Defenders: 18. Adelino, 31 years, DC, Portugal Not more than a back-up defender 14. Bruno Costa, 18 years, DR, Portugal The lesser of the two out-and-out right backs, but because of Dani’s age, he’ll get some games. 19. Dani, 16 years, DR, Portugal, Youth Contract Young player with some potential. Will be groomed into first team action slowly. 21. Fifas, 29 years, DC, Portugal, Transfer Listed Aggressive bloke with little footballing skills. Listed when I arrived here and I see no reason to change that. 4. Garranas, 18 years, DC, Portugal Another young player, but with some impressive physique. If he can add some technical and tactical skills to his baggage he’ll become as useful player. 22. Mauro Aurélio, 30 years, DC, Portugal Strong mentally, but rather weak on all other counts. Back-up player. 2. Marquitos, 26 years, D/WB R, Portugal First choice for the right back position. Strong going forward. 3. Ruca, 22 years, D/M L, Portugal The only left back at the club. We’ll have to make do. 5. Rui Jorge, 25 years, SW, Portugal. Old fashioned sweeper, but probably the best defender on our books. Will have to learn to play as a centre back in my system though. Overall Verdict: The defence is not the strongest part of this team and reinforcements would be welcomed. But with a small budget, they seem unlikely for now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted April 9, 2006 Author Share Posted April 9, 2006 Midfielders: 23. Alcino, 34 years, MC, Portugal Old warrior. Rotational player in midfield 15. Bino, 21 years, AML, Portugal Not the quickest of players, but he works hard and can dribble rather well. 7. Filipe, 27 years, AMLC/FC, Portugal, Star Player An excellent player, with the versatility to play in multiple positions. A definite starter. 6. Bruno Mendes, 28 years, MC, Portugal Good midfielder, very good physically. Good passer as well. 9. Rui Sá, 30 years, AM/FC, Portugal Nimble little player with lots of technical baggage. Not as strong physically though. Might also feature as striker. 8. Tiago, 22 years, AMR, Portugal Arguably our worst midfielder, but the only one who can play on the right. 11. Éder, 29 years, AMLC, Brazil, Star Player An excellent player, with well rounded attributes. Should be a starting regular. Overall Verdict: We have a pretty strong midfield with lots of creativity. We could do with another right winger, but for now, these players will do. Attackers: 10. Jefferson, 26 years, ST, Brazil Player with a huge influence in the dressing room and on the pitch. Decent striker of the ball, should play most games. 16. Jonas, 19 years, ST, Portugal Best of the rest. 26. Marquitos, 17 years, ST, Portugal Young and not very good. Will have to improve to stay. 17. Miki, 17 years, ST, Portugal Has the jump on Marquitos due to his excellent finishing. Looks like he has some potential. Overall Verdict: Jefferson will be the obvious starter, but his partner will be the difficult position to fill. Possibly one of the attacking midfielders (Filipe or Rui Sá) might fill in here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted April 14, 2006 Author Share Posted April 14, 2006 “I was thinking about employing a 4-4-2 formation, with attacking wingers. One defensive minded central midfielder and one attacking minded. We have lots of creativity in midfield, so we should play an attacking, passing game. It’s no use to play the long ball forward and neglect the midfielders†I was discussing with Nick. “Yeah, good shout. We need some good tight marking at the back as well. And none of this zonal marking crap. Everyone has a man and has to mark that person. It prevents communication errors when people take over each others zone’s and such†Nick agreed. “Okay, we’re in agreement then. We’ll figure out the actual players that’ll play there once we get to know them better. See if you can arrange some friendly matches before the season starts, they’ll give us a useful indication.†That was more easily said than done, but in the end, Nick managed to come up with three friendlies, although one of them was against our own U19 squad. Before any of these would take place though, we would need to strengthen the squad. Bids were put in for Luis Lopes, a central defender from Beira-Mar MG, Rui Lage, a defensive midfielder from Nelas and Chalana, an attacking midfielder from the same club. After some thorough negotiations, hampered by language barriers, they all joined the club for a combined total fee of 14k. And the English contingent at Esmoriz was further strengthened by the arrival of scout Rob Campkin. Luis Campos announced that he disagreed with the new management policy and left the club, whilst complaining about how all these foreigners spoiled the beautiful game. My assessment of Filipe’s talent was confirmed by the fact that clubs from all over the country started pouring in offers for the key midfielder, but under no circumstances was I going to allow him to leave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britstud10 Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 this is really good stuff, keep it up Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted April 15, 2006 Author Share Posted April 15, 2006 Cheers Britstud10 The first friendly, against the U19’s was really more than a kick about on a fine summer evening, but even so, 71 people bothered to come to the ground. The match itself was a fairly one-sided contests and although the 4-0 result flattered the first XI, coached by yours truly, Nick’s U19’s were second best through out. Chalana made his mark by getting two of the goals, while Filipe and Miki got the others. In next friendly, against what you might call a proper opponent, the result wasn’t much different. Atletico da Malveira were played off the park in the first half, with goals to Jefferson and a brace for Rui Sá. It could’ve been even more, if it weren’t for the fact that last week’s hero Chalana missed from the penalty spot. The second half was a drab affair, mainly due to a host of personnel changes. Still, it was another win. It was no different in the final friendly, against Atletico do Cacém. Although the final margin was only 2-0, it could’ve been a lot more, but I wasn’t complaining. We had looked the part against lower league opposition. Now it was time to put these guys to the test in the league. After the game, the chairman came over to have a word with me. “Ah my friend, there you are. You do very well in these matches. I am, how do you say, couraged by the results†the dwarf said, while brandishing his cigarette about. “It’s encouraged. And thanks, I guess. But these opponents haven’t made things difficult for us, it’ll be a different ball game in the league†I replied. “Nonsense, you are going to bring many glory to this team. I can feel it already†the chairman said, before heading off again to speak with some of the locals. They too, seemed encouraged by the preparations we had gone through. Meanwhile, Martin had flown back to England to gather some of our belongings, since we were going to stay in Portugal for a while now. He had decided that it would be best for him to go alone, just in case anyone was still hovering about with a grudge against me. He returned a few days later with the report that everything looked fine back home and that there was no need to worry about whoever had been after me. The news came as a definitive relief and although the incident at the cemetery had slowly disappeared from my mind, I could really forget about it now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted April 15, 2006 Author Share Posted April 15, 2006 <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by WLKRAS: The first friendly, against the U19’s was really no more than a kick about on a fine summer evening, but even so, 71 people bothered to come to the ground. </div></BLOCKQUOTE> Slight correction to make more sense Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiseylee Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 liking this story keep it up! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted April 27, 2006 Author Share Posted April 27, 2006 The days passed quickly as we neared the first league game of the season. A few days before our first game, against Pontassolense, scout Rob Campkin phoned me about a possible transfer prospect. It was 30-year old right winger Ricardo, who was currently without a club. Since right midfield was one of the positions that could still use some strengthening, I decided to offer Ricardo a contract. He accepted quickly and the deal was done and dusted just before the first league game. The same night, I sat down with Nick and Martin to finalise our starting XI. “Miki’s not ready to start yet, I don’t think†Nick said. “He’s got talent though. And he’s the person I would back to put his chances away†Martin objected. “I’m with Nick here, we should start with Rui Sá and Jefferson up front. If either of them fails, we can always bring Miki on. Next point, right midfield†I said. “Ricardo’s only had one training. We should go with Rui Lage. He would be my first choice as captain as well. He’s a natural leader†Martin said. “Nick?†I asked. “No complaints here, it’s the right decision†“Right then. Ricardo in goal, Marquitos, Rui Jorge, Luis Lopes and Ruca to form the back four, Rui Lage, Mendes, Filipe and Chalana in midfield and finally, Rui Sá and Jefferson up front.†I summarised. “Yeah, that should do the trick†Nick agreed. “All right then. Thank you gentlemen. Have a good night’s sleep and I will see you tomorrow. Shame our first game is on Madeira straight away. I would have preferred to play at home, but I guess we can’t have it all.†With that, the meeting came to a close. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 The first time that I saw you You were dancin’ on the beach Poetry in motion But you seemed so out of reach © Bad English – Time Stood Still I didn’t sleep much that night. I kept thinking of Jenny for some strange reason. At least the happy memories prevailed this time. I thought of the first time I met her mostly. It happened on a late night beach party in some godforsaken ******** in France. She was dancing to the music being played by some locals. She seemed too perfect to be true. I had been admiring her from afar when suddenly she turned and looked me straight in the eyes. She smiled and from that moment on, she had captured my heart. Later that evening she came over to me and we sat on the beach talking until the sun rose. What was even more amazing to me, was the fact that she was from England and in fact lived in the same town I lived in. And yet I’d never seen her before. It must have been destiny, if you believe in that rubbish anyway. We spent the next few weeks together and never looked back. Why that particular memory haunted me throughout that night, I still don’t know, but the next morning I felt ridiculously alone. I don’t remember going to the airport, or even landing on the airport of Funchal. According to Nick, I had been in another dimension for the entire flight. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the day of the match, things had cleared a bit. At least I had gotten a good night’s sleep and Jenny had been pushed to the back of my mind. There were other important things at stake right now. At four in the afternoon, referee Nuno Filipe blew his whistle and Rui Sá and Jefferson got the game under way for us. From the early onset, it was clear that we were the only side going for the win. Pontassolense kept ten man back on the edge of their own box and left it to us to do the footballing. It took us a while to get going and we were unable to break down their massive numbers in front of goal early on. But after a good half hour, we started to settle down and began creating chances. Mendes and Rui Sá both sent shots wide of the mark, but the best chance fell to Jefferson. The Brazilian though, blasted his effort well over the crossbar from close range. His woeful miss prompted me to bring on Miki to replace him at half time. The first thing the youngster did was getting caught in an offside position after Rui Sá had done the hard work of getting past the defence. He then proceeded to blast an excellent opportunity well wide of Bruno Festas’ goal and it started to seem like we wouldn’t score at all. In those situations, it’s usually the underlying side who scores a goal, but thankfully, Pontassolense were unable to threaten Ricardo’s goal. We entered injury time with the scores still deadlocked at 0-0, but a foul on Filipe gave us an injury time penalty. It was leftback Ruca who had the much needed nerves of steel to step up and he delicately placed the ball to the left of the goalkeeper sealing the game for us. A hard fought win and a valuable three points in the bag, I returned to the airport a happy man and despite the obvious signs of fatigue, the players were cheery on the way back to the mainland. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
superwalli Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Glad to see you're still writing this story Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by superwalli: Glad to see you're still writing this story </div></BLOCKQUOTE> No worries mate. Progress might be slow and painful, but i will NOT abandon this story without a proper ending this time around. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted May 1, 2006 Author Share Posted May 1, 2006 A corporate office, somewhere in England “Still no trace of him?†the man behind the desk asked his two minions. The first one answered. “No sir, it’s like he disappeared from the face of the earth†“Dammit, what do I pay you people for. How the hell are we going to acquire the item if we cannot even locate its owner!†An awkward silence followed during which the minions stared at the floor in embarrassment, while their boss paced around his desk. “What about your people in the town. Have they noticed anything?†the boss asked after a while. “Apart from the fact that they aren’t living in the town any longer, no†the second minion answered. “But they can’t just have vanished. What about jobs, relatives, friends? Anything to can lead us towards Mr. Brown and more importantly, the item.†“Nothing. Brown and Taylor were both unemployed. Young quit his job on the day they disappeared, not saying why. We’ve installed telephone taps on the few friends and relatives we know off, but they haven’t been in contact by phone. Which doesn’t mean they haven’t been in contact, mind. In short, we’ve got nothing†the first minion said this time. “This is causing a serious delay in our schedule. Mr. Page will not be pleased with that.†He paused before speaking again. “Very well then. Keep the phone tabs active, keep people on the lookout in the town. And keep checking those papers. We might turn up something. Meanwhile, I’ll go bring the news to the boss†“Rather you than me†the first minion said. “Did you want to buried or cremated?†the second minion asked when his boss walked out the door. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chonner Posted May 3, 2006 Share Posted May 3, 2006 The plot thickens, what is the item? is his name actually 'the second minion'? will last minute penalties see Esmoriz good for the rest of the season? Will Miki get a place in the starting XI proving Martin (blatantly) right? Ohhhh the suspense fantastic writting WLKRAS! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted May 15, 2006 Author Share Posted May 15, 2006 Rather dodgy reply that, but thanks anyway Martin Back in Portugal Nothing much happened during the week. Nick and myself conducted practice as we tried to get the weary players into shape for our next match. It was the 2nd round of the cup, against Infesta. And in midweek, we would play them again, but this time in the league. Winning the cup game would therefore be very important to boost morale ahead of a tough league game. There was one change to the starting line-up. Miki came in to replace Jefferson. Our first opportunity came after four minutes, Filipe racing free of the defence after Chalana had set him up. Unfortunately, the 27-year old fired his shot wide of Chico’s goal. That woke up Infesta with a shock and they applied some serious pressure for the next fifteen minutes, eventually scoring through Bicas. Fortunately, his effort was ruled out as he had strayed in an offside position. A couple of good saves from Ricardo followed, denying the guests an early lead. Halfway through the first half, Marquitos picked up the ball and played if along the sideline towards Rui Lage. Lage cut inside, drawing the defender with him, but Marquitos made an excellent run on the overlap and a deft little pass from Lage sent him through. The right back continued forward and sent in a perfect cross to the near post, where Filipe volleyed it into the net. The 150-odd Esmoriz fans in attendance went wild in celebration. From that point onward, Infesta seemed to draw back and we had a free reign in the centre of the park, creating plenty of chances for our forwards. It wasn’t until the final minutes that our guests realised that elimination from the cup was forthcoming and they started to apply the pressure. But it was too little too late and despite our wasteful finishing (14 shots, only 3 on target), we claimed our second victory of the season. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted June 1, 2006 Author Share Posted June 1, 2006 Just a short update, due to me getting a new computer (and due to me playing too much WoW ) progress has been slow on this story. Don't worry though, i have some stuff written up and i'll see if i can post it over the next few days Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted June 1, 2006 Author Share Posted June 1, 2006 The win set us up for another home tie, this time against Uniao de Lamas. But first, we returned to the league and travelled to face Infesta at the Campo Moreira Marques stadium. Jefferson was back in the team as I was unwilling to risk Miki to play twice in three days. Ricardo also came in to replace Rui Lage who was struggling for fitness. Rui Sá was also rested. It was the home side who roamed forward early on and they seriously threatened Ricardo’s goal, but he made a couple of good saves to deny them. After another foiled attempt, he quickly threw the ball to Ruca. The left back played it forward, towards Chalana, who then proceeded to beat three players before sending a hanging cross into the six yard box. Their keeper missed it and presented Jonas with a gilt-edged opportunity to put us ahead. The striker duly obliged and put the ball in the net. The game flowed on, with both sides forcing chances. Chalana sent a free kick just over the bar and Ricardo denied Adriano’s long range effort. Gradually, the pressure on our goal increased and four minutes from the half time whistle, it was Pedro Nuno who converted that pressure with a deft chip over our goalkeeper. With the scores level, we went to the dressing rooms. Despite being under a lot of pressure near the end of the first half, I saw no need to make any changes and my players rewarded that trust by forcing the home side back in their own half. But despite chances at either end, the scores were still level with twenty minutes to go. That’s when Luis Lopes lost his cool. He shoved Paulinho aside, inciting the home fans with rage. The referee was left with no choice but to send off the defender. I quickly made two substitutions, bring off Jefferson and Jonas for Garranas and Rui Sá in order to protect the draw. Rui Sá spurned a perfect chance to give us the lead with twelve minutes left when he fired his shot wide of the goal, but Filipe made no such mistake six minutes later when he converted Ricardo’s inch-perfect cross. Despite a epic assault on our goal in the final five minutes, our defence stood tall and we claimed our second victory over Infesta in the space of three days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted June 14, 2006 Author Share Posted June 14, 2006 There was little rest for our players as the next game was the following Sunday. At least the players had the luxury of staying at their homes for this game as Aliados Lordelo visited the Estadio do Barrinha. Before the game, both Martin and Nick had advised me to play Miki after he had conducted himself very well in practice. I decided to go along with them, but it was someone else who stole the limelight. It took us twenty minutes to create our first chance, but when Bruno Costa’s inch-perfect cross from the right flank found Filipe unmarked in the area, the home supporters erupted in joy. And they barely had the time to get back to their seats when Filipe scored again. It was a carbon-copy from the first goal, with the exception that this, the cross came from the left flank. Two-nil up after twenty minutes and we were cruising. Filipe should have had his hattrick after half an hour of play, but he dragged his shot wide of the mark. He wasn’t to be denied again though, because on the stroke of half time, he weaved through the defence and fired a low shot past a diving goalkeeper to make it three. At halftime, I decided to bring off Miki, who hadn’t been playing well, and replace him with Jonas. Leaning on a three-nil lead, we started the second half poorly and five minutes after the break, Hugo had a great chance to get his side back into the game, but despite being clean through on the goalkeeper, he dragged his shot wide. It set the tone for the remainder of the half, Aliados pushing forward, but being very wasteful in their finishing. We did create a few chances, but looking rather uninspiring in the second half. Chalana came close with a good header, but other than that, there was little threat from the Esmoriz forwards. Secandas had two late chances for the guests, but like his team-mates, he couldn’t score and thus it remained 3-0 to Esmoriz. That completed the first month of competitive football and a very good month it had been. Nine points from three league games and a victory in the cup had the fans in a good mood and myself and the other members of the technical staff were very pleased with the start we’d made. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted June 21, 2006 Author Share Posted June 21, 2006 October 2005 After a good start in our first month of league football, we were keen to build on it. The first obstacle in our way would be Lousada, who came to the Estadio da Barrinha on the second day of the month. Jefferson returned to the starting lineup to replace Miki. It was our only change for the game. It was a very open game, especially in the first few minutes when there were plenty of chances at either end. Rui Lage volleyed just wide, two minutes into the game, while Ricardo was called into action a fair few times to prevent the guests from opening the scoring. Neither side could manage a goal in the first twenty minutes and after a frentic start, the game slowed down a bit. There was another flurry of Lousada chances late on in the half, but Ricardo kept his net clean to make sure we were still level at the break. At half time, Martin suggested to bring on Miki for the disappointing Jefferson, but I managed to resist the temptation of bringing on the youngster just yet. But as the second half progressed, we were still unable to make an impact, despite Chalana’s long-range effort shaving the paint off the post. Then, in the 65th minute, I finally made the substitution. Miki had twenty-five minutes to make an impact. Although he didn’t actually do anything himself, we grew stronger from the moment he came onto the pitch. Rui Sá and Rui Lage both came close, but neither could score. As we went into the final ten minutes, Lousada were pinned back in their own half. Miki came close to his first goal, but headed his effort over. But then in injury time, it was a clever through-ball by Rui Sá that put him in and Miki had absolutely no problem of converting the one-on-one with the goalkeeper. To add insult to injury for Lousada, we scored another goal in injury time, Filipe this time, weaving through the defence and scoring with a placed shot to make it two-nil and a clear victory for the home side. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted July 11, 2006 Author Share Posted July 11, 2006 Only three days later, we were on the field again. This time, it was in the Portuguese Cup, the third round. Our opponents? Amateurs União de Lamas. Despite the fact that our opponents were a non-league team, I told my players to approach them with caution. And rightly so, because they forced the first chance after just three minutes, Sousa firing his shot straight at Ricardo. Despite my furious attempts to convince them otherwise, it seemed my players ignored the early warning completely. And we paid the price. Fernando ran straight through the defence and scored on the stroke of half time to put the non-leaguers ahead. It was third time lucky for the striker, who had a goal disallowed for off-side earlier and saw Marquitos clear it off the line just moments before. At half-time, I decided to let Nick do the talking. He’s better at getting angry than I am… Even a double substitution at half time didn’t appear to change things around. Miki and Bruno Mendes came on, replacing Jefferson and Tiago. Though they did better than their predecessors, they couldn’t score either. Infact, all but one of our efforts were off the mark, exposing the cause of our defeat. And because of our all-out offensive in the second half, the guests had plenty of chances, but Ricardo played another good game and kept them at bay. It was a disappointing exit from the cup, but at least we had a two week break to practice our finishing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiranis Posted July 13, 2006 Share Posted July 13, 2006 Great story! One of the best beginnings I've seen... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 Cheers Tiranis, glad you like it Right-back Marquitos had sustained an injury during our cup defeat and despite getting back in training just before our next league game, he wasn’t fit to play yet. Bruno Costa stepped up to replace him in the line-up, which was otherwise unchanged from the defeat. And the team repaid my faith in them with a brilliant first half performance. The inspiration behind it all was striker Rui Sá. He started it by skipping past his marker on four minutes. The defender immediately grabbed his shirt, and was promptly awarded a yellow card for his actions. Then, eight minutes later, Filipe played a deft chip into the six yard box, where Rui Sá out jumped his marker and headed it past a stranded goalkeeper. The striker continued to hassle the defence and on twenty minutes, a defensive error saw Jefferson go free in an acre of space. Instead of being selfish, he spotted the run of his striking partner, played an inch-perfect pass and all Rui Sá had to do was shove it into the net. Four minutes later, he completed his hattrick. He set it up himself, playing a one-two with Tiago, went clear of the defence and scored once more. Three-nil and opponents Fiães looked well and truly beaten. It could have been a monster score, if we hadn’t taken our foot off the gas at that point. The players knew that the season would last for a while and conserved their energy for the remainder of the game. It didn’t stop Jefferson from making his first goal of the season though. Again, Rui Sá was involved. His long pass forward was picked up by Jefferson and with a low, placed shot, he put it into the net. Four-nil was the final score and it was very satisfying to see us score some goals for change. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted August 24, 2006 Author Share Posted August 24, 2006 Later that week “Hello Chris†chairman Lousada said upon entering my office, exhaling cigarette smoke as he spoke. I gave him an disapproving look, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Afternoon sir. What brings you here?†I asked him. “I was walking in town today and everyone congratulate me on team good play. I think to tell you this†he said, beaming with pride. “I think you do good job here, my friend. I hope for it to continue long time.†“Well, thank you sir. We do try our best. I’ll tell the players of your praise†I answered while waving away a gust of cigarette smoke. The chairman left again and I told the players of his words at the next training session. There were smiles of joy and you could see the pride on their faces. There were guys devoted to their club and they’d strife to keep the club on their winning ways. Their first opportunity came on the following Sunday, at Dragoes Sandinenses. Chalana missed the game, which gave Bino a chance to play himself into the team. Also returning was Bruno Mendes, although his stay on the pitch was distinctly short on 43 minutes when he was handed his second yellow card. At that point in the game though, Esmoriz had already established a two goal lead. Jefferson had opened the scoring with a close range toe-poke and Ruca scored from the penalty spot after a foul on the same player. The game slowed up slightly after Mendes’ dismissal and it gave the home side a chance to get back into the game. Oliveria made the most of a defensive error by Ruca and beat Ricardo, who was well off his line from 40 yards out. Their revival was short lived though as Jefferson, clearly growing in confidence after getting his first goal of the season, finished off a good passing move with a placed shot. Rui Lage scored an own goal to give the home side a slightly flattered second goal, but by that time, the game had long gone. Three more points in the bag. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted August 25, 2006 Author Share Posted August 25, 2006 After that win, Esmoriz sat proudly atop of the league table and also were the only team yet to drop any points. But the odds were stacked against Brown’s side to keep their unbeaten status against 2nd placed Sanjoanense. The bookies offered 10/1 on an Esmoriz victory in their league encounter, the last game of October. Sanjoanense were also unbeaten, but they had dropped two valuable points the previous weekend. For some strange reason, Bruno Mendes had not received a suspension for his sending off, so he was free to play in midfield, alongside the returning Chalana. But neither he nor the rest of the Esmoriz team made much of an impact as Sanjoanense dominated the game first to last. But even despite their domination, they had difficulty scoring, mainly thanks to Ricardo’s outstanding performance in goal. In the end, it was fluke that got them ahead. The cross came in from the right and Jo tried to head it in, but his timing was all wrong. It hit his back and looped over Ricardo into the net. Despite that, Esmoriz seemed unfazed and a quick turnaround from chasing the ball to having possession led to a well taken goal by Rui Sá on the stroke of halftime. The second half was more of the same and a poor backpass right after the break gifted Sanjoanense their second goal, Quim Pedro slotting home easily. Despite their best efforts, the guests didn’t manage to beat Ricardo again, but it still ended Esmoriz’ unbeaten run. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spav Posted August 27, 2006 Share Posted August 27, 2006 Slow and steady in posting terms, but the quality remains excellent. KUTGW mate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted September 13, 2006 Author Share Posted September 13, 2006 Cheers Spav November 2005 Some of the squad were slightly dejected after the loss against Sanjoanense, but Brown quickly made it clear that they shouldn’t look back on what could have been, but instead focus on what might be. The squad clearly took heart from those words and in their next game, Esmoriz quickly recovered their winning ways. Ribeira Brava were the opponents and they hardly got a whiff. Jefferson scored the first goal, after fifteen minutes, heading home Rui Sá’s cross. Despite dominating the game for much of the second half, Esmoriz couldn’t double the margin. It wasn’t until Miki came on, much to Martin’s pleasure, that the second goal came. The young striker had only been on the pitch for nine minutes when he rifled his shot into the top corner, delighting the crowd of 1048 people in the process. The result was even more enjoyable when news filtered through that Sanjoanense had dropped two valuable points at Fiães, meaning that Esmoriz were back on top of the league. We had an extra week off due an international weekend, so with a fully fit team, we travelled the short distance across to Paredes. The break hadn’t done us much good though, as we seemed to have lost our rhythm. The home side were all over us and plenty of chances fell to their dangerous frontmen, Ricardo and Rafael. When the smoke had cleared after 90 minutes, both had two goals to their name in an empathic 4-1 victory. Filipe was the only one to do something back for us, but that didn’t happen until the 86th minute of the match, at which point we were already three down. With our tail between our legs, we scurried back to Esmoriz. At least we’d have the luck of champions going for us as our nearest rivals lost as well, meaning the top six teams were now only separated by five points. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted September 26, 2006 Author Share Posted September 26, 2006 We had to get our act back together and we’d have to do it quickly, as our next game would be one of the most important games of the year for Esmoriz and their supporters. The trip to their hated rivals Espinho. At this level, there isn’t as much media build up to a game, but instead, it happens between the two rival sets of supporters. In the week leading up to the game, the penalty spots at the Estadio Comendador Manuel Violas mysteriously disappeared, most likely removed by Esmoriz supporters. Similar incidents happened throughout the week, including the removal of both goals from our training ground. By the time Sunday came, both camps were ready to take each other’s heads off. The Espinho stadium is located beautifully, almost on the beach, and a cool sea breeze swept over the ground as we took to the pitch. Despite the heavy loss of the previous week, I had decided to field an unchanged XI for this key match. If we were going to get anything from this game though, we’d have to show massive improvement on the previous week. Between Martin, Nick and myself, we’d figured out the best way to counter Espinho. We agreed on letting them have possession for most of the game and sitting back, luring for the counter attack. Or as the Italians would call it, Cattenaccio. The players had naturally followed the news throughout the week and they were keen to continue the battle that the supporters had started. Referee Paulo Silva handed out no less than nine yellow cards, including four in the first twelve minutes. As we let Espinho have most of the possession, it seemed inevitable that they’d have to better chances. Both their strikers, Arthur Jorge and Roberto were dangerous throughout the first half, but Ricardo denied them on several occasions, while the assistant-referee gave us a hand when Ricardo was unable to prevent Roberto from scoring by raising his flag. For us, only Rui Sá tried to threaten the home side’s goal, but he failed miserably, his attempt sailing off towards the crowd. In the second half, we finally gained some momentum and had a couple of good chances. Filipe struck his free kick well, but was denied by the keeper, while Jefferson sent his effort just wide. Then, disaster struck. Arthur Jorge managed to sneak away from the defence, found his partner, who duly put it in the back of the net. I sent on Miki to replace the tiring Jefferson, but the youngster was unable to create anything. Despite that, the match still ended in a 1-1 draw. With six minutes to go, Filipe created some space for himself in the box. He tried to find Rui Sá on the far side of the goal, but the ball cannoned off Espinho defender Albertino and via the post it ended up in the back of the net. The visiting supporters celebrated like their team had just won the Champions League. It left me wondering how a win would’ve been celebrated as I walked off the pitch, the point safely in the bag. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted October 15, 2006 Author Share Posted October 15, 2006 December 2005 With the board still delighted at my performances so far, we went into December. They can’t however have been very happy with our performance in the first game of the month, a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of FC Porto B. Co Adriaanse’s reserve side had performed poorly in the league so far, but they were probably the best side quality wise. Martin said it best before the game started when he joked that their striker Sokota’s right leg would probably be worth more than our entire squad. He was proven right as the Croatian netted four of the five goals for Porto’s reserves, earning him the man of the match award in the process. We ended the game with ten men after defender Luis Lopes was sent off on the stroke of half time for making a professional foul. Without our strongest defender, we were powerless to resist as the final score showed. We had the next weekend off as it was a Cup weekend. Martin, Nick and myself spent our free Sunday playing poker and drinking beer and as a result, the Monday practice was very docile due to the managerial trio sporting a hangover the size of a small cargo freighter. Later on in the day, I was approached by the local journalist who told me that the manager of Moreirense had told of his admiration of Filipe. I responded in trademark fashion by saying that he wasn’t going anywhere. It was pretty much the highlight of the week. Thankfully, we returned to action on the 18th, with an away tie to Pedras Rubras. Strangely enough, Lopes had not been suspended after receiving his red card and I was able to field an unchanged side, despite the hammering in our previous game. It was an even game in terms of possession, but we certainly created the better chances. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean much if you are unable to put them away and for most of the game, that was our problem. To give credit where credit is due, Rui Sergio in the home side’s goal had a good game, but we certainly should have done more with our numerous opportunities. It wasn’t until the 88th minute that Sergio had a lapse of concentration and passed the ball straight into the feet of Filipe. Our star man finally made the most of a chance and put it past the keeper. There was a slight dampener on our win though as Luis Lopes had to come off injured with a thigh strain. He’d spend at least a week on the sidelines, but he could be out for as much as four weeks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted October 15, 2006 Author Share Posted October 15, 2006 It’ll be lonely this Christmas Without you to hold It’ll be lonely this Christmas Lonely and cold © Mud – Lonely This Christmas I used to like Christmas, but ever since it had happened, I felt pain and sorrow in the festive season. The only advantage that you have in Portugal is that Christmas isn’t particularly cold, though it’s hardly beach weather either. Nick and Martin knew well enough to leave me alone and I spent most of my time staring at the silver pendant I’d once given her. It was the only thing I still had of her. It had been the first thing I bought for her, years ago, snapping it up in a souvenir shop in London. A silver necklace with a dagger-shaped pendant a couple of inches big. She’d loved it and wore it day and night since. After she’d died, I had stolen it from mortuary, incurring the wrath of her family in the process. It was a silly thing to do, but I wanted something to remember her by. I shouldn’t have… England The chamber was the shape of a pentagram, a central room extending into five triangular chambers. A set of stairs descended into one of the chambers, giving people access to the chamber. Eric Dura descended the stairs and quivered. The space was cold and poorly lit. In the central room a figure clad in black and red robes sat kneeling in front of an altar. He was speaking rapidly in some ancient dialect, Eric noted. Not wanting to incur the figure’s wrath, Dura remained at the bottom of the stairs and waited until he had finished. Then, he stepped into the central chamber. He shivered as he saw the dried blood on top of the altar. The robed man turned and removed his hood to reveal himself to his visitor. “This had better be good, Dura†he spoke, his voice fierce. Eric evaded the piercing blue eyes as he answered. “We have recovered the last artefact from Norway, sir†“What about the key?†the robed man asked. “Still nothing†Dura responded. “This is most unsatisfactory. My family has collected these artefacts for ages, but they are useless without the key. Surely I don’t need remind you the price of failure†the robed man said, his hand waving at the blood covered altar. “No sir, Mr Page†Dura said, swallowing the bile in his mouth. “Good. I expect to see some progress next time, Eric†Page said before replacing his hood and kneeling at the altar again. Dura took the hint and left. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welwyn Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 This is great stuff KUTGW Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted October 16, 2006 Author Share Posted October 16, 2006 Glad you like it Welwyn January 2006 We started the new year with a home tie against Maritimo B. Luis Lopes was still out, though he was making good progress in his recovery. Garranas replaced him. There were two more changes, with Miki starting instead of Jefferson and Marquitos replacing Bruno Costa. There were chances going either way, but it was Rui Sá who opened the scoring, sweeping clear of the defence and guiding his shot under a diving goalkeeper after seventeen minutes. Maritimo had several good chances at levelling the game, but they were wasteful in front of goal. The main culprit was Junior Bahia who missed a couple of gilt-edged chances. It took us long enough to put the game beyond doubt though, until the 74th minute to be exact. Substitute Eder found Filipe with his cross and the attacking midfielder headed it in at the near post. With the game secured, we suddenly had a surge of confidence and scored two further goals, Bruno Mendes sealing an excellent display with his first goal for the club and substitute Jonas completed the rout in the final minute, getting enough on Eder’s shot to fool the goalkeeper. The win kept us equal with leaders Espinho, although our rivals enjoyed a much better goal difference (+30 to our +10). Unfortunately, our start had been good enough to get noticed and a regional newspaper commented on our ten wins out of fifteen since I took over. It drew the one thing I didn’t want. Attention. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted October 17, 2006 Author Share Posted October 17, 2006 With our goal difference in need of a boost, I deemed it necessary to sign an additional striker. Experienced Portuguese target man Paulo Catarino was brought in from Mafra for €4,000 and signed a deal until July 2007. His arrival coincided with the departure of number two goalkeeper Nuno to Uniao Madeira for €2,000. 18-year old goalkeeper Justinho would fill in as his replacement for the rest of the season. The final bit of transfer news concerned a signed for the next season, young midfielder Pedro Lourenco would join Esmoriz when his contract expired in the summer. Back to the football, Luis Lopes returned to the fold against Infesta after his injury lay-off, while Miki retained his starting place alongside Rui Sá. New signed Catarino had to take up his place on the substitute’s bench. He had barely settled in his seat when Rui Sá scored the opening goal, just 90 seconds into the match. Ruca sent a marvellous pass down the pitch for the striker to run onto and he poked it under the keeper without flinching. We displayed some excellent spells of possession football, much to the delight of the managerial trio who had thought up a more attacking tactic. Rui Sá doubled his tally in the 40th minute, finishing off a flowing move from the right to highlight the renewed attacking prowess. Bruno Mendes really killed off the game just short of the hour mark with a 25-yard scorcher into the top corner, leaving everyone including himself stunned in amazement. Catarino made his debut moments later, and had a couple of nice touches in a solid, but uneventful first match. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted October 21, 2006 Author Share Posted October 21, 2006 For the final game of the month, we made the short trip across to Lordelo to face Aliados do Lordelo, the team stuck at the bottom of the table. It was an excellent opportunity for Paulo Catarino to make his full debut despite a lack of match fitness. We had another great start, scoring twice in the first five minutes. Unfortunately, Filipe was off-side when he first scored after three minutes, but two minutes later, there was no flag from the assistant referee to spoil our party. Rui Sá doubled the margin thirteen minutes later with a deft flick past the stranded goalkeeper. We continued to show our dominance throughout the first half and even more so when Lordelo had a player sent off for a professional foul. It took us until the second half to score our third though. Once more, Filipe roamed through the defence and scored an easy tap in from Chalana’s pass. And if that wasn’t enough, Rui Sá completed the rout with a header minutes from the end. By then, Luis Lopes had left the field with an injury and with all subs already used, we had to continue with ten men as well. It left enough space for our hosts to grab a consolation goal, but it didn’t help them any, the 4-1 scoreline condemning them to their 9th consecutive defeat. Lopes’ injury would keep him out for a couple of weeks. In other news, our goalkeeper Ricardo was linked with a move away from the club after his good performances recently, but I moved quickly to quell any transfer rumours. A few offers came in for him just before the transfer deadline, but I dismissed them all. The goalkeeper wasn’t the only one with admirers though. Bruno Mendes, Filipe and Rui Sá were all the subject of transfer bids, but they weren’t allowed to leave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted November 1, 2006 Author Share Posted November 1, 2006 February 2006 Things quietened down after the transfer market closed so we could focus on playing football once more. Esmoriz’ next match saw them face lowly Pontassolense. Only one change was made to the starting line-up from the previous match, the injured Lopes being replaced by Garranas. We got off to a great start when Rui Lage pounced on a mistake on the right and played in Rui Sá. Instead of going for glory himself, the striker gently prodded it sideways for Paulo Catarino to open up his Esmoriz account. Six minutes gone and already a lead on the board. It didn’t last long though, twelve minutes later, Thiago Mota sent in a cross from the left wing and much to his despair, it glanced off Rui Jorge’s head and past Ricardo for the equaliser. We did go into the break with a lead though, Felipe magnificently curling in a free kick on the stroke of half-time. In the second half, it was all Esmoriz and the guests were lucky to concede only one more goal, again from a free kick. This time, it was left winger Chalana, who left Bruno Festas nailed to the ground. Both substitute Miki and Catarino had chances to further enhance our goal difference, but they were unable to do so. We had an extra weeks respite before our next game, on the nineteenth. It was enough for our goalkeeper Ricardo to get himself injured while lifting weights. Eighteen year old youngster Justino would take his place for the game against Lousada. Despite the fact that we were missing both our regular goalkeeper and our best centre back, the home side decided to go with a rather defensive 4-5-1 formation. It meant we had a pretty quiet first half at the back and because of their large contingent of defensive players, we were unable to break them down. All in all, the first half was a pretty drab affair for players and fans alike. The second half didn’t show much improvement, although there were goals to be celebrated for the home crowd. First, Joel’s misplaced shot found it’s way past the inexperienced Justino to put Lousada one up. Pedro Mendes should have doubled that margin, but showed he was rubbish, unlike his namesake, and hit the crossbar. At the other end, Catarino also hit the woodwork, his shot bouncing off the past straight into the arms of the Lousada goalkeeper. Five minutes from the end, Diogo put the result beyond doubt as he fired in Lousada’s second from twenty-five yards. It was our first defeat in six games. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted November 2, 2006 Author Share Posted November 2, 2006 It's late in the evening; she's wondering what clothes to wear. She puts on her make-up and brushes her long blonde hair. And then she asks me, "Do I look all right?" And I say, "Yes, you look wonderful tonight." I wake up startled. Trying to gather my bearings in the dark of the night, I notice that I’m in the living room, slumped on the couch. In front of me, the coffee table is covered with a couple of empty beer bottles and a quarter-full bottle of red wine. No wonder my head hurts. As my mind starts to organise itself, I recognize the song being played on the radio. We go to a party and everyone turns to see This beautiful lady that's walking around with me. And then she asks me, "Do you feel all right?" And I say, "Yes, I feel wonderful tonight." Clapton. Our song. Her song. I try to shake it out of my head, but it persists. And then I remember. I put it on. Play mode repeat. I can’t remember why. It always brings out the pain. Slowly, the tears fill up my sight again, making everything go hazy. I used to play it for her every time she was at my place. I got the occasional note wrong and I couldn’t sing to save my life, but she loved it. I feel wonderful because I see The love light in your eyes. And the wonder of it all Is that you just don't realize how much I love you. She loved it almost as much as I loved her. But she’s gone now. Taken abruptly in the night. Five years ago. And I still haven’t gotten my head ‘round it. I probably never will. I wipe the tears away and grab the bottle of wine and empty it. I hope I still have aspirin lying about is my last thought before I drift back to sleep. It's time to go home now and I've got an aching head, So I give her the car keys and she helps me to bed. And then I tell her, as I turn out the light, I say, "My darling, you were wonderful tonight. Oh my darling, you were wonderful tonight." © Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted November 2, 2006 Author Share Posted November 2, 2006 I took the defeat at the hands of Lousada surprisingly hard. Combined with the bad karma from Eric Clapton, my mind wasn’t really on the football in the week leading up to our clash with Fiaes. Thankfully, Martin and Nick managed to take over most of my duties without anyone noticing, so that we were at least prepared for our final league encounter of the month. Not that it mattered much as we got off to a horrid start. Our defence was hanging together like loose sand while our attacks lacked bite. After thirty minutes, we were already looking at a two-goal deficit, Garranas in particular was to blame for this. Thankfully, we managed to get back to our feet and Paulo Catarino finally found his shooting boots. Which was why at half time it was all square, both goals coming from our recent signing. He would however not return to the pitch in the second half, having sustained an injury just before the break. While I was contemplating to put on Jefferson in his stead, Martin urged me to let Miki have another go. In the end, I caved and let the youngster have his chance. Because of all this I actually forgot to take of Garrans and I paid for that when caused a free kick ten minutes after the restart. Duarte put it away and the home side were 3-2 up. That lead didn’t last long though as Miki repaid the faith shown in him with a well taken goal fourteen minutes later. And we were looking to run away with all three points when Rui Sá pounced on a rebound off Miki’s effort to make it 3-4. It wasn’t to be however and well into injury time, the hosts levelled things again for an astonishing 4-4 finish. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted December 1, 2006 Author Share Posted December 1, 2006 March 2006 Another long break between games as our next league match wasn’t until the 12th of March. In fact, we’d only have two games in March with the other one taking place 7 days later. The long break was enough for goalkeeper Ricardo to return form his injury. He took his place in goal for the only home match of the month, against Dragoes Sandinenses. But after his injury lay-off, he was still a little rusty and it showed as the guests scored twice in the first half. However, each time they did so, they only levelled the scores as Esmoriz had taken the lead on two occasions. Rui Sá nicked the ball of the goalkeeper’s feet to score the first after just eighteen minutes. Four minutes later though, a poor clearance from Luis Lopes gifted the ball to Pedras who tucked it away. It was a Felipe thunderbolt from 25-yards that put us back in front, but another defensive error, this time by Ruca ensured the scores were level at the break. Ruca was rewarded for his mistake by being substituted during the break. The second half was similar to the first, the only difference being that only one more goal was scored. After Martinho has just missed a great chance to put the guests in front, Ricardo started off a quick counter attack. He found Felipe who in turn pushed the ball straight into the path of Rui Sá. With an audacious lob, the striker scored his second of the game. It was enough to break Sandinenses’ resistance and we managed to play out the game without too much trouble. After the game, Nick went on record saying how good he thought Felipe was and that he was a key player to the side. He was of course, dead on right. It wasn’t all rosy after the match though. Paulo Catarino had pulled up with an hamstring injury during the final minutes and it would keep him out at least two weeks. It meant he was certain to miss our trip to Sanjoanense. Miki would be the one to replace him. We were up for a difficult game, as Sanjoanense were currently third in the league and according to just about everyone vastly superior to us. It seemed our second place in the league counted for nothing, even to the bookies, who offered no more than 12/1 for an Esmoriz win. They must have felt rather silly when Miki carved his way through the hosts’ defence and opened the score after twenty minutes with a delightful finish. Despite the goal, we were on the back foot for most of the first half and it was no surprise that Sanjoanense finally found a way past Ricardo through Diogo, seconds before the half time break. The goal clearly shell-shocked our players and they started off the second half poorly, Ruca again the main perpetrator of this. He failed to properly mark Quim Pedro, who as a result, had no problem slotting home the 2-1. I ordered my men forward as we tried to level the score, but as a result, we gave away a lot of room at the back. But it wasn’t until injury time that Sanjoanense really put the game beyond doubt with a third. That brought the month to an end with Esmoriz sitting in a very comfortable third spot, 25 points clear of the relegation threatened places and six points ahead of their nearest chasers and next opponents Paredes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted December 8, 2006 Author Share Posted December 8, 2006 April 2006 April would be a busy month with five games, starting with a home tie against Paredes. Ricardo and Paulo Catarino were both missing from the team due to injury, so Miki retained his starting place, while Justino took up a place between the sticks. It was crucial to get the month of to a good start with a win against our nearest chasers and the players obviously realised this as they dominated the game in the first half, doing everything except scoring. We continued our dominance in the second half, but were unable to score. And as often is the case in scenarios such as this once, the other team goes running off with the win. In the 68th minute, Paredes striker Fonseca scored the only goal of the game, a placed header, to give his side the win. Seven days later, Ricardo returned in goal as Esmoriz travelled to Ribeira Brava. Once more, we were the better side, but the finishing was again wasteful and the only reason we led at half time was an easily given penalty converted by Chalana. Brown told his players exactly what he thought of their performance so far in rather colourful language, but his thundering speech did not have the desired effect. Quite the opposite, Esmoriz were poor in the second half and conceded a soft equaliser to share the points. Unsurprisingly, Brown wasn’t very confident ahead of their next game, away to the Porto Reserves. Eventhough Paulo Catarino returned to add some much needed firepower up front, the team was unable to score. There was a positive note to be taken from the first half though, as the guests weren’t completely outplayed and were only trailing by a single goal at half time. Things improved quite dramatically in the second half. Two well taken goals saw Esmoriz draw level after conceding a goal shortly after halftime. Substitutes Miki and Eder provided the goals, but in the end, Porto proved too strong and Sokota got his second of the afternoon to seal a 3-2 win for the hosts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted December 8, 2006 Author Share Posted December 8, 2006 England Eric Dura was feeling much better today as he entered the cool subterranean chamber. Page was knelt in front of the altar like before, but he turned as soon as Dura entered the room. Eric noted that his eyes were a brilliant red, which frightened him even more than the piercing blue eyes Page usually had. “Yes?†Page asked in a deep voice. “We’ve found him, sir. He’s down in Portugal†Dura said confidently. “Excellent. Bring him here. And do not forget the key. The time is near†“Yes sir, I’ve already sent two men down there and I’ll be joining them as soon as I leave here†“Don’t let me keep you then†Page said before turning back to the altar. Eric took the hint and left. Outside a car with a driver was waiting to take him to the airport. From there, he’d catch a flight to Porto where his two minions would be waiting. Back in Portugal Two more games remained this month and while Esmoriz were still sitting in third place, they’d need a win to keep them there a while longer. The competition was closing in fast. Their first opportunity of claiming one was at home against Pedras Rubras. Unfortunately for the fans at the ground, both teams served up a first class bore fest. The guests seemed satisfied with a point, while Esmoriz were seemingly unable to punish their opponents for their negative attitude. Bruno Mendes picked up an injury during the game, but it wasn’t bad enough to keep him out of the game of the season. For Esmoriz fans everywhere, this was the biggest game in the season. League leaders and fierce rivals Espinho made their way to the Estadio da Barrinha on the 30th of April. Nothing less then a win would suffice for the fans and the managerial trio of Brown, Young and Taylor were feeling the heat. Taking into account the poor run the side was on, anything other than a defeat would be an inspiring performance. Taking into account the poor run the side was on, anything other than a defeat would be an inspiring performance. Eric Dura had never been much of a football fan, but he was told that his target was managing some local football team. So he and his two cronies had bought tickets for the game. Eric had been studying his target the past week and was aware that this game would be fiercely contested, even between the fans. He wondered how he could use that to his advantage. Everyone in the Esmoriz dressing room seemed really fired up for the game and Brown was confident that his team could match the league leaders. They did. For all of thirty minutes. At that points, Espinho stepped up a gear and Siston scored an easy goal to put them 1-0 ahead at the break. In the stands, the taunting had already begun… Brown kept faith with the same XI at the start of the second half, but twenty minutes in, he made a triple substitution, replacing Rui Sá, Paulo Catarino and Rui Lage with Miki, Jefferson and Tiago. His efforts were rewarded when Miki sliced home an equaliser with ten minutes left to play. But just as Esmoriz looked to escape with a point, Quim denied them the draw by pouncing on some sloppy defending and scoring the 1-2. At that point, furious Esmoriz fans stormed the pitch. The local police, already on standby, quickly moved in to clear the pitch, but by the time the dust had settled, three people were missing. Martin Taylor, Nick Young and Chris Brown… Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WLKRAS Posted December 8, 2006 Author Share Posted December 8, 2006 Epilogue The Portuguese police started an investigation, but there was no sign of the three Englishmen. It was as if they had vanished without a trace. Two months after the events of April 30th, Scotland Yard raided a house North of London. Several people, including the head of the Page Cooperation, Mark Page and his chief security officer Eric Dura were arrested. In the basement of the house, detectives found several human remains as well as a bloodstained altar. DNA tests confirmed that three people had been killed at the house. It didn’t take a genius to figure out who they were… Esmoriz were forced to play their final game of the season by the Portuguese FA, though it was clear that the players minds were pre-occupied with the events of the previous weekend. It was therefore no surprise that they lost their final game by two goals to one. They finished the season in fifth place, well above expectation, but they were rudderless and managerless and the fans feared the worst for the future. Authors notes: And that boys and girls is where this story ends. Because FM06 is basically unplayable (in my opinion anyway) if you’ve played FM07, I’m ending this story here. I’d like to thank everyone for their comments, much appreciated. Finally kudos to everyone who’s managed to plough their way through this rabble and read it to the end . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chonner Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 A very immersing read, it's a shame FM06 is so slow and it had to be cut short. Miki played well I see and scored a good few times. Hope to see a new story emerge soon, KUTGW Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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