sherm

March 4

The next couple of days, their first Christmas as a married couple, were lovely. Having her parents and his mum there was nice, and they enjoyed their dinner too. As he woke up on Boxing Day morning, he knew things were how he wanted. He had everything he wanted in his life. A wonderful wife, a secure and settled job, and a house that was a working project. What more could he want? He got ready to leave, and it was as he was leaving that he felt a hand grab his own. He turned round to see Charlotte, wearing a loose fitting jumper and her tracksuit bottoms

"Hey. Wanted to see you off before you left"

He leant down and kissed the top of her head

"I thought you'd still be asleep?"

She shook her head

"I said I'd take mum and dad back home later on so I got up early"

"Fair enough. I should be back by 8 tonight, so we can have a takeout if you like?"

She smiled up at him and gave him a kiss

"Sounds good to me. See you later on"

--

West Ham provided their Boxing Day opponents, and they were a side that had suffered inconsistency through the season, particularly over the last couple of months, but they had dangerous players and would always provide a threat, so Peter wasn't taking it lightly and fielded his strongest possible side from the get go. However, whether something was in the air ior they just didn't get into the groove early, he couldn't quite put his finger on, but his side were sluggish and as a result, found themselves two behind after 26 minutes. Chris Carruthers scored the first, linking up with Christian Dailly, collecting the ball from the Scottish defender and rifling a first time low shot into the corner, that Ros just couldn't get his hands to. The winger was causing all sorts of problems for David Lilley down his side, and it was his assist for the league's top scorer, Jermain Defoe, that saw the second, as he burst past Lilley, slid the ball back for the striker and he finished it nicely, side footing past Ros. The ground was shocked, as they weren't used to seeing their side start so poorly, but they stayed loud and behind the team, and they got their reward five minutes before the break, Claus Jensen threading a delicious pass through to Chris Greenacre, and the striker letting the ball run across him before smashing it into the roof of the net. It was probably undeserved on balance of play, but it changed the whole dynamic of the game, and in the second half they were much better, creating chances and playing much better football. It was down to a two minute spell just after the hour mark that changed the game, and the score. Greenacre grabbed his second, a terrific turn getting him free of his marker, and he met Lawrence's cross smack on the full and left the 'keeper no chance, but he didn't have any part in the third goal, as a long ball from substitute Marek Szmid found Wouter Kos, who slid the ball across for his midfield partner Jensen, and he calmly slotted it past the onrushing goalkeeper. It was three points, and a good win in the end, but if anything, it brought things into perspective that every game can't be won, and they wouldn't play well every week - they sometimes had to grind things out - but needless to say, three more points were in the bag

..

"I don't know, something just doesn't seem right to me"

He received looks from both Estevaag and Matthew

"Gaffer, we're 12 points clear. What could be wrong?"

Peter leant back, clasping his hands behind his head

"Just things like the first half against West Ham, a couple of iffy performances here and there..."

Damien Matthew chuckled

"Boss, it's a higher level for a lot of these lads. Many of them were with us in Division Three. They're doing fine, honestly. You need to relax a bit more"

Peter smiled. He knew his coach was probably right

"I know Damien. I just can't help it, maybe I'm just too much of a perfectionist and want more than we can give?"

His assistant fired back

"That's not a bad thing gaffer"

Peter sat in his office later that day, reflecting on the past two and a half years. Going into 2004, if someone had told him three years ago that he would be a successful manager, with a side on the verge of being a Premiership level team, married to an amazing woman, and with a group of staff and players he had forged good relationships with, he'd have told them they were mad, but as it is, this is the reality he faced. And he had to admit, it felt bloody good. Although he looked in the mirror and saw a few more grey hairs creeping in, he put that down to getting older and managing a football club. But, on reflection, it was a small price to pay

February 29

Keith had tried to get him to take some time off, but Peter insisted he was present for the game against Bradford. While he had other things on his mind, with the wedding the next day and his mum's condition, he tried to focus fully on the task at hand. He had sat down with his team the day before the game, explaining the situation and why his head may have been in a different place in recent days. Immediately, he got the support of his players, captain Mark Arber and vice captain Liam Lawrence both consoling him after the announcement. Whether they had spoken privately to the rest of the team, he didn't know, but they started like an absolute train, racing into a two goal lead inside the opening five minutes. Robbie Blake scored the first, combining well with Lawrence and Kos, the Dutchman laying it off for Blake to side foot the ball home really nicely. Blake turned provider for the second, dinking the ball over the top for Moukoko, who rounded the 'keeper and slotted into the empty net. The Cameroonian immediately turned, removing his Mansfield shirt as he did so to reveal a t-shirt underneath. On that t-shirt were five simple words

We're all with you gaffer

Much as had happened when the players had saluted after Charlotte had been rushed to hospital. This message was all the more special, this time the goalscorer, instead of saluting, ran over and grabbed his manager in a hug. As he ran away, Peter saw his players pointing at Moukoko's shirt, and combined with the applause from the supporters in the stadium, it brought a lump to his throat. The game became pretty much irrelevant after that, and despite starting so well, they failed to capitalise and couldn't score any more goals. That said, they only conceded one, a brilliant finish from Ivan Kaviedes, but they held on and secured the points, extending their lead at the top to 11 points

--

"Ready gaffer?"

Damien Matthew had agreed to be his best man, and he walked in to the room as Peter was knotting his tie

"As I'll ever be Damien. Thanks for agreeing to do this by the way"

His assistant clapped him on his shoulder

"No problem. It's a big day and I want to support you"

Both men smiled, and they headed out to the garden

--

Peter stood at the makeshift altar waiting for Charlotte. He was nervous inside, naturally, but when he saw her being walked down the aisle by her father, those nerves went away. She looked beautiful in a simple white dress, and he realised just how lucky he was. She smiled at him as she got to the altar, before they both moved on with the ceremony. It didn't take long, and both read their vows, before they were implored by the priest to kiss the bride. He did so, to an applause from everyone involved. He was almost on the verge of tears, and seeing his mum sat there, despite looking frail and not herself, to see him marry the woman who made him happy, was something he could only have dreamed of. Charlotte noticed his face, and she leaned in to whisper in his ear

The next morning, he headed downstairs to get a drink. He was met in the kitchen by Charlotte not long after. She smiled, wearing one of his t-shirts

"Morning"

He smiled back at her

"Morning Mrs Daish"

She giggled

"I don't know how long it will take to get used to being called that. I like it though"

She kissed him on the lips

"Since its Christmas eve, we best get ready for dinner tomorrow hadn't we?

He nodded

"Well Keith has told me not to come back till boxing day so I'm all yours for the next couple of days"

Her eyes lit up at that

February 26

The end of year financial meeting had been good, progress on the field meant that things were going well financially and as long as the board were happy, then Peter was happy. That said, his mood changed as he was driving home, and he saw Charlotte's name flash on his phone. He pulled off to the side of the road and answered the call

"Hey, You OK?"

He knew immediately by the tone of her voice that something was wrong

"Hey. It's your mum. She's taken a turn for the worst, I've taken her to the hospital..."

"I'll be there in ten minutes!"

He raced to the the hospital, making the ten minute journey in just over half that time. Charlotte was waiting for him at the entrance

"What happened?"

"She woke up complaining of a headache. She had a coffee, went back to bed and when I went up to check on her she was convulsing. Phoned 999 straight away"

He kissed her on the top of her head

"Thankyou for being there. I dread to think what would have happened if you weren't there"

Just at that moment, the doctor came out to greet them

"Mr Daish?"

"Yes, doctor. How is she?"

He looked sombre

"I won't lie to you, it's not looking good. The tumour has increased in size rapidly. There's nothing we can do to delay it, and it has shortened her expected time significantly"

Peter wiped a tear from his eyes

"How long are we looking at doc?"

The doctor placed his hand on Peter's shoulder

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but a month is probably the maximum. We'll keep her in overnight, but you can collect her tomorrow"

They left the hospital, Peter making phonecalls to Damien Matthew and Keith Haslam to let them know the situation. He then turned to Charlotte, a serious look on his face

"We best do the wedding as soon as possible then hadn't we?"

She nodded

"Looks that way. How are we going to do it?"

"I'll have to speak with Keith and arrange it"

Peter was true to his word, and by the end of the next day, with his mum back and sleeping at the house, he had arranged to have a simple ceremony. Keith Haslam knew a pastor who would oversee the ceremony, which would be held at his house. It would be a simple, vow exchanging ceremony, that would see him and Charlotte become officially married, and allow his mum to see it. Which was, they both agreed, the main thing. It was also noted that with it being so close to the Christmas period, so arrangements were made for Charlotte's parents to come up earlier than planned, so they were present for the ceremony

February 26

Coventry were the visitors for the next league action, and having spent over four million in the summer, they had been expected to challenge for promotion, but a series of inconsistent results and performances had left them languishing just outside the top six, so they needed to pick up points to confirm their credentials. Peter also wanted to see his side push on with their recent good form and pick up another three points. Marek Szmid came in at right back, while Arber partnered Collins at centre half. Moukoko was in the team, with just this and another game before he left for international duty, while Cherno Samba replaced Greenacre, who was in need of a rest. It was a fast paced game, both sides showing their attacking intent, and both 'keepers were forced into making good saves. It was Moukoko who opened the scoring though, with a brilliant free kick. It was Kibebe who won it, being tripped just about 25 yards from goal, and the Cameroon midfielder stepped up to curl the ball beautifully into the top corner. It was a delicious way to start the scoring, but within five minutes, the visitors were level, Steven Baker rising highest to meet a corner and thundering a header home into the goal. Samba had the best chance of the half to restore the lead, racing through and dragging his shot just wide off the post, but they nearly found themselves behind going into the break, Lee Hughes smacking a low shot against the post, but it stayed level. That was at least until 34 seconds into the restart, a ball over the top from Szmid finding Moukoko, and he finished really well, deftly sliding the ball underneathe the onrushing Hedman and restoring their lead. They had three great chances to extend the lead and seal the points, but they couldn't take them, and they paid the price for this when Mark Kennedy levelled things up, the Irish winger cutting inside from the right hand side and firing a low shot into the bottom corner, beating the despairing dive of Warner and sealing his side a point

..

"Morning gentlemen. Thankyou all for your attendance today"

The men nodded

"So, as 2003 draws to a close, we end in a very good position financially. Almost two million in profit for the year, and to top that off, we are performing very well on the field too"

Keith Haslam nodded towards his manager at this point. Peter spoke up for the first time

"The lads have been superb, we can't deny that. However, there's still work to be done"

A nod from the chairman

"I agree, but if we were to secure a promotion to the Premier League, it would be far beyond our wildest dreams. It would probably set the club up for the next ten years. The run in the League Cup has also brought in some serious income too. However, a trip to Wembley would be a nice thing for our fans. If we do, we will fund their travel to the game"

Peter smiled, nodding as he did so

"Well now we're at the semi final stage, and with the draw having been kind to us, avoiding Chelsea and Leeds, we have a chance of doing just that. However, the league has to be priority number one"

Murmurs of agreement

"Oh that goes without saying. The money we would receive for promotion would be huge for a club this size. It would however, be prudent to look at a possible stadium expansion. Ideas are in the early stages but we can always progress further if things are going well"

February 26

"Hey. Got some good news for you!"

He had walked in to see Charlotte and his mum giggling around the kitchen table. Charlotte walked over and kissed him as he entered

"What's that?"

"Keith said we're all set for having the wedding at his house. He'll arrange the priest, sort out the ceremony. All he needs is a date"

She embraced him in a massive hug

"When do you want to do it?"

"Whenever you want. Pick a date and we can sort everything out"

She nodded

"I'll check and see when we can fit it in"

It was his mum that spoke next

"Who are you inviting?"

"It will only be a small ceremony. Charlotte's parents, you, Keith and some staff from the club. And any friends we want to invite"

She cocked her head

"No stag doo?"

Peter laughed

"What, at my age? No chance. A pint in the pub will do me!"

--

Charlotte had busied herself with planning the wedding, something that Peter had been happy to let her continue to do. He had however, had to face a couple of injury problems in the next few days. Ledley King had pulled a calf muscle, meaning he would be out for at least 2-3 weeks, while David Lilley had come down with a virus, so he had been instructed to remain at home. Moukoko had also been recalled to the Cameroon squad, meaning he would miss three games, including the FA Cup third round game. There was also more off field ideas to consider, as he and Charlotte had invited her parents around for Christmas dinner. Once again they had a home game on boxing day, meaning things were easy to manage in that sense

"Got a minute gaffer"

John Waldron had popped his head round the door, waving a brown file as he did so

"Come in John. What news?"

"There's a few players coming up to the end of their deals you might want to look at. I know you don't like talk like this but there's a good chance we're going up..."

Peter held his hand up to stop him

"None of that son. You know the rules"

He was smiling as he said it

"OK boss. Anyway, I'll leave the file with you. Have a flick through when you can"

"Cheers John"

February 26

"Hey. You OK?"

He had met Charlotte for lunch the following afternoon. He kissed her on the cheek as she sat down

"I'm fine. Good win for you yesterday though?"

He smiled

"Yeah the lads were brilliant. They deserve all the credit. Oh, I've spoken to Keith"

She raised her eyebrows

"Oh?"

"Well, he said, if we're in agreement, he can host the wedding at his house. I've seen his house, it's like Mansfield Town Hall!"

"Oh really? That's wonderful. When did he say we could do it?"

"That's what I need to figure out. It depends a lot on mum, but we'll work it out"

They both smiled at each other

--

With the players - and the board - still buoyant from their win over Liverpool, the trip to Charlton was not good news for the home side. They were not on the best form, and this showed as the game progressed, Peter watching his side race into an early 3-0 lead after less than a quarter of an hour. Chris Greenacre started the scoring, finding the ball fed into his feet from Jensen, and he took it really well, before sliding the ball past Dean Kiely with ease. It wasn't long before he doubled his tally either, meeting Moukoko's deep cross at the back post and nodding the ball into the goal, Kiely nowhere to be seen. It was less than two minutes later that the third goal came, sealing the game with it. Kos sent Lawrence away down the right hand side. The winger cut inside, before laying the ball off for Robbie Blake, who opened his body up and slotted the ball into the bottom corner. The home side were shocked, almost battered into submission, and the stadium fell silent, apart from the noise from the travelling fans. They could easily have scored more in the remainder of the half too, but Kiely managed to keep things reasonable, at least to some extent. The second half saw another four goals, but credit to the home side, they managed to make a fight of it at least, bringing the score back to 3-2, thanks to a quickfire double from Shaun Bartlett, but this only angered Peter and his side, and they scored two of their own in response. Greenacre completed his hat trick just before the hour mark, taking a long ball from Lee Collins on his chest, before letting it drop and smashing it home, before Wouter Kos followed up on a Moukoko shot, slamming home the rebound to make it 5-2. This was how the score remained, despite more chances falling their way, they couldn't convert them and had to settle for the five goals

February 22

"Peter, that is fantastic news"

He had given the chairman the news of his and Charlotte's engagement

"Thankyou Keith"

"So when's the big day?"

"We haven't set a date yet. We want to do it soon as we can though, because of Mum"

Haslam pondered for a moment

"I might be able to help you. Did you want to have it in a church?"

Peter shook his head

"We weren't fussed. Simple will do"

"Leave it with me OK?"

--

The League Cup provided Premiership opposition, and undoubtedly the biggest test of his managerial tenure to date, as they welcomed Liverpool to Field Mill. He had toyed with the team in the previous 24 hours, but in the end, Peter went with a mixture of his reserves and some senior players, giving the side a balance and structure he was delighted with. He was also pleasantly surprised by the team that Liverpool had fielded, with several of their first team players rested, maybe underestimating their less illustrious opponents. Peter had sent his players out there with a simple message. They had nothing to lose and they should just play their own game. It was a slow start, as they spent the first twenty minutes trying to find their feet, and it was only thanks to Jose Maria Ros that they managed to stay level, the Spanish keeper saving from Emile Heskey and Neil Mellor. Peter's side did find their way into the game, both Claus Jensen and Keko creating a couple of opportunities, Keko in particular wasting a very good one, and the two sides traded blows until the end of the first half. However, it was the home side that struck the first killer blow. It was from a corner, one that was swung in by David Lilley. The ball broke loose after a scramble, falling to Keko, and the striker lashed home with the outside of his right foot, the ball slightly deflecting on its way in. It was a great time to score, sending the visitors into the break with their heads down, and this only worsened in the second half, Woutrer Kos extending their advantage four minutes into it, the midfielder curling home from the edge of the area. The visitors battled back, sending on their big hitters and showing their Premiership credentials, but it made no difference and they couldn't find the goals they needed, mainly down to a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping, and Mansfield continued their remarkable journey into the semi finals of the League Cup

February 22

The win over Wolves had been good, but once the other results came in, it turned out all of their nearest rivals had dropped points. This meant that going into December, they had suddenly opened up a six point gap at the top of the table. Having harbored hopes of pushing for a place in the Play-Offs at the start of the campaign, Peter still felt that was the right way to think, but inwardly he knew there would be a chance of more than that. But he would be making sure that his players stayed focused on the task in hand. He also had the dilemma of the League Cup to deal with. They had advanced into the Quarter Finals, and having been drawn against Premiership runners up Liverpool, they were expected to have their journey ended. However, with the game being at Field Mill, he felt they could spring a surprise, but he was toying with the idea of sticking with the reserves he had been fielding through the competition thus far, or bringing the regulars back into the fold. However, it was a decision he had to make quickly, with the game just five days away

"Hey. Had a good day?"

Charlotte had walked in from work to see him cooking dinner. She walked into the kitchen and kissed him on the cheek

"Hey. Yeah wasn't too bad. Where's your mum?"

"She's having a sleep. Had a rough day today and had a headache"

Charlotte tilted her head

"I'm sorry"

He stroked the side of her face

"Don't worry. It's just how it might be from now on. Dinner's ready in fifteen minutes"

Just over an hour later, they were sat at the table, having finished the meal. Peter turned to Charlotte, took both her hands into his own, and looked directly at her

"Charlotte, can we talk?"

She looked at him, blinking rapidly, slightly worried

"Sure..."

"I won't muck around. I love you, we're settled and I think we're very good together. With what's happening with mum, and we don't know hoe long she has, I've been thinking"

"OK. What about?"

He looked straight into her eyes, pulling out a small box from his pocket as he did so. He opened it, Charlotte putting her hands over her mouth as he did so

"I want us to get married. Doesn't have to be a fancy ceremony, but I want us to commit to each other"

As he looked at her, he saw the tears welling in her eyes. She moved her hands away, a smile forming across her face

"Oh Peter. Yes, yes of course!"

And with that she leant across, giving him a kiss on the lips and a huge hug, before putting the ring on her finger

--

His mood was, understandably, very good going into the trip to Southampton, and while he generally made sure his private life stayed away from the club, he had made it known to his coaching staff that he had asked Charlotte to marry him. He would also be letting the chairman know when he returned to the club on Monday morning. His mood was further improved by the fact he had a full strength squad to choose from, so he decided to go as full strength as possible for the game. It turned out to be a frustrating 90 minutes though, Peter watching his side doiminate the game, creating 21 chances on the home sides goal, but only managing to come away with the one point. It started in the opening five minutes, Moukoko firing a shot just past the post, and the midfielder then set up Greenacre for a chance the striker really should have scored, hitting the bar from close range, and his reaction said everything, He knew he shoiuld have scored. Kos, Kibebe and Lee Collins all missed good opportunities too, and they went into the break goalless. Peter saw nothing that wasn't pleasing, aside from lack of finishing, because he told his players to go out and do exactly the same in the second half. This was exactly what they did, and while they still missed their fair share of chances, Chris Greenacre finally slid the ball home from a Lawrence cross in the 66th minute. It had been far too long in coming, and even after the goal, they managed to waste chances to wrap up the game. And this, they paid for dearly. It was the first minute of added on time, a pass through from Matt Oakley finding, of all people, left back Wayne Bridge, who collected the pass and fired a left foot shot inside the near post, rescuing a point for his side, perhaps undeservedly so

February 21

Peter was as good as his word, heading out the next day to buy an engagement ring. It maybe seemed premature as he hadn't asked yet, but he didn't see any reason Charlotte wouldn't agree. Not only that, but he was a tradionalist, and having spoken with both of her parents, specifically her Dad, he had been given permission to ask for her hand in marriage. He wasn't sure when he would do it, but he knew it would need to be soon

This decision had mulled on his mind for the next couple of days, but he hadn't let it affect his work and he was more than ready for the final game of the month, as fourth place Wolves hosted them at Molineux. They were unbeaten at home, having dropped just two points thanks to an opening day draw, so Peter expected a tough game, particularly with the forward line that the home side had at their disposal. However, he was left stunned by the performance of his side, as they absolutely ran riot, blowing away the home side with a scintillating display of attacking football. It was Moukoko who stole the show though, with a first half hat trick and an assist to go with it. His first goal came in the eleventh minute, a cut back from Cherno Samba finding Rusk, who stepped over the ball and allowed the Cameroonian to sweep it home with his left foot. It was a difficult finish that he made look easy, but it wasn't as good as his second though, as Peter watched his star man flight a beautiful free kick into the top left hand corner, from all of 30 yards, which left Michael Oakes with absolutely no chance. The midfielder just turned round with his arms outstretched, a smile on his face, one that was returned by his manager. Those smiles got even wider eight minutes later, Moukoko racing through to finish with ease and complete his treble, pretty much wrapping up the points. Cedric Roussel grabbed one for his side just before half time, but this made little difference to the flow of the game and the second half continued in much the same vein. Claus Jensen extended the lead back to three goals with a deft little finish, and substitute Cesar also got in on the act, an absolute thunderbolt of a shot from the edge of the area making it five nine minutes from the end. Roussel did grab his own brace sandwiched in between those goals, but in truth the scoreline flattered the home side, and had it not been for Michael Oakes, it could have been a lot more than the five goals they did score

--

November 2003 Results
[Division One unless stated otherwise]

Norwich 1-2 Mansfield
[Kos 27, Moukoko 60, Rusk s/o 71 ; Carragher 36]

Mansfield 4-1 Sheffield Wednesday
[Blake 13,29, Moukoko 15, Greenacre 47 ; Moore 64]

Man City 0-1 Mansfield
[Moukoko 70]

League Cup Round Four
Middlesbrough 0-2 Mansfield
[Olsen 6, Keko 19]

Mansfield 4-3 Wimbledon
[Kos 20,48, Greenacre 25,90+3 ; Nielsen 6, Agyemang 27, Hughes 90+1]

Wolves 2-5 Mansfield
[Moukoko 11,25,33, Jensen 53, Cesar 81 ; Roussel 41,63]

February 19

Despite having not overseen training the previous few days, he had been informed that the team had done really well. Not only that, but Lee Collins was back and ready to play, so when they welcomed Wimbledon to Field Mill, he was in the defence alongside Ledley King. Benjamin Kibebe had impressed aswell and earnt his place in the side in the centre of midfield, so he took his place alongside Wouter Kos. It turned out to be one of the games of the season, neither side defending overly well and seven goals scored in the game. To be fair to the visitors, they started well, and it was they who took the lead, scoring in the 8th minute through David Neilsen. It was a simple long ball over the top, one which found the marauding midfielder, and he ventured forward and slotted the ball underneath Tony Warner. This wasn't the start Peter or his side had envisioned, but it seemed to wake them up, and by the time Chris Greenacre headed home in the 25th minute, to put them ahead, they had created four good chances. Greenacre himself had seen a header saved, and Moukoko had fired just wide. Sandwiched in between this, little Dutchman Wouter Kos had levelled the scores, collecting a pass from Ledley King, before playing a little one two with David Jervis, who sent him through and he slid it under the 'keeper to level things up. It was five minutes later that Greenacre sent them into the lead, but it was two minutes after that when the scores were levelled, striker Patrick Agyemang using his explosive pace to break through and round Tony Warner. The crazy seven minute spell had seen three goals, but despite numerous more chances through the half, no more goals came before the break. It wasn't long to wait though, as three minutes into the second half, Wouter Kos grabbed his second of the game, taking the ball from a Greenacre knock down, before firing a first time drive into the bottom corner. Chances came and went at either end, and by the time the game entered the final minute of the ninety, there had been a total of 33 shots from both teams. However, there was more drama left. A quick counter attack by the visitors, following a save from a Moukoko chance, saw Agyemang lay the ball off for Michael Hughes, who, rather than cross as expected, used the outside of his left foot and drilled it past the stranded Warner. This looked to be the final goal of the game, but Chris Greenacre had other ideas, and it was the striker who settled the game and sealed the points, as he latched on to a seemingly aimless long ball from David Lilley, collecting it really well and using his laces to absolutely smash home the ball, with virtually the last kick of the game

--

"Morning Mum"

Peter had seen Charlotte off for work that morning, but had been pleased to see his Mum in a seemingly good mood

"Morning love. How's Charlotte?"

He shrugged

"Fine I think. She's a bit nervous about being back at work but she'll be fine. How are you feeling?"

She smiled at him

"I'm fine. I've accepted what's happening, and there's no point moping about. Just got to get on with it right?"

He smiled to himself. Tough as nails she was

"Actually, there's something I wanted to ask you about, while we're on that note"

She raised an eyebrow

"OK. What have you done?"

"Why must you assume I've done something? It's more what I want to do"

"I'm confused"

He chuckled

"OK. Well, I want to ask Charlotte to marry me. It's serious now, we feel strongly about each other and I want you to be able to see it"

She stood up to hug him, tears forming in her eyes

"Oh Peter, that is wonderful. Have you got a ring yet?"

He shook his head

"Not yet. I'll be going to get it tomorrow. The lads have a day off so I'm taking one aswell"

February 19

"Quarter Finals eh gaffer? Could be a trip to Wembley on the horizon"

Damien Matthew had winked as he said it, which made Peter smile

"Never say never but I'm just looking who's left in the draw. Be a tough task for us whoever we get!"

"Still sticking with the rotation policy?"

Peter tilted his head

"I'll judge it nearer the time but my instinct says yes"

--

He walked into the house that night, to find Charlotte asleep on the sofa. He gently sat down next to her, the movement of which saw her open her eyes. She smiled a tired smile, wiping her eyes as she did so

"Hey you"

He stroked his hand on her cheek

"Hey. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you"

"Oh it's OK, I was only dozing. It's not been a good day today"

She sat up to give him a hug as she spoke

"You mean mum?"

She nodded

"Yeah. She's had a bad day. Wasn't sure who I was, wouldn't let me help her. Just tough, that's all"

He comforted her, making a decision there and then. He took his phone out and fired off a message to Damien Matthew, sending the same message to Keith Haslam

"Right. I've told them I won't be in tomorrow. I'll spend the day here, with both of you. It's not fair for you to go through this on your own"

She put her hand on his cheek

"You don't have to do that..."

"Yes I do. And I am"

She smiled at him, kissing him on the lips as she did so

..

It had been a tough few days with his mum. She had one of her worst spells since the diagnosis, and while he had managed to pop out to the ground over those days, it reaffirmed his belief that they needed some full time help. That in mind, he had placed an advert in the local paper, and having spent the day interviewing potential candidates, it was a lady called Doreen Mills that had been the best of the bunch. She had experience, she'd been sympathetic to the predicament and the situation and was available straightaway, so she had been offered the job and would start on the Monday. This meant both he and Charlotte could get on with work, all the while giving his mum the care and attention she needed, which in turn would make him feel better

February 18

"Hi mum. How you feeling today?"

She looked up as he entered the room

"Oh hello love. I'm OK. Bit tired though"

"Don't worry about that. You just get your rest. I've brought you a brew"

She smiled as he sat down on the bed and put the drink on the side table. It was then that she put both of her hands around his

"I'm sorry about this love"

He looked at her, puzzled

"Sorry about what?"

"Intruding on your life like this, you and Charlotte"

He patted her hands with his free hand

"Don't be silly. We decided on you moving in together remember? Besides, we love having you here!"

She smiled, her eyes starting to tear up

"You're a wonderful son. But do me a favour?"

"Anything you like"

She smiled through the tears

"Don't let Charlotte go. She's amazing, and you won't find another one like her"

They both laughed together. It was a relief to see her smiling

"Oh don't worry mum. I don't plan on letting her go anywhere"

--

"Morning Boss. How's things?"

He was greeted by Claus Estevaag as he walked through the doors

"Morning Claus. It's been a good few days to be fair. Mum's had a good time fortunately but it could so easily go the other way"

"Well you know we're all here for you. If you need time off, we'll cover for you"

Peter clapped his coach on the shoulder, smiling as he did so

"Thanks mate. That means a lot"

Training had been experimental in the build up to the next game, with several of the squad players given heavier workloads, mainly because they would be getting some starting minutes for the next game, which was the fourth round of the League Cup. While they faced a test against opposition who were better and higher placed than they were, in Premier Division Middlesbrough, Peter had decided to stick with the policy of fielding some younger and reserve players for the competition, as he felt it was the best way to get them some game time. Geir Olsen, Keko, de Waard, King and Marek Szmid came into the team, while several regular players dropped either to the bench or out of the squad all together

Middlesbrough had found themselves languishing in the bottom half of the table, a position they would have been disappointed with considering some of the players they had in their squad, so they had obviously taken the opportunity to rest players themselves, choosing to focus on their league campaign, and this seemed evident by the disjointed performance they gave. Geir Olsen scored an early goal to give his side an advantage, and it was a goal that was well received, the way his team mates all celebrated with him proved just how popular the big Norwegian was. He didn't play much, but he never complained, always gave maximum effort and just got on with things like a true professional, so when he swept the ball home from Jakup Borg's cross, it was a massive cheer that went up from the away end. The home side never really recovered from the slow start, and they were soon 2-0 down, Olsen combining with de Waard, who swung the ball across the pitch to Keko, who cut inside and smashed a left foot shot into the left hand side of the goal. Peter couldn't believe how flat their opponents were in their performance, Jose Ros not having a single save to make until the 72nd minute, and even that was a simple save for the Spanish stopper, but despite the score staying at just the two goals, it was as comfortable a win as they could have had, and they progressed in to the Quarter Final

February 16

Love the off field aspect of this WLKRAS, really intriguing

February 14

The next day, he had arrived at the ground to work on a few things, and he had been there less than an hour when he was interrupted by a knock on his door

"Peter?"

He looked up to see the chairman looking solemn

"Morning Keith. Everything OK?"

Haslam shook his head

"Charlotte's just been on the phone. It's your Mum..."

Peter didn't hesitate. He jumped up and grabbed his coat. As he ran past his chairman, Haslam shouted after him

"They're at the hospital. Ring Charlotte on your way there"

Peter arrived at the hospital inside fifteen minutes, and was given directions to the room. Charlotte was waiting outside for him as he got there. She grabbed his arm, a serious look on her face

"You can't go in. She's sleeping at the moment"

He looked down at her, a hint of tears in his eyes

"What happened?"

"She was complaining of a headache. I went in the kitchen to get her some paracetamol and a drink and when I came back, she was passed out on the floor"

He leant in to her, giving her a hug

"Thankyou for being there for here. Maybe I should have taken the time off?"

She gripped his hand and shook her head

"It's not your fault. You couldn't have predicted this"

Just at that moment, the doctor came out of the room and headed towards them

"Doc? What's the news?"

The little Asian doctor looked up at him

"Mr Daish?"

Peter nodded

"Well, we will need to keep her in and run some more tests, but the early diagnosis looks like it might be early onset dementia"

Peter looked devastated

"So if it is, what can we do?"

"Unfortunately, nothing. Some days will be good, some will be bad. Especially with someone of your mother's age too, it may get worse before there's any improvement"

--

Peter had spoken to the chairman following the visit to the hospital, and they had agreed, as had Charlotte, that he would be returning to work and keeping some semblance of normality. He told his coaching staff, deciding that he had forged a relationship with them that needed honesty as a part of that, so he got them all together the next morning to let them know the situation. They had all agreed though, that the players didn't need to know, as it would only affect them in the wrong way. His mum would be staying in for a couple more days, as they had some more tests to run, but he had already decided that if he needed to get some help around the house to give her some support, he would do so

He had focused on the next game as much as he could, and if the players sensed anything was wrong, they didn't show it, and they trained well in the build up to the trip to Manchester City, a game he fully expected to be tough. He had however, received some bad news when he went to collect his mum from the hospital to take her back home. The tests had been run and it turned out she had an inoperable tumour on her brain. This had been the cause of the headaches, and a factor in the dementia, and the doctor had realistically given her 12 months at the most. This had devastated him, to see such a strong woman, the woman he remembered, reduced to being so weak, and he felt utterly helpless. He considered staying away for the next game, several times picking up the phone to ring Keith Haslam and tell him that he wouldn't be at the game, but Charlotte, aswell as his mum, on one of her good days, convinced him that was no use to anyone, and he did eventually join the team on the trip to Manchester

His presence on the bench may not have been an inspiration, as the game itself was pretty dull, neither side seemingly able to break the other down. It was almost a game that saw two teams just cancelling each other out, and neither Nick Weaver or Tony Warner had a save to make in the first half. Changes were made at the break, Simon Rusk replacing Wouter Kos and Ardon de Waard coming into the left back slot for David Jervis, who had complained of a tight thigh, and it was the Dutchman who made the difference, his physicality down the left causing all sorts of problems for Simon Colosimo at right back, so much so that the Australian moved into midfield. This seemed to give the home side less cover in the defence, and this resulted in the only goal of the game, as Rusk slid the ball through for Greenacre, who's shot was parried but only into the path of Moukoko, who tapped home into the empty net. That was the only goal of the game, and in a way it was more of a pleasing win than the previous result, as they hadn't been at their best, but they ground out the result and kept a clean sheet, something Peter could only see as a positive

February 12

"So you think he's fit enough?"

Peter was sat in the physio's room discussing the fitness of his returning players

"I think he could certainly play 60 minutes, maybe 70 at a push"

"OK. What about Lee?"

A shake of the head

"I don't think so. He needs more work and definitely more action in the reserves"

"Damn. OK, thanks Frank"

Peter knew he had Robbie Blake available but Lee Collins still had more work to do, so he made the decision early on that Blake would be in the squad for the next league game. There was no training that day, the players having a scheduled day off, so he took the opportunity to finish up some paperwork and head back to the house to have a day off himself

--

Everton were in action that evening, as they faced Manchester United at Old Trafford. Peter sat himself down to watch the game while Charlotte and his mum were in the kitchen. His old team had recovered somewhat of late, having won two of their last three games, but the defending Premier League champions were in no mood to allow them to continue that form, and raced into a 3-0 first half lead, as Ruud van Nistelrooy collected a brace and Paul Scholes scored just before the break. They did show some fight in the second half, but a 4-1 defeat was hard to take and he sighed as he switched off the television

"Hey. Game finished?"

He turned round and greeted Charlotte with a peck on the cheek

"Yeah. Didn't go well unfortunately. You OK?"

She nodded

"Fine. Your mum's gone to bed, she was knackered. I'll be going myself soon, first day back in tomorrow"

He raised his eyebrow

"Don't you go working too hard and burning yourself out"

She playfully patted his cheek, smiling as she did so

"As if I would!"

..

Sheffield Wednesday provided their next test, and Peter felt his side, despite having picked up results in recent weeks, were in need of a really good performance to stamp their authority back on things, and all credit to the players, that was exactly what he got, as his side were magnificent in the game, particularly the first half. Robbie Blake had impressed in training and in his appearances for the reserves, so he earnt his place in the side, while Agustin replaced Rusk, who sat out due to his sending off in the previous game, but it was Blake who made the difference, as he had a hand in all three of the first half goals. It was his shot that opened the scoring just before the quarter of an hour, as he collected a perfect pass from Kos, not having to break stride, and he looked up as he smashed it into the bottom corner. The celebration was fierce, the forward delighted to be back in first team action, and just less than two minutes later, he provided the assist for Moukoko, the Cameroon international making the run for Blake to find him, and he took it down before a simple finish past the 'keeper doubled their advantage. Greenacre could have added a third not long after, a low shot looking destined for the bottom corner until a hand tipped it round the post, but it was the striker who assisted the third goal, one which saw the game sealed just before the half hour mark, Greenacre nodding the ball down on the edge of the box, and Blake rasping a first time shot into the roof of the net. Peter was delighted with his side's performance in the first half an hour, the only disappointing thing was that they couldn't add to the three goals, as a couple of good chances fell to Greenacre and Kos, both of which could be argued that they were easier to score, but 3-0 remained the half time scoreline

The visitors did show some effort in the second half, and they certainly came back into the game, but that wasn't before they went four behind, less than two minutes into the second half. Greenacre scored the goal, as he rose highest from a Moukoko corner to nod the ball home past the stranded goalkeeper, and if there was any doubt the game was won, there wasn't anymore, as that was more than enough to seal the points. More chances followed, as substitute Keko could have had a brace, Blake missed a clear cut chance for his hat trick, and Kos forced a good save, but it mattered not. The visitors did grab a consolation goal, Ian Moore racing through and slotting past Tony Warner, but the game was out of their reach by that time and three points were secured

February 12

There was good news on the injury front, with Robbie Blake and Lee Collins both back in training, with Blake scheduled to play a couple of reserve games to get his fitness back, although Collins still had a way to go, but that was progress that Peter was delighted with. He felt his side were more than good enough to compete at the top end of the table, and he had the squad depth to cover any injuries, but he knew that this was a tough league, with some very good teams, and just one or two slip ups could be crucial

"Morning gaffer"

Damien Matthew greeted him as he headed onto the training ground

"Morning Damien. What's the schedule today?"

"Defensive work and patterns of play, then passing and shooting drills"

"Perfect. I'll leave it in your hands today, I've got to take Charlotte to the hospital at 10"

"No problem. She OK?"

He nodded

"Oh yeah, just a follow up to check she's OK to go back to work"

--

A little over an hour later, they were sat in the doctors office awaiting the results

"So, it seems like you're feeling and looking a lot better?"

Charlotte nodded

"I am yes. I really need to go back to work though"

A nod back

"Well I'm happy for you to do that, but I want you to ease back into it. Three days a week at most, ideally two"

"OK. Well that's a start I guess. It's killing me being stuck at home"

Eventually they left, feeling better about the fact Charlotte could go back to work. To make her feel better though, they headed to a little local pub for some breakfast

--

A quirk in the fixture list meant that they opened the month with another game against Norwich, this time in the league and also at Carrow Road. The team was a lot different to the League Cup game, with the strongest possible team available to him taking the field. This meant returns for Kos, Moukoko, Rusk, Arber and Lawrence all back in the team, and this showed in the performance, as Peter saw his side dominate the first half an hour of the match. Lawrence cracked the post early on, before Greenacre forced a double save from Rob Green, the second a magnificent finger tip round the post, and it looked like it may be one of those games, until the deadlock was broken in the 27th minute, and a fine goal it was too. Lawrence fed Jervis down the left hand side, and the defender took it right the to byline. He looked up to see Wouter Kos on the penalty spot, feeding him the ball and the little Dutchman slid the ball home into the goal. It was a deserved lead, but it didn't last too long, Matt Carragher levelling up for the home side, a poor pass from Arber allowing him in and he rounded Ros and slid the ball home

The scores were level at the break, but it was more domination from the visitors, as they created numerous chances, and it was the hour mark that saw the second goal come, Moukoko firing in from the edge of the box, but how they never scored a third was a mystery, as chances fell to Lawrence, Moukoko, Kos and Collins, but no more goals came, the only thing that did was a red card for Simon Rusk. He went for a ball, however just slightly mistiming his tackle, and having already picked up a yellow card, the second was inevitable and the midfielder was sent off with just under 20 minutes to go. That said, they still dominated the game, having several more chances before the end, but they held on for a 2-1 win that Peter was delighted with

February 12

The next day, the news broke that David O'Leary had been appointed as the new Arsenal manager. Whether they had got wind of the news that Peter wasn't interested or they hadn't been interested themselves, he wasn't sure, but it made no difference to him and he carried on with the preparations for the next game, which would be a visit from Portsmouth. Samba and Greenacre had both picked up knocks, which meant Keko came into the team, while Vance Warner came in to replace the suspended King. Agustin also slotted into the midfield to provide defensive cover, but Peter was confident in his sides ability. They would be given a tough test though, against a Portsmoutb side who they had faced on previous occasions and always found it tough, probably the reason that both sides were promoted together

This prediction proved to be accurate, unfortunately, as the visitors started brilliantly, forcing Tony Warner into making three good saves in the first fifteen minutes. Lee Bradbury's header was tipped wide, and from the resulting corner, he was forced into making another stop, Prosinecki firing a shot towards the bottom corner which the 'keeper managed to get down to. The Croatian once again fired a shot at the 'keeper, forcing another save, but it was Dutch striker Romano Denneboom who opened the scoring. He had signed for big money in the summer, and had started well for his new team, and he took his goal superbly here too, making some space for himself and curling home into the top corner. This seemed to have the desired effect and Peter saw his side pick up the pace and take control of the game. Agustin struck the bar, a fierce shot from the edge of the box, while Keko saw his header disallowed from a corner, an apparent push from the striker. He didn't have to wait too long for his goal though, a corner from Rusk seeing a scramble in the box, the ball eventually finding its way to Keko and he smashed the ball home, leaving Kawaguchi no chance with the shot. The rest of the half almost petered out, neither side really creating anything, and the break saw the scores level. The second half was one way traffic, after a harsh team talk, as Peter saw his side dictate the pace of the game and control the play. Keko could have grabbed himself a hat trick, missing two really good opportunities, the second of which an absolute sitter, before headers from Arber and Agustin both tested the visitors Japanese 'keeper. Cesar came off the bench and could have scored himself, rattling the post late on, but they couldn't find that killer blow and the game stayed at a stalemate, a result that, despite the dominance of the second half, was probably fair

--

"Frustrating that wasn't it?"

They had sat down for their usual debrief on the Monday

"It was but there were plenty of good things I saw out there so I'm not hugely concerned"

It was Damien Matthew who spoke next

"What you thinking on Wednesday? Resting some lads?"

"Definitely. League has to be the focus so we can take the opportunity in the League Cup to rest some players"

Nods of agreement

"Agreed. Fair chance to give some other lads game time too"

That League Cup action saw Norwich make the trip to Mansfield, and true to his word, Peter had rested several of his key players for the game. Moukoko, Rusk, Arber, King and Lawrence all missed out, while several other players got the chance to impress, with Ronnie Bull, Cesar, Uriel, Marek Szmid and Ardon de Waard all getting starts. Something was amiss early on though, the cohesion and team ethic not quite right, maybe because of the lack of playing time together on the field, but they were 2-0 down within the opening 17 minutes, the visitors, at full strength, sending the crowd at Field Mill deadly silent. Daryl Sutch opened the scoring, muscling his man away when collecting the ball, and he lashed a shot past Jose Maria Ros into the roof of the net. There was nothing the Spanish 'keeper could have done, but he would have been disappointed with the second, as he came to collect a ball from a corner, but, failing to do so, dropped it straight at the feet of Leon McKenzie, who prodded it home. They did manage to get into the game eventually, creating some problems for the visitors and having a couple of half chances, but they were still two behind at the break

The changing room was solemn at half time, but Peter, sensing an opportunity, walked in with a smile on his face

"Right boys. That wasn't great, but we can change that. I'd rather get beat four or five going for it than sitting back, so get out there and get at them"

The players had expected a bit of the hairdryer treatment, but this change in tact had obviously helped them, as they were rampant in the second half, taking their managers words to heart and turning the game on its head. It did however, look like this wouldn't happen, as Rob Green saved everything that came his way, at least until the 76th minute. Cesar had weaved his way into box, but he was brought down by the defender, and it was youngster Marek Szmid who stepped up to slot the penalty into the bottom corner, placing it perfectly away from the 'keepers right hand. It was the full back who got the assist for the equaliser too, marauding down the right hand side before pulling it back for Ronnie Bull, who side footed the ball home to level the game. This seemed to demoralize the visitors, and, inevitably, they conceded a late goal to lose the game, Uriel sliding through the ball for his national compatriot Cesar, who saw the 'keeper coming and dinked it beautifully over him and into the goal, sending them into the next round

---

October 2003 Results
[Division One unless stated otherwise]

Bristol City 1-1 Mansfield
[Samba 37 ; Lockwood 12]

Watford 0-2 Mansfield
[Lawrence 14,36]

Mansfield 2-1 Birmingham
[Kibebe 18, Lilley pen 24, King s/o 90+1 ; Johnson 61]

Cambridge 1-3 Mansfield
[Samba 23, Moukoko 30, Cesar 86 ; Jackson 44]

Mansfield 1-1 Portsmouth
[Keko 31 ; Denneboom 17]

League Cup Round Three
Mansfield 3-2 Norwich
[Szmid pen 76, Bull 83, Cesar 90+2 ; Sutch 6, Mckenzie 17]

February 11

His mum was finally all moved in, her seemingly endless boxes of stuff dispersed around the house. Charlotte was feeling a lot better too, and was back on light duties at work, but as Peter wanted to do something nice for them, since he was working a lot over the next few days, so he gave Charlotte some money to take his mum out for a shopping and lunch session. He left that morning, both women still asleep, and he headed into the ground early, a day of contract renewal talks ahead with many of his players

"You wanted me gaffer?"

Chris Greenacre was the first one in. Fortunately his agent was reasonable so Peter was hopeful it would be quick and painless

"Chrissy, come on in son"

The men sat down sat down opposite him

"So, Chris, I want to discuss a new contract with you. You've got a year and a half left but I'd like to tie you down for another couple of years"

"Show me where to sign gaffer. I love it here and really feel that we're building something"

Peter smiled. He slid the contract across and the striker signed on the dotted line after reading the terms

..

The rest of the day went pretty well, no issues arose from the contract talks and everyone he wanted to sign had penned a new deal, so when he left that evening, he felt like it had been a productive day. He eventually walked through the front door to see Charlotte and his Mum in the kitchen, pots and pans everywhere and steam filling the kitchen. He walked in and greeted Charlotte with a kiss on the lips, before pecking his mum on the cheek. He grabbed a beer from the fridge as he spoke

"Something smells good"

"We thought we'd make something for tea. Your Mum has made a curry and I've done some spaghetti so take your pick"

He smiled down at her, one which she returned

"Curry sounds like the one for me. Spaghetti tomorrow?"

She smiled again

"I thought you might say that"

February 11

Authors Note ; Just wanted to say a huge thankyou to everyone that voted for both this story and the character of Peter Daish in the awards yesterday. To come away with two awards (my first two, incidentally!) in a field of such high quality is more than humbling

It makes the effort of writing worthwhile and I'm glad so many of you have enjoyed it. Once again, thankyou

---

The next few days had been a whirlwind. They were back and forth to his Mum's, picking up her stuff, and with him having to take training in the middle of all this, he didn't get as much sleep as he would have liked. That was probably why he found himself being shaken awake by his assistant Damien Matthew one afternoon in his office

"You OK gaffer?"

He rubbed his eyes and shook himself awake

"Sorry Damien. Been a hectic few days, not had as much kip as I'd have liked"

His assistant sat down

"Take a couple of days off. I can take training, and I'm sure Keith wouldn't mind. He knows how much work you do around here"

He shook his head

"I'll be fine. Get some sleep tonight and catch up and be right as rain"

A skeptical look from Matthew, but he dropped a folder on the desk

"Injury report from Frank. He asked me to pass it on to you"

..

Cambridge provided their next test, and their bad start, just one win so far, had seen them teetering in the bottom three, but this meant nothing in football, which is why he fielded his best available eleven for the game. This paid dividends, and by the half hour mark, they were 2-0 ahead, although it could have been more, two more goals also having been disallowed, one very dubiously. The first of these came in the tenth minute, Samba racing through and firing home, but he was flagged offside. It looked tight, but was probably the right decision, and the striker made up for this when he did open the scoring, collecting a pass from Wouter Kos, turning inside and lashing home a left footed drive. The second disallowed goal was a lot more contentious however. Moukoko swung in a corner, and as Lee Collins went up for the header, so too did the 'keeper, trying to punch the ball away. He missed it, which saw the ball drop to Kos, who tapped it in, but the whistle blew, adjudging Collins to have fouled the 'keeper. Protests followed, but it was to no avail, and the decision was made. Moukoko doubled the lead in the 30th minute, placing a beautiful free kick into the top corner, but there was only one team looking likely to win the game by this point. However, a goal just before the break from Dean Jackson, a toe poked finish from a scramble inside the box, changed the complexion of the match

The second half saw an enthralling contest, one that was a little more even too, as the home side did their best to try and get back into the game. Armand One caused all sorts of problems after his introduction, using his pace and trickery to create a couple of good chances, one especially that fell to Dave Kitson, and they could count themselves unlucky not to have scored. That said, Peter saw his side also create a few opportunities, with Kos, Moukoko and Samba all having the chance to put the seal on the game, but they had to wait until the final ten minutes for the points to be secured, substitute Cesar running with the ball before unleashing a 25 yard rocket that left the 'keeper with no chance. They had made hard work of it, but another win was marked in the record books

February 10

Congrats to all award winners

Thankyou also to mark, who puts an amazing amount of effort into this and everything he does for the forum

You deserve every award and accolade you receive My good sir

Competition was tough this year so every award has been well earned by all who won

February 10

Managed to pop in briefly and see the progress so far

I'm absolutely humbled you all saw fit to vote one of my characters for an award, aswell as my story

As Mark has correctly said these are my first ones on this forum so I am flattered and honoured

WLKRAS - I voted for Chris Browne from the Outcast so to share this award with you is an honour

To have you all vote for Two Tribes is a real big deal for me as its a story I've put a lot of time and effort into, so it feels like every word has been worth it

Thankyou to everyone who voted and congratulations to all the winners thus far

February 10

Unfortunately folks I won't be able to make the ceremony tonight for the awards

Best of luck to all nominees for this year

February 5

Venue

Live from Jadon Sanchos Toyless Pram

I do like the Megan Rapinoe one though

February 2

Training had been good in the build up to the visit of Birmingham, despite a couple of light knocks sustained by Samba and Lee Collins, and though both were out of the squad for the game, Peter was still confident his side had what it took to win the game. Kibebe came into the team to replace the rested Rusk, while Mark Arber partnered Ledley King at the heart of the defence, and it was the young Swede who set them on their way with the first goal. He liked to bomb forward when he got the chance, and it was one of these marauding runs that allowed Moukoko to slip him in, and as he controlled the ball on the run, he saw the 'keeper coming and dinked it gently over him into the goal. It was a really good finish and a great way to score his first for the club, and the next ten minutes saw another two good opportunities fall their way, Keko firing wide from ten yards out, while he knocked it down for Moukoko, who was smothered by the 'keeper, but the Cameroon international was a major part of the second goal. A lovely team move, five players passing the ball around the visitors, and eventually a penetrating ball from Cesar found Moukoko. He took it and flicked past the goalkeeper, but as he did so, the outstretched hand of Vaesen clipped his ankle, bringing him down inside the box. It was a clear penalty, and David Lilley stepped up to smash it into the goal, doubling the lead. The visitors did manage to get a bit more of a foothold in the second half, creating some half chances and testing Tony Warner a couple of times, but when Andy Johnson got them back into it, just after the hour mark, there was hope. Peter made a couple of changes, bringing on Rusk to shore up the midfield, replacing Cesar, while bringing David Jervis into a more defensive role, not going forward as much, and this seemed to do the trick, as they took control of the game before long. They could have scored more aswell, Keko and Rusk both missing chances, and despite Ledley King's second yellow card in injury time, they held on for a hard fought win

..

The next day, having granted the players a day off for some recuperation, as he felt they needed it, he and Charlotte headed to see his Mum. As they walked through the front door, they were greeted by her but immediately, Peter knew she wasn't herself

"Hi Mum"

He bent down to kiss her on the cheek

"Hello love. Hi Charlotte"

She smiled at her, but Peter had seen Charlotte's sideways glance. They headed into the living room

"How are you Mum?"

She sighed

"I'm OK. A little worn out but I guess that's just old age"

Peter had looked around. His mum had always taken pride in having a clean and tidy house, but he had noticed things that she would never normally have let happen, such as dusty corners and cobwebs on the ceiling

"Are you sure there's nothing else?"

She raised her eyebrow

"What do you mean?"

"I'm, well actually we're, worried about you. You don't seem yourself lately, and I know you said you feel exhausted"

She waved her hand, trying to laugh it off

"Oh don't worry about me..."

"I'm serious Mum. We've got the space in the house, and I know we'd both love to have you at our place more often. We want you to move in, permanently"

She looked up, the hint of tears in her eyes

"Are you serious?"

"Absolutely. I'm not having you struggling on your own"

Despite her concerns about selling the house, something Peter had convinced her he would sort, and some light convincing from Charlotte needed, his mum had eventually agreed to move into their place. However, she wouldn't admit she was ill, which Peter had to smile about. Stubborn to the end, just like he remembered

February 2

Later that evening, while Charlotte was having a nap, Peter had taken the opportunity to phone his mum and find out how she was. He was slightly worried about her, as when she had been there the previous week, she had seemed to have the odd moment. I mean admittedly, she was in her 80's now, and certainly not in bad health but also she wasn't the worst health either. He did however, have a responsibility to check she was OK. After speaking with her, he popped on Sky Sports news to see the latest, and was shocked at what he saw

"..in recent moments that Arsenal have parted company with Arsene Wenger. We don't know yet if this is a mutual decision or if the club have let the Frenchman go, but we'll bring that to you when we get the news..."

Peter knew that the Gunners were struggling, sitting 8th in the Premier League after a disappointing 5th place last season, but he was still surprised to see Wenger leave. That said, nobody seemed able to stop the Manchester United juggernaut, as they were on course for their sixth straight Premier League title. Still, Peter shook his head. This was just a reminder that no matter what happens in the game, no matter how much success they had as managers, nobody was safe

...

A third successive away trip was up next, as Watford were the opponents, and Uriel made his debut in the squad, named on the bench for the game. Wouter Kos and Moukoko had not been declared fit for the game, which meant Ronnie Bull and Cesar came into the team for the game. Watford had a fairly expensively assembled squad, but they had so far failed to reach the heights expected for them, and sat just outside the Play Off places, but this turned out to be a seriously easy win, one of the easiest of his tenure. Greenacre headed against the bar early on, before he flicked the ball through for Cesar, who saw his shot tipped onto the post. It was the Spaniard who created the opening for the goal though, just before the quarter of an hour mark, as he cheekily used the outside of his right foot to feed Liam Lawrence, and the midfielder took the ball in his stride, and without breaking step he lashed it into the roof of the net. It was a powerful shot that would have struggled to be stopped by any 'keeper, and even before he scored the second, he should have scored again. Greenacre also missed a chance, but when the striker cut the ball back for Rusk, the Scotsman stepped over and dummied the ball, allowing Lawrence to slot it home and double the lead. Despite not scoring any more goals in the second half, it was a composed and dominant performance. They did have chances to score more, the best ones falling to Greenacre and substitute Keko, but they failed to capitalise and the game remained 2-0. Peter hadn't failed to notice the resounding boos as he shook the hand of the Hornets boss Gianluca Vialli, and the Italian looked decidedly affected by them

"I am sorry about this. I am not so popular at the moment"

Peter shook his hand and clapped him on the shoulder

"No need for apologies Luca. I'm sure you'll win them round"

He offered a weak smile

"I appreciate that but I do not have your confidence"

--

It seemed the Italian knew his fate, as less than 48 hours later he was out of work, the Watford board having decided enough was enough. It was sad to see as they had got on fairly well after the game, but he knew how brutal the business was. It was then that the chairman popped his head round the door

"Peter, can I have a word?"

He was already through the door by this point

"Sure. What can I do for you Keith?"

"Have you seen the news today?"

He nodded

"Vialli? Yes I saw..."

"No, the other news"

Peter stopped in his tracks

"What other news?"

"It seems you're in the running for the Arsenal job"

Peter was left stunned. Not to mention speechless. It was the chairman who broke the silence

"Peter?"

"Sorry Keith. That just took me by surprise. Are you serious?"

Haslam nodded

"According to reports yes. Yourself, David O'Leary and Wim Jansen. So, if they come calling...?"

He left the question hanging, cleverly on his part

"Honestly Keith, I'd be flattered, but I'm happy here. I've started a job and want to see it through. Plus, I don't want to move to London at this point in time. So it will be a no"

That seemed to appease his boss, and he walked away a happy man

--

"What's wrong?"

Charlotte had sat next to him, her feet curled underneath her

"Nothings wrong. Why would you assume that?"

She cocked her head to the side

"I know you too well. What's wrong?"

He sighed

"It's mum. I'm worried about her"

"Why? Is it coz of how she was when she was here?"

He nodded

"Yeah. Something wasn't right. I'm worried about her being on her own at home"

"Couldn't you get someone in to help her? You know, around the house?"

He laughed

"No chance. She's far too stubborn for that. I'll have to speak to her and see what she says"

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