“I Done Bought Myself Olympiakos” (FMS Characters)

[Panpardus]

Haha, great story still Spav.

[O\'Hara_fan]

Does this cheque include reserves?

[Balthazars]

Whoo! Christmas bonus! Party time, boys!

Belly-full of laughs as always, Spav!

[mark wilson27]

HAHA! Me and Mark, living it up. Spav, your psychic abilities are actually starting to worry me.... its reminding me of past events looking healthy at the top mate.

Dream team mate

[salkster2102]

Did i read that right Spav? Mark's date has a girlfriend? Anyway great stuff as always and funny as well.

[JamboJen]

“Did we get us a big team?”

“Yep, you’re sure gonna appreciate the irony in this, Copper”.

“”Don’t tell me! We got…”

“Yep, Olympiakos!”

Well fork me, I didn't think irony existed in America! Well not to Americans anyway

Excellent story, Spav. That's me just caught up and although I've not been around the forums for very long the characterisation has had me in stitches.

KUTGW

[copperhorse21]

I wish I had an owner like me! Copper's the best! (waits for the shoe to drop)

[mark wilson27]

Did i read that right Spav? Mark's date has a girlfriend? Anyway great stuff as always and funny as well.

Well good news for me lol....

[stoehrst]

“My birds are meaty, not bloaters, and no, this one’s skinny as a rake”.

“I might give her a shot then. Get your date to bring her along tonight”.

“Right you are then, mate. Now go and get the drinks in, I’m thirsty”.

Gavrenwick went to the bar and returned with fresh beers for Mark and himself.

“Of course, there was something that I didn’t tell you about this skinny bird”, said Mark.

“What was that?” replied Gavrenwick suspiciously.

“She’s skinny, but she’s as ugly as a hatful of assholes”.

Gavrenwick grimaced and then knocked back most of his beer.

“Hell, a couple more of these and that won’t bother me at all”, he replied and they both laughed wickedly.

Haha, living by my mantra right there

[gavrenwick]

Haha, im not sure anything has ever made me laugh so much. That knocking back the beer part, my oh my, how close to the truth it truly is.

[Spav]

Does this cheque include reserves?

Yep' date=' even the whinging whiney ones.[/i']

Did i read that right Spav? Mark's date has a girlfriend?

Maybe I should have said 'female friend' before I got the everyone's dirty minds ticking over.

I wish I had an owner like me! Copper's the best! (waits for the shoe to drop)

I'd vote for you for President, that's for sure.

[Spav]

CopperHorse was in the office at the EAK Volou stadium on Monday morning. The place was quiet without the sounds of the players training since he and Tenthreeleader had dismissed them for two weeks holidays the evening before. Copper had one important task to complete before he too allowed himself to take a break and return to the United States for the Christmas holidays. When Tenthree arrived in the office he would be able to complete that task.

Five minutes later he heard his offsider walking down the passageway and he knew that he could begin.

“Howdy, Copper”, said Tenthree as he stuck his head through the doorway of his boss’s office.

“Hey there, Tenthree”, replied Copper. “Come on in and take yourself a seat for a moment”.

Tenthree did as he was asked and he sat down on the opposite side of the desk from Copper.

“Right then, the fellas is all gone and I’ll be joining them soon. What are your there plans for the next two weeks, Tenthree?”

“I’ll probably be staying here in Volos. I’ve done got me some administrative tasks to complete and then maybe I’ll take a look at doing some skiing up in them there mountains that the locals is always raving about”.

“I done thought you’d say that”.

“Why, Copper, is there something else you’d like me to be doing instead?”

“Yes, in fact there is, good buddy”.

“Okey-dokey, what is it then?”

“First of all, I know y’all is good at getting hold of plenty of useful information – God knows, you saved my sorry ass a few times with that ability – but I’ve done got some statistics of my own that I’d like you to take a looky-see at”.

Copper laid a sheet of paper in front of Tenthree. It was a printout from the official Greek FA site and it listed the statistics for the leading players in the National B Division as of the halfway point of the season.

*************************************************************************
Greek National B Division - Sunday 16th December
*************************************************************************

=========================================================================
Goals
=========================================================================

Pos   Player                     Club                       Apps     Gls
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st   Hílton                     São Paulo                  13       12     
2nd   Fernando                   Kallithea                  14       10     
3rd   Wellington                 Aigio                      14       7      
4th   Kostas Katsaros            Chalkidona                 14       7      
[b][color="red"]5th   TENTHREELEADER             Olympiakos Volou           13 (1)   7      [/color][/b]
6th   Al Sad Payiazet            Proodeftiki                12       6      
7th   Michalis Chatzis           Apollon                    14       6      
8th   Haled Al Jaher             Proodeftiki                13       5      
9th   Elton Kotsa                Kallithea                  12       5      
10th  Alexis Alexoudis           Serres                     13       5      
11th  Thanasis Gegas             AOAN                       14       5      
12th  Giannis Lazanas            Patraikos                  11       5      
13th  Triadafilos Parmaxidis     Kalamaria                  13       5      
14th  Predrag Mitic              AOAN                       14       5      
15th  Nikos Arabatzis            Serres                     14       4      
16th  Anestis Athanasiadis       Kalamata                   12       4      
17th  Dimitris Drakos            Kalamata                   14       4      
18th  Kostas Kiriakidis          Apollon                    14       4      
19th  Michal Gottwald            AOAN                       13       3      
20th  Dimitris Afedoulidis       Chalkidona                 11 (1)   3      
21st  Giorgos Andreadis          Kalamata                   12       3      
22nd  Tasos Georgakas            Chalkidona                 13       3      
23rd  Savas Giannakidis          Paniliakos                 12       3      
[color="Blue"]24th  SPAV                       Olympiakos Volou           14       3      [/color]
25th  Labros Kargianiotis        AOAN                       11       3      
26th  Efstratios Mihelis         Patraikos                  8 (3)    3      
27th  Giorgos Panagiotidis       Serres                     3 (11)   3      
28th  Giannis Thomaidis          Paniliakos                 13       3      
29th  Thomas Troupkos            Kalamaria                  14       3      
30th  Misel Mounge               Kalamaria                  10 (1)   3      

=========================================================================
Assists
=========================================================================

Pos   Player                     Club                       Apps     Asts
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st   Thanasis Sedemedes         Kalamata                   11       7      
2nd   Gilles Domoraud            Kalamaria                  14       5      
3rd   Aruna Diara                Paniliakos                 13       5      
4th   Giorgos Donis              AOAN                       12 (1)   5      
5th   Kostas Katsaros            Chalkidona                 14       5      
6th   Nikos Samlidis             Chalkidona                 14       5      
7th   Bill Damianos              Kallithea                  14       4      
8th   Thanasis Dermitzoglou      Kalamaria                  14       4      
9th   Zoran Stoinovic            Patraikos                  14       4      
10th  Dauros                     Kalamata                   3 (3)    4      
11th  Elton Kotsa                Kallithea                  12       3      
12th  Thanasis Papavasiliou      Serres                     8 (3)    3      
13th  Thodoris Andrianopoulos    Kallithea                  14       3      
14th  Anestis Athanasiadis       Kalamata                   12       3      
15th  Charis Blithikiotis        Apollon                    13       3      
16th  Tasos Dentzas              Serres                     14       3      
17th  Dimitris Drakos            Kalamata                   14       3      
18th  Thanasis Gegas             AOAN                       14       3      
19th  Konstantinos Geragotis     Giannena                   14       3      
20th  Kostas Kiriakidis          Apollon                    14       3      
21st  Stelios Kozanidis          Apollon                    14       3      
22nd  Nikos Maros                Serres                     14       3      
23rd  Christos Morakis           Apollon                    14       3      
24th  Tasos Pados                Proodeftiki                13       3      
25th  Christos Prokopis          Paniliakos                 10       3      
26th  Christos Velonis           Aigio                      0 (10)   3      
[b][color="Red"]27th  TENTHREELEADER             Olympiakos Volou           13 (1)   3      [/color][/b]
[color="blue"]28th  TERK                       Olympiakos Volou           8        3      [/color]
29th  George Gimbro              Patraikos                  10 (2)   3      
30th  Abou Obidile Emeka         Serres                     9        3      

=========================================================================
Average Rating
=========================================================================

Pos   Player                     Club                       Apps     Av R
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st   Hílton                     São Paulo                  13       8.38   
[b][color="Red"]2nd   TENTHREELEADER             Olympiakos Volou           13 (1)   7.71   [/color][/b]
3rd   Traianos Dellas            Patraikos                  14       7.64   
4th   Thanasis Gegas             AOAN                       14       7.64   
5th   Nikos Kehagias             Paniliakos                 14       7.64   
6th   Predrag Mitic              AOAN                       14       7.64   
7th   Labros Kargianiotis        AOAN                       11       7.64   
8th   Giannis Lazanas            Patraikos                  11       7.64   
9th   Tasos Pados                Proodeftiki                13       7.62   
10th  Al Sad Payiazet            Proodeftiki                12       7.58   
11th  Dimitris Argiropoulos      Patraikos                  12       7.58   
12th  Kostas Katsaros            Chalkidona                 14       7.57   
13th  Giorgos Donis              AOAN                       12 (1)   7.54   
14th  Arian Zoumba               Paniliakos                 14       7.50   
[color="blue"]15th  FLIPSTYLE                  Olympiakos Volou           14       7.50   [/color]
16th  Giorgos Koulakiotis        Proodeftiki                14       7.50   
17th  Evripidis Samolis          Giannena                   8        7.50   
18th  Vasilis Samaras            Serres                     13       7.46   
[color="blue"]19th  KEWELL08                   Olympiakos Volou           13       7.46   [/color]
20th  Spyros Zarras              Serres                     9        7.44   
21st  Wellington                 Aigio                      14       7.43   
22nd  Michalis Chatzis           Apollon                    14       7.43   
23rd  Tasos Dentzas              Serres                     14       7.43   
[color="blue"]24th  SPAV                       Olympiakos Volou           14       7.43   [/color]
25th  Anestis Athanasiadis       Kalamata                   12       7.42   
26th  Giorgos Karapetsas         Serres                     8 (2)    7.40   
27th  Giannis Thomaidis          Paniliakos                 13       7.38   
28th  Antonis Markopoulos        Giannena                   4 (4)    7.38   
29th  Antonis Papadimitriou      Giannena                   11       7.36   
30th  Gilles Domoraud            Kalamaria                  14       7.36   

=========================================================================
Man of Match
=========================================================================

Pos   Player                     Club                       Apps     MoM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st   Traianos Dellas            Patraikos                  14       5      
2nd   Hílton                     São Paulo                  13       4      
3rd   Kostas Katsaros            Chalkidona                 14       4      
[b][color="Red"]4th   TENTHREELEADER             Olympiakos Volou           13 (1)   4      [/color][/b]
5th   Michalis Chatzis           Apollon                    14       3      
6th   Nikos Kehagias             Paniliakos                 14       3      
7th   Spyros Zarras              Serres                     9        3      
8th   Simforien Noudou           Kalamaria                  14       2      
9th   Gilles Domoraud            Kalamaria                  14       2      
10th  Haled Al Jaher             Proodeftiki                13       2      
11th  Al Sad Payiazet            Proodeftiki                12       2      
12th  Giorgos Donis              AOAN                       12 (1)   2      
13th  Arian Zoumba               Paniliakos                 14       2      
14th  Achileas Agelopoulos       Kallithea                  14       2      
15th  Giannis Agelopoulos        Athinaikos                 13       2      
16th  Alexis Alexoudis           Serres                     13       2      
17th  Savas Giannakidis          Paniliakos                 12       2      
[color="blue"]18th  SPAV                       Olympiakos Volou           14       2      [/color]
19th  Labros Kargianiotis        AOAN                       11       2      
20th  Sokratis Kopsahilis        Paniliakos                 14       2      
21st  Giorgos Koulakiotis        Proodeftiki                14       2      
22nd  Triadafilos Parmaxidis     Kalamaria                  13       2      
23rd  Issaka Ouedraogo           Athinaikos                 5 (5)    1      
24th  Gay Bouele                 Kalamaria                  14       1      
25th  Wellington                 Aigio                      14       1      
26th  Elton Kotsa                Kallithea                  12       1      
27th  Fangio Buyse               Athinaikos                 14       1      
28th  Thanasis Papavasiliou      Serres                     8 (3)    1      
29th  Michal Gottwald            AOAN                       13       1      
30th  Dimitris Afedoulidis       Chalkidona                 11 (1)   1      

“Now, Tenthree, just to make it mighty clear I’ve highlighted the relevant information. Tell me what you see”.

“Well, Copper, it done shows my playing statistics so far this season”.

“Of course it does, but what goddam inference can be drawn from it?”

“I’m not sure what you’re meaning, Copper”.

“Tarnation, Tenthree, do I have to spell it out for you? Look closely. Y’all is listed in each and every category of the four main areas that players are rated upon. What’s more, y’all is in the top thirty in each area and you’re the top ranking Olympiakos player for each category”.

“So…”, said Tenthree, still unsure of what Copper was trying to say.

“Hell, man, for one of the smartest men I done know, you sure can be mighty dumb sometimes. Okay, I’ll make it simple for you. Y’all is our main man. Y’all is the club’s shining light and we need you to keep right on performing as you have been”.

“I’ll keep trying my best, Copper”.

“Yeah, I know you will, but that’s where I don’t think you done realise the way y’all has been acting lately. This ‘down on yourself’ attitude you have done been projecting, this talking to me of failure and getting the sack, it’s all rubbish. The ten-point lead we have in the league and your presence in the top thirty of each player category proves that you is getting the job done. Everyone bar one person here at Olympiakos knows that y’all is achieving great results – both as a manager and as a player – and that one exception is you yourself, Tenthree”.

Copper stopped for a moment to catch his breath and to allow his words to register with Tenthree.

“I don’t want everyone relying on me too much, Copper. I don’t want to let you and the rest of the fellas down”.

“Jesus, Tenthree, don’t you see? Y’all can’t let us down cos you’ve already achieved so much more for this here club than we could all have rightly expected you to do. You can’t fail cos you’ve already succeeded!”

Tenthree looked stunned for a moment, but then slowly a smile came across his face.

“I’ve already succeeded then”.

“Of course you have, good buddy. And know that you know that I think it’s time y’all got on a plane with me and flew back to the United States for Christmas. There are a few people in your hometown that need to acknowledge that same revelation as you”.

[SCIAG]

There's a team called Sau Paulo in Greece? First two Olympiakoses, now a load of Brazilians!

[Spav]

There's a team called Sau Paulo in Greece? First two Olympiakoses, now a load of Brazilians!

Well spotted, SCIAG - I hadn't noticed that. Hilton did his good work at Kalamata before his recent transfer back to Brazil and Sao Paulo.

[copperhorse21]

I just want to know...is there anything that tenthree can't do well?

[gavrenwick]

Anything he cant do well? Id say.... origami. Unless you mean football related things

[tenthreeleader]

I'm an awful dancer.

[SCIAG]

What about flower arranging?

[tenthreeleader]

Only as a Gumby.

[Spav]

I just want to know...is there anything that tenthree can't do well?

I'm sure I'll find something that he's poor at - and it'll appear in the story eventually.

[Fivewood]

Oi Stavros, call yourself a f***ing taxi driver?' screamed Fivewood as the worn, rusting Mercedes stopped at the same set of traffic lights for the 4th time.

'Even my gran could find her way round this 3rd world country better than you, and she's dead'

Shaking his head, wearily, he took another swig from the can of duty free Stella and wound down the back window.

'Oi kebab boy' he called to a young lad loitering at the side of the road

'You local? any chance you can tell Stavros 'ere how to get to f***ing Olympiakos before me passport expires?'

[SCIAG]

You'd be better off getting to Volos

[Spav]

Oi Stavros, call yourself a f***ing taxi driver?' screamed Fivewood as the worn, rusting Mercedes stopped at the same set of traffic lights for the 4th time.

'Even my gran could find her way round this 3rd world country better than you, and she's dead'

Shaking his head, wearily, he took another swig from the can of duty free Stella and wound down the back window.

'Oi kebab boy' he called to a young lad loitering at the side of the road

'You local? any chance you can tell Stavros 'ere how to get to f***ing Olympiakos before me passport expires?'

Sorry, you don't have the right attitude to be an Olympiakos player.

[gavrenwick]

Haha, what are my stats from the season? Dont think ive appeared much, bless me.

[salkster2102]

My goal to appearance ratio must be good. Nearly made it onto the stats with tenthree there

[Fivewood]

[sorry, you don't have the right attitude to be an Olympiakos player.]

Does that mean I flew all that way and theres nor even a chance of a trial ?

[Spav]

Haha, what are my stats from the season? Dont think ive appeared much, bless me.

1 start and 3 subs at 6.50 average - don't forget you only 'joined' the club in October though.

[Spav]

Does that mean I flew all that way and theres nor even a chance of a trial ?

I'm afraid so. As I replied to someone else earlier in the thread, I'm only picking team members from those people who are writers here on the FMS forum.

[O\'Hara_fan]

1 start and 3 subs at 6.50 average - don't forget you only 'joined' the club in October though.

He's started more times than me!

[gavrenwick]

Dam right O\'Hara haha. Thanks Spav, I think 6.50 is something to be looked upon as a proud moment

[Faramir]

Yay! I finally scored (sorry, just caught up again...)

[Spav]

CopperHorse joined his Olympiakos players in the change-room on the morning of Monday 31st December as they prepared for a light training session after their two-week break. The buzz of the conversation level was quite high as the players caught up with each other after a fortnight apart and there were regular guffaws of laughter as many amusing stories of holiday adventures were related from one person to another.

As Copper changed into his training gear he did a mental headcount of the players that he could see and there seemed to be someone missing, but he just couldn’t figure out who it was. Tenthreeleader wasn’t there at the moment, but Copper knew that he’d stayed back in the office to make a phone call and would be joining them any moment. Annoyed that he couldn’t work out if anyone was actually missing Copper decided to stand on the bench and do a proper count. Twice he counted around the change-room and both times he came up with nineteen players. With the absent Tenthree and himself that made a total of twenty-one – and Copper knew that they had twenty-two players on the books.

“Alright, alright, will y’all hush up for a moment”, called Copper from his standing position on the bench and the room went silent.

“Someone, apart from Tenthree, isn’t here at the moment. Who’s missing?”

Copper watched as the players looked around to see who was actually there.

“I think it’s O\’Hara fan”, said Salkster2102 from the front of the room. “Maybe his father kept him back in England”.

“I’m here”, called O\’Hara fan from the back of the room. “My dad made sure I caught the plane back here by taking me directly to the departure gate at the airport and making sure I was the first one to board”.

“That figures”, replied Salkster2102.

“So who the Sam Hill isn’t here?” demanded Copper.

“You trying to figure out who didn’t return on time, Copper?” asked Tenthree as he walked into the change-room at that moment.

“You bet your ass I am”.

“He’ll be most upset that you haven’t noticed his absence”.

“Just goddam tell me who it is!”

“It’s Flipstyle”.

*** *** ***

Chesterfan2 and Spav took the team for a warm-up run whilst Copper and Tenthree conferred at the side of the pitch.

“That phone call I was done making was to Flipstyle’s home back in the States”, explained Tenthree. “I done knew he didn’t make it back by last night’s curfew and I was trying to confirm if he’d actually gone and got himself on the plane”.

“And did you find out anything?” asked Copper.

“His daddy was most apologetic when I spoke with him. He said his son’s old girlfriend had done showed up as soon as Flipstyle arrived back in his home town and literally begged him to take her back after she’d been the one who dumped him six months ago. It seems he done spent the majority of his holiday in her company”.

“So where is Flipstyle now?”

“That’s exactly it. No-one’s really sure, but the girlfriend’s mamma said her daughter done left a note saying her and Flipstyle was heading for Las Vegas!”

*** *** ***

Tenthree thought it was easier if he just related exactly what he knew about Flipstyle’s disappearance to the rest of the team rather than have them guess what might be going on. There was no need for people’s imaginations to get the better of them.

“Hopefully he’s just a love-struck boy who’ll done realise that he’s throwing away a great opportunity here at Olympiakos and he’ll get himself back here soon, cap in hand”, said Tenthree.

“And with his tail between his legs”, called SCIAG.

“And with his brain back in his head instead of in his dick”, added Gavrenwick, raising a laugh from all of the players.

“It does go and raise one other issue though”, continued Tenthree after the laughter had subsided, “and that is discipline. Flipstyle has gone and ignored a specific directive to be back here in Volos on a certain date and that is just not good enough. Even if he hauls his sorry ass in here tomorrow and apologises till he’s blue in the face, he won’t be getting himself off the hook. Copper and I have discussed it and Flipstyle is hereby suspended indefinitely. The same will go for anyone else who done goes and does something similar”.

Tenthree paused to let his words sink in.

“In the meantime we’ve got ourselves a match to train for in six day’s time and BobBev will be our starting keeper”.

[SCIAG]

No sub goalkeeper? Looks like O'Hara fan could get a chance after all...

[gavrenwick]

Thats a superb one liner from me haha. Good stuff as always, Spav.

[O\'Hara_fan]

Did someone stay 'a start'.

Yipee.

[SCIAG]

Did someone stay 'a start'.

Yipee.

Nope, benched as the sub goalkeeper

[O\'Hara_fan]

How does a left back become sub keeper?

[BobBev]

Oh my god, I'm getting a game. I only hope that I can rise to the occasion and not let the side down.

[SCIAG]

How does a left back become sub keeper?

Don't complain, it would get you closer to the team

[Spav]

Oh my god, I'm getting a game. I only hope that I can rise to the occasion and not let the side down.

Don't worry, Bob, I think the team would rather have you in goal than O\'Hara_fan.

[Spav]

CopperHorse looked on in concern as the stretcher with Sherm on it was loaded into the ambulance. The morphine that the paramedic had given him a couple of minutes earlier had started to take effect and Sherm was no longer screaming in shock and pain after the horrific double break of his lower right leg. The rest of the players stood back quietly as their friend disappeared behind the closed doors of the ambulance before it left for the local hospital. Kewell08 was particularly upset as it was he who had been involved in the incident that led to Sherm’s broken leg.

“Don’t you take no blame there, son”, said Copper as he tousled Kewell08’s hair. “It was just a damn unfortunate accident”.

“It was horrible”, said Kewell08. “We both kicked the ball at the same time and his leg just flew back with a terrible crack”.

“The doctors will fix him up just fine, don’t you worry”.

“Jeez, I really hope so, Copper, otherwise I won’t be able to sleep easy at night”.

Chesterfan2 walked over and put his hand on Kewell08’s shoulder.

“Kewelly, just take on board what Copper said. It was an accident and we all saw that you didn’t do anything wrong. Sherm won’t hold you to blame at all, that’s for sure”.

“Cheers, Chester”.

Copper looked at the players grouped in front of him and then at Tenthreeleader who was standing at his side.

“I think we’ll call us an early end to training today, Tenthree”.

Tenthree nodded in agreement. “Hit the showers, fellas”, he called out.

“Does that include me?” said a voice behind Tenthree and Copper.

They both turned in unison and there stood Flipstyle.

*** *** ***

“I am really sorry, Copper”, said Flipstyle yet again. He’d been apologising non-stop since Copper and Tenthree had asked him to come up to the office. All three of them now took a seat around Copper’s desk.

“You know y’all have been damn irresponsible”, said Copper in a stern voice.

“Yeah”, replied Flipstyle with his head hung low, “and I’ve been a love-struck fool to boot”.

“What happened back in the States then?” asked Tenthree.

“Well, I was over the moon when my ex Stacey came round to my house and said that she’d been stupid to drop me earlier in the year. She said she wanted us to get back together and she threw me into bed to prove it. We had us some great fun together for a week or so and then she suggested that we should go and get married like we had talked about before our split-up”.

“So you headed for Las Vegas then?” said Tenthree.

“Right, we jumped in her car and headed west, but all Stacey could talk about was what it would be move to Greece, where we would live and how much money I was earning. As soon as I told her there were no wages and I was on expenses only and that I was sharing a rundown house with three other players, then she didn’t want to know me. She kicked me out of her car in Albuquerque and I had to take a Greyhound back home”.

“Well, I hope you have done learnt your lesson, son”, said Copper. “In the meantime you’ve done gone and let all your team-mates down and that’s not acceptable. Tenthree and I have already discussed this here issue and you’re suspended from playing for the next month, but as we don’t have no other keepers except you and BobBev you’ll be on the bench as cover. But don’t get me wrong, you’ll not be playing unless there’s a goddam emergency”.

“Fair enough, Copper”.

“Right then, Flipstyle, get your ass downstairs with your team-mates and start kissing some butt. You’ve got some making up to do”.

*** *** ***

Sherm’s leg break would see him out for up to a year, so Terk returned to the team on the right wing. BobBev would be having his first start in goal in an official match for Olympiakos, but Flipstyle would be on the bench as the club had no other goalkeepers. At right-back Faramir earned a recall at the expense of Weeeman27bob and in the final change Mark Wilson27 would return to the centre of midfield as Salkster2102 dropped back to the bench.

*** *** ***

06/01 – Kalamaria (A) – B Division

GK – BobBev

DR – Faramir (sub 68 Weeeman27bob)

DC – PaulHartman71

DC – SCIAG

DL – Flipsix3 (sub 68 Salkster2102)

MR – Terk (sub 68 Gavrenwick)

MC – Spav

MC – Mark Wilson27

ML – Kewell08

SC – Chesterfan2

SC – Tenthreeleader

It was an exciting start for Olympiakos as they went into a 4th minute lead when Spav found Kewell08 with a his cross and the winger headed it down for Mark Wilson27 to lash home a left-footed volley from twelve yards out. After a couple of simple touches BobBev was given his first serious test in the 16th minute, but he comfortably saved Katsavos’s header. After 26 minutes it was 2-0 as Faramir crossed for Mark Wilson27 whose header was blocked by the Kalamaria keeper Zafiris. The ball fell for Chesterfan2 who shaped to lash it home before squaring it for Mark Wilson27 to sidefoot it into the empty net instead. The first half ended with Olympiakos in complete control and both Terk and Tenthreeleader coming close to adding to the 2-0 lead.

A slow-paced start to the second half saw little in the way of goalscoring chances until Tenthreeleader fired a shot straight into the arms of Zafiris in the 62nd minute. Copper decided on a triple substitution after 68 minutes as Weeeman27bob replaced Faramir, Flipsix3 left the field for Salkster2102 and Gavrenwick came on for Terk. BobBev was then called into action as he denied Dermitzoglou’s free-kick with a smart save after 72 minutes and then performed an even better stop and he tipped over a Nolis header after 79 minutes. For the final quarter hour it was non-stop Kalamaria pressure, but SCIAG and PaulHartman71 marshalled the defence well and BobBev tidied up what got past them to register a comfortable 2-0 win for Olympiakos.

Kalamaria (0)0

Olympiakos Volou (2)2 Mark Wilson27 4, 26

Copper went straight over to BobBev as the players came in from the pitch and slapped him warmly on the back. “A great clean sheet there, buddy – well played”. Bob dropped his gloves down on the bench and turned back to Copper. “Och, it was just great to be finally getting on the pitch and feel like I was making a contribution to the club. The boys in front of me were magnificent though – they kept my work down to a minimum”. Copper smiled at the reply. “Don’t undersell yourself, fella. The team’s quality hasn’t dropped just cos you’re in goal, so get used to it. That there number one jersey is yours for the foreseeable future”.

[Goofus]

If theres injuries, I'm willing to sign on an emergency loan

[Kewell08]

You know it was deliberate, sherm...

[salkster2102]

what a great way to start the new year. finding out your leg has been broken :o

[SCIAG]

I was wondering if Bob was ever going to get to make an appearance.

Up to a year . Poor sherm.

[BobBev]

Ouch - bad luck Sherm! Dead chuffed to get a clean sheet on my debut though so well done the Volou defence.

[gavrenwick]

Haha, another terrific update. I hope flipstyle has learnt his lesson

[flipstyle]

Well gosh I sure am sorry fellas. Hope ya'll can find a way to forgive me and such. :o

[Mr_icecream2]

lol- ive just read the whole story tonight. Amazing stuff- any chance of a place for me lol (loan signing maybe) Keep up the good work!

[Spav]

Well gosh I sure am sorry fellas. Hope ya'll can find a way to forgive me and such. :o

Just so you know I'm not picking on you - I got the "Your assistant manager has informed you that Flipstyle showed up late to training and showed a distinct lack of match fitness" message, so I decided to write it up as you've now seen and give BobBev a chance in goal instead.