Post by Dave on Mar 13, 2009 20:48:41 GMT
If anyone was to ask me why I love this forum so much, I would have two ready made answers to give them.
One, it is full of so many quality members
Two, every single time you visit the forum, you will find a top match report, some great posts to read, or quality pictures to view.Every single member who has won the members votes in the Best Poster Of The Week Award, has fully deserved to win, as they have put time and effort in to the posts they have made on the forum.
This week we have a brand new winner, a man who would be described as one who's glass is aways half full and he has shown us he is also a very knowledgeable man and one who is no stranger to travel.
He won by getting ten points in total a very good score and just for a while I thought this week the title was mine ;D what another great week on here and Aussie, yes that was Aussie got his very first two points, keep this up and one day Aussie you may just win it
Our winner has given us many great new threads and ones that are always so interesting, so I'm really pleased that he has won this week
This weeks winner is
BudleighGull
Below are two posts made this week by BudleighGull
The second was unexpected ;D
Post one
I went to the Glentoran v Linfield Boxing day game in 2001 at the Oval. Now that was an experience! I was staying with my then sister-in-law outside the city and they were all going to family for the day so I decided to try and take in a game. Phoned the club and was told no tickets were available but they gave me a 'number to call'... This I did and got a very broad belfast accent on the other end telling me that a ticket was there (wherever 'there' was?) and available for me if I wanted, and was given directions to the collection point. Now I was driving brother-in-laws car with british plates on and it was put to me that it may be just as well to stick to the main motorway into the city, come off at the airport turn off and not venture too far into the 'other parts'. But being Mr 'want-to-see-it-all' I set off early and decided to visit all the grounds in one Grand Tour, including the site of Belfast Celtic's old haunt. (Now a sports centre in West Belfast)
First off and along the Falls Road trying to get to Linfield's ground, saw a newsagent so popped into get the morning paper; not the best of ideas... came out and three or four ragamuffins (to put it politely) asked if I was hanging around long 'cos if you are mate then yous need our car lookin after'!
After a tour of Belfast on a quiet boxing day morning I then followed the instructions to get the ticket. This was one of life's experiences! I drove down the main road past Glentoran's ground, the Oval, until I reached a row of boarded up terrace houses, took a left turn, followed by a right until I was opposite a pub, opposite the said pub was a row of heavily fortified shop fronts. I found the number of the one I was supposed to be going to but it looked completely derelict and empty, but I couldn't be sure as there were grills on the windows which were in any case blacked out from the inside. I knocked on the door, hard... twice... and waited. After a short while I heard footsteps followed by what can only be described as the sound of numerous bolts being pulled across, a number of large locks being undone and then a small grill pulled across whereupon a very, very large bearded man asked what I wanted. I told him I was the chap from England who was coming to collect the ticket for the match... Suddenly the door opened and it was like I was visiting my best friend! Handshakes, a warm welcome and into the strangest 'shop' i've ever seen. It was fairly dark, with a long counter and just loads of posters, pamphlets and signing on forms for an army of some sort! I paid the cash, took the ticket and left... pronto after declining to sign something that I had no time, or inclination, to read.
I then decided to have a beer, so walked into the pub and asked for a Guinness (at this point I was feeling a little undecided on the merits of the days undertaking so was trying to be local!) It was placed on the counter in front of me, meanwhile I noticed the area around me had gone remarkably quiet as I went to pay. But that wasn't going to happen, a slap on the back and someone at the bar told me it was Christmas and I was obviously a visitor to their fair shores, no way should I have to cough up for a drink. Same with the next one which I hadn't even asked for, it just appeared. A great hour or so but at that point I decided to get going or else i'd not be able to drive back later as another drink was obviously on it's way. The hospitality was quite unbelivable, I was even given a replica Glentoran shirt to wear from someone i'd just that second met.
Got to the ground and the atmosphere was superb for what is equivalent to the Merseyside derby in Belfast, and a cracking game which ended 3-3. And for those who think our chants and songs are controversial you should hear what comes out at this fixture...
All-in-all an odd'ish way to spend Boxing day away but a fantastic experience.
Post two
At first glance it may be thought this is in the wrong part of the forum... but read on...
In a previous thread I placed some pictures of Darlington's old ground, Feethams, having visited it last year.
I failed to mention one thing about that visit... (Two things actually, the other being that I had the future Mrs E. with me and she being a young, attractive and vibrant girl I wondered whether this slight abberation may've put her off the impending nuptials, but no, she seems to love me whatever! Very strange, but I had given her an idea of what was to come the day before when we just happened to visit Redheugh Park, the old Gateshead ground, pictures of which I may post at a later date.)
Anyway, what I failed to mention is that having visited the aforementioned Feethams we returned to the car and I produced what many may consider the most useless piece of football memorabilia known to mankind... a small piece of the painted concrete from the back wall of the home terrace... As we sat in the car, glee writ large across my face, there was a rather long and stunned silence. I was thinking at this point that the soon-to-be wife was actually as excited as I was with this acquisition. Then I heard a long sigh and a small voice say 'hmmm, ok' and then nothing more. I tried to explain that this was something that would be a memory of our trip away together before we finally tied the knot, that we'd look at it in months, even years, to come and it would remind us of carefree, happy days spent together. She turned and replied, 'the only thing that will remind me of is what a knob-nuts you really are!'...
Anyway, i'd like to now show you my contender for this award, followed by a picture (similair to others i've used elsewhere) of the said wall....
One, it is full of so many quality members
Two, every single time you visit the forum, you will find a top match report, some great posts to read, or quality pictures to view.Every single member who has won the members votes in the Best Poster Of The Week Award, has fully deserved to win, as they have put time and effort in to the posts they have made on the forum.
This week we have a brand new winner, a man who would be described as one who's glass is aways half full and he has shown us he is also a very knowledgeable man and one who is no stranger to travel.
He won by getting ten points in total a very good score and just for a while I thought this week the title was mine ;D what another great week on here and Aussie, yes that was Aussie got his very first two points, keep this up and one day Aussie you may just win it
Our winner has given us many great new threads and ones that are always so interesting, so I'm really pleased that he has won this week
This weeks winner is
BudleighGull
Below are two posts made this week by BudleighGull
The second was unexpected ;D
Post one
I went to the Glentoran v Linfield Boxing day game in 2001 at the Oval. Now that was an experience! I was staying with my then sister-in-law outside the city and they were all going to family for the day so I decided to try and take in a game. Phoned the club and was told no tickets were available but they gave me a 'number to call'... This I did and got a very broad belfast accent on the other end telling me that a ticket was there (wherever 'there' was?) and available for me if I wanted, and was given directions to the collection point. Now I was driving brother-in-laws car with british plates on and it was put to me that it may be just as well to stick to the main motorway into the city, come off at the airport turn off and not venture too far into the 'other parts'. But being Mr 'want-to-see-it-all' I set off early and decided to visit all the grounds in one Grand Tour, including the site of Belfast Celtic's old haunt. (Now a sports centre in West Belfast)
First off and along the Falls Road trying to get to Linfield's ground, saw a newsagent so popped into get the morning paper; not the best of ideas... came out and three or four ragamuffins (to put it politely) asked if I was hanging around long 'cos if you are mate then yous need our car lookin after'!
After a tour of Belfast on a quiet boxing day morning I then followed the instructions to get the ticket. This was one of life's experiences! I drove down the main road past Glentoran's ground, the Oval, until I reached a row of boarded up terrace houses, took a left turn, followed by a right until I was opposite a pub, opposite the said pub was a row of heavily fortified shop fronts. I found the number of the one I was supposed to be going to but it looked completely derelict and empty, but I couldn't be sure as there were grills on the windows which were in any case blacked out from the inside. I knocked on the door, hard... twice... and waited. After a short while I heard footsteps followed by what can only be described as the sound of numerous bolts being pulled across, a number of large locks being undone and then a small grill pulled across whereupon a very, very large bearded man asked what I wanted. I told him I was the chap from England who was coming to collect the ticket for the match... Suddenly the door opened and it was like I was visiting my best friend! Handshakes, a warm welcome and into the strangest 'shop' i've ever seen. It was fairly dark, with a long counter and just loads of posters, pamphlets and signing on forms for an army of some sort! I paid the cash, took the ticket and left... pronto after declining to sign something that I had no time, or inclination, to read.
I then decided to have a beer, so walked into the pub and asked for a Guinness (at this point I was feeling a little undecided on the merits of the days undertaking so was trying to be local!) It was placed on the counter in front of me, meanwhile I noticed the area around me had gone remarkably quiet as I went to pay. But that wasn't going to happen, a slap on the back and someone at the bar told me it was Christmas and I was obviously a visitor to their fair shores, no way should I have to cough up for a drink. Same with the next one which I hadn't even asked for, it just appeared. A great hour or so but at that point I decided to get going or else i'd not be able to drive back later as another drink was obviously on it's way. The hospitality was quite unbelivable, I was even given a replica Glentoran shirt to wear from someone i'd just that second met.
Got to the ground and the atmosphere was superb for what is equivalent to the Merseyside derby in Belfast, and a cracking game which ended 3-3. And for those who think our chants and songs are controversial you should hear what comes out at this fixture...
All-in-all an odd'ish way to spend Boxing day away but a fantastic experience.
Post two
At first glance it may be thought this is in the wrong part of the forum... but read on...
In a previous thread I placed some pictures of Darlington's old ground, Feethams, having visited it last year.
I failed to mention one thing about that visit... (Two things actually, the other being that I had the future Mrs E. with me and she being a young, attractive and vibrant girl I wondered whether this slight abberation may've put her off the impending nuptials, but no, she seems to love me whatever! Very strange, but I had given her an idea of what was to come the day before when we just happened to visit Redheugh Park, the old Gateshead ground, pictures of which I may post at a later date.)
Anyway, what I failed to mention is that having visited the aforementioned Feethams we returned to the car and I produced what many may consider the most useless piece of football memorabilia known to mankind... a small piece of the painted concrete from the back wall of the home terrace... As we sat in the car, glee writ large across my face, there was a rather long and stunned silence. I was thinking at this point that the soon-to-be wife was actually as excited as I was with this acquisition. Then I heard a long sigh and a small voice say 'hmmm, ok' and then nothing more. I tried to explain that this was something that would be a memory of our trip away together before we finally tied the knot, that we'd look at it in months, even years, to come and it would remind us of carefree, happy days spent together. She turned and replied, 'the only thing that will remind me of is what a knob-nuts you really are!'...
Anyway, i'd like to now show you my contender for this award, followed by a picture (similair to others i've used elsewhere) of the said wall....
