Hey there, remember me?
(I'm the other one, as opposed to the bloke from Lancashire!!)
Wow, has it really been that long...? I glanced upon the pages of the Nottingham Forest web-site for my regular Forest fix, only to be reminded that I hadn't actually written a weekly rant in, well, a blooming long time!! It's funny though; I seem to recall making a promise to continue writing them...So here goes.
What's happened since I've been away? Well everything!! England have had their draw for the Group stages, Thierry Henry has upset the Irish, Liverpool have become more of a joke than Rafa's goatee beard, the great Notts County panto roll's on like an out of control school bus, we've started a new Decade and as for the mighty Reds!
I've been busy though people, let's not forget that please, it's not like I've been sat on my backside getting fatter (I have actually, but more on that in future weeks). I have got engaged and am expecting my first child in late May (even I know you have to be busy for that to happen!!) so it's not all bad. The birth date of our baby is somewhat a hot topic in our house, shall we say. Did you note that I said late May? Yes, approx the 27th, ringing any alarm bells with you there?
May 22nd, Coca-Cola Championship play-off final date and we all know that Baby's never arrive on the exact day, do they? I hope so on this occasion though. Otherwise the wedding, approx December 2011, could be all over quicker than the Leicester home game!! I have already been told by the Football League that I will be required to do the commentary for the visually impaired, as I normally would, for all the play-off's in May. So, to prove that I'm not being a Neanderthal, I arranged to have an extra commentator for the two weekends, in case I needed to dash back from London if indeed the call came. I have offered for the fiancée to travel to Wembley with me for the events, meaning we could rush to whatever hospital is closest but 'oh no' that just wasn't washing.
I think these conversations will be source of amusement for me in the next few months, especially given the state of the hormone twists that I'm experiencing (Sarah's, not mine, obviously). I don't know about any current fathers out there but does being the best thing since a Robbie Earnshaw hat-trick and then being hated more than Robbie Savage happen to everybody? Gosh, her moods swing more than a Ryan Giggs corner.
Mentioning the Leek eating 'should of chosen England' United Winger, how on Earth did that bloke win the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year award? The @ button on my laptop has got more personality!!!
Anyway, back on track, if and it's a massive if Forest get to the play-off finals, she can't surely think that I wouldn't want to go or am I the one being a little selfish here? I'm genuinely interested to hear your opinions, let me know at: Alanmarch@sky.com
Fabio Capello can't be sat at home with his mini latte, grumbling, can he? I suppose any national coach that has to class Peter Crouch and Emile Heskey as candidates for World Cup places is never going to be over excited, however drawing Algeria, the Yanks and Slovenia would have given him sleep easy nights. Algeria (because we all know their star players!!!!) should hold no threat what so ever, we beat Slovenia at Wembley back in September 09' and the Americans are all obese aren't they (read that in the Telegraph once)
It's never the group stages we worry about is it really? I do however have some really great pre-tournament vibes this year and am looking forward to this tournament with a little more optimism than most of the previous. (being quite calculated can be great sometimes, I've got two weeks paternity leave and my gaffer has agreed to give me a week's holiday straight after, no matter the date of birth. So, I'm hoping baby hangs on in there until early June, that way I'll get three World Cup weeks off...Ah, slumped on the sofa, baby in one arm with bottle, Pint in the other and remote control jammed on World Cup fever! Will I cry at the financial crippling of having baby first, or a last-minute, semi final John Terry own goal?)
Peter Trembling (great name, that's just what the entire blanket wearing old farts at Meadow lane are doing, at the thought that there club may be just as crap as they were before the Summer!!) has now purchased the club from some Pakistani militia organisation (amazing, they struggled to pass the Football Leagues 'fit and proper person's test', well, der! How do you pass someone you don't know, it was all a bit like a footballing version of Blind Date. "Come in number two, oh its Saddam Hussein's son...He's loaded Peter and should have no problem passing any tests!!!" Get real Magpies, Sol Campbell = Disaster, mystery backers = Disaster and for once and all Notts County = in the shadow of greatness, always!!
Did I laugh at the Scousers after their exit from the Champions league? Yep. Did I cry when Gary Megson lost his job at Bolton? Nope. Did I scream at the TV when Henry handled the ball TWICE against the Irish? Yep. Was I disgusted at the way Man City handled the Sparky exit? Yep. And I know the question o n all your minds, going into 2010, your saying, Alan...Do you know where I can get hold of a free weekly newsletter full of informative and funny articles, a crossword, a quiz or two and a full fixture list. Where can I get my hands on something so good that it's free and delivered to my email inbox every Sunday/Monday without failure, and the editor wouldn't mind printing my opinions on anything remotely football related...Surely Alan, this doesn't exist does it? YEP!
If you'd like to read more of my opinions/Rants/nonsense, then send me an email to: Alanmarch@sky.com and in return I'll add you to the FREE mailing list of my weekly football newsletter, called 'the Season Ticket'. I must mention the editor of the Forest web-site at this point, who always allows me to shamelessly plug my newsletter. Thank you.x
I will return next week with a complete look at the Mighty red's and their ability to keep on winning , so keep glued to the Forest web-site and as my dad would shout....YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOREDS!
Alan March
Commentator for the Visually Impaired at Nottingham Forest Football Club and Wembley Stadium.
