Golden Codgers 11- TTDpt 13
The Codgers lost again. But the commentator today prefers to focus on the the sky above the grey clouds of defeat, and describe three moments of great football; two poems and a scherzo which were written on the pitch of Sakarya in last night match.
The first moment happened when Ravi decided to use the ball as a pen and note down a compassionate and moving kick with his right foot after receiving the ball from Luca at the right edge of the box. Puskas, the mythical Hungarian striker in the 50's world cup, mirrored in the cannonball Ravi shot which landed in the upper right corner of the net, while the keeper was unable even to gaze it.
The second sonnet was written by the Codger's keeper, Can, who trapped and shredded any projectile moving his body as a spider edging on the webs of its net. Yashin, the giant goalkeeper of 60's USSR, was believed to deflect the ball with a glance while remaining motionless; Can, to the contrary, liked to blink his eyes like the wings of a butterfly literally flying from post to post to hypnotize the opposing striker.
Losing with a smile is the main characteristic of the Codgers, their coat of arms...and a smile was painted on everybody's faces when Will commented upon a brave but goofy bicycle kick performed by Luca, the medievalist of the group: "Very good...for a middle-age man...".
A sentence which epitomized the essence of the football as played by these scholars, gentlemen and fans of good football; now that the season is over and the team is going to disband, with almost all the players leaving for other challenges and other countries, only the good memories will be left. The laughs and the cries, the goals and the saves, the losses and the victories will all stay with us forever; as will the twists and turns of Ravi whose testimonial, the last game with the Codgers of the Poet navigating in a Drunken Boat, will be tomorrow at 9. Tears will be shed and dropped on the pitch; but the spirit of the Codgers will never abandon him or us. Forever. A friendship bound in football with the pleasure of a game played together and the 'irreparable melancholy we all feel at the end of the game'.
Monday 31 May 2010
Sunday 30 May 2010
A LOSING STRETCH? CHASING CHICKENS SOMETIMES MAY BE HELPFUL
GOLDEN CODGERS 25-EHL 28
During the '24 Olympics, the journalists wanted to know the secret that allowed the Uruguayan players to cast witchcraft turning the rivals in stone and leading them to crushing victory against the opponent of the hour. Through an interpreter they revealed the formula: the players trained by chasing chickens that fled making S's on the ground. True or not the news made to the newspapers all over the world.
Maybe the Codgers won't need to chase chickens but they need to find a way through the swamp of enemy legs and ringlet of feet which yesterday- condemned them to the fourth defeat in a row against the EHL boys. It is true that occult forces are plotting against the Codgers since to Michael (who recently become the proud father of Ara...BEST wishes to him from all the team) and Amin (two papers to be ready by Monday threw a span in the Machine's wheels), who were already lost to the cause, one should add the pulled hamstring of Ahmet who injured himself when the Codgers looked in control (leading by two goals). Limping towards the net, courageous as it is, is not the best way to trouble the EHL defense. The result was the deluge of goals which thundered into Can's net, nullifying the efforts and the goals scored by Will (4), Luca (3), Ravi (10) and Ahmet (8). The damage of another loss could not simply be averted. And the witches of losing still fly over the head of the Codgers. What to find the road to the victory again? Maybe following the chickens could help....
During the '24 Olympics, the journalists wanted to know the secret that allowed the Uruguayan players to cast witchcraft turning the rivals in stone and leading them to crushing victory against the opponent of the hour. Through an interpreter they revealed the formula: the players trained by chasing chickens that fled making S's on the ground. True or not the news made to the newspapers all over the world.
Maybe the Codgers won't need to chase chickens but they need to find a way through the swamp of enemy legs and ringlet of feet which yesterday- condemned them to the fourth defeat in a row against the EHL boys. It is true that occult forces are plotting against the Codgers since to Michael (who recently become the proud father of Ara...BEST wishes to him from all the team) and Amin (two papers to be ready by Monday threw a span in the Machine's wheels), who were already lost to the cause, one should add the pulled hamstring of Ahmet who injured himself when the Codgers looked in control (leading by two goals). Limping towards the net, courageous as it is, is not the best way to trouble the EHL defense. The result was the deluge of goals which thundered into Can's net, nullifying the efforts and the goals scored by Will (4), Luca (3), Ravi (10) and Ahmet (8). The damage of another loss could not simply be averted. And the witches of losing still fly over the head of the Codgers. What to find the road to the victory again? Maybe following the chickens could help....
Thursday 27 May 2010
THE WORLD AT THE CODGER'S FEET...AND THE FEET OF THE CODGERS FOR RAVI
Last friday, football at its finest was seen at the Sakarya pitch, where the Codgers challenged a selection of the best (available at that moment...) players in the world; it was a real feast of colors, friendship and goals, 10 all scored by the Codgers who literally annihilated the Rest of the World Selection (bolstered by Luca due to the defection of Ahmet and Fatih) which included players from Italy (Daniele and Osea), England (honorary) (Marios), Cyprus (Petros) and Tirkey (Ersan). Ravi and Amin got the lion's share scoring 5 and 4 goals each, whereas Will provided the cream on the top of the cake hitting the net with a slimy and wry shot with his deadly left foot.
It must be mentioned, however, that Can bolstered the Codger's victory with two or three saves that could really go down in history for beauty and class.
But new and more challenging moments are waiting for our heroes in the next few days; the Codgers' schedule is quite full indeed:
Friday 28 May 22 o'clock- Sakarya Pitch EHL Boys-Codgers
Sunday 30 May 20 o'clock- Sakarya Pitch Turkish Translation Dept.-Codgers
Tuesday 1 July to be announced- Sakarya Pitch RAVI FAIRWELL GAME
Stay tuned for the chronicle of all these game, and for the pictures of the unbelievable game against the Rest of the World.
It must be mentioned, however, that Can bolstered the Codger's victory with two or three saves that could really go down in history for beauty and class.
But new and more challenging moments are waiting for our heroes in the next few days; the Codgers' schedule is quite full indeed:
Friday 28 May 22 o'clock- Sakarya Pitch EHL Boys-Codgers
Sunday 30 May 20 o'clock- Sakarya Pitch Turkish Translation Dept.-Codgers
Tuesday 1 July to be announced- Sakarya Pitch RAVI FAIRWELL GAME
Stay tuned for the chronicle of all these game, and for the pictures of the unbelievable game against the Rest of the World.
Friday 21 May 2010
TRAVELLING AROUND FOOTBALL IN 6 NATIONS
Special exhibitor match for the Codgers today at Sakarya's pitch. For the first (and last) time, our heroes will face the Rest of the World (a team including players and former players...from Italy, Cyprus, England and Turkey). If we included our heroes in the picture, we are going to follow in the steps of Philias Fogg and travel the around the foot-ball in 6 nations...See you at 18!!!!
Friday 14 May 2010
A TALE OF BRAVE PASSION AND THE RULES OF THE GAME
Golden Codgers 32-EHL 33
The match played by the Codgers- after one week of almost-no-football purgatory- was highly expected to bring the heaven of victory after a ruinous spell of devilish losses. Instead, the game will go down in history for two main episodes which should remind the reader of the past of football. Indeed, in its modern form football comes from a gentleman’s agreement signed in a London tavern in 1863. It was only in the 1872 that the Referee mad his appearance for the first time. Until the the players judged and sanctioned the fouls committed on the pitch; yesterday the spirit of those glorious day has been highly missed on the pitch where the fans witnessed a harsh and unfriendly game. Indeed, the match sometimes resembled a scene of a butchery with Will’s parts ungenerously grabbed and hooked like raw meat, harsh tackles hitting down Luca and stubborn pushes aiming at pinning Ravi down all flying like crows. The match became so uptight that the unanimous pledge for a referee came out almost unanimously from both sides; men were shooting down with wet powder but the Codgers battled like lions, even coming back from nine goals behind almost to make the gladiatorial fight even, but eventually succumbing again for one single goal.
As always happens however, an heroic tale includes and unfolds another epic story: among the seven heroes, the pride of place gallantly belongs to Codgers’goalkeeper , Can, who injured his right wrist badly, but nevertheless decided to keep on defending the goal (literally) single handy. Here, the people who are too young to remember, must be reminded of the impression left by Beckenbauer in 1970 World Cup battled to the final minutes of the semi-final against Italy with one arm in a sling; like Can he will be committed to memory as going from mutilation to the splendour of football!
The match played by the Codgers- after one week of almost-no-football purgatory- was highly expected to bring the heaven of victory after a ruinous spell of devilish losses. Instead, the game will go down in history for two main episodes which should remind the reader of the past of football. Indeed, in its modern form football comes from a gentleman’s agreement signed in a London tavern in 1863. It was only in the 1872 that the Referee mad his appearance for the first time. Until the the players judged and sanctioned the fouls committed on the pitch; yesterday the spirit of those glorious day has been highly missed on the pitch where the fans witnessed a harsh and unfriendly game. Indeed, the match sometimes resembled a scene of a butchery with Will’s parts ungenerously grabbed and hooked like raw meat, harsh tackles hitting down Luca and stubborn pushes aiming at pinning Ravi down all flying like crows. The match became so uptight that the unanimous pledge for a referee came out almost unanimously from both sides; men were shooting down with wet powder but the Codgers battled like lions, even coming back from nine goals behind almost to make the gladiatorial fight even, but eventually succumbing again for one single goal.
As always happens however, an heroic tale includes and unfolds another epic story: among the seven heroes, the pride of place gallantly belongs to Codgers’goalkeeper , Can, who injured his right wrist badly, but nevertheless decided to keep on defending the goal (literally) single handy. Here, the people who are too young to remember, must be reminded of the impression left by Beckenbauer in 1970 World Cup battled to the final minutes of the semi-final against Italy with one arm in a sling; like Can he will be committed to memory as going from mutilation to the splendour of football!
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