24th August 2011
Well, we're four games into the season and things are looking pretty good here at 'Deeping Towers'. In the league, a win against Thrapston, a draw at the 'Toolips', and a narrow defeat at Buckby sees us placed midtable. It's a fine looking squad 'Tunge' has put together and there seems to be a good team spirit throughout the camp. The way the lads celebrated after Ryan 'Crouchie' Olivers' winning strike against the 'Toolips' in the cup tie said it all. James Doughty running the whole length of the pitch to give our hero a hug!
I managed to get a quick interview with Tuncay himself before the big cup tie and what a refreshing response to my question of, how important is the 'Budweiser', oops, sorry, FA Cup to the Rangers this season? "Ranger", he said, looking me firmly in the eye, "The FA Cup is the one competition we enter knowing that we cannot win. But we aim to have some fun and get as far as possible in it. However, I would say it's a shame that we play Spalding in such an early round." Stirring stuff from our glorious leader, and good it was to see our lads toying with the 'Toolips', waiting until the final ten minutes before taking the lead and winning the game. It's Belper Town here on Sep 3rd in the next round. Their known as the 'Nailers' That's because the Derbyshire town was once famous for the making of......well nails.
The league match against the 'Toolips' on the following Tuesday evening was notable in as much as when entering the ground I was bitten fiercely upon the mazzard by some fluttering creature of the night! The bite proceeded to irritate all evening and by the time the ref blew the final whistle I was being driven to distraction by the constant itching. It's alright though, faithful reader, your Rambling Ranger is once more fit as a fiddle and looking Adonis like. A tube of £3.29 insect bite cream, purchased the following day from 'Boots' soon relieved the suffering. I wonder if I can charge this exhorbitant amount to the 'Toolips'?
Perhaps I should have got Becky to administer first aid. Blow! Why didn't I think of that at the time!!
On the night, our lads again fell behind, but came out for the second half all guns blazing and soon got on terms through the ever dangerous Mark Jones. I think the general opinion was that were unlucky not to go on and win the game. Not to worry!!
Anyway, on the following Saturday it was off through passport control, into southern Northamptonshire and dear old Long Buckby. A healthy band of Rangers' followers there assembled only to wittness our first defeat of the season. 2-1 to the Bucks, but the pitch was difficult, to say the least, after the heaviest thunder shower ever seen in the history of human-kind. At the first drops we all scampered beneath the grandstand, but Dave, Phil and Simmo decided to brave it out. "Fair weather supporters!" they cried. But, as the heavens opened and the deluge came, our gallant trio came running seeking the shelter they had so recently shunned. Ha! Fair weather supporters, indeed!!!! COME ON YOU RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!