It gives me great joy and, at times, a whole lot of despair, you'd think that I'd be referring to Bristol Rovers here, and I am, but I can also describe my feelings for the Xbox 360 in a similar way.
It was this morning that I decided to put my copy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup game into my console and have a crack at getting that damned 'Masterful Performance' achievement and it all started fairly well, playing as Russia I successfully guided Guus Hiddinks virtual charges to the quarter finals, and that's where things started to go wrong. I was paired up against the French in the last eight, ok, I thought, I can take them, they were after all the biggest joke this teams World Cup saw, but of course there is no team disharmony in video games, only statistics.
The first game I played we lost on penalties, which was annoying, but I'll get on with it. The second game is when it started to get to me, we were 1-0 down with ten minutes left and, I hate to say, I lost it and turned the console off in a fit of rage. I gave it a break for an hour and came back to it, only yo go down 1-0 yet again thanks to Nicolas Anelka's avatar. The fourth time did the trick, winning 4-0, but it cost me inside as I had to turn the difficulty level down a setting, shameful. All this may seem like a queer anecdote but bare with me.
You see it got me thinking about second chances, I can take as many as I like sat in my bedroom tapping away on the buttons of the control pad, but in the real world there are no second chances, it's a results business and if you get it wrong your outta here. This stands in great stead with the recent trouble Paul Trollope's been in, having overseen a poor run of recent results. He doesn't get a second chance, not for all he did in his first full season leading the gas to Wembley and promotion nor for the run to the FA cup quarter finals the next season, all that's in the past and there is no room for sentiment, football lives in the now and that's the problem that Paul Trollope faces.
It was reported that he had to turn results around quickly and most thought that he would have two games to change the tide and he has done that, though the win against Yeovil was scrappy it's three points nonetheless. This weekends result was a disappointment however, giving away a lead against ten man Exeter, but then again if Exeter couldn't be up for this game, the first they have played since the sad death of Adam Stansfield, then they would never be up for anything.
I was unfortunately unable to make the trip to Exeter but the occasion was still felt down the radio airwaves. Radio Bristol tuned in to the minutes applause and the Exeter fans in the background singing 'one Adam Stansfield' did themselves and their club proud. Exeter fans have already commented on the Rovers fans, saying how well they handled their part in the occasion, so gasheads can also hold their heads up high.
I can't say I missed St James Park however. I went last season and while the place and the people were all perfectly nice the away end wasn't up to much. The fence at the back had holes everywhere in it, the terracing was cracking in places and half of it was shut off due to problems with Leeds fans a couple of games before, not to mention the toilets that left a lot to be desired. Add to that the fact that me at 5ft 2in spent most of the game watching the back of peoples heads while Rovers were busy losing, it wasn't the most enjoyable way I've spent £14.
But with such an emotionally charged game the Rovers board should be happy enough with four points from the last two and with 3/1 league favourites Southampton coming up next it would be unfair to expect much from the next game although, that being said, Saints are yet to win this season and there is no better time to put them to the sword than in our next home game.
One of the most encouraging things to come out of the Exeter game was the first gas goal for Will Hoskins. Since his super spell at Rotherham in the 2006/07 season Hoskins has never really had a great deal of first team football as well as a lack of goals but now he is at a team where he will get regular first team football, his first strike in his four competitive games for Rovers will hopefully start some goalscoring form similar to when he was with the Millers. There have also been rumours going round as to why he was taken off so early, some claiming they had seen him asking to be subbed while there may have been a slight knock involved in this, lets hope it's nothing serious.
There were goals aplenty today right across the spectrum of the English league, and while there were massive 6-0 wins in the Premiership, as well as a thumping 7-0 victory for Crewe, my result of the weekend has to be Peteborough's 4-2 win over Huddersfield. These are the two sides that, in my opinion, can stay consistent enough to challenge Southampton and Sheffield Wednesday for the automatic promotion places so this one was to be a big pace setter for the season, especially for the Posh who had lost 5-1 away at Bournemouth last weekend. Huddersfield got off to an electric start, going two goals up in 33 minutes but Boro held strong and came back with four goals to take the three points.
A weekend that could have been better for Rovers but thems the breaks, as for me, I think I'll go back to Halo for a bit.
Goodnight Irene
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