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Let loose after lockdown - back to playing.

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    Let loose after lockdown - back to playing.

    Anyone one else back playing yet? I am not sure how many regular players we have on here but I assume that most have only started in the last month if that. We usually play 6 or 7 a side inside at a school hall but, obviously, aren't able to do that so, last night, played about the same amount of a third of a 3g hockey pitch outdoors. As I have mentioned on the running thread, I haven't done any running since Parkruns stopped in February. This was exacerbated by me doing a cardio workout earlier in the evening which led to my knees screaming in agony after 5 minutes of the match and I genuinely wasn't sure that I would be able to carry on. As usual, after 10 minutes, everything calmed down and I was able to run up and down the pitch a fair few time even if it was a lot slower than the player I was marking/who was marking me. When we play indoors, the ball never goes off as it just bounces off the walls so having breaks for throw-ins/corners/goal kicks were a relief. Also, when we play off the wall, the score after an hour can be 15-12 and even I can get a hat-trick at my best. Last night, it was 0-0 for the first half hour and ended 4-2 but I did manage to get a goal which I was pleased about. By the end of the hour, there were 13 very tired middle aged men counting their working joints and one young lad who was brought in to make up the numbers by his dad who could have probably ran rings around us for another hour.

    It was very good to be back. We have carried on the drinks that we usually have after playing throughout lockdown - first virtually, then in the park, then in each other's gardens and finally back in the pub - and, great as they were, they still didn't feel right without playing beforehand. Last night, due to the 10pm curfew, we didn't have time to have a pint after we finished but everyone was buzzing to be back.

    What about everyone else? Anyone at all managing to play indoors of is it impossible?

    #2
    I used to play 5s, but have taken the opportunity of lockdown (and the fact I turned 40 during it) to quietly retire. I was already not enjoying that much by the start of this year – the pitches weren't great, some of the opposing teams were absolute bellends (and hideously young in some cases), and I was finding the aches and pains were taking increasingly longer to go away and that swimming (as tedious as it is) provides a much better workout with far quicker recovery time – so was feeling very ready to stop. Our game was outdoor and it restarted I think in July, but I know it's not just me who hasn't gone back. The league always seemed to be barely surviving as it was so I'm not sure how it's still functioning at all now. Sad really.

    I'd be happy to get involved in an old gimmers' kickabout at some point I think, but for now I'm out.

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      #3
      One of the least attractive things about my local pub is that there is one of those 5/6/7-a-side places nearby and some of them come in for a beer afterwards. It's over 20 years since I played and places had showers then. Do they not have showers any more? Because they come in still wearing their kit, sweaty and loud without having had a wash. And they haven't only just restarted, they have been going since July. Fortunately the weather's been good so they have been mostly outside. Yeah, I'm old and grumpy.

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        #4
        Pre-pandemic I played in a weekly 7-a-side game with my old work. They've started back up, but I've thus far not returned. Just feels at odds with all the other precautions I'm taking to be running around on a small pitch and inevitably breathing heavy and coming into contact with 13 other people.

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          #5
          We've been back playing our regular fortnightly games on the 3G pitches in Coram's Fields (near Russell Square tube) since early September. Changing rooms are closed so we have to turn up wearing our gear and change pitchside after the game. Fortunately the weather has been fine and dry lately, but no idea if the guys responsible for the pitches will let us drop bags and stuff in a changing room if it starts to piss down with rain.
          We were lucky to have 7 v 8 this week, despite being a number short, my team won, but previously we've been lacking numbers and have either used a mini sized pitch or had a ringer, who was far too young, fit and capable, which made the game a farce.
          I ruptured my patella tendon on these pitches last January, so this has been my first time back playing on Tuesday nights. Plenty of running around and doing my defensive duties, but have been absolutely hopeless beyond the halfway line since we restarted. This week I have also managed to damage my little finger by flapping at a cross, rather than catching or punching. Swelled and bruised impressively.

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            #6
            Originally posted by Jobi1 View Post
            I'd be happy to get involved in an old gimmers' kickabout
            Yeah that'll be us.

            Originally posted by Capybara View Post
            One of the least attractive things about my local pub is that there is one of those 5/6/7-a-side places nearby and some of them come in for a beer afterwards. It's over 20 years since I played and places had showers then. Do they not have showers any more? Because they come in still wearing their kit, sweaty and loud without having had a wash.
            Yeah, that'll be us.

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              #7
              Originally posted by Bordeaux Education View Post
              Anyone at all managing to play indoors of is it impossible?
              I don't think anyone has answered this yet, but indoor five-a-side was allowed briefly, but isn't any more. The limit on gatherings at 6 applies to indoor sport even if it is organised. The only exceptions are kids sport and parasport. So five-a-side is out. Three-a-side with no subs would be possible... legally. Physically? More of a problem.

              Originally posted by Bordeaux Education View Post
              3g hockey pitch
              No such thing - see page 3 here: http://www.greatbritainhockey.co.uk/...sic%20Info.pdf.
              If it is 3G, it's a Football pitch, almost certainly paid for by the Football Foundation. These surfaces are not just dreadful for Hockey, but actively dangerous for it. Waaay too slow and also horribly bobbly which can make the ball leap over the head of a stick unexpectedly. Or, much worse, pop up just as a stick is being swung through so instead of going along the deck the ball gets launched powerfully upwards.

              Councils would obviously much prefer that an astro is an astro is an astro and they can lay one pitch and satisfy everyone. And ideally a 3G pitch as there is an organisation with money willing to pay for those to be installed. But it just isn't the case.


              And I'm not playing Football, but then I hadn't been along to the work lunchtime kick around for around a year prior to lockdown anyway. I am playing and Umpiring Hockey, which is running to it's normal schedule... for the moment! It is feeling increasingly dicey to be doing that, though.
              Last edited by Janik; 09-10-2020, 22:59.

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                #8
                Yeah, a good point well made. It was a normal hockey pitch which was snooker-table-flat and ridiculously fast with all the drizzle we had. At least, when the ball went out of play, it went miles out fo play and we had a long rest.

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                  #9
                  No Covid in the Isle of Man for four months now (other than 5 returning residents - borders are effectively closed), so football continuing as normal here.

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                    #10
                    Missed watching Lincoln beating Plymouth to play on Tuesday night. Wish I hadn't bothered. My own performance was largely wretched, and I am my own harshest critic. Not helped by colleagues chirping away all, making me feel even worse. Anyway, our team won convincingly despite being 3-0 down in the first 5 minutes.
                    Yes, we did have an extra player, but honestly, i've not seen someone move so slow around a football pitch and contribute fuck all. He's a player that I think joined us when his mate began playing regularly. This mate has subsequently relocated, yet this guy persists on turning up. He walks rather than runs, doesn't close down, doesn't tackle (somehow I let him beat me at the near post last week) and he is absolutely horrendous to play with, cos he won't track back and defend.
                    He's such a pain in the arse, that three of the opposition team sent an email to my colleague (who organises the games), declaring that our team would have him on our side this week. We've agreed to alternate. Think the bastard still owes us ?20, the only time he seems in a hurry is when he fuck offs after the game.

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                      #11
                      Ha ha, we have a guy like that. He always goal hangs, never tracks back, never passes and never takes his turn in goal. He is also one of those guys that always moans about everything- the organising guys always has the best players, the last tackle you put in was too physical etc. I am always pleased as, as we are the two worst players, I am never on his team. He turned up with a mate of mine who I introduced to our game. My mate then fell out with a long-standing guy who always gets too aggressive with new talented players*. After this, my mate never came again but his mate carried on playing. I met him at a gig by the original mate’s band and bought him him a drink but, judging by his playing style, assumed he wouldn’t stand a round but, fair dos, he bought me a pint back and was very good company all night and every time we have been for a beer since.

                      * this was before he came out and started bringing his Russian boyfriend to the games so we think there was some major denial going on

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                        #12
                        I keep on meaning to ask, Rob, who is that in your profile pic? I initially thought it was Nigel Tufnell but it’s not

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by Bordeaux Education View Post
                          Ha ha, we have a guy like that. He always goal hangs, never tracks back, never passes and never takes his turn in goal. He is also one of those guys that always moans about everything- the organising guys always has the best players, the last tackle you put in was too physical etc. I am always pleased as, as we are the two worst players, I am never on his team. He turned up with a mate of mine who I introduced to our game. My mate then fell out with a long-standing guy who always gets too aggressive with new talented players*. After this, my mate never came again but his mate carried on playing. I met him at a gig by the original mate’s band and bought him him a drink but, judging by his playing style, assumed he wouldn’t stand a round but, fair dos, he bought me a pint back and was very good company all night and every time we have been for a beer since.

                          * this was before he came out and started bringing his Russian boyfriend to the games so we think there was some major denial going on
                          Our guy always turns up 5 minutes late, he wears loose tracksuit bottoms and I think he first turned up wearing converse rather than football trainers, and seemingly spent ages doing his laces up. He was told to close down the keeper when the ball went out for an opposition throw in, moaned about it, walked very slowly towards the goalkeeper by which time the ball had been collected and then thrown back to the keeper without any pressure whatsoever. Infuriating. We each have a spell in goal and he is VERY reluctant to go in, took five times asking "Has EVERYONE been in yet?" before he shuffled between the posts and kept asking to come out.

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by Bordeaux Education View Post
                            I keep on meaning to ask, Rob, who is that in your profile pic? I initially thought it was Nigel Tufnell but it’s not
                            It's John Cale, taken from a picture of him sitting with Lou Reed, looking worse for wear one Christmas in the late 70s.

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                              #15
                              Oh, I can completely see it now. Actually, a drunk curmudgeonly Welshman should have been instantly recognisable to me.

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                                #16
                                Played our last game on Tuesday before lockdown. As things stand, our next scheduled game is 15th December, though it all depends on Coram Fields being allowed to re-open. Still, we managed to win 5-4, despite being a player short. Naturally, the tosser that does bugger all when he's on our side, scored against me.

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                                  #17
                                  Yeah, we finished on Wednesday night. It says something about how much I have missed playing football that I eschewed the last night in the pubs for it (although, without the 10pm curfew, we would have had one afterwards). It has to be said that, after a few drizzly-to-absolutely-sodden matches, it was a glorious night to be playing football - clear, cold but no wind and played in its fairly usual good spirits. It was only slightly marred by me getting a ball in the knackers after misjudging where a corner was going to end up.

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