2012/13 Uncovered: Wednesday 18th July - A Wakering Up Call

   Ah, the allotments, that last vestige of the working class male.  An escape from the wife and kids, and an opportunity to sit on a deck chair, have a can, and read the paper with the cricket on the radio.  Sometimes you can even grow something but that's hardly the point.

   For that reason alone I like Burroughs Park, home of Great Wakering Rovers.  On top of that there's a decent clubhouse, and since the passing of the late, great Nobby Johnson, the phalanx of decent people running the place have worked even harder.  It's a good place to come to.

   Apart from the football.  Struggling two seasons ago, and then rock bottom of Ryman One North in 2011/12, Rovers are facing up to life back in the Essex Senior League.  It's not getting any easier.  Tonight they are up against Southend United's first team squad, after the second string's sojourn to Stambridge the other night.

   Wino picks me up from my luxurious and git posh Thorpe Bay mansions.  My delusions of grandeur are shattered when he tells me that he fitted the carpets in there.  Bloody working class soiling my home like that.  In the happy car tonight are Womble and Duggie.  Womble's not smiling so it's clear he's re-married.

   A fiver across the board and under 12's free with a parent.  It seems that for the sake of a quid the gobshites who shouted loudly about not going to Stambridge are here and shouting about how great they are by going to Wakering.  Perhaps the MK Ultra project could be re-initiated by the CIA and placed in the away end when the Shrimpers are on their travels.

   The match is a good one and the chat better.  Rovers take the lead twice thanks to one well worked goal and a cracking free kick.  Southend show their mettle, equalising once, then scoring twice in a minute to go 3-2 up before the break.  That's the way it stays.

   It's nice to wander around the ground and chat to loads of people, as Wino does his obligatory royal tour.  I even get introduced to the guy who's going to be covering Rovers for Southend Radio but, well, he turns out to be a bit of a prick, giving it a bit of the Charlie Big Potatoes to me.  Perhaps he thought of me as a rival.  But then again, who gives a toss anyway.

   Some of the Southend supporters are busily making their plans for the club's mini tour of Madrid.  Swingers couple t-shirts a-la Benidorm will apparently be de rigeur at Rayo Vallecano B. 

It was also good to see Paul Sturrock standing up alongside the paying punters in the enclosure, and even better to see everyone else leaving him in peace.

   Overall, a decent evening out at the football.  Entertaining on the pitch and convivial off it.  I think we've got it the wrong way round.  We should have 9 months of friendlies and a six weeks season.  Nights like this are much more fun. 

Great Wakering Rovers 2,   Southend United 3