As I’m sure you know from last week’s drivel I said I was popping over to Ireland to watch the Chief play Ulster. Well…. what a quiet weekend that wasn’t!! Instead of visiting tea rooms and churches the Beer boys made me go to nearly every pub in Belfast and continue the process down in Dublin to watch Bath play Leinster the next day. If you’ve not been to either places I recommend you go. Everyone was very friendly and they seem to have a different approach to pub life over there and far from pubs closing down there seem to be another one every hundred yards and all with live music and a lot of character.

As for the Chiefs game from what I can remember, it was a great first half but then we were blown away in the second and as everyone predicted, we got a kicking. They do need a complete reset me things. Still it was a good day out and I saw two Ex Ton players Julian Philips and Neil Woolacott and their wives Debbie and Terresa and one of our supporters Barry Dunn and I even bumped into a couple of Ex Exeter players I used to play with… not sure any of them would have been able to understand much of what I said but hey, that’s Guinness for you!

Whilst sitting in another hostelry I got the details through on my phone of the Ton’s match played at Topsham and was relieved to see we just scraped home in a hard close encounter. 6 yellow cards I was told, which was three apiece so a likely encounter and lots of chewed fingers at the end of the game as Ben Phillips slotted the penalty to win it with no time left. I did say this was a potential banana skin game as when we played them at home despite having won with a comfortable score you could see they had underline potential. So a 23-24 away from home is a result that keeps us in second slot with an eye on promotion but several tough home games to come. As usual, my chum Jules has done us proud with the videos and pictures and it was interesting to hear all the boys on my Irish tour, saying our press coverage is very good compared to other clubs.

Our twos were at the fortress playing Topsham’s thirds or should I say the University and it was tough as they cantered into a commanding half time lead of 12-42 but the boys hung in there and playing up the slope won the second half by 12 points to nil to make the final score look respectable. Bet there were also glad of the game time.

Sunday was also another hectic day at the Ton with us hosting the most team we have this season. The 7 and 8’s hosted Bridport and were perhaps a little disappointed by the numbers they bought. Our under 9’s and 10’s both had difficult games but the 11’s and 12’s won both of their fixtures. The 13’s away at Wiveliscombe ground out a close fought win. The 14’s and 15’s were also there and had tough games in sticky conditions.
Our club house was rammed yet again and if honest it must have been like feeding the five thousand as we had to cope with power cuts and all sorts…. big had to the crews working in there we really do appreciate it.

Ok… the off the field issues this week were many. We had had a major problem the week before with a gas bottle leak in the cellar and just before I popped over to Paddy land I’d ordered some new bottles. I left the empties out for collection as we have done for ever, only to find overnight some very pleasant individuals had decided to steal them all. I reported it to the Police to get my standard crime number and on my return from Paddy land I’ve been on the blinkin phone/emailing etc to the gas bottle company to try and sort it all out…anyway! They very kindly have said we now owe them £150 for each missing bottle, I’ll save you working it out! it’s a mere £750!! Which is a lot to a small club struggling to survive. Who nicks empty gas bottles. I’m going to call them again and I’ll try crying this time, to see if that helps reduce our debt, it’s lot of dosh. Keep your eyes peeled for any bottles being sold or bought, mind they are all bar coded so I can’t see them being of much use to anyone (or am I being naïve). Sad world.

On to my next Police issue and this time it’s the ripping down of the “no dogs on pitches” signs. Why? Anyway, again we have another crime number and despite offering up some further lines of inquiry they say they don’t have sufficient evidence. I have to confess I did have a bit of a row with an unfortunate officer over the phone and said I’m fed up with just being given Crime numbers for things that happen on Allhallows. I think I have collect six over the last few years and not even a call back on any of them! What are the police for? one must ask. If you see me… ask about the conversation you won’t believe it!

Anyway, next…boilers for the top changing rooms! Now fixed I’m pleased to say and another two hours sorting it out with council plumbers etc.

As some of you know I play golf and up there they are having a major revamp of the club house which means the kitchens are temporarily out of action. Given we have lost the services of Anne our cook….who incidentally, is making a slow recovery. She is now awake and talking but she is still a long way from being better. And we are being given regular updates on her progress and we wish her well. … Anyway as I was saying, I took the opportunity to speak to the lovely Emma Greenslade who does the catering at the golf club and I’m please to say she is happy to try and help us out as an interim measure for the rest of the season. Hurrah I hear you all say and I know she does a mean roast.

Big thanks to Chris Baily and chums for fixing the Genny massive help for training I must say.

Ok, on to this weekend another shitty one me things weather wise and obviously games this weekend are going to weather permitting. Luckily we only have one home game which is a catch up league game at the fortress against Plymouth Argum which was cancelled the last time we had a storm. Sorry twos once again the opposition for your game have cried off, just not good enough.
Back to the ones our visitors are currently bottom of the league and we’ve also not lost at home, so it all bodes well but as we keep saying, you have to wary of dead cert games they can bit you on the bum if you don’t turn up mentally.

Sunday’s forecast is even worse so again it’s another weather permitting day. We have the 12’s at home playing Barnstaple, the 15’s playing Bridport and the 8’s and 10’s against Teignmuff. Away at Teignmuff we have the 7’s at the Milford pitch TQ14 9DQ and the 9’s 11’s and 13’s at Brooadmeadow TQ14 9AE

That’s do… you’re probably asleep by now…

#UTT

Jez