Overview

Junior's ice hockey team went to Belfast last weekend to play Junior Belfast Giants u16 in a challenge game.

Bus and ferry over there on Saturday. Game Sunday morning, and then bus/ferry home. Left 6.15 am Saturday. Home 10.30pm Sunday.

The coach and his assistant (plus 2 of the dads) started drinking as soon as the bus left, got stuck in on the ferry (thats the 10am sailing) and hit the hotel bar by 12.30 (before they had even checked in).

I didn't see what they got up to after that, but presumably more of the same. Can't imagine what they were like at game time (10.30 am on Sunday). Pretty grim, I suppose.

Return journey was a carbon copy of the outward one.

Kids in his team are 13 to 16 y/o, and I would guess they're at an impressionable age when it comes to lots of things - alcohol included. They get education at school about the need to keep your consumption sensible. Its a message I try to re-inforce with words, and by the way I behave.   

Am I being a grumpy old man or should these coaches be a lot more responsible in the way they behave?

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Well, ran yesterday and today. Must be good for me...

Must get new running shoes and track suit bottoms (long overdue).

Another ice hockey nightmare yesterday. Made devious plans (to inconvenience of others) so that Junior could go skiing with friends in afternoon, then hockey training at 5.

I got to ice rink to find the older team was playing a league game and Junior's team training cancelled. No-one told me. No-one told him.

Team manager adamant it was our fault for not looking at noticeboard! Of course notice board says nothing about his training being cancelled. If you look at the info for the u20 team you will see that it had a game scheduled for that time, but then I look at the info for the u16 team because that's the one he plays for. I guess I'm supposed to look at all the teams' info and work out for myself what might be going on...  

U20 game turned out to be a cracker. Our lot (2nd in league) against Kirkcaldy (top, and unbeaten). We won 6-1! It really turned on a brilliant save from the Murrayfield goalie when the score was 1-1. His team was lifted and the others deflated (they had 2 players clear through on the goal, which ought to be a certain score)  

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my son (14) plays ice hockey for Murrayfield u16s, and has been having a frustrating season so far as he is not one of the coach's "blue eyed boys" - of course it might be that I'm the problem (ice hockey coaches are a weird bunch in my experience)

anyway, we've had several grumpy weekends over the way his team is being mis-managed

I was expecting more of the same yesterday - home league game against the team at the top of the league. Turned out to be the opposite. Junior was played in his normal position (very rare) due to another player being suspended and (hope you're sitting down before you read this) the coach's son playing with a broken wrist! He broke it in the game 2 weeks ago, and played yesterday with his wrist in a plastic support.

Bizarre...boy is only 14 or 15. Maybe he wanted to play, but parents/coaches/managers/committee members have a responsibility! Probably invalidated the insurance cover...

Anyway, Junior played pretty well and with a lot of determination. Even more so given that he has not played in his normal position since mid-October!

His team had won the away game 3-2 so it was expected to be tight. They went 0-2 down in the first period, got a goal back and then went 1-3 down in the second period. They got another goal back, and then with 3 minutes left Junior put their defence under a bit of pressure and was tripped. 2 minute penalty against the Kilmarnock player, so 5 on 4 and a great chance to get an equalizer. Then his team gives away a silly penalty almost immediately, and its 4 on 4! Chance lost.

However, with 23 seconds left, and in almost the last attack of the game, Murrayfield get the equalizer!

Great finish...

Maybe we can start looking forward to match days again?

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well, today's run went well so that's a good start;

had, lunch and time to watch Czech Rep v Sweden in the World Ice Hockey Championships (u20 age group) on Eurosport. Hats off to them for taking the coverage. Saturday's agem was a cracker - Sweden got 4 goals in the final period to beat Canada (last year's champions) 4-3. Last goal came with 6 seconds left! 

Junior was born 8am on 31 December ('93) so its always an important day for both of us. I rescued him from his mother's just before lunch, and soon I'll have to get started on his favourite food - meatball heroes (home made meatballs in tomato sauce on Fench bread with melted mozzarella (no saturated fats there, eh)

Dilemma - if I take a nap now, will I miss something exciting on the ice hockey?

1-0 to Sweden at end of 1st period. 

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this guy's death on Saturday has shaken me (he was playing soccer for Motherwell when he collapsed and died, age 35)

he was 20 years younger than me, for a start

presumably very fit and well taken care of by his club

at my age, sometimes I do worry that something could happen when I'm out running, or just after, but then I'm 192lbs (mostly muscle & bone, but not 100%) and fit for my age, but not young any more and not fit in the way a professional sportsman is

you think of those affected - family, friends, colleagues

the other players must be very badly affected

it all made me think of a rugby game I played in Toulouse in 1972, for Toulouse UC against Prades in the 2nd division; one of the Prades players kicked one of ours on the head when he was lying on the ground; our player was taken off the pitch on a stretcher unconscious; the game finished about 15 minutes later and when we got back to the changing room he was still unconscious  on the stretcher on the changing room floor, being tended by the club doctor until the ambulance arrived

it was very scary indeed to see a team mate in that condition; he recovered after being taken to hospital, but I don't think he ever played again.

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Junior arrived mid-afternoon and promptly disappeared to his friend's, returning to be fed at the appointed hour.

Excellent dinner cooked by yours truly (and eaten by Junior!). He complained slightly about the garlic and the "woody bits" (thyme), but was quite happy when assured that neither is poisonous. We had pheasant breasts cooked with baked apples and fried potatoes with garlic, pancetta & rosemary. Not your typical Scottish mush, but thats us...

I got a good book via Amazon (arrived yesterday, just in time for the festivities) which has been a godsend for today (after it got dark at 3.30). It is very witty. About what parents do/have to do if their kids play ice hockey.   

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Well its just after lunch, and so far so good.

It is a beautiful cold, sunny day. Maybe 2C outside, and frosty early on.

After digesting breakfast I went for a 5 mile run through the woodland paths and park near my home. Misty in the woods and by the lake. Generally wonderful. Felt good, running and (of course) afterwards.

I leave a garden chair out all winter so I can sit down for 5 minutes to catch my breath and cool off before my shower. The squirrels think I'm very odd, sitting there steaming. The pheasants are just plain scared.

Lunch was tops. Smoked trout on wholemeal bread with a sprinkling of chopped dill, washed down by San Pellegrino with lime. Followed by raspberry tea and chocolate biscuits. Mind you, disappointing to read on the packet that the biscuits are not a significant source of vitamins A or C, or calcium. Just saturated fat...

My 14 y/o son should turn up soon, so that will end the peace and quiet.

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Beware!

The contents of this blog may be shocking and offensive to some, and I cannot guarantee that no traces of nuts will be present

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