Supporting from the touchlines

I start this post by saying I am not a particular fan of football.  Well, certainly not the multi-million pound show-biz sort of football that seems to dominate the TV sports channels - there just seems to be way too much money involved these days - and I have no concept of 'fantasy football' that all our children participate in via their iPhones.  I admit it, football just doesn't do it for me.

However, this morning N and I were on the touchline, watching Grandson No 1 dashing around the pitch, playing for his under-9s team.  (Not a 'league', I have been informed, the FA doesn't think it a good idea for youngsters to play competitively.  Mmm, interesting.)

It was a beautiful morning.  The sun shone on the dew . . . 

. . . a very heavy dew . . .

. . . within five minutes we were all suffering from a bad case of 'rising damp' - wellies might have been a better footwear option ;)

Having said that, we had a great time.  It was glorious autumn morning, there were plenty of parents/grandparents out in force to support the lads, and the boys played with bags of enthusiasm and were not lacking in soccer talent either, although there was a temptation for the whole team to charge after the ball which left the opposition unmarked on occasions!  But no-one could criticize the passion on the field.  

I think it must have been quite confusing for the young players, because not only were the coaches shouting helpful instructions to the team, but parents were keen to join in with their own encouraging comments - I have to say I hadn't realised just how knowledgeable my DIL is about football training!  I admit that once or twice I couldn't help an appropriate 'Good shot' or 'Well played' yell; I felt I was suitably restrained for a first-time supporting granny.  N, on the other hand, let loose his competitive nature, and by the end of the first-half had offered some friendly advice - 'You can't score if you're on the floor' to one lad who had been up-ended by his opponent, and 'You're not going to score if you haven't got the ball' to another.  I had to take him for a walk at half-time for fear he might try to give the team pep-talk! LOL.  

Grandson No 1 is a nifty little player, and thoroughly enjoys his training sessions and the matches.  His little sister, on the other hand, is not such a fan and finds it all a bit boring.  Much how I feel about football on the telly.

This afternoon, I spent some time in the garden.  We have discovered that the bark chippings we put down as pathways two or three years ago have broken down so much, they are better suited to soil improver.

By shaking the chippings through a garden sieve/riddle, we get a wonderful compost to work into the new raised beds.  What's left will be put into black sacks to rot down a bit more over the winter, and we can always use it as a mulch or top-dressing for the flower beds.  We are really pleased that we have been able to re-use something that it no longer suitable for it's original purpose but which we can make use of in another way.

I'm having my 'screen-free' day tomorrow, and should be back Tuesday or Wednesday.