tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170048222011-04-21T19:49:39.366ZTestament to why students shouldn't be mixed with beer and footballpickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1147964714810049222006-05-18T15:04:00.000Z2006-05-18T15:05:14.813Z

Why, oh why, have I been so muted about Southend's promotion when I've written about most other facets of football since?This is a tricky one to answer. Every football fan goes from game to game hoping that the team can do something, anything, to get three points. As the team gets more points the supporters gain hope and expectations. As the team gets fewer points, supporters get anguish and

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1147964680471769292006-05-18T15:03:00.000Z2006-05-18T15:04:40.473Z

It's amazing.Years and years of evolution. Countless experimentation with man's natural surroundings developed basic scientific principles. Further toying with these ideas and inspiration for new ones lead to further experimentation and invention after invention. Eventually the full utilisation of oil has formed plastics that supply so much to facilitate existence on this planet.Meanwhile man

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1147964563292670002006-05-18T14:56:00.000Z2006-05-18T15:02:43.303Z

So, it finishes Ronaldinho 2, Thierry Henry 1. Or at least, if you only read newspapers and didn't watch football, you'd have thought.In the event, Ronaldinho didn't pull the performance that many were expecting. In fairness, it was a beautifully timed pass to Eto'o that seemed to turn the game in Barcelona's favour. Arsenal fans berating the referee for his decision to send the keeper off

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1146524757875708582006-05-01T23:00:00.000Z2006-05-01T23:05:57.886Z

Whoah whoah whoah, I think to myself on my return to these shores. That was English for stopping three horses by the way. Whilst I have been keeping tabs on most of the football news in England, particularly Southend's masterful rise to the Championship, apparently things are a lot worse when the papers are reporting them.Before I start, I'll mention that a Southend related post is in the

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1130322157348412932005-10-26T09:37:00.001Z2005-10-26T10:43:31.386Z

Finally, the graft part of my grand plan to go to Canada is over. I think that, as it's a report on my job, I should present it vaguely as a job report.PS' Temporary employment: ReflectionIntroductionIt soon became apparent that if I was to be going to Canada, something I had already paid a fair amount for, I would need some money. Every attempt to genetically breed cash with a tree failed and

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1130239200640659202005-10-25T10:51:00.000Z2005-10-25T11:20:00.646Z

I had to post on this. I literally couldn't resist doing it.I normally enter fantasy football competitions (*description at end for uninitiated) and take some crazy gamble on a newcomer. One of my key players gets injured and I'm out of the running for anything by November. Last year I went on Fantasy Premier League and found a game where you could make transfers, choose a captain, rotate subs

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1130234855820086002005-10-25T10:03:00.000Z2005-10-25T10:07:35.826Z

If anyone needed a reminder that football is a funny old game, I think we saw it on Saturday at Roots Hall. Up front Goater laboured with little reward and Eastwood had too little service. Maher and Guttridge struggled to get the team moving with intense pressure from Barnsley and were hardly supported by Lawson who's not a winger byt he looks of it and Campbell Ryce who looks like he'll need

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1129809553870778112005-10-20T10:54:00.000Z2005-10-20T11:59:13.876Z

In my job, I've noticed that I come across a lot of blogs on the net. Ok, I'm expanding the truth a little. When I'm sat in my office at work I come across a lot of blogs but the work I do has no orientation whatsoever to blogging. The world of blogs strikes me as a curious one indeed though.The first aspect is that there are just so many of them. If you looked at every blog on blogger.com,

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1129726372185689512005-10-19T12:45:00.000Z2005-10-19T12:52:52.190Z

Didn't go and don't know what to say. Ok, we've loved it over the past two seasons but it's also destroyed our results and form after the final. By all accounts we were battered first half and battered back second. Good luck to Rushden and hopefully that win helps them to regain some form. Not overly fussed about 2 defeats in a row as Tilson knows what he's doing.Key man: From the crackly

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1129565776418526342005-10-17T16:13:00.000Z2005-10-17T16:16:16.426Z

Lost 2-0 to lowly Doncaster. Didn't go so I'm working with 2nd hand information which is always slightly refracted through the messenger but sounds as though we had a pretty poor performance in a pretty poor game. First was a long range strike and I always thought the run would end when one of these went in because (e.g.Yeovil) they haven't gone in whent hey might have done. Second seems like

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1129221460492466732005-10-13T16:06:00.000Z2005-10-13T16:40:09.186Z

Seeing as I spent 3 years here, did a lot of drinking and numerous pub crawls, I couldn't not write about the place which may well end up being that where I sunk the most alcohol.The Phantom (Town centre, near the multi-storey) - Yes, it's a 'Scream' pub and yes it's not much to look at but I have so many fond memories of this place that it's become, probably, my spiritual drinking home. The best

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1129218135232529552005-10-13T15:30:00.000Z2005-10-13T15:48:51.726Z

Had to start with Southend really even though in percentage terms (ok, just realised I will have a London section that may trump it) I've probably been to the fewest pubs of anywhere I've been for any length of time. Let's cut to the chase with a few off the top of my head that are pretty close byYe Olde Smack (Old Leigh) - Based in the old fishing town, the interior reflects the local industry.

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1129026431749986612005-10-11T10:25:00.000Z2005-10-11T10:27:11.753Z

"Words of love and words of leisure, words are poisoned darts of pleasure"Surely Franz Ferdindand, smart, incisive and witty as they come across, can never have foreseen their own words summing up their second album so aptly. The quirky, briskly romantic debut album of the same name has set Franz Ferdinand high standards as a band and may be the hardest barrier to achievement with the second.As

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1128934120598903122005-10-10T08:45:00.000Z2005-10-10T08:49:18.960Z

Wow. 8 games won in a row is the kind of thing that happens in Champo not in real life. Being described as 'the Chelsea of League one' is something else. Didn't play trememdously well but we were solid and well organised and kept their best players quiet. Three point gap at the top that could be cut tonight to two. Once again, wow.Key man - Probably Guttridge. Tireless midfield work, threatening

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1128694035801274032005-10-07T13:35:00.000Z2005-10-07T14:12:17.416Z

I apologise for doing this but as it is the first time and something I want to experiement with to see how it 'works', we'll gow ith it. Basically, I have several topics noteworthy enough for their presence here but I don't have the impetus to write thoroughly on each of them so I will set them all in one blog under snippets:George W Bush: If this man has not set out on a mission to get in every

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1128524338037198632005-10-05T14:55:00.000Z2005-10-05T14:58:58.043Z

I think, inspired by insipid and biased pub reviews, I am going to write my own.Basically, you go in to a pub and everyone is looking for something different. Some people can't stand old pubs whereas some love them. I am going to write reviews based solely on my unprofessional opinion. Just as soon as I can pull myself together. It'll focus on London pubs to start with but it will be easy to

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1128522431407097162005-10-05T14:25:00.000Z2005-10-07T14:09:51.120Z

When I was but a student, running around partaking in student vices, I always wondered what the big fuss was about pub lunches. When you are a student, you can make a decision to go to the pub whenevever the hell you want and if you stay there all afternoon then no-one's fussed. This suited me down to the ground as, assuming people split to pub or club, I am a pub man. Most of the best nights

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1128356985076141572005-10-03T16:02:00.000Z2005-10-03T16:29:45.083Z

In the early days of my employment here before the rain started to fall, I used to frequently walk from Embankment, through Trafalgar Square and up Haymarket to work. One day I noticed that one plinth was curiously empty. A short amount of research revealed that this is the famous fourth plinth that, for those who don't know it, was built to house a statue much like the others but, curiously,

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1128354784609456692005-10-03T15:50:00.000Z2005-10-03T15:53:04.613Z

Uncovered away stand did my cold no favours and we didn't do much first half. Big miss by them let us off the hook and good organisation led to a 2-1 win after a howler by their keeper for our second.Key man: Mark Bentley. Each week I seem to be toasting a new 2-goal hero. Benno, played out of position showed good determination for 1 and clarity of thought for 2.

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1128081345864749882005-09-30T11:32:00.000Z2005-09-30T11:56:34.140Z

Every day you hear about disease epidemics breaking out or new strands of deadly diseases being discovered somewhere in the world. Why is is that people continually fail to accept the man cold as one of the worst illnesses in history?It's not that I think the man cold carries the worst symptoms or even is the most deadly. There are plenty of diseases that are far more deadly. It's more the

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1128079809669532592005-09-30T11:28:00.000Z2005-09-30T11:31:36.183Z

Played ok for the first half but superbly for the last twenty minutes and won 4-1. Perversely, Yeovil are probably the best team I have seen us play this year but came off with the worst result. Still 2nd but only narrowly on goal difference.Key man: After giving Gray all the credit for scoring twice off the bench, this should be Eastwood. Gray was quality though and turned the match in our

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1127837922799946122005-09-27T15:57:00.000Z2005-09-27T16:18:42.803Z

I think weekend logging is going to be rare at least while I am working half of my life. I never really carry any motivation to write anything at the weekend even though it's the more interesting part of my week. That said, I think the real reason is that football impinges so heavily on my thoughts and emotions at the weekend.On top of this, it seems that I may start to be burdened with work in

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1127832824897293742005-09-27T14:50:00.000Z2005-09-27T14:53:44.900Z

Won 4-2 to elevate us to 2nd in the table. Don't think we deserved it but then I don't think Tara Palmer Tomkinson deserves to have a vocation where she just turns up to parties. A second consecutive promotion in our centenary year would be mental.Key player: Gray. Only played about 6 minutes but scored twice. Fair play.

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1127468901388592572005-09-23T09:47:00.000Z2005-09-23T12:25:20.346Z

I think, perhaps, the secondary point of my blog was to give me a canvas to talk about my trip to Canada.Before I continue, I may point out that I much prefer the word log to blog. Not that I think blog is a bad word but log has such funnier connotations. As a result I'll probably refer to it as a log. Unless I join the army, in which case I will strive to avoid the obvious pun.Well, Canada then.

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1127402109667707752005-09-22T15:01:00.000Z2005-09-22T15:18:38.960Z

I suppose this part is where most people talk longingly about their adoring partner who they can't stand to be apart from. Perhaps this is coming from the uninitiated but to describe a current partner as the love of your life is either derogatory to past and future prospects or hotly optimistic. In my case, I keep it simple and the love of my life is Southend United Football Club.Before I respond

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17004822.post-1127398204145878082005-09-22T13:59:00.000Z2005-09-22T15:01:45.753Z

To not so much of a whimper of a fanfare, the Pickled Shrimp is born in to the world. I say there's not a whimper because currently I am the only person in existence that knows this blog exists.I have to admit that I was completely new to the concept of the blog until a few weeks ago I was sent a link to some guy's blog in Lebanon hosting the fatally funny Backstroke of the West Star Wars screen

pickledshrimphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01642638246516549773noreply@blogger.com0