Hudson Roe is the captain of AFC Bluebirds, a five-a-side team made up
of players from across Westminster. The team are proudly sponsored by
Conservative Home.
As our five-a-side season draws to a close, the eleven-a-side season is now six games in, with the team winning two, drawing two and losing two – we sit in fourth place, a point behind 3rd.
We have a brilliant new kit owing to Paul and Conservative Home generously continuing their sponsorship. Thank you!
11-a-side
Sunday’s game against a league leaders ‘You’ve got Males’, saw Bluebirds don our new kit for the first time. Sadly, we did not get the kit off to a winning start having lost our star striker and solid centre half (family events), penetrative right-winger (flu), midfield lynchpin (ankle) and pacy left winger (Berlin).
With several members of the team playing in unfamiliar positions, the onus was on concentration from the off. Jose Mourinho once complained of Tottenham ‘parking the bus’ against Chelsea a few years ago. In an effort to emulate that score-line (0-0) against Sunday’s opponents, we tried the same. The team put in a determined and valiant effort, which took over an hour of the game to be broken.
Excellent performances from Chris Rees at centre-back, Luke Webster at left-back and goalkeeper Joe Cawley, saw the team successfully endure wave after wave of opposition attacks with the deadlock unbroken until the hour mark.
Our tiring midfield lost didn’t close down an opposition midfielder with an eye for goal and with a swing of a leg the (rather under-inflated) ball took a scenic journey towards the goal. Buffeted by the wind, left and right, the shot finally dipped viciously over the diving Joe Cawley to nestle in the top left-hand corner of the goal.
Despite similarly determined defence efforts including a rerun of the famous Pele/Gordon Banks moment (Preview) , and a Luke Webster clearance off the line, the opponents did manage to score again. Final score 2-0.
5-a-side
The Bluebirds playing in their new kit for the second time were determined to atone for yesterday’s defeat with a victory in their two games on a wet and windy Monday evening. Thankfully this was achieved on both counts.
In the first game the team ran away 11-3 winners with six goals from the returning Jack Palmer after a period of extended absence. A couple of long-range efforts from the captain and a rare goal from Alex Lancaster saw the team coast to a victory notable for the players slick passing and movement.
The second game saw one of the Bluebirds play for their opponents in an act of sportsmanship that the Bluebirds’ captain could barely comprehend, never mind support. However, I had to go home, so he did it anyway. It made no difference.
The team brushed away their opponents with a solid 6-3 victory, notable for the fact that all the goals were scored by Bluebirds (our traitorous teammate scored all of the opposition’s goals).
Next week is the final week in which we play with two teams on a Monday night.
Next week’s Match
Bluebirds vs. Hurricanes, Sunday 27 October (1400 KO, Regents Park)