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Sunday 31st October
Having been dragged around my local supermarket by
Mrs Boggy I couldn't help but notice that pumpkins were being snapped up
like hot cakes (excuse the metaphor). Presumably they were
being bought for use tonight, as it is Halloween.
When did we stop chiselling out turnips, or 'nammies'
as we Geordies affectionately call them? Or 'neeps', as in
the the Scots vernacular.
Surely pumpkins are an American tradition, just as is
'trick or treat'.
I know that as I am fast approaching my half century
I am no longer a youngster but I well recall the days when I used to
wander the streets with my mates with a hollowed out nammy.
If we had knocked on someone's door and demanded money with menaces we
were more likely to be clipped about the lughole than have our demands
met.
Now, in return for handing out sweeties or cash to
complete strangers. I will not have my house set on fire.
Strange times.
Saturday 30th October
G'day Murray (a lucky guess, was I right?).
The weather here in my part of England is awful. I am hoping
that my golf course is re-opened today so that I can play golf with 'me
mates' in the 'TOGS' (Tynemouth Old Gits Society).
The course was re-opened but I should have stayed at
home. Simply put, I was hopeless.
Mrs Boggy and I will probably spend a quiet evening
at home with a video as she has been out earning a crust, while I have
been slogging round the golf course. Someone has to do it!
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The latest piece of nonsense from the Premier League,
I read, is that Sir Alex Ferguson is submitting a dossier to the FA
complaining about the behaviour of Arsenal players and their manager
following last week's match which Man U won 1-0, courtesy of a dive by
Wayne Rooney.
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Pots and kettles and the colour black spring to mind.
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PS - remember to put your clocks back 1 hour
tonight.
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Friday 29th October
G'day to all my Aussie readers, it's good to know
that you are all paying attention to my 'Cricket Tour Reports'.
Thank you for the information so far provided, I hope to be able to fill
in all of the blanks eventually. It's also pleasing to know
that I am not a voice in the wilderness.
I was due to play in a golf challenge today but due
to heavy overnight rain the course is closed. Nothing else
for it, I will have to go to the gym for a workout.
After going to the gym, which I enjoyed immensely (he
lied) I popped in to see my mother. She is very well
thank you.
We had an interesting chat about cricket, sport,
football, baseball, golf, soup throwing and ball tampering.
It's fascinating how my mother who is approaching 80 is clued up on all
of these matters.
We were reminiscing about the court case which Ian
Botham and Alan Lamb were involved in with that fast bowling legend
Imran Khan. I had forgotten the exact details but was
reminded about bottle tops and other such outside agencies which the
Pakistan bowler was alleged to have used. Isn't sport
wonderful?
That reminds me, Chelsea FC who are not one of my
favourite football teams deserve a pat on the back for sacking their
£16,000,000 forward Adrian Mutu for taking cocaine. Sport
should be 'clean' and free of cheats at all levels.
Nice one Chelsea.
Thursday 28th October
Phew, at last! The "Curse of the Bambino"
has finally been lifted.
Settle down, this is not a controversial piece, but
refers to the fact that the Boston Red Sox baseball team have finally
won a 'World Series'.
They sold the legendary Babe Ruth to their bitter
rivals new York Yankees in 1918 and have not won so much as a bag of
crisps since. Hence the 'curse'! I watched a few of
the play-off games whilst in Australia, when they came back from
3-0 down to beat The Yankees, and found it very exciting.
The Red Sox have now completed a 4-0 victory over the St Louis Cardinals in the
'World Series' and have been crowned as champions.
Wednesday 27th October
Having brushed aside the 'pizza and soup' which I was
covered in following an incident in the tunnel, I can now get on with
the mundane pleasures of everyday life.
It is actually 1930 days since I had my heart
transplant and I can say that the past 40 days have been some of the
best times I have enjoyed since I was given 'The Gift of Life'.
As someone who has been involved in sport since the
age of 11, I consider myself very fortunate to be able to still take an
active part and travel the world competing in transplant sports events.
That I have been moderately successful is a bonus,
but transplant sport is not and never will be just about winning medals.
To be able to even compete in sport following a life saving transplant
makes each and every one of us a 'winner'.
The whole purpose of transplant sport is to raise
awareness and to encourage people to carry donor cards. I am
happy to be a part of the transplant sports family and will continue to
be as long as I am able to participate.
In fact, 'I am just happy to be here!'
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A little birdie has informed me that my two favourite
Harefield Hospital ladies, Ann and Jill have been selected for the World
Games in Canada next year. Well done ladies!
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Tuesday 26th October
For those of you who take a particular interest in
these matters I am sure you are already aware that beneath the title of
my website, which can be found on my 'homepage' - Graham Marsh
- Transplant Sportsman, is the additional rider, 'Welcome to my
website - it is pure self indulgence.'
I appreciate people pointing out that my site is self
indulgent, but I already informed you of that before you started
reading. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy your time aboard,
you are most welcome.
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As I received my flu jab this morning at my GP's I am
unable to go for my workout at the gym. Probably just as
well as I have got loads of paperwork and stuff to do.
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In my spare time I am Chairman of a registered
charity (have been for 13 years), Sports Manager and member of the
Freeman Heart & Lung Transplant Association (registered charity) and
also serve on the committee of the BHLTA (British Heart & Lung
Transplant Association) as well as being the Treasurer of the GBTCC.
But you already knew this, I am sure, if you are a regular reader.
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Now then where was I? Oh yes I remember
now, I must get on with my paperwork.
As Muhammad Ali used to say 'I shall return' (later).
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The readership of my website has increased
dramatically since my return from the cricket tour to Australia with the
GBTCC. I would like to thank everyone for their comments so
far.
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Monday 25th October
It's up with the larks and back for a reality check
as I have to be at The Freeman Hospital for my regular check up for
7.30am. Australia and cricket seem such a long time ago now.
I was back home by 8.30am and so was able to have a
game of golf.
Sunday 24th October
It was interesting to see the assorted apparel worn
by those present at Willy's 50th birthday 'do' last night.
I am not certain everyone intended to be in fancy dress, apparently it
was based on a 70's theme.
I arrived at the appointed hour and as I was parking
the car someone waved knowingly towards me and I must confess I waved
back not knowing who the other person was. It wasn't until I
was inside and met up with the other guests that I realised yesterday's
star man at the golf, Alan 'Rosco' Ross, was the nattily dressed gent
who had just 10 minutes earlier been a complete stranger.
Nice one Al!
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Another sporting legend from my youth passed away
this week. Bill Nicholson the former manager of Tottenham
Hotspur died at the age of 85. He along with Sir Matt Busby,
Bill Shankly and Jock Stein were without doubt the pioneers of football
managers as we know them today.
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Nicholson managed Spurs to an historic 'double' which
was thought at that time to be impossible. He also brought
my favourite ever footballer, Jimmy Greaves back to English football.
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It was because of the Jimmy Greaves factor that as a
boy I 'supported' Tottenham. As a kid in the schoolyard
playing with a tennis ball and sack for a goal I always wanted to be
Greavsie. My opponents in the game were the likes of Denis
Law or Bobby Charlton, names I am sure everyone will recognise.
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He instilled the will to win, as did the others, and
always maintained discipline in his teams which brought much success,
but the game was always played fairly. This it would seem is an integral
part of any successful sporting team.
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Saturday 23rd October
Despite the rain I shall be turning up expecting to
play golf with my fellow 'TOGS'. If I manage a score
anywhere near 30 points I will be reasonably happy, after all I have
only had 3 games in 5 weeks. Positively a drought!
Later on tonight, accompanied by Mrs Boggy, I shall
be attending the 'TOGS' founder member and generally 'good egg', Willy
Smith's 50th birthday celebrations.
Friday 22nd October
I did not think I had been affected by jet lag until
last night. I was watching the Newcastle United match on TV
and fell asleep during the second half. I know it was a dull
game but nodding off at 9pm? Only one thing for it, I went
to bed at 9.30pm and enjoyed another good night's sleep before waking up
at 5.30am (OK so I had to use the bathroom 3 or 4 times through the
night as is normal because of the drugs).
I expect by this time tomorrow I should be OK and am
already looking forward to my first game of golf in the new 'TOGS'
season with my mates.
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It's rewarding to know that I am not typing away in
vain. I have had lots of comments about my GBTCC Tour
cricket reports already, and It is not yet finished. Keeping
reading chaps and don't be afraid of the 'Guest Book'.
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Thursday 21st October
It's nice to visit other parts of the world and
sample new cultures and way of life, not to mention their weather, but
it is also a good feeling to be back home. Even though
England is a dirty place compared to most countries I have visited and
the weather in the North East of England is 'a bit nippy', I am just
happy to be here!
I would like to welcome along all of my new readers
from Australia who are obviously logging on mainly to read about the
cricket and hope that they enjoy my ramblings on subjects which are of
interest to me on a daily basis. This normally
involves a lot of sport and a bit of politics as well as what I
get up to in the normal day of your average 'Geordie' who just happens
to have had a heart transplant.
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I have been checking my web site statistics for the
month long period I have been on tour down under playing cricket /
golf and doing a spot of running and notice that I have a happy band of
regular readers from far flung places around the globe.
In particular I have a reader from The Netherlands who uses an NHS PC to
log on to me every day. I often wonder about who some of my
readers are and would love this particular Dutchman / woman to leave a
message in my 'Guest Book'. Yes You!
If you are curious as to how I know all of this information, it is a
secret!
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Wednesday 20th October
Whilst I was away on tour in Australia I learned of
the death of two sports icons. Namely, Brian Clough
and Keith Miller.
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As a young man making my way in the world I
worshipped Cloughie and everything he stood for in sport in general and
football (soccer) in particular. He did things right and
said what he thought, no matter who he upset and regularly put people, especially
sporting upstarts, in their place.
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He signed some of the games biggest 'stars' and
controlled them to such good effect that he won 2 League Championships
(Derby County and Nottingham Forest) 2 European Cups and 4 League Cups
for good measure.
Brian Clough had a liver transplant at the Freeman
Hospital in Newcastle in 2003 but sadly died from stomach cancer at the
age of 69 on the 20th September 2004.
Without any question he should have been appointed
the England manager, but was too independent a character for the stuffy
blazer brigade of the FA at the time.
In his playing career he scored 251 goals in 274
games for M'boro and Sunderland , he won a miserly 2 caps for England.
He had to give up playing at an early age but as a manager he was to
become a legend.
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Keith Miller played cricket for Australia before I
was born, but I know enough about the game to recognise a star despite
only reading about his exploits both on and off the pitch.
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He played 55 Tests for Australia between 1945 - 1956,
scoring 2,958 runs at an average of 36.97. He also took 170
wickets at an average of 22.97.
In the recently named Australian 'Team of the
Century' he was picked at #6. Considering the talent that
Australia has at it's disposal this should be testament enough to his
talent.
Keith Miller was also a wartime fighter pilot and
treated and played cricket in the manner which it deserved - a game.
He was once asked if he was under much pressure when playing for
Australia and his legendary reply says it all. "Pressure?
I'll tell you what pressure is. Pressure is a Messerschmitt
up your arse, playing cricket is not".
Keith Miller died on 11th October 2004.
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I and many sports fans across the world will miss
these two flamboyant characters who played the game and did things
right, as well as giving millions of fans immense pleasure.
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In contrast some things it sees just never change,
especially at Newcastle United Football Club. I have been
catching up with some sports news and was staggered but not surprised to
read that new manager Graeme Souness made one of his brat pack attend a
police station after he was allegedly caught urinating on the streets of
Newcastle.
Souness has also had to warn the dislikeable Craig
Bellamy as to his future behaviour after he was seen by millions (me
included in Australia) swearing at his his manager for being substituted
in the recent game against Charlton.
I make no comment except to say that it will all end
in tears sooner rather than later. This idiotic behaviour by
highly paid footballers is copied by youngsters all over the land who
treat these so called 'stars' as Gods, just as I once looked to the likes of Clough
and Miller. Please compare and discuss.
Tuesday 19th October
G'day to all of my readers: I am back!
I am too tired to write anything profound, but once I
have slept off the jet lag I have loads to write about and my trip down
under with the Great Britain Transplant Cricket Club (GBTCC).
My son has been looking after 'chez Boggy' for the
past month and the newspapers are piled up at least three feet
high. I would put them into the dustbin but there is
no room in said receptacle due to empty beer cans. Oh to be
young eh?
I was in Australia at the time of their General
Election and was amazed to learn that all Australians have to vote.
Failure to do so results in a $200 fine. A chap named Howard
was re-elected as PM. Hmmmmm? It couldn't happen
here though , could it?
Is that nice Mr Blair still in charge?
Back to
September
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