BAD INTENTIONS AT ALANS WAY!

No bad tidings but Sporting Old Boys brought Bad Intentions to Alans Way, with the presence of the Elevation Wrestling Tag Team Champions.

Regardless, the potential of a 3 count (points) meant the boys turned up buzzing with excitement, although the conditions were anything but friendly. Cold, damp, and wet summed it up nicely. The boss laid down the law early doors: play football and don’t get dragged into the nonsense, especially against an opposition known for loving a crunching tackle. From the off, the Bushwacker twins made it clear they were there to smash first and ask questions later.

After a top-class mental pulse raiser from Griff, the lads were fired up and ready to go. This was followed by a team talk from Eddy that Sir Alex Ferguson himself would have applauded — hairdryer not required. The pitch was heavy and unforgiving, leading to a scrappy first half with very little flow and plenty of “enthusiasm” from the opposition.

A few naughty challenges started flying in, and eventually the Bozzy Boys decided they weren’t going to be pushed around. Griffo went in late on one challenge — probably not pretty, but it sent a message that bullying was off the menu. Scott laid some bad intentions himself with a clothesline, that followed with some butting of heads from the opposition. Meanwhile, the opposition centre-midfield partnership, better known as Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior, spent most of the half trying (and failing) to get a rise out of the lads. Although at one point, Eddy was hooked like the Christmas Cod, unreal banter from one of the gruesome twosome as he was reeled in. Eddy, the Cod Father responded by hooking his own mouth, it’s the time of the year for it, proper pantomime stuff.

Drama followed when Griffo and Carl were involved in a penalty incident. A VAR review (aka everyone on the sideline) confirmed it was a world-class dive, but unfortunately the ref bought it and pointed to the spot.

Jack, the deserved Man of the Match, put in a tireless shift, covering every blade of grass and doing the dirty work for the team. He also hit the deck in the opposition box under a challenge that would’ve earned Tom Daley a 10 from the judges, penalty dispatched by Daniel who later added his second getting onto a lofted pass from captain Scott, their defence should have listened to shouts of “he’s behind you” as he scampered through on goal and poked it past the keeper. Earlier in the game Daniel gave an early Christmas gift of his own, this time to Carl, a wonderful through ball which was finished past Jim Leighton in the opposition goal.

The game ended 5-2 as Stu came off the bench to first finish one over the keeper following some tough tackling in the midfield and then channeled his inner Alan Shearer with a flicked header past the goalkeeper following a delivery Santa would have been proud of from Scotty.

Overall, a solid performance from the back line under tough conditions, combined with plenty of hard graft from the midfield, set the second half up nicely and kept the team well in the game.

Stu, Nobby and Big Dome Head

And as if that wasn’t enough effort for one day, the vets later proved they’ve still got legs off the pitch too. The Christmas Doo saw the lads hit the town, plenty of beer consumed (purely for recovery purposes, obviously), questionable dance moves unleashed at the bag, and dignity left somewhere between the first and last song. A top performance all round — on and off the pitch.

Vets causing chaos at the bar!

That’s a wrap for 2025, see you in 2026!

Alans Way Champions