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25th July 2006
ROGER BENNETT made a matchday trek to
kiss the Blarney Stone in the hope of bringing Faversham Town
luck.
The world-famous stone on the
top storey of a castle in the tiny village of Blarney, five miles
west of Cork, is said to give the gift of eloquence to all
those brave enough to bend over backwards and pucker up.
Dear old Roge had asked several
players - and skipper Julian Beal in particular - to accompany him
on his early-morning adventure but to a man, they all declined.
PUCKERING UP...Roger Bennett kisses the Blarney Stone
And it was a decision they would
live to regret because they could have done with "a bit of
the old Blarney" when manager Terry Cordice found out they
only just missed Roger leaving as they returned home from the
night before.
To be fair, Bealy would have
been in bed a good deal earlier than 5.30 had he been able to find
his own room at the plush Rochestown Park Hotel in Douglas, just a
couple of miles from Cork.
Time and time again, he insisted
his room key would not work only to realise he had been trying to
get into a team-mate's bedroom. Not that anyone was disturbed you
understand - the team-mate in question was still in the hotel bar.
Eloquence is not something you
normally associate with footballers. Indeed, most think it's
something you might find alongside the lions and tigers at
Howletts.
But young James Holder was razor
sharp after being eyeballed - at a range of just a few centimetres
- by Cork City manager Damien Richardson who stood in as referee
during the match on Saturday.
Holder - the archetypal cheeky,
chirpy Cockney - introduced some industrial language to
proceedings after a spot of handbags in midfield.
But former Gillingham boss
Richardson was on him like a flash, demanding who the young
upstart was talking to? "Who's the boss here?" raging
Rico repeated, as the brash Holder went crimson red and looked
earthwards.
But our Cockney rebel avoided
souring foreign relations when he retrieved his dropped vowels
from the floor and replied: "I'm very sorry for swearing,
Sir."
I really hope Andy Martin goes
on to become a big success at Salters Lane because the new boy was
an absolute star on tour. The former Whitstable Town striker is
expected to sign on this week and one thing is for sure - he will
ask to borrow the pen.
Despite just getting to know his
new team-mates, the young forward was seen stepping out in
everyone's clothes except his own during our three days on the
other side of the Irish Sea.
Bealy was not the first person
to suggest he should have brought a bag bigger than the tiny lilac
and purple holdall he had inevitably borrowed to come away with.
Marc Leader - never one to shy
away from a spot of mickey-taking - really went to town on the
club's new recruit with hilarious results.
Andy hit back at his assailant,
insisting he had packed a small bag only because he'd expected to
spend most of his time lounging around by the swimming pool.
"So did you bring your
trunks?" inquired big Marc, knowing the youngster had caused
a few ripples all right but not in the pool.
"Certainly not!"
came the inevitable reply.
Organising a trip abroad is
always likely to cause a few headaches but as we travelled home
singing the club's new anthem "Roar 'Em On!" it all
seemed worthwhile.
The club's new anthem? Oh yes, I
almost forgot to mention it.
Kissing the Blarney Stone
clearly worked for old Roge because he put the finishing touches
to his new Town song after puckering up in Ireland and was handing
out songsheets as we left for the airport.
Watch this space - with the luck
of the Irish, It'll be Christmas No 1.
JAMES BROWN
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