Crimes Against Football

Arrived safely in London on Friday and caught the underground from Heathrow which is as far west as the tube goes to London City Airport which is almost as far east as it goes.  79 min trip for £3 each.  Nice.

Stayed at a travel lodge for £50 incl buffet breakfast which while still cheap by Oz standards is much more than some of the £10-£15 deals we have had on other trips.

Saturday we were up early and off to the London Docklands Museum where we had booked Ben in to see Santa in his grotto in the sailor town section of the museum..very impressive with Edwardian cobbled streets and shops and elves with candles directing us.  Ben reads the blog so I won't discuss the whole belief issue but I'd say time is running out before moving in to the convenient going along with it phase.

From there it was off to E13 for our first game this trip, West Ham vs Sunderland.  Sunderland are last and deservedly so.  Unfortunately we are 4th from bottom and I can't mount any sort of rational argument that we should be higher.  A dreadful game between two dreadful teams officiated over by dreadful officials.  Andre (too posh for a w) Mariner had a shocker as ref.  I know we have a thousand injuries (only a mild exaggeration) but we were terrible.  Playing a lone striker up front (and I use the term striker generously, I was calling for his substitution all game including after we had used all 3 allowed subs) at home against the bottom team.  And the skills on display were terrible.  I actually commented to Carole that watching the game may be harmful to Ben's football development.  And I meant it.  Perhaps the only saving grace was that Ben's ticket was free and ours half price as part of our Academy memberships. Anyway the game ended 0-0 which was an apt result.  Least I don't have to say the score out loud which would probalby lead to Sam waxing on again about nil all being an Australian invention and how I should be saying nil nil.

After the game we started to head off to Oxford St to have a wander but Ben was so tired we changed plans and headed home.