So it’s been another little break here on w1ggy.co.uk as I’ve not really had much time to sit and update all thats gone on, and feeling really tired has meant I’ve not been in the mood for blogging.
The other day I was asked into the gaffers office, and having heard him mention something to someone else, I had an inkling about what it was about. Turned out he had wanted me to leave my house about 11pm that night, and head down to Folkestone, where he was booking me on the 3.30am tunnel crossing over into France, and for me to head just South of Rotterdam!! I was very cautious accepting at first, even with the offer of cash, given I’d never driven abroad and the thought of being on the “wrong” side of the road had worried me a little, that plus the fact Newcastle were on telly that night, and I’d wanted to watch them which meant I wouldn’t be getting any sleep from 7am Wed morning till atleast when I got back on Thursday afternoon/evening sometime. Was always nice to see the Toon overcome a potential bananaskin, and I tried to nod off for an hour but it was not happening, as I found my mind switched on in fear of missing the alarm.
The journey
Set off from my house bout 11pm and headed to fill up the Land Rover. It’s the nicest car I’ve had the pleasure of driving (well apart from the Lambo, Ferarri, Aston Martin and Porsche that day) Was soon on my way tho. I was loving driving down the M1 with no real cares in the world (apart from where the next decent nights sleep was coming from) and the fact that it was raining pretty much for the whole trip. Soon I hit the 50mph speed restrictions around Luton and this hit my eta at the Channel Tunnel. Once past there I cuold get back upto around 75mph and then sit qith Cruise Control on, just aiming the car where it needed to go 
Then more roadworks this time on the bloody M25. By the time I’d gotten to the Tunnel I was about 3 minutes away from missing my check-in time for the Train 
Meant one thing tho… I wasn’t waiting round for very long to jump aboard and chill for the 35 minute crossing, all the time the thought of driving on the “wrong” side of the road going through my mind. It’s amazing that I didn’t really feel tired by this point, given it was around 5pm French time when I popped up in Calais. Quick top up in the Land Rover (well about half a tank) meant that I should have gotten to my destination near Rotterdam and pretty much back to Calais before needing any more Diesel, then the mini-panic that was getting onto the French roads. It was really easy in hindsight and the arrow pointing to the right at the first roundabout I came to helped alot From then on it was just a case of listening to the Sat Nav and being as polite as possible regarding road ettiquette i.e. Staying on the right unless over-taking, and trying not to bring any unwanted attention to myself from the French, Belgian or Dutch Police. Was amusing seeing all the English cars drive past, or going past the UK plated cars, but they soon thinned out once I hit Belgium. Quick stop and I was soon on my way again, arriving on the doorstep of the Dutch people around 8:45am Dutch time.
There was no rest for the wicked tho, as I headed back continually getting confused by the fact my phone had updated it’s self to the new forgeign time zone, as had part of Marks car, but the Sat Nav and everything were still working in UK time so I had no idea when I’d arrive at Calais for my car ride home. Got to the check-in early, and it said I could jump on an earlier train across so rather than sit and wait till 13:30 I could jump across at 12:50 so I took that option and went to find the security bit. It was soo bloody easy to get out of the country, but they make it so long winded trying to get back in. Maybe its cos I’m a young looking lad (Stop laughing back there) driving a pimped out Land Rover with blacked out windows and that or maybe they’re like this with everyone who knows!
“Where you been?”
“Near Rotterdam”
“What was the nature of your visit there?”
“To drop off some marquees for work”
“When did you get there?”
“Well I left last night from Mansfield and drove to Rotterdam this morning, and I’m now on the return trip to get home”
“Are you alone?”
“Yeah last time I checked!”
They sit mulling over my answers before getting a security guard to give the car a quick once over before letting me through security.
I still insist they thought I was on a drugs run or something, but they didn’t find anything, meanwhile a lad 2 vehicles in front has to pretty much empty his van there and then so customs could check if he was trying to smuggle someone in like this clip on youtube from Only Fools and Horses
Was soon back in the UK and a little confused at first as to how to drive on the left again, before I soon hit the Motorway on the M20 and was on my way home. Sat Nav said I’d be home for around 3pm so I was happy. Get back, quick nap before going to watch Claire play in her first game of the season away at Long Eaton. That was easier said than done tho, as I hadn’t added into the equation the bloody roadworks scattered around the M25, or the long delays around the M25/M1 junction, so I decided to get Sat Nav to give me a little detour, which helped alittle (apart from 50% of road users Sat Navs had the same idea grrrr) Finally got back to the gaffers house around 5:45, so it was a case of swap his car for the Warrior, quick bite to eat or something, change and then out to watch Mansfield Town Ladies. It wasn’t till I got to the ground that I realised that I’d eaten nothing since around 9pm the previous evening, and had managed to do the 900 mile round trip with 2 cans of Monster Ripper and a large bottle of Lucozade 
The least said about that game the better, as the girls just didn’t turn up and it was so frustrating on a wet and cold night seeing a team that had played so well in their friendlies just fall apart at the seams like that, and the 7-0 score-line was a hard one to take for all the girls and Dean, who has mentioned that he sat up till 2am the next morning just wondering what the hell he did wrong, and coming to the conclusion that he didn’t it was just a case of the girls not turning up. First game of the season nerves???
They faired a whole lot better on Sunday just gone, getting their goal-difference back upto 0 with an 8-1 demolition of Sandiacre Ladies. The whole team played so much better and it was great to see them playing with a smile on their face. Maybe the first game against Long Eaton was the kick up the back side they needed. Hopefully they can go on to better things from now.
Latest updated map of Wiggys UK tour
- Yellow – Following Mansfield Town Ladies FC
- Pink – Holidays or trips out
- Blue – Hire jobs / Work
Their latest mid-week fixture (They seem to be playing 6 games in 18 days at the start of the season) took them to Gedling Town Ladies on a Wednesday night match. Would have kicked off at the alloted 7:30pm had the women from Gedling not been busy making packed lunches and remembering to bring the bloody keys to let everyone in. After helping warm Emma the goalkeeper up on Sunday, I again took her into the goals and got her warmed up throwing and kicking balls at her, as it must be easier as a goalkeeper to stretch for shots rather than warming up with the rest of the team, so I’d like to see myself in a new role as goalkeeper warmer-upper AS WELL AS waterboy! The Stags were playing some good stuff, but it just appeared that final ball was not quite there. There seems to be times when their decision making just wanders a little and they shoot when they could have threaded a pass through or vica versa, but they’re slowly getting there 
After going 1-0 down it was very much against the run of play, and a goal from Stacey just before half-time gave them that confidence boost, and 2 further goals in the 2nd half game them a well-deserved 3-1 win. 6 points from their opening 3 games isn’t too bad. Trip to Loughbrough Foxes this Sunday and hopefully another hard-earned 3 points to carry on the start to the season (They do play a home game soon, cos I’ve seen the fixtures )
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