Wednesday 19 December 2007

The power of 10




Interestingly, Ricky Villa wore every outfield shirt number for Spurs except the number 2, though he never scored against City whilst wearing the number 10 shirt, and Ossie Ardiles (who wore a number 1 shirt in the 1982 World Cup and managed the team that won the Japanese Emperor's Cup in 2004) never played alongside Hicham Zerouali, which is a bit of a shame.

I am a highly superstitious man when it comes to footy (as a matter of fact, in general life, I do throw salt over my left shoulder and avoid walking under ladders; I hastily uncross knives, and can't quite get over the fact that people wantonly pass each other on staircases) and so there was something creepy about all the number 10 coincidences leading up to, as well as during, the game last night.

First of all, there was a load of guff in the papers on Sunday and Monday about 'Sven 10', 'Ten for Sven' and all that shite, because of City's perfect home record following the comeback against Bolton. This I perceived as not good. I'm not one to crow about future games for fear of the hoodoo. Then, my oriental friend, Don Cake, told me that he had been leafing through my (as yet unread by myself) Perfect 10 football book. At this stage, I hadn't made the connection, of course, but some unseen force clearly had.

Needless to say, Sky were not showing the game because Blackburn and Arsenal were playing, and nothing can upstage that little party, can it? Don and I watched the game in Kennedy's in the heart of Goonerland, squeezed into a corner because there was a ladies darts match taking place near the big screen, with a very small handful of people watching the match rather half-heartedly. None of this augured well, and Sky being Sky, or me being unobservant, I didn't get the score from Eastlands until the second half was about to kick off at Ewood. One nil down, with Spurs down to 10 men. Ten men. This was getting ominous.

Then, with about 10 minutes to go (I'm stretching a point, I know...) Spurs stuck another one in. At least Robbie Keane didn't score it, but Arsenal did get Denilson sent off, and won despite being reduced to ten men. So clearly, it's all in the numbers. Blackburn are the next visitors to Eastlands after a tough away match at Villa Park this weekend, so it looks as if the 10/10 home league record might not be in the bag either.

9 comments:

Myeral said...

Naturally, 10 comments on this post would be appreciated.

Anonymous said...

Dear Sir,

It is not fashionable to suggest that those dark and nameless forces that rule our destinies may be dimly glimpsed through SUCH DEVICES as the science of numbers. I applaud you.
I myself hear voices and am vouch-safed such wonders as the danger of dolphins on the tube.

Sincerely,

Donald Cake

Myeral said...

Donald, you betray your origins as a grockle. Every Londoner worth his salt carries a kipper tucked in his braces, or just beneath his bib and tucker. These can be deployed to keep the dolphins occupied until one reaches Cockfosters.

Anonymous said...

Dear (long suffering against the Spurs)City fan,

And we all thought City had turned to the corner with the arrival of "sexy Swede Sven"! Not quite especially against City's bete noir. Even I was amazed with the resilience of Spurs to hold on to a 1-0 lead with ten men (I won't say it was the ineptitude of City infront of goal with the arrival of captain Castillio from Miami Vice!). Call me supersticious but I think the result may just have been karma for the lunging tackle Stephen Ireland got sent off for in the preceeding fixture in the league (that City incidentally lost 2-1!). As for your fascination with the number 10, the only offering I can give is that the last time Gus Poyet played City in a domestic cup game he was brought on as a substitute in the 10th minute of the game. Incidentally Spurs went 3-0 up after that but preceeded to capitulate in the second half and lose 4-3!

Donald Rumsfeld

Anonymous said...

I feel I'm fanning the flames of a smouldering neurosis but anyway, have fun:

http://www.psychics.co.uk/shop/numerology.html

Myeral said...

Mr Rumsfeld

You are clearly a knowledgeable football fan. If there were any karma in football, City would be World Cup winners by now, and half of North London wouldn't be in a permanent state of amusement at the other.

There is little 'incidental' about City losing 2-1 as a result of the Granny Fantasist's dismissal at The Lane either, I have to say.

Anyway, thanks for your contribution. Did Poyet wear the 10?

Myeral said...

ep

Smouldering Neurosis could be the name of a pop group performing around the same time as Lufthansa Airport. Thanks for the link.

Anonymous said...

10 lashes on the arse

Anonymous said...

How ironic that Spurs v Reading threw up 10 goals, eh?