The Sentinel 26

The Sentinel

Vol. 2 , Issue 9, 5 May 2009

www .thesentinel.eu

Integrity, heart, humour

Page 2-3

Page 4

Feature

Perspectives

Queen’s Day in pictures

Pete and Gary all blue

Page 5

Sport

The final push

Page 6

Sport

The Gold Room

Curious orange

The sun shone and it might have been the best Queen’s Day ever, if not for one idiot and his car. Nevertheless, the Dutch were determined not to let him spoil the day completely.

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Curious Orange

Denson walks from and back to the East...

The Amstel, watery gateway

A family sets off to town

Military pontoon stage

A way in

Water police

Increasing traffic

Beatrix bust boat

Final bridge to old city

Orange kebab

Slam FM, Rembrandtplein

Fresh beers outside

Posh lunch

Mystic orange

Everything sales, tax free

Shocking drinks

The neighbours

Rocking at the old jail house

aaaaahh

Water babies

Museumplein

Ex porn star stage

TWSTD stage

Heading out

Time to rest again

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Curious Orange Gary strolls from Vondelpark to De Pijp...

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Reader writes Pete and Gary’s big blue adventure

by Gary Pulford 19 April–Everton’s first trip to Wembley since 1995 and their first ever to the new Wembley stadium. It proved to be a grand day out for two of our Evertonian readers.

Journey, hotel and tube negotiated, we did eventually meet our contact and, after the obligatory couple of pints at the Wembley Plaza Hotel, we headed towards the magnificent Wembley Stadium. The route was awash with blue and white, and very noticeably swelling with Evertonians. I know that will sound biased, but in all honesty it was. [This viewpoint was confirmed by independent radio and television reports]

It was an early start on FA Cup semi-final Sunday. Meeting time at Amsterdam Centraal: 7.30am. It was a beautiful morning and quite busy. We headed off to Brussels to meet our connecting Eurostar bullet train. It really does fly along at breakneck speed… At least until we neared the coast of France, where we slowed down to a halt. After more than half an hour, we were getting a little nervous, as we didn’t have a lot of time to play with and still had to pick up our tickets. The same thing happened in the tunnel on the way back, incidentally.

Wembley impressions Walking into the stadium, after being body searched, it was hectic but relatively free in the catering areas. I was shocked when Pete came back with a programme in his hand, telling me it cost only five pounds (about five euros, these days). I think I paid the same amount more than 20 years ago!

It truly is a massive place and looking up to the top tier can give you neck ache. I wondered if the people up there could actually see who was who on the pitch. When the game started there were noticeably empty seats in the United end to our right, but it was packed solid in the blue end... A beautiful sight indeed.

The agony and the ecstasy The game... What can I say? We were more than a little surprised when we heard Alex Ferguson’s team selection – no Ronaldo, Rooney or Berbatov, not to mention Van der Sar, Evra, Carrick, Giggs or Scholes – but neither side managed to find the net, even after extra time. I’ve watched penalty shoot-outs a few times and always said to myself “imagine if it was my team”. I can only say that it’s absolutely nerve racking when it’s your team and to

win it against arguably the best club in Europe, well, it sends you into orbit!

After the dust settled and the sirens going off outside the stadium had died down, we managed to get on to the tube and back into central London to relax at our hotel and digest the day over a pint of Guinness, or two. All in all, a memorable day and we get to do it all again in May!

5

Sport FFL focus The final push

by Gary Rudland

In this final issue of The Sentinel before the end of the 2008-2009football season, we just have time to squeeze in two more FFL team profiles of competitors pushing for the Fantasy Football League

Andrew Rogers and Kate Holdsworth Andrew (Rill to his friends)

Although Kate has won fantasy football

is a lifelong Ipswich sup-

competitions in the past, she cannot stand

porter and chose his team of

the game. Rugby and cricket are her fa-

predominantly

former-Ips-

voured sports and she only entered the

wich players at the very last

FFL to prove that you don’t have to know

minute, sitting outside the pub

much about football to do well and to

on the day before the season

beat all the boys! Point proven… Almost.

began. His team has changed since then, of course, but it did give him a good platform on which to build.

Tractors & Trailers

Dean Windass is a Legend

GK: Howard (Everton) – only recently brought in by Rill, Howard has had another fine season

GK: Green (West Ham) – part of an end-of-season reshuffle and a bit of a gamble,

and can look forward to an FA Cup final. Rat-

but a unique choice. Rating: 7.0

ing: 7.5

DEF: L. Young (Aston Villa) – the obligatory Villa defender is not looking as good

DEF: Bosingwa (Chelsea) – has tailed off in

a buy as he did a few months ago. Rating: 6.5

recent weeks, but is fit again for the run-in.

Rating: 8.0 DEF: Arbeloa (Liverpool) – great value and

DEF: Alex (Chelsea) – has proven to

Liverpool haven’t given up on the title yet.

be a wise selection with Carvalho’s

Rating: 8.0

continuing injury. Rating: 8.0

DEF: Vidic (Man Utd) – this season’s highest scoring defender in the FFL. Rating: 8.5 DEF: Bramble (Wigan) – Wigan have struggled in recent weeks, but his overall

DEF: Arbeloa (Liverpool) – has had an outstanding season. Rating: 8.0

points tally easily justifies his inclusion. Rating: 7.5

MID: Ronaldo (Man Utd) – took his time, but has now regained the form that

MID: Carrick (Man Utd) – not a high points scorer, but virtually guaranteed to

made him European footballer of the year. Rating: 9.0

start. Rating: 7.5

MID: Barry (Aston Villa) – consistent performer and penalty taker. Rating: 8.0

MID: A. Young (Aston Villa) – Villa’s season may have fallen apart, but Young’s

MID: Cahill (Everton) – if anyone can inspire Everton to an FA Cup final win, it just

form has been relatively consistent. Rating: 8.0

might be this man. Rating: 8.0

MID: Fabregas (Arsenal) – appears to have regained his best form, but can he

MID: Fabregas (Arsenal) – can the captain lead his team to Champions League

maintain it? Rating: 8.5

glory? Rating: 8.5

MID: Lampard (Chelsea) – the highest scorer in the FFL this season. Magnificent!

MID: Denilson (Arsenal) – his reputation is growing and he is certainly one for the

Rating: 9.0

future. Rating: 7.5

MID: Fellaini (Everton) – looks like a clown on stilts, but is racking up the points.

FOR: Anelka (Chelsea) – keeps popping up with goals, although starts are no

Rating: 7.0

longer guaranteed. Rating: 8.0

FOR: Kuyt (Liverpool) – a model player, whose points tally is catching up with his

FOR: Rooney (Man Utd) – is in a superb vein of form and could make the differ-

reputation. Rating: 8.0

ence. Rating: 8.5

Total rating (max. 110): 87.5

Total rating (max. 110): 87.0

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Sport

By Denson Pierre

It seems as though almost a decade has passed during which it has been argued that Frank Lampard is somehow inferior to the likes of Steven Gerrard at football. The debate can be incestuously English and the league has generally told a different story.

Both players are very high scoring attacking midfielders, whose styles could not be more different. Effectiveness, however, is not always a style issue.

Gerrard, playing mainly in red, always appears flashier and is perceived as the stronger and faster sprinter. Lampard has mastered the art of controlled release of his prodigious skills. Over the course of a full season, Frank Lampard is generally fitter and marginally more reliable as a player.

Having already been consistently in the top 5% of scorers in the FFG over the past few years, this season Lampard has managed to rise elegantly to Player of the Season level.

It remains probable that Lampard will end the season having been instrumental in Chelsea winning at least one of the three trophies for which they are still vying. Nothing even close to the same can be said of Steven Gerrard.

The two managers who have the best chance of winning the Fantasy Football Gold competition will need to keep a close eye on this outstanding number eight if they wish to collect the golden envelope at the end of the season.

Colophon Editor - Denson Pierre, Gary Rudland Contributors - Gijs Smeets Design & Realisation - Andreea Bulisache

Webmaster - Simon O. Studios / Web host - AmsterJammin Email - sentinelpost@gmail.com Website - www.thesentinel.eu