onionbagblog

Some basketball games are low scoring, yet still tense. Rebels men Vs Nottingham Hoods was a case in point. It would be slightly unflattering to describe the game as uneventful. It had many personal battles, plus some great passages of play. But both teams focussed more on cancelling each other out, rather than keep the scoreboard ticking over.

On the floor and the Match day MC was keeping everyone happy.

“Copy the pose!”

…came the instruction, as a picture of a Rebs players posing appeared on the big screen. There was a slight wardrobe malfunction with an Essex Rebels T-shirt appearing in the background. The image had been cropped, revealing the un-family friendly message of SEX.

Whoops.

Rebels took a 38-33 lead into the break. It was time for the Christmas Jumper Parade on centre court. I stayed firmly sitting on my seat.

Compared to the women earlier, this was a very clean game. Personal fouls were kept low, with both teams preferring to showcase their skills, rather than their muscles.

The game finally got going in the fourth when Nottingham decided to turn up and chase a win. Rebs were too strong, starting the early Christmas celebrations with a well deserved 85-76 home court win.

Christmas Party GAME NIGHT with the Essex Rebels. Usually I would run a mile from anything that SCREAMS Christmas Party at me - especially so if it involves wearing Christmas jumpers. But I can make exceptions for the Rebs.

I wasn’t sure at first if the visiting Sheffield Hatters were wearing a special Christmas themed game jersey. The bright pink colours took a little time to get adjusted to under the bright lights of the court.

Also taking a little time to adjust to the on court conditions were the Rebels. They were chasing the game - and the scoreboard - throughout al four quarters. The home team were never out of the reckoning, but it was a struggle to try and match the pace of Sheffield.

It’s a team game, obvs, but SHOUT OUT to Paige Myler, who kept Rebels in the game with a succession of BIG three pointers. At one point the Rebels were twelve points down. Myler manager to turn this around to take the Rebs two points clear.

This was the signal for the home crowd to wake up and realise that we had a decent ball game breaking out in front of us.

The scores were level 101-101 with 28 seconds remaining on the clock. This became a game of small margins and sharp coaching. Some strong bench work from Coach Cookson saw the game plan delivered to perfection. A foul was drawn, and Ice Queen Rhema Ogele showed no nerves in sinking her two throws from the line to take Rebels clear.

Having trailed throughout the entire game, only to take the lead come the final buzzer, was indeed reason for a Rebs celebration. I allowed myself a little Shaky Merry Christmas Everyone foot shuffle as the team celebrated. You still won’t ever catch me wearing a Christmas jumper.

Up the Rebs.

A 2pm KO up at Broad Lane as Wivenhoe Town welcomed Leiston U23’s. I still arrived fashionably late - but not as late as some of the regulars who were thrown my the floodlight friendly earlier KO time.

No worries. The score was still 0-0 when I started my routine photowalk around the ground, fifteen minutes after play had started. I should have spent more time at home, perfecting my match day hair styling.

Leiston U23’s were… very young. No shit. You can get away with this at this level playing up front and out wide. A bit pf pace and trickery amongst the youth is difficult to defend against.

SHOUT OUT to the young kids playing at the back and also the very youthful goalkeeper for the away team. This league can be a little belligerent for any slender framed fella coming up against an old school Essex clogger.

OUCH, etc.

It was a decent, competitive game. Both teams battled well. From my position behind the goal in the second half, it looked like Wivenhoe took the lead. I celebrated BIG TIME, even reaching out to high five the fella who was running past me having just scored.

Oh wait. He hit the side netting. YOU DICK, Jase, etc.

A minute later and the Dragons were one up. I was in the right place, right time to capture the money shot on camera. BACK OF THE NET, etc.

An almighty classic non-league goal scramble then followed at the other end. How the chuff the ball stayed out of the net after multiple attempts, I don’t know. Neither do both sets of players.

A very late equaliser for Leiston was deserved, but also devastating for the Dragons. The home team didn’t stop running all afternoon, showing commitment that has sometimes not always been there this season.

This was the best Wivenhoe performance I have seen for a while. The early KO was welcome as well. It meant that I could bugger off for the basketball without missing the second half.

Nottingham Forest 1984 Rare Wrangler Home Football Shirt Medium adidas Vintage

Yes please

From the party that brought you ‘cycle lanes are a waste of money’: Reform UK council hails “excellent” new bike path, celebrating “safer and greener environment for everyone”

Oh dear

Pigeon poo greeted us as rocked up to the Table of Dreams on Friday lunchtime. Which was a little shit. Actually, it was quite a big shit. Neither of us could be arsed to try and clean it up.

The game then took on a new dimension: an extra point was awarded if you managed to land the wind ball on the large pile of pigeon poo. Or maybe that should have been if you managed to avoid the mess, such was the size and scale?

We pressed on. I was crap. I lost 4-2.

POO all round.

I know Alice Cooper is cool, and I’m supposed to like Alice Cooper. But it’s still US rock shite. I haven’t spent the best part of four decades forming my finely tuned musical prejudices to give into this posturing.

⭐ ⭐

Hearing Hans Van Breukelen with Sir Colin of West Bridgford ahead of KP was a real treat. Even the Dutch Master can pull off a Brian Clough impression - albeit with a little local interpretation added in.

The team news dropped. No major surprises. You get the impression that Dyche removed all the best bits out of the Quality Street tin, and threw the rest up in the air to see what landed.

Surely we can beat a team from a Farmer’s League, right?

This was the first outing for the fabled Forest third kit. Third kits are shit. Apart from the legendary Umbro green back in ‘91 (?) that was never worn in a competitive match.

I only realised shortly after KO today the thinking behind our black and orange effort for 2025: it’s the exact same livery as the Europa League itself. Quite clever, although driven by marketing.

Marketing makes everything shite.

Forest were anything but shite in the first fifteen minutes. We had three chances and should have put the game to bed.

You got the impression that some of the lesser spotted players were competing for their PL places. McAtee, Ndoye, Kalimuendo - they all had a point to prove.

As for Victor in goal?

Dear John: I’m going to let you down gently, etc.

Luiz is the missing link. Even not fully fit, he still ran the show. Imagine what might have been if he had been available all season, and Nuno was still Head Coach.

…he would probably be sitting on the bench tbh.

McAtee meanwhile is a January loan move in the making. I’m not sure what’s gone wrong here.

Some Ange the Clown like defending then followed for Forest. SHIT THE BED. This wasn’t part of the script.

Kalimuendo did well after the break with his goal. He’s got a touch of the Taiwo about him: direct, a little unbalanced, but never gives up. Sheer determination allowed him to force home the first goal.

As ever, our set piece defending was shit. 1-1 Oh dear.

But wait! What’s this?

JESUS CHRIST, etc.

Jesus is proving to be the signing of the season for Forest. We got lucky with Chris Wood and his fitness last season. I don’t like to think where we would be this year without Jesus performing his last minute miracles.

And so a first away win in Europe for Forest in thirty years.

Blimey.

We made bloody hard work of it, mind.

MON: CHO.

The shortest of short rows on Thursday afternoon. We’re approaching the Winter Solstice. Time and tide, etc.

There was just enough light - and water - left in the day for a rapid row downstream and back.

This was no epic exploration around Rat Island, or the legendary Buoy 16. Let’s see how far we can get, whilst we can actually see.

Conversation was limited. We did have a brief discussion however about night rowing.

shhhhh.

This is a bit of a frowned activity within the club. But with the right lighting and a strong crew, it’s possible.

But not for today. Just concentrate on what is in front of you as the Estuary Wilds sun started to bugger off.

I was wearing shades, natch. Which didn’t exactly help. But I did look Cool as Fuck.

The cox put me on stroke. I was a man on a mission. I was also a man who wasted no time in breaking a thole pin with my hidden strength.

Sunset was a stunner. We paused briefly, to watch it disappear for another day.

A couple of playful dogs were waiting for us back on the Sailing Club hard. I took something of a splashing during the recovery.

Lights out.

Lidl-Trek reveal signature colourful jersey for 2026, complete with new AI sponsor

Ooh-la-la

Only Nick Cave could get away with an album all about murdering women - although I doubt if he would walk away unscathed in 2025. The Kylie duet gets all the headlines. But it’s the PJ Harvey collab that works best for me. Polly brings out the best baritone in Smiling Nick.

⭐ ⭐