Pigeons and politics - September 2025 review of the month

I haven't blogged much this month because I've been too busy to blog! But I did post about Cathy and I celebrating our 27th wedding anniversary with some on-ice punch ups watching Cardiff Devils, as well as our visit to the new Lego Shop. Plus, you can catch up on my Book of the Month (about riotous protests in the 19th Century) and my Blood Bowl match report from my 10th game of the year with Bryan. 

I also had a trip to Glasgow with work. One thing I noticed on my fleeting overnight visit is Glasgow has some of the biggest pigeons ever! They're also honoured with street art. 

Also, it appears the Doctor has got lost.

Before my all day meeting started I made it to the local Celtic Shop to pick up a couple of pin badges for my growing sports badge collection.

My main focus this month has been canvassing. There is a by-election in Caerphilly and I've been up a couple of times to support the campaign efforts.

Sara was also canvassing so we got to work together, which was really lovely.

More locally, we have started canvassing at stations during the morning commuter rush. This has mainly been me and Anna, one of the candidates in our area for the Senedd elections next year. 

I find canvassing fun. I've had lots of friendly conversations with people and it's really good exercise! (I think it's really helped me lose weight as that was my goal since getting some negative health news in April - at my end of September weigh in I had lost 10kg, which is over a stone).

In other political news I went to the Yes Caerdydd AGM where I had agreed to run a quiz. Cathy helped me put together the questions, including a brilliant picture round of famous dragons! (Well it is for Yes Cymru!) 

Jack and Elin were the winning team and had prizes of Yes Cymru tea towels along with the trophy.

In other social news, I had a very late opportunity to see the lad Connor as he made a rapid-fire visit to the Diff. We went out for French toast brunch and caught up on life. It was lovely to see him. 

The football season continues. I went to four senior level games in the month. Cardiff Dracs beat Aberystwyth in their first home win in the Cymru South for the Dracs.

It was also my 25th match at the Dracs ground.

My friend Rhys was there and made a video all about his personal connection with Gabalfa and the Dracs. If you skip forward to about 9 minutes in you'll see my cameo. 

The win over Aberystwyth was part of an unbeaten September for the Dracs. I couldn't get to all their games but I did see them beat Cwmbran Celtic in the Welsh Cup and win away at Llantwit Major.

Here's the windmill that is the reason Llantwit Major play at a ground called Windmill Lane. 

My other game this month was a disappointing defeat for Shrewsbury against Salford City. However, my youngest niece came with us and was very excited to meet the mascots!

I also caught up with my friend Jim and his lad, Nic.

A new independence movement has started! 

My footballing highlight of the month was the day after the Shrewsbury game when I watched my eldest nephew Zac play for his juniors team. He scored 4 goals in a 6-2 rout and was Man of the Match.

We have some more travels planned for this month and I'm hoping that might include another opportunity to watch Zac play. Find out next month whether I make it!

Nostalgia is a weapon - football edition

One of the bon mots Douglas Coupland included in his book Generation X is "Nostalgia is a weapon". It's always stuck with me and I've got older it's become more obvious that 'nostalgia' is weaponised by marketing departments, politicians, and by social media. (How many "good old days" posts pop up on your algorithm? Mine is full of 'em.)

Naturally football clubs have got in on the action. Retro shirts have been popular for a while among fans because they are pure nostalgia fuel. Usually retro tops are just done for leisure wear. But this year, Shrewsbury Town's main kit is a throwback to their kit from 40 years ago. 

I feel I am in the nostalgia crosshairs. Because, this was my first ever kit. Here are some pictures of when I was a matchday mascot way back in 1986. It was a typically grey October day with a crowd of less than 3,000 paying supporters.

I was a lucky mascot. Shrewsbury won 4-1 against Grimsby Town. I wore that kit for the rest of the school year in 'games' every Wednesday afternoon in junior school. 

A few years later we discovered the shirt was an almost perfect fit for our beloved family dog, Celyn.

(She was a very patient dog, putting up with this.)

The shirt I wore as a mascot now has pride of place on my office wall, after Cathy got it framed as a surprise present.

I bought the new season's shirt ahead of Shrewsbury's first game of the season at the weekend. I hadn't bought a replica shirt for a few years - I just haven't liked the designs. But this was one I felt I had to buy. 

I went to the match with my two eldest nephews who patiently queued with me in the club shop before the game. They were less patient during the match itself because it was generally dire to watch and frustrating.

But I had a very funny feeling watching the game. For the first time in a long time it really felt like watching Shrewsbury play. It unlocked a primal memory of those first games I went to, when "Shrewsbury Town" was first imprinted on my brain. This is the colour scheme I knew first. 

Other colour combinations have come and gone. But none have stuck with me this strongly. 

One of my nephews has been to several Shrewsbury games, but for the other, this was his first. Maybe he will have the same imprinting experience and for him, this will always be the true colours of Shrewsbury Town. The circle would be complete. 

January 2025 monthly review

I've seen several social media posts about January being the longest month and people just wanting it to be over. Personally, the month seemed to fly by - helped by a hectic work schedule and a week of birthdays at the end of the month that meant spending a weekend with family. 

In work we are gearing up towards a big conference at the end of February with lots to do in readiness for that. We also said goodbye to two colleagues, one who left for a new job and one who started her maternity leave. So, lots of change to navigate. 

I also had a midweek overnight stay in London, which meant I was able to catch up with my friend Gawain before I got my train home. Because I was getting the late train, I managed to score a special offer on a first class ticket at cheaper than standard rate - a brilliant way to end a long couple of days in London.

I fitted in quite a bit outside of work too. Last year was the year of "quels" at the cinema, and Cathy and I are following a similar pattern so far this year, with a trip to the flicks to see Moana 2. I managed two evenings of Blood Bowl with Bryan - game 1 was a narrow win for my giant rats, game 2 was a hard-fought draw. I also helped out at the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch event in Grange Gardens, organised by the Cardiff Park Rangers. 

A three day weekend in Shrewsbury celebrating three family birthdays included a successful trip to take my Mum sofa shopping. We found some nice new ones that will actually fit into her living room configuration. When we weren't sofa shopping, we were playing games of Scrabble. 

I won both games and Mum has already told me she wants a rematch. My best score was 104 for a word using all seven letters that hit a treble word score (anchore[d], top left). 

I also took my nephew, Zac, to his juniors football game, played in cold wind and icy rain. He was borderline hypothermic by the end, but he earned and scored a penalty and helped his team to a 2-0 victory. He's wearing number 7 in the team now, a bump up from number 14 last season.

I went to two other football matches besides Zac's game. Both games featured Cardiff Draconians - an 8-2 victory at home, and their first league defeat of the season away at Swansea University. Losing to a late goal was tempered by it being a new ground, and my friend Jon joining me and Scott at the game. I am gradually dragging Jon to lower and lower level games. We started at Newport County, then Barry Town and now the Ardal League, the Welsh third tier. Parks football next!

End of season review - football 2023-24

Going to the Wales women's international at the very end of May marked my last live game of the season. So, so here is my review of the year. The Futbology app gives a useful summary:

65 games is a new personal season record. I wasn't expecting to set a new record at the start of the season and the achievement was unintentional. That's more than a game a week, and a bit silly really. 

However, my number of new grounds was lower than previous seasons. I achieved a decent geographical spread, though. (Map from Futbology)

On my season round-up, I listed Barry's away win at Caernarfon as my favourite game of the season. It was a game with 5 high quality goals including a late rocket shot that settled the game in Barry's favour. It was also my debut as a radio commentator. 

The game with the most goals - Swindon Supermarine v Poole Town - was right at the start of the season. Former Barry defender Luke Cooper was playing for Supermarine who unfortunately conceded seven. 

I didn't see any games with more than ten goals this season (unlike 2022-23) and my overall goals total was noticeably lower than the previous season, despite going to more games. 

My stand out memories are Shrewsbury taking the lead against Leeds at a packed Elland Road, being in with the Leverkusen fans at West Ham, the Caernarfon and Supermarine games I've already mentioned, completing the Cymru Premier at Colwyn Bay (with my nephew Zac), Shrewsbury's hilarious three goals at Notts County, and Truro City playing a "home" game in Gloucester against Torquay United. I was also in the crowd at a sold out Meadow to see Shrewsbury renew rivalries with Wrexham for the first time in 15 years, after they were drawn together in the FA Cup.

There weren't many matchgoing disasters, although getting on a train at Cardiff Central to go to a Newport County game and then discovering the next stop was going to be Reading was stressful!

So, it's been an enjoyable 11 months! Roll on next season!

Football Recap of the Month - April 2024 part 2

 ... and on to the second part of my football round up for April!

Game 57: West Ham United 1-1 Bayer Leverkusen

I was in London for a work conference and one of the people I was with secured us tickets for this Europa League Game. Leverkusen had just been crowned Bundesliga champions in Germany. We were in the away end, very high up, but with a great view of the action. 

Game 58: Charlton Athletic 1-1 Shrewsbury Town

I stayed on in London to go to Shrewsbury's final away game of the season. Plenty of fans turned up in fancy dress and Shrewsbury got the point they needed to secure League One status for another season. (Next season they will be the club currently in League One that has been there for the longest number of consecutive seasons.)

Game 59: Colwyn Bay 1-0 Barry Town

I left London on the Saturday after Shrewsbury's game, got the train to Shrewsbury and the next day borrowed my mum's car to drive to Colwyn Bay to see Barry's final game of the season. I took my nephew, Zac, with me. It was his third Barry Town league game and they have lost all three 1-0! 

Llanelian Road was the last ground I needed to "complete" the Cymru Premier League. I've seen Barry play at every ground.

Game 60: Cardiff Draconians 6-0 Seven Sisters Onllwyn

After three new grounds in a row, it was back to the familiar Orange Llama Stadium in Gabalfa for this game in the third tier of Welsh football. I sat with my friends Nic and Scott and we watch Scott's son, Sam, score five of the goals for the Dracs. We were tantalisingly close to seeing Seven Sisters concede seven goals, but I was equally happy when I realised this was game number 60 of the season and the score was 6-0.

Sixty games equals the previous record for me in a season. With a few games lined up in May, I'm hoping to set a new record before the season ends!