Floating Man

My Blip today (or yesterday, as I appear to be posting a day behind currently) is the Floating Man, one of a collection of three on Lower Grainger Street in Newcastle. They are the work of sculptor Sean Henry, and are collectively known as Man with Potential Selves, the other two being Standing Man and Walking Man.

Well yesterday we enjoyed another feast of rugby league. The first game saw the brilliant newly promoted Leigh Leopards blow away hapless Wakefield Trinity. Trinity have no idea on the field and no points on the championship table. Once again they almost got nilled, but managed to score one try which was celebrated like a Grand Final winner by their fans.

Saint Helens ripped Huddersfield a new one in the following match, no real surprises there. During this game my and Brian's goats were got by an annoying man sitting behind us, talking loudly with his friend. Everything they discussed he believed himself to be a renowned expert on, everything his friend told him about he, or someone he knew had done bigger or better and in the course of the conversation he managed to be sexist, racist and homophobic. There was a lot of name dropping and bragging about money too. It did not come as a great surprise to find that he was a quite high ranking retired police officer. And on top of all that every time he stood up to let anyone into the row he stepped down onto our level and turned his back with his trousers lowered to reveal half his arse! Ugh!! Glad he only stayed for one game.

Last game up was Hull FC versus table 
topping Warrington. It was one of the best matches of the weekend. We cheered on Hull of course, and I'm happy to say they won. Their fans are brilliant!

I don't know why only a small percentage of our fans seem to want to cheer and sing much of the time. The loud ones tend to congregate at the back. Normally we try to be with them as we like to sing and chant, and I'm sure a vociferous fan base helps the team. We do have an element among our crowd that don't seem to like noise and should probably go watch snooker instead. When the team are struggling and need the energy of a raucous crowd it can be more like being in church and I don't think it helps. The fans have their own shirt number, 18, and we are meant to be the eighteenth man! It could really make a difference...

After the match we had some food and a quiet drink. I was tired and slept very well when we got back.

It's been an excellent weekend, result aside, but now it's time to hit the road and go back to normal life. Looking forward to seeing Minstrel.