Pregarama 09

Just thought I'd give a quick update on the pregnancy. Things are progressing well and the time has gone pretty fast. Currently we are at 32 and a half weeks. Major issues have been morning sickness that lasts all day, some randomly appearing hives that come and go with no discernible pattern apparent and a hospitalisation for dehydration that lasted 2 nights. Other than that smooth travelling!

Here are some pics of Krystle at 32 weeks

I call this portrait 'Sun shines on Mother with Child'

Looking radiant

Here Krystle shows of her battle scars

Craven Cottage

I have tried to give some idea of the atmosphere of a game, both before and during. Here are some pictures that illustrate what the trip to Craven Cottage is like.

I usually arrive by club helicopter, I wish. This is the view of the ground from the air looking towards Hammersmith (top right corner). The Thames is on the left and the park in front of the ground is Bishops Park

This is a night view of the lights of the ground from across the river

I catch the train to Putney Bridge on the district line. Here is the bridge that was named after the station. To get from the station to the ground you actually walk under this bridge through a tunnel. Too cold to swim.

People coming off the bridge or from under the bridge heading to the ground

Walking through Bishops Park

It's a long walk so it is dark by the time you reach it. Actually the ground just looks cool in the darkness of the night with the lights illuminating the night sky.

Walking along Stevenage Rd towards the ground

You can also walk from Hammersmith station, no park to walk
through though. This is from the other end of Stevenage Rd

This view is from the Hammersmith End walking along the
Thames path. This way is a good exit from the ground if you
are walking back to Hammersmith

Queuing to get into the ground

Walking underneath the Hammersmith Stand

When you reach your seat the clappers may be waiting for you

Unless it's Flag Day, then you get flags

Waiting for the main event, the crowd are reasonably subdued


Billy the Badger gees up the crowd in anticipation

But once the match starts the crowd come alive. The bloke in the
bottom right seems particularly angry that his favourite player
scored and then took off his shirt.

And the fans walk back to Putney Bridge, Fortress Craven
Cottage remains secure and all is good with the world!

The Meaning of Life revealed

I know it seems like all I ever talk about is football and snow, but there is a reason for this. In order to fully convey what it is to live in England I need to immerse you in the culture and way of life. What I'm actually giving you here is a sociological thesis on the English condition, by writing about the football and the weather. It doesn't get more English then that.

So as the snow of winter has been banished and replaced by a strange sort of daily glow that burns your eyes and hurts your head (I looked it up on Wikipedia, apparently its called the sun) We have hit the last 8 games of the Premier League season. Having become the best team in the world by virtue of beating the winners of the FIFA Club World Cup in the previous home game, Fulham looked forward to a visit from a rampaging Liverpool whose last three games had all been big wins againt quality opponents: 4-1 v Real Madrid in the Champions League, 4-1 v Man Utd at Old Trafford and 5-0 against Aston Villa, until recently placed 4th in the Premier League. Liverpool's form and Man Utd's two losses in a row has also reignited the Premier League season by closing their lead over Liverpool to 1 pt (albeit with a game in hand) and in fact if Liverpool beat Fulham they would, at least temporarily be back on top of the Premier League table.

Liverpool warming up

Xabi Alonso shoots and hits the bar

Dickson Etuhu and Xabi Alonso

Torres tackled


Stevie G gets to the ball first. Fulham captain Danny Murphy was a
Liverpool player until Stevie G emerged to take his place.



Stevie G too good again

Schwarzer denies Liverpool again

While Pepe Reina toches the ball for the first time

Rafa watches AJ sit on Kuyts face

And the celebrations begin

As a life long Liverpool supporter . . . . . What? sorry, didn't you realise that my new found love of Fulham FC has basically begun this season. They will forever be etched in my mind and heart as my second favourite team, consolation prize I know but its the best they can hope for compared to over 20 years of waiting for Monday's paper to deliver me scores 36 hours old (the old media), staying to listen to games on the radio then finally being able to watch games at 2 o'clock on a Sunday morning. I'd put in the hard yards supporting my team. And my main motivation for becoming a season ticket holder was to see Liverpool play. Strangely though, a season watching a side play also builds up quite a bond, so I had strangely mixed feelings watching my sides battle it out. Of course I was sitting in the Fulham home supporters section, so had to hide my Liverpool allegiance, but I was actually happy to cheer and sing in all the right places. Liverpool dominated the game, could have been 4-0 up at half time if not for the goal posts, but the game reached injury time after 90 minutes with the game still locked at 0-0. Then 2nd half sub Yossi Benayoun scored with barely seconds to go and I hide my delight from the crestfallen Fulham fans around me. Most could admit though that they had been beaten by a better team on the day. I was just happy that Liverpool were back on top of the table.