David Easson

Oxford Away

Jan 21st

By David Easson (TFM 96.6)

7.35am - woken by boss on phone. Hang up on boss

7.36am - boss rings back, tells me Giles is sick and can't drive to Oxford. I had been down to go to the Riverside to see Middlesbrough Get eat by Wigan, but the offer of League Two football (and probably the ack if I don't go) is too much!

7.41am - Realise red wine last night was bad idea.

8.30am - Organise lift with the lads from the Northern Echo and, curiously, reserve keeper Jack Norton. The journey's a decent one, but one of those that's just a BIT too long. uckily Donington Park services has a Marks &Spencer food court and I'm on expenses.

Result! One sausage roll and a smoothie later, life feels better and off to The Kassam we go. Man, it's a long way isn't it?

1.20pm - Arrive a la Kassam. It's a bit swanky, if three-sided. At least we can see the car from the press box. 2pm - Game On goes on air, with Giles and Terry in the studio (closer to a toilet. Crab for first course apparently).

2.15pm - We get the team news. 4-3-3. Attacking stuff. As long as it doesn't turn 4-5-1 and leave Lafferty isolated. I tell Terry this on air and he agrees, telling me the same thing back, but now crediting himself with the idea. Good old Terry! Spot Timmy Mallet in the crowd. He's wearing a silly hat.

2.30-3pm - I spend this time sorting out who's playing where, checking with the local reporters how Oxford will play and noting things down for myself during reports. The show we do is based at either the Darlington or Hartlepool game, with me at the other or possibly with Middlesbrough. I get to see the whole range of football from the Premiership down to League Two, so it's a varied job.

The Quakers start the game brightly and every-so-often Giles will come to me and I'll prattle on for a while about the game. Lafferty's playing well, and is getting the help he needs from the wingers, but there's just a lack of a cutting edge in front of goal. It's also getting a bit tasty in the tackle, with Simon Johnson Getting a yellow card. Then, just before half time he probably should be sent off for a bad challenge that was coupled with a raised arm. He gets away with it and Darlo progress.

Half Time - Oxford 0 Darlington 0 I do my half time report and have a chat with terry on air trying to See where a win can come from. The I try and get more tea, because it's getting a bit nippy out!

Second Half - Sodje on and putting himself about then BANG! 1-0, Jonjo Dickman fires one in on the run. Cue panic as I ring the studio and they come to me as quickly as possible, usually straight away. Then I've got to instantly recreate the goal in my head and think About who did what. If we get the odd thing wrong please don't blame us too much, because it can be very tricky! (I watch Football League Review sometimes and wonder if I was at the same game!) We get it right most of the time.

A local journalist asks me if it was Dickman's first of the season, but I've not got my stats (well, I've got Middlesbrough stats cos that's where I was planning to be today, but they're not much use here). The three of us come up with yes as an answer, later realising that he'd scored against Cheltenham. It's too late and the Press Association man goes and tells everyone in the world. Annoying several Darlo fans for the next week.

Darlo go on to make nothing of several good attacks and it starts to look like the last ten minutes will be very nervy, and they are. Oxford are no great shakes but you can't help but wonder if Darlo are slowly aiming the gun for their foot.

Finally Simon Johnson gets away on the break and (just) manages to put it away. 2-0 and we can all go home happy.

Full Time - Oxford 0 Darlington 2 I do my full time report and have another chat on air while waiting For Hodgy to come up to the press box. When he arrives he goes live with me on TFM. He's happy with the Result and grateful for the referee's decision not to send Johnson off. He also assures us all that it was 4-3-3 and not 4-5-1. He's very adamant about that!

Once the interview's done my job's over and it's back to the car. Despite a minor wrong that sends us West for bit, we get back in good time. I get home by half nine and even manage a night out. Everyone's a winner!

Cheers

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Oxford Away

Jan 21st

By David Easson (TFM 96.6)

7.35am - woken by boss on phone. Hang up on boss

7.36am - boss rings back, tells me Giles is sick and can't drive to Oxford. I had been down to go to the Riverside to see Middlesbrough Get eat by Wigan, but the offer of League Two football (and probably the ack if I don't go) is too much!

7.41am - Realise red wine last night was bad idea.

8.30am - Organise lift with the lads from the Northern Echo and, curiously, reserve keeper Jack Norton. The journey's a decent one, but one of those that's just a BIT too long. uckily Donington Park services has a Marks &Spencer food court and I'm on expenses.

Result! One sausage roll and a smoothie later, life feels better and off to The Kassam we go. Man, it's a long way isn't it?

1.20pm - Arrive a la Kassam. It's a bit swanky, if three-sided. At least we can see the car from the press box. 2pm - Game On goes on air, with Giles and Terry in the studio (closer to a toilet. Crab for first course apparently).

Half Time - Oxford 0 Darlington 0 I do my half time report and have a chat with terry on air trying to See where a win can come from. The I try and get more tea, because it's getting a bit nippy out!

Darlo go on to make nothing of several good attacks and it starts to look like the last ten minutes will be very nervy, and they are. Oxford are no great shakes but you can't help but wonder if Darlo are slowly aiming the gun for their foot.

Finally Simon Johnson gets away on the break and (just) manages to put it away. 2-0 and we can all go home happy.

Once the interview's done my job's over and it's back to the car. Despite a minor wrong that sends us West for bit, we get back in good time. I get home by half nine and even manage a night out. Everyone's a winner!