Derby County 3 v 4 Everton                                     Saturday 23rd March 2002
Kick-Off: 3.00pm   Att: 33,297

0-1 Unsworth (38mins)
0-2 Stubbs (50 mins)
0-3 Alexandersson (54 mins)
1-3 Stupar (58 mins)
1-4 Ferguson (71 mins)
2-4 Morris (76 mins)
3-4 Strupar (80 mins)

Everton : Simonsen, Hibbert, Weir, Stubbs, Unsworth, Carsley, Gemmill, Gravesen, Blomqvist, Radzinski, Ferguson (Captain Fantastic)

Subs: Gerrard, Clarke (Stubbs 82m), Campbell (Radzinski 57m) , Alexandersson (Carsley 27m), Linderoth.

For the first time in ages we travelled to the game with real confidence, the talk was all about how this was the first of quite a few '6 pointers' but after last Saturday and still buzzing from the Hall of Fame do on Thursday night we were hoping that the Moyes revolution was about to continue. It wasn't going to be easy, Gregory has revitalised The Rams who had won 3 out of the last six so both teams have their tails up, which one was about to be shafted.

As U2 blasted out of the speakers, the Blue boys came onto the pitch to a rapturous welcome from the travelling blues, too many in fact - the most asked question in the ale'ouse was 'Any spares mate?' We were hoping that it was going to be The Toffees who had the Pride and showed the Desire. Derby had a young kid between the sticks, a Swiss lad with a name like blow job, Fellatio?! Was he going to have a blinder or a nightmare.

Pisto had the flu so Rhino dropped back into defence and Jesper came into the middle. No sign of Joe-Max or Ginola - looks like Moyesy was already cracking the whip!

After we had comfortably dealt with a first minute Derby corner we tested the young goalie with an early cross and he coped well. It was a frantic pace early on with tackles flying in, Derby were well up for it and we were losing out the early exchanges. Tommy had obviously ignored Moysey's advice as he clattered Riggott and was lucky not to be booked.

Our first effort on target was following a Gemmill free kick the ball broke free to Tommy who lashed in a fierce volley which the goalie fumbled but managed to save. Neil Barry, the ref, must have had a bet on Derby as this was the first free kick he had given us and there was 15 mins on the clock.

Tommy had another good effort again well saved as we started to get more into the game, was it going to be his day? He certainly had a point to prove after last week! Lee Carsley went down after a late challenge which went unseen, even though he had done rock all we were hoping he'd stay on otherwise The Swede would appear! No chance, Carsley must have been worse than he looked as after he hobbled off he didn't come back. So we had the Ikea sisters on each wing, was it to be the day when Alexandersson gives us some payback? Or would he be subbed as usual 15 mins from the end?

We didn't have to wait long, The Swede was put in by Duncan, crossed to Tommy who teed up Unsy and Rhino drilled it in for his second in consecutive games. Fuck off, what joy! Whilst we had been under the cosh Derby had not really threatened, the Blue boys went mental. One nil up and 5 mins to half time. Derby came right back at us, Ravenelli fired a free kick over the bar from a dangerous position, they kept coming in waves, we needed to dig deep. Gregory was down on the touchline bawling at his side, we were getting to them, just hold on lads, the Z-Cars theme & 'Kopites are Gobshites' rang out in encouragement.

Derby had a corner right on half time and subbed Malcolm Christie before they took it, the corner came to nothing and the ref blew up. So far so good.

HALF TIME 0-1

The second period started well, Duncan rose and knocked it onto the Rad who declined the chase. It might have started well but it got even better. Alexandersson won a free kick and it was in Stubbsy distance, the Evertonian duly delivered. He smashed a vicious free kick in from 25 yards 2-0, dreamland! If we were in dreamland we were soon to be in heaven, the Rad broke on the right crossed into the box Duncan had a stab and it fell to The Swede, he duly delivered - at last 3- 0 was this really Everton? Wake me up, when was the last time we were 3-0 up away.

There wasn't time to blink, we were still celebrating when Strupar smashed in a 25 yard volley to make it 3-1, what a game.

The Rad then made an early exit, he really did not look up for it today maybe he had not recovered from last weeks injury?Super was on in his place. As you would expect, Derby were coming back at us and we were not coping too well, Andy Holden was out screaming at the lads to buck up and get it right, another for The Rams and it would be nerve jangling time! We defending like like novices and Moysey was out letting them know.

They must have been worried at the sight of the boss, Duncan won a long ball and head onto to Super Alexandersson who beat his man and knocked it back into the box, Duncan knocks it in and we go mental again, we haven't had this feeling since West Ham, 4-1 what joy!

We weren't finished yet, we failed to clear danger and Morris headed in at the far post to make it 4-2, only Everton can do this, there was still 15 mins to go! Moysey had seen enough of Gemmill and brought him off for Toby, well he was about to when Stubbsy went down. Super Kev was booked for time wasting and Duncan told the ref what he thought.

Hang on here we go, Derby break down the right, cross whipped in and Strupar heads in at the back post. Can this really be the same team that defended like lions last week? 4-3 game on. Duncan gets booked for time wasting and Stubbsy goes off for Clarky. There is still 7 mins plus added time fuck me Everton why do you do this to us???

Tony Hibbert was next in the book for tripping Morris, another free kick, it's The Alamo for the second week in succession, desperate stuff, could we hang on? How much injury time?
Jesus! 5 minutes!! I can stand it, please hang on, please.

Super Kev could have sealed it at the death he didn't but we did. We don't do things easy do we? Then again that's why we're Evertonians!! Blue Kipper Star Man, yes you read this right, Nic Alexandersson. Lard, mine's a VERY large snifter!! Oh, yes and in the end it was Pride but I still have'nt found what I'm looking for!!

That was the week that was.
By
Mickey Blue Eyes.

Early in the week Gazza left us during the noisy Moyesy incoming circus. As he exited he muttered something about being "stabbed in the back." If true, it wouldn't surprise me in the least. Footy contains some of the worst slugs you can imagine, especially the ones who megaphone about "professionalism," which invariably means the club should be employing the one with the megaphone. You get the same kind of shite from Bates at Chelsea, who now wants UEFA to leave FIFA, preferably with him at the head of course. By comparison Gazza's messy personal life is a paragon of honesty and he as honest as the day is long. Me, I wouldn't employ the former self-promoting curdlepewk to empty the bin, not when they'd sell their own mother to Murdoch's press for £2,000. If Gazza's claim is not merely Guinness-induced paranoia then you can bet your last Euro it traces to the same kind of bigmouth hiding behind the same tedious megaphone. I hope Gazza names the guilty party and has the name displayed in purple neon on the city centre beacon. More to the point, I hope Kenwright has the courage to haul the guilty party in and fire him in full public view.

Fortunately our involvement with Gazza was mercifully short. Even then it was too much, too late. In reality, it should never have existed in the first place and we all know it. Despite that you couldn't help liking him, wanting him to beat the odds. He has that kind of personality. Nor could you fault his efforts to get fit and beat his alcoholism. He tried, really tried, to drag himself back into what we call normality. If only he had understood the life lesson much earlier…………………he coulda been a CONTENDER, Charlie. Sadly, being a "character" is no substitute for playing substance, just as Smiffy's acknowledged dignity was no substitute for management substance. Perhaps that's what drew them together in the first place. But being a part-time funny man is only a placebo for being a great footy player. When you have the ability in abundance to be the latter and then waste it, well, don't be surprised when the media hangers-on start drifting away after your good years have gone. I hope he manages to avoid a downward spiral. In his case, achieving any sort of reasonable balance will be a major achievement. Gazza goes with my heartfelt good wishes to make something of himself, however seemingly small, to conquer his worst instincts and to stay sober.

Midweek, Euro footy had two important matches, one in Portugal and one in Italy. The Mancs won the former in style and in a canter, as usual, while the Gooners lost to Juventus at the Stadio Delle Alpi in front of a crowd of 8,000 and thereby exited the competition. Anybody who thinks the Berlusconi-led G14 Group (which includes the Mancs, Juvé and the pinkies) are anything but organised hoods ought to have seen the desolation at the Delle Alpi. It is the road to hell and those who participate in paving it ought to be fucked right off out of our game. Fact is, a couple of years of the G14 gobshites in charge and the Euro game would be an unrecognisable husk after the novelty wore off.

[REALITY CHECK: On Monday, the Ray Report was issued on the Whitewater-Clinton nonsense in the Land of the Free. The Clintons' lawyer, David Kendall, called the report "the most expensive exoneration in history. Their investigation was unprecedented in its seven-year length, $70 million expense and unremitting intensity. But it ends as it began: with no evidence of any wrongdoing by the Clintons." The investigation began in 1994 and ended in 2000. But of course Kendall missed the point by a good ol' Arkansas country mile. The whole point of the so-called "scandal" was to incapacitate the Clinton government and Hilary Clinton's attempt to improve the Yanks' appalling right-wing health system. The same applied to the Starr "investigation" and the preposterous failed impeachment effort. America's right wing, the full foam flecked rabid pack of them, could neither see or care that all the episode did outside the country was to reduce the US to a laughing stock everywhere on earth. Like you, I found it only of minor interest that ol' Slick Willy's knob has a slight bend in it and that he could do faintly original geometry with a cigar when Monica got hot-eyed in the Oval Office. On the other hand I would have been delighted to hear that America's uninsured forty million citizens finally had access to decent health care. But what do I know?

Also on Monday, another report, the Ludwig Report was also widely available to the general public. The subject was the mere half billion £££££ Allied Irish Bank (AIB) forex scam in the US. It was commissioned by, and delivered in 30 days to, er, AIB. The bottom line was that Ludwig thought "………the money was lost to the market, but it's possible Rusnak took some money out." Oh. Really? Yes, of course. Let's see where the other investigations go. Let's see whether more than a few patsy apparachiks in Baltimore get collared. Meanwhile, none of the main Suits have resigned or been fired. Buckley, Cronin and Keating are all still in place. Doubtless they all still go to church on Sunday too. That's the American/Irish way at times like this. Nobody knows what god thinks of all this because he never says anything, which is probably why so many crooks end up in a pew.

Speaking of church, across the Channel the French Secret Service is investigating Born Again YankOz Rupe Murdoch's Middlesex-based NDS digital encryption company, run by his sons James and Lachlan. Rupe of course knows nothing whatever of what was going on, since his News Corp (where the same duo are also directors) only has 97% voting rights in NDS. Yes, of course. The allegations are that NDS helped steal and disseminate technology from a French firm named CPT. If true, this enabled hundreds of thousands to watch competing subscription channels for free. Qui buono? If you can't guess in one, go to the bottom of the class. CPT are taking legal action in California citing the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act, commonly referred to as the RICO Act. This was the same legislation brought against on-the-run Mark Thatcher, corrupt son of the loony harridan (who of course knew nothing whatever about his activities and certainly didn't help him with her influence), when he fled where else? Texas for extradition-free South Africa. Also, six years ago NDS CEO Abel Peled was arrested for tax evasion by Israeli authorities who also issued a warrant for the arrest of guess who? Yes, dear old Rupe again. The charges were later dropped.

I can only speak personally when I say I hope Rupe and his boys and their ilk eventually get chokey somewhere on the planet, preferably Saudi Arabia, and spend the rest of their miserable days dining on cockroaches and mashed weevil. They have it coming big style.

Meanwhile back in Blighty, a 102-years old lady was evicted from her failed private enterprise nursing home for the second time. The owners claimed the government subsidy was insufficient (read: they aren't making enough profits out of our helpless elderly citizens). This is a typical example of how we look after our elders in right-wing Britain. Across the country, private nursing homes are closing because old age is unprofitable for our "creators of wealth." Old people in wheelchairs actually end up in the street. Nice one, Blair, you empty-headed unprincipled gutless righty opportunist. While all this was going on the same nerd put 1,700 of our soldiers in harm's way in Afghanistan in the same kind of open-ended commitment which brought tragedy to the Yank military in Somalia and in other standard imperialist invasions. Be interesting to see how many nursing homes the operational cost would pay for. Ever wondered how the establishment can always find abundant money to kill but plead poverty when it comes to sustaining civilised life?

Friday…………and Thatcher's office announced she won't be speaking in public again. Not that it'll bother us. She only ever trotted out her reactionary muck in places like Chile (scene of an immortal comic moment when she was so pissed during a speech that she fell asleep as she spoke) or areas of loony right-wing Americana………………who's Heritage Association paid her speaking fees of $50,000 a go, plus expenses. When she's finally dead, and it can't come soon enough for this Englishman, I'm going to dig up her bones and piss on them. She won't have any trouble finding the route to hell either, since she made the trip in reverse when she arrived here. The woman is the most rotten-to-the-core corrupt prime minister we have ever had. It will take decades to undo the damage inflicted when the right allowed her to get up front for them. And make no mistake, she was a front woman, nothing more. They only got rid of her when it became patently and publicly obvious she was quite mad. Ex-CIA chief Daddy Bush wasn't enamoured of her in the early days of the Gulf War preparations either. And it was that which finally sealed her fate. Good riddance. I hope the bitch dies in agony.]

Thursday night, to the Hall of Fame celebration, my first, at the Adelphi Hotel, via the Holiday Inn (afternoon) with JohnS and The Central pub (early evening) with all the other reprobates. With a start of 3.00 p.m. and a finish of 3.00 a.m. I ended up looking like a pulped blood-orange, as did the other five hundred or so. I haven't been through the card like that in many years and I have to say it will be at least a year before I do it again. At times like that you know how the paras must have felt at Arnhem with the SS closing in. But what a wonderful, wonderful, riotous night! They don't come any better.

I don't know who it is who organises these evenings but he/they deserve the fulsome thanks of every Royal Blue Evertonian. It was magnificent. Let it be noted that Evertonians were the first to establish this kind of celebration in the city, as befits The People's Club ( ® David Moyes, Pinky Prodders Inc.). It went off flawlessly. Well, almost flawlessly. There was only one fall from grace and that was Mark when he became the only one to ask, not once but twice, when my DJ was due back at Moss Bros. SHAME on you, Mark. It's me own, and well used at that. And I can confide in everyone that it was a distinct improvement on the interview tracky bottoms and trainers Mark wore, haha.

Player after player came to the mike and brought memories flooding back for a wildly cheering audience. Around the room were banners bearing proud Royal Blue proclamations, all of which were later raffled, and one of which I paid a ludicrously large sum for. Yes, I'm as loony as the next Blue Belly. At one point I found myself standing on my chair and giving it loads like everybody else. Dunno how I kept my balance since the vino level was way above my centre of gravity, not to say my capacity. The noise was non-stop Evertonia, full of optimism and not a sad or moaning face in sight. In comparison, Westy gave a sensitive little speech on how the BlueBlood Foundation had paid for an operation which eased the pain in his legs and hips. You could have heard a pin drop, not a dry eye in the house. Then Sheeds made a delivery which began, "When I moved from the 'shite…………………" and the roof nearly caved in from the chauvinist uproar. Yet another moving moment came when the late Alex Scott's two sons accepted Chico's induction. Then eighty-four years young broad cockney Wally Fielding told how he applied to Tottenham for a trial and was told to piss off, and how a couple of years later scouts came knocking on his door and one of them was the same Tottenham scout. Guess what Wally told him to do. Stubbsy appeared too, a young man who has been through the kind of personal test none of us can even begin to imagine. And there was the greatest hero of them all, the Golden Vision himself, Jimmy Gabriel over from Seattle, and Jimmy Husband and dozens of other great memories.

The place was awash in shameless nostalgia, loyalty and songs. It was marvellous, all the good things in football, and every reason to be proud to be an Evertonian during these dark days of our long history. The fans make and have earned nights like this. You'd be crazy to miss next year's. Book now or regret it, especially if you're visiting England from the colonies. And if you know someone from the Melledrew Tendency tell him he isn't wanted at a night for all true Evertonians. It really is an evening you'll never forget.

Friday was a day spent in couch mode. Sketches went unfinished, important projects ignored. I phoned JohnS to see how he was. "Sensitive," he said somewhat distantly. The Editor, also in couch mode, sounded even worse than me. When I looked in the mirror I was met by a purple-eyed Saskwatch blinking in pain. I tried to think about Saturday's match but the wiring was all crossed up. I had to rely on gentle hands and hearts to bring me toast and liquids whenever I groaned or shifted weight. It could have been worse, I could have been a pinky still smarting from Moyesy's People's Club nuclear howitzer, the fall out of which has reached all the way to Norway, haha. But I couldn't afford to laugh too much because it hurt.

By Saturday morning the plumbing and electrical circuits were functioning again. Well, sort of. En route to The Bus I turned on the radio. A news broadcast told me the tories have decided to "………re-invent themselves as social-carers and protectors of the less well-off." Well, there IS a vacancy in our One Party State now the Chief Messenger Boy and co. have sold our birth right, and you can be sure the Suits will have the image filled in. Of course it won't make the slightest difference to anything other than pre-election ritual. Tory "caring" will be limited to reducing taxes for the rich and corporate, bribing the awful horsey middle clarss, and telling the worst paid they have to earn less to make them work harder so they'll be motivated to succeed…………unlike the rich and corporate who need to get more to make them work harder so they'll be motivated to succeed. Gawd save us from arseholes who describe themselves as "directors" when introduced or, worse, "I run me own business." Napoleon was on to something with his "shopkeepers" remark. The only thing the tories won't do is rename themselves The People's Party. I laughed so hard it had me thinking about our game at Derby.

Which in fact was no laughing matter. Lose this one and we would be in deep doo-doo again. The situation was bad enough as it stood. And my head still ached. The prospect of losing at Derby made it ache even further.

A double decker took us through the beautiful Derbyshire countryside, misdirected by Fred as usual, until we reached Burton Albion FC social club out in the boondocks. Therein we quaffed well until joined by The Squire and ct, late as ever but there nevertheless and disposing of Guinness with free abandon. Which is nice. Paul Gerrard introduced me to his two impeccably well mannered and behaved nippers (if only they knew what Daddy was like during his free time), and brother Steve was a bearer of a great scouse footy yarn: Seems his boy, a fanatic Blue Belly, is trialing for the pinkies. He turned up in an Everton top and the pinky SS told him to take it off and wear an ID bib with the usual "Carlsberg" corporate logo and other unmentionable garbage all over it. You'll be proud of this: The boy told the pinkies he wasn't going to have that excreta next to HIS epidermis. Nor did he. The People's Club strikes back.

The two pool tables were immediately occupied and I negotiated my way around the centre cloth rip with verve to make myself an unbeatable if unsteady champion. Naturally I milked it for all it was worth. On a large screen TV The Gooners were making FA Cup mincemeat of The Geordies without seeming to break out of a canter. Outside, it was a gorgeous Spring day. Sunshine slanted through the full height glazing on one side of the building. It was all very acceptable.

It has to be said that Moyesy's incoming has breathed euphoric new life into almost everybody. There is usually prematch optimism anyway but of course mostly it has been tinged with wilfulness. Couldn't be any other way given our performances. This is different, though. At least it will be until we lose one, which is inevitable. But for the moment the fans are feeling good about the club, the players, the management…………………and most of all, themselves. The immediate affects have been remarkable. It has been a long time a-coming. It is well earned. Only a sour churl could raise a sneer.

Back on The Bus, to the ground. As we circled the stadium we passed The Rams Superstore. A very large poster shouted "50% OFF EVERYTHING!" in deference to the Suits and their contribution to The Beautiful Game, which is to say absolutely nothing.

Inside, our allocation sold out as usual and noise everywhere. A full house for an important game. You could smell the grass and the clear air. Moysey was out on the park drilling the players, assessing, always assessing. Oh he's different alright. Right on kick off, a loud but slumping drunk occupied the seat next to me. He appeared to go to sleep for ten minutes at a time, woke up, and in broad cockney gave it loads for the Bellies for ten minutes before lapsing into a coma for another ten minutes. Gawd knows what was flashing between his neurons, as if I gave a shit. I never pay attention to morons. Life's too short.

Teams, glad to say Tony held his place at right back, Carsley/Gravesen/Blomquist in. The Rad still in despite having lumps kicked off by him by Fulham's Frenchies. The Big Yin still captain. SuperKev/Nic/Clarkey/Toby/Paul on the bench. It was Moyesy's first team pick. Looked reasonable to me. For them, Ravanelli, Christie and Kinkladze in, plus an Englishman named Higginbotham. You blinked when you saw the latter. What's seldom's wonderful.

From the kick off Derby camped mostly in our half while we made the occasional break. Doesn't sound much different does it? But it was. We weren't giving the ball away with anywhere near the usual frequency. Our formation had a much tighter feel to it and a lot more determination. Even while we were pinned back I sensed a considerable difference. Derby played it around a lot but never looked as though they could create a really dangerous situation. Still, it was fraught and fragile like all these relegation fights. There wasn't a lot of sweeping footy, only the expectation that something was going to break. Sure enough it did, and then the floodgates opened up to give us a ragingly exciting match. Yes, you may read that again and believe it. It was all breathless, nail-biting stuff. I needed a new battery for my pacemaker.

Even though we were pinned back for long stretches The Gravedigger managed to thump in a couple of long distance volleys which brought good saves out of their 'keeper. On each occasion they originated in poor clearances from the Derby defence. Five minutes before half time they did it once too often, The Gravedigger collected the loose ball and angled it left toward Beloved Lard Arse, left side D. One stride, and he smacked in yet another hard daisy-cutter and it screamed inside the right hand post. After which, he took off on another of his crazy celebs. One day he's going to end up in the crowd. It got us to half time in safe custody of a vital lead.

Then the second half started and the world went mad.

Within five minutes we got a second. Nic had come on wide right and looked like a man transformed, twisting and turning and tormenting the life out of their left side defence. They finally got pissed off enough to down him about twenty three metres out, our right side at an angle. The Stubbsy song started up for the free kick. Well, we warned them. The usual free kick triangle formed around the ball while they arranged their defensive wall. Stubbsy took a good run up and smacked it dead straight and rising all the way just inside their right hand post, about a metre up. Bejaysus, yet another heat seeking missile and a stupefied looking Derby defence.

Five minutes later we got a third when we came flooding down our left via a nice triangular move involving The Gravedigger, Jesper (who had his best game in a blue shirt) and The Rad, wide left. The Rad's pretty good in these situations and sure enough he delivered a cross which left their defence looking as grotesque as ours at Boro. It crossed their goal area with The Yin prodding at it, no defender in touching distance, and Nic at the right hand post to knock it in.

It was all over. Three up away from home against another relegation candidate and the entire team looking as though they'd been battery charged at half time. Even we couldn't drop this one could we? As if……………………

Yet another five minutes and Derby got the goal of the game. A right wing cross was headed out by Tony Hibbert from the edge of our goal area. Normally it would have been enough for an onward clearance by one of our midfielders from our left side edge of the penalty box. Alas, their man came charging in and caught it magnificently full square on the volley and hit a superb goal into Simo's bottom left corner. Unstoppable, even harder than Unsy's against Fulham. It was the kind of goal which sparks a team into life through the certainty of its execution. Everyone went uh-oh.

So they got a bit of a head of steam up for a spell. It lasted for about a quarter hour until we made another move down our left. Jesper crossed it but one of their defenders got onto it on the edge of their box on our right. The defender hesitated fatally and Nic nipped in, robbed him and laid the ball back to The Yin in the centre and he sidefooted it in top left with his left foot. 4-1, now THAT has to be IT, doesn't it? Oh aye yeh. Their fans began emptying the ground.

We should have known.

You could almost set your watch by this game. Five minutes after our fourth they got their second. A long hopeful punt up into our right side box reached the edge of our goal area with everyone watching the ball. So their handy looking left winger swivelled on it and hooked it in with three of ours standing looking. Uh oh again.

Another five minutes, ten minutes left, and they get a third. This time, a first class goal by the same player who got their first. A long high cross from the right just got over Davey's haircut midway in the box and their man headed a superb goal into Simo's left side. Game on. Oh shit. All hands to the pump.

But by this time SuperKev was on and that stretched them sufficiently to prevent them building any sort of clear rhythm. Derby just started pumping high balls up and hoping it would work. They aren't relegation candidates for nothing. And just to prove the point, we had a couple of attacks through the centre which the old SuperKev would've buried. Alas, his pace has gone by half a metre. At this level, that's enough to prove fatal. Then in the final few minutes he had a clear chance which he sidefooted wide. Five minutes additional time reflected the midfield battle which raged all afternoon, bodies everywhere.

Then the final whistle and dancing in the seats from thousands of Blue Bellies. Relief all round. It was one of those games.

It was a good all round battling team performance. We even managed to string some useful moves together, particularly down our left and right, where Jesper and Nic both had good games. The Big Yin looks as though the blood defect diagnosis has cleared his mind and his will to effort. Midfield was much tighter, largely because The Gravedigger finally adopted a more disciplined approach. Our defence played well despite the three goals leaked, two of which were unstoppable. I was particularly pleased Moyesy persevered with Tony Hibbert again. The boy plainly still has a lot to learn, and he got another severe test from their left winger, but he's a courageous lad and his concentration improves with every game. Stubbsy went off late on and Clarkey came on and did really well when the match was at its hottest.

What a difference too to see an enthusiastic Moysey out at the dotted line at sensible intervals. Gregory was there more or less permanently but looked forlorn toward the end. Balance, all is balance.

Overjoyed Blue Bellies spilled out into the streets. For once they had very good reason to feel high. There is a very real sense of cobwebs blown away and a long overdue house clean under way. It was a fair reflection of how the team congregated together at the end of the game. If this can be kept up (a big if) the season's going to end on the most optimistic note in many years, even despite the relegation threat. Just goes to show how hope is the most important factor in motivating the best in human nature and why those who seek to dispel it through sour cynicism are worthless. Give me a smile over a cheap jeer any day.

Back on The Bus there were wall-to-wall smiles. We even survived a broken accelerator cable. It was late when we got back, but it didn't really matter. Winter has gone. Spring is here. You can tell.

Moyesey: "The players have not had too many Saturday nights where they can remember winning and now they have had two on the trot where they can feel good about themselves."

"I'll have to make sure there's a doctor on the bench in future because I needed the kiss of life a few times.

When we were 3-0 and 4-1 up, Derby still had something about them. But it doesn't matter how we get the points although the sooner we do the better. I would have liked to have done it more easily but it is winning that matters at this stage."

Sausage: I don't think I can take any more of these finishes.

Jogger: Shut up. What do you want to drink?

Sausage: A large Moses

Jogger: What's that?

Sausage: A Remy.

Jogger : What ?

Sausage: A Brandy. Dickhead

Team News

Super Kev, & The Rad both trained today, easing worries over their fitness. The Rad will be in the squad, but Kev may miss out. Daveed Ginola had talks with Moyesy today over his future. The outcome being that Daveed will stay with us until the end of the season, unless someone comes in before the transfer deadline on Thursday 28th March 2002.

Moyesy says: “Kevin trained yesterday and all I can say is that we’ll assess him as the week goes on. It was his first day back so we’re not going to take anything for granted but, hopefully, Kevin’s feeling much better and if we can get a week’s training out of him, he might be close to it, come the weekend. Tomasz trained yesterday and he seemed fine so we’ve got no worries about him at the moment".

Gary Naysmith and Steve Watson, who have been out for a while are back in training, but this game may come to soon for boyh of them.

Moyesy says: “They’re both making progress. I think Gary would like to join in this week, so we could have him doing some training very soon, although when he’ll be fit to play remains to be seen. I’ve not really had a chance to talk too much to Steve but I do see him doing quite a bit around the training ground so he’s making progress, too.” (19/03/02)