Team: Mercelis / Minne, Lachia, Bernardo / Philpot, Gimenez, McGeehan, Lamarra, Hodgson / McGrath, Donner

Subs: Deroeck, Lebbink

So.... D Day.

I woke up, had a stretch, did my meditation, had something to eat and hung out in the garden, trying to stay cool. Speaking of cool, Spence rang the door bell at about 11.45 as scheduled, Sylvain was bringing his sugar mommy to football and was going with Joaquin. We headed for Flagey and picked up Rich, Daniel and James. No Tommy, No Bagel. Tommy boy was off for an MRI. James talked about something, Richy cracked a joke and unusually, Daniel didn’t offer up a fun fact.

We cruised the 30k along the motorway in the Nils mobile, the mood was focussed, the music on point. We arrived at the ground, suggested the pitch looked petty good from the car windows, parked and wondered across it, and then thought it looked damn bobbly. It was. We kicked off, the two teams kicked the ball at each other for 20 minutes, then it fell to their man just inside our box and he scooped it into the top corner. Fluke? Whatever. we were 1-0 down and for a moment we were thought of Ettikijs vs La Lorraine.

We kicked off again, and kept battling as we do, Stevey was in his element. Throw. Jean sent a sling shot across the box and Nils appeared to glance it into the far corner. 1-1. Game on.

5 minutes later, same again. Throw. Jean bends his body and and launches it, Nils darts in front of his man and thumps it with his head pass their number 1.

Half time. Our men are up, their men are down.

Whistle blows, and from where we left off, battling. Danny pulls his hammy, Kev, the Rock, comes on in the middle, Hodge moves up top.

10 minutes to go and Steve wins another bouncing ariel battle, and all of a sudden Hodge has snuck in behind and as their keeper comes at him, lobs him from outside the box, so cool. The ball nestles in the far corner. 1-3. That was when we knew we were Champions.

Full time and Jean broke out magnums of cava and passed around the cigars, we sang Kenny Rogers, I'd missed it. Steve, Hodge, Didi and I have got 6 so far. And I'm not done yet. Uno mas. Saturday is the best day of the week.

Take pleasure.

Reporter and MOM: Nils McGrath