Old Mad Tom's Almanac

 

 

November 2006

November: The final month of this accursed season! It’s all over, yes, finally, it’s all over!!! WooHoo!!!

• Gardaí launch an investigation into the apparent mis-treatment of the elderly at Dalymount Retirement Home. They are particularly interested in verbal abuse directed at Arkins and O’Brien.
• Jason McGuinness proudly collects his Pathetic Player of the Year Award. He quotes from Ulysses in his acceptance speech.
• Permanently AWOL Mark O’Brien features on an episode of Vanishings.
• Recovering from ill health, Bobby Robson contacts Bohs with a view to ending his days there. He is signed on a three-year contract and handed the number 9 shirt.
• Shelbourne launch their 64th appeal of the campaign when Ollie finds out that the turnstiles in Dalymount needed oiling during their controversial game against Bohs in Dalymount.
• Glen Crowe will eat all the pies.
• With winter blowing in and the usual threat of floods, Ollie begins building his annual ark. He is hoping to get two strikers, two central defenders and three points onto the ark.
• U2 record a tribute song to Bohemian’s season on their latest cash-in Greatest Hits package. Tilted Unforgettably Dire, it features Barry Ferguson on triangle, Caffo on strings and Dessie Byrne on drugs.
• Kevin Hunt and Bono clash over who is the greatest deity. Bono quotes form Abraham, Davis and Mark; Hunt smashes his guitar in the interim.
• Kevin Hunt takes Joxer to court demanding the return of his trousers, funky tie and hair gel. Joxer is adamant Hunt gave him them as gifts, Hunt says no such thing. He wants his halo back too.
• No-one turns up to the Longford or Bray matches. It makes no difference to the end result as Bohs lose both games 1-0.
• The league cave into Ollie and announce that Rule 7 Section G sub-section A4 paragraph 7 line 3 verse 1 sub-verse 10 sub-sub-verse 27 (ie page 20) in the rulebook states that the games must be replayed and that six points must be awarded to Shels, even if they’re not one of the teams involved. John Delaney is baffled that the page that this rule appears on; it seems to have been sello-taped into the rulebook and written down in a childish scrawl. However, it’s in the rule book…
• Bohs are forced to line out against Shelbourne yet again in Dalymount, but refuse. It is up to the fans to don the black n’ black and they relish the challenge. The scenes of utter carnage, blood, fists and round-house kicks to the scrotum are a joy to behold and twenty minutes into the game the Shels first eleven are flat on the ground. The Bohs eleven get sent off. Who cares, Shels cannot continue. Ollie blows his Krakatoa-like top and threatens to take everyone on. His challenge is graciously accepted and he disappears, kicking, screaming and wobbling into Section G. The game is declared a 0-0 draw, our best result this season.
• Rumours still persist over who the new manager will be. Sean Connor is the number one un-favourite while Jack Charlton and Alan Kernaghan are wank outsiders.
• Stephen Kenny sends a videotaped message to Dalymount. At the start is a highlights clip of how Derry are doing so far this season which segues into a shot of Kenny laughing and saying “Ha! Who’s laughing now? I’ve won the League Cup Final!”
• Flying in the face of tradition and history, the board announce the jersey will change from next season. Gone are the traditional black tops and black shorts; instead the team are to wear black and red vertical-striped jerseys. Everyone is in uproar, gasping at how easily tradition can be tossed to one side. Kevin Hunt, in an interview with Seoige & O’Shea, claims he is appalled at such a move.
“At least, if they’re going to change strips, please reintroduce the red and black striped versions, a firm favourite. This black and red version will be the death knell of tradition. We’ve already lost Dalymount to developers, good God, are they going to take the Dalymount Cat away and repaint the shed roof?!?”
Hunt is led away by Niall O’Reilly who makes him laugh by showing him his Billy Ray Cyrus mullet.
• Gareth Farrelly appears on the Late Late Show campaigning for better treatment of football managers. He is heckled by Pete Mahon, who claims “my players” are being made suffer thanks to the Waffen SS in Section G. He then spits at the cameraman and is wrestled to the ground by some studenty-type knob on to campaign about fur.
• The FAI announce the details of the league structure to take effect from next season.
There will be a 12 team Premier Division, 12 team First Division, a ten team A-Division featuring clubs who think they should be in the league (ie Ballymun United, St James Gate), a B-Division, which is a regional league, with half-arsed excuses for teams and an X-Wing Division. Shamrock Rovers are to be awarded the first Premier Division title (“Sure it’s been a a while since they last did it, sure there’re a great bunch of lads” – Delaney) with Shelbourne allowed a 20 point head start. Despite their millions, Bohs have been ordered only to win the Cup. Bohs pay 5million euros to have Rovers relegated to the new X-Wing Division.
• The Dalymount Cat is given the honour of choosing the new Bohs manager.
• Hypnotist Paul Goldin offers to erase the painful 2006 season from Bohs fans memories. He is inundated with offers and blank cheques.
• The first few sessions with Paul Goldin goes slightly awry as three fans slip into past life regression and realise they where Rovers fans in a previous life. Bohemian Bob contemplates suicide when he realises he was Ollie Byrne’s grandfather.
• Mad Tom approached to be the new manager.
• Bohs TV goes live on cable, ntl and Sky+.
• The final game of the season finally comes round. Shels need to beat Bohs to clinch the title. Because the first eleven are still recovering from their injuries inflicted in the replayed game, they are forced to field a team of kids. The game is practically over as a contest by half time as Stephen O’Brien picks another ball from the net. However, in an amazing turnaround, Bohs, for the first time this season, get their act together and win the tie by a single goal, handing the Premier Division title to Derry City.
However, it is announced that Shamrock Rovers are to be awarded the Premier Division title because “they’re a great bunch of lads, so they are.” War erupts. Stephen Kenny gets tongue-tied and actually flicks his hair. Paul Doolin loses his newly purchased wig in a huge temper. Merrion Square is stormed by thousands with pitchforks and torches and the door is kicked down. Martial law is declared by Bertie. John Delaney, in his bunker beneath Merrion Square, tries to contact Ollie’s Death Star in a effort to clam the masses. Michael McDowell orders snipers to pick off any football fans they see, except those wearing foreign jerseys as they’re “the good guys” A stormy end to a stormy season.
• However, in Dalymount, a figure walks through the late night mist and up Dalymount Lane. He has a kit bag over his shoulder. He knocks on the door. “Hello, I’m the new manager; the real one…’

To be continued...
 

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