From our match report Sept 10th 2006/7 season: "..It's 2-2 with 30 seconds to go. Despite the black and white stripes of Barking Mad playing like some post-Moggi Juventus, they step up like the Old Lady of old and some bald Vialli-look-a-like smashes the ball into our net with the very last touch of the game. Bollocks!". Fast forward two seasons and it really is deja vu. Same place. Same team. Same result. Same game thrown away in the dying seconds. We had started brightly, new signings Dario, Alex and John getting involved from the off. It was good football from both teams. We always like playing Barking, always quite gentlemanly affairs, competetive but fairly played by both teams (mostly). Despite no sleep, all night drunkeness, and a rude awakening from the 
management, Bilal looked a threat every time he got on the ball. His tricky efforts paid off with a brilliantly lobbed goal.
management, Bilal looked a threat every time he got on the ball. His tricky efforts paid off with a brilliantly lobbed goal. Now, the over-sized frame of the Clapham Common goalposts have never been kind to us and neither the under-sized frame of our much loved 'keeper. We turned down the chance to sign an ex Bath University 6ft+ goalie over the summer who'd have surely tipped the first two Barking goals over the crossbar. Steve simply ain't tall enough. Still, what would Recreativo be without our long serving man between the sticks? (Yes, I know, higher up the table! Boom-boom!).
James the Monkeyhanger came onto the right flank second half, but was forced back by the Temuri Ketsbaia lookalike, probably our oppo's oldest, yet definately best player. Alex scored a belter of a goal, both the ball and last Barking player hitting the back of 
the net. Norman, the ref, decided from his unique position on the half way line it definately did not cross the line! Dario was then up-ended a good 5 yards in the penalty area, again Stormin' Norman deciding from 40 yards away it was two inches outside the box. That's sunday football. That's grassroots footy with no linesman, no Sky cameras catching everything, no action replays. Despite, giving the game away in the dying seconds, Mario tried to lift us with his "come on boys, we played some good football". And we did. A bad result, but a much improved performance. It's a cliche, but in the end, it's what really counts. Next up, Livingstone Academicals. All roads lead back to Hackney Marshes... JG.
the net. Norman, the ref, decided from his unique position on the half way line it definately did not cross the line! Dario was then up-ended a good 5 yards in the penalty area, again Stormin' Norman deciding from 40 yards away it was two inches outside the box. That's sunday football. That's grassroots footy with no linesman, no Sky cameras catching everything, no action replays. Despite, giving the game away in the dying seconds, Mario tried to lift us with his "come on boys, we played some good football". And we did. A bad result, but a much improved performance. It's a cliche, but in the end, it's what really counts. Next up, Livingstone Academicals. All roads lead back to Hackney Marshes... JG.Team : Steve Jones, Mario Pisano, John Megaughin (James Hartlepool), Jimmie Gregory, Nick Candy, Stefan Garcia Fernandez, Adam Bradbury, Chris Read, Alex, Bilal Talib Ali, Dario Costa.