Valley of the Church victory

Fútbol Ocho and Washed Stones again

Overtaken by laziness, El Davo is posting the reports of matches on 1 Nov and 8 Nov in a super compendium addition.

On the first of November, Chapi had the embarrassment of only having 10 men available owing to a string of feeble excuses from those not willing to face the heat of a fiercely warm November morning. Our even more embarrassed opponents (who's name I didn't catch), turned up with only 6 men.

Picture: Charles 1, Peter, George 1 and keeper Joseph.

 With typical Spanish creativity, an 8-a-side match was organised with Marcelo and Luciano (El Negro) donning the bright yellow shirts of our guests. Suffice to say, fun was had and Chapi ran out 10-5 winners with the temperature in the low 20s.

Picture: Arthur, Peter (examining substantial belly) and Lewis.

The following week, Chapi entertained the team from Ávila whose name translates as 'stone washed' or something like that. We seem to play these sturdy chaps every other week!

The weather had turned from a balmy 23C the week before to a chilly and windy 9C or so, but off we went without baby-face Robert and as usual went behind to an early goal.

Picture: Lucas striding forward looking for George.

Strikes from George 1 and I think Marcelo who got his shiny bonce in the way of an 35-yard Edward free kick to guide the ball under the bar, put us 2-1 up at half-time.

A long through ball caused havoc in the Chapi defence and keeper Joseph was lobbed (not difficult) by the opposing centre-forward to bring it back to 2-2.

However, two late goals by Rafael and someone else (probably Arthur) ensured Chapi ran out 4-2 winners in a match finished under the powerful Chapi Stadium floodlights.

Picture above left: Large Chapi crowd braving the elements

Picture above right: Marcelo, Joseph 1 and Edward

El Davo is back

Well, after a July and August getting soaked in the English rain as opposed to being baked by the Spanish sun, El Davo returned on the last day of August.

Picture: Yawning Pedro, with Carlos and Marcelo

After eternal whining from my Chapi colleagues, this report will be continued in typical El Davo Spanish.

Anyway, a quick English summary first. Yesterday (3 October) despite being 2-0 down and 3-3 at earlier points of the game, Chapi triumphed 9-3 against neighbours San Martin de Valdeiglesias. Last week the unthinkable happened when Chapi lost! This has been put down by all as an inability to play on real grass.

Foto: Luciano y Luis

Bienvenidos al blog de eldavoinelspaino. Después un montón de quejas del equipo de fútbol de Chapanería (come on cabrón), intento escribir esta vez en el español. La semana pasada perdimos a Navas de Marques, un pueblo que consiste de unas vacas y no mucho mas pero un equipo de fútbol bueno. Jugamos muy mal porque jugamos en un campo de césped. No acostumbrados jugar en este superficie. Preferimos la moqueta del estadio Chapi o tierra con muchas piedras.

Foto: José intendiendo volar sin avion

El partido esta semana fue contra San Martin de Valdeiglesias y con 15 minutos de acción, estábamos perdiendo a 2-0. No se como pero por el descanso, estábamos ganando 3-2. El resto del partido fue el show de baby-face Robert (cara de bebé Roberto) quien metió mas o menos el resto de los goles. Al final, ganamos 9-3. Carlos y Jorge metieron golazos y El Davo solo dio una patada a uno del equipo contrario (pero bastante fuerte).

Foto derecha: Golazo de Jorge

Foto abajo: El Talisman Arturo con El Davo

Después disfrutamos comida y bebidas en el bar donde varios borrachos intentaron hablar en inglés pero con poco éxito.

No game next week due to some saint or other, so reports will resume the week after next. Best wishes from sunny and warm Spain in October.

two more Chapi wins as Spain heats up!

Due to inexcusable laziness, the updates to the blog are becoming more infrequent. So, here is a compendium edition.Three weeks or so ago, Chapi met the village from Ávila for what seems to be the 20th time this season in what became an ill-tempered affair with accusations of ref bias and general hanky-panky. Breaking convention, Chapi contrived to score first and I wish I could remember who got the goal. It was probably baby-face.

Picture: smug looking El Davo pre-match

Anyway, at the final whistle, the eleven battling Chapierians had chalked up another win (4-2) to add to the long unbeaten record stretching back to the autumn.

An informal post-match interview with baby-face Robert revealed that he is in fact 38 and played professionaly at a time presummably, when he looked about 18 months old.

Picture: Arthur, surrounded by defenders, trying to spot the ball



The following Thursday, a match was arranged during the holiday of Corpus Cristi at nearby Navas del Rey, on their dusty, rock hard, pitch in the middle of a grim industrial estate. A Chapi invitation team including several nationalities took on the locals.

Picture: Chapi International


Decked out in a 'Liverpool like' strip, in temperatures in the low thirties, Chapi survived the baking sun and aggressive opposition to record another victory thanks to the usual suspects, Arthur and baby-face Robert.

Chapi sweat in comeback thriller

Another tense encounter faced Chapi vets one sunny May Saturday afternoon after a thundery Friday night. On this occasion, El Davo was accompanied by Little El Davito Christopher, AKA 'fatboy', who volunteered to be both still and video camera operator.

Picture: El Davo in characteristically delicate challenge

Another match against the team from the mountains roughly translated as 'clean stones' ensued. As usual Chapi started slowly, presumably to raise tension in the sparse crowd. The introduction of El Davo after 25 minutes prompted the visitors to go ahead with a screamer, amazingly captured on video by star cameraman Christopher.
Picture: goal number three from Marcelo.

It wasn't long before Rafael put Chapi ahead (also on video) and the interval was reached with a fairly comfortable lead of 2-1. A steady start to the second half was blighted by a defensive mishap which allowed the visitors to draw level.

In a final flourish, new boy Marcelo, rolled in the third and Lucas with a speculative cross and Arthur with an outrageous flick from a corner, added two more. A highly disputed late penalty for the guests made the final score 5-3 to Chapi and another step towards immortality in the annals of Sierra de Madrid football.

Pictures below: Arthur hovering with the goal at his mercy and probably (but not quite sure), Lucas's precision cross on it's way over the keeper's head into the top corner..

Pictures below: Arthur's outrageous flicked goal from a corner and pre-match interview between El Davo and fat boy.

Miracle on Chapi Street

Omens are omens and they were not good as Chapi vets prepared for their next foray.

Picture: Luciano (watched by Lewis 2) , pirouetting elegantly - as his name would suggest - pre-match.

First: Only a bare eleven turned up including old lags the two Lewis's and El Davo.
Second: No goal keeper present and after El Davo vociferously declined, Charles 3 took the gloves.
Thirdly: Our opponents, Boadilla del Monte looked young, fit and good, with two or three subs.

The omens continued and after 20 minutes, Chapi were 2-0 down. No hope left, the unbeaten run over, let's try to avoid humiliation, no other option.

Picture: Before the match. Rafael, looking more and more like his Italian artist namesake, with a pensive baby-face.

Well, with the pressure off, Chapi started to play. Baby-face Robert pushed on to his left foot 20 yards from goal, unleashed a rocket that cannoned off the bar and was bundled in by Lucas. Not long after, Boadilla tried repeatedly (and ill-advisedly) to dribble from their own 6-yard area and in the resulting melee, the ball richoched slowly over the line.

More fun to come. Shortly before the break, baby-face found himself free again and in a one-to-one with the keeper, slotted home.

Picture: A disbelieving and knackered George 1 at half-time.

A bemused Chapi, spent half-time wondering how on earth they were winning. But what the hell! The second half proceeded with Chapi holding out despite (or due to) El Davo's tough tackling, and sometimes fouling, around the Chapi box. The final whistle went and Chapi ran out 3-2 winners.

After a break, it's probably time for more profiles. This week Lucas. A cultured defender or mid-fielder, Lucas did complain some months ago for having his 'air hot' pictorally highlighted on the El Davo blog. A quick interview determined that he works in the building trade and is finding it tough with the crisis. Father to a baby (of indeterminate sex) born in March, Lucas was one of the Chapi stars in the wars (along with George above of course - look hard for the joke!), in the Boadilla match going off with a knee injuring but bravely returning to see in the victory.

A weekend off due to some saint or other will hopefullly be followed by another outing shortly.

El Davo is back!

Well, first of all, here is the ElDavomachine. Purchased from nephew James, this Kawasaki ZZR600 is lighting fast just like El Davo............ or at least how he used to be last century. Reaching nearly 100mph in second gear, it has been useful in scaring the life out of El Davito 2 (aka Fatboy) and El Davito.

Talking of El Davito, he is recovering from ramming a white van with his souped-up scooter and spreading himself and various bits of the bike over the road. The offending motorist, who pulled out without looking, took one look at the prostrate El Davo, mumbled something and went back into his house. A trip to hospital in an ambulance resulted in the diagnosis of various abrasions, and strains to his leg, shoulder and neck. While bringing his lifeguard training to a temporary halt, he has recovered well enough to continue his breast-stroking (allegedly) and irritating all a sundry.

The all-star Chapinería team that recently took on unfancied Villanueva de Perales in a tournament consisting of only two teams. The match was played on a pitch that was half way between a concrete car park and Weston-super-Mare beach with a healthy sprinkling of weeds and razor-sharp stones. El Davo, enthusiastic as usual, managed to take the skin of both knees within 10 minutes of the start to the dismay of both teams and the hoards of spectators.

Suffice to say, Chapi won again (4-2), to take their unbeaten record past the six-month mark, with strikes from baby-face Robert and I can't remember who else. A cup was presented with little fanfare and the legendary band trouped off for adventures new. Watch this space.

Picture: Josephs 2 and 1, El Negro and baby-face prior to kick-off.



Picture: Rafael taking on opposing defender

Young El Davo triumphs

Before the days of colour photography and when men's hairstyles were still fashionable, El Davo (3rd from left) is here depicted sometime in the early seventies - exact date under investigation - with his team-mates at the Bristol Downs League side Durdham Down Adult School, having just won the Norman Hardy Cup. This competition involved (and still involves) teams in the top two divisions of a league which boasts sixty odd teams all playing on the same patch of grass on Bristol Downs.

An interesting point of interest is that the bushy-haired young man (far left) named Adrian O'Connor, is the step-father of one of El Davo's colleagues at a language school in Madrid - small world eh?

El Davo between the sticks in the sticks

The eternal optimist, El Davo arrived for the game against Griñon (Green-yon) at Chapi Stadium carrying the previous week's injury but not unduly concerned. However, things became more tense in the changing rooms when it transpired that we only had 11 fit players (or supposedly fit players) and no goalkeepers. Occasional player, Charles 3 donned the keeper's kit but it became evident quite quickly that although able to run after a fashion, El Davo could not kick the ball with his right foot. While not a particular handicap for Maradona in his prime, this was a severe restriction for somewhat less talented El Davo.

Picture: El Davo or is it Peter Shilton?

So, shirts were swopped and El Davo took up an unfamiliar position in goal. The first time in nearly forty years of amateur football. Well, things did not start well as after 10 minutes or so an opposing forward was put clean through and slipped the ball passed a groping ED.

Fortunately, Chapi were coming more and more into the game and strikes by Arthur and baby-face Robert put our heroes 2-1 up at the break with no further particular alarms at the back. However, El Davo's teamates were somewhat astonished by their new goalkeeper's proclivity to attack incoming crosses by punching the ball upfield whilst soaring spectacularly through the air. I think they thought it was some kind of English thing.

Picture: Half-time discussions. Those English are nuts!

Shortly after the start of the second half El Davo thew himself to his left to parry a Griñon thunderbolt only to be beaten sortly afterwards by a screamer from the edge of the box into the bottom left corner. However, baby-face was a determined man (or boy) today and scored two beauties to seemingly put the game beyond the visitors.

But Griñon are made of stern stuff and El Davo could only stand and watch as a shot from the edge of the box thundered through a sea of players into his top right corner. This followed almost immediately by the Chapi defence going awol and Griñon slamming in another.

Despite having to kick left-footed from the hand, El Davo continued to look surprisingly accomplished and a late strike from baby-face sealed the 5-4 win and a fun day out for all. Particular mention should also be made of a captain's performance from Charles 1 and sterling work from George 1 until forced off with a thigh strain.

With a crunch match against El Davo's home village of Robledo next week, the offending right knee was quickly packed in a packet of frozen prawns with the hope of a quick recovery.

Hard duel at El Escorial

Chapi encountered a tough El Escorial side on a warm February afternoon in the Madrid Sierra. Going 1-0 down 20 minutes into the first half, a spectacular solo goal from baby-face Robert evened things up and was quickly followed by an Arthur strike to take Chapi into the break 2-1 up.

Photo: Kick-off at picturesque El Escorial Stadium.

El Davo, having picked up a twisted knee, continued on and vented his discomfort in a number of crunching tackles on opposing forwards. A tough and combative second half saw El Escorial level only for Arthur to strike again. Two further goals from the hosts resulting from defensive mixups looked like ending Chapi's long unbeaten run. However, a re-energised Arthur equalised with minutes to go and still had time to miss a sitter in the dying moments. So, a 4-4 draw and probably a fair result.

Photo: a relaxed El Davo, enjoying the sun.


Further pictures. Nervous Chapi bench close to the end and nervous Joseph 2 (that goal looks too big)