Brimful of Ash... on the 45s

Football in North & West Essex is full of South & Eastern Asian influence. The midweek WhatsApp chat is full of avatars, We have half-time oranges or the occasional cup of char, refs sending the guru Gaffer doolally with dodgy decisions, the team shampoo shared in the showers, players becoming pundits over a post-match pint, whilst others pig-out on pukka tucker served from the club canteen, cash used to pay subs and now yoga to help us reach nirvana (in a spiritual and soccer sense).

I have yet to dig out my Beckham-esque sarong (last worn onboard the Tuxedo Princess, Newcastle for the 2002 England-Argentina match), but who knows what I will wear if we win something this year?! Tuesday saw the start of a series of asana sessions to help us stretch, become supple and strengthen the parts that many had forgotten we had.

Most think that football was founded on the fields of England - some say South Yorkshire, perhaps the public schools of West Midlands or located in London. Indeed the game we know and love was codified by the English (like so many globally-played sports) in 1863, but the game goes back more than 2,000 years to Asia.

Today we have Takumi Minamino playing for the World Club Champions, a team from the Indian Ocean taking the Coupe de France by surprise and local lad-turned-award-winning DJ Nihal Arthanayake claiming to be Tottenham Hotspur's biggest fan... as well as threatening to come watch the mighty White Roding 45s this season - so the world of football has always been truly multi-cultural. Yoga helps us connect with its (and our) roots and helping us play better. The most famous footballing exponent of the fitness regime, is a player that has graced the hallowed turf at CM6 - record-breaking Ryan Giggs and Wales used Marks Hall Lane as their base back in the 1990's. So we have a group of "stereotypical" white men over 45, from the conservative countryside engaging is something that many would not have believed if they had not seen for themselves. Some of the new experiences may be greeted with scepticism, but most have enjoyed the results of what we have tried. I say "stereotypical" because I try to treat this collection as individuals and being a twin myself I recognise that none of us are the same... and in particular Spen' & Ash' (parents please note!). This is another step on a season of discovery where minds have been opened, health improved, games have been won, friends made and problems shared - I am proud to the brim of them all. This week, we play away at Paringdon in the league as we look to make it 3 wins-on-the spin and take 3rd spot in the league... followed by watching the World Club Champions play Spurs on the TV in the clubhouse. Trikasanaas will be on full show during the warm up!