In March 2009, the YC&AC Over 35s won, for the first time in unknown several years, the agonising day-long competition which is the Nishiumi Cup.
It was a triumph that typified everything the team stood for in 2008/9. We were indisputably poor at times, good in spells, and brilliant in flashes. And we were those kind of things in that sort of order. Like the German national side which in so many respects we resemble, we grew into the tournament; we grafted and chipped away; and, inevitably in the end, we prevailed.
In the process we suffered injuries to key players, at least two of those being serious.
For these reasons and others perhaps not unrelated to the consumption of large volumes of lager, those of us gathered in the Main Bar afterwards felt moved to ensure that the 12th Nishiumi Cup… Well…
Kevin Carden was the first to fulfill our tired and emotional vows. Here he is with the Cup at Fratton Park, home of Portsmouth F.C., then and still at the time of writing a Premier League club.
Here’s Kevin and the Cup again, just down the road in Dubai now, with former Over 35s teammate Cliff Broom.
More photos of the Nishiumi Cup on tour to follow.
