I'm So Disappointed With My Five Yellow Cards

Last Season's Top Scorer Sam Schwodler Comes Clean On What He Wants this season....

Wednesday 3rd September 2008
Aerostructures Reserves 5-2 Burridge AFC
Venue: Aerostructures
Kick off: 7pm

Last season was my first ever as an outfield player, but I’m not going to use that as an excuse. Sam Schwodler doesn’t believe in second best. When he sets the bar, he sets it high. Lesser men may look back on a season that produced five yellow cards and a week’s suspension and think to themselves - that’s enough. Not me. When I reflect on last season I can see only one thing and that’s failure. Things are going to be different this year, you can bet your bottom dollar on that. As long as there’s breath in my lungs I’ll strive for more.

I know that if I work really hard I can reach my full potential and that’s just what I’ve been doing. The doubters only had to witness our 5-2 pre-season defeat to Aerostructures Reserves to see that I mean business. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still room for improvement. After all the work I’ve put in I was bitterly disappointed with the yellow card I received. With the kind of obscene language I screamed at the referee I really thought I deserved a red.

You might think letting fly with a four letter tirade would be enough. Hindsight is as they say twenty- twenty and although nobody could doubt my intent, my delivery was probably lacking a little in volume. I console myself in the knowledge that if I keep pushing myself the rewards will follow. I’ve got a lot to thank the gaffer for, he’s been working us pretty hard in training. I mean take last year, I could chase a referee twenty yards over a disagreement over a linesman’s flag, but any further and I’d be out of puff.

What with the cardio work I’ve got under my belt now I’ve still got plenty in the tank to give them Hell after putting in thirty-five, even forty yard runs. It’s all well and good giving a referee what for from thirty yards, but it’s a speculative effort at best. It doesn’t matter what obscenity you direct toward him because a lot of other players, not to mention substitutes, managers, spectators, children, passing members of the clergy, they‘re all trying to steal your thunder. If you want results there’s only one place to be and that’s in his face. Not in a minute. Not when the ball’s out of play, but now. Right now.

When people say I’m arrogant it really hurts my feelings. When I say I think I deserved more bookings, it’s not some front I’m displaying to hide my insecurities, it’s my genuine belief. Just ask the other fellas and they’ll agree that my performances deserved and warranted more yellow cards. Maybe even red cards. Last season wasn’t all disappointment though, there were some proud moments too. I’ll never forget racking up my fifth yellow of last campaign for petty squabbling in a game that was already won. Memories like that keep me going.

Goalscorers:
1-1 - Ben Rowe
2-5 - Sam Hewitt