All posts by Andy Todd

Andrew, The Sound of Football

The Sound of Football: Cove Rangers/Berwick Rangers (Andrew)

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Every fortnight we cover the best and worst football songs from every club in the UK from our book ‘The Sound Of Football: Every Club, Every Song’. You can buy it here

Cove Rangers/Berwick Rangers

Nickname: The Wee Rangers

Ground: Balmoral Stadium

Stadium Capacity: 2600

Song: None!

We’ve tried fan forums (couldn’t find one), emailed supporters (no one answered), checked fan chant websites (all listed ‘zero songs’), and we’ve begged online for leads, but we’ve drawn a blank. Cove Rangers, one of Scotland’s newest clubs, having joined the league in 2018 after a 7 – 0 aggregate playoff victory against Berwick Rangers, has no songs. Please let us know if you know a Cove Rangers fan or have ever heard them sing. Instead, let’s look at the team they replaced: Berwick Rangers, though their musical legacy is not much stronger. 

Berwick Rovers was one of the few clubs in the SPFL that neither played music when the team walked out or after the team scored, and we’re indebted to the Berwick Supporters Trust for confirming that there’s no official song for Berwick Rangers, saving many hours looking for pieces that don’t exist.

It’s not surprising that Berwick Rangers has no official song when you learn that its hometown of Berwick-upon-Tweed is still at war with Russia – or, at least, it is, according to local legend and its unique position near the border between Scotland and England.

Berwick-upon-Tweed is located in England, just two and a half miles from the border with Scotland, yet, Berwick Rangers play in the Scottish Professional Football League. A discrepancy came about due to a lack of local English teams to play against, leading to it facing teams in the Scottish borders instead.

The fact that Berwick-upon-Tweed is in England meant Berwick Rangers was the only team in the Scottish leagues required to implement the Taylor report in 1989, which followed the Hillsborough disaster. The report required all clubs in England & Wales to have all-seated stadiums. As Berwick-upon-Tweed is an English town, the club had to comply even though Rovers play in Scotland.

The town has had an equally confusing history, being, at times, either English or Scottish depending on where the border between the two countries was drawn. The Treaty of Everlasting Peace (between Scotland and England in 1502) stated that Berwick-upon-Tweed was ‘of England’ but not ‘in England’. This led to Berwick-upon-Tweed being mentioned separately from Scotland and England in Acts of Parliament. A separation that led to its continuing war with Russia.

In 1853, Britain’s declared war against Russia. The declaration referred to England, Scotland and Berwick-upon-Tweed. However, the 1856 Treaty of Paris that ended hostilities never mentioned Berwick-upon-Tweed. Because Berwick-upon-Tweed wasn’t mentioned, locals say that the market town of 25,000 people must still be at war with Russia as it never declared a ceasefire. And, as we know what Russia thinks of musicians, following its treatment of Pussy Riot, perhaps Berwick Rangers is playing it safe and not choosing any music in case it offends Vladimir Putin, and he decides to invade?

Berwick does have unofficial songs. Berwick supporter Michael Smyth provided us with lyrics to two songs that celebrate the club’s stadium and surrounding streets. We include both songs below. In the first song, “The Grove” and “The Harrow” are pubs that flank Shielfield Park. While, in the second, the reference to “Shielfield Road” is a bit of artistic licence – Berwick’s ground is actually off Shielfied Terrace. Perhaps this is an attempt to confuse Vladamir Putin if he ever restarts hostilities?

To the tune of Molly Malone:

“In Berwick’s fair city

Where the girls are so s***y

I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone

As she wheeled her wheelbarrow

From The Grove to The Harrow

Shouting B-E-R-W-I-C-K

BERWICK“

(Source: unknown)

To the tune of Blaydon Races (see Newcastle United)

“Aw me lads, you ought tae see them gannin’

Gannin’ along the Shieifield Road

Just as we were stannin’

All the lads and lasses there

See their smilin’ faces

Gannin’ alang the Shielfield Road

… Tae see the BERWICK RANGERS!”

(Source: unknown)

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Andrew, Hyrox, Race Report

Hyrox Glasgow Race Report 2023 Part 2 (Andrew)

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How many sports are too many sports? Some people take part in just one sport. Some might try two and take part in a duathlon. Others will take part in three and enter a triathlon. After that, you’re in the realm of pentathlons, heptathlons and decathlons. But once you get more than three, you also get a rest between events, so was Jessica Ennis a true multi-sport athlete? She had her feet up for half the day! 🙂

And does a heptathlon have seven events or six? You run both the 200m and the 800m and in duathlon you also run twice (along with a bike ride) but it only counts as two events. If you repeat an event, even at a different distance, is it not the same event?

I ask this because Hyrox has either 16 events or 9. There are eight 1km runs between eight other events. Does each run count as a separate event or is it just one? Is Hyrox a novathlon or a sedecimthlon? I’m going with novathlon, just ’cause it sounds cooler (and is easier to pronounce)!

1km Run

First run was straightforward. It was two laps of the halls and the route was marked with fast and slow lanes to help separate people. But, it never really mattered as there was plenty of room to run at my own pace. The fact there were two laps gives plenty of opportunities for spectators to see you. And at this point, admire your fast and sleek running style.

1km Ski (on Concept2 SkiErg)

Each station is marked with a large easy to spot number so it’s easy to find where you need to go. The machines are set at ‘6’ but you can change this as long as you do it before you start and not halfway through. I’d never used a SkiErg before so, rather than, you know, practice, I just watched a YouTube video instead and tried to remember how it showed how to use the machine. There is also machines in the practice area before the start so you have a go there too in case you’ve forgotten to watch the video.

1km Run

Back out and I realise there’s a large screen showing the names of everyone on the track as they pass. The screen helpfully tells you what event you’re doing next and whether you’re on lap 1 or 2.

50m Sled Push (150kg)

I was dreading this one. I had no idea whether I could push 150kg. I hadn’t practiced (which you can take as read now for all the other events too!) and had only watched a video to see the technique required. This was a struggle.

1km Run

Rubbery legs now before…

50m Sled Pull (120kg)

I didn’t watch the video for this one! Whoops! You have rope to pull and a small box marked on the ground to stand in. I thought you couldn’t move in the box so struggled to pull the sled without moving my feet. I was leaning back to try and use my weight to help but it was a tough challenge to complete the first 12.5m pull until Iain TwinBikeRun, who was in the next lane, told me I could move me feet. After that it was a lot easier to pull as I could walk backwards through the box.

1km Run

Jelly legs now before…

80m Burpee Broad Jump

What the blimey! I have never burpeed (is this a word?) before. I saw it on a video and thought it looked easy. How wrong I was! You have to lie on the ground, stand back up. Jump. Repeat. If felt like I wasn’t moving at all. Every time I laydown, I didn’t want to get back up. Awful. Though one of the judges said “nice technique” which was good to hear especially as Iain TwinBikeRun was sent back twice for getting it wrong. What a berk-ee!

1km Run

Hallelujah. At least I’m not burpee-ing (is this also a word?).

1km Row (on Concept2 Rower)

I’ve used a rowing machine many times and 1km is straightforward. This was the closest I got to a rest.

1km Run

By this point I realised that I was one of the faster runners. I’m not fast but there was definitely more gym competitors than runners on the course.

200m Kettle Bells Farmers Carry (24kg)

This was tough on the shoulders but not too bad. The main thing here is to make sure to use lots of chalk on your hands to stop any sweat on the handles as any sweat makes the kettle bells harder to carry.

1km Run

Second last run and I was feeling okay as I’d not used my legs for a while.

100m Sandbag Lunges (12kg)

So, let’s destroy those legs with alternate lunges while carrying a sandbag. Again, not a difficult task once you get into a rhythm but you do feel it when you get to…

1km Run

The final run. Legs gubbed but at least it’s the last one.

100 reps Wall Balls (6kg)

Before you face the misery of throwing a ball against a high target 100 plus times. I say ‘plus’ because if you don’t hit the right target then the throw doesn’t count. I found this out as I was keeping track of the numbers along with the judge (who has a number clicker to keep track) and I counted 20 and he had 18. By the time I was at 90 he was at 80 and I’m sure I threw the ball 110 times before he said I’d complete the 100.

This is a tough end to the race. The 100 balls seem to go on forever and I only got through this one as Iain TwinBikeRun said “remember to ask for the box” when we entered the station. The box is a handy seat that you sit on before standing and throwing. The box ensure that you squat down correctly. You can squat without the box but why would you give up a handy seat to rest on too??!?! 🙂

About halfway through, my judge said “you’re 10 ahead of your brother, you’re not going to let him win, are you?”. I wasn’t so I made sure to keep ahead so I could be first to the…

Finish line

A proper ramp. A congratulations and a banana. What more do you need for a finish?

Overall

I enjoyed this one. The variety keeps it entertaining. The venue is big enough to ensure there’s no bunching on either the run or at any of the stations, and small enough to make it easy for spectators to keep up with the action.

Andrew, Hyrox, Race Report

Hyrox Glasgow Race Report 2023 – Part 1 (Andrew)

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It’s said the triathlon was invented as a sport when three sailors, one a strong swimmer, another a strong runner and a third, a strong cyclist, devised a race in which they would all evenly compete against each other.

Hyrox is also a multi-sport race but unlike triathlon it has three times as many sports – nine to triathlon’s three. Unlike triathlon it was designed to be a multi-sport rather than a result of a drunken naval bet. Though it would make a great story if it had started after nine people got into an argument over who was best.

But what are the events? And how does it compare to triathlon?

Last month, TwinBikeRun entered the Glasgow edition of Hydrox and this is my report.

What is Hyrox?

It’s a multi-sport event which takes place indoors in an arena. The sports are:

1km Run

1km Ski (on Concept2 SkiErg)

1km Run

50m Sled Push (102kg – 202kg*)

1km Run

50m Sled Pull (78kg – 153kg*)

1km Run

80m Burpee Broad Jump

1km Run

1km Row (on Concept2 Rower)

1km Run

200m Kettle Bells Farmers Carry (16kg – 32kg*)

1km Run

100m Sandbag Lunges (10kg – 30kg*)

1km Run

100 / 75* reps Wall Balls (4kg – 9kg*)

* weights (and reps for wall balls) vary by category

(And, which, if you’re counting, is 16 events, however as you run eight time I’ve included it as one sport when I said there were nine sports to race.)

What was registration like?

Very straightforward. You’re sent a QR code in advance. Registration only took a few minutes and you’re given a chip timer, an athlete band and band for your bag to store in the bag drop. Spectators can also register and pay to enter too. Though at £11.50 your spectators may want you to put on a show to justify the high cost!

How do you get ready?

The course was set up in one of the halls of the Scottish Exhibition Centre. It was easy to access and everything was signposted – except for the changing rooms, as there wasn’t any!

This is your first challenge: where to change when there’s no changing room. I asked a steward and he pointed me to the largest toilet, which was fine, if unconventional. I didn’t expect my first challenge of Hyrox would be to change from jeans to shorts in a toilet cubicle.

How’s the start?

Before you start there’s a warm up area with exercise bikes and machines and weights to replicate every event. This was useful as I’d not practiced any of the events beforehand. I was worried that I would struggle on the sled push and pull. I thought I might even struggle to move it, never mind complete it. But, having a practice, I realised that while it was tough, it wasn’t going to be impossible. It gave me some confidence that I wasn’t starting something I wouldn’t be able to finish.

10 minutes before your start time you get access to the start pen. Loud music and inspirational videos play on TV screens. A number of men take their t-shirts off and strip to the waist. Why? I have no idea. But, Hyrox does seem to attract a large minority of competitors who race in just their shorts. I think they don’t have a full kit because they struggled in the loo to get changed. That can be the only explanation…

A 10 minute countdown ends and we’re off!

What’s it like for spectators?

Mrs TwinBikeRun had a pram with her and was able to get around most of the stations very easily. There was a couple that were difficult to access because of the way they were set out in the arena but most were easy to access and easy to see me. I thought it was great that she was always able to get a spot beside us but she said there was no secret to that: she said: “Who else would want to stand beside you?”

And she was right, the stations are spaced out so that not only does every competitor have their own space, but so do the spectators as each spectator is only watching one person too.

What’s the event like?

I’ll cover that next week. Let’s just say that there’s a reason Hercules stopped at 12 tasks. He was knackered. But while we had nine sports, there were 16 tasks and even Hercules would have had second thoughts of completing that many.

Part 2 next week

Andrew, The Sound of Football

The Sound of Football: Coventry City (Andrew)

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Every fortnight we cover the best and worst football songs from every club in the UK from our book ‘The Sound Of Football: Every Club, Every Song’. You can buy it here

Coventry City

Nickname: The Sky Blues

Ground: Ricoh Arena (subject to dispute and games in 2019/20 were played at St Andrews, Birmingham)

Stadium Capacity: 32,604

Song: The Sky Blue Song

Cinderella is the proverbial rags to riches story, but Coventry City must be one of the ugly sisters as it’s suffered the reverse – a riches to rags story.

The club spent 34 consecutive seasons in the topflight before relegation in 2001. It was a founding member of the Premier League but has since stumbled from one financial problem to another, culminating in further relegation. It suffered through administration, and due to a dispute with its stadium owners, the club even started 2013/14 playing its home games in Northampton rather than in the Ricoh Arena in Coventry after being locked out of its ground.

It’s been a long time since the success of the ‘The Sky-Blue Revolution’ of the 1960s when the legendary Jimmy Hill became manager.

Jimmy has had every job possible in football except professional WAG. He was a player, union leader, coach, manager, director, chairman, television executive, presenter, analyst and match official. His first managerial role was at Coventry, where he orchestrated the Sky Blue Revolution. He changed the home kit’s colours to sky blue, coined the nickname the ‘Sky Blues’, and penned the club’s song ‘The Sky Blue Song’. Dulux doesn’t do football, but if they did…

‘The Sky Blue song’ was written in 1962 by Jimmy and director John Camkin. It was launched at a home game with Colchester, but the match was abandoned at halftime because of fog. Hill had the words printed in the match programme – a new invention by… you guessed it, Jimmy Hill.

The song is still sung today. In 2012 to celebrate its 50th-anniversary, members of the Coventry squad from the original Colchester game went onto the pitch at halftime and sang it with the fans.

To celebrate his achievements, a seven-foot bronze statue of Jimmy was unveiled at the stadium after £100k was raised by fans.

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TwinBikeRun 2022 (Andrew)

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A decent year for the site as we clocked over 11K visitors again. There was a clear drop this year from last but that was largely due to a decrease in searches for open water swimming after a boom last year in people looking for information about local lochs. 

Hello to our visitors from nearly 2000 visitors from around the world.

And an extra special hello to those single visitors from Uruguay to Jordan:

And many thanks to all who visited the site, read a blog, left a comment, clicked a link, watched a video or bought the book.

Andrew

My Year (Andrew)

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My ‘A race’ this year was going to be ‘Baby Celtman’ aka Celtman Solo 10.5. However, as Iain Twinbike Run qualified for the full Celtman itself, and Baby Celtman being the following week, I could only go to Applecross once and supported his race instead. So, my main race this year involved me sitting in a car having a snooze while waiting for Iain TwinBikeRun to finish swimming. And how did I get on? I can honestly say I smashed it. Just look at the genius move of bringing a pillow with me to make my snooze even more comfortable. If supporting was a race, then I was a gold medal winner. 

For actual running, biking and swimming, I had a back up goal of trying to run a bit faster this year. I’d noticed my average times were creeping down and I wanted to try and push a bit faster. By the end of the year I was running around 30 seconds faster a mile than the start. I’d like to say there was a dedicated training programme to achieve this but it mostly involved finishing work at 5 and having to be home by 540 as that’s when our nanny finished. There’s nothing like having to avoid paying overtime to make you run faster. 

Overall, a decent year that reflected two things. One, a one year old in the house which meant I was very restricted about anything longer than an hour. Two, a broken rib and then COVID to finish the year so Oct to Dec was patchy as I had to avoid pressure on my rib and then anything which set off a cough for a couple of weeks. 

Next year, ‘Baby Celtman’ is the goal again and I’m looking forward to being back in Applecoss, even if I have to be there with a bike and running kit and not a comfy pillow. 

Andrew, The Sound of Football

The Sound of Football: Colchester United (Andrew)

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Every fortnight we cover the best and worst football songs from every club in the UK from our book ‘The Sound Of Football: Every Club, Every Song’. You can buy it here

Colchester United

Nickname: The U’s

Ground: Weston Homes Community Stadium

Stadium Capacity: 10,105

Song: Up The U’s

If you are interested in alternative music, then one name will immediately come to mind: Steve Lamacq.

Steve’s tireless championing of new music on his long-running shows on Radio 1 and Radio 6 Music has delivered the first UK radio exposure for Oasis, Coldplay, and every guitar band who’s emerged on the UK alternative music scene in the last 20 years. In-between attending hundreds of gigs each year, Steve has another love: Colchester FC. On 23 January 2006, he combined both passions by playing the team’s anthem ‘Up the U’s’ on Radio 1’s Evening Session.

The song is ironic: Colchester is the setting for the famous nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty. During the English Civil War, a sniper known as Humpty Dumpty, due to his large size, sat in the belfry of a church (Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall.) He was shot down (Humpty Dumpty had a great fall) and, shortly after, the town was overrun by Parliamentarians (all the king’s horses and all the king’s men/couldn’t put Humpty together again), which is why, instead of singing ‘Up the U’s, an appropriate fairy tale ending for Colchester would find them falling down the divisions.

The club has had moderate success. With a population of just over 100k, it has punched above its weight and regularly features in the top half of League 1. Its greatest achievement was a victory over Don Revie’s all-conquering Leeds United side of the 1970s. A result that put all of the Colchester players involved into the club’s player hall of fame.

The club anthem is ‘Up the U’s’, and Colchester based punk band Special Duties has recorded the song twice.

Special Duties was originally called X-pelled, but they switched names when a box of badges with “Special Duties” printed on them ‘came into their possession’. Allegedly the badges were stolen from a local Colchester school. They changed their name to fit the badges rather than print more badges with X-Pelled written on them.

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Jimmy Irvine 10K 2022 Race Report (Andrew)

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If you ‘assume’ then you make an ass of of you and me.

Which is one of those phrases that doesn’t seem fair, when you think about it. Why should two people be blamed for one persons assumption? If I assume that you will give a chocolate cake if I visit your house, then it’s not your fault if I turn up on your doorstep at midnight demanding a Black Forest gateaux. You would be quite right to slam the door in my face and call my every name under the sun. No has made an ass out of you. You’re in the right. I’m in the wrong and when I assume I have only made an ass out of me.

Which is what happened at the Jimmy Irvine 10K. I had assumed the route was the same as the last time I’d entered. See Jimmy Irvine Race Report 2019. However, the organisers had moved the start line. Instead of starting at the top of a hill in Bellahouston Park, they started at the bottom. And the first few hundred metres required us to run to the top.

I didn’t know this so hadn’t warmed up and I spent the first few hundred metres huffing and puffing and cursing myself for not think to check the route.

Other than that, the route was the same as previous years and involves 2 and half laps of Bellahouston Park. Unlike previous years – see 2019 again – it was a warm autumn day. There was no rain and it was a nice run through the park with around 500 other runners.

I was pleased with my time after having been ill a couple of days before. However, I don’t know my exact time. According the organisers I ran in 46 mins 30 seconds. According to my watch, I ran 10k in 45 minus 40 seconds. I could only wonder if the extra metres at the start may have made the course longer.

(Or my watch failed to track me right).

I would make an assumption but we all know the dangers in doing that now.

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New Trainer Time (Andrew)

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When do you change your running shoes? According to the shoe manufacturer, Asics, you should change them every 400 – 500 miles or earlier if:

•              Sections of the rubber outsole are so worn that you can see the softer foam underneath

•              The midsole feels too soft and collapses easily under pressure. 

•              You see longitudinal creases in the midsole

•              The heel counter becomes mobile and less supportive

•              Your toes wear through the toe-box and the shoe upper tears

•              One shoe sole becomes asymmetrically worn when compared to the other

•              One or both shoes no longer stand up straight when placed on a flat surface

•              You feel increased muscle soreness after running

I’ve got a simpler system to know when to replace your shoes: once a year, when the sales are on – or earlier, if a hole appears. 

The important thing though is to change them whether they need changed or not  – because no shoe lasts two years. If you get one year out of them, then you’re doing well. If you get longer, even better. Because you can buy the new pair and then keep wearing the old pair until the hole appears. 

It’s a simple system and it’s never failed me.Modern shoes should last a year, unless you are Kipchoge and running marathons every second week. But, in his case, he gets shoes for free from Nike so doesn’t have to think about it. Mo Farah on the other hand, now that his career is slowing down faster than he is, will need to start thinking about buying his own. So, Mo, if you’re reading, perhaps best you pop down to the January sales and buy a pair for this year!

So, there you go, you don’t need to know much about shoes to keep injury free with proper trainers. Just buy one pair a year in the January sales and you’ll never need to think about it again.

Andrew

31 Day Stretching Challenge – Day 31 (Andrew)

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Last year, after finishing my 31 days of exercise challenge, I wrote:

“Tired legs, tired arms… Pooh sticks thrown off a bridge show more skill in the water than I did [swimming] this morning. I was very glad to finish the swim and, with it, the challenge.”

Today, I feel good, and I feel I have benefitted from trying some form of stretching each day. So much so, I’ll be continuing the challenge tomorrow by incorporating some form of stretching each day into my routine.

Most importantly, I started the challenge because I felt pain in my right hip, and, today, I can report I have not felt any pain or discomfort for the last two weeks. Yay!

Who’d have guessed it? Taking care of yourself and trying not to run, bike or swim your body into the ground, is actually a good thing to do! 🙂