Day 6 Coastal Thunder vs Billingham Town

Coastal Thunder 1 Billingham Town 0

One of the hallmarks of the trip is the hospitality shown us by the local football clubs. We were warmly received by the Billingham Town players, coaches, parents and our new found Thunder fans (see picture at left). We played the match at the local rugby club because the football facilities are under renovation. After the game the Billingham Town parents hosted a very nice reception for the teams and plenty of good food and drinks were served. Both teams pitched in and moved goals and strung nets before the game. The field was freshly cut and on the small side (100 X 65 yards). Temperature at game time was a cool 65 degrees with plenty of late afternoon sun and very windy.

The boys came out very flat and seemed tired throughout the game - maybe climbing Hadrian's Wall took some of the starch out of them. We seemed slow to ball, out of rhythm, and technically sloppy. We did have a few early chances but the Billingham Town goalie made some excellent saves. Once again we struggled with the physical style of play. The English players play hard through every ball and the referees permit the physical game.

Our sluggish play continued well into the second half. Seth had to ask the girls in the photo at the right to leave the bench area so our boys could focus on the game. Things started to turn around for us when Harper and Chase entered the game in the 60th minute. Both boy's energetic play seemed to pick up the rest of the team. Finally, in the 70th minute, Kyle feathered a ball through to Gabe who collected it and tucked in a low shot for the game winner.

As you watch the slide show below pay particular attention to a sequence of three photos in which Pete is seen chatting with his new friend Jess.

Day 6 Houseteads Roman Fort

This morning we headed northwest to visit Houseteads Roman Fort, one of 16 forts along Hadrian's Wall constructed in AD 122 to guard the northwest frontier of the Roman Empire against invasion from Picts and Scots, barbarians to the north. Originally 40 feet high, only the lower courses remain intact today at approximately 10 feet high. The wall extends for 73 miles across the north of England, from the North Sea to the Irish Sea.

The day started off overcast with periodic showers but, once again, the weather cooperated and it was partly sunny by the time we arrived at the wall, after a one hour bus ride. The boys had a great time scaling the wall and chasing sheep in the open fields. After a couple of hours of fooling around - and being scolded for making the sheep nervous - we had a quick bite to eat at the snack shed on the way out. Mark, our tour guide, can't believe how often these boys want to eat. Of course this is no surprise to the parents. I bet you are spending half as much on groceries while we are away.

We headed back to Durham Castle for a brief rest and pre-game meal in the Great Hall before departing for our late afternoon match with Billingham Town.