16 Sep 2024 12:49:43
Had to have a wry smile about all the excuses various TV pundits came out with to explain Liverpools defeat on Saturday. They ranged from the international break ( forgetting we had 14 players away including some like Woody on long trips to USA and Mexico), upcoming European Champions League, Forests aggression and use of the long ball etc etc.
I read Victor Hugo's magnificent but sprawling novel "Les Miserables" a few months back where he leaves the main story and goes on for about 7 or 8 chapters trying to excuse his hero Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo by Wellington ( a mere "technician" according to Hugo, not a military genius like Napoleon). The conclusion he came to was that God himself was outshone by the brilliance of Napoleon so he put certain misfortunes deliberately in the way of the French Army! I kid you not.
Hugo wrote the novel in 1862 and actually visited the battlefield 47 years after the event. He even claimed that the Hugomont Farmhouse ( still there) at the centre of the action was the home of his ancestors.
In fact Wellington used highly sophisticated defensive tactics which had resulted in a long string of victories over the French in Spain. Waterloo was the first ( and last) time he had the illustrious Napoleon as his opponent though. So, like Nuno on Saturday he ground down the huge French attack and then launched the devastating counter attack when they had been stopped exhausted with the famous words "Now's your time Maitland " ( the first name of Uxbridge his cavalry commander. ) So did Nuno say the same to his attacking subs "now's your time Callum and Anthony ".
Dont forget Nuno learnt his tactical trade from his mentor Jose Morinho. Imo SC often used exactly the same tactics but Nuno is further advanced with more counter attacking threat and crucially, much better players ( and a preseason) to call on. Like Cloughie said " It's good players who win you matches not tactics " ??.
16 Sep 2024 13:29:44
What an epic post, I applaud you. I wonder if Wellington celebrated like Nuno, or was it a “well done gentlemen! ”?
16 Sep 2024 14:15:35
"They don't like it up'm! "
???.
16 Sep 2024 20:45:20
Sorry Stokey, you lost me again.
No, seriously, I do love your posts mate. Well, the parts I can stay awake for!
17 Sep 2024 13:47:50
Tyke, Wellington was a man of few words even when he later became Prime Minister. During the battle Thomas Paget, later Marquess of Anglesey and Lord Uxbridge was on horseback talking to him when a cannonball took his leg off from the knee.
Paget calmly said to Wellington “By God sir I believe I’m lost my leg”
To which Wellington replied “By God sir, so you have”
( Paget survived and lived until he was 85).
After the battle Wellington made 2 comments….
Firstly “ that was a damned close run thing “
And secondly “ there is only one thing half as melancholy as a battle lost and that it a battle won “
( this in reference to the enormous number of casualties of all battles fought at that time. With a musket range of only around 100 yards armies blazed away at each other from roughly the distance between the Trent End and Bridgford End. Sometimes Toe to toe. )
17 Sep 2024 17:43:41
I do love your knowledge of our history Stokey.
The optimist in me is now thinking that I may live to 170.
18 Sep 2024 15:40:29
Excellent Legless, 85 years equals 1 leg, doubled in your case mate! As the Vulcans would say “Live long and prosper “ my friend.
In fact, in a way Lord Uxbridge ( aka Henry Paget) s leg had a longer history than he did. Many years ago I went on a guided tour around the Waterloo Battlefield which was brilliant ( but probably not easy in a wheelchair on a wet day though to someone who’s been up a mountain in one an absolute doddle ). Uxbridges leg ( amputated mid thigh) ended up being embalmed and exhibited ( together with the blood stained wooden chair he was strapped during the op) by a local man in who’s house in the village of Waterloo it took place. He and his family made quite a bit of money and a shrine was made and visited by the rich and famous including royalty. The future PM George Canning wrote a very funny poem on the monument which is too long to put in this post but worth a read. ( Canning Terrace and Circus were named after him in Nottingham). Also a fabulous bit of graffiti which still reads
“ Here lies Henry Pagets limb
May the devil soon take the rest of him”
The operation, by the way was carried out with no anaesthetic except a few drops of opium with Uxbridge making quips throughout such as “ I say Mr Surgeon your blade looks a bit blunt to me”
The saw is exhibited to this day at the National Army Museum in Chelsea next to the Chelsea Pensioners Hospital ( again which is well worth a visit, amazing place).
To cut a long story short, one day, a storm washed the bones up and caused a national outcry between the Pagets and the descendants of the Belgian family who owned the house. The Belgian Home Secretary ordered that the bones be re buried in a proper manner. However this didn’t happen and they were just hidden in the cellar and forgotten about until the 1930s when the last of the family sold the house and discovered the remains. She was frightened of prosecution so burnt them in her log burner. I assume this was done on November 5th, or “Bone Fire Night”…….
As a footnote the Pagets ancestral home is Beaudesert in Cannock Chase now an outward bound centre about 20 miles from where I live.
Their other home Plas Newydd ( or the New Place) is on Anglesey near Menai ( in the village with the longest place name which I can’t pronounce but ends in “gogogoch “ in Welsh. It’s a National Trust place and again well worth a visit.
18 Sep 2024 20:08:28
Fascinating Stokey. Thank you mate.
I'm glad that you get my rather dry/ obscure SOH! I may misinterpret yours now and again, but I 'catch up' eventually!
I do like to think that my lower legs and feet are now preserved in a large pickling jar somewhere, owned by some mad scientist planning to create a new human from the remains.