Sage on the Web

It was a beautiful Summer’s evening that welcomed ten teams to the second Isosceles Cup football tournament.  As the players descended from their team coaches with their brand new kits, their tracksuits and their branded water bottles there was a keen sense of anticipation.  

The teams included most of those from the last year; Solsis (now amalgamated with Tax Computer Systems to form SolTax), Isosceles, InsightSoftware, Design Inc, Line Communications; together with the new teams: Digital Barriers, Waterfall, Protean, Mint Design and MetaPack.

Support for the teams was terrific with close to 100 people either participating or supporting.

The Isosceles team looked confident having been unbeaten in all matches since last year’s final, but realistic after Roger Federer had been knocked out of Wimbledon the very same day –  Julian’s warning to us that the most beautiful football does not win tournaments turned out to be more prophetic than we imagined.

If bonus points could have been awarded they would have been awarded to Mint Design – in their ‘mint condition’ strip, this was their first outing as a team and the only team to field female players. They were also weighed down with this season’s new range of jewellery – at least they looked like premiership players.

Being aqua turf pitches they were lovely and soft underfoot, but at ¾ of a mile long by ½ mile across they were a little on the large size, those players sporting grey highlights or indeed no hair at all exchanged anxious looks and mumbled under their breath.

The teams split into two leagues.  In the first league after the first couple of straightforward matches we reached the first spicy game of the tournament – Digital Barriers against Waterfall.  There was much riding on this derby game, the first time the two companies had played each other (both part of the Digital Barriers Group)  with bragging rights at stake as well as three points.  It was a tight affair with much energy, grunting and skill involved Waterfall pinched a 1-0 win and Digital Barriers looked crest fallen.  Ian McLaren was heard whispering to Dan Lomas “how come we didn’t learn about this during due diligence?”  MetaPack were showing some early form and looking like certain qualifiers until a controversial final game (apparently the final whistle was blown after only 90 seconds) put them in danger of going out.  SolTax seemed to play well in patches, but not have the results to show for it.

Meanwhile in the second league Protean were busy demolishing the opposition – they arrived like an Eastern European team in the 1970’s – unheralded, quality unknown, but their well used kit containing the odd faint blood stain said “we don’t take prisoners” and so it proved.   InsightSoftware arrived like a team from the Middle East – mildly delighted to have a team in the first place and surprising themselves with some quality goals and some good results before reality struck – the truth is they did surprisingly well for a team that hadn’t played together even holding last year’s champions to a 0-0 draw with Ronnie showing goal scoring ability throughout.  Line Communications meanwhile were busy putting right some of the wrongs of the previous year winning two matches – they missed one or two chances in crunch games – no names (Jonathan).  It is worth noting that Line’s two defeats were both 1-0 and against the eventual finalists.  Mint Design tired as the heat of the evening took its toll, Sonia showed some glimpses of class up front and Chris showed surprising aptitude in goal.  The final Mint match report reads “carnage, players sitting in the pitch, rugby tackles and the first injury” – I’ll say no more.

We were then left with just four teams – Isosceles who had won three matches and drawn one, MetaPack who qualified on goal difference, Protean who had ominously won all their matches and Design Inc who had been extremely lucky to qualify.

The Isosceles/Design Inc semi-final was a repeat of the previous year’s final and early on all the negative memories from last year played on Isosceles’ mind as they quickly fell two goals behind.  However just in time and shortly after Mike was substituted off (hmmm) Isosceles remembered what a quality side they really were and dominated,  equalising and missing a number of chances in front of goal – Design Inc were holding on by their finger nails.  It went to penalties and despite some heroics from James in goal Design Inc converted their final penalty to go through very luckily to the final.

The Protean/MetaPack semi-final pitted the two most competitive teams of the tournament together.  Protean weren’t about to compromise now and MetaPack could give as good as they got.  Unfortunately in an accidental collision Karl, the MetaPack goalkeeper, suffered a nasty knock to the ribs – in fact a fracture was later confirmed at A&E – ouch!  Protean eventually won through 2-0.

The final was therefore Protean against Design Inc.  Protean had already beaten Design Inc in the league and did I mention how lucky Design Inc had been in the semis?  Protean were the fancied favourites.  The final was a tight affair, Protean seemed to tire and whither and the ecstasy of Design Inc’s unexpected semi triumph seemed to spur them on (did I mention how lucky they had been to get to the final?).  Ultimately both sides cancelled each other out and we went to penalties.  I have to say that both teams took the best set of penalties I have ever seen for two English sides – each one leaving the goal keeper no chance whatsoever.  In the penultimate penalty for Design Inc the goalie saved but then fumbled Paul’s shot, fortunately for him, into the goal – the ball just slipping under the goalkeeper.  Protean’s final penalty taker missed and it was all down to Jon.   After three hours of blood, sweat tears, fractured ribs and broken finger nails it all came down to this last kick.  Jon took a long run up before blasting the ball into the back of the net.  Design Inc had won (yet again!) and although they had been very , very lucky (did I mention that?) to win the cup for two years in succession, can be no accident.   The truth is Design Inc richly deserved their victory and the unbridled joy on their faces after both the semi and final wins will live long in the memory.  Not since George Michael, has it been so gratifying to bring so much pleasure to other men.

All the players and spectators were able to re-live the events and relax over a drink and a barbecue whilst Karl was ferried to hospital. 

I have to say a big thank you to the teams, all the supporters, Julian and Karen for arranging such a professional and enjoyable event.  I also have to say thank you to our referees Baljit, Ryan and Harry and also to Kate for taking all the team photos.

All but one of the teams will have to wait a whole 12 months to put right the wrongs and injustices of what was the Isosceles Cup 2011.