For a little change!

Ladies and Gentlemen 
Honorable "AnticoronaVirusBoredomBlog" followers!

I must tell you another story of equal bravado, but without any Elephants or Lions or Painted Dogs.
I recently e-mailed with one of the WUSC  players and this story came to mind.
It was on a Sunday in Summer or 19xx and the schedule said that at 2 Pm Willowdale United Soccer Club (WUSC) would play against the "Police Blues" (P.B.) at the Bayview Soccer pitch.
The P.B. consisted, obviously, of  members of the Toronto Police Force. Most of them hailed from Scotland or Ireland, where, I am told, right after the Midwife has left, a Soccer Coach comes in and places a Soccer Ball into the cradle, right next to the newborn infant.
Therefore the Newborn dreams "Soccer" and as soon as he can walk he kicks a ball around.
We had played against the P.B. twice before and lost both games. ( by very narrow margins, I might be permitted to add:)
The PBs had a red-headed player on the right wing. He was not only very fast, but he also placed some very accurate passes either into midfield or across to his left winger, or, if given the opportunity he would himself test our keeper severely.
I was lucky enough to have had, what I used to call a "Utility Player."
His name was, and still is, Joe.
In a pinch, Joe would make a good keeper. I could play him in mid field or as a forward. Left side, or right. It did not matter to Joe.
Joe always gave everything he had. He always played with enthusiasm and dedication.
So, when I saw the red-headed cop again in the PB line-up, on the right wing, I said to Joe:
"Joe, this man is fast, but you are faster. He is very tricky, but you are more direct.
Go in there and don't let him out of your eyes. Stay with him, bother him every step of the way.
Fight him for every ball. Just these 90 minutes, during this afternoon, make his life miserable!"
Joe looked at me and nodded his head.
"You got it, Coach" he said and took his position as the "Left Half Back" as it was called in those ancient times.
In about the tenth minute of the game, the PB left Fullback, placed a lovely pass to the feared red-head right winger. He was in full flight when the ball came to him.
Joe took a bead on him and, at full speed, Joe and Red-head collided.
I could hear the crash of the impact on the other side of the field.
There were clumps of grass flying through the air, there were feet and hands and boots.
I heard the PB coach utter a "shit". Then he and their First Aid man raced onto the scene.
Before I could do the same, I saw Joe, standing up, dusting himself  off and shaking his head like a Big Poodle.

Redhead limped off the pitch and for the next 5 minutes the PB decided to play one man short.
During this interval WUSC scored a goal.
At Halftime,  we were all eating an orange and had some grape-sugar, Joe grinned at me:
"Did I do good?" he said. "Yes, I said, "You did almost too good!"
Although the red-head played to the conclusion of the game, he was not the same.
He was just a trifle slower, his passes lacked their former accuracy and it was quite obvious, he stayed away from Joe.
I never quite approved of the nick name "the enforcer."
Since we had only one "Joe" on our team, we all know who Joe was.

A Good Memory is a dangerous thing.

Bert, the Coach.

P.S. WUSC 1: PB 0