Up the City - Wheel 'em in!

H'way the lads! (that's the geordie on my Mother's side coming out!). Why the excitement? - well Chelmsford City have only gone and stuffed Gravesend in the F.A. Cup - that's why! Well stuffed might be a little over the top - but 1-nil is 1-nil when all said and done. Being a Chelmsford lad myself I've 'supported' the City since I was twelve years old when they won the Southern League and almost got a place in the Football League- and seen them through some of the highs and lows of non-league footie. Getting through to the first round proper of the F.A. Cup - well, it's Champerton - simply Champerton!

Bring on Aldershot! Roll on 11 November!

City have a great bunch of loyal supporters (me every now and again) which includes the newly arrived Claret the City Parrot (pictured). Hang on a minute - do my eyes deceive me - or is that a human hand I see poking out of Claret's stomach? Does that mean that Claret is really - (gulp) - a human dressed up as a parrot?- is this unreleased film footage from Ridley Scott's 'Alien' - or has he simply devoured one of the visiting supporters in all the excitement? Who knows? Who cares??

Well... there were 1,609 supporters at today's game - not bad for a Isthmian League Premier Division side, and proving that there are some real die-hards supporters out there - including my friend Marky (who has so many replica City shirts I've lost count) who has been there through on the terraces through thick and thin - and came back from Bible College in Oxford especially for this game. It brings a tear to yer eye don't it?

Anyway - we're all very proud of Jeff King and the City boys! Up the City, Wheel 'em in!

My family

Well I'm starting to get the hang of this bloggin' thingy so I thought I would post up a picture of my family. That's me on the end - although this was taken a few years ago I'm still as good looking, and also so very 'umble as ever I was.

Although you won't be aware of it you are actually looking at a miracle - he's the little fella 2nd from the left on the bottom row. When my wife Sarah was just 12 weeks pregnant a routine scan showed that there was something seriously wrong with the baby's heart. Against initial medical advice and in accordance with our faith and beliefs, we went through with the pregnancy and Joshua was born in 1995. At 36 hours old he had open heart surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital- 6 weeks ago he started secondary school - Praise the Lord!

Josh continues to astound the medical world. From a medical point of view he shouldn't be alive - but he is - thanks to God's grace and provision.

That's enough for now - but there are so many stories that I can (and probably will) tell you about Josh. If you think there is no God - then think again! Josh is living proof that there is a God in Heaven who loves us and wants all that is good for our lives - and that really IS Champerton!

More soon...

Crackerjack!!

No - this isn't a picture of me! - Cheek! I thought it was such a lovely picture of a childhood legend(?) that I should share it with the World!

Altogether now.... 'It's Friday...it's five to five....and it's Crackerjack! (Response: (shouted as loudly as is humanly possible) CRACKERJACK! or in the case of this blog - CHAMPERTON!).

Ah the memories, the memories....

(in case you don't recognise him - it's Peter Glaze!)

Who'd've thought it eh?

Well....who'd've thought that old Pannell would end up with his own blog? I didn't really think I was interesting enough to bother until my friend Pete sent me a link to his blog - which is brill and very cool - in fact it's rather Champerton! It was Pete who encouraged me so you if you've got any problems you can blame him!

Anyway - who knows where this might be going - we'll have to see! One thing you CAN be certain about is a disgraceful overuse of exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gotta go - places to be - things to do - people to annoy! Champerton!

God bless!

Steve