Greetings from the press box at Camp Nou.
Barcelona are about to kick-off a cup tie against Benidorm of the regional third division in front of the smallest crowd IâÂÂve ever seen here for a first team game â around 20,000.
You can easily pick out âÂÂMes Que Un Clubâ (More Than A Club) in yellow seats opposite. BarcaâÂÂs website optimistically stated that there was no excuse for missing this game. Plenty have found one.
"The game is tonight isn't it?"
I was hoping that Benidorm fans would enjoy a trip to Camp Nou, much like QPR buzzed of going to Old Trafford on Tuesday, where they took 7,000 giddy fans. Hoping to see thousands of raffish Benidorm supporting ex-pats who work in garish bars serving all day English breakfasts for a Euro (about a pound these days) and boast signs saying âÂÂNo Foreign Muck.âÂÂ
Until 1,000 skinny skyscrapers (they are thin so that as many rooms as possible get a sea view) were built and tourism took over, Benidorm was a pretty fishing village on Levante beach. Now itâÂÂs known as the Manhattan of Spain.
I was hoping for chants in English and flags calling people w*nkers. Instead, thereâÂÂs about 40 Spaniards in the nose-bleed seats at the back of the third tier getting wet.
So IâÂÂll talk about Curzon Ashton instead, who beat Exeter City in the FA Cup First Round last Saturday at their impressive Tameside Stadium.
My brother Jonathan, the 'non-league gypsy' has thrice parked his caravan at Curzon and remains close friends with their manager Gary Lowe, whom he argues with on the phone every day.
Lowe is in tonightâÂÂs Manchester Evening News, pictured with his wife Anna holding a glass of red wine. The headline is âÂÂThe Romance of the Cupâ and his wife talks of how they met and his opening chat-up line in an Ashton bar: âÂÂWhy donâÂÂt you give me a kiss, gorgeous?âÂÂ
Lowe has always made me feel welcome to come training whenever I am in Manchester (one heavy session saw me need six sessions with a chiropractor at 30 notes a pop), like at the start of last season.
Michael Norton strokes home Curzon's opener
There were a lot of new players and I only recognised a few. Not wanting to unbalance the tender dressing room etiquette, the gypsy didnâÂÂt introduce me.
Instead, he let the other players weigh me up as we walked onto the training field and took great delight in telling one of them that IâÂÂd been signed from Morecambe to play in his position. I kept my head down, but it was clear that I wasnâÂÂt as good as them.
Then Lowe came out of the dressing room and told everyone that I was the gypsyâÂÂs brother. âÂÂAnd donâÂÂt be smart with him,â he shouted, âÂÂbecause AndyâÂÂs been⦠to university!âÂÂ
Several players looked at me like I was an alien. One even asked me what it was like, as if Lowe had said âÂÂon death rowâ and not university.
Lowe then made me mark Rhodri Giggs for the entire session, which was hard because while heâÂÂs got nothing on his brother, heâÂÂs far quicker, younger and better than me. My team-mates did help me a lot though and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
A few days later Lowe called me. The gypsy had got him to do something similar several times before, saying things like: âÂÂItâÂÂs the FA Vase Semi-Final on Saturday and my right-back has picked up an injury. Do you think you can do a job for us?âÂÂ
I wanted to, I really wanted to and I swear I would not have let him down, but I knew he was winding me up. But this call was different. âÂÂIâÂÂm thinking of bringing the missus over to Barcelona for a weekend,â Lowe said. âÂÂAre there any shops there?âÂÂ
Benidorm have just hit the post after 20 minutes and so the naughty 40 are getting raucous, as they should, for at this stage Barca are usually four up. Actually, the police are now moving them to better seats lower down.
Congratulations then to Curzon, who play at level eight, for beating Exeter, who play four leagues higher. Glynn Barker, one of the Curzon players, had booked to come out to Barcelona to play for Manchester La Fianna last weekend, but decided that heâÂÂd better stay for the Exeter game. HeâÂÂd scored the surprise winner in the fourth round qualifying tie which set up the clash with last season's Conference Play-off winners.
"Kidderminster here we come!"
So Curzon did what Manchester United couldnâÂÂt, and beat Exeter at home in the FA Cup. And given that Barca couldnâÂÂt manage a draw at Old Trafford, that would make Curzon better than Barcelona. And, because IâÂÂd trained with them, me better than Lionel Messi. Who has just scored a penalty. 1-0 to Football Club Barcelona.
IâÂÂm going to applaud the Benidorm players for their efforts. I might even get a discount on a one Euro breakfast on my next visit.
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