The Barmby Madness: From Goa to Grodig (with Bishkek in Between)

“A song of empty matter which might explain the absence of any precious jewels to save mankind.” – Nick Jones

The Barmby Madness: From Goa to Grodig (with Bishkek in Between)

The Barmby Madness: From Goa to Grodig (with Bishkek in Between)

I’m not sure where to start with this one, but this journey tops the lot so far in terms of crazy sentiment rather than adventure or off the wall republics. Have you heard of GRODIG? Neither had I until last year when Lock In Lee Adams and I attempted to bury the ghost of Nicky Barmby. We failed. With justified aplomb.

“The demons never need to know” – Super Furry Animals

The Barmby Madness: From Goa to Grodig (with Bishkek in Between)

The Barmby Madness: From Goa to Grodig (with Bishkek in Between)

Confused? OK one of my best friends Lee Adams (from Birmingham) and I have been friends since meeting in 2003 and we have had far too many crazy coincidences down the years. We are freaks. We are long lost brothers. We understand each other. To understand all this, check these articles:

1.The Nicky Barmby Bet 2004 – 2014 Story
2.The Grodig Bet and Jacky Barmby Story 2014 – 2016
3.The Lock In, 2004

“That was the only day Nicky Barmby scored for Forest” – Lock In Lee.

Lock and Lee and I dreaming in Prague, 2007

Lock and Lee and I day dreaming in Prague, 2007

Where or What is Grodig?
Grodig is a small town in Austria of 9,000 people. The town’s beloved football team, SV Grodig now play in the Austrian Top Flight. The pipe dream of a local businessman. A story not dissimilar to that of Gretna, (Londonderry) Institute or AFC Bournemouth.

Grodig, Austria

Grodig, Austria

Why Are We Going There?
I write this near a beach in Goa, India and I have just booked my flights out of Central Asia on route to Grodig, Austria. I am going there to meet Lock In Lee Adams for what promises to be a crazy 5 days. The pair of us met in 2003 while applying to be in the Big Brother spoof, “The Lock In” and have freakily engineered a load of coincidences in the last 13 years.

Lee and I in the Lock In

Lee and I in the Lock In

In 2015 on the night that Nottingham Forest beat Rotherham United 2-0, Lee and I won a bet, AGAIN. The team that won us the bet was called GRODIG. We bet on GRODIG, because Gary Gardner was playing for Forest that night, and well GROw and DIG are both related to gardening. It was ridiculous to put that bet on. Grodig had lost their previous 4 or 5 matches, and some by 3 or 4-0! But they won 2-0 against Wolfsberger AC.

It's murder on your love affair

It’s murder on your love affair: Pub Crawl Cluedo, 2012

We collected our winnings, some £150 odd quid each and then talk turned to actually going to GRODIG to watch the team play on our next trip together. Lee and I have watched football on our travels before, in Prague in 2007. And now we are actually going to Grodig to watch the match in April 2016!

Lee and I watching Sparta Prague v Slovan Liberec in the Czech Republic

Lee and I watching Sparta Prague v Slovan Liberec in the Czech Republic

Mine’s a Port on Timber, please
News filtered in this week that Jacky Barmby, son of Nicky Barmby joined Portland Timbers on loan, while his contract team, Leicester City FC remain top of the English Premier League. That’s right – this week. 12 years to the week of the Nick Barmby bet! WTF?! And the same week that Lee and I messaged each other to confirm all our flights are booked and we are ready for Grodig. Good luck at Portland Timbers, Jack Barmby!

WTF?! Jack Barmby signed for Portland Timbers this week!

WTF?! Jack Barmby signed for Portland Timbers this week!

So because Jack Barmby signed for Portland Timbers, our first drink together in Austria will be a PORT to be consumed on a ledge/bar of TIMBER in a foreign LAND. We might even find a BAR called MBY. This is crazy. It really is!

Lee and I touring Prague's sex museum

Lee and I touring Prague’s sex museum

So I can kind of reveal some of my travel plans. I’ll be leaving India to be based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan again for a few weeks and then I fly to Germany and overland into Austria for the Grodig adventure.

See you soon, Lee – superstar!

Nerve Magazine: Lee and Jonny

Nerve Magazine: Lee and Jonny

Lee and I in London in 2006

Lee and I in London in 2006

Lee and I at the Kelloggs Factory, Manchester

Lee and I at the Kelloggs Factory, Manchester

Lee and I in Harborne, Birmingham

Lee and I in Harborne, Birmingham

Lee and I on a "Gay Indian night" in Prague

Lee and I on a “Gay Indian night” in Prague

Bournemouth days with my broken arm

Bournemouth days with my broken arm

The glory glory days

The glory glory days

On the rip in Bournemouth in 2004

On the rip in Bournemouth in 2004

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