Breaking News - New Signings?

Exciting times for Team 2-Sox!

The Gaffer has put forward the names and details of two potential new signings to El Presidente. If she gives the nod, official approaches will be made to the two people involved (well, in one case, to his Mummy), and by this time next week we may have increased numbers.

One appointment is to the back-up team, and one is for another active team player.

We're also recruiting people to become Consiglieri of 2SX, a kind of overseeing board of advisors. If you're interested email at the address to the right.

Watch this space!


Edit - the first two Consiglieri have signed up. Welcome aboard Bob Smith, specialising in engineering, and Z, specialising in education, and remaining anonymous for the time being.

Training & A Small Victory - Saturday 15 Nov 08

The Gaffer is a broken man this morning. He got "Big Air" several times during yesterday's training, unfortunately followed immediately by "Equally Big Concrete". You don't bounce so well when you're as old as The Gaffer is.

More training at the newly re-named Rad Mount in beautiful downtown King's Lynn. Training involved kid skid and skateboard, and a race downhill against a mountain biker - Team 2-Sox winning comfortably after a slightly controversial flying start. Pictures show the race, and a 4-shot sequence of skidding.

Retrospective Event - Saturday 19 Jul 08

Team 2-Sox took on the world yesterday at the closest-to-home Official World Championship you could ever find....

Armed with seven toned, honed racing snails we headed to Congham to meet our Snail Nutritionist and assistant, Debs and Steve. They travelled from Kent for the occasion, no expense spared for Team 2-Sox! Unloading the snails we became something of a tourist attraction, as crowds of visiting Americans, seemingly drawn by curiosity to this uniquely English occasion, stopped to watch us. As we painted The Lads they asked questions, made comments, took photos, and summoned others..."Hey Marsha, come and see these snail guys gettin' ready...." They were treated to splendidly English summer weather, roasting sunshine alternating almost exactly with torrential downpours.

Celebrity status assured we headed to the track, thronged with trainers and supporters alike. As we took our place at the Rudd End of the course we scoured the faces at the far end - the Bell End - for any sign of the Dastardly Equipe Bellingham, but there was no sign of them. We were backed up by some of the visiting Americans, which meant that even if we didn't win we would have the largest army of travelling supporters. Our snails raced, got photographed by the Press, filmed by The Telly, and had more than their fifteen minutes of fame. Lightning 2-Sox achieved a second place, Turbo 2-Sox was set for victory before being distracted by a fit young filly of a snail and performing a 90 degree left turn, and the rest were pretty much spectators. The vocal backing for Turbo was awesome and would have raised the roof if there was one..."Go Turbo, Go Turbo....", you get the picture.

Racing over we retired for a picnic next to the Team 2-Sox sports car, and Sam charmed the pants off everybody, as usual. He's a good looking boy. Gets it from his Dad.

Anyway, a great event, and we'll be back and meaner and leaner next year! Some pictures:

Snail Nutritionist Debs, with Assistant SN Steve:

Sam escorting The Lads to the track:

The Lads checking out the opposition:

Clockwise from left Typhoon, Lightning (striped shell), Oops-A-Daisy, Turbo, Thunder:

Star of the show, with a new-found American fan club, Turbo 2-Sox:

Training - Saturday 1 Nov 08

2SX training was enhanced with the introduction of a sophisticated piece of kit known as the Kid Skid. This is an item predominantlyused when snow lies on the ground, but The Gaffer decided that it would also be useful in damp conditions - if the gradients were steep enough. The first picture shows The Gaffer ruminating over the routines for the session.

The venue for the session was Red Mount in The Walks, King's Lynn, but once again, this is Secret, so please do NOT pass this information on.

After a while Sam decided he wanted to try the skateboard down these steep slopes - it was even faster. Sam enjoyed riding fast downhill, and loved the fact that he could get very mucky indeed.

Final picture shows the team mascot Brian The Duck. And where Team 2-Sox is concerned, even Brian is Cool!

Training - 28 October 2008

The first 2-Sox Xtreme (2SX) training session took place on Tuesday 28 October 2008, at a Top Secret Location in the middle of King’s Lynn, called The Walks.

We included two elements, firstly skateboarding, followed by cheese rolling. Sam is not bad on his board, considering he’s only five years old:



The Ultimate Goal of 2SX is to chase a seven pound Double Gloucester down a huge hill in Gloucestershire. We started the training by chasing Mini Baby Bel cheeses down mellow inclines in King’s Lynn. The tiny red dot in the centre of the second picture is a cheese bouncing merrily on its way downhill.

All in all a most satisfactory session.

The Ultimate Goal

The goal of 2-Sox Xtreme is to nurture precocious athletic talent up to a point when self-same talented individual(s) will be able to take part in the Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling Chase and Win.

A full description of the Cooper’s Hill event will be added to this Team Blog later, but for now just relax in the knowledge that it involves chasing a whole 7 pound Double Gloucester cheese down a 1-in-1 gradient hillside, and trying not to break any limbs.

To this end, we will be shaping a training regime over many years to (maybe) ensure victory.

Inspired by comedian/boffin Rory McGrath we also aim to take part in traditionally British sporting events, and in fact have undertaken our first sortie at the World Snail Racing Championships in Congham, Norfolk, in July 2008 (report to be reproduced soon).

Ultimate Goal - Win A Seven Pound Double Gloucester Cheese

Meet The Team

Introducing the team.

The Boss: Is uber-delectable BBC journalist Karen Buchanan (34), who agreed to be President of 2-Sox Xtreme while drunk. Karen’s official biography can be found here. Needless to say, “Buchers” is the steadying hand on the impetuous 2-Sox tiller, and is practically perfect in every possible way. Did I say that right KB? Karen supports Norwich City, but that’s not her fault.

The Captain: Is Sam Ruddlesdin (5) who combines a fearless attitude to danger with a burgeoning appetite for anything potentially injurious. Maintaining fitness levels with two martial arts classes each week, and football training on a Friday, Sam is currently at the very centre of the team’s ambitions. Sam saw his favourite football team, Ebbsfleet United, lift the FA Trophy at Wembley in May 2008.

The Chef and Magic Sponge Man: (And wise old man) Is Simon Ruddlesdin (40) a charming and dapper bachelor who’s a dab hand in the kitchen, and owns a bumper pack of plasters, and has been round the block a few times, with the knackered trainers to prove it. Also the captain’s dad. Simon lists beer drinking, modern poetry, and Daily-Mail-reader-baiting amongst his hobbies.

The Team War-Cry: In homage to the Action Man series, is currently “Come On Team, Let’s Get Some Chips!” That’s good for our post-event debriefings, but we’re open to suggestions for something different.

RECRUITMENT IS OPEN. CVs to the email address over there.

2-Sox Xtreme!

Here goes. The first post of the new blog of (possibly) the world's best extreme and/or traditional English sports club.

Welcome to 2-Sox Xtreme. See what we've done with the name? Missed the X off Extreme, which makes it more yoof and edgy.

We have an Ultimate Goal, we have Intermediate Targets (well, we WILL have these at some point), and we have a Foxy Club President who makes Karen Brady of Birmingham City look like Anne Widdecombe.