My favourite moment by Alex Unibrow

above - Unibrowed dirty picture taker

Thinking back on my favourite Love Chickens moment isn’t an easy task. From the moment Ferg called me “Iestyn” (while holding a copy of Rugby World held next to my head, just in case anyone was unsure), I knew there was something a little bit special about him, and the bond he creates with people, which is the backbone of the Love Chickens.My resemblance of the Rugby League and Union player has long gone, along with my hair, being replaced by a more furrowed, one lined brow. One thing hasn’t changed, and that’s Ferg and the camaraderie he inspires within the LC’s. Casting my memory back of Uni and Love Chicken days, there have been lots of moments that spring to mind, most of which are making me laugh as I type this.

Bath Spa Sevens, 2002, I was able to achieve my best sports photographs, including – Big Will throwing up, Carlton scoring a try, and Taz, Earl and Ferg surrounding Little Rhys, while naked, with the Ref showing them the Red Card. Unforgettable.Over the years I’m sure several pubs in Cardiff have kept in business because of the pounds sterling LC’s have handed over the bar, and I’m sure quite a few barmaids have also heard us tell them that we love them.

Above: dirty boys

Reflecting on LC moments couldn’t be done without mentioning Kiwi’s at some point too, the place where you lose your inhibitions, your looks, your clothes, your mind and your money all in search of women that have everything a man could want – Tattoo’s, facial hair and hairy chests. Yet, a night out wouldn’t be complete without it – plus Morgs falling asleep with a cock drawn on his face.More recently were the trouncing of the UWN Rugby Team on the shittiest day of the year, a magical mystery tour on the bus (which was going to take us to Cardiff via Usk if we hadn’t stopped the driver) and watching Wales win the Grand Slam.

Other events that come to mind are having the responsibility of photographing an LC get married in the best Wedding I’ve ever been to (even though I was throwing up blood an hour before), watching Ferg tackle WRU Chairman David Pickering, “having a quiet one” on a Friday - and not returning home until Sunday, being hit in the eye with a chicken nugget, swing ball and tears, turning into Hitler, being refused entry to several Newport pubs before 7, and losing my phone and wallet. After thinking of these situations, and many others I haven’t put down, I’ve come to realise there isn’t one that I look back with fondness or affection.

It’s all of these memories, which I love. Moments which create the look that a fellow LC will give when you meet in the street, the craic when we have a chance for a pint or two, the ability to meet up and even though we haven’t seen each other for months – we talk and get on as if we’d never been apart, which makes me smile when I think back, and look forward to the stories we’ll have to tell in the future: it’s this that make us what we are today – proud to be a Love Chicken.

A Day to Remember by Fat Mike

It was an early morning on Saturday the 9th July 2005, in search of breakfasts and a few pints we headed to Y Mochyn Ddu to watch the third Lions test. To our disappointment it was shut, so a brisk walk to the Cayo Arms was the order. Due to too much cider and red wine the night before it hadn’t crossed my mind that Will was not in view, and I was oblivious to the following statements:

“Can Squirrels fly that far?”

“Is it warm?”

“Is it a grey or a red one”?

“How did you catch it”

“Did he climb a tree to get it”

“He should wash his hands after touching that!”

“He is sick!”

“Look at his mullet, he wants that cut”

“He wouldn’t do that if it was a Honey Badger”

Then it dawned on me;

“I wonder why that Squirrel is getting bigger”.

Then it nearly hit me!

M Stephens Early Morning Drinker 9th July 2005

The rooster returns and this time he is pretty much serious

The Rooster returns

Its been a year, actually more than that. The pub golf in Pontypool last year was so hard that its taken over 12 months for me to get my fat fingers back to the chickens blog. Neath was even worse but less said about that the better.

Since people realised that there was to be no more blog, Lovechickens HQ have been unindated with call begging us to restart and so I am honoured to present to you - Lovechickens - the return.
Since we have been off the air the biggest news other than the South Africans winning the world cup was that the Lovechickens RFC had played and won their first XV aside game. In the driving rain and with minging hangovers we destroyed the young whippersnappers of Newport Uni. Other than a disapointing injury to the gap toothed, marge simpson haired non Scouser and Pete Dev injecting his grubby fingers with oil - it was a great day even if the weather like it is now was shit.

Other news

Fergatron and Two fannies went off to France for the world cup where they met up with US Superchickens Big Doug, El Cubano and sleepy Geoff. The great news is Wales were shit and the boys had to watch former canabalistic giants Fiji take on the eventual humour by-passed winners - the spring boks - but more about supporters in another post. Oh how they laughed a week before in a busy pub of italians and jocks before their big game as Wales were made to look like girls throwing balls and realised they had to spend the entire week explaining that they were actually in france for the Fiji quarter finals and they were actually from a small village outside Suva called puncheston. Its doesn’t matter because Two fanny's hands are virtually black anyway with all that dirt.

I am not going to blow my load too early as i have lots of news to tell so wiwill give snippets over the week. but i will start off with some titbits (hahaha tits!!)

Marriage
I believe that there are plenty of cheaper ways of living your life in perpetual misery, among them buying a dapper new set of orange dungarees, becoming a muslim fanatic like Bruce and buying a one way ticket to Guantanomo Bay or alternatively applying for a job as Ski's underpants. Anyway despite all the evidence stating for most people getting married is gay both Big Jim and Sam have tied the knot. We have missed Big Jim recently although the ex-Newport Uni chickens have seen him a bit. Sam has been about, a lot….when he takes time away from his German empire.

hmmm Sam is a small and angry man and is in charge of a giant German force….how long before he annexes Austria and marches into the Sudetenland………oh yeah and he has honestly changed his surname to Lawson. Big Will has also changed his name from Matthew Williams to tobias arseface penispickler but that’s another blog.

where are you know and what are you doing - The rooster will be going around members to find out news and gossip where they are!!

more news later in the week