Cod Almighty | Postbag

Instead of a Macclesfield match report

2 March 2013

The day after St David's Day, what better to do than to talk about rugby, beer ... and Braintree (twinned with Blaenau Ffestiniog).

Write to Cod Almighty at postbag@codalmighty.com.

Hoping to bid a fond farewell to the Conference

I had the joy of going what was my first away game of the season at Braintree yesterday, tying in a Town match with visiting rellies in nearby Ipswich. Forgetting (if you can) the incredibly bad performance (think York away in a cup reply a few years ago to gauge how bad it was) the overriding impression the visit made was that we just have to get out of this God forsaken league. 

I must firstly say that the Braintree fans are proper supporters just like us and any other fan following teams in the BSP and credit to them for keeping the club going (heaven only knows the financial model used to do so!) Also credit to their management team for sussing Town out by pressing us all over the field and not letting us settle into any pattern of play. They thoroughly deserved their win. 

But the ground and pitch? Words can barely describe how bad they are. The novelty of visiting a 'proper non league' ground quickly wore off-helped in part obviously with our performance and the freezing bloody cold and the fog that rolled in. There was no segregation (a positive) but consequently little atmosphere due to the open ends. The ends were terraces of five or six stands and the 'official' away end was apparently a new addition this year and consisted of metal steps which wonderfully aided the transmission of the cold. This away end was the appropriately named 'Quag' end; appropriate given that its a clay base that holds the water, hence the repeated postponements due to a waterlogged pitch. The goalmouth at this end was like Cleethorpes beach. There was tonnes of sand in virtually the whole of the area and no doubt you will have heard of Bradley Wood building a sandcastle in the area at half time. The rest of the pitch was nearly as bad and made playing the ball on the ground virtually impossible. The seating stand on one side looked relatively new and held maybe 400. The ball must have gone out of the ground 12 to 15 times with the consequent time lost through the fourth official getting another ball on to the pitch quickly becoming tiresome. 

I have only visited a very few such grounds since we went into the Conference but it truly is a different game and a different (and worse) experience. We have to get out and get back to what we are used to and what we deserve (or do we?) 

It's difficult to articulate this without sounding arrogant and patronising towards clubs such as Braintree. This is the last thing I want to do as, as I said earlier, I have a huge amount of admiration for the supporters and officials of such clubs who are their lifeblood. If you consider the number of away fans these clubs bring to BP I would imagine that pro rata to their normal home crowd they bring as many if not more than the bigger clubs such as Town bring. So credit to them. 

That said I and all Town fans are desperate to get back into the Football League and go to proper grounds such as, err, Accrington, Barnet etc! Oh 'eck. 

Let's hope it's this year!

from Dave Holmes

In defence of rugby

Rugby's a working class game across the country, it just happens to be popular (and played too) by all classes and there's no distinction or prejudice applied because of it! 

There's also a different mentality in rugby – even when drinking and watching a game, the spirit of fairplay and respect is held pretty highly, regardless of whether someone's had a pint. 

In football that mentality is almost a polar opposite and made worse with alcohol in some supporters.

from Rich Mills

Letters Ed responds: Rich was responding to Mardy Diary (22 February). Despite appearances, CA staffers do like rugby and frequently debate such issues as Hook v Biggar for the Welsh outside half, how to improve the scrum and who should play full back for the Lions ... then the rest of them tell me to stop talking to myself.

The next letter was in response to the same diary entry...

In defence of booze

Brilliant diary today as usual. 

Suggested names for the campaign: "beer does not equal barbarism"; "drinking in my seat is neat"; "Gallimore can do it at half time why can't I?"; "Prohibition is, like, sooo.. 1930's dude"; "this town was built on trawlermen's ale consumption I am respecting my heritage man, get away from me you racist"; "the beer at BP is so bad you should be grateful I drink it at all, never mind in sight of the pitch". 

OK, not very snappy but I have taken the diary's advice this afternoon and cannot therefore be legally responsible for my actions... I should know so ha!

from Chris Beeley (Solicitor)

Thanks Chris, and Dave and Rich. More soon.

postbag@codalmighty.com