Cod Almighty | Diary
To do: 1. Write Diary 2. Start Christmas shopping 3. Cry
23 December 2015
Wicklow Diary writes: Town will welcome another first -ime visitor to Blundell Park this season. The 3-2 victory over Solihull Moors sets up a 16 January FA Trophy second round fixture against the winner of Weston-super-Mare v Wealdstone. That tie is pencilled in very lightly using a soft 2B lead for 5 January after it was postponed for a third time yesterday.
Once again as an exiled part-timer I must thank and applaud the efforts of a Periscoper. This time it was Chiffy with the cold but steady hands. A super effort capturing the game and all five goals, even if some of the surrounding language sent the kids off to bed in fits of naughty giggles. You don't hear that on BT Sport, as my nine-year-old said.
Last night's success means further irritation all round and not just for the CA engineers having to update the team database. The fans who want us out of the 'tinpot' cup will grumble on and the rest of us will have to listen to them. This attitude has been mentioned in the diary over the past few weeks, particularly by Devon.
It's a strange attitude to have. We spent years in the League bravely getting knocked out of cups that we'd no chance of winning. We are now the big fish with the three fish and some of our fans want us to lose. It's the attitude of a Premiership club happily losing in the cup so they can concentrate on the stale scrap for mid-table safety. If there's one thing worse than a big club superiority complex, it's a small club with a big club's superiority complex.
It's stranger again when you consider that the equally tinpot Auto Windscreens gave the largest Town crowd in 60 years and Wayne Burnett a life-defining moment which can't be taken away from us by any number of relegations or sackings.
Glory aside, not only do we have a squad capable of dealing with the extra fixtures: the players actually need it. Middle-Aged Diary noted this yesterday and I was delighted to see Venney, among others, getting a start. The same set of players was criticised for a flat home performance – last night gave them all another chance to address that and shake off more of the rust. It also gave the gaffer a chance to try a different formation, with just East, Pearson and Robertson across the back. Some league fixtures will be rearranged if we progress but I think this is offset by having a fully firing squad.
If this is a golden era, let's start playing the part. If you're old enough to remember Buckley 1 and 2, Kerr or McMenemy, you are lucky to have Town's past glories to tap into. This generation hasn't been as fortunate so far. I want to be at Wembley with my kids and see Podge wheeling away for his third goal to seal a thumping Trophy win. My lads run around the garden practising scenarios like that. The FA have even moved the final to the end of May so we never again have to be as cold as we were in 2013. Perfect. When we win the league it will be the season we won't want to end.
If you're an exile heading back to GY for Christmas, I know you'll enjoy yourself. The Guiseley Boxing Day away allocation is already sold out but there are some tickets in the Main and Pontoon still available for Lincoln.
Don't get drawn into the LINCSCUMBUMTITTY tedium of how many fans we bring versus how many they bring. Instead have a read of the amazing article by Andy Freeman and drink in the history and magic of Blundell Park. The pigeon lofts? I thought I knew everything about the Main Stand but of course I was wrong. I'll be re-reading over Christmas with a fresh appreciation of my favourite place. If I'm not in the Main for my next game, I'll be getting in early for a stroll around it.