Cod Almighty | Diary

That's me in the Harrington Street corner, under the floodlight losing my religion

25 August 2017

Wicklow Diary writes: Each to their own. Could that catch on as a chant? If All Town Aren’t/Are We can be a terrace-tastic hit, there's room for anything. Supporters support in different ways. The football snob in me may have claimed otherwise in the past (and probably will again in the future) but it's probably futile to dictate a right or wrong way.

I'll prove it by walking up to the devil and looking him straight in the eyes: half and half scarves, evil aren't they? Not necessarily. My eldest was six when he went to his first game, an international between Ireland and Estonia. He asked for a scarf and despite advice from dad, picked the half and half. His logic? He wanted to remember the date and teams from his first match. Who could argue that with a six-year old? 

Ah, but what of the viral internet horror when a scarf of two fierce club rivals is spotted? Not my cup of tea but if a tourist from Hong Kong goes to Manchester United v Liverpool and buys a half and half, is it really as bad as singing Munich or Hillsborough songs whilst chucking cups of his own piss at the opposition fans in the lower tier? It probably is, isn't it? Still, I got you thinking there for a moment.

Each to their own. Others will place less importance than me on the squad. The badge on the front is more important than the name on the back and all that. What's the limit, the cut-off for this? Would we accept an approach where the club only gave weekly contracts but was guaranteed promotion at the end of the season? The entire squad changed every week regardless of result. Who'd go on the open top bus tour? Who'd care, right, we'd be division four champs! Plus, it would be easier to call the defender you haven't figured out yet is Dixon or Clarke an idiot when we have the occasional off-week.

I'll always need more than cold, hard results. I need my heroes. They're what got me truly hooked on Town in the first place. I need them for the lows, the highs and where we probably are now, in between. When Craig Disley showed us he was all Town in front of the TV cameras at Braintree, we all cried with him. Our collective cringe would have ripped through space and time if a lad with us a wet weekend had done the same.

Changing the team as often as the kit design isn't good for hero cultivation. With Dizza and Shaun departing in our latest clear-out, we took the hardest hero hit for a while. New heroes will emerge, we are assured but how long did we wait for those two? With the club itself finding new ways to treat its supporters with contempt on a weekly basis, if we've got nowt to identify with on the pitch, what's left to get you down to BP?

Is it possible for someone to be 'Town through and through' when they've only just signed? Yes it is, in Max Wright's case. Max has signed up for another year after impressing during an eight week trial. I was disappointed to hear in the same announcement that he had been loaned to Scarborough but that's been tempered somewhat by Max's happiness. Not that 'my agent told me to get in the car and meet him at the end of the A180' forced happiness. The joy I think we'd all have if we managed to get a contract at Town. Just look at this picture and interview. Get in, lad. Russ challenged him to work hard over the trial and he obviously did. Hopefully he can do similar at Scarborough. If and when he does, there's a recall clause. I'm saying it now: I'd take mid-table and ten games with Clifton and Wright in the team right now. Plus, a run to the cup semi-final obviously.

Middle Aged Diary was positive about our performance against Derby on Tuesday. Russ seemed a bit snippy with John Tondeur after the game. He hasn't got close to seething yet this season but you always get the impression it could happen. He'll have to find another word though. If he ever says seething again, JT, the sound man and most of NE Lincs will collapse in laughter. And then die as Russ swats them to death with his cap. So be nice Russ, JT has been here since the renaissance period (Newman and Kerr's, not Michelangelo and Da Vinci's) and remember, the BBC are paying for the privilege to talk to you.

We've no additional injuries concerns for tomorrow's game with Wycombe although Ben Davies and Sam Jones are both suspended. It's a must-lose game as in, 'Town are playing bogey team Wycombe so we must lose'. They are the new Darlington. Last season's fixture at BP added Gav Gunning's nasty injury during the build up to their winner to the insult. Scott Vernon may return, Russ rates him at 50/50, which, coincedentally, is also his approval rating on the Woods-Nogan-Jones scale among the fans.

The Chairboys lost 4-2 at home to Notts County last week. This goes with a win and draw to put them on four points after three games. Dayle Southwell has been featuring, mainly in a wide role. He started the County game but got the half-time hook. His inclusion tomorrow looks likely to depend on the fitness of Sam Saunders and Paris Cowan-Hall. They both missed the game last week but join Scott Vernon in the 50/50 category.

Finally, a word of congratulations to Town SLO, Kris Green. Kris has been appointed as a trustee to Level Playing Field. Following Kris on Twitter and trying to keep up with her work on behalf of GTFC and beyond is tiring in itself, I don't know how she makes the time to actually do it. Well done.

Enjoy the long weekend and UTM.