Cod Almighty | Diary
Real Phil of the Town stuff
5 January 2018
Wicklow Diary writes: Tomorrow, the excitement of the cup once again misses its turn at junction 5 and drives a rosette and bunting laden bus on up the M18. An early exit from the FA Cup is a bitter pill to take. Nice work from both clubs to arrange a league game but the old chestnut of concentrating on the league? The day-off for the second round was an unwelcome momentum killer after two wins. However, four winless games in eight days and just one goal? A break from that would actually be quite nice.
We know football can be a miraculous and beautiful thing. The cup especially so, even if the FA Cup has never been that kind to us. Yesterday was the anniversary of our third round clash with Arsenal in 1986 and, thanks to the excellent @OnThisGTFCDay Twitter account, I am reminded that today is the date of our third round visit to Anfield in 1980. Fate didn't have us pencilled in for glory on either occasion. We let Arsenal off the hook but victory at Liverpool against the one of the greatest sides in English history would have been nothing short of supernatural.
Is that where a belief in destiny or fate originates? An occurrence that is so miraculous that the only way to explain is that it was an act in some magical, preordained script? A goal on Merseyside a couple of weeks ago made me consider how delicate the magic can be, be it fate or otherwise. Wayne Rooney's strike from his own half will be remembered by all present. It would have been a comical footnote without the ref dodging the ball like he was Neo in the Matrix or if a defender had not aborted his plan to handle it.
Apart from those observable elements, an infinite number of otherwise ordinary variables came together to form that magical instant. A breath of wind, a groundsman's divot, a slightly softer ball, Rooney hanging back half a yard. The butterfly effect was originally referred to as the the seagull effect, with butterfly flapping it's wings deemed to be more poetic. We Mariners would disagree. I've considered the humble seagull in a different light since Andy Freeman gave it co-writing credits on "Maaa-riii-ners".
I find solace in those ordinary variables when I start to regret giving away my ticket to that more successful visit to Anfield in 2001. One different person, on a different route to the ground, with a million chances for some ordinary interaction with unforeseen consequences. Who would risk one atom being out of place for that moment and risk something so immortal and perfect? If I think about it long enough, I start to think I deserve credit for not going.
What it really does though is adds to the poetic beauty of the chosen ones that were there. A unique cosmic recipe of science, sport and spirit that will never be repeated. When you can say "I was there", it means you were truly part of it.
"It" of course being a 120th minute cannonball at the packed away end of one of the greatest venues in football. By an Everton fan. You can't even call it Roy of the Rovers stuff, it's too far-fetched even for a publication that had Billy's Boots, a story of a kid and a pair of old boots possessed by a ghost.
While we're going all Sliding Doors, Pat Bell considered one of the greatest 'What ifs?' in our history over Christmas. It's an absolute treat and I make no apology for plugging it again. What of more recent examples when the recipe was just off? Kevin Moore's header against Wolves or Paul Wilkinson's thumper 'equaliser' against Norwich in 1985 in the same competition hitting the net a second after the full time whistle. For some reason a defeat to Premier League QPR on penalties after Alan Buckley's men had destroyed them over two legs in 1992 sticks with me. I always fancied the great man to bring us to Wembley in the cup but it never quite happened for us after the highs of 1988/89.
Back to the present. It's Morecambe tomorrow. We've signed a goalie from Sheffield Wednesday. Tom Bolarinwa is staying at Sutton according to the Sutton manager. As we do our PR on the pitch, expect the new goalie to carry some sort of banner confirming or denying this tomorrow. UTM.