The Diary

Cod Almighty | Diary

It was thirty years ago today, Sir Alan taught the Town to play

18 September 2020

Ian Holloway has stated that he will make changes tomorrow, interestingly foregoing some of the senior pros to allow for younger and fitter players to flood the box. He was unhappy with the amount of possession we had last week; lots of it but with no end product. I think he feels a burst of pace and bundles of energy might just create and finish some chances.

Thunderdiary knows that Holloway knows he needs a goalscorer. The inference is that Hanson won't be flicking on any time soon and although Bilel Mohsni is closer to a return and could play up top, the boss is still trying to unearth that gem.

Omar is not that jewel. Holloway’s poker face slipped yesterday at his press conference and he admitted Town were in for Bogle. Apparently, the "chairman" (Holloway’s word, we presume he means John Fenty) thought he could seal the deal. Fenty couldn't even get the Omar Bogle song right when he gatecrashed live TV at Wembley four years ago. Let's hope this wasn't a stumbling block in the negotiation.

Another non-event will be the berating of the lino in front of the Lower Findus as this will be, as far as I can see, Town’s first League game behind closed gates. So what effect will it have?

Everyone knows that teams have a better chance of winning at home right? Home advantage is key to a successful season, surely? Well since Town's return to the Football League they have amassed 216 points. 120 of them were attained in front of the BP massive, an interesting 55 per cent. Last season, before lockdown, 51 per cent of the points had been netted on the road.

So home isn't always an advantage but what will be the effect of the absence of fans? In years gone by we have sucked that ball into the Pontoon net! We are fervent and passionate, GTID! Well, the biggest sound I think I've ever heard at a home game was the collective sigh when Luke Summerfield blind passed backwards to an opposition player (I can't pinpoint the game, it happened too often).

We're not the most patient, and if we're not lambasting the ref, we are laying into the long ball system. The effect of this vacuum will be interesting. Will the players play without fear, safe in the knowledge they will escape the wags on the terrace?

And what about the impact on the referee? Tomorrow’s man in the middle is Declan Bourne, new to the Football League after a couple of seasons in the conference. Nobody will be shouting at him, booing him. I've often wondered if refs deliberately give decisions against teams whose fans are irate. Certainly there have been a steady stream of match officials who seem to get worse the more we chastise them.

By the time fans return Holloway has promised a style of attacking football we will be proud of. If it's half as good as the goal here which is 30 years old today, we’ll be absolutely ticketyboo.