Cod Almighty | Diary

I'm the Town Cryer

16 October 2023

Miss Guest Diary writes: Sometimes, and Saturday was one of those times, I think I'm not really cut out to be a Town fan. I find the sheer negativity and, I venture to say, hostility of some Town fans towards the players and manager upsetting. I stopped going to games at Blundell Park for a while in the early 2010s for this very reason, and I might have to do so again if Town's form doesn't improve.

On a day which the club had designated as a Mental Health Awareness Matchday it felt ironic that half the fans had left before the final whistle and many of those who stayed were intent on booing the players off the pitch. Chairman Wow talked in his programme notes about the hostility of some supporters and pondered what might be going on in their lives to generate such anger. He suggested that we need to reach out and start a conversation, to come together as a footballing community to help such people.

But the level of anger towards the players who were out there trying to win a game of football for us, the fans, was simply incomprehensible to me. Some of those players, like Clifton, Holohan, Waterfall and Amos were heroes in the promotion season and the FA Cup run – and others, like Conteh, Mullarkey and Rodgers are new to the club and have made a really positive start. Less than three months into the season they're now a bunch of useless twats according to some bloke bellowing from behind me. I find it impossible to start any sort of conversation in those circumstances and I left the ground feeling thoroughly depressed.

Obviously the football and the way the game played out had something to do with my feelings, but mostly it was the atmosphere in the Pontoon. At least Town are playing away next weekend. Never mind that it's at top-of-the-table Stockport – we have a good record against them and it would be just like Town to end their winning streak.

On to the FA Cup, in which Town have been drawn away to Ebbsfleet United or Slough Town. A prospect to fill the average Town fan with…what? Slough are languishing at 21st in the Bananarama South so not too daunting as opponents. Also, I can't find any evidence that Town have ever played them, so that would be a new ground for those who like to collect such experiences. Ebbsfleet is a less attractive proposition, being higher up the football pyramid. The replay is on Tuesday - come on you Rebels.

Let's face it, nothing is ever going to match last season's FA Cup experience in the life of most Town fans and in all probability the football gods are going to ensure we get dumped out in the first round. In the meantime, cheer yourself up by watching some robots dancing. Who knows, in a few years Town might be signing their first AI striker – 20 goals a season guaranteed.

UTM