Steady as She Goes!!
GREAT GRANDAD SHOUTY sums up
I
suppose that having to play teams from the two premier naval dockyards
in our last two fixtures, a good old seafaring expression would be
appropriate. At one time, it looked as though we might be struggling
to hold on to our league status but in the end it worked out ok and
we were able to relax in the final run in.
In
some ways, our strength was defeating teams at or below mid table –
not always one of our qualities in past seasons. Of course, we
didn’t perform too well against the top seven teams as the
following indicates:
| Home | Away | |
| Northampton Town | Drew | Lost |
| Accrington Stanley | Lost | Lost |
| Oxford United | Lost | Lost |
| BristolRovers | Lost | Lost |
| Portsmouth | Lost | Lost |
| Plymouth Argyle | Lost | ? |
| AFC Wimbledon | Won | Lost |
Yet, in those results against the top seven, there was some slight encouragement. We brought Northampton’s winning run to an end and, in my view, performed well against Portsmouth. We were able to create the chances against Pompey – if only we’d put them away.
Our
attention will now turn to the retained list and who might come in.
Jake Gray, Luke James and Adam Jackson will, of course, be going
back to their parent clubs and, at some stages, have made a
significant contribution to our improved performances. The signing of
Nathan Thomas was definitely the signing of the season and with him
and Luke James on the flanks we were able to drive some teams ragged
– the York game, for example.
Speaking
of York, I was sorry to see them relegated from the Football League.
It deprives us of an away game within spitting distance of
Hartlepool; however, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Doncaster could well come into League Two and of the four teams
coming down from League One three will be northern clubs. Speaking of
York City, reminded me of a story which I picked up when I worked
down there. Before the advent of Elf and Safety, painting and
cleaning jobs at the lower league clubs were done by volunteers.
Nobody bothered about getting up a ladder to paint the stand but
obviously we’re into a new ball game and paid contractors now come
in to do the work. One such volunteer at York City spent all his time
there and, engaged to be married, his girlfriend said, ‘I’m sick
of this. Make your mind up, its me or York City’. His response was
‘In that case, give me the ring back!’ That’s dedication.
"Nathan Thomas was definitely the signing of the season"
I
suppose its too early to look in terms of a promotion push next
season but if we are to be in the frame can we please have automatic
promotion – as in 2003 and 2007. That would spare us the ordeal of
having to go to Wembley for a play off final. I’ve never been able
to understand this obsession with Wembley; there are plenty of club
grounds which could stage England games and a League Two final is
never going to fill the place. Could you imagine, for example, if
Pools met a club from the North West or a southern club in a play off
final? Wouldn’t it be better to play the game at somewhere like
Leeds or Villa Park. Worth a thought. I suppose there might be a case
for staging the Championship Final at Wembley but that is as far as
it should go. As I’ve said, we don’t really need Wembley –
maybe the place could have been turned over to social housing.
April
was, of course, twenty seven years since the Hillsborough disaster
and the families are now getting justice after the verdict of
unlawful killing. I was listening to Radio Five and a retired Church
of England bishop was relating his experiences after the disaster
where, in his capacity of Archdeacon of Sheffield, was called on to
give comfort to the families, along with church colleagues. He spoke
very movingly of his experiences but was highly critical of the
police who were generally without feeling and suggested that the
various agencies had conspired in a cover up. It took a long time but
justice was finally achieved.