Sunday 6 January 2008

Hold Your Head Up


Not the happiest day in Leicester City's FA career. A 2 - 0 loss to Southampton, who they also lost to 2 years ago in the same competition.

The fans on the message board seem split. For some, anger is being directed at both Holloway and Mandaric for our continuing poor performance. Others, (rightly in my view), are warning that time will be required to turn things around and that we all need to be patient.

I have to say that after posting on Friday to say the FA Cup did not hold special value for me I really enjoyed the dramas of yesterday. Finding out that Chasetown were at 1 - 1 against Cardiff at half time raised a smile. Consoling my lover when Reading went 2 -1 down against Tottenham, only to watch is delight a few minutes later when they equalised. Seeing Oldham and Coventry stuff Everton and Blackburn respectively on Match of the Day.

And I just loved some of the goals. Wayne Rooney's goal for Manchster United was fabulous. (I'm becoming a real Rooney fan I have to say). Gary McDonald's winning goal for Oldham was great too.

When people talk about the FA cup embodying what football in this country should be about, I have a much better understanding now of what they mean. There is something deeply satisfying about the thought of the Cardiff team bus full of professional players driving through back streets to reach the tiny Chasetown ground. A ground where;

"the chief executive took three months off work to build the main stand, the treasurer arrives early to make the players' sandwiches, the president serves in the club shop, and the groundsman does much more than mow the grass. There is not one full-time employee and, apart from the manager and players, only two members of staff get paid",
(Guardian 4th Jan)

Chasetown did not get their fairytale ending yesterday. But they captured the spirit of football. And they can hold their heads high.

1 comment:

Jungle VIP said...

Unlike foxes.....who, if the short clips on MOTD are to believed, got it badly wrong on the day......again unfortunately.

I heard Durham Durham Durham say he could not believe the way Mandaric let Mad Dog go. Alvin martin's response was to say "It'll be talked about in a book in about 10 years time"

Whether it's bullying, whether its hand in the till or whether its hand in the knickers, you can be sure it'll emerge at some stage is what I say.

Anyway,under tutulage from Mr H, you're playing mighty Coventry at home next week. Time to show what you can do to break free.

You'll need some luck.
JVIP

JVIP