Well, performances mostly better than results in these last two games. Silly mistakes in both spoiling decent efforts. Still a learning curve for a lot of lads I guess. But nice to see a jolly good crowd in last Tuesday, best of the season by some way, and rumour has it that Saturday could be even better. Not the last away trip for North Shields before Wembley, but a slightly less onerous journey than over to Carlisle on Tuesday night, and, as a consequence, we hear the hordes of the rejuvenated North Tynesiders are coming en masse. And very welcome they will be too, at least in most parts, although by all accounts things were getting a little fractious in the clubhouse the other night. Sold all bar the tables and chairs I hear, run off their proverbial. Still, attendances are a major problem. By some way the worst supported club in the Northern League First Division, why is that? And in one of the biggest urban areas in the region. Takes some working out, and not a title the club would want. Niall Quinn, when with Sunderland, used to muse on the difference between one club and two club cities, and I think we suffer from the Sunderland or nothing mentality. Just a case of fighting on I reckon, at some point a few more will see the virtues of a cheap day of highly competitive football of a Saturday afternoon. Probably time for some lateral thinking re promoting things again for the start of next season. The odd Friday night? Occasional free or very cheap admission? Got to be worth a try.
Anyway that is for next season, what of this overall? Pretty enjoyable I reckon, apart from the first few weeks! A long hard fightback which hopefully bodes well for 2015/16. If we can build on what we have without losing the atmosphere then I think we could enjoy ourselves and surprise a few. Maybe we will look back at these last two seasons as a blip in our upward progress. Who said things can only get better?
And a last thing, and well away from football. Do your public duty, and remember the old Irish proverb, "Vote, vote early, and vote often."