View from the Cemetery

New year, New problems? Doesn't look like it. So now us locally bound fans can't even see the home games? Bit harsh. Although we can see the problem, or problems I should say, it’s easy enough from our viewpoint. Lot of damp, and a lot of tractor marks. Keep hearing optimistic noises, but it looks a small, but persistent problem to me. If we get the drain sorted, can we make the grass grow? Not before May or so methinks. And it has to rain or snow some time. Could be a long running sore this. And not what we need, what with having about a million games in hand of our rivals now. A difficult piece of maths this; do you take six games in hand for a four point deficit? Pretty easy that one, if you don't think you can make up that kind of gap then you are giving up; and even more so eight games in hand for five points. Then it starts to gets interesting. Six games for eight points? Yes, I guess so, if you can't beat a point a game then there isn't much hope either. But moving on, six games for fourteen points? Tough ask, be safe and sound by a long way if we do that. So an interesting little set of scenarios at the very least. The fixtures have a long way to unwind as well. Most of our rivals to play again, and Synners to play twice, could be game changers, and they don't look like they are despairing that’s for sure.

Anyway off we go, with an away day for a home game this week, should be fun, nice place, if you can find your way through the car park. Enjoy it all....

How sad to miss out on a trip over to Carlisle on the Saturday before Christmas, no doubt have to swap it for a Wednesday night in January, oh joy... [The Ghostly Gadgie is too pessimistic: we are away to Celtic Nation on Saturday, 7 March, 3:00pm kick off.]

Still, who could not be excited by the win in the big game? Some slight compensation for those of us who still follow, at a distance, our City's other club. Four wins off the belt in the most important game in English football for the first time ever. Or is it the most important? Maybe it’s just quite a sad little event between two sides of little account in the game. Only saying. But never mind what the world thinks, we like it, especially when the good lads win. Did I miss it, or did anybody punch a horse?

Excellent win on the road, just like the good old days. Bit of a masterstroke moving the ginger Eto from back to front. Is this going to be one of those proverbial seasons of two halves? Or maybe a third and two thirds to be pedantic. I certainly hope so. Could have scored ten, should have scored six, happy to score three, was the way I heard it. Still, let's not be greedy, small steps, journey of a thousand miles and all that...

25 games to go, and that well known football sage Ozo of the Board Inn thinks the target should be another 37 points. Ten wins, seven draws and eight defeats or thereabouts. Likes a challenge that lad, but still, it pays to be ambitious. Let’s get those around us well and truly in our sights first I say. Anyway, lots of keen young lads all running around and what have you, so what’s not to like?

When I was more mobile my other sporting interest was in the horses. Principally slow horses, although of course I didn't realise they were slow when I backed them. But a little news item the other day reminded me of those happy days. Evidently in a race down at Sedgefield during the week a man waved the wrong flag at some vital moment, and as a consequence of some arcane rule the race was declared void some fifteen minutes after it was all over. And what happens when a race is declared void? Well, all bets, winners or losers, are off and all you have to do is take your ticket back to the bookie or Tote and get your money back. That will be the ticket you threw in the bin or on the floor of course when your horse got beat. Much fun and games ensued I'm told. Bins were upended, floors searched and much weeping and wailing was heard. Wish I'd been there.