Next Match: Scunthorpe United (A) Tuesday 28th September 2010

Wednesday 17 February 2010

Heartbreak at Glanford Park

How much does that one sting today? Our inability to defend a set piece, and then to clear our lines after several attempts, has cost us what would have been a decent point, considering how we played. But at least we know how Cardiff felt at Oakwell last year, and we had a far shorted journey home than they did!

Before this game, it was difficult to think of anything other than our earlier visit to Glanford Park in that dismal FA Cup game in January. That day we were terrible, every single one of them in a red shirt (and a few in claret and blue, as well). Nobody performed well enough, and it was a poor start to 2010. Even so, it was still difficult to imagine we could be as bad as that again. Surely this time, with precious league points up for grabs, we'd turn up and give the sold-out away end something to celebrate?

The journey to Scunthorpe was as easy as ever; the Barnsley match programme on Saturday said that Scunny was one of the easiest grounds in the football league to find, and that's no exaggeration, so we were there in plenty of time to get parked up and get into the Farmhouse pub just outside the ground. The pub was packed with Reds fans, just as it had been all those weeks ago on FA Cup 3rd round day, and the atmosphere was building up. Also, there were a few Scunny fans milling about in the boozer too; their absence was notable last time.

The ground is an unusual one. It opened in 1988, but it seems much, much older than that. The home section behind the nets is still standing room, and it's a massive shame that the away end isn't the same, otherwise this one would be a fantastic away day, especially on a Saturday. Those standing sections give the atmosphere a boost like nothing else can. Inside, the ground is very small and cramped and only seems to have one way in and out of everything. The toilets are impossible to navigate through; it took me about 15 minutes to get in and out, but overall, I don't actually mind the place at all, and I'd rather be at Scunny than at somewhere like the Ricoh Arena on a cold Tuesday night in February.

I was sat very near to the back row right behind the nets. For those who were sat around me, they'll know just how dreadful those particular seats were. The view wasn't great, as we were directly behind a supporting post and the scoreboard that hangs down from the top of the stand, but that wasn't the problem; the problem was that we were sat directly next to the 'Anti-Andy Gray Society'. For those who weren't close enough to hear about this, then I apologise for ranting, but for those who heard them, what the Hell were they on?! They had already shouted that they hoped Gray had his leg broken before the game had kicked off, and the abuse only got worse as the clock ticked on. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think Gray had a good game yesterday, far from it. But the level of abuse they gave the lad was unacceptable. Shouting for him to break a hip or to be shot, and calling him all manner of insulting names, it was just too much. Not to mention continuously getting Foster and Moore mixed up, and shouting comments about Luke Steele, who, because of the closeness of the stand to the pitch, clearly heard these drunken arseholes and their abuse. These lads were relentless, and it ruined the game for many people who were sat around them. Not one chant originated from the area, because the whole block just felt so tense. People were telling them to be quiet, to get behind the team instead of abusing them, but it didn't work, and they ruined the game for many people.

As I said, I don't mind people giving stick when it's deserved, but they had already made very loud comments about several players before a ball had been kicked. Is that supposed to be supportive? Is that what we call getting behind the players these days? I was ashamed to be supporting the same team as them, and I hope that their heads are throbbing this morning as the alcohol wears off. I also hope they are embarrassed by themselves today, although I doubt they will be. Clearly they don't give a shit about the team, and the sooner they piss off to watch someone else, the better.

That feels a bit better now that's out of my system.

Anyway, the game was poor, and we were poor. Robins thinks we should have had all three; I don't agree with that. I thought Scunny deserved it. I do think that, had we pushed on after the equaliser, then we could have nicked it, but it would have been harsh on the hosts. Nobody on our side stood out, so a MOTM award is difficult. Boggy, maybe? He got on and scored, which is a lot more than anyone else. I'd be tempted to give it to Gray, just to shut the morons behind me up, but certainly not on merit of his performance. On nights like last night, picking someone out of the bunch of them feels pointless, because none of them really did enough.

Teixeira missed a sitter which was up there with that Auf Weidersehn miss on Saturday against Plymouth, and at the back we looked shaky all night. One plus would be the return of Bobby Hassell, who had to step into the fray when Trippier went off crocked. He did well to say he hadn't played in so long, which is just as well, since the injury worries at the back are starting to pile up again. Also, Moore had a decent game too, although he took some stick from people around me which I didn't think he deserved. There were worse performers than him. Also, Steele has apparently lost that confidence in his kicking that he seemed to have picked up recently, which is a shame because when he's confident he's a great keeper.

Some people where slagging Robins off for not making the correct changes; he made the substitutions that everyone was calling for. Sometimes he can seem a bit negative, but his line up yesterday was almost the exact same as the Preston team a couple of weeks ago, so what's changed since then? Why has that performance not appeared on a pitch since? These are questions that Robins needs to answer, but I'm still confident he will so getting behind them is gonna be key at this point in the season.

Cardiff away is a write off, lets be honest. Our record there is awful, and I don't feel confident it's gonna change after this weekend. But there's loads of points to fight for this season, and where would we be now if MR hadn't turned us around? Rock bottom, planning for life back in League 1? I'll take where we are right now (13th) and finish the season, get ready for the next one, because after the start we had, it's a fantastic achievement for us. It's not the time for panic, it's the time to remember where we were, where we are and potentially where we could be in the future.

Thanks for reading.

1 comment:

  1. I agree about the morons behind the goal I had one sitting at the side of me he had a young lad with him about 10 years old, the old man kept standing up throwing his arms in the air and shouting "wayyyy" and then expletives after that and shouting to his mates on the back row who were worse with their language I was also unsighted behind the girder like yourself

    ReplyDelete