THE PARTY`S OVER...

....."it`s time to call it a day.  They`ve burst your pretty balloon and taken the moon away.  It`s time to wind up the masquerade."  These snatched lyrics from a timeless classic seem somehow to catch the mood as yet another  football season draws to a close.   Well, almost.  Just things like play-off finals to determine promotion, relegation or stagnation, then the European Championships and all that jazz before the bandwagon leaves the stable for another roller coaster ride.

Forgive me.  I am in danger of losing myself in yet another lyrical fantasy world.  But I confess to having mixed feelings about the end of another season as far as the teams I follow are concerned.  In one sense I`m heartily glad that it`s just about all over and I can look forward to a stressful few weeks before it starts all over again, but that is met with a tinge of disappointment that, once again, the three teams I am left to follow have all contrived to lose again.

Perhaps I`ll start with hopefully the worst damaging defeat, which came at the London Stadium as Southampton capitulated to yet another 3-0 defeat against West Ham.  It typified the season for the Saints really - a bright start that led to nothing followed by a pretty dismal end which also led to nothing.  Hard to believe that back in November the Saints were top of the Premier League beating the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City before a dreadful run which saw 19 league defeats overall and conceding more goals than any other club in the Premier League except relegated West Brom.

OK we scraped through the season by missing relegation, finished 15th, lost in the FA Cup semi-final but in truth it was a pretty dreadful season, which has left worrying questions about next season and the need for a wide ranging overhaul of much of the squad, the coaching staff and most importantly the ownership.  Surely there is a guardian angel out there somewhere willing to invest all his or her money, rid us of the absent non-investing Chinese owner and take us back to the promised land of mid table obscurity?

The next two reports cover yet more damaging results.  Last night the televised second leg play-off semi-final between Forest Green Rovers and Newport County was a game of proper football with so much riding on it.  Rovers were 2-0 down from the first leg but went 2-0 up within eight minutes to level the aggregate score.  Then 3-0 up early in the second half only for Newport to come back with two goals to bring the aggregate score to 4-3 in their favour and although Rovers scored another, it was Newport who went on to score again in the 118th minute - yes, that deep into extra time - to secure their place in next week`s Wembley final. Although  Forest Green  won the game 4-3 on the night, sadly for them the 5-4 aggregate score was a case of winning the battle but not the war.

So near and yet so far.  The Nailsworth faithful, whilst disappointed with the result, are full of praise for the team`s effort last night and proud to be Rovers fans - wishing Newport all the best for their place in the final against Morecambe.   Such is life in League Two, which has so much to commend it.

Lastly, yet more disappointment for Brechin City fans whose 67-years stay in the Scottish League came to an end following their 3-1 aggregate loss in their own play-off final to Kelty Hearts, who now take Brechin`s place in Scottish League Two.  Brechin, meanwhile, are now consigned to the outposts of the Highland League but visitors to Brechin`s Glebe Park will surely be in awe of the famous hedge if not the opposition..  

So, pretty balloons severely burst all round for me.  I`ll end the season with another visit to that classic song. "The party`s over.  The candles flicker and dim.  Now you must wake up.  All dreams must end. The party`s over.  It`s all over, my friend." (At least for another season.)

 

A MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB...

Well, that is the fate that has befallen two of the football teams I follow, as a result of yesterday`s play-off first leg games.   Firstly, Forest Green Rovers went down 2-0 away at Newport County`s Rodney Parade Ground in South Wales.  The game was screened live on Sky Sports and it may have been the effect of the worldwide audience that played on the minds of the Rovers players (although they were in competition for viewing figures with Manchester United, whose game was on a neighbouring channel at the same time.)  

In other games between the two teams this season, one was a 0-0 draw and the other a 1-0 win for Rovers, so it was always going to be a close call.   The return leg is at Rovers` New Lawn ground in Nailsworth on Sunday and although they have a mountain to climb hope springs eternal.

The other play-off game that concerned me was the first leg encounter between Brechin City and Kelty Hearts at the latter`s New Central Park ground in Fife.  Must be a difficult place to go to, Kelty, as Brechin went down 2-1 in yet another close encounter.  The return leg will be at Brechin`s Glebe Park ground on Sunday to determine whether the home side will retain their Scottish League Two status or take Kelty`s place in the Highland League, where they might look up trips to Fort William, Wick, Fraseburgh and other northern outposts.  A mountain to climb for Brechin then - perhaps in more ways than one.

As almost an afterthought, my beloved Southampton played Leeds - the Damned United - in their last home game of the season before an expectant 8,000 Saints supporters.   In true Saints` style, they contrived to lose 2-0, thanks to a goalkeeping blunder and a 95th minute breakaway goal that followed a golden opportunity to level the scores. 

So, a hat trick of defeats for the three teams left for me to follow in these dog days of the season.  Nothing too unusual about that but I long ago learned the lesson of life that says you have to learn how to lose before you can enjoy the winning. In the recorded `highlights`, I caught a glimpse of my old seat in Block 9, Row P of the Itchen Stand at St. Mary`s.   There didn`t seem to be anyone sitting there.   Perhaps it has been `retired` since my departure?

 

It sure feels like it.  The definition of `fateful` according to the Cambridge Dictionary is "having a very important and often negative effect on the future."  So why the negativity?  Well, today is FA Cup semi-final day for us Saints fans.  We now know that Chelsea are through to the final as a result of their 1-0 win over Manchester City yesterday and today at Wembley the Saints take on Leicester City is the second semi-final.

And anything can happen, of course.  But the default condition of us Saints fans is one of nervousness, uncertainty and an anticipation of disappointment and so we face today with all those emotions, hoping for the best, expecting the worst.  Not helped by the fact that it was Leicester City who inflicted a 9-0 defeat on Southampton at St. Mary`s last season, although to be fair the Saints won 2-0 in the reverse league fixture at the King Power, so maybe there is a glimmer of hope in that.  At around 8.00 this evening, we will know the answer.  At least I won`t be able to watch it even from behind the sofa, as the game is televised by BT - which I don`t have and which might be a blessing in disguise.

In other news, it was good to see Forest Green Rovers manage a 3-2 home win against Scunthorpe to keep their play-off hopes alive.  Following the sacking of manager Mark Cooper last week, Rovers are now under the interim coaching of Jimmy Ball, son of World Cup winner and ex-Saints player and manager Alan Ball - maybe this connection, however tenuous, might be an encouraging omen.

Gillingham went down 3-2 away at high(ish) flying Oxford United, so the Gills have the proverbial mountain to climb if they are to reach the play-offs this season.  I fear the mountain might be a shade too high.   As for Brechin City, yet another defeat (why do I always follow teams who have a preponderance for failure?) this time a 3-0 loss away at Annan Athletic.  Brechin have now amassed just five points from 17 games this season and with their goal difference of minus 31 they are now assured of a place in the play-off with whoever wins the game between the respective champions of the Highland and Lowland Leagues to determine City`s future.

So, a fateful day for Southampton. We`ve had semi-finals before and come through them so here`s hoping.  However, if you don`t hear from me for some time, you will know why.

It sure was.  My last post about football revealed a new found `sanguinity` at the recent home defeat not only by Aston Villa but also by the incomprehensible refereeing and VAR decisions which arguably cost Southampton the game.  Last night - you don`t need me to tell you - saw Southampton lose 9-0 away at Old Trafford but the curious thing is that whilst I am naturally disappointed about that, given that there`s nothing I can do about it, I am once again shrugging my shoulders and moving on, as they say.  After a defeat, one of our favourite ex-Saints managers, Nigel Adkins, would always say, "Blue line.  Move on."   So we will.

This time though, as well as the questionable standard of officialdom, there were other factors at play which added up to just one of those nights.  As a Saints fan I`m used to disappointment, inconsistency, unpredictability and bewilderment but on this occasion I accept that nine of the first team squad missing through injury didn`t help.  That resulted in two academy lads making their first team full debuts - away against Manchester United of all things - and a bench consisting of other academy players and two goalkeepers.  Not helped either by the sending off of full debutant Alexandre Jankewitz after just 79 seconds for an unprovoked assault on an innocent opponent.  (Jankewitz apparently put in a transfer request last week as he wasn`t getting enough `game time.`  Well, after this 79 seconds game time, I hope his request has been granted.)

Last time we lost 9-0 there was widespread astonishment that our current manager, Ralph Hasenhuttl, wasn`t sacked on the spot.  He wasn`t, he was given a new contract, such was the belief in what he was trying to achieve for the club.   This time, given the lack of investment by the club`s oriental, silent and largely absent owners, there might be widespread disbelief that Hasenhuttl wants to stay.  I hope he does.

Anyway, as Nigel said, `blue line, move on.`  And so to the other game I was following last night.  Forest Green Rovers, with our street`s local hero on board, made the 604 mile round trip to Carlisle.  Oop north, they`ve had a lot of snow, so goodness knows what their coach journey was like - it`s supposed to take over five hours each way on a good day so I wonder what time in the early hours the team returned to their Gloucestershire retreat.   Anyway, it was worth the journey as they came away with a 2-1 win against their fellow promotion hopefuls to go second in League Two.  Nice one.

So, just one of those nights;  just one of those crazy flights;  a trip to the moon on gossamer wings;  just one of those things.

LOCAL HERO GOES GREEN...

Those of you who have followed my ramblings over the years will be familiar with my love of sports, in particular cricket, golf and football (soccer for my American devotees.)  And you will have noticed that apart from my life long devotion to Southampton FC with all its ups and downs, I also follow the fortunes of other, less `fashionable` clubs in the  lower reaches of the football pyramid rather than the dizzy heights.   

I think it`s just the romance of those clubs - sometimes it`s their location, sometimes their history and sometimes it`s just their sheer determination to survive and keep going for the love of it...or indeed for the hell of it.   So clubs like Fort William in Scotland`s Highland League, Truro City in the National League South Section are admired for their heroic journeys up and down the land and Forest Green Rovers in League Two for the romance of their location amid the glories of the Cotswolds, their rise from the obscurity of a village club and their devotion to all things green.  Greta must be a fan.

Over the years too I have followed and reported on the career of our street`s local hero Scott ("Buzzin` Six Pack") Wagstaff from his time playing in Charlton`s Youth team through his brief encounters at Northwich Victoria, Leyton Orient and Bournemouth, his seasons at Bristol City and Gillingham and more recently Wimbledon.   Sadly, his contract at Wimbledon expired at the end of June and there has been mounting speculation as to where he might next ply his trade as a box-to-box midfielder cum pacy flanker.

And in one of those quirks of fate he has just been snapped up by none other than Forest Green Rovers and you can see from the picture above that he along with his eco-friendly beard already look to be settling in to life at the New Lawn.   He will bring a wealth of experience to a club that is still on the up but I hope he thinks twice about celebrating any goal he might score with his trademark celebration `The Brick.`  At his age it could cause some damage.   It was at his time at Bristol City that I first reported on this remarkable celebratory contortion - here`s my report from no less than six years ago  - https://snoppersays.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-brick-is-back.html - (to view, please highlight the link, right click and the option to go to my post should appear.)

Of course with football being played behind closed doors it will not be possible to witness at first hand how Scott`s influence on his new team mates bears fruit, which of itself is a shame, as is being denied the excuse to visit deepest Gloucestershire and all it has to offer.  The Chippings at Tetbury, the Market at Minchinhampton, the Dulcima country and the Cider with Rosie.  Our local hero is in for a good time.