Not wanting to be carried away on the wave of optimism that is sweeping across the amassed Leeds fans in country (and the ones who don’t support us but want to see us back in the Premier League), I am dodging the addictive enthusiasm by briefly looking back at how far we have actually come since the demise of the miserable beardy bad loser.

Believe it or not, this months blog has been inspired by, of all things, ordering Hull tickets. Hull tickets are £24 plus £1 bates tax for the cheap seats and £27 plus £1 bates tax for the nice(r) seats down the side. They do not have any concession prices for senior citizens or juniors. The reason for this stems from their last few seasons of turmoil. If you remember, when they got bought out, their new owners decided that they wanted to change the name (in an all American franchise-type way) to Hull Tigers (as opposed to Tigers  Tigers Ra Ra Ra). This despite the fact that Hull City Association Football Club has been in existence since 1904 (technically older than us then) and completely against the wishes of the fans. On their return to the Premier League in 2016, the club badge had the “Hull City AFC” “The Tigers” (Ra Ra Ra) removed and instead just had a picture of a tiger on the front. Their crowds have dwindled since the heady days of Phil “Tango” Brown and sealing that brilliant promotion ( that technically we gave them by beating Watford) in 2013. Even with the falling ticket sales, the new owners are still embroiled in a dispute with the fans regarding ticket pricing and now, I believe the Football Supporters Federation are involved as well to help the Hull Supporters Trust to sort this out. The season has begun and ticketing has not been resolved. Interestingly enough, Hull FC (egg chasers) share the same ground/ ticket office/ facilities etc. and they DO have concessions. So much for fans being the heartbeat of the club, hey?

Meanwhile, across the border, in another one of Peter’s flawed attempts at Chairmanship, after hoisting up his white flag to the Malaysians, the Bluebirds were threatened with fire to re brand them into Red Dragons. (oh I am getting the puns in here). Across the proper Pennine border, Blackpool are still neck high in the mire with possibly the worst owners in football history, closely followed by Charlton, whose new owner practically declared that they were merely a feeder club to his European teams. Regular readers need not be reminded about the Blackburns of this world.

Leeds United have had their fair share of difficulties, and this piece is not the case of people in glass houses not chucking bricks. My point is that since Beardy finally got his marching orders from Sig. Cellino we have still had our ups and downs. And, unfortunately s**t sticks, so the phrase “doing a Leeds” is still evident in the ether. However, it seems that whilst we bore the brunt of the full force of the Football League and the hefty points deduction in 2007, like most things in 2018, carefully placed money can now resolve this issue (Villa, Bolton, Sunderland..woo hoo!). Thankfully,  despite all the showboating aerial stunts, projections, coffins and other (un)social media campaigns, Leeds fans have not yet had to resort to throwing tennis balls onto the pitch or boycotting en masse, since Bad Santa took his sack of toys out of Elland Road, without taking a penny in wages – remember. In real terms, we have not had it as bad as some. It is something we can count our blessings on.

Our club went through the lowest of the low in those 10 years. Those who thought that it was bad under Cellino either can’t remember how bad it was, or have chosen to block it all out of their memories. Even before Beardy, there were signs of trouble ahead. For example, the insistence that the majority of the fans voted to move to Swillington and the badly thought out titles of books and DVDs (Leeds United – A Season on Trial, United We Fall and my personal favourite – Peter Ridsdale -My Leeds United). Never has the phrase, you reap what you sow, has been so apt.

From the sublime to the ridiculous. We had Swillington Sewerage Works, the Fullerton Ice Rink and Beeston Super Casino, then the Bates Hotel / Motel , all which would help the Club??? We went from semi-finals in the Champions League to not owning the ground, the Academy, the  training ground and not even the matchday  catering made us any money.

So when Cellino came in and cleared out, he did what no one else had the balls to do. He took back charge, or at least he tried to. He tried to stick two fingers in the face of the Football League, Harvey and his not fit for purpose buddies, Skytvisf**kings**t and everyone else who realistically couldn’t run a Subbuteo football team, let alone a Division 2 outfit. Yes, he made managerial mistakes, but in doing so, he laid the foundations clear for Radrizzani. Yes, under his tutelage we made some random signings, but it was the basis for what we have now….Beradi for one, without Kyle Bartley there would have been no Ayling… But of course, Cellino will never be credited by some people for what he did.

And, back to the now. This Saturday sees a meeting between the Supporters Group and The Club about our Centenary year celebrations. Badges aside, our Club is listening to it’s fans, and in the end, the board did listen to the fans anyway about the crest.  We have secured Bielsa who has transformed our team of end of season relegation dodgers, into tip, top, top of the leaguers, who are being raved about from all four corners.

Yes, it is early days still, but it is looking like the sun is shining….

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enduring image…isn’t it?

Not so much nowadays, Ron Manager. Plus, I don’t even know if, in this modern world of political correctness, you could even say, “small boys, in the park, jumpers for goalposts” anymore without someone showing you a yellow card for the lack of inclusivity. Should I say vertically challenged, self identifiers, in a green space, clothing dedicated as vertical structures? Oh and, by the way, this isn’t an excuse to pay homage to the Fast Show, it is merely to demonstrate how much football has changed.

For the better? Not so sure about that. On the flipside, can you imagine a 21st century version of The Fast Show? An hour of complete inoffensiveness, now that would be something. Oh hang on, it’s the BBC . Normal telly then!

After coming home from the hard fought 0-0 against the Smoggies last night and after much heated debate in the Golden Lion about a point gained over two points dropped, that phrase popped into my head. It suddenly occurred to me that Friday nights game was about as far away from “jumpers for goalposts” as it could be.

To me, the result wasn’t so much the issue, as the style of football that we had to endure. Well, it wasn’t football really was it? It was 90 minutes of the antithesis of football. There was no skill there. No perfect through passes, no floated crosses, no one-touch silkiness, no intricate cross field fluidity. NADA. It was typical Pulis, niggling, pushing and shoving and blocking. Anti football as my friend, Alan Barker put it. A team of 6 foot plus built-like- brick-shithouses giants, but with all the stability of the first of the three little pigs’ houses. You huff and you puff and you blow the house in.

That would have never happened in the park. If you fell over, everyone just ignored you and carried on playing. If you kept rolling about on the pitch as if a sniper had got you, you would suffer the indignity of being picked last next time, along with the fat kid. Or even worse, never being asked at all. In those days, it was all about getting the ball and legging it up half the pitch, to smack in that wonder goal. The goal which people would still be going on about next half term.

The worse thing was that we let THEM drag US down to their level. Gone was the one-touch finesse of Derby and Norwich away. Gone was the “We’re Leeds United, we’re taking the piss” swagger of the first few games. It was replaced by the same dross that we spewed out last season against the likes of Cardiff and Wolves. Where all we could do was try and hack people down. The same stupid tackles that saw off most of our team at some point in 2017-18 in a flurry of red cards and costs us our points so dearly. Until New Year we were on the up and then it all just fell away, the most sendings off for many a season.

I was never lucky enough to see John Charles play, and at the time, not old enough to fully understand what the great Don Revie did in the Golden Leeds United era. I am lucky enough to have seen the videos of them and the great skillful play of the likes of Pele, Cruyff and the latter years of our own Championship winning side, not to mention the craftiness of Roberto Carlos (look him up younger readers). We have seen what Bielsa can do to the team, he has improved it enormously already. Remember it is the same team as last season, bar Douglas and Klich. It is too soon to say what style of football he plays, as he is still essentially tinkering, until he finds it. God knows what happened at Preston! Must have been a blip. The positive is that the players are able to adapt, even though they are the same players, they are not limited to one role. The team are pushing forward at speed but still covering the defence.  Look at Douglas flying down the wing, like a young(er) Tony Dorigo, it’s not just Ayling that can put a cross in. I am hoping that Bielsa can bring out more of the potential out of the team the longer he works with them. I am also hoping that he can build a resilience in them, so they stick with the game plan and resist the “play ugly” timewasting, cheating crap that the rest of the league resorts to.

As I was walking away from the ground, I heard someone say ” well that’s it, everyone has worked Bielsa out, that’s our season gone”. I thought, Jeez, it’s only August and you’ve given up already. There’s another 7 months to go at. What sort of a football fan are you, if you call it quits before the season has even started going! In the days of jumpers for goalposts, you could have been playing football from dawn to dusk. Doing “next goal wins” for hours until the person who brought the ball actually scored a goal and won. You needed stamina in those days to play the beautiful game. We’ve still got plenty of time before February to go up as Champions.

Beans on toast for tea. Marvellous!

 

There is a heady air of optimism hanging around LS11. It is almost palpable. There is an excited hum of anticipation amongst most Leeds United fans and bizarrely enough, some elements of the British sports press. This is the Bielsa effect, the Bielsa Buzz. I am going to abstain from all the apian puns / hive of activity etc. etc for the sake of sanity.

Comparisons could be drawn to last season, when under the tutelage of Thomas Christiansen, we also had an unbeaten start. But that is where the comparison pales into insignificance. The style and quality of the football that we are bearing witness to, is a million miles away from that. Plus, we are only at the second game. Is the best yet to come?

It is difficult to describe how this feels without using every cliche in the book. There appears to be more of a hunger to compete. A desire to win, but not just win, to excel. There seems to be a competitive edge to be fitter, stronger, faster and better. Something that seems to be drilled out of youngsters nowadays in the whole era of inclusive equality, for fear that someone may get a bit upset if they are told that the next guy who has put the extra effort in, will be rewarded when they aren’t.

So what is the Bielsa Buzz?

There is an aura, a presence, a sense of gravitas about him. Silent but deadly. But not in a menacing way. It’s done in a confident way which simply says, “I mean business”.

After the first of the Bielsa interviews, he was the laughing stock of SkyTVisf**kings**t and the BBC pundits. These fools, who mercilessly took cheap digs at the fact he “needed” an interpreter. These are the same “journalists” who lauded on the testimonials from Pep Guardiola and Pochettino, and then in the same breath, added the Snidley Whiplash comments about him jacking in the job at Lille. For starters, can you see an English speaking manager going to Spain/Argentina, and making the effort to learn the language to try to speak the local lingo for the native TV audiences? Ok, Roy Hodgson aside, not really. Secondly, the interviewers don’t really care what you say because they have already made their own minds up – so why bother? Treat them with the contempt they deserve. Thirdly – yeah – as if he can’t understand what you are saying. Who’s the fool now?

To those “journos”, I say, actions speak louder than words, my friends. When we go up as Champions in February, the silence will be thunderously deafening.

I, for one, would much much rather have a measured, well reasoned, deliberate response over the  animated “its all Tom Lees’s fault / I’m gloating over a narrow one-nil victory” verbal “I like the sound of my own voice” diarrhoea barrage. I, for one, would rather see a calm and collected Bielsa sat on a bucket than an animated Klopp The Flop, gurning and gesticulating like a dog straining on a short leash (apologies to a dog).

Am I the only one sick of managers slagging off the refs/linesmen rather than fessing up to their own failures? Am I the only one sick of managers glorifying their dodgy last minute penalty in extra time results? Am I the only one sick of managers who think that sticking 10 men behind the ball constitutes a solid team display? I don’t think so. Admittedly, I don’t know how Bielsa will react should we lose a game, I’m hoping I never see that day anytime soon.

I like the way Bielsa has this no nonsense attitude. Just get on with it, play the game. No mad running-down-the-side-of-the-pitch-like-you-have-just-completed-the-treble goal celebrations, no high fives, no hugs and no kisses. After all, the Club is paying you to do your job, not advertise your potential to be the next Sports Personality Of the Year (not that it is much of a merit of an award when it is won by a certain “Mr SuperInjunction” G**gs). No extra plaudits and no post match back slapping congratulatory tweets. A healthy departure from the social media factions. No rehearsed, showcased soundbyte post match interviews. Just concentration, total concentration to the task at hand.

It’s refreshing to see this and long overdue. I am hoping Bielsa has the same attitude to the Cup games.  I am hoping he will show the respect that the oldest competition in English football deserves. I am hoping that not only did he watch all the league games last season, but he watched the dismal performances in the Cups. I am hoping that the conclusions drawn from them and the devastating impact of fielding poorer sides in the Cups is realised , so making sure that history does not repeat itself.

I saw a flag at the Derby game which said “agents are poisonous”. I figured that it wasn’t referring to park benches in Salisbury, but more to this “overcommercialisation” of football (I don’t even know if that is a word, but you know what I mean). Agents and the media are responsible for the theft of football away from the fans. They are too busy lining their own pockets to think about the effect of obsessively  hyping up the “worth” of footballers. It used to be about the skill on the pitch, now it’s more about shirt sales and sponsorship deals. It doesn’t matter that someone is a one trick pony, it is more important that he can sell dandruff shampoo or some other male grooming hipster products. It doesn’t matter that only one in five crosses is actually any good, it is more important that he has a million followers and his missus has appeared on celebrity big brother. It doesn’t matter that he can’t run half the length of the pitch without getting out of breath, because people are talking about his tattoos, his wedding was in OK magazine and he looks good on the front of FIFA 2019. “Sell-ability” over “football-ability” (again, apologies as this is not a word). I have no doubt that some agents are very good and only have their clients best interests at heart. Like most progressive 21st century modernities though, I am sure that there are the unscrupulous few, who would rather take their cut of the signing on fee and be happy watching their players warm the bench for 95% of the season at the “bigger” club, than watch the patient progression of a talented young player up through the youth ranks into the first team.

This is a sad testament to “Generation Swipe”. The “I Want It All Nows”. I don’t think it is necessarily greed that drives them and it probably isn’t that they are lazy, it is more that this instant gratification lark is instilled in them at an early age. It’s not just the players that would rather take the easy option and go somewhere else to get more money (even though it may mean that they never kick a competitive ball again) than stay where they are to become the finished article. There are many fans who would jump ship and abandon their home club to go support the more bigger famous ones, just because they can’t take the ups and downs. And, it’s not like we have never seen the top division clubs attempt to “buy the league” in this results based culture, rather than take the hard graft route. Which makes it even more laughable when they fail. Let’s see how Villa get on this year!

And here are the cliches…Patience is a virtue. Work hard, step up to the challenge, take responsibility for your own actions. Get back to basics. I was reminded by The Secretary that Bielsa seems to be doing what Herbert Chapman did way back when, getting the players fit enough to play football in the first place. To last out the 90 minutes, something that was sadly lacking in 80% of last seasons games. Tactical football to get that properly finished result – a great team display.

So, analogy for the sake of analogy, like bees working together in the hive to make honey for the common purpose – for the colony to survive…  work hard for each other, play as a group for the one purpose – to win. Promotion by February please. No infighting, no personality clashes, no badge kissing just to further fans favour. Just work as one for the greater good. The epitome of the famous “SIDE BEFORE SELF”?

After all, you can make a T-E-A-M out of your mates!

 

Just before the end of the season there was chatter about safe standing again. The other week, when there were more important things going on in Parliament, the issue regarding rail seating again was raised. Apparently it has the backing of the opposition now. In my own personal opinion this discussion, in the current climate, is rather distasteful as there are still proceedings taking place regarding the involvement of certain law enforcement groups / former officials of the club / retired law enforcement officers etc. in the terrible tragedy at Hillsborough, their “handling” of the aftermath and the subsequent “inquiries” since. For me, and I stress that this is my own view, until these proceedings are over and done with, complete with a concise investigation and it’s conclusions drawn, this discussion should not take place.

Whilst I am aware that my view goes against the view of the vocal groups backing the return of terracing and the makers of rail seating, I think the discussion should be more focused on supporters being allowed to have the right to choose whether they want sections of their grounds made into terracing or rail seating. As this is what it will boil down to in the end. Currently the law states that grounds must be all seater, to comply with the safety regulations. If rail seating is agreed, the clubs will have to spend money to convert whichever areas they choose to designate the safe standing area. This will cost money, which undoubtedly will be passed onto us, the paying fans, and it may cost some their seats. Some supporters have had their seats for decades, some will be very attached to their “seat” and may not be too happy to be usurped by the vocal minority. Before anyone jumps down my throat about rail seating increasing the capacity – it doesn’t make much difference, so clubs won’t be raking it in on extra ticket sales, we, the supporters, will bear that cost. I wonder in the eventuality of the club suddenly announcing it is happening, whether they will face another onslaught of change.org?

Hence, make your choice… even though I couldn’t resist putting a picture of the long gone Jiggy up.

The choice of whether to stand or sit for regular away travellers is basically a thing of the past, there is no choice. Let’s face it, for those fans who don’t have the stamina to stand up for 90 minutes, away games are difficult. There aren’t really the facilities in stadia now where the less able amongst us can have a perch. Yes, there are supposed to be “ambulant disabled” areas, but those tickets, like the disabled tickets are like gold dust. This is especially bad at away grounds with small capacities, (how pleased was I that Burton got relegated!) or grounds where our allocation has been reduced due to the police or the home clubs restrictions. Before we start with safe standing, how about we concentrate on safe seating? (see next blog)

We are all getting that little bit older, but just because our bodies can’t take it, it doesn’t mean that we aren’t still the best supporters in the land. We can look back on the old black and white photos and footage of 100,000+ crowds of fans (mostly men) of varying ages crammed into packed stands at Cup finals. When Cup finals meant something , of course (moot point). But in those days there was an element of respect, respect of our seniors and our peers and that little bit of common courtesy for those less able. Sadly, that common courtesy and unselfishness, is sadly lacking in the “modern” era of football. Celebrations of goal scoring have moved on from the cheering and clapping of players to throwing yourself and others around like rag dolls, resulting in flailing arms and legs rippling down the rather steep stands (Norwich for example) with a domino like effect. So whilst the initiators have a jolly good time, someone down the stand ends up with more serious injuries, like I said common courtesy, self awareness and responsibility for your actions….

Fan bases have also changed. More and more children are being encouraged to watch the sport, in hope that they can be put on the straight and narrow, before the peer pressures from their mates to follow the “popular” teams takes hold. The younger dads (and mothers!) want to take young children, but safety for a 5 year old is very different from that of a 15 year old. If the parent has a ticket in the Kop or the South Stand, would they want their small child to be caught up in a crush? The older amongst us will remember that crush, the feeling of being caught in a wave, until you ended up being stuck against the barrier with the weight of fifty or more people on top of you. The wiser amongst us stood at the back or on the peripheries, the foolhardy and brave in the middle, the one who stood at the barrier was someone who would do it once and never again! Rail seating apparently negates that crush, but judging by the surges currently happening at away games where the stewards are supposed to ensure everyone stays in their seat, I can’t see that it will make any difference.

Then there are those who aren’t actually watching the game, they are just out for a “day out” which will involve alcohol (the throwing around of rather than actually drinking it), possibly illegal substances, constant slagging off a particular player or players, or the manager, or the owner, shouting abuse at the opposition fans and players, arguing with people around them who don’t agree with what they are saying and generally not watching anything that is going on the pitch itself. These people weren’t around in the football grounds of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s as money was wiser spent then and drink, well let’s just say drink wasn’t wasted in those days. Needless to say, these people aren’t supporting their team.

I can understand that some may think that rail seating will create a better atmosphere. My reply to that would be playing good football and winning games creates a better atmosphere. Millwall at home last season, down to 10 men and 3-2 up with 4 minutes (which ended up as 6 minutes) to go, was a brilliant atmosphere. Every man, woman and child was behind the team believing that we could do it, even though we didn’t hold out in the end. Supporting your team and getting behind the team- that’s what creates a good atmosphere.

I was lucky enough to be at the game against 1860 decades ago, so I have first hand experience of rail seating. Celtic already have rail seating as they are not bound by the English Football regulations, I can’t say that I am aware of anyone constantly crowing on about how brilliant the atmosphere is at grounds with rail seating. In fact if the popular press is to be believed, the best atmosphere at a football game is to be experienced in the very sterile atmosphere of the premier league of all places! I have been lucky enough to have been to the Nou Camp, the Bernabeu, the Mestella, the Vincente Calderon, the Stadio Delle Alpi (before they moved), the Stadio Olimpico, some of the best stadia in Europe (without rail seating), and when the crowd is behind the team, the atmosphere is electric, as it was at Elland Road in the Championship title season and the European / Champions League era.

Just get behind the team, support Leeds United, that’s what we are there for after all, isn’t it? Support your team through thick and thin, or just go do something else. Make your choice

 

 

 

Originally I was going to call this “All I want for August is…” and stick a photo of Mariah Carey on the front, but then I remembered Debbie Harry and this vinyl cover, and I decided it was a much better option. Picture this then (in no particular order)

Promotion to the Premier League as Champions or in second

No messing abaht as they say. No play off rubbish, it never works out and I would much rather not turn up at all, rather than get to the play off final and suffer through watching Leeds United not bother to turn up as they did at Cardiff, Wembley etc.

One manager this season

Sacking someone after a string of defeats doesn’t work, look at poor Heckingbottom last season, just what did that achieve? Should have just kept with TC.

A decent run in the FA and League Cups

This would necessitate fielding a decent side in the first place (see below). It of course actually means respecting the League and FA Cups for being competitive competitions. Games that the first team players don’t necessarily need to play in, but a decent team made up of first team players, subs and the youth team to dispatch the opposition, duly dishing out the 5-0 victory needed to get us in the next round, being suffice.

Fielding a decent side in the League and FA Cup

Self explanatory. See what opposition you get picked and where the game is being played (home or away and proper pitch or lower league mudbath that a hippo wouldn’t be out of place in) . Pick your best side for the team you are playing to get the result required. Pick a team to play in the competition rather than just entering it for the sake of entering a team. I have been reminded by The Secretary that had Monk fielded a proper side against the Scousers, we might have won that game.

Away tickets allocated on loyalty of the last 10 years

Away tickets are always a hot topic for the start of the season, and will be even more so this season with the promise of a new manager (like last season, and the season before…). Given last years terrible problems for the Bolton game and the following games (until we started losing that is!) , I see this as the only way forward. The last few games last season were testament to how fickle fans can be, noticeably fewer away fans at Fulham, Preston (nearly 7k sell out last season), Villa and Norwich. As far as I and many others are concerned, if you bothered going to the games when we were really poor, you should be rewarded for that loyalty over and aboard those who can afford to pay the extra up front payment.  I could go on, but I said enough last season about this.

Appropriate use of our Youth side

We have a good set up, our youth team should be utilised better. They should be brought up through the ranks (given a chance in the Cup games) and not sold off or farmed out to lower league teams.

Sensible decision making when picking the team

It was said that Don Revie used to have copious notes on each team to make sure he knew the best team to play against the opposition. The Championship is mainly full of huge defenders, midfielders who challenge hard for the ball and teams who play “the modern game” of one up front. If the opposition is known for hoofing the ball up to a lone target man, stick two men on the striker. If the midfield is slow and lumbering, put your paciest wingers on and try the trickery. Change the strategy accordingly and have the balls to substitute your players if it isn’t going your way, and do it early. There is no point waiting til 80 minutes and then putting on an attacking midfielder, is there?

Players who can play for 90 minutes (give or take another 5 or 6 mins)

It is a game of 90 minutes plus whatever the ref adds on. 90 minutes a week, and on occasion there might be two games in a week depending on Cup ties etc (use the Youth Team to help out – see above). Take Millwall last season, 3-2 up with 4 minutes to go. Yes we were down to 10 men, but we should have held out for the extra minutes which were added on as a result of The South Stand behaving like children and not giving the ball back.

Less red cards than last season

Carrying on from above, 90 minutes of keeping your head when all around are losing theirs (poetic licence notwithstanding). Reckless and some needless challenges cost us much last season. The rest of the league sussed us out, with sufficient cheating, continual bad fouls, poor ref decisions etc. they could rile us and get the advantage of the extra man by just tipping us over the edge.

Football to be just about 90 minutes (plus extra time) on the pitch

Keyboard warriors / persons with over inflated egos and /or delusions of grandeur and self importance have ruined our last few seasons. It is about what goes on the pitch and that’s what we should be concentrating on. Whilst I am all for freedom of speech and everyone has the right to voice their own opinions, social media point scoring because you get the most hits or views or whatever the latest fad is, takes time away from the most important thing, which is surely supporting Leeds United?

Just one home strip and one away strip 

Stop fleecing the poor people who actually want to buy the shirts or are pressured into getting one either by peer pressure or for children to keep them on the straight and narrow.

No winter break EVER

This is England, or Wales if you are a Swansea fan. Just get on with it. Plus what about global warming? It’s supposed to be getting warmer- right? Or were the scientists in the 70s correct in the first place? Is  there really is going to be an ice age? We know what this is all about, money spinning games in the Far East and US, just the FA lying through their smug, over paid, white, middle aged, fat cat, dodgy deals dental plan on us (the plebs) teeth.

Football on Saturday afternoons at 3pm

Unless it is a Bank Holiday of course. When was the last time we played at home on August Bank holiday weekend?

Christmas is over, Spring is here and the Season of Stupidity has started. For once I don’t even mean the the transfer window.

Today we are still waiting for a decision about the Boro game. It is 12 hours before kick off and it seems no one can make that decision.

What is so difficult?

ALL week the news has been about “The Beast From The East”. The weather has been appalling and every day there is another weather warning and pictures are all over the telly and social media with people crashing and today the British Army has been on the M62 helping people stuck on the roads. The trains aren’t running properly and some people have been stuck on a train overnight.

I am sure some of our Scandinavian friends are laughing, as it hasn’t even started to get cold yet, but the UK just cannot cope with the cold weather. The roads are poor and the transport links are even poorer. A few inches has brought the country to a halt. Whilst the normal people can hunker down and just get on with it, the people who are in charge of the local councils and the road and rail links, the people with the money that the Government gives them, from the money that the Government takes from us in the form of OUR taxes, have more pressing things on their minds. The people in charge of the local councils, the police, the road networks, the bus and train networks are more concerned with making sure that their pensions pots are kept topped up rather than making sure the public services are kept running. I am not complaining about the people who are doing the work, they are doing the best they can, but I am pretty sure that the people gritting the roads must all be wondering why there aren’t more staff hired and more gritters available when the weather is this bad. Winter planning anybody?

So, how does this relate to today?

12 hours before kick off, the M62 is still closed, people have been stranded overnight. The NHS is cancelling non urgent operations because it cannot cope with the emergencies that are coming in and staff cannot get in to work. The Army have had to be called in on some roads. People have been stuck on a train overnight. Yet someone cannot decide whether the game should be called off or not?

For some bizarre reason, the football gods seem to think that fans going to Boro v Leeds will only be travelling from Middlesborough or Leeds. The fact that Leeds fans will be trying to get to the game from all over the UK, not just Leeds, has passed them by. Whilst all they are bothered about is whether the pitch will be playable (how long has under soil heating been available?), no one seems to be bothered about how fans are going to get to the ground in the first place and how they are going to get home. Selfish, selfish TV obsessed football.

I know alot of fans are over from Scandinavia and Ireland as we have two games, and those from Norway and Sweden just don’t know what the fuss is all about, but as I said before, the UK just isn’t equipped for anything over -1!

There will be 2600 Leeds in Boro tonight. If just one coach gets stuck or there is one little accident, can you imagine the impact on the rest of us? Coming back from Derby was bad enough with the motorway roadworks and overnight closures, if the roads are down to one lane and there is just one accident, can you imagine the carnage? If the trains stop, how are the train rabble going to get home? If the police are happy for 2000+ Leeds fans to be stuck in Boro, then I hope they have a plan to accomodate us all. Me, I hope if we get stuck, we get stuck outside a pub with a nice warm fire and some good real ale.

Should anything serious happen, and it better not, I hope Leeds United, Middlesborough FC, the police and more importantly SkyTvisf**kings**talloneword can live with the consequences. Crossing your fingers and hoping nothing will happen, just isn’t good enough.