Football / Fan's View
‘Clarke to return to sainthood with next win’
Older readers may be familiar with the popular lyrics: “What a difference a day makes, 24 little hours”. Never are these words more appropriate than in the wacky world of football.
Just last week the mood at Bristol Rovers was full of dark rumblings about a behind-the-scenes takeover bid by a major consortium. This week, everything is all right again. “The Gas are going up!”
Hardened observers will know that off the field speculation only usually occurs at a football club when things are less than hunky dory on the field. Rumour becomes speculation, speculation becomes fact and then it turns out it was just a rumour after all.
is needed now More than ever
Rovers’ win at Hartlepool was as surprising as it was welcome, after a five game run without a win. I stopped going to away games about 30 years ago and have nothing but admiration for those who still do, especially to places at the back end of beyond.
It was never the journey to the game that bugged me, it was the interminable journey back, particularly after another defeat. I suspect the latter affected me more than anything.
So I flicked occasionally to Jeff Stelling’s TV radio show on Sky where a panel of ex players watch televisions in the studio and tell us what is going on at selected games and Stelling himself reads out the scores and trots out a bewildering list of statistics.
Quite simply, he is the best and most entertaining sports presenter on British television. And he’s in his element when his beloved Hartlepool United are playing.
Stelling looked positively suicidal as Rovers’ third goal went in, which only added to the enjoyment. Most presenters make at least a token effort to hide their support for the teams of choice, but not for our Jeff.
What makes him so authentic is his passion and frustration and it’s always funny, win, lose or draw. I almost felt sorry for him when the final result came through, but only almost.
With the unwanted record of not winning now a thing of the past, the football fan now believes again. No longer glancing anxiously to the foot of the table, the inexorable rise to automatic promotion begins. “And now you’re gonna believe it, the Gas are going up”. Until we lose again, in which case, who’s behind this takeover bid?
The more things change, the more they stay the same at the Rovers. The only difference is thanks to cyberspace there are more places to spread rumours.
Another win this week and Darrell Clarke will be returned to near sainthood and chairman Nick Higgs as a footballing mastermind. “You DO know what you’re doing!” unlike last week, anyway.
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
