The Diary

03 October 2004: A Job Well Done - But Why The Rush?

What a difference that win made. I?m not referring to our favourite football team, here, although the evidence is there for all to see in the shape of the Prem table. What I?m blathering on about is morale, specifically supporter morale. Suddenly it?s good to be a Baggie again, and the icing on the cake is the knowledge our teatime triumph was thoroughly deserved. No fluke, no momentary aberration of some obscure footballing law of the universe; we grafted for those three points, grafted well, and came home with the bacon as a result. Well done, everyone concerned.

One thing that did puzzle me yesterday, though (and readers who also tune into the Boing mailing-list will forgive me here for repeating something touched upon there) and that?s the numbers of Baggies I saw streaming out of the Halfords Lane Stand well before the final whistle went. Not just dribs and drabs ? when I say ?streaming? I genuinely mean it. Now, please, will someone expert in crowd psychology put me out of my misery and explain, preferably in words of one syllable, WHY? I would have understood completely had we been slaughtered to the extent of a cricket score, but we weren?t. At that point, the game was delicately balanced; either side could have added to their tally at any moment, and the atmosphere was as electric as fuse-wire as a result. Leaving was the last thing on my mind at that moment, so why the sudden charge for the exits?

As far as our performance was concerned, there could only be one player to get my personal ?man Of The Match? accolade, and that?s Zoltan Gera, with Jesus Christ lookalike Jonathan Greening running our resident fortune-teller a close second. Cyril Randle, a chap who regularly gives me post-match feedback, has praise indeed for our Hungarian player: ?The first time I saw Zoltan, (make a good song that), he reminded me of Ronnie Allen, shoot on sight, shoulders curved round to protect the ball, ease with which it stayed with him, speed away from markers, sheer agility and ability to jump like a salmon.... I had it all confirmed yesterday, RONNIE IS BACK!!?. Coo! And Cyril wasn?t the only one to heap such fulsome praise on the head of our player and part-time in-house gymnastics expert; I also saw similar from other (presumably) fogies on the mailing-list today. Being of an age where I cut my supporting teeth on watching the sixties FA Cup winning side gradually form, and perform, I wouldn?t really like to comment. Ronnie was a tad before my time. Perhaps The Fart, an acknowledged authority on events distantly past, would like to remark further?

It was also interesting to note that yesterday, our leader abandoned his normal ?whistle and flute? matchday attire these days, and reverted to the comforting tracksuit instead. To be honest, I didn?t notice at the time; I?d simply assumed he was wearing a jumper over his shirt, but no ? it was the leisure-gear look for our man, and yesterday?s game was our first win. I wonder if our gaffer?s at all superstitious? If so, expect to see ?trackies? the day we do battle against The Canaries. And, being someone who hates the ?dress code? mentality with a zealot?s fervour, quite right too, I say!

Trust the Sunday Mercury to poke their sticky little mitts into things. Today, they were suggesting that the alleged Meggo-Peace spat was far from over, and there was more unpleasantness to come. To be fair, though, they may be right. Megson bought himself valuable time with yesterday?s win; everything now hangs upon what happens versus Norwich, then at Selhurst Park versus Palace. If we can get decent results against both those two (and, on paper, at least, it?s eminently-achievable; at the time of writing, both have still to register Prem wins), that would put Jeremy Peace in a pretty difficult situation vis a vis giving Meggo the bum?s rush. We knew a full 12 months ago that the sole thing preventing Jeremy getting rid there and then was supporter opinion; to do so now would have about the same effect on the Brummie and Smethwick Ends as shooting Lassie on the centre circle just before kick-off. And, to be fair, assuming Megson did turn things around, how many would actually want to see him go? I?ve criticised our manager buckets in the past, but despite all that, underneath it all, I still desperately wanted him to succeed at this club, evolve to the next managerial stage. Even in my advanced years, beneath all the cynicism, I still want to believe in fairy-tales.

My definition of ?success? this season is simple; avoid the drop, and that?s ?success?. On the other hand, should results go against us versus those aforementioned troubled two, then we?ve got problems again. They really are ?six-pointers? ? twin defeats would see us cast into the drop-zone with the minimum of ceremony. Additionally, both games are going to be brutal, unruliness born of desperation, for all combatants concerned. The Premiership prize, once attained, is not one readily relinquished by any side, however poor. Have we the scrappers and battlers possessive of sufficient grit and resolve to win through a tough tussle any more? I suspect not. Would our distinctly-annoyed chairman rapidly rethink his views should the worst happen? What do you think?

But there?s still one enormous bluebottle fouling the ointment, and that?s the question of Megson?s contract, or rather, the small-print contained within the document. It?s up at the end of the season, sure, but he could walk for nothing now if he so desired. The ?500K ?golden handcuffs? thing ran out at the end of last term. Strange, isn?t it, that although our leader publicly professes to be so unhappy with what his employers are doing behind his back, no other Prem club seems to have made overtures for his services? You know and I know that should a club come sniffing for any top-flight gaffer, the Press latch on to it within microseconds of getting the phone call from their well-placed informants. Had there been such overtures made towards Meggo by anyone, there would have been banner headlines in one tabloid or another by now. Or, at the very least, veiled hints in the gossip columns. There have been fresh opportunities to cut and run ? the Newcastle and Blackburn jobs were recently both up for grabs ? but Meggo, despite all that professed discontent, like a suppository, is still in-situ. To me, that speaks volumes.

And finally?..One. Oh dear, when I put out an APB for a video of The Fart?s Japanese TV interview yesterday, I?d forgotten one small snag. Cyril, who?s an expert in all things electronic, tells me I need an NTSC video (er ? what?s that in English, Cyril?) to play back Japanese tapes, although I?m told there are such machines in the UK almost as standard if you keep your eyes open. Needless to say, Cyril has one!

Two. If ever there was a time I saw proof positive of the saying, ?There?s one born every minute?, then it?s got to be today. Apparently, there?s now a website flogging tickets for Prem games, but at prices far in excess of the face value of the items concerned. The going rate for our forthcoming tryst with Norwich, for example, happens to be between ?70 and ?80 squid, should you feel at all constrained (or daft enough) to do business with ?em. Oh, and should the Chelsea-Arsenal local derby next April prove tempting as well, flash ?275, and it?s yours! One minor detail, though ? the prices I quote don?t include VAT. There?s no way on this planet you or I would fork out such sums for a game ? at least I sincerely hope not! ? but I can?t help feeling there are enough people sufficiently desperate out there to resort to this sort of cyber-muggery, and therefore make the venture a nice little earner for someone. Perhaps with every ticket sold there should be a letter of introduction to a good psychiatrist enclosed as well?

Three?. Spare a thought for a mucker of ours, Norm Bartlam, who, when not creating truly awful puns, likes to have a little flutter on the outcome of our games. Yesterday, our man decided to ? erm ? ?invest? a few quid on Albion to win 2-0 at 50-1, and Kanu to score the first goal. Oh dear.

Four?. My last piece, this one, for a while. We?re off to our holiday home all next week, until the day before the Norwich game, and therefore miles from civilisation ? they?ve only just got around to the idea of phones in Herefordshire, never mind the bloody internet ? but, should anything significant develop, I?ll be back. Assuming it?s before the end of this week, of course.

 - Glynis Wright

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