Backward Step!

Here we are once again, yet another season has slipped past and we have achieved sweet nothing. This time last season we were feeling fairly optimistic, I think. Losing to Linfield in the County Antrim Shield, although disappointing, wasn’t considered a complete disaster and a top six finish in the league, was a good foundation to build on. Alas it was yet another ‘false dawn’ and there have been many, many of them during my time as a Sky Blue supporter. I was personally hoping for a top four finish in the league this season, a convincing run in the Irish cup (what we had was bloody ridiculous, let’s face it) and picking up at least one of the two minor trophies, Shield or C.I.S. cup. To be fair the writing was on the wall fairly early, failure to qualify for the C.I.S. knockout stages and our humiliating departure from the Shield at the first hurdle, were good indications that we would struggle once more. We struggled early on in the league also, when we admittedly had a tough start, but then we ‘capitulated’ against the ‘Scum’ on Boxing Day, before an even worse display away to Glenavon in the New Year. Sandwiched in between these two clangers we had probably our best result for a few years when we deservedly beat Glentoran, but it only epitomised our inconsistent form. The subsequent ‘farcical’ Irish Cup quarter final has been already well chronicled and even though we have a chance of finishing in the top half of the league with a win this Saturday, the season has been disappointing. One footnote, which has somehow gladdened my own heart, is the news that former United player Oran Kearney faces an 8 month lay off due to a knee injury. I honestly believe that the old saying bears true, ‘you reap what you sow’ and this has been borne true in Oran’s case. Remember this is the player that Kenny Shiels convinced United officials was a good signing despite his well documented history of injuries. United took a chance on Oran and he repaid them by leaving after one season as a professional and signing for Linfield. That would have been insulting and injurious enough to Sky Blue fans, but on his first game back at the Showgrounds, Oran ‘took a dive’ in the United box winning his new team a penalty when they were hardly in the game. Then this season in the Irish cup replay he rugby tackled Aiden Watson in the penalty box and cost United the chance of retaking the lead in the game. Oran obviously feels he owes us nothing and I am now almost ‘gloating’ at his predicament, the old saying about the ‘hare running long’ has borne true once more!

Wright Decisions!

As the season draws to a close, only two games left for those clubs not still in the Irish cup, or involved in the relegation play-off, it’s time to reflect on this season. From our own point of view, I think it has been one of little glimpses of form, but for the most part yet another season of underperformance. We failed to qualify for the knock-out stages of the C.I.S. cup, but then that’s quite normal for us lately. We fell at the first hurdle in the County Antrim Shield against first division side Dundela. We did manage to reach the quarter-final of the Irish cup, but only just, as we ‘scraped’ past two junior sides by the narrowest of margins. We then had a great chance to put Linfield away in the first game at the Showgrounds, but missed the boat and then lost the replay, maybe a little unluckily, but we had ample chances to win it and didn’t take them. Quite ironically we have a chance of finishing in the top six of the league, if we can win our last two games, both at home, if results in the other games go our way. Finishing in the top six would be a decent result, but in my opinion it will still be a very disappointing outcome. We desperately need a reliable striker, Kevin Kelbie has been disappointing, with only 15 goals in 37 appearances, but he has been fighting virtually a lone battle up front all season. Almost every team is looking for a good striker and there doesn’t look to be any readily available in the Irish league, so the manager will have to cast his net far and wide. We also need a good midfield general and this will be no easy task for the manager and he will have to use all his contacts in his quest for what many consider to be the 'holy grail' in any team. With the disappointing news that local player Paul Muir has signed a new contract at Lisburn Distillery, after strong rumours that he would come back to his hometown club, the manager will be hoping he can hang on to team Captain Albert Watson with Linfield intent in luring the Whitehead defender for next season. We are at a crossroads and its important that we make the right decision, a wrong turn now could have far reaching consequences for us, but the right one (or should I say Wright one), could reap rich rewards!

Jimmy's Swansong!

It appears that the unthinkable has happened, the chief ‘bungler’ of the Irish Football Association, President Jimmy Boyce is to be opposed at the annual general meeting on June 19. His opponent is to be current vice-president, Raymond Kennedy and the election will take place at the A.G. M. Raymond Kennedy, I must admit to knowing sweet .F.A. about so I cannot comment on the possible plusses and minuses of his proposed appointment. Jimmy Boyce on the other hand I feel I know quite well and I personally would love to see him deposed as president. Perhaps it may turn out to be a case of, ‘better the devil you know, than the devil you don’t know’, but only time will tell. Jimmy says he’s seeking a mandate and hopes to carry on in his Presidential role. What qualities I wondered would we seek in a candidate for association president? Here are three suggestions in no real order of importance. Firstly the president should be a man of Integrity and his word should be his bond. The next time our Jimmy shows integrity will be the first, as he’s famous for waiting to see what way the ‘wind is blowing’ before showing his hand so to speak. Secondly he should be a man who always faces facts, no hiding under the bed and ignoring any problems. Jimmy falls down here once more as for years he insisted the Cliftonville supporters only carried Cliftonville emblems, despite the obvious, green, white and gold flags and Celtic tops and scarves in full view at each and every game. Thirdly he should be a man who knows when his time in office is over as he no longer has the respect of his peers. Jimmy falls down on this count also as its obvious chief executive Howard Wells has been pulling strings behind the scenes and still Jimmy believes the pair have a viable working relationship. Let me give Jimmy a sound piece of advice, your time is up, for the good of the game please stand aside and allow our association to flourish instead of stagnating as it has under your leadership. In short do us all a favour by standing aside and hopefully we can make some decent strides under new management, it surely cannot be any worse!

King David!

So the Linfield manager wants to change the Setanta cup, he wants it played at the beginning of our season and he wants at least 2 more teams involved in it. It’ll probably happen, because as the Sky Blue fans so rightly said last week, ‘Linfield Are the I.F.A.’, well the I.F.A. are their biggest financial contributor after all. The Irish cup has been rendered virtually meaningless this season, all to suit Linfield in their pursuit of the Setanta cup. Probably the worst thing that ever happened prior to that was when E.U.F.A. in their wisdom cancelled the old cup winner’s cup competition and provided a place in the E.U.F.A. cup for the winners instead. The E.U.F.A. cup competition is the poor relation when it comes to European football, the feeling is that if you’re not in the Champions league, then you’re a fairly average team. Irish league teams would be delighted to be in either competition as they bring in extra money and help to boost club coffers. There’s also the much heralded Inter Toto cup as well which generally entails teams from here playing their first two legs in June. This of course is far from ideal as players tend to take their holidays at that time of year and its tough getting them back to full fitness for a game generally played in alien conditions, e.g. rock hard pitches. This is of course what Jeffreys and his mob want to inflict on a select bunch of Irish league teams. Don’t get me wrong I realise the clubs, ourselves included will be ‘wetting’ themselves in anticipation of breaking into that money making cartel. The people being ignored as usual are the people of have to foot the bill, the fans. I admit to attending pre-season friendlies, but mainly because I want to see how new players are shaping up, if somehow we are going to have to pay another forty pounds a season to watch Setanta games, then I may have to review my commitments to the Sky Blue cause. As the old saying goes, ‘if it isn’t broke don’t fix it’, in other words, ‘for the sake of the game, please leave well enough alone’!