Dirty Dancing!

So much for a new beginning, what we had last Saturday was a complete and utter fiasco and all because those plonkers at the I.F.A. were dragging their collective heels, as usual. They had known for a considerable time that referees were unhappy with their lot, they could and should've avoided a confrontation at all costs, but no, they had to shoot themselves in the foot. Then to make matters worse they were talking of playing the postponed games next March, when teams could possibly not have any interest in the outcome therefore affecting the gate receipts adversely. Last Saturday's games coincided with the commemoration of the closing of the gates of Derry/Londonderry by the apprentice boys, which meant some gate receipts would have been affected anyway, so a midweek match wouldn't have put any real added burden on most home clubs. Yet another fiasco has been created by the abandoning of the traditional Boxing day derby games which will now be played on the following day, Saturday December 27. This is a complete and utter piece of administration gone mad and will greatly affect the takings of almost every club in the league. One generally bumps into 'strangers' (Football fans who generally don't attend games), on this special day, who attend this game as it's almost a tradition for them. Many a time I've heard people say it just wouldn't be like Christmas if there wasn't a football match, well this year thanks to the wonderful I.F.A. it won't be. We had already lost the return Easter derby last year, which disappeared with barely a whimper, so now they're trying to eradicate the Christmas one as well. I personally believe the new league wasn't needed and expect it to be an unmitigated disaster and no-one can deny it has started quite badly to put it mildly. Former I.F.A. president Jimmy Boyce, who saw things through 'rose tinted spectacles', Cliftonville fans with their Irish tricolours, were actually bedecked in 'red' according to Jimmy, made this and many another 'gaffe' during his term of office. But there's an old saying that still rings true, 'better the devil you know, than the devil you don't know'. There's some very dirty dancing going on at the moment, there's a lot of talk, but nothings actually being said. I would caution the I.F.A. to be very careful how they tread, because if they're not extremely cautious, it could all blow up in their faces!