Not by the book

I see that ex-Livingston and Hibs player Stuart Lovell is recommending punters (most notably Scottish Sun readers) to bet against the Sons today. He declares: "I like Stirling Albion away at Dumbarton this weekend. Bookies spend far less time pricing up games in the lower divisions because they can't be bothered. But Stirling Albion have won five out of seven and are playing against a team who have won one in seven and conceded more goals than anyone else. You'll get them at even money and that's good." Here's one I certainly hope doesn't go according to the book.
-------------

The toughest job in football

First published in Sons View, 03 October 2009, Dumbarton -v- Stirling Albion

A week is a long time in politics, declared one prime ministerial Harold. Asked what made the job of leading the country so demanding, another famously replied: “Events, dear boy. Events.” Even so, Messrs Wilson and Macmillan never had to run a football club, and for the most part they didn’t have to face a highly vocal group of supporters on a regular basis, either. Remember, theirs was the era before the circus of televised parliamentary questions and news replays.

What’s the toughest job in football? On a rainy day it’s probably an even split between being a long-suffering manager and a long-suffering supporter. When you have power, the cost of responsibility is high and every decision or utterance invites unforgiving scrutiny. When you watch from the stands, every downturn feels like a kick in the guts and the multiplicity of solutions on offer all look deceptively clear. For both parties the tide of fortune can shift radically from one Saturday to the next.

A week ago, Dumbarton defied mounting despair at the Rock with a gutsy performance and a vital last minute 2-1 win away to full-strength Peterhead, who were benefiting from the momentum of a victory on the road at Arbroath. It was a tremendous achievement for the Sons. Just the fillip Jim Chapman, the players and the fans had been willing.

So the course of events has swung Sons’ way again. But hold on. We now face league leaders Stirling Albion. The pundits would give us credit for a point. But it’s three that the team and the boss will be aiming at, to banish a torrid start to the season and chart us towards Second Division safety, at least.

When Jim responded to what he saw as negativity creeping into the club in the wake of a grim pre-season and a disappointing opening to the new campaign, not everyone was happy. Personally, I like managers who speak their mind, and who also listen. After all, we supporters are pretty vocal. But if it’s going to be a useful conversation, there has to be some hearing at our end, too.

Before heading for Balmoor, the gaffer made it clear that what he wants is not silence but solidarity. He declared: “I completely understand how everyone is feeling because I feel the same way. We are all in this together… Everyone, and I mean everyone, is working very, very hard to turn things round. Encouragement is important when times are tough. The players really do appreciate the backing they get.”

Some years ago I heard similar sentiments from one Brian Clough – but with a bluntness that makes the rhetoric of the modern game look more like, well, ‘management speak’! Wearing his heart (and mouth) on his sleeve was one of Cloughie’s characteristic traits, earning him respect and opprobrium in equal proportions.

Back in 1989, when I was a journalist on a small labour movement newspaper, I foolishly spurned the opportunity to interview Old Big 'Ead. I don’t know what possessed me. Still, I dutifully fixed up an agency photographer to accompany our young reporter – who had sensibly seen the gap and darted in to score!

The camera wielder in question liked to sport a spiky hairdo and ponytail. Needless to say, Mr Clough was not impressed, and the poor boy returned with a flea in his ear as well as a picture or two.

As a distraction from Dumbarton’s woes, I recently forked out for the DVD of ‘The Damned United’. It brought this minor incident – and the many more serious trials of football – back to mind. The film is a much warmer (and fairer) portrait of Clough than David Peace’s dark, psychological novel.

Tom Hooper’s movie captures a man whose complexity issued in a surprisingly straightforward and idealistic approach to the game, and whose flawed ingenuity could veer between angular wisdom and breathtaking foolishness in considerably less than a week – especially without the more prosaic accompanying skills of Peter Taylor.

Here at Dumbarton we are not without our dramas, past, present and (no doubt) future. None of these quite matches the highs and lows of the cinematic Brian Clough. But they matter to us. And if there’s one clear lesson from the film – and from football over the years – it’s that when a club is divided, it falls.

This afternoon everyone connected with Dumbarton FC will be as one in urging the team towards another solid performance and, we hope, a good result against Stirling. That’s the kind of spirit we need not just for one match, but for the rest of the season.
-----------

City look onwards and upwards

First published in The Grecian, 03 October 2009, Exeter City -v- Hartlepool

So it’s ten games, ten goals and ten points for the Grecians so far. There’s a certain mathematical symmetry to the initial stage of Exeter City’s experimental first season in League One, but also an indication of the huge amount of work still to be done – since we nestle just two places and one point off the relegation zone.

Over the past few weeks some BBC reporters and summarisers have taken to referring to City as “struggling Exeter”. That’s not a fair judgement of actual performances on the pitch, where there has often been an elegance and thoughtfulness on display – as you would perhaps expect from a team managed by Paul Tisdale.

Looking back to my notebook from the beginning of the new adventure, I had reckoned that 14 points would be reasonably healthy at this stage. And with a few kicks and prods in different places, that’s just what City could be looking at.

Putting this in perspective, there’s now only five points separating Huddersfield (our next away opponents) in sixth place and the Grecians a full thirteen places below them. That’s how tight it is. If Exeter had sneaked one more win and a draw we’d be ninth, in front of fancied Norwich.

So in reality, a couple of games can make a huge difference in the run-up to Christmas. But that is certainly no cause for complacency. Points in the bag are the only ones that count, and the truth is that City have achieved only one clean sheet so far this term, and have been conceded far too many goals from set-plays, especially corners.

At the other end of the field, even when the formation has been 4-4-2, Exeter have often been caught with one up front, with the inspired young Craig Noone drifting to the wing, with forward midfielders fractionally off the pace, and with no one really ready to threaten central defenders from the air. Classy build-ups often seem to go begging for want of something more decisive. That’s how it looks from where I sit, anyway.

On Tuesday night all of those problems seemed to creep into an intriguing match against Swindon Town which we could easily have lost – or won, frankly – but which ended up with the honours shared (probably a fair result, all told) after some fine saves from Oscar Jansson and a bit of wizardry from Richard Logan.

Logie most definitely doesn’t want to be thought of as a ‘super-sub’, and it will be interesting to see how soon he breaks into the starting line-up again. But no one could fault the daring involved in pulling Troy Archibald-Henville off and using him to throw the team into attacking gear. It was a calculated gamble that paid off with a niftily taken goal at exactly the right moment – when all might have been lost.

So after ten games the Grecians have shown us plenty of flair and determination. But at the same time the backroom staff will undoubtedly be trying to iron out those little weaknesses and lapses that can make all the difference at this level of the game.

Maybe City sometimes need to mix their naturally attractive football with the odd burst of ‘route one’, too. Swindon’s several (surprisingly) missed chances came from sudden bursts of energy around the area. Knowing how to inject pace and adrenalin into the match is vital.

There’s still a little way to go to the next transfer window, which will focus our minds further on what is and what isn’t working as the season heads for its midpoint. Several of our strongest performers of late have come from loan deals, for example. But it’s also clear that a few regulars have more to offer, too.

City have what it takes to stay in this League, but it’s a question of constantly refining the blend for each game – while ensuring that the backbone of the side remains constant. Who’d be a coach, eh? It’s easy to pontificate from the terraces, but it’s what happens on the training ground and in the dressing room that really counts.

Meanwhile, Exeter now have a chance to improve their games-to-points-and-goals ratio this afternoon against Hartlepool, who sit seven places (but only two points) above us. The warning is that ’Pool have scored more and conceded half as many goals on the road as City – a trend which needs challenging on the park today. Despite their curious nickname, they’ll be no monkeys!
-----------

Yesterday, today and tomorrow

First published in The Grecian, 30 September 2009, Exeter City -v- Swindon Town

Swindon Town’s players and staff are going to be pretty familiar faces at St James Park over the next week or so. Not only are they our visitors this afternoon, in an important mid-table League One clash, but they also return on 6 October for the second round of the Johnstone’s paint trophy.

I’ve seen the Robins in action on several occasions in different locations over the years. The details escape me, but there is one Swindon incident no-one can forget. That legendary second extra-time Don Rodgers goal against Arsenal in the 1969 League Cup Final is still the talk of the town 40 years later, and one of my own earliest football memories.

I watched the highlights of that famous encounter on a battered black and white telly in my grandparents’ living room when I was 11 years old. The picture was pretty fuzzy. But, fortunately, Don’s jersey was gleaming white and the old Wembley pitch was covered in mud, so the contrast worked well for the all-important moment!

What most people don’t know is that Swindon followed up that glorious and unlikely victory (they were in the third tier of the league at the time) with international silverware in the shape of a hastily arranged Anglo-Italian League Cup Winners Cup match.

Since then it’s been a pretty familiar yo-yo existence for one of England’s redoubtable provincial sides, punctuated by a several struggles for financial survival. This season, the Robins would love to push for a play-off place, at least. They bring with them a blend of experience and youth, including ambitious 20-year-old left-back Callum Edwards, who is keen to establish himself as a regular in Swindon’s first team line-up.

It’s a sign of how tight this division continues to be that, up to Saturday, just four points covered the difference between Swindon in seventh position and ourselves and Oldham in fifteenth and sixteenth places respectively.

Put another way, the Grecians lag our rivals by a win and a draw – or at least, that was the situation before the weekend, when we faced a really tough encounter with Charlton Athletic, while the Robins had a potentially easier ride against struggling Wycombe.

Then again, when this afternoon’s match is over, the table may have yet another complexion. There are no insignificant fixtures when you’re trying hard to establish a good base going into the autumn and winter. Every point and goal counts.

Elsewhere, the football world continues to be as eccentric as ever. Last week Sol Campbell left Notts County and their well-bankrolled League Two ambitions after just one match, having signed up only five weeks previously for a five-year ‘project’. Obviously Sven Goran Eriksson’s persuasions were not enough to combat the grim reality of life outside the Premier League limelight for the former England defender.

For many people this will only confirm the reality gap between ‘real football’ and the fantasy expectations of millionaires in the top flight. By contrast, our former Conference and League Two opponents Accrington Stanley are engaged in a huge fight for survival in the face of diminishing crowds and a large tax bill. One possible option may be a whole or partial fans buy-out of the debt, and it’s heartening to see supporters from a host of other clubs rallying around.

Particularly praiseworthy has been the willingness of Premier League newcomers Burnley to play a fundraiser with Stanley, in spite of their own preoccupations with survival among the big boys. It’s one clear indication that ‘small teams’ can achieve outstanding success and still retain values rooted deep in the ordinary fabric of this fabulous game.

That’s something followers of Exeter City will be keen to emulate as we look towards the as-yet-uncharted territory of the top two divisions. But to start thinking of those pastures would be to get ahead of ourselves. The higher echelons will only become a real prospect if we can start winning games like today’s against Swindon on a regular basis, as well as giving the Charltons and the Leeds’s of this world a torrid time.

Against Tranmere Rovers, the Grecians ground out a match that turned more on the result than on the performance, as Paul Tisdale commented to the media afterwards. But that doesn’t mean City are abandoning style – merely adding grit to well-nurtured talent and well-thought tactics.

This talent certainly includes ’keeper Oscar Jansson. With Jonesy injured, he turned in fine performance against the Super Whites, including two excellent stops in the first half. We’ve only had one clean sheet so far this season. Another one would be very welcome today.

----------

Looking for the big picture

First published in Sons View, 19 September 2009, Dumbarton -v- Cowdenbeath

For those of us who live many miles away from Dumbarton and can only get to a handful of games a season, the advent of SonsTV on the web has been a real boon. Another excellent service from the Sonstrust. It may be just five minutes or so highlights from each game, but it keeps you in touch and enables you to share in some of the highs and lows on the park.

What it doesn’t do, of course, is to give you any systematic idea of how things are going tactically and in relation to the performances of particular players. But those are subjects which supporters always have a thousand opinions on (both those who see every kick and those who watch more fitfully)… and the ones that really count are belong to the coaching staff.

It struck me the other day that thanks to SonsTV this is set to be the first season in my life where I will have been able to see every goal scored in a league or cup match involving Dumbarton – and even the pre-season friendlies (though I notice those have disappeared from the back catalogue). Of course there hasn’t been a tremendous amount to cheer about or want to re-watch so far this term. But hopefully the corner can be turned against Cowdenbeath.

The Blue Brazil (whose curious Central Park home is the photo-feature this month in my favourite football magazine, When Saturday Comes) lie one place above us in the Second Division. The difference between the two teams is only one game and three points. In other words, Cowden have secured that precious first victory we are still on the lookout for.

Once we have a win under our belts I am convinced that Sons can turn things around and head for a respectable league position. As several people have commented, maybe the answer lies (as it did last season) in finessing the traditional 4-4-2. The standard is a bit higher here than in the Third Division, but directness and coherence still pays dividends.

Whatever alchemy is needed, there’s a long way to go. Meanwhile, though the game last week against Stenhousemuir had plenty of frustrations, there were also a few bright points: our first clean sheet, another point (and, indeed, a doubling of our tally!) and vacating the bottom slot to Clyde. A good neighbourly gesture.

Now the desire is to taste victory. As soon as that happens, I’m sure the number of ‘hits’ on SonsTV will leap eve more. But for me there’s another reason to watch web-based football clips right now – and that’s the fact that I don’t have regular access to television, for the first time in living memory, pretty much.

Southwest England went completely digital back in May. As I spend my time between Exeter, Birmingham, London and further afield at present (it’s a long story!) it really didn’t seem worthwhile investing in new equipment or a cable package, so instead I’ve been catching up on DVD-viewing via my computer monitor. That has included quite a few football films and documentaries, unsurprisingly.

When I mentioned this to a friend the other day, he immediately assumed that Dumbarton had never made it on to the silver screen. At which point I was able to remind him (and even show him) the 2002 movie A Shot At Glory, with its nostalgic vistas from Boghead Park and a goodly roster of ex-Sons players turning out in the legendary single black-and-gold striped white shirts. They get beaten, of course. But that’s nothing new!

Most football films are notoriously duff. This one has a number of flaws and plot holes, though if you’re a softie at heart you’ll probably still enjoy it. The crusty, Shankly-like lower league manager is played by Hollywood legend Robert Duvall, who is a great character actor, but whose Scottish accent is as wobbly as a jelly in a sandstorm. As one reviewer commented, it veers between cartoon Groundskeeper Willie and cod Sean Connery via Brigadoon.

Still, Observer columnist Will Buckley put in a glowing word for the movie not so long ago. And the star turn, perhaps surprisingly, is Ally McCoist, who turns in a very actorly performance (by which I mean he doesn’t look as if he’s acting). OK, he’s essentially playing himself. But sadly, commentator Andy Gray couldn’t even make a good fist at that.

Anyway, I’d prefer to be watching a few minutes of contemporary Sons glory than any amount of football nostalgia. So would you, I guess. And there’s no time like the present.
------------

Stability holds the key to progress

First published in The Grecian, 19 September 2009, Exeter City -v- Tranmere Rovers

Given the pressure and the chances generated by Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road last weekend, the Grecians can feel reasonably satisfied with a point from a tough away fixture. But the aim today will be to get back to winning ways against a Tranmere Rovers side in transition.

I had very much hoped to make it to the Matchday Stadium (as most Orient fans still refuse to call it!) for the first meeting between the clubs in six-and-a-half years. I was even in London. Unfortunately work commitments and transport snarl-ups dictated otherwise. Sometimes life conspires against live football.

I’ve seen Orient on a number of occasions when I’ve been in the capital in recent years – not least because my good friend Kevin Scully, an East End vicar, is a keen follower. Unusually he had to miss the game too, but the 1-1 draw leaves us at peace!

It would have been hard to imagine a game like this only three years ago, when two whole divisions separated the teams. That’s a measure of the incredible progress achieved by everyone at Exeter City.

One of the merits of the current set-up at St James’ Park is stability. That’s hard to achieve in football these days, when money, media pressure and the drive for results can produce regular regime change and relentless expectation – not always for the better.

Since June, well-known Tranmere manager John Barnes has already been feeling the pinch in his short stint at the club. The ex-England international and top-flight boss with Celtic has recently said his side need an injection of fresh blood as well as better decision-making on the pitch.

The Super Whites visit the southwest after gathering just three points so far this season, and on the back of three defeats and an empty September. They have shipped ten goals in their outings since 29 August, and are only spared the ignominy of bottom place courtesy of Southampton’s points deduction.

That said, Rovers pulled two goals back against top-half team Walsall last week, and any notion that they will roll over for the Grecians will, I’m sure, be rapidly dispelled in our dressing room – where another home win would make for a satisfactory if not spectacular first eight games for City.

It’s always important to focus on each particular game, and not get distracted by what’s happening around you. But it won’t be lost on Exeter fans that after this afternoon’s action we face a hard but tantalising trip to Charlton Athletic.

The Valley was actually the last venue where I saw a live Premier League game. Back in 2005, the Addicks were at home early on to Portsmouth (during Harry Redknapp’s first spell there). They had to struggle back then too, but the fall in grace following the eventual departure of Alan Curbishley at the end of the 2005-6 season was substantial.

I have a friend who’s a Manchester United fan (a ‘real one’ who grew up not far from Old Trafford) who has had a season ticket at the Valley since 2006, as he now lives and works in London. He’s certainly had a rounded education in all aspects of the game of late! Now the Addicks are keen to reverse their rough fortune, just as Exeter City want to consolidate in this division in order to continue their climb towards the top. The ups and downs of football continue.

In the midst of all this, we do well to be thankful for what we have going for us. I remember from my trip to the Valley just under four years ago that quite a number of Charlton supporters were grumbling and moaning loudly about the Curbishley regime. Looking back on it all, how wrong they proved to be.

Of course, one man isn’t usually the sole difference between success and failure for a football side. Not for nothing is it a team venture. But a bit of wisdom, cunning and insight can go a long way. Exeter City has certainly benefited from that over the past three seasons, and we will continue to do so this term.

Meanwhile, one of the issues that the back-room staff will be working full tilt to fix is the relative lack of goals. We have plenty of attacking options now, and just as in previous seasons lean spells in front of the net have been ended in determined fashion, so we are looking for a breakthrough or two in the near future… starting this afternoon, hopefully.
-----------

Trying to find the bright side

It was not a very inspiring game at the Rock yesterday, I gather - an observation perhaps confirmed by the fact that the Dumbarton sponsors' Man of the Match was a player who got sent off and performed for less than half of the game! There were incidents and talking points, however - not least Jan Vojacek's penalty save and dismissal. Sons' difficult start to the season continues. But let's look on the bright side. The 0-0 draw against Stenhousemuir is the first clean sheet of the season, doubles our points tally, takes us off the foot of the table and represents a recovery with a man down. Undoubtedly a win at home against Cowdenbeath (who also came up from the Third, courtesy of Livingston's woes) would make a real difference. Fingers crossed.

Nearer to (my) home, Exeter City took a point at Leyton Orient. I was actually in London today, and would have gone along, but for work and for the fact that my good friend -- and O's fanatic -- Kevin Scully (Kev the Rev) is away right now. Apparently Orient had by far the better first half and the Grecians struggled to adapt to a new winger. But this was more than compsensated by a superb performance and late goal from the man in question, Craig Noone. Meanwhile, Barrow lost at Luton Town but are keeping their noses out of the Conference (Blue Square Premier) relegation zone.
------------

A long shout-out for the boys

First published in Sons View, 12 September 2009, Dumbarton -v- Stenhousemuir

Along with the team and manager, Dumbarton fans will definitely be hoping that two home games after an enforced international break will give the Sons a fresh opportunity to dig out the results we very much need to get this season going properly.

Our opponents over the coming fortnight, prior to a long haul up to Peterhead, are certainly not unfamiliar. Both were strong competitors for the Third Division Championship last season, secured in the end by the Sons after an extraordinary, record breaking eight game run-in. How long ago that now seems.

Stenhousemuir looked as if they might well take the trophy themselves following a strong opening spell last term, only to lose momentum at the critical moment. In the end they claimed promotion via the playoffs, and are joined by Cowdenbeath, who had a bitterly disappointing season but eventually profited from the demotion of Livingston and their own subsequent promotion into this Division along with Airdrie United into the First.

Meanwhile, Stenny have enjoyed a much better start than the Sons again, having claimed six points from their opening matches, in contrast to our one. From Dumbarton’s viewpoint, we can only wish it to be another case of the tortoise and the hare once more … with our land-dwelling reptile from the family Testudinidae (don’t say you never learn anything from these columns!) suddenly sprouting wings when silverware or play-off places hove into sight.

Not being a naturalist, I don’t quite know how you’d explain that kind of achievement in evolutionary terms, but I trust that Jim Chapman is able to do so in their football equivalent! Not that he will be wanting to leave everything to the final furlong.

In 2008-9 Sons took crucial points from three out of our four encounters with the Warriors. Our progress – from defeat and a draw on to two victories – pretty much mapped the trajectory of the campaign as a whole.

This afternoon we can’t afford any nostalgia, however. We’re in a different league, and the terms and conditions have changed. On paper Sons have the talent and know-how to achieve the results we need to stabilise in this division. But something hasn’t been quite right. Now it’s a question of overcoming early disappointments, reaching for the team’s true potential, and making sure that the fans are behind the boys. That last point is the one we can all do something about.

Despair is written deep into the psyche of most dedicated football fans, even when we wish it not to be so. But a negative attitude doesn’t win you games. If anything, it’s more likely to help you lose them. You also don’t have to be a bandana-wearing New Ager (not many of those to the pound in Dumbarton, I reckon!) to recognise that a positive mental approach is deeply entwined with successful performance in the modern game.

Last season I wrote a piece about psychology and football for this programme before I realised that Dumbarton had indeed availed themselves of some constructive support in this area. It paid off handsomely in the end.

What’s true on the pitch can also have resonance in the stands, as well, where the “You only sing when you’re winning” taunt sometimes acts as a reminder that the time when the players need the most vocal support is often when we (understandably, given our disappointment) feel least inclined to give it.

A few weeks ago I was at a Carling Cup match between my local side, Exeter City, who have just got into League One in England, and Championship contenders Queens Park Rangers. Exeter did well to start with, but after losing a goal and a player they imploded somewhat and ended up being pasted 5-0.

What was impressive in the midst of this calamity was the way the home fans kept on singing in spite of it all. That isn’t always the case at St James’ Park, or the Rock, or many other grounds these days. Supporters have become customers in a harsh commercial environment, and we’re inclined to demand our pound of flesh, along with the rest. Especially when we’ve paid good money.

No one can blame supporters for getting frustrated or angry. Love and hate do get strangely confused in all of us when passions are running high. But what the Sons really need right now is an enormous boost from a very fine group of supporters, to help them make things happen on the pitch – as we all believe they can.
------------

Scotland the brave

As the nail-biting hour fast approached, Scotland finally got the breakthrough they deserved against Macedonia this afternoon. It ended up 2-0, but there could have been several more in the second half (the least said about the first, the better), and Maloney almost grabbed a very sweet third in the closing minutes. Scott Brown and James McFadden were the goal heroes in the end. I didn’t think I’d get to see the match, but thankfully an Aussie bar in Exeter had it on a big screen and several small ones. So a few In-ger-land lager louts aside, a good time was had -- plus a link-up by mobile to a friend watching from Dumbarton.

Scotland’s slim chances of further progress in the World Cup now rest on that game against the Dutch at 7pm on Wednesday, given that Norway look very likely to take six points from their two outings, the first of which is in Iceland tonight. There have been 1-0 Scotland victories against Holland and France (twice) in recent memory, so extraordinary feats against world-beaters are not out of the question, and the Orange have nothing particularly to play for. But that creates its own problems. ‘Tragedy’ and ‘Scotland’ are virtually parsed together in football terms, so it would be a brave person to predict a win against the odds. Oh, why not. 2-1 Scotland. And you can always buy me a pint if I’m wrong.

Not much encouragement elsewhere today. Dumbarton were not in action, but the home game against Stenhousemuir next Saturday demands a return to results. Meanwhile the Sons' Youth Development Initiative games this weekend were rained off. Exeter went down 3-0 against Gillingham, showing how tough League One is going to be, and my namesakes Barrow, who haven't had a bad start to the season, got tanked 6-1 by Rushden and Diamonds. Ouch. I haven't heard how Southall got on yet, but there lack of a home ground puts them in peril again in the depths of the Middlesex County Football League Premier Division. At least I'll finally get to watch The Damned United this evening.
------------

Talking a good game

A bit cruel of the BBC to headline their press conference video excerpt from Scotland assistant manager Terry Butcher (pictured) "Scots are in 'good position' - Butcher". In fairness he did add "if we take six points" - that is win the final two games of their World Cup qualifiers, not just against FYR Macedonia (which isn't a foregone conclusion) but also against Holland - which will be little short of a miracle. Still, as George Burley has said, it's like a Cup semi-final and final. You just have to go for it. A nation will be on tenterhooks on Saturday, but the real tension (if all goes well then) will be for Wednesday night.
-----------

Contrasting football fortunes

First published in The Grecian, 29 August 2009, Exeter City -v- Milton Keynes Dons

It’s amazing how one result can change your mood. Last week’s away victory at Carlisle has given a real boost to the Grecians, after three matches in which some fine football had been played against good teams, but with only two points gained.

With a further three points in the bag, the task for Exeter City now is to build momentum. Paul Tisdale has made little secret of the fact that he is after one more striker before the transfer window closes. Fans will echo the feeling that the achievements of the team on the park are not yet being matched by the goals we deserve.

Following today’s game against Milton Keynes Dons, who lie in sixth place and look to be strong contenders for one of the top spots, we have tough away trips to Gillingham and Leyton Orient, before entertaining Tranmere here at St James’ Park on 19 September. There will be no let up, no easy games this year.

After the on-pitch lull of the close season – during which time the back-room staff remained very busy, of course – the matches seem to come thick and fast at this early stage of the season. But it will be around the ten-game mark that judgements will really be formed about how the League One campaign is going.

Predictions in football are for fools, it is often said. Then again, we all enjoy having a go! My own sense is that we will see a mid-table finish for the Grecians this term – though that is hardly a daring call.

It is clear, however, that Exeter City is aiming for much more than security or ‘mid-table obscurity’. With resources still tight, there is neither the talk nor the millions to match Notts County’s bold bid, from one division below us, towards Championship success within five years.

Even so, the aim is clear. The Grecians want to move into the second level in English football’s top flight for the first time, and the foundations for such an extraordinary achievement are being put in place at every level within the Club.

That doesn’t mean that the big time will come quickly or easily, of course, Indeed, the game is now littered with famous victims of the illusion that ‘going for bust’ is the way to realise your dreams. So it’s the right time City are aiming at, not a quick fix.

In one sense, the trauma that forms the backdrop to the emergence of Milton Keynes Dons is a lesson for us all. The 2004 move from Wimbledon to Buckinghamshire opened up a huge and bitter controversy that resonated way beyond the London Borough of Merton.

Finance-driven wrangles and what turned out to be the peremptory selling-off of a ground that would have been difficult to adapt to the safety requirements of the Taylor Report, following the Hillsborough tragedy, led to the demise of Wimbledon FC and the rise of what became dismissively known as ‘franchise football’.

Those who have stayed loyal to the Dons naturally don’t like to be reminded of all this. They dissent from the majority verdict on their ‘project’, and they point to the fact that the Club agreed to entrust the trophies and memorabilia of Wimbledon FC to the Borough of Merton in 2007, and to make no further claims to this history.

This move was taken in part to ensure the recognition of the MK Dons Supporters Association by the Football Supporters Federation, but it was also an attempt to bury the past and look to the future – which is what both the players and supporters with us this afternoon understandably want to concentrate on.

The ‘new story’ in Buckinghamshire saw its first significant victory on 30 March 2008 (my 50th birthday, it so happened), when the Dons won the Johnston’s Paint Trophy at Wembley by beating Grimsby Town 2-0. The club then took the League Two championship, and last year narrowly missed out on a return to the Championship, losing in the play-offs.

Following a difficult spell as manager of Blackburn Rovers, Paul Ince is once again in the dug-out at the Dons’ new 22,000 seater home – which is seeking consideration for expansion as one of 15 stadia for England’s putative World Cup hosting bid… though there are warning bells around that idea, too.

This afternoon, many will see the match as an encounter between two teams that represent quite different routes to football survival and success. Grecians fans will have no doubt as to which side they are on, and what result they want.
------------

Sons keep on moving

Despite a difficult start to the season and some ongoing injury worries, Dumbarton are marching to Brechin today on the wave of two optimistic new signings. First, Denis McLaughlin finally concluded a one-year deal with Sons, having impressed during his on-loan spell from Hearts. Then, 27-year old 'keeper Jan Vojacek from the Czech Replublic received international clearance to sign for DFC from SK Sigma, who beat SPLers Aberdeen 8-1 on aggregate in the Europa League, before being humbled 5-1 by Everton.
------------

Sorry Arsene, you’re wrong

I have always had tremendous admiration for Arsene Wenger. His deep passion for the game is matched by Gallic intellect, humanity, wit, genuine commitment to youth development and a concern for truly artistic football. But as he admitted in a recent interview, one of his weaknesses is that he sometimes allows a commendable loyalty to his players to overcome professional judgments about fair play. Consider UEFA’s decision to take action over Croatian international Eduardo’s exceptionally dubious penalty claim for Arsenal against Celtic (what to all intents and purposes looked like a dive) in the Champions League qualifier earlier this week.

Wenger says this decision “disgraceful” and “a witch-hunt”. That is nonsense. As the experiment in Scotland has shown, the only way to tackle cheating is to allow retrospective action over blatant examples. Either that, or to introduce the technology that makes better decisions possible. The Gunners’ manager says he fears that UEFA’s intervention compromises the long-held ethic that “the referee’s decision is final.” Well, the goal his team gained through Eduardo still stands, whatever the outcome of the decision about a match ban. And along with other English Premier League managers. Wenger has frequently questioned and criticised referees in a way which suggests that, when the circumstances suit, he views their decisions as decidedly less than sacrosanct. You cannot have it both ways.
-----------

Men versus Bhoys

No joy for Celtic this evening. At times it looked as if Arsenal were treating the game as a training match. Indeed, given their team selection and substitution, it was almost boys versus Bhoys. Eduardo's penalty was fortuitous, to put it politely. The replay showed no contact by Boruc. Celtic tried to push forward after Arsenal's opener, but with the exception of an offside goal from McDonald and a stunning (if intended) consolation strike by Donati in time added on, it was mainly a case of punt and hope. At 3-0 to the Gunners the tie was pretty much over at half time, sadly. The 5-1 aggregate result was a fair reflection of the gulf in class, even if three of Arsenal's goals had elements of fluke or deception in them. Next year, there will be no automatic SPL entrant to the group stages of the Champions League. It could be a long drought for Scottish football on the European stage.
-----------

Almost a sigh of relief

Ah well, it could have been worse. Dumbarton's scrambled 3-3 draw against fellow-strugglers Clyde at least means we have a point, even if we are propping up Division Two at the moment. After falling two behind inside 25 minutes, I feared the worst. Thank goodness for Clyde 'keeper Calum Reidford's red card. And the largeish home gate got a bit of entertainment with the goals -- not that the performance appeased Jim Chapman. Meanwhile, the signing of former Rangers youth defender Ross Harvey (pictured) looks hopeful, if my contact at Brechin is right.

As for the local lads, Exeter City clocked up an away win at Carlisle on Saturday, thanks to a Marcus Stewart penalty and a fair bt of hard work, by the sound of it. I'll catch the home game against MK Dons this weekend. That'll be the first time I've seen "Franchise FC". I'm told their new home is "soulless" and "a dump... Too symmetrical. Horrible place." The trip down to the southwest will be a refreshing change, then.

The second leg of the Champions League qualifier between Arsenal and Celtic will be on telly at my local this evening. I'll take a gander to reward myself for all the hard work I've done today -- but it could be painful. Supporting one of the Old Firm because, in this context, they're the underdogs: that's a strange business, too.

Tony Mowbray wants the Bhoys to grab an early goal at the Emirates in order to have any chance of reversing the 2-0 deficit, achieved by the Gunners at Parkhead by two slightly lucky goals (though no-one could deny their embarrassing superiority overall). Frankly, they'll be lucky to stop Arsene Wenger's men grabbing a hatful. Still, Arsenal are a team whose ethic and footballing splendour I have great respect for - "the acceptable face of the big four" (if such a thing is possible). It would be really good to see them grab the English Premier League title this season. Won't happen, though. Still not enough staying power, I fear.
----------

Getting back on track

First published in Sons View, 22 August 2009, Dumbarton -v- Clyde

For most of us connected with Dumbarton Football Club, there has been something almost unreal about the summer period. We have experienced tremendous highs and unfathomable lows, an incredibly tough pre-season run in, and issues way beyond football pulling us together.

It would be surprising if all this had not also taken our minds somewhat off the immediate task in hand – digging into SFL Division Two. It’s clear that Jim Chapman and the boys have done their level best to focus. But they (and we) are only human, and to some degree the initial difficulties of the new season are at least partially accountable to all that has been happening off the field, let alone on it.

Now it’s back to the bread and butter stuff of Scottish league football. And after the visit of Alloa to SHS and the trip to windy Arbroath, both ending in 3-1 defeats, it’s clear that there’s still a long way to go for the Sons.

Any team that gains promotion has a big job on its hands re-shaping the squad for the challenge of higher division football, getting new signings to gel with existing players, and adapting to the fresh tactics that will be needed for different opposition.

After a few years in any league (as we were in the Third Division), a certain pattern of responding can set in, amid all the inevitable personnel changes. A mental attitude that tells us who we are and where we belong, if you like.

But the kind of stability this represents is not necessarily appropriate for the new situation. Indeed it almost certainly will not be. A new type of solidity will have to be achieved for the relatively fresh pastures of the Second Division.

Getting the team to take on board new ideas and possibilities while holding on to the best of what they have developed as individual players and as a squad can be tricky – especially when you are learning “on the job” against different opponents, and when you are having to look hard at where the gaps are and how they might be filled.

The boss has indicated that he sees weaknesses as well as strengths in all departments. In particular, Sons have leaked more goals than they should have in recent weeks, and there is a need for more ruthlessness up front. The higher you go in the game, the more important it is to grab rather than squander opportunities to clinch a goal or to out-manoeuvre the opposition.

Perhaps all that seems obvious, but in this game a lot of what works in theory doesn’t work in practice, and vice versa! That’s what makes football such an endlessly absorbing (and frustrating) sport to watch… and even more so to play, or to guide from the touchline and the training field.

Meanwhile, today we are welcoming one of the legendary sides of Scottish football to the Rock. As well as being local rivals, Clyde, founded five years after the Sons, in 1877, match Dumbarton with a proud history and solid aspirations. Their story is also joined to ours by a river that has been a site of struggles large and small over the years.

Recently I was re-watching a fine DVD called The Story of Scottish Football (Green Umbrella Sport & Leisure, 2003), partly narrated by that stalwart historian of the game, Bob Crampsey. I picked it up a couple of years ago on one of my periodic pilgrimages to Hampden and the Scottish Football History Museum – thoroughly recommended, if you haven’t ventured there yet, incidentally.

Suffice it to say that the men of Clyde are well recorded in this visual summary of the annuls of the game. In particular there is some good footage of the 1939 Scottish Cup Final, a match played at lightening pace and won 4-0 by the Bully Wee against Motherwell.

Clyde then held on to the famous trophy (less than willingly) for a total of six years, until the enforced hibernation of the Second World War ended, and normality could return to the disrupted domestic and international game.

Overall, our opponents have won the Scottish Cup on three occasions, and in the 1950s they were genuine challengers to the dominance of the Old Firm. Recent years have been much leaner of course, with the struggle for survival in the light of relegation temporarily eclipsing hopes of further glory.

Today both sides are hoping for a favourable twist in their fortunes and a boost to the 2009-10 Second Division campaign at this early but formative stage.
----------

Phoenix Nights trumps Dallas

Naturally I'm waving the flag for Burnley this season -- not just because they are a model of local football propriety in a money-mad Premierbollocks world, but also because ("as any fule kno", says Molesworth) their boss Owen Coyle has achieved managerial greatness entirely as a result of his apprenticeship as a player at mighty Dumbarton.

It was a particular pleasure to see the Clarets beat a ramshackle Nearly-in-Manchester United 1-0 last night. Well, I say "watch", but I really mean "look at someone dementedly shouting at me from a Sky Sports News TV screen". Had I but known it, the game was actually showing in a pub next door. Plus the beer would have been a hundred times better. Bad research, Barrow.

Anyway, hearty congrats to the Turf Moor faithful. Even ex-New Labour toady Alastair Campbell [I'm being generous, and at least he's not a Tory], with whom I enjoyed a brief Twitter exchange about Burnley earlier in the year, on the edge of last season's promotion triumph. I'd dearly love them to stay up. Who in their right mind doesn't prefer Phoenix Nights to bloody Dallas, with or without the repulsively talented Cristiano Ronaldo?

[Picture: Peter Kay...? no, hang on, it's Owen looking pensive]
--------