Loyal to the red, white and red again

First published in The Grecian, 10 April 2010, Exeter City -v- Leyton Orient

Football loyalty can be an intense, tribal, frightening thing at times, especially when it comes to identification with a particular team and locality, or the rivalry embodied in a fiery derby match – like the one Exeter City fans hope they will be enjoying with Plymouth Argyle next season.

To make that possible, the Grecians need to stay in League One so as to be ready to welcome the Pilgrims back to where City-ites think they really belong! That remains a challenging task, too, with this tough match at St James’ against fellow strugglers Leyton Orient next on the menu. Then there are five matches between City and safety.

In midweek manager Paul Tisdale named the two qualities that he thinks can make the crucial difference between success and ‘the other option’ this term. They are “steely determination” and “the freedom to play.” They sound opposites. How can you be tight and open, constrained and free, disciplined and adventurous all at the same time, you may ask?

Yet that is the epitome of the modern game at its highest levels. When I played the knockabout stuff at school, you could have teams that did well because they were really strong in attack, or rock solid at the back, but not vice versa. It was the old “we’ll simply score one more than you” or “if we don’t let a goal in the worst we can end up with is a draw” syndrome.

In professional football you still come across that kind of thing. But it is far less common. The artistry of the game has merged with its science, and aptitude in one department alone has had to give way to competence in all. Of course the Barcelonas of this world can become sublime rather than merely great because of the exceptional talent of a Lionel Messi, but even they have to integrate that magic into a formula which eliminates weaknesses and builds on potential in every area.

The ’70s vision of ‘total football’ may never have been realised fully and consistently anywhere, apart from flashes of Brazilian, Spanish and Dutch genius over the years. But the notion of ‘deep football’, in the sense of combining across the board, is the ubiquitous aim now. As a result, my estimate is that the fitness, strength, skill, application and adaptability at the core of third-tier English football would have put today’s sides at least a division higher twenty-five years ago. Maybe more.

You can argue over that later. The task in hand is this game with the lads from East London. It’s what the pundits terms, with mocking self-awareness, “a six-pointer”. The winners, if there are such (and no-one would really benefit from a draw), will not only claim three points for themselves but take three away from one of their competitors for the dry land of 20th place. This is where Orient sit right now – with the Grecians just three points, three places and two goals ahead.

Below that mark lies a watery grave, a dip in finance and support, plus football in the fourth tier for 2010-11. No-one on the pitch, on the bench or behind the scenes for either club will be wanting to think in those terms for at least 90 minutes. But it is a reality that shadows us all.

That said, the Grecians enter this tussle with a booster from some good recent results and form. The gritty 0-0 draw away at Brentford over Easter follows victories against Colchester, Walsall and Bristol, interspersed with single points from Wycombe, Southend and Oldham.

Orient, on the other hand, who only a couple of months ago were drawing with Leeds, thumping Bristol Rovers 5-0 and beating Charlton 1-0 at the Valley (I saw the last two of those, and impressive they were), now find themselves on the edge of crisis – if not dangling right in it. Six defeats in the last seven games, slumping nine places from 11th on 2nd February, and sacking manager Geraint Williams after a 3-1 humiliation by Hartlepool… all this puts a very different complexion on their season.

Now former Yeovil boss Russell Slade has come in to try and rescue Barry Hearn’s team, with this trip to Devon his first outing in that role. City hardly need telling that sympathy or complacency cannot be allowed any head- or pitch-space today. Personally, however, I want to see both these sides remain in League One. It’s that loyalty question again, with mine spread (though not split).

I’ve been following Exeter City as my local side now for seven years. But in English terms (41 years of my life having been fully dedicated to Dumbarton up in Scotland) Orient have been my ‘London team’, thanks to my friend Kevin Scully, an Os fanatic and Rector of St Matthew’s Bethnal Green. Sadly, he can’t be here this afternoon – though he usually travels with the Orient faithful.

I’ll be in the Exeter stands nevertheless. I want it to be a great game; and whatever the result, I definitely hope for a couple of repeat fixtures next season.

[Pic: Fr Kevin Scully (right) and Mark Smith - the Orient faithful]

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Too much spare change?

There's a good interview with Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill - for whom I have immense admiration as a person, a professional and a 'football man' (dreaded phrase!) - in today's Observer newspaper. Among the choice quotes from interviewer and interviewee are these, concerning the time and tide of fortune amidst the madness that is 'the modern game'.

"Taking a year to do anything in football these days is strictly prohibited. The preferred delivery date is yesterday." - Paul Hayward.

"While you can have it in your own demeanour, you should not be self-deprecating to the extent that what happens is [that] people hammer the crap out of you." - Martin O'Neill.

"It would make me laugh, make me smile, if some manager came in and said he had a five-year plan for a football club. Fine, if you actually own the football club at the same time." - MH again.

And even then...
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Maybe, just maybe...

OK, Mr Findlay (before you tell me), that was the optimum outcome today: both Dumbarton's satisfying 2-1 win away at Stirling Albion, and Brechin's defeat by Peterhead. The Blue Toon have to be looked out for, of course, but Sons have a game in hand over them. What's certain is that if there is to be any chance of nabbing fourth place and a tilt at the play-offs, a run of solid wins will be needed. Great news, therefore, that Dennis Wyness (pictured) claimed a brace of goals. He's taken a little time to bed in, but the promise of Wyness's experience and David Winters' youthful guile could be critical. Scott Chaplain has been nabbing chances, too. In the remaining games, victories will be required against East Fife, Clyde (home and away) and Arbroath. Alloa away on 17 April will be very tough. In a way, the decisive match will be Brechin on Tuesday. A win there could be a turning point. Less than that could be, in a different sense too. There's still a lot to play for.
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Back on the pitch...

"Only just offside? More like off the pitch altogether!" wrote a friend in a recent email. Fair comment. With work being incredibly busy, and life being very full (in a good way, including the odd match ... and some of them were a little odd!), I have been sadly neglecting this oasis of football near-sanity for six weeks or so. But with the Easter weekend opening up some space on the wing, I'm back.

So while Dumbarton head off to Forthbank to take on Stirling Albion this afternoon, I'm putting my feet up here in Birmingam, ticking off one or two tasks on my domestic list, and starting to do the back-posting of my columns from Sons View and The Grecian. While watching anxiously for updates on the Sons' fortunes, of course.

Meanwhile, with back-to-back wins against Colchester and Walsall, my ex-local side Exeter City are looking in much better shape to avoid the drop from League One. There's a long way to go, though. After Brentford away, the Grecians take on Leyton Orient at home. I've actually seen the Os more times than City this term, because of my trips to London and my friend Kevin Scully being a devotee. There's an outside chance I'll make it back to Devon for that encounter. I guess I'll be hoping for a draw.

On the other hand, my true beloveds, Dumbarton, who I will next see on the occasion of their last home game, against Arbroath, on 24 April, have had a really up-and-down season: moments of skill and inspiration followed by moments of laxity and indecision, from what I've seen and heard. In the match preview for today's beano with the Binos, the hugely estimable Alan Findlay writes, with loyal and official optimism, that "Sons' battle to claim a first division play-off spot continues." Hmmnn.. well, I'd like to think so, but short of a convincing win this afternoon I fear it's all over, and my longstanding prediction of fifth place remains. We'd have taken that at the outset of the campaign, no question.

This is the score: If Brechin lose today and DFC win, the mighty Sons of the Rock will still be 5 and 6 points short of the Hedgemen and Stirling, with our two nearest play-off rivals holding one and two games in hand respectively. Since there will then be 18 points left for Sons to play for, that's a pretty big gap to overhaul. Possible, if Dumbarton go on the kind of run that won us the Third Division Championship last term, but not a possibility the bookmakers would be losing too much sleep over, I suspect. That said, I'd be delighted to be wrong, wrong wrong (yet again).

Mind you, if Sons do make the play-offs, my fear then would be us getting promoted and finding ourselves financially scuppered. It's a warped old (mind) game.
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Just too much excitement?

First published in The Grecian, 02 April 2010, Exeter City -v- Colchester United

Ah, the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. An ideal time to relax, unwind, enjoy some good weather (hopefully) and let the stresses and strains of the first three months of the year disappear as we spend time pottering in the garden, playing with the kids, enjoying a distracting hobby, or taking in a game of football…

Hold on, though. If you thought this afternoon’s clash between Exeter City and Colchester United was going to be some kind of stress sinecure, you maybe haven’t been paying sufficient attention to what’s been going on in League One of late!

Here is an encounter between two sides at opposite ends of the table, with competing aspirations and rather different fortunes of late, who will both be stretching every fibre and sinew to secure another three points. A relaxing afternoon is unlikely, at least if you have the slightest concern for the fate of either team.

At this stage of the season, with eight matches separating us from the final verdict for 2009-10, every game has the potential to develop the spirit of a crucial cup-tie – dogged, thrilling, unpredictable and nail biting. And that’s just in the terraces!

For the Grecians, the pressure of the past few weeks has been alleviated by a positive run of results, culminating in a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Walsall at St James’ Park last Saturday. In five games, City have claimed nine points and six goals, conceding four. That followed seven games without a win, during which time we gave away eleven goals and scored just five, following the euphoria of a 2-0 home victory over Leeds United on 16 January.

In recent seasons, Exeter have been known among fans and observers for making a strong finish, often after a period of uncertainty or slump. That capacity to respond well under pressure has contributed to the not inconsiderable achievement of two Wembley play-off finals and back-to-back promotions from the Conference and Football League Two over the past three years.

This time, however, the Grecians have faced an unrelentingly tough eight months, lightened by some fine performances and one or two notable victories, surely – but also marked by high quality opposition, little room for manoeuvre or mistakes, and results which have proved disappointing compared to the degree of endeavour and skill invested by Paul Tisdale and his aspiring side.

Right now, however, City are showing the determination to dig themselves out of the League One relegation mire. Following that Walsall win, Exeter sit two points and three places above the drop zone, with just two sides holding games in hand over us. The team are in the position they need to be – namely, in control, of their own fate.

That is vital. Having to rely on other teams to drop points for you is perilous at any stage of the season, but most especially when it is heading towards its climax – because that is the time when you can least rely on those below or around you to do you a favour. Everyone is scrabbling for advantage, especially those for whom it could be a matter of survival or non-survival come May.

It hardly needs pointing out that three points for the Grecians this afternoon would be a further huge boost to the confidence of team, fans and city alike. Far from ‘job done’, but heading towards the mid-table boredom that, frankly, we all crave. A point would not be sniffed at either, in normal circumstances, but it is ‘full house’ that the lads will be going for in every game leading up to Huddersfield at St James’ on 8 May. That is the best route to safety.

Meanwhile, our opponents will have very different ideas. Colchester United sit on the bottom edge of the League One play-offs, with three hard games against top table rivals Millwall, Swindon and Charlton in the offing. This away trip to Exeter forms the bridge between those matches and a run of results which has been dispiriting, to say the least.

If the Grecians have been able to talk about revival of late, the men from Essex, and what claims to be the oldest town in Britain, will be feeling desperate to end a run of six games that has included three defeats (versus Walsall, Carlisle and Bristol Rovers) in spite of seven goals scored.

The last two matches against lowly, battling Wycombe Wanderers and mid-table Brentford have seen four scored and four conceded in two draws. Last Saturday the U’s gave away two more points in the 93rd minute, so they will be wanting to make sure they are as tight as possible against City this afternoon. An absorbing encounter is in prospect for a ‘relaxing’ Easter Saturday.
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Another toast to the Sons

First published in Sons View, 27 March 2010, Dumbarton -v- Peterhead

Following the crunch midweek clash with Stenousemuir on Tuesday night, the manic March action continues at Strathclyde Homes Stadium today with the second visit of the season from the small but vocal Blue Toon army.

Back in December the Sons claimed a 1-0 victory over Peterhead, thanks to a Scott Chaplain goal. But away from home in Aberdeenshire things have not gone so well for us – with two 2-1 defeats in a row, the last at Balmoor on a cold Tuesday night at the beginning of the month.

This afternoon’s action on the pitch will be followed later in the evening by some fun and celebrations off it, with the sell-out comedy dinner raising funds and spirits in equal measure. I’d hoped to make it myself, especially as my 52nd birthday falls in three days hence. But the promise I’d made to the family was I’d only fork out yet more dosh to follow the Sons in March if there was a rescheduled game on the 30th – which unfortunately from my point of view (and very happily for the players and staff, I’m sure!) there isn’t.

Still, I did get up to see two good performances and one fine win against Alloa Athletic and Brechin City on the 6th and the 9th, so I can’t complain. As a result of that visit from the wilds of the English midlands I’m now also the proud possessor of a Sons football presented and signed by the very fine people of the Sonstrust and other friends at Dumbarton. It was cutely dedicated to my ‘hat-trick of postponements’ – the three games I made the haul to see that got called off due to the Big Freeze.

The match ball sponsorship I was planning to celebrate 40 years last December as a Sons fan will now have to wait till next term, however. Talking of which, if you and some friends, work colleagues or family haven’t thought of taking that package before, why not have a word with the industrious Alan Findlay about it? A great day out, a bargain, and funds to back the Club. The perfect combination.

My ‘trio ball’ now has pride of place amidst the bookshelves at home, of course. When I was given it, someone in the Community Suite wryly commented, “Ah well, at least someone’s got a hat-trick for Dumbarton then!” Aye, and wouldn’t it be even better if one of those could be earned by a Sons striker on the pitch today. Yes, I know, “a win would do well enough”, but you never hit high by aiming low.

Indeed, it seems to a number of us who have been observing the Sons’ fortunes from near and far this season that the lads are owed a few more goals to honour their endeavours. In a number of games there have been periods of solid possession, domination and flair – combined with the frustrating inability to get the ball into that square of turf between the posts when it’s really needed.

It’s a commonplace of football wisdom that if you keep playing well, things will come right for you in terms of goals and results in the end. That’s often true, but equally when the end product is diminished you have to keep trying out new things to make the key work. Not dramatic changes necessarily, but little twists and variations.

Everyone has a theory about this kind of thing, naturally. Managers know more than most that if the outcome is favourable, their tactical switches will probably be seen in a good light, and if not they will be condemned as hapless or misguided. A wise-cracker once remarked: “Scientists reckon that seven out of ten ideas don’t work. Fair enough. So why don’t we just use the three that do!”

Ah, if only life was like that… wouldn’t it be boring and short. The gap between what works in theory and what works in practice, what you intend and how it actually turns out, is just one of the infinite number of variables that makes football the inspiring, annoying, wonderful, infuriating game we all love it for being. And that’s well before we factor in the particular joys and jolts of following Dumbarton.

Overall, then, I’m sure this is a game we can win. I thought that about the Stenny match too. You have to go on believing – especially when the ingredients for a positive ending to 2009-10 are clearly there. Whatever the outcome today I’ll be raising a birthday toast to the Sons from The Far Post this coming Tuesday. A win and a few goals would make that drink even sweeter – and possibly longer.
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Finding the route up the table

First published in Sons View, 23 March 2010, Dumbarton -v- Stenhousemuir

Last week I was on typical match day (or in this case, match evening) duty from The Far Post, which at the moment means Birmingham. When I can’t get to see the Sons, irrespective of whether its another game, work or domestic duties I’m supposed to be paying attention to, half-an-eye and half-an-ear will always be somewhere else: namely, waiting for my mobile phone to bleep with DFC text updates, monitoring Dumbarton FC ‘tweets’, and probably hoping the BBC football website will let me know what’s happening, too.

That last one can be a bit hit-and-miss. Sometimes the Beeb’s instalments about goals and cards are prompt and accurate. On other occasions, every match seems to have something notable happening in it except the one at SHS, or whichever away ground we’re visiting. Then, suddenly, you’ll be notified of two goals, a sending off and a booking all in a couple of seconds.

Neurotically punching the ‘refresh’ button on my mobile phone or computer is scant therapy if I think I’m being kept in the dark… but at least it doesn’t produce one of those annoying pop-up screens with a message saying, “calm down, calm down!” Not yet, anyway. Technology is always finding fresh ways to nag us, mind. So you never know.

Anyway, though the same digital pattern will undoubtedly have been repeated for me on Saturday against Cowdenbeath, the update I was most eagerly awaiting before penning this column was from Broadwood. Thankfully, in the midst of Sons’ up-down season, it was good news.

As my phone beeped, those two David Winter goals against Clyde really cheered me up. I got a good sight of our latest signing in the flesh when I was up at the Rock for the consecutive home matches against Brechin and Alloa earlier this month. The second of those games, a 3-1 triumph, finally got us the result we had been threatening for long periods against the Hedgemen. Sadly, though, the Sons were the ones who hedged against City, before our opponents eventually clinched the match.

Hopefully tonight’s game against Stenhousemuir will be much more like the visit of the Wasps, whose sting we well and truly drew with a performance that included some delightful touches and moves – as well as a fifteen minute period after Sons’ third goal where it looked as if we might contrive to clutch defeat (or at least an unwanted draw) from the jaws of victory.

Thankfully, that didn’t happen. But then exactly the same team managed to lose away to Stenny in a manner that had everyone scratching their heads once more. After four defeats on the trot, following a draw against Stirling back in December and then two wins, Dumbarton seemed to be bobbing back and forth between hope and despair even more rapidly, while occasionally playing the kind of football which indicates that we could just as well be competing for promotion as lurking in the shadows – if only a bit more consistency and punch up front could be achieved, alongside regular lockouts at the back.

The lockout scenario may not be what makes instantly compelling football viewing (though I enjoy a really good tackle as much as a sharp pass or a well-taken chance), but as coaches have observed from time immemorial, “if you don’t let the opposition score, the worst you’ll come away with is a point”.

My hope is that as you take your seat this evening, the Sons – with Winters and Dennis Wyness starting to gel into an effective strike duo – will be coming into this game off a decent performance and result against the Blue Brazil at Central Park. But let’s face it, the Second Division this year is predictable only in its unpredictability. Or at least, that’s how it seems.

Rather like the belief that buses mostly come in bunches of three after half-an-hour of you hopping from one foot to the other, trends in football often look as they feel – even when a bit of forensic examination may reveal a different picture. I’m convinced that teams that win promotion as champions often struggle more than those who go up via the play-off route (or in Cowdenbeath’s case, via the misery of Livingston). But that isn’t really a scientific observation. It’s just what I notice at a particular moment like this.

As for this evening, there’s only one thing any of us want to see. That’s another Sons win.
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Wondering as they wander

First published in The Grecian, 17 March 2010, Exeter City -v- Bristol Rovers

Rovers. There’s a name to entice the football emotions of men (or women) “of a certain age”. Roy of the Rovers, the cartoon soccer hero some of us remember from our youth, has undergone a bit of an unexpected resurgence over the past year or so – with a 64-page “collectors edition” on the newsstands last April, a Guardian facsimile appearing more recently, and two ‘Best of’ books, featuring successive runs of strips from the 1980s and 1970s, being published in June 2008 and 2009 respectively.

Roy Race and his Melchester Rovers side have appeared in various British publications since 1954. An attempt by a group of dedicated fans to revive the publishing tradition that still leaves football commentators referring to “a Roy of the Rovers moment” (when something spectacular happens) didn’t quite come off in 2009. But aficionados still live in hope of a comeback.

Meanwhile, the legendary (if imaginary) striker has survived takeovers, buyouts and a host of traumas including a helicopter crash where he lost his foot in 1993. Right now Exeter City fans are feeling sore over the decidedly real-world loss of new signing Troy Archibald-Henville, ruled out for the remainder of the season after sustaining a cartilage injury. Very bad news. But at least it isn’t anything as drastic as the wandering Rovers hero’s mid-air collision!

The Rovers that the Grecians face today are also far from fictional, and bear little resemblance to the Melchester crew, hailing instead from the fair city of Bristol. “Well, it’s fair from this distance, anyway!” an Exeter supporter said to me the other day. With cracks like that, and, er, a ‘fair few’ flying back the other way, you know you’re in for a solid bit of local rivalry tonight – bolstered by a sell-out all-ticket crowd at St James’ Park.

Following the visit of lowly Stockport County to Devon on Saturday, for a game which the Grecians very much wanted to signal the start of a revival in our own League One fortunes, the arrival of the Gasmen this evening signals another challenge on the path to securing our foothold in this division. As the Rovers wander, City wonder: how many points do we need to feel safe, and when will we secure them? As soon as possible has to be the answer, starting now.

As it happens, I caught a glimpse of Bristol Rovers in action on the television just over a week ago, while visiting my local hostelry in search of some football entertainment after a very hard day’s work.

The match in question was the Gas against Charlton Athletic, who I coincidentally saw live when losing out to Leyton Orient in a great game at the Valley on 25 January – before their trio of 1-1 draws and then the 2-1 defeat at the Memorial Stadium. Bristol looked tight and determined against the Addicks. But City already know what they are up against, following the lessons absorbed by Paul Tisdale and the boys after a 1-0 away defeat in Horfield on 1 December.

That evening the BBC described the Grecians as “unlucky Exeter”, with City losing out to an opportunist Darryl Duffy goal in the first half, following a half clearance from Jo Kuffour's initial low shot. Richard Logan, Alex Russell and Ryan Harley also came incredibly close to getting on the score sheet for the Grecians, with the latter’s noble 25-yard effort at the end just being denied by the woodwork.

Since that encounter Bristol Rovers, previously known as the Pirates (for acts of robbery like that?), have had mixed fortunes. At the beginning of December 2009 they were in the play-off zone. Now, twelve games on, they are ten points behind the pack chasing the automatic promotion places. But that will only increase their determination to take something from this game.

I was not able to get to the Memorial Stadium for the Grecians’ away game there last year, but I have seen Rovers once before this season, in circumstances that ought to give City a bit of encouragement. On 2 February, Bristol visited Leyton Orient, where I go with my friend Kevin Scully when I’m working in London. Leading 1-0 at half time, the Os scored an incredible 5-0 win over the Gas. What a match it was!

Our visitors are exceedingly unlikely to be as generous again in Exeter this evening, but the evidence of those two games in London is that you need to compete with Bristol Rovers for good, flowing football and then hit them hard when the opportunity arises. That is what the Grecians will be aiming to do tonight.
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Back on the road again

First published in Sons View, 06 March 2010, Dumbarton -v- Brechin, and -v-Alloa on 09 March 2010 (double issue)

With eight games to be negotiated this month and at least six in April, ahead of that season-concluding trip to Clyde on May Day, the deflating ‘big freeze’ we have had to endure in the first two months of 2010 is now rapidly giving way to Dumbarton’s nine-week ‘long March’.

Forget those past few weeks – as we’d probably all wish to do anyway – this third segment of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, appropriately named after Mars, the Roman god of war, is the one which will determine whether we are smiling, grimacing or merely blinking numbly come the end of this odd footballing campaign.

Prior to the Peterhead trip on Tuesday night, Sons were pretty much as near ‘dead centre’ in Division Two as you could plan to get. In spite of two desperately disappointing recent home and away results against sides from the top and bottom end of the table, Stirling Albion and Arbroath respectively, we had still managed to cling onto fifth spot – six points away from the play-off zone and another five away from the relegation area.

Where we find ourselves right now is an adequate reflection of an incredibly up-and-down seven months. It began with six winless games that saw Dumbarton rooted to the foot of the table. Then that first, precious 2-1 victory was secured at Balmoor on 26 September, thanks to goals from crowd favourites Stevie Murray and Derek Carcary.

After once more grasping defeat from the jaws of possible victory against the Binos at Strathclyde Homes Stadium the following week, Sons engineered a general upturn in form and results from mid-October 2009 through to early February this year. Now we have a chance to bury a difficult past couple weeks with strong performances at the Rock against promotion contenders Brechin and Alloa. At least, that’s what everyone at the Club is hoping and looking for.

So what are the prospects for a merry (if mad) March? Well, following the shut-down over Christmas and the New Year, Sons showed considerable resilience in securing a 2-1 home win over a better prepared Cowdenbeath on 23 January. That was followed by a 3-2 victory against East Fife at Methil on 6 February, after yet another enforced weekend off.

The warning signs were apparent, however: bursts of energy and high performance giving way to the same symptoms that Jim Chapman called “implosion” at Gayfield last Saturday. It’s almost as if the infuriating ‘stop-start’ in the fixture list had replicated itself in terms of ‘on-off’ on the pitch.

Without a doubt, the unpredictability and frustration brought about by the kind of weather disruptions we have had to put up with recently makes the consistency required at this level of the game difficult to achieve – though the gaffer has made it clear that he will be accepting no more excuses for throwing games away.

From now on, moreover, the problem is not going to be heel-kicking layoffs, but a continuous, mounting pressure to perform. The difficulties in facing two competitive matches a week should not be understated, but viewed and prepared for in the right way, there’s an upside to our situation, too.

If you start to find winning ways when one match follows another in rapid succession, the momentum and adrenalin can help you along even when your limbs start to ache. Likewise, if you fall in one game, there are thankfully only a few days before you have the opportunity to pick yourself up again. For the brave, it’s an opportunity more than a trial.

I’ll certainly be cheering the lads on with an extra dose of enthusiasm in these matches against the Hedgemen and the Wasps if – as I hope – I find myself in attendance for both games. I hesitate to mention this, since on the past three occasions I’ve attempted to get to SHS from down south, the match has duly been called off!

The upshot is that, after many miles of travel and even more pounds invested in the rail companies, I still haven’t seen the Sons kick a ball in anger since the pre-season friendlies against Partick and St Mirren.

But my winter woes, yours and those of the staff and players will all be consigned to the “c’est la vie” of memory if Dumbarton can get back on form over the next four days. Then it’s a further three away trips in seven days before we can even stop to take breath. As they say, “game on!”
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Digging for victory

First published in The Grecian, 06 March 2010, Exeter City -v- Oldham Athletic

According to the popular aphorism, “If you find yourself in a hole, just stop digging.” That makes perfect sense in most departments of life, where further excavation will inevitably make the dreaded pit even larger. In football, however, finding yourself in or near the relegation zone is precisely the time to get those shovels polished, into action and working extra hard!

There, I’ve mentioned it. The ‘R’ word. Not because I’m pessimistic, but because there’s little point in denying the scale and difficulty of the task Exeter City face, viewing the League One table from twenty-second out of twenty-four teams in the division. To do so would be sheer denial of reality… something that never, ever helps you to turn things around.

A prompt about-turn is precisely the Grecians’ task this afternoon – right through until the final whistle. No, not the one at around ten to five today, but the one we will hear on 8 May, against Huddersfield. There are exactly thirteen games left for City to dig for safety and victory. Some regard that as an unlucky number – but they are the ones who have already abandoned themselves to an unnamed fate. By contrast, the teams still playing at this level next year, or going on to higher things, will be the ones who have chosen to take fate into their own hands.

I have no doubt that the Grecians have the capacity to do that. But there is little time to lose (literally!), and there is therefore no point in looking back in grief or disbelief at the current poor patch of results: three wins in the last nineteen, if you must know, and no three-pointers since that euphoric 2-0 victory over ‘famous Leeds’ at St James Park on Saturday 16 January.

All that’s history. What really matters is what lies ahead. And the most important aspect of Exeter’s future is the grass beneath our feet and the goal right in front of us today. The manager and staff at Oldham Athletic will be thinking exactly the same thing, of course. For the Latics lie just one point in front of us, with the extra cushion (and incentive) of two games in hand.

There’s also a strange symmetry attached to this fixture, and it contains a ghost we definitely need to bury. When City travelled up to Boundary Park back on 12 December last year, we lost 2-0, following a level first half. The previous week, the Grecians’ opponents had also been Brighton & Hove Albion, and the result – like the match at the little-loved Withdean Stadium last weekend, ended in disappointing defeat… albeit by one rather than two goals.

In every sense, then, the task facing Exeter in this game is to disconnect themselves from the “what happened last time” and generate fresh momentum for what lies ahead. On paper this is entirely achievable. But it’s what happens on the pitch that counts, more so in the result than in the type of football played.

For most of the season, even when things have not been going well, City have done themselves credit with some attractive, flowing play. What we have lacked is consistency, concentration at the back (particularly when facing counter-attacks) and the ability to translate dominance and movement into balls striking the back of the net.

As pundits often observe, the line between success and failure in the professional game is incredibly thin. A kick, a touch, a well-timed run or a refereeing decision can make all the difference. That and the confidence to take get to that challenge first, to spot the gap, to take necessary risks, and to pounce on half-chances.

If City can win today and follow up with another good couple of performances, our prospects will start looking very different. The table remains tight, the results around us are not stacking up evenly, and we have Southend, Wycombe, Leyton Orient, Brentford, Tranmere and Hartlepool among those still to come. None of these are sides it will be easy to beat. But they are all within reach of our position and they are all teams we would rightly hope to take points off.

So it’s a going to be a challenging couple of month, undoubtedly. But there is no reason to start giving ‘bad luck’ a foothold. If the players can keep digging, the results will start to come. Stop for a breather, and the earth is likely to fall around them. Meanwhile, we in the stands can do our part to ensure that Exeter City are where they deserve to be next term: here in League One again.
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Building the next generation

First published in Sons View, 20 March 2010, Dumbarton -v- Clyde - MATCH POSPONED

So the New Year transfer window has come and gone. For many smaller clubs who live as much by loans as by purchases (because they simply don’t have the cash to splash) this is always a strange period in the football calendar.

With the recession biting hard at budgets, the market has turned over more slowly than ever at the beginning of 2010, and even the big boys have been limited in their transfer adventures.

Now managing at Bolton, one of the smaller EPL contenders, ex-Dumbarton man Owen Coyle is among those who have complained again about the system. Even if you can afford to spend, he says, “When clubs pick up injuries and suspensions in the transfer window, you end up top heavy with players.”

Summer is where the majority of the horse-trading is done now, unless your team is in desperate trouble after Christmas. And in the lower reaches of the Scottish game the “emergency loan” has come into its own for dealing with that.

Here at the Rock we have recently seen the fruits of trying to live on a limited outlay, but with a forward-looking and creative edge. Much of the media publicity has inevitably been taken up with the signing of Dennis Wyness – whose SPL and First Division credentials have been creating hopeful expectations among Sons supporters, too.

An injection of firepower and guile up front is just what Chappie ordered for what is going to be a demanding and exciting run-in to the ‘stop-start season’. We have plenty of fixtures backed up, and as well as securing the defensive line and getting the midfield moving, a cutting edge will certainly be needed around the area to secure the goals and points we need. That isn’t about one player, but finding the man who can help the attacking jigsaw fit together.

For a club like Dumbarton, quality players who are into their thirties but still have a lot to offer a little further down the SFL can be a lifeline. A respected manager, a good set up and strong desire from players, fans, Trust and boardroom makes the Sons attractive to those who have arguably lost a tiny bit of youthful pace, but whose skill and ambition is as strong as ever.

Equally important, however, and more so in the long run, is the cultivation of youth. The current squad has six ‘graduate’ youngsters in first team pool, and three of them (Alan Cook, Dale McSorley, and Liam Mushet) have already been picked for international duty at Under-18s level. That’s really good going.

Dumbarton Football Club now possesses a very well organised youth policy, and it is clearly paying dividends. The signings prove that. Only a few days ago, Sons under-19s also produced a stunning performance at Glenhead Park, winning 4-0 against East Stirlingshire.

The endeavours of the coaching staff and volunteers deserve a huge round of applause from all of us. During some of the enforced winter break, Jim Chapman has also impressed people in community with his dedication to encouraging the youngsters. But none of this could have happened without an immense amount of effort on the part of people in the Sonstrust.

I’m proud to be a member of the Trust, though I live too far away to be much involved (other than in print, with a bit of money, and by encouragement). However, this also means I can blow a trumpet for those responsible without being accused of praising myself!

That said, all who have joined the Trust and supported it in one way or another share at least a tiny part of the credit for the Youth Development Initiative – though the lion’s share should go to the people who make it work week in and week out.

So if you haven’t handed over your Sonstrust membership fee (it’s only a tenner!) or bought into one of the fundraising events – like the fantastic Comedy Dinner on 27 March – now is a great opportunity to do so. Tommy Hughes or anyone on the Trust table in the Community Suite will be pleased to have your custom. Or go online to the Trust site.

Meanwhile, we have important business on the park today against Clyde to attend to. The fact that we are playing the side rooted to the foot of the Second Division at the moment should fool no-body. It’ll be a tough encounter and another chance for Sons to build their 2010 surge.
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Exciting the football passions

First published in The Grecian, 20 February 2010, Exeter City -v- Stockport County

Somehow you get the feeling that the milk of human kindness doesn’t flow freely when football passions are at their most intense. Fans love to kick a team when they’re in trouble, and around this time of year chants of the “You’re going down!” and “You’ll be sacked in the morning!” variety start to resonate more regularly around terraces up and down the land.

Exeter City have had a few of the former serenades over the past few weeks, but we’re determinedly ignoring them. Losing away to Millwall at the last gasp was hard to take, and one that didn’t do credit to the effort put in by our players. But it did illustrate the toughness of grabbing points at the New Den these days.

At this stage of the season there’s no point in looking back and grumbling, however. Every Club in the country would have an extra 15 points in the bank if all those near misses, unlucky losses and “we wuz robbed” moments had gone the right way. But they didn’t, and we are where we are.

The important thing this afternoon is to retain focus and to go for a convincing win – against opponents who, in a close and high quality third tier, are still seen as the closest thing to whipping boys… but who will have absolutely no intention of living up to that reputation at St James Park.

Stockport County took an important point off fourth-placed Colchester United at Edgeley Park last weekend, indicating in the process that they are willing to fight for every inch of turf this term, in spite of major difficulties on and off the pitch.

That said, the Hatters have a pretty grim away record, as their basement status and overall 31-goal deficit confirms. ’Keeper Owain Fon Williams will also want to forget the moment that let United’s David Prutton's innocuous free-kick slip through his grasp and in for the opener last Saturday. A classic “comedy goal”, though the man between the sticks certainly won’t be laughing!

Things got worse when Colchester then went two in front from Anthony Wordsworth on 18 minutes. But County showed tremendous courage in clawing themselves back from the brink of destruction, and Jabo Ibehre’s brace, completed with thirteen minutes to go, secured them a deserved draw. It might even have been a win if substitute Ian Henderson's shot hadn’t hit the post… but we’ve already observed that football teams cannot live by “if” alone.

Incidentally, it was a redemption moment for Islington-born Jabo, too. The well-travelled front man is on his second loan spell at Stockport from Milton Keynes Dons, after being released by Walsall last year. This follows a less-than-auspicious end to eight years and 209 senior appearances from 2000-2008 at Leyton Orient – where I put in terrace appearances when I’m in the vicinity of East London these days.

Stockport County could do with every bit of fortune passing their doorstep right now. In March they are appearing as a featured team in the excellent When Saturday Comes magazine, though not exactly for the reasons they would choose.

‘County caught’ is the headline for David Meller’s article about the web of financial, legal and municipal woe surrounding the Hatters at present. What follows is an all-too-familiar litany of money mayhem. Football is in a crazy state economically, and the government’s recent announcement that it plans to take action on governance, debt and regulation within the game has not come a moment too soon.

There’s another dimension to this story, however – one that rarely reaches the tabloids. So David Meller (no relation to a certain Chelsea-supporting ex-Tory MP, who spells his second name with an ‘o’) also reports on the solid action Stockport supporters have been taking to highlight the crisis that has gripped their club, and to try to get them out of it.

It’s not the first time this season that Exeter City are welcoming to their Devon home a football team whose fans have had to channel passion on the terraces into a practical concern for how their club is run and how it can be salvaged from destruction. Brighton and Hove Albion also come to mind.

What the financial shenanigans have demonstrated at Stockport, says Meller, looking on the positive side, is “a determined and loyal supporter base worthy of investment” from the right sources. Though the Grecians badly need to pile the agony on County from a football point of view today, we should wish them all the best in their efforts to stay afloat. Another needless casualty is not what the game needs.
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On the head again, my Sons!

First published in Sons View, 16 January 2010, Dumbarton -v- Stirling Albion

The question it’s difficult not to ask yourself, after two heartening wins at home to leaders Cowdenbeath and then away last week at East Fife in a five-goal thriller, is surely: “Can we make it three in a row against Stirling Albion?” The logical answer is, “it’ll be a hard game, but there’s no reason why not.” However, a sports psychologist will probably tell you that’s the wrong thing to speculate about.

I know, I’ve mentioned ‘fitba shrinks’ a couple of times in this column already. Short of the action on the pitch there’s nothing more fascinating than watching the tricks we allow the Beautiful Game to play on our heads. Well, okay, there’s the endless gossip and speculation at every level of the game, now fed to us by a 24/7 media – but that’s basically the same thing!

One theory says the “three in a row?” thought can be unhelpful, if you’re a player, because it’s nudging you to question yourself rather than to focus on the adjustments, improvements and changes you and your teams-mates can make to help it happen. Depending on your personality type, adding up wins and wondering if they’ll be repeated next time sows the seeds of doubt rather than resolve. Turn it into a target with reward and it might just do the trick, however.

Indeed, if you were developing the fabled ‘a winning mentality’ you’d probably be saying to yourself, “Of course we can win. Now let’s figure out how and make sure we do!” When I was playing I got into far too much self-questioning, and I know for sure it didn’t assist my game. Being rubbish didn’t help much, either.

The other thing you have to watch for is one of those probability misapprehensions we all fall for at some time or other. Leaving aside the possible impact of the law of mechanics, if you toss a coin again and again, each time there’s a 50/50 chance as to whether it will be heads or tails. But if you get three ‘tails’ one after another, it feels ‘natural’ to suspect that somehow there’s less chance that it’ll be tails again next time. Wrong. The overall odds don’t change. They just tend to even up in the long run.

If you’ve ever watched ‘Deal or No Deal’ on the telly you’ll see people getting caught in this trap again and again… and a few others, besides. I’ve had to stop watching that show. Apart from the irritating rituals around it, I find myself wanting to scream “it’s just random numbers!” all the time. But no-one’s listening.

Meanwhile, here’s a quick psychological test you can try on yourself at home. Do you reckon Dumbarton good enough for the Second Division play-offs? Yes, I know, that’s a matter of football judgement. But if we win this afternoon I’ll wager that you’ll be more inclined to believe “we can do it”… and if not, you’re more likely to start doubting again.

That’s because – unless you’re the stoically resolute editor of Sons View, say – the emotional state of most football supporters operates on a constant and rather unstable seesaw. The psychologists say that the stimulation this uncertainty, anxiety and anticipation causes (including regular reward and denial) is one of the things that makes the game so compelling. Yup, football fandom is basically a disease of the psyche. (Just don’t admit it to your family, okay?)

But back to the Sons’ prospects. On the squad and the coaching staff, compared to what we’ve seen elsewhere in this division, I reckon we can exceed initial expectations – which for many of us were 8th or above. Moreover, given our slow start, more recent form has been better than our present position (three points off fourth place with a game in hand) shows. The recovery from the cold snap has also been impressive.

But there’s another factor we haven’t mentioned so far. That’s the tough run of games Sons face in March. At the time of writing, the fixture additions haven’t been announced, but we know what to expect. It’s especially hard on part-time players. Then again, you can build momentum. Just look at what happened in the run-in last term.

One thing’s for sure. A point or three against the Binos at SHS today can only make our aspirations more achievable. ’Mon Sons!
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Dennis will be a menace

Well, that's what Dumbarton supporters are hoping from the latest signing to arrive at SHS, to complement two graduates from the club's youth initiative. Thirty-three year old Striker Dennis Wyness looks to be an excellent addition to the Sons squad -- coming to us via Queen of the South on loan, but with very good credentials from the SPL with Aberdeen, Inverness Caledonian Thistle (where he was a top scorer), Hearts and most recently St Mirren. He should give Second Division defences a torrid time, and that's just what we need. The Scotsman today followed boss Jim Chapman in speaking of 'ambitious Dumbarton', while the Glasgow Evening News reckoned that Dennis could indeed menace the Binos in tomorrow's clash with Stirling Albion. Wyness struggled a little in his second season with Gus MacPherson's Buddies side, but he obviously still has a lot to offer.

In a show of club solidarity, Chappie declared: “I think it is a testament to the directors of Dumbarton that they are managing to attract these kind of players. They have supported me fantastically." Meanwhile, chair Colin Hosie has started a weekly column on the official DFC website -- and in the latest installment he defended the gaffer against disappointment from some supporters that the Sons have not appeared too active in the transfer window. The cynics will say that it all looks too cosy (that's what cynics are for), and sparks could yet fly over ground relocation plans. But trying to pull together never did a football club any harm. Just ask... well, loads of 'em, frankly. [Thumbnail picture by Jon Leino].
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Football saints and sinners

First published in The Grecian, 06 February 2010, Exeter City -v- Southampton

No doubt about it, this afternoon’s match against Southampton at St James Park is going to be seen as one of the ‘big games’ of the League One season for Exeter City, at least as far as the fans are concerned. Then again, the prestige or otherwise of the opposition counts for little if it’s not worth three points at the end of 90 minutes. Some recent results have taught us that hard lesson.

Points, of course, are precisely what the Grecians need right now. Letting things drift further is not an option. Attractive football may be what we all hope to witness after parting with our hard-earned pounds at the turnstile, but skill alone is to little avail when the drop zone lurks menacingly behind you.

After the midweek results, City now stand four points above that forbidding relegation line, but with Gillingham, Brighton, Oldham and Tranmere holding one, two, four and two games in hand over us, respectively.

The situation is manageable, but only if we starting winning again. Thankfully the creditable point in the 2-2 draw away against promotion-chasers Milton Keynes Dons last Saturday ended a five-game losing streak for City and has hopefully regenerated the confidence of Paul Tisdale’s men.

An added boost came a few days ago from the signing from Spurs of admired 21-year-old defender Troy Archibald-Henville, who is now with us on a permanent basis. The deal was clinched right at the end of the January transfer window.

Not only does this amount to the Grecians’ first formal transfer fee in seven years, it also secures the permanent services of a player whose 19 games last term helped to guarantee Exeter automatic promotion from League Two, and whose 17 appearances this season have amply demonstrated the talent, effort and determination Troy brings with him.

That little transfer statistic is also a reminder of the way City are trying to leave past troubles behind. The same is true, in a rather different way, for Southampton. The sequence of wheeler dealing and speculation around the club between April and Summer 2009 led one local paper to headline the saga, “From the brink of extinction to a billionaire.”

Overall, Southampton’s current League position (twelfth, on 33 points) belies their actual level of accomplishment on the field of play and the £3 million they have spent in the transfer window. Docked ten points in April 2009 for going into administration, and then ten with relegation, Saints fans will have their own ideas about who the chief ‘sinners’ are: that is, who is most responsible for leaving them in the third flight for the first time in 50 years.

The fact remains, however, that without that deduction they would be on the edge of the play-offs with games in hand over two of the other contenders. That is a fair measure of their quality this season, notwithstanding one or two blips and blemishes. Promotion is far from ruled out.

Meanwhile, although this encounter is hardly what most people would class as a ‘derby’, the relative isolation of the southwest lends all south coast encounters at least a bit of added spice as far as the Grecians are concerned – as does Saints’ recent acquisition of Exeter's Danny Seabourne.

I’m glad to say that I’ll be back at St James today. Having moved recently to the West Midlands I shall have more of a ‘commuting’ relationship with Exeter City for the rest of the year, but thankfully there are Devon friends and interests to keep me coming back from time-to-time.

As for Saints, well I remember them well from the 1970s, from 1980-81 when they finished sixth in the old Division One (with Alan Ball, Phil Boyer, Mick Channon, Charlie George and Ted MacDougall on board), and from the 1983-4 season when they achieved their highest ever top flight finish, second place. Now a friend of mine even lives in ‘Channon Court’ in Southampton, named after one of their legends!

I last saw Saints play here on 12 August 2008, when Dean Moxey was the Grecians’ 85th-minute goal hero in a midweek 3-1 defeat in the first round of the Carling Cup. Southampton looked quite comfortable in the end, but if two near misses by Adam Stansfield had gone the other way it might have been a different story.

At that time, just 18 months ago, Saints were a Championship side and City were the League Two new boys. Now we meet ‘on the level’, and Exeter have a chance not only of reversing Cup and friendly defeats at the hands of our visitors from St Mary’s, but also easing our current League concerns.
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Those magic words

I refer to the term "game on" for Sons at Methil this afternoon, where we hope to take some points off East Fife. As for the re-arranged fixtures for March or (presumably) April, no further news. Blimey, it'll be mid-February soon!

Meanwhile, of today's encounter, Alan Findlay writes: "[I]t's honours even between the sides this season with one win each, although the last meeting was not a good day for Dumbarton as Jim Chapman's men lost 3-0. Since that day, Dumbarton have only played a further two league matches and face a pile-up of fixtures in the next month. The gaffer should have a full squad to choose from as skipper Michael Dunlop is fully rested from a recent niggling thigh injury."

Fingers crossed all round. Oh, and welcome to Liam Mushet to the first-team squad.

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England's ex-pecs

The choice of 'Football saints and sinners' as the headline for my column in the Exeter City v Southampton issue of The Grecian was chosen before all the tabloid fuss about a certain Chelsea footballer. And the behaviour I was referring to was financial rather than sexual -- the former being a bit of ethics-free zone in The Beautiful Game, it seems.

Anyway, the BBC's Phil McNulty is basically right in his assessment of the sacking of John Terry as England captain. The likely impact of his much-publicised personal life on media coverage and team morale seems to have been at the core of it, rather than any moral judgement. Fabio Capello is also understandably puzzled by all the local hype surrounding the captaining of club and country, since he values shared responsibility above the cultivation of iconic individualism.

Besides, who is England's new "role model" and "leader of men"? Welcome to JT replacement skipper Rio Ferdinand: someone who is currently serving a three-match ban for violent conduct, who was previously banned for 8 months for failing to turn up for a drug test, who has endured a year-long drink-driving ban, and who also featured in an alcohol-fuelled post-season trip to Ayia Napa in Cyprus which surfaced in Sunday papers showing him and other players filming themselves in a sex orgy.

Even his disguise is a bit rubbish, as you can see...

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