Why the Beeb needs to pull it's finger out

Watching the final day of Premiership action on final score yesterday I couldn't help pining for good old Jeff Stelling and Sky Sports. I don't much care for the banal nature of the pundits on the BBC sofa and the lack of attention to detail which Jeff provides so admirably. The previous week saw the final raft of fixtures in the football league and all the drama that brings with it, or does it? Well, not on the BBC it doesn't. Gabby Logan has to be one of the most disinterested presenters of a football show I've ever seen. I get the feeling this is just another job for her.

Take the battle to avoid relegation to the Blue Square Premier. While Lincoln were capitulating at home to Aldershot, Barnet were managing to hang on to a 1-0 lead at home to Port Vale. Logan summised that with 5 minutes remaining Lincoln were 'all but relegated'. This simply was not true, a goal for Port Vale would have changed everything, instead of which we were treated to Steve Claridge babbling on about QPR who had already had quite a lot of coverage that day. Even worse, as the penultimate games affecting the bottom of the Scottish Premier League entered the last 15 minutes there was absolutely no mention of the consequences of Hamiltons' and St. Mirrens' results which saw Hamilton relegated.



The 'Dream Team'

I only have Freeview but I'm pretty sure Jeff had his finger on the pulse over on Soccer Saturday. With Jeff I almost feel like he is rooting for my team, Oldham. I'm sure other fans feel the same way. He is always interested in every result, the little nuances and has the facts at his fingertips, and rarely forgets which team is playing at home, unlike Gabby who frequently comes out with slips like 'There's been a goal at the Stadium of Light!!' in that high-pitched shrill, when in fact Sunderland had just scored at Bolton. Now, I'm not one of those people who don't want women involved in football (I even think one day we will see women players in the professional game), but Logan clearly is a big-league Charlie (Charly?) who couldn't care less what's going on at Gigg Lane or Sincil Bank.

I think they should give the job permanently to either Mark Chapman or Lizzie Greenwood, they seem to have an enthusiasm for the game sadly lacking at the moment. To further dismay, Garth Crooks (the only man who never asks questions when interviewing!) is an ever-present on the sofa of dirge. He's the annoying guy in the pub you avoid like a dose of syphallis, clearly a candidate for ADD and adding nothing of value to any analysis.

We'd all be feeling good if SS came back to Freeview

So, on Sunday we learned that it would be Blackpool and Birmingham joining West Ham in the Championship. One of the most exciting relegation battles of recent years came to a conclusion, and the Premiership has lost 'breath of fresh air' Blackpool and the always entertaining Ian Holloway. His quote about members of the FA beaming down from 'Planet Zarf' a particular highlight. Football needs the characters, the people with passion who care and are prepared to say what they think. Speaking of which...





The rise and rise of AFC Wimbledon

Saturday 21st May 2011 was the day that the supporters of AFC Wimbledon finally got back their league status after just 9 years rising through the leagues. AFC Wimbledon started out in the Premier Division of the Combined Counties League after holding trials for new players for 3 days on Wimbledon Common in June 2002. What has followed is nothing short of remarkable, with Saturdays' 4-3 victory on penalties over Luton Town their 5th promotion in 9 seasons.

Formed when Wimbledon Football Club relocated to Milton Keynes, AFC Wimbledon see themselves as the continuation of Wimbledon FC and refute the right of MK Dons to the claim of Wimbledons' Football League place. Indeed in 2006 the MK Dons returned all trophies (including a replica of the FA Cup won in 1998) and effects relating to Wimbledon FC to the London borough of Merton so that they be held in the Wimbledon area. Some AFC fans are still unhappy with them using 'Dons' in their name and will not rest until that little hint to the past is erased. The club itself is a real community club and fans bought shares in it to help raise funds to buy the Kingsmeadow ground when Kingstonian ran into financial trouble and had their assets stripped. AFC Wimbledon is a success story built on a strong sense of togetherness and community. The club itself lays out it's agenda on its own website.......

"The supporters of AFC Wimbledon believe that our club is a continuation of the spirit which formed Wimbledon Old Centrals in 1889 and kept Wimbledon Football Club alive until May 2002. We consider that a football club is not simply the legal entity which controls it, but that it is the community formed by the fans and players working towards a common goal. We therefore reproduce the honours won by what we believe was, and will always be, "our" club, in our community."

AFC Wimbledon and MK Dons could have met each other in the 2nd Round of the FA Cup this season but both lost their 1st round replays to deny supporters the opportunity. It is inevitable that these two sides will meet and the level of animosity against MK Dons is sure to make for a tense atmosphere. The League cup is a possiblility as is the Johnstone's Paint Trophy next season. Of course it could be that the rise of AFC Wimbledon continues and they enjoy parity with MK Dons in League 1. MK Dons failed to get to the League 1 play-off final losing 4-3 on aggregate to Peterborough and they must almost be able to feel the weight of history pulling on them as AFC breath down their necks like the Lion stalking it's prey.

Peter Winkelman, the MK Dons chairman, is not the most popular man in football. His incredible arrogance and sickening enthusiasm for his club has demonstrated scant regard for former supporters of Wimbledon FC. Indeed it was not the first time he had tried to re-locate a football club to Milton Keynes, the record producer had previously tried and failed to lure Luton and QPR there. He has been shown that it was possible to start way down in the non-league pyramid and build a team from Milton Keynes which the town could have been proud of. Instead the whole club is illegitimate, a sham. By stealing the league place of Wimbledon FC it has sealed it's position as pariahs of the football league. The community that had shown no interest in football had a shiny new club while the people of Wimbledon were left with nothing. The FA once again have to accept responsibility for another series of terrible decisions.

AFC Wimbledons' remarkable rise is an outstanding achievement of fan power and genuine love of football. When they and MK Dons do play each other I know who I'll be supporting!



Evolution or Pro-Evolution?

Oldham Athletic announced on Wednesday 27th April that they were changing the club crest, which they had used since 1983, to a new design. This was the long-awaited 'evolution' fans had been waiting for according to the club. The immediate reaction was not good. Fans were not consulted at all in the process and many only knew about the decision following the announcement. Some people say that it is only a badge while other fans see it as an important symbol of their club and community. I'm not sitting on the fence here, I don't like it and want to keep the old badge. The new badge looks like one of those crappy NHL badges you get on Pro-Evolution Soccer (I'm not knocking the game BTW, it's top), and to say I was disappointed is an understatement.

After the months of wrangling over the proposed ground at Failsworth which was rejected by the Charities Commission, to a dramatic slump in form on the pitch, dwindling crowds, talk of administration and even the possibility that we wouldn't be able to play at Boundary Park next season, what we Latics fans needed was a shot in the arm. It seemed that this new 'Evolution' could provide it. Then, come the evening of unveling what did we get? An owl that looks like it's had 10 pints of Stella on a night out on Yorkshire Street and wants to kick someone's arse. 


So what can be done? In 2005 Coventry Citys' announcement that they were changing the club badge provoked fury amongst supporters. Over 5000 fans wrote and emailed to the Coventry Telegraph who then mounted a successful campaign to save the current badge. The parallels are uncanny, even down to the shield design. In 2005 Coventry City chairman Mike McGinty stated "Our existing crest has been in use for over 20 years and while it symbolises much of the tradition of our past, we felt that a change was needed to symbolise our future. This is not a decision we arrived at lightly and we are aware of how much the badge means to our supporters. I hope that given time they will take this new badge to their hearts."

Here is how the club broke the news to supporters on the official website back then....

Look and sound familiar? Here is the old and new Oldham Athletic badge.

Oldham Athletic Chief Executive Alan Hardy stated that he hoped fans that didn't like the new badge would grow to like it, or something like that. I can't be sure because for whatever reason this particular quote has been removed from the club website. Clearly the club are not going to change their decision unless the fans pull together and strongly object as 'the Cov' did back in 2005.

A Facebook group has been set up to garner support for preserving the current badge.

https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Campaign-to-preserve-the-current-Oldham-Athletic-badge/170204406367558

Fan power can work as illustrated by Coventry City and I urge anyone who dislikes the new badge to join this group, and write letters to the Oldham Chronicle and the club.