So – it’s that time of year. As the season draws to a close, supporters turn to reflect on the past ten months.
We’ve already got Duncan Browne, Ken Fox and Adam Upsall’s thoughts – but what about you?
E-mail your suggestions for best and worst of the season to editorial@impsTALK.co.uk and, if we can locate it amongst the tsunami of spam, we’ll post it here.
Andy Butler’s best and worst….
Best
-Walking into York St for that Workington game and knowing that the Scottish charlatan who masquerades as a football manager was no longer in charge of the club.
-The atmosphere v Workington, better than anything for the last three and a half years.
-Realising that the crowd was almost exclusively made up of fans who really wanted the best for BUFC, and who weren’t there on a freebie thanks to the Tartan Taliban.
-The fact that the players, for all their limitations were generally here because they wanted to play for us, and weren’t here for a last pay day.
-The boys like Beeson and Butcher who came through the youth set up and didn’t look out of place.
-Seeing the club gradually get its respect back. After almost a decade of spin, lies, smears, self promotion, cronyism and nepotism it was refreshing to see and hear the rebirth of the club.
-The fact that the crowd, for once, didn’t get on the players backs. Of course some can’t change the habits of a lifetime, but generally it was an appreciative crowd.
-Still having the best programme in our league, just like last season. That’s for you Chalker, don’t forget the season ticket…..!
Worst
-Still having a terrible away record…..how the hell can you lose at Vauxhall Motors Tommy? And Burscough?
-Last summer, boy did I lose some sleep and shed some tears at times…..
-The lack of atmosphere at some home games, OK you don’t expect the likes of Solihull or Leigh to travel in their thousands but away turn outs in single figures looks a bit pathetic on that away end. It’s up to us to create at times, Nick C, Steveo, Rich, me and Whiskey sometimes look a bit isolated in the middle of Spayne Rd shouting and bawling!
-The fact we still have the ‘We want the TownEnd back’ brigade…… the clowns who never batted an eyelid at the forum over the perilous state of the club financially but who cheered Dave Newton when he suggested a return for selected games. If we want to remain a serious operation that end must be for away fans at all times. And yes, it is personal with some.
-The fact TT’s scouting range seems to stop somewhere around the Kings Lynn/Peterborough area. Try South Yorkshire or Notts Tommy. There must be an area Evans didn’t piss off totally!
Ben Grant’s best and worst….
Best
-First and last matches of the season. There was a bizarre symmetry about these games for me – the sun, the sense of optimism, cracking atmosphere at York Street and wins to boot. the kind of afternoons that being a football fan is all about.
-Harrogate Away. Yes we lost but this game had everything, goals, A goal disallowed, a penalty, a sending off, a hole in the corner of the pitch, everything. One of the most entertaining games of football involving BUFC that I’ve seen. And all the Harrogate players were called Dan Wood.
-Hinckley home in the cup. Another enjoyable afternoon sunbathing at York Street whilst watching the Pilgrims tear hapless opponents to shreds. At the time I was thinking ‘all we need is nice little cup run, a 1st round tie against Leeds at Elland road, and that would go a long way to paying off the CVA.’ Oh well. Maybe next year.
Worst
-Second half of Alfreton away, wondering why I had bothered as clearly United weren’t. We even got out-sung by about ten Alfreton fans. I think all the Boston fans had fallen asleep.
-A number of results against sides that we shouldn’t even be playing, let alone losing to. Redditch. Vauxhall Motors. Burscough. WTF??
-All these, however, even losing to Gainsborough at home, are infinitely preferable than having to choose a new team to support. (I live very near Emley’s ground…..urrgh it makes my skin crawl thinking about it…)
Thank God for Neil and David!
Johnny Chapman’s best moments….
– the equalizer at Southport, especially as our first goal had a blatant handball in the build-up. Seldom do these things that allegedly even up over the season do so against the same club.
– Tony Crane’s goal celebration at Gainsborough, a long stare accompanied by a pointing finger
– Leabon’s goal at Gainsborough.
– If Rob Wesley has got parole in part because of his work with us and doesn’t return to crime, well credit to the club for taking the risk. Better to rehabilitate criminals than produce them.
– Being saved. I missed the actual announcement yesterday as the train was late and I was still escorting The World’s Tallest Hyde Fan across town
I don’t really have worst football moments. We still have a club and whilst losing leads to village teams is annoying at the time, after the game those feelings fade. If the worst thing going on in your life is that your team is rubbish, then you’ve got a pretty good life.
Adam Hildred’s best and worst moments….
Best
– The home match to Workington, obviously.
– Saturday! The announcement on the pitch before the match – what a feel good factor there was around the ground – did you hear the roar when Froggy scored the winner? Oh, and the justified reception the Chestnuts got walking on and off the pitch.
– Away at Gainsborough was a laugh.
– When Lincoln were in the places their Newcastle-esque fans deserve! (may be unfair to base them all on the texts to Radio Lincs…)
Worst
– After the feeling of “bring on next season” yesterday, realising that today (Sunday), it’s 104 sodding days until the new season.
– The various times when hearing about the mishaps of Tony Crane… Potentially such a good player but is there really any way we can justify him in the squad next year?
– Tommy saying on radio that Micky Nuttell can come back and play for us next year made me freeze over.
– Redditch. Oh. My. God.
Now, I just wonder can we expect a good season next year? We have to realise the club is presumably still in trouble (I doubt the agreement with HMRC involved ‘0p in the £’), but we also have to recognise that the league was pretty poor this year – with three weeks preparation we would have been in the play-offs if we had a bit of discipline or consistency – and Tommy has a normal pre-season coming up…
