ALL THE REBELS, SO MANY REBELS...

Printed in the Southern League Premier Division game v Cinderford Town on Saturday 18^th March 2017 We won 4-1 in front of 626

 

It's hard not to ramble on like the pub bore at the moment, repeating myself endlessly that something amazing is happening at our club. Another top day out, this time at Top Field with Slough fans traveling in huge numbers swelling the Armed Forces day crowd to 838 and sweeping aside the team in second place with a well deserved 3-2 victory. About five of us used to sing 'All the Rebels, so many Rebels...' but now when we do, its true. It's fantastic that I didn't recognise all the Rebels at Hitchin and its worth remembering that not so very long ago Slough Town nearly ceased to exist but thanks to a few people, one or two who unfortunately never saw our day back in Slough, that we are here. Watching Slough getting hammered week in, week out was hard work, helped by alcohol and a backs-against-the-wall mentality football fans seem to discover when its not going your way.

That's why I think Arsenal fans could do with a reality check and a bit more humility. Leyton Orient are facing a winding up order and in danger of heading out the Football League, Coventry continue to battle with owners and are looking likely to return to the bottom division for the first time since 1959, Blackpool fans are boycotting games until their owners go – whereas Arsenal, in the semi finals of the FA Cup but might not finish in the top four for the first time since 1996. Stay strong, Gooners.

After Hitchin I ended up for a beer in my old Aunt Bets dodgy old boozer The Scottish Stores in Kings Cross, which she ran during the war. Draft dodgers, gangs, prostitutes, it sounded a lovely place and until recently was a strip pub. It's been given a fantastic make-over and I got chatting to York City fans who look like they are heading for back-to-back relegations into the National League North.

So I'm pitching for a new TV reality show called Life Swap where you literally get put in someone else's shoes. First up would be a moaning Arsenal fan who would have to manage the football club for a month. Then it would be a pushy parent who would have to become a teacher for a month to a group of excitable teenagers.

With the spread of social media its so easy to have a pop at other people while the media is quick to point the finger when things go wrong.

I think the Lincoln City manager summed it up perfectly 'Footballs crazy isn't it? I wouldn't dream of going to the dentist and telling him what to do or shouting abuse at my plumber. But people come into your profession and tell you what to do. Of course that makes football great. People love football and that brings passion – when you don't think clearly or act normally. I know the Arsenal fans are passionate but I don't like the way some of them treat Arsene Wenger.'

What you have got at our level is a connection and the way people have rallied round our goalkeeper Mark Scott after his horrific injury has been heart-warming. Quite a few Hitchin fans asked how he was and individuals and other clubs have raised nearly £7,000 in two weeks. It must have been hard for our managers too, who not only have to deal with the injury but on top of working full time have to try and find a new keeper with just 11 games left to go of the season.

Thankfully Mark Scott was in safe hands with Slough legend Kev McGoldrick and the Basingstoke physio doing a fantastic job. It seems only right that Kev is to be given a testimonial at the beginning of next season for over 30 years service to Slough. If ever there was a man who deserved to see Slough flying again its him and I wish him well as he battles against a serious illness.

A PERFECT FOOTBALLING SATURDAY

Printed in the Southern League Premier Division game v Basingstoke Town on Saturday 4th March 2017. We won 3-2 in front of 728 people.

It was the perfect football day. Pre match pints in a pub full of Slough fans, big crowd, noisy, friendly away fans, and most importantly a 1-0 win against play off rivals to help cement our place in those games you look forward too all season but can hardly watch when they come along.

Football, when matches aren't moved at random by TV, is all about routines. Those Slough pants I’d worn for two defeats after Christmas were now in the compost bin for the rats to nimble on. A quick cheap-as-chips curry at Pappadums Express in the Queensmere, a few beers in Weatherspoons to talk about politics and football and another new signing for Slough Town. I'd rather support a more traditional pub and I think one or two Slough boozers could clear up if they laid on free transport or very cheap bus to the home games. It's what we do at our community owned pub to Brighton games and it puts an extra £300 plus per game in the tills. Having a presence in pubs before hand also gets people talking with one guy saying he'd been in Slough 14 years and never seen anyone wearing a Slough top before and where could he get one in town.

Merthyr fans had billed the game as Welsh Exiles Day, with Slough once dubbed “The little Rhondda” due to the Welsh migration. Which is fair enough, apart from the fact that most people who moved from Wales came in the 1930's and you would hope had caught the Slough Town bug by now. As one of their blogs pointed out “Unlike our forefathers rather than seeking employment in the great depression we were aiming after three points. But in 2017 Slough away does not conjure up images of grandeur and for those of a certain generation the TV series “The Office” is still the image that springs to mind.”

It is amazing the crowds we are getting from a season ago when 300 at Beaconsfield was more the norm. I know its stating the bleedin obvious but having your own ground in the town you represent really is a no-brainer. Maybe it was the pull of Welsh cakes that swelled the crowd to 757.

Not that Merthyr fans were hugely impressed with our facilities 'The ground feels a bit like a cross between a university campus and football ground with construction still underway in the main grandstand.' Merthyr are lucky to be blessed with a lovely old fashioned ground with deep terracing. It could do with a bit of a spruce up and the walk up the hill is very; well steep and Welsh. The terracing behind Slough's goals needs to be deeper and clubshop Sue likes to moan in the second half that there is no where left for her to stand with all these new fans. But when the new stand opens I reckon the ground will be a picture especially after years at Windsor and Beaconsfield. And let's hope the builders don’t make the same mistake as Merthyrs new corporate boxes – one of them only has a view of half the pitch, which is certainty novel.

For once there wasn't more flags than fans including 'Neither Cardiff or Swansea' and they properly got behind the team, as did the Slough supporters. In a game of football chess, with two evenly matched sides it was a certain Mr.Flood landing the killer move on the 60^th minute.

As their blog report said 'Slough have now remained unbeaten against Merthyr this season in both the league and cup and in managers Neil Baker / Jon Underwood have assembled a squad who look organised and hard to break down. We wish them well for the remainder of the season unless of course we clash again in the play offs.'

Which you have to say has got to be a distinct possibility. Let's make sure its at Arbour Park.