OK, so Saturday really just wasn't my day. After travelling around 1400 miles to Ochilview for the first time in a year, a 3-0 derby defeat wasn't exactly what the doctor ordered. I had arrived (hadn't we all?) in hope and expectation of a home win. But maybe I should have known: long before I touched down at Prestwick, the early signs seemed to suggest that this was not to be my day.
I have had a number of unfortunate travelling companions at one time or another, but never before have I been stuck on a plane with a group of 50 moderately insane pensioners from Verona. Evidently somebody has taken it upon him/herself to organise annual trips for people who meet the above description, and this year, they were heading for Dundee. After spending 2 hours making a vain attempt at interpreting between Veronese and Glaswegian, I hurried off the aircraft, leaving my Dad's birthday present in the overhead locker. Perhaps I should have realised, there and then, that my luck had deserted me.
A few seasons ago I used to think I was a lucky mascot at home matches. I had my fair share of disappointments on away trips, but my trips to Ochilview tended to coincide with handsome victories, even at the most unlikely of times. Clearly this wore off a while ago, 2004 to be precise, but I've tried to find other ways of bringing the boys luck; I'm sure I can't be the only superstitious supporter around here...?
On Saturday, I went for last season's away shirt. Previously I had only worn it at one match; a 5-0 win against Montrose. Foolproof, I thought. Or not. It turned out to be no better the last 'lucky shirt' I had: the yellow and blue one from 2004-5. Back in the 90s, I thought, yellow and blue had brought us luck - Dundee in the Challenge Cup quarter-final, for example - surely the new version would do the same? That particular illusion, as I recall, came crashing down in the 7-0 defeat at Gretna.
All the same, the fact that my return to Ochilview was memorable for all the wrong reasons is, surely, a case of bad luck. Don't get me wrong, we were beaten deservedly on Saturday, but isn't it a cruel twist of fortune that I happened to be home that weekend, rather than any other? Because I, for one, am sure that none of our future performances will resemble that one.
Every team has an off-day, and Saturday was ours. In my attempt to find the positive elements in any defeat, I am tempted to suggest that Bucket put in an admirable shift, and did not deserve some of the criticism directed at him. Clearly he's not a silky player, but nor should we expect him to be: his workrate was refreshing, and should serve as an example to all. More to the point, though, I am not about to lose faith with the rest of the squad, and I fully expect them to bounce back with a victory tomorrow. I spoke briefly to Campbell in the bar last week: understandably he was less than happy, but he saw what went wrong, and I am sure he knows how to put it right. I am looking forward to watching the season unfold, and the Shire are not going to change that.
No comments:
Post a Comment