Friday 21 May 2010

Hoooooooooooooof



I'm surely not the only one who often has Mika popping into their head when they think of Brian Saah.

The thought process usually goes something like this; Brian Saah >>> full name Big Brian Saah >>> or just Big Brian >>> is beautiful >>> I start humming the Mika hit Big Girl (you are Beautiful).

Now that the former Leyton Orient man has penned a new two-year contract, I reckon Big Brian, you are beautiful could be a new terrace anthem. Make it happen Newmarket Road End, make it happen.

Anyway, it's happy, and perhaps surprising, news that Big Brian will be donning the amber and black next year. Of the three out-of-contracters, I think that in a way his would have been most damaging departure. Although it's probably more difficult to replace a 20-goal striker like the Crow, who today completed his transfer to Luton (hiiiiisssssss), Saah is a Ling man, so if he had left us it wouldn't have said very much about our promotion chances next year, or about our manager's ability to attract the players he wants.

The football being played at the Glassworld Stadium is likely to be considerably less beautiful than our number five now that John Beck is back at the helm.

"I don't think there's another manager in the country that can do this job and offer what Histon needs," said a typically bullish Beck, after signing a two-year contract at the Glassworld.

In a way he's right: there probably aren't many managers more suited to taking the bunch of young, inexperienced, players the Villagers are likely to end up with next year and turning them into an ultra-fit, well-disciplined, football machine. However, after his last, disastrous, spell at the helm of United, it remains to be seen whether he can be successful without the steadying hand of Steve Y'Know to keep him in check and stop him from going too mental. Should make for interesting viewing either way.

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Wednesday 19 May 2010

AOB: Naming, shaming, and blaming

Happy news, we're never going to have to play Stevenage Borough again.

Unfortunately this isn't because they've ceased to exist, or suffered relegation to the Herts Senior League, but because the clever bods in the Lamex Stadium boardroom have decided to remove the Borough from their name.

“Looking to the future, the directors do not believe the connotation of the word Borough in the name should be carried into the Football League," said Borough Stevenage chairman Phil Wallace. "It’s served us well as a non-league club in the climb up the non-league pyramid and we shall always be ‘The Boro’ in recognition of our roots, but now it’s time to look to the future."

Personally I think nothing screams Non-League quite like changing your name (see Ebbsfleet and Fleetwood) and if they really do want to improve their image I would suggest more radical action. Like removing the "Stevenage" part of their title. And moving to a nicer part of Hertfordshire. And sacking Graham Westley. And getting some new fans. Actually, thinking about it, losing the Borough bit is probably a lot easier.

Some who - effortless segue alert - probably wouldn't mind changing his name this week is Lord Triesman, who has resigned his position at the FA and with the World Cup 2018 bid team after he was caught on tape making some serious allegations about rival bids to a female associate. As football administrators go, Triesman always struck me as being a fairly decent chap. He was prepared to voice his concern on Premier League debt (a subject on which, given the Portsmouth situation, he turned out to be correct) and seemed to have a good understanding of what was going on at grassroots level.

Triesman was a bit of a birk to go blabbing to the first young woman who batted her eyelids in his direction, but I lay the blame for his departure firmly at the feet of the Daily Mail. In my opinion the Mail can be found at the root of many of the world's problems, but one thing I wouldn't usually accuse them of being is unpatriotic. But in this case they have published a story which may have done fatal damage to England's world cup bid, an event which could have really galvanised the people of "broken Britain". They really are a despicable publication, and fair play to Gary Lineker for showing his disapproval by severing all ties with them. Hopefully they'll stick to immigrant bashing and miracle cancer cures in future.

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Tuesday 11 May 2010

New boys, old boys, and soon-to-be old boys


It's occurred to me over the last few days that David Cameron's imminent appointment as Prime Minister is a bit like when Chairman George assumed control at CUFC.

Don't laugh, it makes sense when you think about it: Nobody was convinced putting either of them in charge was a brilliant idea to begin with, but both ascended to the top job in the absence of any better options, leaving the rest of us to cross our fingers and pray that they don't screw up too badly. That didn't really work out so well in the case of good old Mr Rolls, so we can only hope Cameron doesn't follow his lead and clumsily implement massive, unpopular, budget cuts in all departments. Oh, hang on a minute.

If only one of the political leaders had shown as much passion during their election campaign as Jez George has during his walk for change, then maybe the country wouldn't be in this mess. The term legend gets banded about a lot in football, but our director of football is one of the few truly befitting of the title.

His exploits in the name of fair funding for youth football are well documented, and the climax of his walk, last night's all star game, was a wonderful occasion. Of the old boys on show, Dion Dublin was of course sublime, and scored a marvellous goal which may or may not (I prefer may not) have been slightly choreographed. Lee Philpott, shorn of his shocking early 90s haircut, pinged the ball around with precision, while Matt Joseph, one of my favourite players of his era, still looked impressive at right back.

What will have been of more concern to U's fans is the new boys on show. I said on here before that I'm not a massive fan of Naisbitt, and unless he's significantly cheaper I fail to see the point of getting shot of Potter to make way for him. But I'll keep an open mind, as I will on our other refugee from Glassworld, Danny Wright. I don't know anything about James Jennings, the new left back, but as a former Kettering player you would assume he can mix it physically, something Aiden Palmer didn't always do, and which probably contributed to his departure.

Speaking of departures, Gleeson to Luton sounds like a done deal, though Lingy's comments today leave the door open for Crow and Big Brian to sign on the dotted line. Fingers crossed.

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Thursday 6 May 2010

Decision time for the nation (and some footballers)


So after weeks of campaigning, posturing, and mud-slinging, today is the day the men and woman - bigoted or otherwise - of Great Britain go the polls.

Red or Blue, Gordon or David, SaBro or SamCam, one lot of lying, self-serving shysters or the other? Or even the Lib Dems? Who knows, but I for one hope the Conservatives fail miserably, if for no other reason than I want to see what the headline would be in tomorrow's Sun.

Someone who has two big decisions to make today is Dan Gleeson, and one can only hope he is more decisive at the ballot box than he is when it comes to signing a contract, otherwise he could be there all night. According to this morning's Evening News the right back is considering lucrative offers from two Conference clubs alongside the new deal offered by United.

"I'm a Cambridge lad and it's a hard decision to make. It's something I've got to carry on thinking about and I might have made a decision by the weekend," he said, hurridly stuffing the Luton Homebuyers Guide into his inside pocket. "It's not easy, because I've been at United since I was 15, apart from the year away at Notts County. And I've supported the club since I was a kid, standing in the Newmarket Road end."

Players always make these kind of wishy-washy statements at this time of year, but money usually talks in football, and - sadly - it probably will in this case. After all, what's years of standing on a terrace as a child worth when you compare it to an extra £200 per week in your pocket?

If, as has been suggested, Gleese is being offered a substantial payrise elsewhere, I for one wouldn't blame him for taking it. Realistically his career is unlikely to progress above League Two (no offence Dan if you're reading), and at 25 he is at an age where he needs to start maximising income before he retires.

Making a sidesways move is a little unambitious, but it's understandable in this case, and if he does go I'll wish him all the best. I'll be more offended if Crow or Saah, two players who are easily capable of playing in League One, join other Conference clubs. I'm sure we'll find out soon enough which way their votes have gone.

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Tuesday 4 May 2010

Ups and downs and ins and outs





Nothing much has happened CUFC-wise in the last week or so.

Various players are ruminating over new deals, others are seeking alternative employment, and Jez George is still walking the length and breadth of the country in the company of a plethora of minor celebrities, but other than the usual deathly calm of the close season has descended upon the Abbey.

It's somewhat busier elsewhere, with the make-up of the Conference play-off finals having been decided in the last couple of days. Alfreton face Fleetwood in the North, Bath and Woking square up in the South, and one of York or Oxford will be joining Stevenage in League Two.

York saw off Luton to make the Wembley final, and as you've probably seen on television, the Luton fans didn't take too kindly to being condemned to another season of trips to the likes of Histon and Tamworth, invading the pitch to try and get at the York fans and players.

The scenes at Kenilworth Road were quite extraordinary, but maybe they will force the Hatters hierarchy to get a grip of their problematic supporters. It may, as chairman Nick Owen has said, be a minority causing the trouble, but it's a sizable minority, and they've been at it all season, as we found out at first hand. There's no place for that kind of behaviour in modern football, and the hefty fine which should be heading their way will perhaps help to lift the collective denial which seems to afflict their more sensible supporters.

From a purely footballing perspective, it would have been better for us had Luton got promoted, as I suspect they are the only one of the four play-off sides who will be stronger next season. Still, it's quite funny that they've got to do at least another year of purgatory, and fair play to the chaps at FC Boro for this amusing little piece rubbing their noses in it.

Meanwhile, the Villagers are on the look out for a new boss, although they apparently haven't told the old boss. Good, professional, stuff from Bridge Road as usual. The brief job advert on their website doesn't give much by way of a personal specification, but presumably anyone with experience in tree surgery will shoot to the top of the short-list.

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