No, this isn’t the Cray report. It was a bit tricky writing one as I wasn’t actually there (insert joke here). At least the millstone has been removed, and put away into cold storage. What we don’t need is for an Arsenil-style blip tomorrow against Molesey (and no, I’m not there tomorrow evening either, I’m NLPing at Crawley v Barnet. All offers for match write up accepted)
Actually, the collective AFCW fanbase has been amazingly restrained after losing a game. There’s been relatively little bloodletting. Nobody’s tried to commit suicide yet (though whether the AFCW shop merchandise outlet is willing to stock pen knives is open to debate), in fact most people have been serene and quite philosophical about it. In itself, that’s a first for our fanbase (that’s a joke BTW. I think), but let’s see what happens if we lose a couple more games. Don’t put away the tin helmets just yet
Elsewhere in the club, the ladies have been doing well for themselves. They’ve drawn in the third round…… Arsenal. Away. Who last time whipped the girlies’ arses quite a bit. After reading some discussions about the future of the women’s team, it’s ironic that the ladies is the part of AFCW that is getting the club’s name into the wider sphere. Name me another way that AFC Wimbledon gets onto the Sky Sports News ticker thingy at this moment. With the rate things are going for the ladies, it might end up being more cost effective to get rid of the mens’ team……………
And yes, SW19 sponsors a kit of one of the ladies team. I will put it up on the front page, honest.
Finally, and for those a little bit perplexed about the new front page, check this out from the OS. Done that? It’s under “Your Views on the Champagne Song”. Anyway, the rub of this seems to be that some people find the CS song offensive, and basically don’t want it sung, ever. So, a few thoughts. Firstly, the practicalities : if 500 people are suggesting that opposition fans are in sub-standard employment, there is no way that 500 people will get slung out. Of course, there may be a “don’t sing that please” over the PA, but we all know what will happen then, don’t we?
Secondly, I really do wonder about the mentality of people who complain about this sort of thing. It’s a football ground, for fucks sake. Not my local church, not the Women’s Institute. My feeling is that those complaining are the po-faced uptight liberal sort who read the Independent and listen to Travis. I suppose the argument for not singing is about the kids present. OK, most people tend to tone their language down anyway around wee nippers, but you really can move them away into a quieter area. That’s what the kids section is for, right? And besides, don’t think your cherished sprog doesn’t know half the swearwords in existance. Go to a playground, or Morden high street, and tell me that the CS is anything worse than you hear in real life.
Thirdly, and most importantly, the CS isn’t exactly the most offensive song sung at a game. Christ, it’s not the most offensive song sung by AFCW fans. I’m personally much more offended by the occasional “No Surrender” chant, and not much is made of that. Try wearing a Celtic/RoI shirt at a game, and expect some UVF-wannabe to gob off at you.
Put it into context : if we did Madrid-style monkey chants every time a black player touched the ball, you have every right to complain. Or sung about Munich 58, or Hillsborough. But a song with more humour in it than half the songs put together? Heard Man Utd’s “Feed the Scousers” song recently? Bit of black humour, sure, but that’s what football is. My polite suggestion to those offended by the CS is to try and watch something outside of the AFCW bubble. You might learn something you probably didn’t want to learn. I would give you my impolite suggestion, but I don’t think it will fit.
I think more concern should be put into why people don’t sing in general at AFCW, at times we’re quieter than Franchise fans. But with instances like this, it’ll only make things worse, not better. Let’s hope common sense prevails. Meanwhile, I’m off to see if Molesey’s #7 missus will let me use her whip this week…