Actually, that might be a headline of unintended genius. Or shite…
I think that has to be the best way of describing Accrington yesterday, as I don’t think I’ve remembered a game so universally panned before.
Take every negative stereotype about L2 football, Lancashire, weather in February and northern football teams in general and you’ve got the idea.
I wasn’t there and yet I can still feel the wretchedness of such a tie. Hell, I’m actually struggling to write about any of it.
So I won’t.
What I will say is that automatic promotion isn’t going to be decided by a draw away from home in February.
Granted, it would have helped if we’d won. And now Crewe on Tuesday and Salford this Saturday** become ever more important.
** – a 12h30 kickoff, no less. Funny how the Sky Sports schedule planners have lucked out on their choices.
It’s almost as if the results are pre-determined for maximum TV scheduling…
Our lack of goals continues, although I don’t believe we’re alone in that. And if we’re currently in a goal drought then at some point we should find the net again.
In fact, I’d even say our chances for the automatics relies on it.
I notice JJ yesterday mentioned giving Stevens a rest, and while you’d obviously want your best goalgetters on every time – it makes sense to rotate.
Granted, you can argue that Kelly, Bugiel and (especially) Piggy should be finding the net more. And I got the impression that Stevens himself wasn’t happy with being benched.
It’s sensible management at this stage of the season, and it’s something that shows how squad depth is vital.
Although it hasn’t escaped your editor’s attention that those who slammed JJ for not playing Stevens, are the same ones who blasted him in previous seasons for playing individuals too much…
We’ll also need to rely on our defence, which to be fair is currently handling things very well.
Our goal difference is very good, and that might prove to be a genuine difference when the crunch comes.
And that’s really all you can say about this weekend. As said earlier, it’s a point away from home and if you can’t win games then the next best thing is not to lose them.
Whilst I’m here, I noticed the news earlier this week that By The Horns has been liquidated.
I’m sure the craft beer types will mourn their loss, but this might be a good time to revamp the club pub.
Admittedly, my alcohol drinking days at games seem to be mostly over for now. I’ve never been one for daytime drinking, and my last pre-game bevvy was at Newcastle.
Indeed, the last time I went into the Phoenix was for Coventry last season. It was that long ago.
It’s never been one thing or the other. It’s too small to cater for matchday footfall, too large to market itself as one of those snughole places CAMRA types love.
I think it had to slash its non-matchday opening hours because hardly anyone went in there during the week, which is never a good sign.
It’s dark and dank on matchday. It must have been the worst kind of back street boozer the rest of the week.
OK, this is a BTH issue, and the small-brewery industry seems to be contracting (probably because like being a vegan, it was fashionable a few years ago), but we have a good opportunity to rethink things.
Of course, you have to have a replacement, because we’ll need a watering hole for matchdays. Especially if we’re playing shit.
Would it really hurt if you had a game day bar that just sold the bog standard stuff? A couple of guest ales in, sure, but most places still have the usual lineups for good reason.
Location wise, it’s in the wrong place for it to be useful beyond a game, and mothballing it the rest of the week isn’t going to hurt too much.
When there’s a game on, the bar only really needs to be one you’d find in a Travelodge, although there’s scope for an extra revenue stream.
I still can’t really see why somebody hasn’t seriously considered a sports bar type venture elsewhere in the stadium, though I could be wrong.
I’m sure you can think of your own examples of seemingly viable bars/restaurants on your local high street, and one facing Plough Lane wouldn’t look out of place.
After all, location is everything. Every time I’ve had my pre-game cuppa outside the vacant retail space by the south stand, I’ve thought that using it for that isn’t the worst idea.
At least you can see it from the bus.
Yes, it might cost a lot to fit out, there’s licensing and it might ultimately fail. But the Phoenix in association with BTH has failed as well.
I don’t know how good our commercial department is these days, but I hope it’s at least considered where we go from here with it.
It won’t fund the club’s rise up to the Premier League, even if some of our fans would give it a go, but club pubs are a nice little revenue stream if you get it right.
Although it’s also proved Joe Palmer’s “unique stairwell” wasn’t such a USP after all…