Old Dogs, New Trick

Our less than stellar start to the new season - three defeats in our first five games - has revealed a surprising trait amongst hardened Poppies everywhere.

No-one seems to be freaking out!

Have we learned the art of patience?  Have we "chilled-out?"  Have we really become a more grown-up, responsible and level-headed body of supporters?

Of course we haven't!  I'd suggest we're still the same bunch of grizzling moaners we've always been. The difference this year is that we've perhaps considered the step-up in quality and the tough opening few games and adjusted our expectations accordingly.  There's also the Marcus-effect in that we all really quite like Marcus Law as a person and as a manager.

Deep down we all feel bad about how Marcus was allowed to drift away from the club during Ladak's mad final months.  This will earn him a longer than average honeymoon period.  And, it has to be said, we've actually played some decent football and haven't looked out-classed (just out-scored!) so far this season.

So, for now, we're all onboard with our new boss and his ever-evolving squad.  One can only imagine how different our reaction would have been had last year's management team presided over the exact same start though.....

Poppies fans these days.
The picture of serenity.

Where's Sandy?

After we posed the question - did Elliott Sandy appear in every photograph taken during last season's title celebrations, we have received a few photographs which claim to be Sandy-lite.  As we suspected, it was a tough ask!

Sorry guys.  Elliot is still pretty prominent.

Mmm.  Slightly better, but unless we're very much
mistaken that's Elliot still riding high.

A bit better.  Elliot's not the focal point of this photo,
but he's still in there!

Also, does he ever do any of his own walking
or is he simply carried everywhere?






This is much more like it.
Elliot is not only not the focal point,
but he has now become, for once,
the carrier, not the "carryee"

I think we have a winner.  Elliot can barely be seen.
He is right at the back, just disappearing down the tunnel
with the League Trophy in his grasp.

Rumour has it he has slept with it every night since....

Give him a K. Please.

You had to feel for the lad who during the second half on Saturday, attempted to crank up the atmosphere by leading the Tin Hat Enders in a chorus of With a K & an E…

Rule no.1 of leading a terrace singalong: have a voice that is deeper than Aled Jones.

By the time he got to the second T he must have had an inkling that he was going to have to get through this on his own. 

But credit to the boy, he kept going to the end, with dogs across Burton Latimer pricking up their ears at some of the top notes.

Imagine how embarrassing that must feel.  Especially when someone else immediately starts the same chant and everyone joins in.

 

...And They're Off!

Our 143rd season is well under way, and yesterday evening's game with Redditch has assured us that we have definitely moved up a division.  A good tight game that could have gone either way - you'd have to say a draw was about fair?

But enough of that.  This is PATGOD.  The one thing we hate covering is the actual football.  Not when there were numerous other goings-on which were far more interesting.

Such as: -

When did footballer's legs get so skinny?  I appreciate big strapping thighs probably don't kick-in until Conference level, but bloody hell, even my weedy arms were twice as thick as Saul Williams's legs!  The Missus is decidedly underwhelmed by the thighage on display.

Gary  Mulligan is fast becoming the Utility Player's Utility Player.  Could have easily been MoM last night in his new CB position.  We definitely need three of him to give our team a good spine.

New floodlight bulbs, all working, really do illuminate proceedings well.  Not well enough for the match officials alas....

This season's Klondike draw has continued where all the previous ones have ended - mainly existing to kick me in the teeth every fortnight.  Last night the winning ticket was sold one after mine.

The.
Very.
Next.
F**king.
Number.

I hate the Klondike and the Klondike hates me.  And we'll both go through it all again on Saturday.

Is it just me, or is Elliot Sandy in every photograph celebrating last season's title win?  There was a celebratory photo in the Redditch programme, and there he was - front and centre.  I looked at the photo's I took at Rugby and at home to Bedworth, and bugger me, if he wasn't slap bang in the middle of all my shots too!  Did anyone take a photo at either of those two games without having Elliot completely photo-bomb proceedings?

This photograph that I took at Rugby last season
has the LEAST amount of Elliot Sandy in it of any I
took on that day or against Bedworth.

At least he looks happier than Kolo.

Can anyone supply even one photo where
Elliott appears less?