There but for the grace of God WAS us!

If a week is a long time in politics, seven years is an eternity in football.  This is nowhere better highlighted than by looking at what has happened to the Poppies and Corby Town over the past one and three quarter World Cups.  

Not so long ago I recall basking in the sun, watching the Poppies team jog heavily around the pitch at Chalfont St Peter in the last game of a season where we were playing just one step up from the UCL League.  While we went through our lazy paces, having won the league a few weeks earlier by being thumped by Rugby Town, Corby Town were celebrating after succeeding in a "Winner Takes All" match with Poole Town for a place in National League North.

We had bumped along at the lowest Southern League level for a couple of seasons after being in free-fall for a couple of seasons before that.  Well, that's if "free-fall" adequately covers being relegated four divisions in just three seasons....

From the environs of sunny Mill Meadow Stadium that April afternoon you couldn't foresee a time when we were likely to ever be on an even keel with the Steelmen let alone overhaul them.  They were looking forward to games against former League giants like Stockport and future League giants like Harrogate.  And perennial middling water-treaders like Boston of course.  We were hopeful of at least give a game to the likes of Paulton Rovers and Kings Langley.

But, as you may well have heard, football is a funny old game.

In a very short period of time our two clubs have completely reversed league positions.  While we are striving for at the very least, mid-table respectability in National North, Corby are struggling towards the bottom of a division that counts Wisbech, Soham and Yaxley among it's luminaries.

Such reverses in fortunes are the reason I never get too carried away when we lose or win a couple of game in a row.  Keeping the big-picture in mind may make you look like a miserable scrote but sometimes you have to act this way to protect yourself in the long run!

"....And it's f**king freezing here...."