The blank canvas that is the fixtures and results section of the programme, capturing in two pages of A5, nine months of highs, lows and probably more lows was waiting for us at Clarence Park, as the season opened with a home game against Chippenham Town (sadly not sponsored by McCain. That’s the fries emporium not the American politician).
A little bit of the usual, ‘beginning of the season’ spring was missing from the TLF step as I made my way towards the ground. Pre-season anger and frustration at price increases had taken a bit of the shine off it all and the thought of not seeing all the usual faces was a sad one. (For the record and only time this will be mentioned here, as this is about jollity……TLF gets that the club has a conundrum re finances. TLF doesn’t think the price increases were the right solution, but confesses doesn’t know what the answer is. TLF respects the choice of both those who do attend and those who do boycott home games. TLF really doesn’t think personal abuse based on people’s position on any of this does anyone any good.)
Chippenham Town were sporting a grey kit, sort of matched TLF’s mood and as it turned out the performance on the pitch. Fortunately there were off pitch distractions.
A new regime on the beer stall. With Michael in Italy, TLF had a new boss in the form of Lord Barry of Skillet (LBS). Always tricky to get used to a new boss. They will have a different approach, you’ve got to test the boundaries and they may have different expectations and expect you to focus on your personal development.
LBS certainly runs a tight ship. A bit of what I assumed was acceptable beer stall back chat was threatened with a P45. Although interestingly he is happy to run fast and loose with his pouch (BoomBoom!) or rather his money belt as TLF was given free rein to search for pound coins. Some good teamwork though, by the middle of the first half we had certainly got the “pour a pint each without turning off the tap” down to a fine art.
And he wasn’t letting TLF play the, ”I don’t do the chip and pin machine’, card either (see what I did there?). TLF has always preferred the hard cash, nothing to go wrong with money. Apart from the odd dodgy pound coin. But once you’ve conquered the machine, there’s no looking back. TLF celebrating her first transaction like she celebrates a Saints goal (yep that’s as good as it got). The other great thing about the machine is it means I can keep my hands out of the LBS money belt.
The problems off the pitch aren’t solved by a joyful bar shift and catching up with some of your mates. But the world doesn’t half look a lot better at the end of it. TLF felt quite, well. CHIPPer.
Contactless Fox
St Albans City 0 Chippenham Town 0
Attendance: 549
Consumption: 2 Carlsberg, 1 Stella and lovely to see the return of the crusty cob behind the clubhouse bar
The new dream team