With yesterday’s announcement of the Conference South fixtures, TLF’s diary is once again full of fixtures. But the pre-season body clock remains a little out of synch as the TLF little grey cells (eat yer heart out Hercule…) try to process the new and old normal.
The new normal (NN) tends to apply to the Mighty Saints. The first St Albans City home game will be in in the month of October, and although the latest government announcements might put it at risk, the plan is/was that fans will be in attendance but masks will be de rigueur and there will be NO hugs. Boycotting on grounds of ticket prices will be depressingly old normal but disappointment on behalf of some re new club badge is certainly NN. And for now the Saintettes sponsorship of a player has not coincided with him leaving the club so that’s a welcome NN.
For my beloved Foxes, games will be behind closed doors, which after Project Restart is old normal, as sadly, is the continued lack of strength in depth of the squad. ‘Sold one first team player, bought one’ is not the kind of a ‘summer break’ scoreline that a fan wants to read particularly after your team limped though, not just the end of the season but most of 2020. And when we are due to crowbar the NN that is Europa League fixtures into what promises to be a whirlwind of a domestic season, it doesn’t exactly instill optimism. Excuse TLF while she googles the odds on the first Premier League manager to be sacked.
But never mind Brendan’s problems for a moment. TLF has her own challenges to overcome.
Now this really is the NN. TLF is out of practice. I’m like a player who has been out of the side for months, the confidence has gone…..I’ve forgotten the old normal of how to bamboozle Mr TLF into not realising that I am abandoning Saturday domestic bliss in exchange for a Stella/Amstel/Singha fuelled afternoon at the footy.
Do I ply him with booze and get his agreement while he is under the influence? Do I argue it is my duty to attend and oil the wheels of the local economy? Do I shout ‘Look over there! It’s a very rare and important old car that you will want to admire and discuss with the owner for the next 2 hours’ and then run?…Or do I just play the “I’ve not been to a football match for a gazillion days and goodness knows what that will do for my wellbeing’ card…although I suppose that is a bit of a one off. Or do I adopt a NN and drag him with me? At least I’ve got until October to perfect my techniques or possibly even longer…….
Never Normal Fox