Before we start, let’s get it out of our system first off. After three : ddaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnn to Margit. Oh, we’ll have a pill of jellied eels at the cockle stall etc etc. OK, I’ll stop there. Though after finding out who Franchise have got in the Coke Cup I think I might need to reprise another Chas n Dave song. I’ll need a wash afterwards though.
As for Cockles 0 Muscles 0, I’m in two minds as to whether it’s a point gained or two lost. And I’m veering towards the latter, as we had probably the best chances (OK, the only chances as it turned out). But then again, am I being unfair? Margate were after all third, and doing pretty well, so maybe this was a better result than I’m giving it credit for.
And with this game and Horsham last week, I really can’t say that we’re much worse than they are. Actually, I’ll make a bold statement : we will up there with them this season. We made an indifferent start and are getting better. We need to improve in certain areas, like sharpness up front. And I think DA just needs to be a little more bold with his substitutions – christ, if DG came on yesterday we might have shit them up a la last week.
If their goalie hadn’t made three blinding saves, and especially if RB had just managed to finish off the 1-on-1 at the end, I don’t think they would have been able to answer us back. The sad thing is, on paper at least, this was a worse result than the same fixture last season.
As usual, our season will be made/broken not by these sort of games, but by the likes of Ashford Town this Tuesday. Once, just once, I want a decent 5-0er.
While I live in hope for that, you’ll have to endure…
Plus points: Clean sheet. We didn’t lose. Generally more likely to win the game. Defence looking better.
Minus points: We didn’t win. Finishing. Utterly dull first half.
The referee’s a…..: I’ll give you an idea of what he was like. Just imagine the (PEEP) thing is his whistle. Anyway, it was a bright (PEEP). I’ll try again – it was a bright day, and (PEEP). Grr. The trouble with him (PEEP). I said, the trouble with him (PEEP). One more time – the trouble with him was that he wasn’t exactly (PEEP). He wasn’t exactly (PEEP). For christs sake – he didn’t let the game (PEEP). Flow (PEEP). And really didn’t make for a very flowing (PEEP). Game (PEEP). Oh fuck off (PEEP). You’re going to book me for that, you (PEEP).
Them: I know they’re higher than us, and their record is pretty good this year, but I didn’t really think much of them at all. OK, they whip the arse of people like W&H and Folkestone, but I thought Horsham were better. Put it this way, their goalie was MoM. Maybe they had an off day? Shame to see Justin Skinner acting a bit of a tit…
Point to ponder: Why did 1385 feel like 138 inside the ground at times, atmosphere wise? Actually, scrub that – I know the answer. When their ground finally gets built, it’ll probably be the preferred fixture of the season. Think Dover in the FAC with a better ground. One other point – how much better is it to see clubs who are actually determined to progress? Obviously, we’re doing it, Margate are as well and to a lesser extent Chelmsford (think Canvey Island though). Mind you, each club has one thing in common – they’ve been sizeable in the past and are in the process of rebuilding…
Truth is stranger than fiction: (1) Had a quick look at Margate sea front and saw this rather bizzare gathering on the beach, which looked like a cross between your average Sunday Service and a voodoo ritual. Wonder if they need anyone to sacrifice? (2) Taking me four fucking hours to get home for a journey that should take just under 1 hour 45 mins. And neither the AA or BBC reported the holdup on their systems. Presumably the BBC used the same level of research as they did for Panorama. (3) Seeing shitloads of Weymouth fans at Clackett Lane services, on their way to D&R. One day, that will be us. They also lost 4-1. As I said, one day…..
Anything else? Last season, I wrote this about Margate itself:
If you want a good reason why people go abroad for their holidays, just look at Margate sea front. Basically, it’s grubby 60s style amusement arcades, bingo populated by night shift cleaners, couple of chippies (some closed) and an air of grim decay. Margate’s “Dreamland” complex has to be the most misnamed product since Reg Davis’ Smart car. Some pikey looking locals as well, one of them threw an object at the kebab shop I was in. I know there’s a romantic view of British seaside resorts in some quarters, but you now have to be seriously hard up to go to them. Were these places really the highlight of the working man’s year…..?
Yesterday, I gave it another chance. It was broad daylight, the weather was pretty decent. And guess what : I think it has got worse. Even the chippy on the corner of the station, which was open last year was boarded up. The sad thing about Margate is that if you remove the tacky shit, flatten “Dreamland” and give it a little bit of a clean, it would actually look reasonably decent. Just imagine a non-touristy coastal town in Ireland or Devon. What I think places like Margate need is a couple of decent, Hilton-quality hotels and a very nice conference centre. Sort of an ExCel-by-the-sea…..
So, was it worth it? Suppose so
In a nutshell: Insert seaside related pun here.