| Was It Worth It? Written by cvillageblue on Wednesday, 4th Sep 2013 14:43 On Saturday as my 40th birthday approaches, I stepped back 15 years in my life as I spent most of it on my own travelling cross country to watch the Town play. My family has never really understood my obsession with a largely unsuccessful football club from the other side of the country. Perhaps if my parents had starved me of the oxygen during my teenage years I may not be quite as obsessed. However, parental love meant that my father was willing to drive from Aberystwyth to Shrewsbury on a Tuesday night and spend a Saturday on the train to the bright lights of Wolverhampton. This exposure to ‘proper’ football was enough to keep me going. Upon my return from these trips my mother always asked "Was it worth it?". Have you ever tried convincing someone after spending all day watching your team lose to a lower division team in the cup (Wrexham) that it was worth it? Independence coincided with the Burley years and the excitement of the play offs and it seemed perfectly normal to spend five or so Saturdays a year on my own following the Town. Then we had children. The past few years have been OK with Bristol City and Cardiff in the Championship – however as both were selfish enough to exit the league last year my options were limited. The league computer malfunctioned again, Reading away was whilst I was on my holiday and Yeovil is on a Tuesday (we’ll see about that one,) so Birmingham it was. By Saturday two of the three females in my life had already voiced their opinion of my trip, "One day you’ll grow up!" - my mother, "Why would you want to spend all day Saturday on your own watching a team from England?", my wife. However, I was not prepared for the third bursting to cry as I departed saying, "Do you have to go all the way to Birmingham, Dad?". So, as I travelled along the Wye valley on a beautiful day, I had one question in my mind: ‘Is this worth it?’ So what of the game? My first disappointment was seeing Elliott ‘the next Gareth Bale’ Hewitt demoted to the bench. However, it soon became clear that it was not a contentious decision as I thought Christophe Berra looked like a very astute signing – commanding in the air and a threat going forward. I don’t think I have seen Ipswich control a game like this since that 6-0 win at Swindon (yes, I was there), yet I had this nagging feeling that we would not win. Whilst their keeper made a series of excellent saves, it seemed that the ball would not fall for us in the box. Do we have the ability to be top six? I doubt it on this performance. Our defence is good enough and thought Aaron Cresswell in particular showed many of the qualities that are needed to flourish in the Premier League. However, if we are to play Chambers on the right then we must have someone in front of him who is willing to take on defenders. My main worry was once again a lack of pace in the side and midfield in particular. There was a lack of a threat on the right with Anderson drifting in too often and Ryan Tunnicliffe looked like a central midfielder playing on the left. They weren’t poor but I felt that this year when we win games it will be by grinding the opposition down rather than through fluid play. And so we move up front. Since the game many have lauded David McGoldrick’s performance, but he should have scored one of his first half chances – and had he done we would have won. Will he score 15 goals this season? I’m not convinced. And to dear old Frank. If Terry Connor and Mick McCarthy make a footballer out of him they will deserve all the credit - a classic battering ram. Does the fact that he has been on the books of two Premiership sides say something about English football’s obsession with big strong players? I will probably keep my £25 Silver Club membership in my pocket this year (bought several times in the past to ensure a Wembley ticket) - however there are definite signs of progress. We have the core of a side that will be with the Town for the next four or five years – and within that core it’s great to see academy graduates. This is how the Town used to operate under the Burley years with Mauricio Taricco, Steve Sedgley, Ian Marshall, Kieron Dyer etc. Players were sold with the money reinvested wisely to develop a side capable of mounting a promotion challenge. That is the Town that has given me my best footballing memories. So, I come back to my original question, "Was it worth it?". Whilst feeling a sense of guilt at reducing my daughter to tears, travelling to watch the Town play is always worth it – to feel the sense of belonging and membership. After all no one knows me in the away end; no one knows that that’ll probably be my only game of the season - for those two hours I am part of an elite group of die-hard fans. However, by next Saturday afternoon I’ll be back being Dad ‘coaching’ (in the loosest sense) my son’s side, but with more than half a mind on how the Town are getting on. Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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