I'll admit that this week I've felt fairly ambivalent about the whole Bury/Bolton debacle; if you spend beyond your means, why should you expect anyone else to bail you out? As one Bury black pudding seller said in an interview, if he were to go to the wall, why should the baker pay to keep him afloat?
That changed walking to the ground today, and seeing all the people around me for whom Portman Road has been part of their Saturday routine 23 times a year ever since they can remember.
I parked in the same spot, took the same route to the ground and town, popped the same long-odds accas on at the same bookie, and then came back to the ground to have the same burger as usual from the same burger stand (the one opposite the away end FYI. If you don't get your pre-match burger from there, why not?).
Anyway, I digress.
I listened to some Bolton fans on R5L on the drive to Ipswich, and got to thinking "if the same were to happen to Town, I'd blooming miss this". Sure, there'd be a phoenix club with the same badge and the same colours. It'd be as close to the real thing as possible, but it still wouldn't be the same. It'd be like losing your partner in an horrific accident, and replacing them with one of those freakily lifelike latex dolls. It just wouldn't be quite right.
Whatever the pros and cons of Evans' ownership are, I just count myself lucky that I still have a club to come and cheer on today. Reading an article this morning which highlighted the number of clubs that had issues paying their players last season, it really rams it home that it can happen to any one of us. Then you read that Ken Anderson had been sniffing around the club at the same time as Evans, and it all becomes a bit too close for comfort.
I'd hazard a guess that probably 60 of the 72 EFL clubs are one final net loss too many, or one poor owner away from ending up like Bolton or Bury, us included.
Say what you like, but today I feel very fortunate. |  |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
