| Relief ahead of joy 09:34 - Apr 30 with 587 views | patrickswell |
I think that the full happiness of the achievement will hit me later, but the abiding feeling is relief at finally getting out of the third tier and a tangible sense that we’re moving forward. For the first time in many, many years it really feels as though it’s working.
I only saw 3 games in the flesh this season, Accrington (away) when we were full of early season hope and optimism and winning at the Wham Stadium for the first time in front of a crowd seemed to portend it was going to be a successful season. I was at Exeter in November, lustily joining in the abusive songs about Sky TV and standing among a crowd that was still processing the double trauma of the squandered 2 goal lead at Charlton and a continued inability to beat Cheltenham Town.
And I made my return to Portman Road for the first time since March 2019, to watch Town complete a 4-0 win over Forest Green Rovers. A match we were expected to win and had to win in order to try and shake off the malaise that had hung over us since those traumatic last 4 minutes at the Valley.
I was pleased to be back at Portman Road, but I watched the match with the air of someone who had a ticket to the finals of the synchronised swimming at the Olympic Games. I could admire the artistry but in the wider context of the sport, it felt irrelevant as we sat 8 points behind two sides who looked uncatchable. There was a murmur of surprise at Plymouth drawing a home game, but Sheffield Wednesday came from behind to beat Port Vale 5-2 and that felt like football confirming that it didn’t matter what we did from this point on, we weren’t going to claw this back, regardless of what we did.
I saved my energy towards what I saw as the endpoint of the season, the play-offs. As Town started to rack up the wins, I was either out with the family, doing some occasional Saturday work or ironing with Soccer Saturday on as background noise. I greeted the victories through late February/early March like a parent being told by their 8 year old that they scored a hat-trick in a PE lesson, “That’s nice dear, well done.” It wasn’t time to get the hopes up beyond that level.
When Sheffield Wednesday lost to Barnsley, I saw it as a good result for football, more than I saw it as a good result for us. I had their game with Forest Green on as a hangover cure more than anything else. It was funny when they lost and like everyone else, I was pleased for Duncan Ferguson. Then they were 2-0 down to Cheltenham and it started to become really funny. “They’ll wake up in a minute though, surely.” I thought and feared that we would too as the enormity of the opportunity presented itself. I told myself we would drop points to Derby or Wycombe and Wednesday would stretch their lead again. Even as 6 points were delivered by McKenna’s men, I remained analytical rather than excited, thinking how much Wednesday resembled us under Burley when our tilts at the top 2 would hit springtime turbulence in 1999 and 2000.
Then came April 15. I was at a farm with my niece when I checked the scores and saw Town romping to victory over Charlton while Wednesday were crashing and burning at Burton. And for the first time, I started to believe. I was working though able to check the scores against Port Vale. Broadhead’s penalty brought out the clenched fists like I’d scored the goal myself. Last Saturday, I was working again and when I saw that we’d gone 2-0 up at Peterborough, I was finally able to say it to myself: We’re going to get promoted. This team is playing with the aura that winners have when they close in on a prize. Winning seems as natural as breathing and this team are breathing like Zen masters. We never do this usually, but I recognised it from 1992 and 2000 and the omens were good.
I worked on Tuesday and when I finally saw Hirst’s goal, I could picture the reaction to it as a definitive cheer to greet not just a goal, but promotion, 4 days early.. And then there was yesterday, I concentrated on enjoying the wedding I was at. Caught up with family, posed for photos and soaked up the love of the gathering. Checked my phone to see it was 3:23 pm. Looked at the score, 2-0 to Ipswich. Went to my wife and parents and sang “The Town are going up.”
10 minutes later, I looked again and saw we were 5-0 up, “Bloody hell!” I exclaimed. These miracle men had saved their biggest miracle for when they needed it most.
I have to go. I’m typing this in a Travel Inn and it’s time for breakfast. More will be said in days and weeks ahead. But I am content today, having spent 12 weeks in quiet contemplation over the challenges ahead and watching on quietly as Town pulled off a miracle and football proved that it really is the funniest of all games.
Thank you, Kieran, Thank you, ITFC, Thank you, Gamechanger, Thank you, Mark Ashton and thank you TWTD. |  | | |  |
| Relief ahead of joy on 09:41 - Apr 30 with 531 views | MillsyVOR |
Great post!! ðŸ‘👠|  | | |
| Relief ahead of joy on 09:41 - Apr 30 with 528 views | MillsyVOR |
Great, great post!! ðŸ‘👠| | | |
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