At last! Some real news! [No. 180]

[AFF]

As I was queing in the newsagents for my copy of "Alternative Things To Do On Saturday Afternoons" this morning, I was attracted to the back page of the St Albans Observer.

 

A brief but quite fascinating read.

 

The manager is quoted. He has spent all week on the phone looking for a striker without success. Nothing in the pipeline. Two [strikers] are not enough. Plans to sign Orlando someoneorother have been shelved to keep money available for a striker. He 'sat down' [always room for another couple of cliches] with Chairman John Gibson last week and discusssed the financial position. Adam Parker was released for financial reasons. [No truth in the rumour of a dressing room bust-up, clearly.] Even though he's on the transfer list at his own request, he hopes to keep Dean Hooper for the rest of the season.

 

The newspaper referred to the 'state of the clubs finances'. I can't recall the word the paper used but it may have been 'desperate'. The paper believes that the budget has been cut by 25%.

 

And that was it.

 

"Hang on", I thought to myself. There is nothing 'desperate' about the club's finances. [These people have short memories.] The bills are paid and the cheques are honoured. What is desperate is the excess of expediture over income. Unfortunately we can't turn the clock back and revise the estimates of income upon which the budget was, presumably, based at the start of the season. Neither can we tear up contracts given to players at the start of the season in expectation of that level of income.

 

What should be done is that every effort should be made to increase

future income. I looked in vain for an appeal to those who don't come to t'Park any more to return and support the lads; for those who do come to bring a friend; for any initiative to attract more fans. There wasn't even any mention of Webbo and that other chap's super poster idea.

 

Just that the finances are desperate or some such word.

 

And the Observer is a 'tame' newspaper that prints whatever The Chairman the nmanager and the Officials issue.

 

Perhaps it will all be in Saturday's Huge, Super, Bumper, Christmas issue of the matchday programme.

 

"For the love of Jesus", I thought to myself, "Is it any wonder?".

[Webbo MFI]

Cheers for that AFF - saved myself 35p!

 

has anyone actually bothered printing and posting a poster?

 

Sandridge is a wash and I hear Harpenden Station has one in the ticket hall

 

anywhere else?

[JKiF]

up and down hatfield road last night....

[Iron Webbo]

Got one up in Braintree for you.

 

Finances are desperate, the Club says ... hmmm?

[Webbo MFI]

good stuff JKIF

 

could you let me know whis shops? I will add them to the "thanks" bit

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

The boards outside the ground generally advertise the games too.

 

Not always the right game, but hey, it's a start.

[AFF]

I've just checked another copy of the Observer. The word they use to describe the club's finances is 'parlous', rather than 'desperate'.

 

Phew! That's a relief.

[Guest]

Isn't parlous worse than desperate?

Doesn't it mean dangerous?

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

Parlous: fraught with danger; "dangerous waters"; "a parlous journey on stormy seas"; "a perilous voyage across the Atlantic in a small boat"; "the precarious life of an undersea diver"; "dangerous surgery followed by a touch-and-go recovery"

 

 

Bloody hell!!

[AFF]

You will probably find that the dictionary definition of'parlous' is something along the lines of 'dangerously uncertain, precarious'.

 

I would have said that 'parlous' meant 'pretty desperate' as opposed to 'desperate'. On a scale of 1-10, I would give 'parlous an 8 and desperate a 9.

[Guest]

What's a 10? Wrexham?

[Rob_the_Saint]

February 2002?

[AFF]

Hi Rob.

 

No, in terms of the state of a club's finances, I would describe St Albans City's position in February 2002 as 'desperate' and a score of 9 would be appropriate. Baldock Town F.C. [deceased] would score a 10.

 

Setting finances on one side, the numerical scoring system is probably not appropriate. Generally, currently, The Mighty Saints are very close to a "Chesham".

 

Oh, by the way. According to the Herts Advertiser, James Gibson has left the club.

 

I still wonder why the Media & Marketing Division of the Club didn't bang on in the local press about 3 goals at Carshalton; repeating the scoreline from our meeting with the Robins in September; our first 'double' of the season; average age of the 10 outfield players 20.7 years [once Nick Roddis was injured]; turning the corner; t'lads fighting for points; Christmas programme [of fixtures, of course] starts with the Boro' on Saturday, etc., etc.

 

The journo in the Herts Ad who writes the match reports had a go. He's clearly making an effort to bring in even 50 supporters to The Fortress as he knows that is worth £12,000 a year to the club. Someone should tell the manager. Perhaps a back copy of the matchday programme would help.

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

Gibson's left the club? Really? WA-HOOO!!!

 

WE'VE GOT OUR CITY BACK.

 

Oh.

 

James Gibson?

 

Oops.

 

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

[Iron Webbo]

For "the nmanager" try "The Manager".

 

Yes Baldock a 10, Feb 2002 an 8 and now no more than 2. Get on with it.

 

My dictionary says: "parlous: perilous; hard to deal with."

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

Gibson? Hard to deal with?

 

Surely not!

[Iron Webbo]

Shouldn't you be down The Crown?

[YB941 5thD EFM ~soul~]

Been and returned!

 

Unfortunately our prices here are going up in January, so I have to send letters out to all our customers today to let them know!

 

Good news is... got the family coming over this evening for a fk off big curry and pints a-plenty to wet young Dylan's head, so the next two and a half hours here will be a breeze!!