Now the side-show of the Ryman League Cup semi-finals are over, let's get to far more important issues...
A call to support the only North Wales football team in the football league, and a constant feeder to the WelshYouth, U-21's and "A" Squad:
Wrexham FC, in the relegation battle of all relegation battles, to avoid the “big” drop out of the league into the Conference this Saturday. Wrexham (21st) V Boston Utd (23rd).
Wrexham need a win or a draw to guarantee survival, keeping their "years" of league football history alive, versus relegation rivals Boston Utd, who need to beat Wrexham to survive! A true "Them or Us" scenario will unfold...
If you think Wrexham are battling relegation because they deserve to be, and just not good enough, think again and read this summary: Wrexham were forced into administration in 2005 by a
property-developer chairman and equally crooked board around him, who purposely bankrupt the club, whilst illegally signing over the stadium and land to his property developing business to bulldoze in order to sell the land and build a shopping retail park on the site of one of the oldest football grounds in the world (
Racecourse est.1872) – officially the oldest ground still in use today and staging international football matches - including this beauty in the mid-80’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HTSLLHKT38. Due to marches, protests, petitions, local government support and candle-lit vigils outside the ground; the bulldozers never got near, but the club went into administration.
Matters off the field in Wrexham have a lot to answer for, for their current position. For those unfamiliar with football administration it equates to 10 league point deduction, squad size restrictions & unable to buy players. Wrexham couldn’t pay wages for 3 months, and couldn’t afford electricity for floodlights – it took Robbie Savage to pay that bill! Craig Bellamy donated money to afford loan players last month. Wrexham were in administration for a record length of time (17months - if you are in administration for 18months the club is disolved!). In administration squad players are transfer listed (by the administrators to try and re-coup monies to the creditors by selling players), or leave on Bosmans due to unable to renew contracts and wage agreements. An example; Carlos Edwards went to Luton Town under the Bosman ruling, Luton sold him on to Sunderland for £1.5million; Edwards scored Sunderlands screaming winner last weekend, gaining Roy Keanes team automatic promotion to the Premiership – if Keane holds him in the highest of regard, you’d best believe how good he was for Wrexham in footballs basement! Wrexham FC saw £0 for these transactions.
The above is just a part of it, never-the-less, some players haven't cut it, coaching and managerial staff up-heavals, suspensions, injury situations, and many loan players haven't bothered playing is all part of it... it has "all" culminated to one last Saturday - tomorrow!
If you're not able to be amongst the expected 12,000+ at the Racecourse tomorrow (i will be, Mold Road Stand with a bunch from Conwy - Mal your a legend giving up your Manchester derby ticket mate!), listen to the radio, watch Sky Sports News who have a pitchside reporter at the game, keep watching that teletext flickering refresh pages, keep hitting the refresh button on the internet, or see the vidi-printers scroll...
In the words of so many on
Red Passion (and how good have some of the threads been on that forum this week!) "Come on the town!". Fans United!
Few sporting occassions have had me come out in goosebumps, and get those shivers, this one did; this was without a player on the pitch, a ball being kicked; just watching an old stadium fill to bursting Saturday, a swaying kop, scarves, flags, the sun beating down and inflatable sheep bouncing atop the crowd all contributed to an atmosphere and a noise i've never heard before at the Racecourse, let's all get back there for the first game next season! The goosebumps returned on on the drive home on hearing highlights of Ian Gwyn Hughes' commentary on BBC Radio Wales. Sport eh?...
3-1 and finished 19th, high and dry above relegation. Survival means I may get to hear the chant at Mansfield Towns 'John Nutter' again next season; "Oi John! Your Missus is a Nutter!" - the best chant of the season, by a long way! Until August then... re-group, re-assess, and push on, and to quote hero Brian Carey: "Make sure this never happens again". What a memory!
