You Don't Go Away?!

My first 'proper' Wrexham away game (ive been to a few pre-season friendly games away, and a couple of reserve games), Notts County on Saturday, a long time coming!

250 away supporters, in what must have been Notts County's best stand, apparently their fans have argued to have the away end as their kop end, its huge with great acoustics. Sounds familiar...

Familiar faces sat all-around, the strange overly-passionate (with smelly breath) guy with the tash and cap who always sits near/next to me in the Mold Road Stand was spotted, as were many others from my usual Mold Road position... good to see friendly faces!

Notts County fans were SILENT, and I mean silent! When they scored there was barely a decibel raised, okay Steve Evans gifted their goal early on, but still, silence. In this silence I got to hear the 'real' Wrexham songs (not just "wrexham, wrexham" or "we love you Wrexham we do" etc), and also see just how fickle football fans can be.

From "Brian Careys Red Army" and "We don't care if he's got red hair, Brian Brian Carey". Notts score, cue "Brians lost his job, Brian Brians lost his job", and "Joey Jones' Red Army",chants clearly audible by the bench! Silvio Spann smacks a 25 yard screamer into the top corner and we're back to "Brian Careys Red Army". I then heard the Notts County fans, ah, they were applauding a substitution... All was going well, the Wrexham fans in good voice until the 90th minute... Spann gets sent off for flooring ex-Wrexham Hector Sam just outside the area, Sam was surely poised to score, so no real complaints... As the wall was lining up I said out loud, "look at the right hand side of the wall, looks dodgy, he's gonna hit it right"... he did, straight in! Cue "We want Carey out!" repeated, oh and lots of fans storming out of the ground, the Notts fans waving us all goodbye, as is customary of either set of fans in such a circumstance as a late winner goes in. Gutted! Losing like that, with just us 250 fans in a fuck-off huge stand in shocked silence, with the other 3 sides of the stadium hurling abuse and jumping for joy with their late winner, is a very lonely place.

I'm a Carey fan, I desperately want him to string two or three wins together and get a settled team out (currently making Benitez' rotation look stable!), and creep up the league, with maybe a cup shock at Peterborough (not essential), and all will be turned round... though I fear, defeat at home on Sunday against rivals Shrewsbury could spell a complete turn on the manager/players/owners from aforementioned 'hardcore'.

Highlight: Stadium announcement just before half time; "If there is a grade 1-4 referee in the stands, please report to reception", I turned my attention to the referee who was limping badly, holding his hamstring and signalling to the sidelines! The announcement came over several times "this is a serious call, any qualified referees in the ground please report to reception immediately". This is surely not allowed? Calling a fan from either set of fans, to referee a league match blatantly involving their team isnt allowed, is it?

A Spann in the works

Wrexham have been something of a base / launching pad / home for Trinidad & Tobago footballers in the last few years, nurchering talents such as Carlos Edwards (a good mention on Match of the Day last Saturday "cutting his teeth with Wrexham"), Dennis Lawrence and Hector Sam.

Following the summer-long rumours and constant readings of Sunderland and Sheffield United messageboards to a particular Trinidad & Tobago player on trial with both clubs throughout June and July - not to mention the fantastic YouTube clip appearing amongst it all, and heavily rumoured to join Wrexham (Brian Carey had him on a shortlist since February at Trinidad v Iceland apparently)... He was finally spotted on the Wrexham team bus for the trip to Darlington on Saturday, and was sat amongst the bench for the defeat... It seems he had his first full training session with the club yesterday judging by all the photos in the local papers this morning and splashed about on various websites, and mention of a 3 year contract. So just a work permit to come through, and Silvio Spann with (hopefully) strikes like the one leaving his foot last month in the Gold Cup below, are coming to the Racecourse very soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChSTu7wuCiM

Another Loan (Moan)

OK, i'll cover it, as briefly as possible; Wrexham FC... amongst everything else at the club off the pitch, I feel we have made too many loan signings recently (7 in 5 weeks with more to come). They just don't seem to have any heart in it, we're now in "the relegation battle" - ive tried not to write that before, or if i have it's been with a sense of fun, still in the hope and belief "Its just a phase, it's Wrexham!" - not anymore. A survival of football league status; 5 home league games remaining, just 4 goals and 3 points scored, no win, since Brian Careys appointment, 9 league games ago. Strong centre-back Steve Evans now serving a 5 match suspension for his red on Sunday. I believe Gareth Evans will be centre-back - a player so shit we couldn't even get rid of in the summer - and they tried.

Loanees replacing regular fit first team players places in the 'team', I don't get it!? Fair enough to patch up injury / suspension holes - but i think there are 4/5 loanees now, all starting - where is the sense of 'team' there?!

Got to get a Wrexham / Everton tie-in here; Wrexham currently have Evertons 3rd or 4th keeper "John Ruddy" on-loan, starting now ahead of international first-team keeper Ingham, who admittedly was a liability / shite in his last few games, though kept a clean sheet against Wales... From what i've been reading each game, John Ruddy is "Ruddy ...insert cheap shot here...".

In total fairness the Shrewsbury match report reads well for on-loan, Jeff Whitley (Cardiff) as perhaps the best player on the pitch - have i just contradicted my entire post? I dunno, but i do know that another loanee has been signed yesterday; a striker from Stoke City called Martin Paterson.

I'm behind Carey with my support. One of the best centre-backs the club has had is in danger of his reputation being tarnished by his work in a job he didn't even apply for. He may prove to be a great manager, but thrust into managing a depleted, low morale, injury riddled squad with loss of coaches, after the transfer deadline, at 22nd in League 2 with not many games remaining at the time of his appointment, is just cruel! I'm led to beleive this current run is the worst in Wrexhams "history" - of which, there is lots! Brian, be a hero!

Oh to start this season over again; Unbeaten for 7 league games, "hammering" Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in the Carling Cup, and taking Birmingham to extra time in the next round! From the depths then, let's get it back for the final fight...

How good does: Season 2006/07, League 2, Wrexham - Pos. 23rd - Relegated from the football league Look on any players CV?! Pull it together!

I will leave posting about Wrexham FC for a few weeks now. Let it take it's course and see what happens. Follow the results on that vidi-printer people!

Todays Betfair prices for the drop:

Torquay United 1.15
Wrexham 1.67
Boston United 2.00
Accrington Stanley 3.55

* There is rumour of Boston Utd going into administration... how ironic! We're relegated to League 2 because of the 10 point ruling, the very rule which could keep us in the league this season! Dire. Ashamed to have included this paragraph in my post to be honest.