Into the Valley

After Radio Scilly backed Swindon yesterday, station supremo Keri Jones redeemed himself this morning by playing 'Into the Valley'. But then I found out that he didn't know it was a Charlton theme song and his comment on air was that 'it just shows all Welsh people can't sing.'

I had to listen to the match via Charlton Live last night (annoyingly it had a programme about the cup final on for the first part of the game until they found the right feed). We don't have Sky as the local council (quite rightly) bans satellite dishes in conservation areas. The Villa fan down the road gets round this by having a satellite dish in his back garden, but it's an expensive solution and I would rather have plants in my garden than what looks like a booster station for RTL.

The Valley hero Steve Brown was the summariser and he thought that 2-1 was a fair outcome. Owing to Swindon's inaccuracy, we managed to keep them out for the first half, but they were destined to score sooner or later. The second goal was due to schoolboy defending from one of our own corners. Steve commented on these lines, 'They would never have been taught to do that on the training ground. This is not the fault of the manager and coaches. It is the fault of the players who have let their managers and coaches down.'

Moaners have predictably been out in force this morning. Parkinson gets the blame, although as far as I know he is not a registered player. It is true that we don't have a strike force as such, but it's a bit hard to call them 'pub standard' players. Burton's goal was bravely taken according to the commentators. I would give Reid some kind of role, even if not at the start, as I think he is a real attacking threat.

Monday night is an occasion when we have to be united as the 12th man and get behind the team, whatever our reservations about particular players. It is going to be tense and I think it could go to extra time and even penalties.