October Edition of Trust Ade!

 Trust Ade

The Toughest Game of the Season.

The toughest game of the season.

Lets face it; it’s fantastic being a Salop fan at the moment. I drove to work on Wednesday with my match programme and ticket in hand for all to see. Pride of place on my desk was my copy of ‘Quarters’ and soon I was telling tales of a match to remember.

I suppose in Wycombe the game wont register. For example how many of us claim to have been at the Meadow on the evening that coalition went into Kuwait for Gulf War One, and Town lost 6-2 at home with ‘ Tommy putting the kettle on!’ There again I wonder how many Torquayians do?

Wycombe fans wont flinch an eye, if there side gets promotion and that is their ultimate aim, but I also don’t think for one minute that Wycombe aren’t thinking, um, that Shrewsbury sides pretty good!

There can't be many times in a lifetime of watching Salop that I’ve been confident of Town winning anywhere and Tuesday was no exception. Even at 3-0 up after 60 minutes I was telling a mate of mine that thinking this game was a foregone conclusion was jumping the gun. I remember Rochdale away and the victory celebrations at 3-1 after 45(a certain mr Holt put paid to that one too, ed).

The thing is though, we are good. We looked awesome. Yes, Grant Holt is without doubt the best striker I have seen since I entered Gay Meadow for the first time on the 5^th October 1974. 34 years almost to the day, here was a striker that I’m sure any Nottingham Forest fans watching must have thinking, why did we sell him!

However, it wasn’t just the great Holt show. As I sat with mates, who I’d stood with at palatial stadiums and non-league hovels.We talked about people like McIntyre, who looks a world beater, Ben Davies who played magnificently, the former captains in our team, and the desire to win. Ben Herd looks like the freedom to attack, has lifted a wait off his shoulders. Hibbo, reminds me so much of Steve Biggins, he works his arse off, he’s never going to be a Grant Holt or a Richard Walker but you know that the guy will give his all. That’s what Town fans want, a team that will die for them because the fans will give their all for team. Maybe not all the time in noise, but in pure dedication.

It was interesting to see peoples reactions. I mean we didn’t really go totally mental (well apart from the Grant’s 4^th from other side of Marlow!). It was like sheer disbelief, were we that good? Were they that rubbish? I think we just bossed it. As Peter Taylor said, we were strong, and from a Town team that over the last 15 years seemed to have struggled with the concept, that is fantastic achievement.

I really feared for Paul Simpson as we struggled to get out of the relegation mire last season. Look at us now! Yes, we’ve had money but it’s money earned and not to be squandered. As much as Sean Thornton would be a brilliant signing, if the budget doesn’t add up, don’t sign him. It’s a long game, we have to play as our current Vice Chairman once told me.

There is still a long way to go but Town fans everywhere should be proud of our team, management and board. We are all very quick to criticise when things go wrong but we should acknowledge the fact of a wonderful achievement (and Helen a home draw would be nice on Saturday morning please!).

Tomorrow we face our hardest challenge. Forget the fact of where Port Vale are. Their problems. We know they have one guy in Luke Rodgers who can fire off at will and I’m sure not only will he get a fantastic reception tomorrow but will be gunning to get a goal at the Prostar.

Remember when we used to go to Stoke and their fans would be telling us how they went to the bookies before the game to get odds on a 5-0 win. how stupid did they look when Tony Kelly danced round their team and the Boothen End to score in a 3-1 win! That’s what we have to guard against and as fans, we really have to get behind them tomorrow, because its going to be tough!

No Holt as well, so the first real test. Likely Walker and Hibbert up front. We’ll see how our supposed big squad of quality and ‘Chelsea of League Two’ status really stack up.

But I really hope we win. Going to watch Town these days is so much fun and after the dross of last season, I look forward to match days with great joy.

Lets just hope England can do it as well!

Ade Plimmer