There is only one thing to talk about so let's get to it. The columns this month are being filed in a situation that looks like promising the end to the near ceaseless misery we've endured since the start of the 97/98 season. John Courtney having stayed the course of a takeover has, apparently, found the cash to buy out FGB. As of the end of January 2002 we are a few days and some legal tying up of the situation short of a takeover wanted by every Carlisle fan worth their reputation. I'll assume for the sake of argument that the deal will have been finalised by the end of the month. So where does that leave us? Frankly, the world has changed since the last time we were in this situation in 1992. At that time The Premier League was a novelty, the gaps between the richest and poorest were smaller. Coventry and Wimbledon had won the FA Cup within the previous five years and Oldham had pretensions of being one of the best two dozen clubs in the country. A decade on the world is different. About the only similarity is our current league position. The major difference in the two takeovers is the talk that's been attached to each. There may come a time when fans will be frustrated by a chairman who seems rooted in the real world although, personally, I'm ready to get used to it. In 1992 Michael Knighton put his arm around Colin Seel's shoulders and asked him to imagine the stands at Brunton Park full of crowds cheering at a European Cup [this was before the Champions League structure] semi-final taking place in Carlisle. JC has talked a totally different future, discussing the survivability of gates under 5,000 and preparing us for a more cautious approach to the business of keeping a club in the black. The difference is crucial. The next chairman is a realist. A man with, apparently, a solid business record, most of which involves achieving success by catering to a market in rural communities with long established values. Ireland and Cumbria do have some similarities and the combination of graft and inspiration that made JC a major financial player in his home country could, potentially, turn fortunes around for us all. These are very early days but already there are a few pointers to the likely shape of the coming regime. The Irish connection is useful as a source of potentially good players. The only losers in this situation are the clubs in Ireland and I did feel for the guy who posted to this effect on the message board recently. It's a grim fact that clubs in that small league can't even compete with our own Third Division. The top clubs in our bottom league would walk to a championship over the Irish Sea. However, the truth is that Eire is a source of untapped talent. The presence of some big clubs, like Manchester United, and their scouts over there has blinded many to the real situation. These top clubs were creaming off a select few players whilst many other players with the ability to survive lower down the English game played out careers in their homeland because of ignorance, apathy and cost cutting in the scouting for the lower leagues. If we hit a vein of form signing talent over there we can't realistically expect to have the place all to ourselves for long. But we do have connections. Similarly we do have connections locally and during the brief periods when our own youth policy has worked well the production line has thrown up the likes of Jansen and Caig. Not to mention Jeff Thorpe, Darren Edmondson and a host of others who were never likely to be world beaters but did provide us with a squad worthy of the silverware we briefly enjoyed. Our ability to find local talent has always been a huge potential strength simply because the remoteness of Cumbria will continue to deter other scouting operations. If we turn up another Kevin Beattie locally there is always a likelihood that some big club will show an interest. If we turn up more Thorpeys and Edmonsons we probably get some good years out of them and/or a few grand for our troubles. JC looks like a man smart enough to build on solid foundations and work within realistic limits of budget. With Ireland and Cumbria to trawl for potential talent and some common sense in the boardroom we might once again be looking at years of hope ahead. Frankly, we're so far down now that simply making the obvious decisions is likely to pay off in terms of results. These obvious decisions involve getting the wages to a manageable level and setting up a team that combines experience and potential. On the good side this should mean a team fit to sustain a climb up the league and workable runs in cup competitions, especially the LDV Trophy, Auto Windscreens Beer Tray or whatever they call it next. On the bad side this will mean watching young stars come up and leave us for big transfer fees. But at least we might see the likes of a Jansen or Dobie on a more regular basis. It's been a regular belief amongst the Blue Army that we're a sleeping giant. Courtney appears to agree but, crucially, he hasn't been that specific about the exact heights he sees us reaching. "First Division" covers a range of possibilities, from Port Vale levels of performance to Manchester City. It is, of course, blindingly obvious that clubs like Gillingham, Crewe and Port Vale have sustained seasons amongst the top 50 on a fan base that matches our own. That means it is possible for us. It guarantees us nothing. The one thing we appear to be guaranteed is graft. Graft from the chairman and graft on our own part. His early comments discussed what might be possible if gates went up about forty per cent. That will happen if we turn out. He'll put in the work if we put in the appearances. So, a touch of realism won't go amiss to mark the end of FGB's fantasy epic. The travelling support, myself included, dependent on Virgin, Arriva and the M6 don't need much reminder about the grim realities of life. Perhaps, at long last, the grim realities will end when we've gone through the turnstiles. Neil Nixon |
