The time has come for a sharp turnaround. Fiddling around at the edges is not going to do it. The players we have at the club are either not able or not willing to play as a team and the results we are seeing are as a direct result of that. Losing any game at home is simply not acceptable. Losing four by the end of September is a travesty. If the players don’t want to play at Carlisle they shouldn’t be at Carlisle – it’s as simple as that. However, a word of caution here. Wholesale changes rarely work. The whole reason we are in this mess is because we have failed to stick by players who are actually good enough to play in this division. A sudden clear-out at this stage of the season will achieve little other than certain relegation. We need to bring in three or four experienced players who will steady the side and give us something to build on. It is a crying shame that we have lost two experienced defenders (both incidentally signed by Atkins who knew a thing or two about decent Third Division players) to Gretna. That we should be playing so badly in a season where Carlisle will be playing almost one game a month in the South is doubly annoying. For the first time for years the London Branch has plenty of opportunities to get to see the lads play. Last month the Blues visited both Northampton Town and Southend United. In October it is Kidderminster, November – Cheltenham and December – Oxford. The London Branch organised a Family Fun day at Southend this year with soccer before the match; a visit to the big match where the Blues turned on the style in the second half and then a visit to Adventure Island after the game. This was enjoyed by all who turned up and especially the bonus of a guest appearance of the pop starlet from Steps (or whoever) who turned up at the match. Next month we are arranging to meet up with our East Midlands twig in Lincoln before the match. It’s not widely known that the London Branch has a number of twigs around the country as not all of our members come from London. Yorkshire, East Midlands and Hertfordshire have substantial cells of Carlisle United support and arrangements have been made to host events in York (and Huddersfield as this will be a new ground for many); Lincoln and at the St Albans beer festival (now you’re talking!) to enable exiled Cumbrians to meet fellow United supporters. On a different note you might be interested to know that the London Branch has sponsored Peter Murphy this season. I am telling you this because it may prevent him from falling under the curse of the London Branch player of the Year award. Every year since the trophy was initially presented back in 1975 the winner has either been badly injured or transferred the following season. This put immense pressure on Peter Murphy because not only did he win the London Branch award but he seemed to win every other award as well. It was no surprise then that the first transfer rumours of the season were of Murphy being signed by a First or Second Division club. But we had a trick up our sleeve! Sponsorship! By contrast, no player that the London Branch has sponsored has ever been badly injured or transferred. Dropped for the majority of the season, yes – on several occasions – but never injured or transferred (during that season anyway!). So if Peter Murphy makes it as a Carlisle player to the end of the season, free from injury – you will now know why! Malcolm Fawcett Press and Publicity Officer, London Branch Carlisle United Supporters' Club |
