The worst thing about football fans, which ever team they support, is their memory scan. Of course there is a lot of work and improvement needed both on and off the pitch at Brunton Park, but if you think its bad now, imagine the scenario had John Courtenay not taken over. The team might not be gelling as well as it hopefully will do at present but if things had been left as they were then the eleven that would be running out in the United shirt would have made the current side look like Brazil. People have to realise that our new owner is doing his best, he is a man of many qualities but owning a magic wand is not one of them. The more you get to know the new guvnor the more you admire the blokes character. Think about it. The Irishman's taken over Carlisle United and everything that goes with it. To say there were more minuses than plusses involved in the deal does not even come close to the state of affairs John Courtenay was left with. But he's arrived and had a good, hard look at the mess realised it's a bloody big mess taken that fact on board and is setting about putting it right. He knows theres no point in dwelling on whats done. It would be easy to keep making statements as to the many and massive problems the new regime are up against but that would take time. In some ways it's a pity the bigger picture isn't explained more because already the odd fan has been heard moaning. Courtenay is not doing enough, or not doing things quickly enough, etc. Well I don't know if he's doing "enough" but do know that he's investing in what time there is to go forward and not dwell on what's been done in the past. There are people working at Brunton Park now and I don't have to be talking about JC here, who have been left staggered at the state the club was in. And these are folks who thought they were aware of how big the mess was they were taking on. Us fans thought CUFC would have gone under, or most of us did, had things gone on as they were. We hoped of course that it wouldn't happen. Well after hearing of the horror stories coming to light there is no doubt at all our club was already a lot nearer to the end than any of us could have imagined. It seems that at every level of what is needed to run a football club there were issues that had not been resolved (or attempted even to be) or had simply been ignored. Think of all the things that go on at Brunton Park on a daily basis. All the work that needs to be done to run a football club, also work that does not involve the playing side of the business. You can write your own list but a few examples:- Well first of you need a squad of players, we didn't even have enough for a team only days before the start of the season. The few we did have, with two exceptions I believe, were not getting any wages. Even if we did manage to find eleven to make up the first team chances are they might not have all been able to wear the same kit. Don't forget this is a professional football team we are talking about though if your thoughts are drifting towards the Sheepmount on a Sunday morning it can't be held against you. We've all heard all the other rumours and you wonder if they were true. You know the ones about even if we did have a team there would be nothing for them to eat or drink (unless you like your tea without milk) and away games might have been a problem due to a lack of transport. Suppose we will never really know if all of the above and many more such rumours were true. Some of it sounds so ludicrous its almost funny. But comical it aint. Whatever happens in the future surely every Blues fan should be thankful and very, very grateful that team Courtenay/Collins kept plugging away in the face of ever changing obstacles, ever changing demands and surely some of the most incredible (for all the wrong reasons) shifting of the goal posts in history. I've had e-mails from United fans who have gone to the club shop to try and buy my "Legends" book and have been frustrated in their efforts because the flipping place is never open. So while you can understand the moans about it still not being up and running under the new regime - the fact is there would be little point in opening up a commercial outlet that had been left to rot. There was virtually nothing left to sell. The commercial department at any football club is vital in the revenue it provides. For a club like ours it's so important it can make the difference between surviving or not. But the way that once thriving little Warwick Road shop (I reckon we should start a bring back Martin Hudson campaign) had been totally left to run down why the cynical among you would think those in charge of that set-up were not giving a lot of thought to the future of their football club. The shop should be open and no doubt our Irish owner finds it as frustrating as we do, even if you take the fan part away then Courtenay is a bloody good business man he won't be happy about losing out on the revenue it should be bringing in. I believe John feels that when the club shop does open, he wants it to be ready, wants it to be right for the fans. Some of you may agree, some not; whatever, the issue is high up there on his agenda and as we speak is being sorted. The Paddock moaners won't like it, but that is a long list our new owner has on his hands. A lot needs fixing and it can't all be done quickly - not even by an Irish millionaire. It's not all going to be plain sailing for the United faithful - but there will be be better times ahead to balance things out. Imagine the future we were facing without that balance. That scenario was so close to becoming reality you could touch it! Every fan is entitled to express their opinion of course but does anyone else feel a bit embarrassed that our new owner is hearing even a bit of moaning so soon after saving the club. Oh and surely when thousands of you promised to return to Brunton if Michael Knighton did leave, you didn't just mean for one game did you? We all knew the gate would go down of course, but come on guys, 6,000 in one go, I have to say that makes me feel slightly uneasy. John Courtenay is probably no saint. John Courtenay is probably not going to get everything right. But he's kept us in the game, he's kept us in with a chance. So let's show him we're worth it, let's give him and his staff a chance and let's give him time to sort it out. We've gone from the possibility of not even having a football club to support to feeling frustrated at the delay in getting our hands on a United replica shirt. (And the players only got theirs last week) Of these two problems - and I can't wait to get that shirt to wear - probably the one we've been left with is the more preferable of the two to deal with. So John Courtenay - cheers for buying and saving our club. But do get a shift on where those shirts are concerned mate! Respect Mick Mitchell Legends of Carlisle United, by Mick Mitchell, is available from WH Smith priced at £14.99 - and quite possibly the club shop, too! |
