Sense Of Perspective

I wasn’t intending to post anything about today’s game, even before the first half, as I really just wanted to enjoy a game of football at The Valley. I was always going to miss the Colchester game, having my scheduled Amsterdam work-related trip. In the event I didn’t get there and still didn’t make the game as my mother died in hospital on Wednesday. She wasn’t an outright Addick, but my father was and he made sure that the line continued. She actually persuaded him to skip a game just before Christmas to do some shopping instead; it was that 7-6 Huddersfield game. I don’t think she made any such suggestion again.

However, one type of person and one individual persuaded me otherwise. The former were the people that left before half-time. I genuinely feel sorry for them. They’ve paid for their ticket and sure can do what they want. But they will never truly enjoy the highs. I don’t understand their attitude and don’t want to. I’d just ask them to look up in the dictionary the definition of supporter. It’s their loss. The latter was the linesman in front of the East Stand. Incompetence personified. Having pulled it back to 2-4 he stood motionless - possibly for the only time of the game having spent the rest of it dancing up and down the line – as Wright-Phillips was bundled over. It was a blatant penalty and a red card to boot. The ref might have missed it, but he had the same view I did and froze. 3-4 with 30 minutes to go and who knows? We might have had a great afternoon, maybe even something to compare with the game my father missed.

We may of course still have lost. In the greater scheme of the season we hope it still won’t really count; and the past week has probably affected my sense of perspective. I enjoyed the second half, even the burning sense of injustice at the penalty decision (I didn’t feel anything similar about BWP’s foul on their keeper for our first). But a win would have been preferable.