Tuesday 5 January 2010

Warnock To Wednesday? Snow Chance!

First of all, let me start by wishing you all a very Happy 2000 and TEN!

Now to business:


We all know January brings out the worst in sports journalists (this blog doesn’t count, I’m not a professional!) and as we Palace fans fret over the future of our star player/team/squad/entire club, reports have emerged tenuously linking Neil Warnock with Sheffield Wednesday. Jesus H Corbett!

The report emerged in the gospel according to The Daily Mail- and the headline reads thus-

"Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock fuels shock Sheffield Wednesday link!"


Gracious me! Could this be? Could Neil have become so fed up with the ever-growing problems at Selhurst Park that he would not only desert us, but also piss off every Sheffield United fan he ever won over? Maybe he’s gone mad!
Now being a Palace fan, nothing surprises me- so I read on expecting some petrol-like quotes from our manager to ground this report in at least some topsoil of reality.
Before I knew it, the article was over- nothing inflammatory, no substance, and a complete waste of eyes.

Take a couple of quotes from after the Sheffield Wednesday cup game (which aren’t even printed in the Mail’s article!) such as “Wednesday is a big club”, “They’ve got it all ready here”, “They can get 30,000 fans in” etc and that gives 2nd rate journos the opportunity to then produce the above headline/bull-excrement.
Palace fans know it’s not going to happen, Wednesday fans know it’s not going to happen and even Blades fans would chuckle reading that.

Lucky for the journos that they can spin such non-quotes from his autobiography ‘Made In Sheffield’ (and take note- released in 2007):

“Would me taking over at Wednesday be a possibility? Of course it's a possibility, why not? 'A job's a job and if you need a job you need a job”

Now if you’re going to base an article on that quote, then surely the headline should read:

‘Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock says something perfectly sensible in his two year old book’

Yes, that’s what I thought, not worth writing, not worth reading, not worth printing- there’s too much truth in it for starters and this is the Daily Mail so it lacks that edge of Sachs-gate scandal.

So why do they bother?
We have perrrr-lenty of issues for them to talk about and embellish. We have a hot, hot, hot young English talent, drawing interest from all over the globe. A squad that continues to push towards the play-offs even though it’s been made out of lolly sticks and held together with pritt-stick! All notable achievements, given our clubs stature.
Or, should they insist on focusing on the negative- our financial woes are reflective of a much wider, bigger problem in English football. Two, London-based clubs, with recent Premier League experience AND an actual Premier League club, with recent FA Cup glory, £80million+ of player sales and two ‘big money’ takeovers- are all dangerously close to extinction!
Suddenly, the ‘problems’ covered heavily on the Sky Sports News hourly merry-go-round time bubble such as ‘Chelsea to be without Drogba for FIVE WHOLE games!!!’ and ‘Why won’t Robinho score loadsa goals away from home?’ don’t really seem that relevant or important anymore (not to me anyway).

Anyway, what is relevant is this weekends’ fixture against Bristol City. It’s currently snowing heavily which is great for those who want a day off tomorrow. However, if the game gets called off on Saturday, our revenue for this week is zero- making administration an even colder, slippery grave to fall into.
If it goes ahead, then Selhurst will be a bubblin’ hot cauldron of noise, passion and commitment- City are sure to bring a decent (in numbers, if not behaviour) crowd which would be much less if the game gets a midweek replay, and our attendances are gradually on the up anyway so hopefully, there’ll be a bit more cash in the coughers to keep us hanging on a little longer. Let’s hope so eh? And who knows, this time, we may get the correct amount of points in relation to the amount of goals we score. I know Christmas is over, but is that too much to ask?

See you all Saturday (hopefully). Wrap up, turn up, and sing up.


Power To The Palace


and as requested at the end of our last blog by 'mattoftheday'- ladies and gentlemen- Obi-1-Speroni




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