The Blackpool Effect

Yesterday nigh on 16000 City fans were at Valley Parade to watch a game v Barrow !? Lets think about that ? 16000 of us for a game between essentially two "quasi" Non League teams ?. Thats no exaggeration we are "no bigger" than the teams that make up EFL2 and the National League ?

The only thing that sets City apart from those other teams is US ! Without US this club is nothing and it was conclusively proved in Lockdown. No fans nothing just average joe players in a less than average league. All the clubs in EFL2 are interchangeable with those in the National League. Would City dominate a game v Halifax ? or Wrexham ? or Notts County ? Not for me they wouldnt ?.

Would players from the National League get in the City team ? Defintely ! Some of the strikers would. So this is all telling us that there is little that sets us apart from any of the teams that interchange in this "zombieland" of football.

The only thing that does is US !. As I say nigh on 16000 of us yesterday. Barrow had a right old jolly day out. 600 of them for what was their biggest day in 51 years at what they percieve as "some kind of Wembley type occssion" ? It only serves to raise up their team and create a seige mentality in the game. Whereas City; as is proven time and again cannot overcome the weight of their surroundings ? The shear chasm of the place only serves to emphisise the gulf between the level our players are at in reality, and the level the 16000 fans tell them they are at in their heads. ?

Net result ; the big crowd atmosphere works against City. The players are caught in the headlights. It becomes apparent in their play. often ponderous; missing passes; failure to see space; turning in circles, skewing shots wide , scuffung shots, missing easy chances, infact just rank poor play. So the opposition see all this and use US and Citys generally awful shows against us, being dogged and resiliant and staying in the game. Eventually they know we will "do for ourselves" they dont have to do much ? Circa the Walsall game and yesterday.

Blackpool ? well look at them ? they are a Championship team ! Beat Boro yesterday and Fulham a week or so back ?. Did I miss something or the last time I went to see Blackpool v City it was an EFL2 game ? Our support (again) out numbered the opposition support ? Infact you would have been hardpressed to find many tangerine shirts in Bloomfield Roads stands ! ? Reason was the Blackpool fans were boycotting games ! They werent attending or putting any of their money into the club to try and rid themselves of their much hated and criticised owner Oysten.

Eventually their sheer bloodimindness has paid off ! Gone their "villan" of an owner; a succession of failed managers and poor players and without too much trouble the club becomes upwardly mobile again to the extent that they are now "punching" in the EFLs top tier once more !. Whatever the fans did it worked ! They got what they wanted !

Is it time for US to start boycotting Valley Parade ? We all got a taste of doing without attending games. We can talk of our wish to go back but which one of us didnt find other things to do on a Saturday ?.

Going yesterday to me just interrupts the day and its all for nothing really . Am I really that bothered with football at this level in this god awful league ? Well no to be perfectly honest.

The club are all bluster and despite all the "soundbites" nothing tells me anything has changed much on that pitch ? The club dont deserve US not 16000 of us thats for sure ?. Is'nt it time we all took charge of this ourselves and like the Blackpool fans just stopped going ? I know that would be hard for some ? But leave Rupp, Sparks & Adams & the players too it and lets see if we can effect change ? It worked for Blackpool - by staying away they got their hated owner and club back and more ! - proper standard football in the Championship !