The Diary

19 March 2004: Big Dave's Solo Performance!

Well, tonight, all the ingredients for a good evening?s entertainment were assembled at the Throstle Club. We had a fair number of supporters present, and thanks to that wonderful win on Tuesday, we certainly had the ambience to make the night something special. The only thing lacking were the four players we were promised for the night; of all those asked to attend, only one ? Darren Moore aka Big Dave ? could be arsed to fulfil that obligation. Why? This lackadaisical attitude among players concerning Supporters? Club functions has dogged the SC Committee throughout the current season, and it simply isn?t on. I know it?s been said many, many times before, and you?ll probably be yawning right now through sheer boredom resulting from my raising the issue once again, but we are the people who pay these blokes their wages, albeit indirectly, I know, but that truth still holds. Not only that, but players do, I believe, have a contractual obligation to fulfil the social side of their duties as well. When you look at it, you?re talking sheer bad manners, here. These people wouldn?t dare let club sponsors down, so why do it to their grass-roots support?

It?s not just that, of course: sure, there?s a lot to be said for the maxim of leading a horse to water but not forcing him to drink (not a dig, incidentally, at our own tame equine: he?s injured and his absence from tonight?s meeting is completely understandable, so lay off the snotty mails, please), but when players do elect not to attend these things, do they realise just how counterproductive this could be for their own popularity? Just think about it ? it?s very difficult to insult or boo a bloke you?ve had a natter with just a few days previously, and in the case of those players who do fall foul of supporter ire, sometimes just talking turkey and mollifying upset feelings at such meetings can raise personal profiles among annoyed followers no end.

Additionally, tonight, many wanted to see and hear what our players had to say following that marvellous win versus Wigan the other night. For many of them, it would have been the nearest they could ever hope to get to experiencing that triumphal moment for themselves. Sure, it was great to hear Big Dave expound on many topics concerning the club in general and the game in particular ? he always has been an excellent ambassador for the club ? but what about the rest? Is this how it?s going to be from now on; players withdrawing into an ivory tower of their own, or the club?s making, and the social gap between the two gradually becoming an unbridgeable chasm? This club used to have a reputation of being one of the friendliest in the upper divisions, and rightly so. Whatever happened to that one? I can?t help but feel that someone ? be it the players themselves, or whoever is dictating which functions these guys attend, or not, as the case may be - are making a bloody huge rod for their own back, here. As you sow, shall you reap ? just bear that in mind the next time you suddenly realise you need us on your side.

Sorry about that, but this has long been a bugbear of mine, and it annoys me greatly to see the same thing happening yet again. I know for a fact the Supporters Club Committee people were tearing their bloody hair out tonight because of what happened, tried desperately to conjure up last minute replacements, but couldn?t, and they?re all such nice people, they simply didn?t deserve the hassle. I know for a start John Homer had to break his neck to get back in time from a work-related meeting held in Hereford today. The subject? ?Managing Difficult People?, would you believe? No doubt those who let them down tonight will be there like shit off a shovel to accept the plaudits if/when we?re promoted. Me? I?ll just quietly stand aside and let my cynicism glands secrete like crazy. Those glands of mine have been quite overworked, of late.

Right. Back to tonight. As I said, the Throstle Club was well filled, all the usual suspects were there, including Annette and Co, of the infamous Drinking Family of which mention has been made before. Most indignant they were tonight, as well. Not because of what happened to the guest-list, but because the accident on the M6 on Saturday meant they were late arriving in Crewe to begin their usual potations. ?At the pub by one o?clock for a 5.30 kick-off?? said our mortified female chum, ?Not good enough! Bah!?

While Annette was still engaged in ?harrumphing? for Britain, the announcements began, courtesy of our old mate John Homer, who seemingly had recovered from his Halfords Lane Stand mountain-goat impersonation of Tuesday night, when Tommy Gaardsoe scored. Apparently, there?s going to be a ?farewell do? at the Throstle Club in April for the current premises, which are going to be demolished at the end of this season. Ex-players will be invited to attend, and some of the memorabilia currently adorning the walls is going to be flogged off as well. Another, sadder, note: on Tuesday night, an Albion supporter of long standing, Henry Gallow, collapsed and died in the club. As John said, the phrase ?Albion ?till I die? certainly rang true for him, and accordingly, there was a minute?s silence held for the poor sod.

After that, it was Big Dave?s show, and because so much ground was covered, what I?ve tried to do is give you a flavour of most of the topics covered. I don?t claim it to be a verbatim rendition of what took place, because it could never be ? I?m not a shorthand writer, for starters ? but I have tried my best. Apologies to anyone who feels misrepresented or misquoted, that was never my intention. The proceedings started with someone asking from the floor how much Big Dave?s faith had helped him as a footballer. Darren replied, as would be expected, in the affirmative. It gave him the determination to get out there, and get back into the first team following that cruciate ligament injury of his. The next question was a follow-on from that; had there not been a bad run of knee injuries at the club? Yes, said Darren, it was bad luck to have had so many. It was sad Michael (Appleton) had to leave, Derek (McInness) managed to bounce back, and hopefully Larus (Siggurdson) would as well.

Regarding coming from behind and winning versus taking the lead first and holding it, Darren said they?d much rather go one-nil in front. Having said that, they showed character and bottle to believe they could do precisely that. They kept on and kept on on Tuesday: with Wigan down to ten men, they knew they could do it, then Gaardsoe popped up in the last minute to score. There are still nine games to go. The aim of the players is to get those points and cross the finish line ? they want the Championship! Having said that, they?re not going to automatically assume that promotion?s there for the taking. Remember what happened to our neighbours two years ago. The supporters play their part by making the Hawthorns a cauldron.

The experience of two years ago improved him as a player, playing against world-class players, and this would stand me in good stead. Dave then went on to say that although he got to the Premiership with Bradford, he was devastated because he was not given the chance by them to play in the top-flight. It?s vital for the club to get to the Premiership and stay there ? that?s Dave?s focus at the moment. Did his Christian faith stop him kicking lumps out of the opposition? When he goes out, once he?s across that white line, he is 100 per cent committed to Albion.

When they play us at The Hawthorns, teams raise their game; we?re perceived as a ?big club?. The same thing happened with Man City when they were in the First the season both they and us went up. When we played Crewe on Saturday, for example, as Darren understood it, that was the best Dean Ashworth had played for weeks. For the same reason, the game versus Stoke will be far more difficult than Tuesday night?s fixture. Another one from the floor: With the comments he?d made about his former club, had Danny Dichio written our manager?s team talk for us when we play Millwall at their place on April 12th? Yep, was the answer to that one, the manager will use it in some way as part of the team-talk! The dressing-room door is covered with quotes from other gaffers etc. about our club!

We then moved onto tactics. From the players? point of view, which one was the preferred system, 3-5-2, or 4-4-2? Darren said he really didn?t mind, as it?s eleven versus eleven; whatever you do, it?s still the same game. The gaffer puts out the formation that he thinks will win the game. I don?t mind, I just get on with it, and work towards winning the game. Moving on slightly, but still concerning itself with matters tactical, someone asked why we didn?t leave a player upfield during corners. Darren said the idea was to get everyone back, because of the fact it was a corner. The idea was to flood the box with players and prevent conceding a goal, first and foremost. At those times, some people have specific tasks, man-marking, maybe, while the others, the extra bodies, do what they can. Areas of the goalmouth are also left exposed so the extra bodies can cover these as well.

What was the fundamental difference between our last promotion and this season? Mainly that last time, we ground out 1-0 wins, but this time round, we now have good and talented players that go past people. There?s a lot of flair there. A slightly naughty query, now, were all the players happy at the end of the Sheffield United game? The answer? You do get little jibes on the pitch ? Pesch and Andy Ward did, but not face-to- face, apparently! ? but after ten minutes or so, we composed ourselves. I decided to take Clem?s position. He asked me what I was doing, and I just said, ?Get out of the way!? Oh, and another thought about the Sheffield United game, where Dave was responsible for goals for both sides ? the last Albion player to do that was Asa Hartford, back in 1971!

Then, prompted by The Fart?s question, some praise for Tommy Gaardsoe. He?s a good player, and reads the game very well. His distribution is also very good, and we?re developing a partnership together. He?s been fantastic. Jason Koumas? If we get back to the Premiership, we won?t have to sell him. If this club has aspirations, we have to keep players of Jason?s quality. Russell Hoult? He deserved to be in the England squad last season. He?s been superb, has been hampered by that back injury, but seems OK in training. The club are monitoring the situation, and he?s trying not to overdo things. Do players get frustrated with Jason Koumas when he gets and keeps the ball? No, because when he gets the ball, he gives us all a rest!

And what about whether there should be a winter break? To do that would benefit struggling clubs more than those who are chasing the title, because when you?re struggling, it?s easy to fall into a routine of getting constantly beaten. A break gives clubs a chance to get away together somewhere and bond. Players idolised when he was a kid? Paul McGrath, of Villa who were in Europe at the time. And, while on the subject of our local rivals, the game last season where we lost 2-1 at their place thanks to that Hitzlesperger goal that took a deflection stuck in Dave?s mind, as our players got so much stick from their players about it.

Should we go up, some of those players we?ve got now will probably adjust, because the game is played at a different pace in that league. There?s less of the nasty stuff, and more of the mental aspect of the game. A lot of our present bunch could cut it there, he thinks. In this league, in spells, they?ve played well, but in the Prem, they?d do better. There?s also some currently at the club who, if we do manage it, will experience the top-flight for the second time of asking. The main thing to remember when playing at that level? If you?re not on top of your game, those world-class players will sniff you out. You know when you play Arsenal, say, you?ve got to be at your best. Best memories of last time round? Those back-to-back wins we had at the start. The confidence and the atmosphere at the Hawthorns was fantastic. The opening game at Old Trafford was also memorable.

It was at this point in the proceedings that Darren turned the whole thing on its head by doing a ?straw poll? among supporters ? which was preferable to watch, 4-4-2, or 3-5-2? Most opted for 4-4-2. Darren then pointed out that the manager tended to pick players to do specific jobs, something which sometimes influenced the tactics employed for particular games. A perfect example of this was the marking job Jay Chambo did on Darren Huckerby at Norwich. Incidentally, there was also a query from the floor asking why the formation versus Wigan was changed after only ten minutes ? you?ll have to ask the manager about that, was the diplomatic reply. And changes during games generally? We just adapt to it; we have to be prepared to do so as the situation dictates.

By now, we were moving into the final straits of what had been an excellent meeting. Another poser: If Darren had an open cheque book, who would he sign? Thierry Henri, said Big Dave, without hesitation. Someone asked as to how players reacted to last-minute fixture changes forced upon us by the demands of satellite TV, as per the Ipswich and Sunderland games. Er ? by getting very annoyed, was the honest reply! Then, another bouncer. At this late stage in the season, who might catch us? Dave?s answer? He wasn?t even going to contemplate it! The evening, of course, wouldn?t be complete without some mention of our struggling local rivals, so it came as no surprise to hear someone ask as to whether our guest would like to see the Dingles stay there. Yes, to get the derby games again, the atmosphere and so forth, players really get a buzz from the atmosphere generated by them. A few more, about trivia, really, then a final question, the answer to which had the whole place in stitches: what made Darren laugh? His answer? Tommy Gaardsoe. Why? He?s not all there! Make of that what you will!

A mass rendering of The Lord?s my Shepherd for Darren?s benefit ? it?s one of his favourite hymns, apparently ? and the evening finally drew to a close. Much applause also for Darren, who, on his own, at short notice, did absolute wonders. What an advertisement for the club, the game, and all that?s good about it. Those players who elected to dip out tonight should hang their heads in shame. A chance, now, for people to get the autographs etc. they wanted, and a chance, also, for The Fart to add to his awesome photo collection: I was absolutely stunned when Tel told me he didn?t have a picture of him and Dave together! That done, it was time to go, and we did, but not before catching The Fart grazing upon the remains of the sponge cake that was part of the buffet! Ooh ? whatever happened to the diet, Tel?

A bit more about one of tonight?s advertised guests. The latest from the official website is The Horse is looking doubtful for our Saturday nattering marathon with The Stokies. According to our manager, our equine friend hasn?t trained at all since the Wigan game, and rates his chances at fifty-fifty. As he quite rightly said, we do have several options for that position if he isn?t fit in time, so it?s not a calamity should this turn out to be the case. I?ve also half a gut feeling this might be our leader playing ?mind-games? with the opposition once more. As we?ve seen on more than one occasion, should there ever be degrees awarded in the subject, no doubt about it, our man would graduate with first-class honours.

This afternoon, Megson was also discussing with Jeremy Peace the question of James Chambo?s transfer request. As things stand, it now looks as though Sheffield Wednesday might be putting in a bid for both Chambos, and as both of them may well be feeling rather racked off with the way things have panned out for them at our place, it might be both will go. If that happens, it would be a shame; both of them still have lots to offer our club. Adam proved his worth against some bloody good Premiership players at the back end of our inaugural season in the top-flight, while James has shown that given the chance, he can stick to the player he?s been told to mark like a bloody leech ? just ask Darren Huckerby!

Well done to Jason Koumas and Andy Johnson, who were yesterday included in the Wales squad to travel to Hungary on March 31. And Bernt Haas has been called up for Switzerland's clash with Greece, while Artim Sakiri will be on duty for Macedonia against Ukraine on the same night. At least the putting back of the Ipswich game to the Sunday will mean they?ll have an extra day to recover.

And finally?? One. Blimey, I hope the PFA are more accurate in the advice they give their members than they are on their website! Spot the ?deliberate mistake?. ??.West Brom came back from 1-0 down, to an Andy Liddell penalty, in the 73rd minute, to beat Wigan 2-1 and drop the Latics down a place to fourth. Lee Hughes rattled the Albion equaliser, from a penalty, after Paul Robinson was felled by John Filan, for which the Wigan keeper was sent off??.?

Paul Robinson? Hang on a mo! He?s dark-haired, an out-and-out defender ? and, more to the point, looks nothing at all like the real ?victim?, Lee Hughes, who?s as bald as a coot, save for that astonishing bit of ginger fungal growth multiplying above his lips, and is the attacking Real McCoy, not a pale imitation of the real thing!

Two. While we?re banging on about journalistic boo-boos, the Guardian also made reference the other day to our Tuesday game versus Wigan taking place at the JJB, and not The Shrine! And, not content with that, the same reporter made mention of a ?burly? Lee Hughes! What on earth are they putting in the coffee in that bloody Press Room these days, that?s what I want to know ? and if there?s any to spare, can I have some too?

 - Glynis Wright

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