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THE STEVE GOLDBY COLUMN 25-6-04
Here it is- my first ever weekly column. It will probably be occasionally controversial and usually outspoken but will hopefully be always interesting. As with all aspects of ComeOnBoro.com, I really want to hear your opinions and views and if you want to comment on anything that is said in this column or anywhere on the site, then please write in.
So let me tell you a little more about this website. In the latter part of the 2003/04 season, a small 'community' of ex-pat Boro fans became friends through the BBC 606 site. The 606 site is good but it is incredibly limited and technically inefficient. Many ideas were talked about on the 606 board but it was obvious that if any of these ideas were ever going to come to fruition, then we needed a brand new platform that we alone controlled and moderated. The final catalyst that led to the birth of ComeOnBoro.com was when I got barred from the 606 site for using bad language. The very next day, I had a look for a suitable domain name for the site and I was amazed when I discovered that my first choice name was available.
At this point, I must mention Andy Morgan, whose reliability and raw enthusiasm for ComeOnBoro.com have been amongst the most important factors in taking the project to launch stage. Andy's ideas have been paramount to the creation of the site and there is a lot more to come as well. Ideas are cheap. It's putting them into practice that counts. That happened and over the coming months, we will build on this beginning.
Talking of beginnings, now that England are out of Euro 2004, we can concentrate on what matters most- the new Premier League season. I am writing this on the morning after England's defeat to Portugal in the quarter final and I am not really depressed at all. Every time a major tournament rolls around and England crash out, the whole country indulges in a monumental self inflicted depression brought about by unrealistic expectations. Face facts- England are not going to win a major tournament. On paper, our squad is amongst the best in the world but we just do not have that ruthless cutting edge that other sides have. And I continue to be extremely unhappy with the fact that The Swedish Chef is our manager. Call me old fashioned but I want an Englishman in charge of England. A foreign manager is OK for 3rd world football nations like Scotland but it's not OK for England. Plus the fact that I don't like the guy anyway for talking to Chelsea and for the fact that he is tactically inept. When are we going to stop trying to defend one goal leads against world class opposition?
I remember having those aforementioned unrealistic expectations myself in 96 and 98. I will never ever forget the morning after the night we lost to Germany in 96. I lived in London at the time and the whole place had an immoveable black cloud hanging over it. And the tubes were on strike as well. It was horrible. Then in 98, I remember the same and I vowed there and then that I was never going to be unrealistic again about England. So this year, I expected England to get to the quarters, semis at best and today, I am not depressed. Disappointed but not depressed. I also don't think we were robbed. John Terry fouled the keeper. Simple as that. And the Portuguese players used the same penalty spot as we did, so Beckham has nothing to complain about.
In general, I do think that this tournament has been the best ever. The atmosphere has been astounding and the highlight for me was last Saturday when I watched the disappointing 0-0 draw between Germany and Latvia in Germany and then went to Holland to watch the Holland and Czech match. I can do that because I live near to the border of the two countries. It was a very good night. Talking about Germany, Bastian Schweinsteiger is a bit of a good player. I have seen a lot of different translations of his name though. I've heard Pig Farmer, Pig Eater, and the best of the lot, Pig Fucker. That was from Peter Benson, owner of Benson's Bar in Maastricht, Holland where I watched the Carling Cup Final and some of the Euro 2004 England games. Let me clear it up. It's Pig Climber. That is the literal translation anyway.
Does anybody reckon that Rooney was fouled purposely last night? I am suspicious. But it's all over now until 2006. Even the World Cup qualifiers are meaningless, as we are up against a load of 3rd division equivalent sides. OK, the home internationals will be a laugh but they're not really serious competition now, are they? Apologies to John Neal and Jim Platt.
Which leads us nicely back on to the Boro. What about the fixture list then? It's so similar to last season's. Early games against Arsenal, Fulham and Newcastle, a festive season match with Man Utd and end of season games with Liverpool and Man City, plus other similarities as well. The most important thing though is that if we can get a draw at Arsenal, we may well be 2nd in the league at the end of August. Seriously. We are due a win against Newcastle and I think we will get it on opening day. I expect nothing less than 6 points from Fulham and Palace and either Man Utd, Chelsea or both will drop points on the opening day, thus leaving the way clear for Boro to be in 2nd place in the table, probably level with a couple of others, if we get something at Highbury. Isn't it funny and perhaps even ironic how my annual pre season over optimism contrasts sharply with my realistic approach to England?
Is this the first time that we have had a derby match on opening day? I've been a supporter since 1973 and I can't ever remember this happening before. It's very unusual indeed but I think I like it.
I really cannot wait for this season to kick off. I think it could be the Boro's most successful season ever and I really fancy us for the FA Cup. I'm not sure about us keeping hold of our Carling Cup because if we get a good UEFA Cup run, we will proabably need to field a weakened side for the Carling Cup matches. Mind you, that could be difficult now that we have got rid of Ricketts. The transfer shock of the Summer - for me anyway - was very nicely summed up by a friend of mine whose response to the news was "Haven't Leeds suffered enough?"
Until next week.
Steve
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