Tale of the unexpected

Last night saw the penultimate home league game of the season for the Dons. The opponents, Grays Athletic, a team for whom there is no light at the end of the tunnel - they've been relegated already. Apparently its months possibly even years since they won an away game, they've used 70 players, yes that's 70 players this season. Their manager is former West Ham "terrace legend" Julian Dicks. Now you'd hope that a club with such form would prompt chants from their fans of "Dicks Out" (copyright Fulham 1991). In truth at the start of the game the Grays section numbered 11 fans, so chanting was kept to the minimum.

From the moment that Sam Hatton missed a simple chance by trying to burst the net, the remaining 85 minutes were predictable. Two second half goals including an unexplainable penalty gave the visitors their victory. In fact the game will be memorable mainly for the type of missed chance that makes strikers cringe. On loan Nathan Elder managed to put the ball over the cross bar from less than a foot, to make matters worse it was in front of the Tempest End. In the main stand the miss was greeted by hysterical laughter, it was one of those moments when you knew things were not going to get any better.

Too many players seemed to treat the game was an "end of season" affair, if as the fans are told, players are playing for contracts, you can only conclude that very few enhanced their chances last night.

Driving home my mood was not improved by listening to the radio news of the Conservative manifesto launch. The theme being pushed was "power to the people", John Lennon and indeed Wolfie Smith would not be impressed. Cameron talked of parents who were unhappy with their kid's school could take them over and run them themselves. Well I'm unhappy with the management of the local railway, what's the difference. I'm sure I know as much about transport management as many parents know of educational theory or management.