This week I spoke with @DailyStevenage about our upcoming fixture.
Hows your season been so far?
Dreadful. The worst in history (we think). We have had more managers than league wins. The omens were there on the opening day at Salford when they served us gone off pies and warm cans of Guinness and none of the Class of 92 could be bothered to turn up for selfies. Apart from Nicky Butt, but he doesn’t count. It’s been downhill from that very low point on the hill ever since.
Best player?
There is only one player who can come out of this season with any credit and that’s our keeper, Paul Farman. If it wasn’t for Farms we’d have been relegated back in November. Seven yellow cards also tells you that he has all the qualities a club that’s desperate to run down the clock needs. It’s just a shame we’ve let in 35 goals in added time this season (only one of which was the keeper’s fault).
Pantomime Villian?
So many to choose from. The sight-impaired person who designed our kits? The comedian who put Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer on our badge? Our Head of Player Recruitment? Actually, the honour probably goes to club leg end Dino Maamria who seems to spend 90% of his time at Oldham writing letters of complaint about Stevenage to the Football League, the FA and Esther Rantzen on That’s Life.
Favourite ever player?
It’s a dead heat between Barry Hayles and Mark Roberts, both of whom were instrumental in securing our two Conference titles in 1996 and 2010 respectively. Bazza was a prolific goalscorer with abundant natural talents. There were rumours Birmingham City were after him after we played them in the Cup, but Trevor Francis said he wasn’t good enough for the second tier. Two years later he was banging them in for Fulham in the Prem. Trevor Francis hasn’t been heard of since. As for Robbo, he was a leader of men, captain of the ship, sex on legs. And, courtesy of a three match spell in between Graham Westley leaving us for the 8th time and Graham Westley coming back to us for a 9th time, Robbo is our most successful manager in the Football League. He did give me a dodgy tip for the races at Newmarket though, so in case you’re reading this Mark, you owe me £10.
You have Ex-Saddler Simeon Jackson amongst your ranks, how has he fared for you since his January transfer?
Simeon has only made two starts, away at Grimsby and Exeter. We didn’t go to these on account of general apathy and anger. But, to be brutally honest, in a season where 42 players have made Football League appearances for Stevenage, it would have been difficult to make a judgement if we had been there. We’ve just had a look at the names on our appearances list and, even though we’ve seen them play, we don’t recognise half of them. It’s like a collective snow blindness. Or, like Vietnam veterans, PTSD where we’ve blocked everything out. The average age of the combat soldier in Vietnam was 19. The average age of our strike force is 47.
What are your thoughts on the appointments of Alex Revell and Russell Slade?
We will support Revs all the way. Unless he’s as bad as our last 5 managers. Not really sure what to make of Slade. We were a big fan of his stuff back in the 70s but that was a long time ago. We just hope he makes more of a contribution than Glenn Roeder did when he was brought in to wipe the froth away from Darren Sarll’s mouth.
You currently occupy the remaining spot in the relegation zone, do you think you can survive?
Unless QPR are stupid enough to loan us Ilias Chair two seasons in a row, then the answer is no. Our fans have recently got behind the players with the #stevenageforleaguefootball campaign, which honoured the groundbreaking work of a small number of supporters – known as the A Team – in getting Stevenage Borough Football Club established and back playing football at Broadhall Way with the ultimate ambition of rising through the non-league system to the big leagues. But with 11 games left to go, time is running out.
Predictions for the weekend?
We actually gave you a bit of a game at the Bescot back in November and we thought we could have stolen a win. Having said that, we’re devoid of confidence. But let’s be stupid and say that it’s going to be a 4-1 win to Stevenage. Unless it’s windy, in which case it will be 0-0.
Finally, one random fact about your club?
Back in the 80s the team used to run out to Red Light Spells Danger by Billy Ocean. We were the only club to do this (and, if anyone is listening, we should do it again). By coincidence, it transpired that during his fledgling DJ days before becoming a football manager, Graham Westley used to end his Thursday night set at Scamps in Southend on Sea with Red Light Spells Danger. Fate? You bet.
Thanks to @DailyStevenage for answering those, we with them the best of luck for the season ahead.
