Can we put this naysaying to bed now? : Sat Feb 21, 2009 12:35 am
I think I ought to preface this by conceding that I've had couple of bevvies. BUT...
As a Cas fan who's at the heart of the Tigers fanzine I do try my best to remain (fairly) impartial most of the time, primarily because I don't want to discourage potential writers who might not necessarily agree with my views (yes - I DO think about these things, sad eh?). As such I find it hard sometimes to put my heart on my sleeve on the MB's and say what I feel like saying, and on those occasions when I do let rip there have been times when I've overstepped the mark and left myself open to all sorts of (sometimes justified) criticism.
BUT... After a narrow loss to Quins and (if truth be told) an equally narrow victory over Wigan, I feel driven to at least offer some kind of perspective for those who seem to be perpetually armed and ready to knock all things Tiger. Sure, you're happy at the moment, but ...
When Cas do sh*te I can promise you it's the other (more moderate) voices in the fanzine holding me back from venting my spleen at the club, the board, the players... all of that cr*p. And I always defend my actions under the shield of "paying punter"... That special 'consumer' immunity which states that I can say what I like. Don't get me wrong, I LIKE to hear conventions challenged - it either destroys them or it makes them stronger. But even I'm prepared to concede that even the worst cynic among us ought to be getting behind Terry and the lads now - unequivocally.
I, and therefore WE, have seen some sh*t times over the last few years. We've had to mentally adjust from the moral high ground of "never been relegated" to the morass of "recalling past glories" in such a relatively short space of time, and it's been made all the harder by the fact that (when you strip the 'never been relegated' bit away) we're not a 'big city' and we apparently need to prove SOMETHING to SOMEONE to show we still deserve our place in the new era.. Well, it's a worrying time for us all. Especially with the lack of concrete news over the new ground.
But don't let the paranoia overcome you. I know it's easy to boo like some of us did last week vs Quins (and to my last breath I'll defend any paying customer's right to do so), but the truth is we HAVE come a long way. The frustration we all feel isn't a measure of how TM is carrying the team now, it's a measure of the heights we once aspired to - nothing more. To fall into the trap of being deceived by our own aspiration is to fall into the trap of being (..let's just say it..) Wigan fans. It's easy to live off THAT Regal Trophy final, it's easy to live off THAT 40 minutes where we sang our hearts out at Saints. What's harder to do is to take where we are now and to recognise the progress Cas have made recently, and STILL get behind them.
One day (I like to think soon) we'll be back up there. One of these days we might even shake this league up by winning the f*cker. So keep the faith, cos no matter what - if you do, at least you'll still be better than those other clubs' plastic fans.
It's been said before, but it's worth saying again: "Rant over".
HTH
