High Times!

After the news today that Tommy Wright has had his contract extended we thought we’d break with tradition and bring out an extra news bulletin, so for what it’s worth here it is…

January 15 2005, League position 7^th, final position April 2005, 7^th, Kenny Shiels sacked.

Jan 15 2005 P W D L F A Pts

16 5 7 4 20 21 22

January 14 2006, League position 5^th, final position, April 2005 6^th, manager safe

Jan 14 2006 P W D L F A Pts

17 9 1 7 20 25 28

January 13 2007, league position 9^th, final position April, 9^th at best (estimate).

Jan 13 2007, P W D L F A Pts

17 6 4 7 20 22 22

In April 2005 and after 5 years in charge Kenny Shiels was sacked as the board rightly decided enough was enough, with the team finishing 7^th, the exact same position as they were in January 15 2005.

In April 2006 our new manager took us to 6^th, roughly the same position as we were in on January 14 2006 and we gave him the benefit of the doubt as it was his first year, but we were not overly happy as the football was boring to say the least.

This year we are in 9^th in January 13 2007, if history is to repeat itself and it probably will, we will finish in 9^th position in April, as estimated above. Could someone please explain to us the logic in rewarding our manager, who has so far delivered sweet F.A. (Fanny Adams), with a 2 year extension to his contract, for a season in which we have so far gone nowhere but backwards?

If you want to draw an analogy with 2004/05 season, we lost to Kilmore Rec in the County Antrim Shield first round and this year we lost to Dundela in the 1st round of the same competition. We thought the manager should’ve been sacked for that alone in 04/05 season, we also thought the manager this season, should have been at least warned that his one bad result had gone and any repeat would lead to termination of his contract. Last Saturday we witnessed the worst defeat we have ever had to endure as Sky Blue supporters and now we see our board has rewarded our manager with an extension to his contract. The United supporters sing a song the first line of which goes, ‘In the town where we were born, we all take heroin and live on farms’. We thought the bit about ‘heroin’ was just an ironic joke, but now we’re wondering if it isn’t. Could the United board be having something slipped into their halftime cuppa? That would explain why they are throwing good money after bad on a manager who appears to have no football brain whatsoever. Take for example the one position that Tommy Wright, professional International goalkeeper should know about, goalkeeper of course. Tommy’s first action when he came to Ballymena was to discard the best keeper the club has had since Robbie Beck, namely Goosey Robinson. Then through Tommy making one or two gaffes we were left with Willie McFrederick, who although a fair shot stopper, never left his goal-line for crosses or back passes and was blamed for at least half of the team’s goals against column last season. This year Tommy has discarded Willie in favour of Paul Murphy, who let’s face it, is useless as a shot stopper, reasonable with crosses, but a nightmare with back passes. So if Tommy can’t get that position right what chance has he of sorting out our sluggish defence, inept midfield and punchless forward line? Thank god the new Premier league is going to be by invitation; otherwise we wouldn’t be in it!