Sky Blue Sport News

Friday, July 04, 2014

Six Days!

Yes its only six days to our first friendly game against Bangor at Clandeboye Park, we're sure everybody of a Sky Blue tradition is as excited as we are as this event approaches. Our manager says he is scouring the country to try and find the right blend of players, but so far as we know, he's only signed one, Matthew Tipton and supposedly our 'budget' is exhausted. Ironically we have another match on Thursday next at the same time as the Bangor fixture, v Desertmartin, but we have been assured that we have no difficulty in fulfilling both fixtures and the strongest team (note we didn't say the best team), will be at Bangor.

As Bangor is practically on the Sky Blue Sport's team doorstep (across Belfast lough), we will be taking in  the game. Sammy Patterson maybe be missing, as he prefers to watch the world cup instead of seeing United in their first friendly of the season, there's no pleasing some people. What are our hopes for the season, or better still what are our management teams hopes for the season? Omar was away in England for his Birthday, we'll not say his age, but suffice to say the swinging sixties is nearly over for him and was not able to attend the AGM, where some shareholder (we are told), congratulated the manager for getting to the Irish cup final and finishing 7th in the league.

Less said about that last comment the better, if we had won the Irish cup and/or finished in the top six in the league, we definitely would echo that congratulations, but we all agree with Omar's comments in his review of the season, that we are indeed marking time. As we didn't have a presence at the AGM, we aren't privy to what our manager said about the forthcoming season, but reading between the lines the shareholders seemed to be happy with progress so far and who are we to argue. Maybe the season ticket sales for this season will be up as the rank file fans flock to the Showgrounds for the coming season, we will be surprised, but you never know with our fickle fans.

We read with interest of how our dear neighbours, the Coleraine scum, have been saved by a group of fans (allegedly 120), investing in the club to the tune of £250,000 to date, that's right a quarter of a million pounds. We are sceptical of this report, mathematics has never been a scum tradition and they went into administration some years ago and two seasons ago they had to go cap in hand to the IFA to ask for a bail-out. Could a similar scheme, if true, work for United we ask? The people of the high country are not so free with their hard earned money and would need convincing, it'll be a hard sell we think, but worth looking into. Well its all go for the Bangor match, COSB, good luck in Desertmartin too, we can hardly wait,lol!