It’s Fylde on Saturday, and for the first time this season a match will be played in front of actual sentient human beings at actual Edgar Street, kick off 3pm. OK ‘sentient’ might be pushing it if the experimental crowd is to be truly representative of the typical post-Radfords thousands who will be flocking in once that post-vaccine, post-Matt Hancock nirvana kicks in, but there will at least be a physical presence of some sort in the stands and on the terraces.
A world without Matt Hancock, just imagine…
Presumably the lucky 800 on Saturday will be injected with enough cider to give the atmosphere the correct appley ambiance to allow the new members of the squad, ie almost all of them, a boozy flavour of what it’ll be like when there’s 4500 in to celebrate winning the league next May, or December 2034, or whenever the 2020/21 season actually finishes.
Between now and then it doesn’t look like it’s ever going to be dull following the fortunes of the Bulls. Three season in, life in National League North continues to be challenging, with the midweek loss to Chester leaving the club perilously positioned just a point above the dreaded dotted line, but still with games in hand on those around them.
It’ll be interesting to see whether Tuesday night’s antics bring about a change or two to the starting XI here. A steadying presence in the form of Yan Klukowski could be what’s needed in midfield, assuming he’s now fit having been out since the Gloucester game, and defensively…well. Paul White had a difficult time at the Deva, and Brandon Hall will surely be assuming he’ll get the nod. He’s proven as a decent keeper at this level, and it feels somewhat wasteful to have a player of his calibre festering on the bench. His recall to the starting line-up could give the back four the boost in confidence they’re clearly currently lacking.
With Demetri Brown's departure in the week and a doubt over Kelsey Mooney's fitness, Lenell John-Lewis could be the only striker at Josh Gowling's disposal.
Fylde, self-proclaimed ‘Football Team of the Fylde Coast’, which as intimidating straplines go is a little underwhelming, can be filed under ‘quite tricky’ as a footballing experience at this level. Granted they’re relatively new kids on the block, forming in 1988 following the amalgamation of Kirkham Town and Wesham, but they benefit, like so many other over-achieving smaller clubs, from a local bankroller who made it big in carpets or cod or nuclear weapons or something (or is that Barrow?), and money still talks loudest in this sport otherwise Man City would still have Tommy Hutchinson up front. So on home crowds of 1000ish the club is able to showcase to the world the talents of players such as striker Jordan Hulme, who dropped a division to join them from Altrincham in October, and whose goals helped the Reds to promotion last season. 38-year-old David Perkins, who always seemed to play well for Morecambe against Hereford United, is another to be wary of if his knees still work.
The club enjoyed a couple of seasons in the National League Premier recently, finishing fifth in 2018/19 before losing out to Salford in the play-off final. However, relegation last season sees them back in the NLN.
Morecambe legend and one-time Graham Turner target Jim Bentley manages the Coasters, who got off to a flyer this season, winning their first four matches. They then slowed a little, but still sit in second place in the table and look like strong contenders to go straight back up at the end of the season. They’re fallible away from home though, as evidenced by a 2-0 defeat to Curzon Ashton, and finding a way to lose to the Nash isn’t at all easy to do.
The best approach to this season may be just to hold on tight and enjoy the ride. 5-3 wins are arguably as likely as 5-3 losses with this team, they just haven’t happened yet, and anyone who remembers the 5-3 against Bury in the mid-80s will know how much fun they can be. The trick is to keep scoring three goals a game but not chuck a bagful in at the other end for the opposition. Easy.
If you’ve got a ticket for tomorrow, stay safe and enjoy the (inevitable) goalfest rollercoaster. 0-0 then.
COYW