02/11/07 - Gallows Humour No Further Forward

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the trust.

So, this is what it has come to. The only entertaining thing about supporting Oxford United is conga-ing around Nene Park.

How are we here again? A place where the most popular chants are 'we want a team to be proud of' and '[insert name of current inept manager] out'. There really is no explaining it and I've given up trying.

There is something about OUFC which brings out the masochist in me. It seems that the more rubbish we are, the more I want to go to games. It's like some sort of challenge and it’s the same bunch of idiots (very much including myself in that one!) that take it on week in, week out. What the club needs to realise is that it has a enormously loyal fanbase which should be praised and listened to. We should not be ignored or even put down by the club for voicing dissatisfaction at what are plainly the worst performances we have ever had to endure, which frankly is saying something after the last few years.

The more that Smith and Merry alienate the fans the more that the crowds will dwindle. Whilst some of us will turn out no matter what, the majority turn their back on failure and disappointment. To be honest I'm envious of them. I seem to have this awful addiction which draws me to the failure that OUFC seems to generate. Maybe it's blind hope that after all these years of misery I have to keep turning up because I do not want to miss it when we finally do get it together and hammer someone. I think I might be waiting a while and I'm beginning to sense I'll be one of the last to remain in the open expanse of Grenoble Road.

Last night, the team did nothing to make the fans proud but the fans can be proud of themselves. We outsang our Northamptonshire rivals throughout 90 minutes and especially when 5-0 down. Maybe this noise was not particularly encouraging to the team and management, but when you've given support to something for so long, which gives nothing in return, refuge is taken in the last hope of a condemned man - gallows humour.

Smith Out.

See you for Northwich and Kidderminster.