Searching for some Recognition

This last week has been a historic week – so who cares about the election being announced? What’s the grand slam? And so what if England are thrashing everyone in an event that we can’t even see. For the majority of people reading this Oxford’s 5-3 victory over local rivals Swindon is what they will remember about this week. But this great event has been ignored by the great majority of British people. Going back home to London after the game – same old glum faces, same old M40. Cars should have stopped with gleeful drivers dancing on the hard shoulder. Then on to the tube, are these people aware that Oxford have just beaten Swindon 5-3? Why wasn’t the tube decked out in yellow and blue? Back through the front door, on the phone to Danny Baker. Spent 15 euphoric minutes telling the bloke on the phone about the historic events that had just elapsed, to be told that he would ring back, when I was to go on air – Did he ring back? No, as we were bored by Morton and Man City fans and they couldn’t give me five minutes when a whole show should have been devoted to events at the Manor. Then on to teletext expecting a ten-page special – just the customary one page. Well never mind at least I can read about it in the Sunday paper after doing my ‘Chris Allen’ sprint down to the papershop. Well nothing on the back page. Hang on. Where is it – have they devoted a centre spread? Then in the corner of the penultimate page I spot an article you need a magnifying glass to read, about Glenn Hoddle’s comeback. Come on man – Oxford have beaten Swindon 5-3 it should be on the front page not given four lines in mid-page obscurity. By this time feeling increasingly desperate that no one else has beheld the good news, that the nation has not been gripped by Oxford-mania – only consoled by the fact that I could have a great objective discussion with those Gurus of the football world – my Sunday morning team. Arriving at the field we call our home ground, entering the shack we call our dressing room, I take my seat to take my recognition. I wait and I wait as I listen to 101 versions of QPR’s four goals against Man City. When I finally get round to giving my good news, I am greeted with the objective reply of ‘You’re Shit – going down’. Well anyway after Oxford’s great performance against our local rivals, our team will be spurred on by the great result and stuff their local rivals (every team is local in our league). So much for inspiration – we lost 3-2, and I was non-playing sub.

By this time, utterly depressed. I realised how Jesus Christ must have felt trying to spread the Gospel.
Don’t get the Blues – When we win spread the news.

Nick De La Roche