Thoughts of a lifelong fan: I'm sure the players were as disappointed as we were

Well, I did share some great moments with the others, but unfortunately, the result was not to our liking, and neither was the behaviour of some of the people who I thought were there for the same reason as us.

We lost a game of football, which is one of the options available when playing a game of football, and I am sure the players were as disappointed as we were, and Scott Lindsey obviously was with that outcome.

On Tuesday we will have faced Orient in our second Vertu Trophy encounter of the season and then next Saturday we face top of the table Walsall at home, managed by former Red Devil, Matt Sadler. Hopefully, by the end of those two games we will all feel a lot happier with our lot, as far as supporting our club is concerned.

Last Saturday for me was made worse by being almost accused of trying to enter the ground with a fake ticket and being made to walk back to the other end of the ground to sort it out with their ticket office. I wasn’t the only one who had to do this, and one can only wonder what might have happened if it had happened to a club larger than ours. I think there was just over 400 followers of Crawley Town there, and I use the word “followers” as the use of the word “supporters” seemingly did not apply to all who were there. Regardless of the performance or the result, to chant totally negative chants at your own team surely plays into the hands of the opposition.

On the positive side, the majority of the Crawley fans there tried to oppose the negative behaviour of the minority, but I fear for our club and our attendances if the minority can’t change their tune and “Sing something else” as they were urged to by supporters of all ages.

As far as the game is concerned, we played well in patches but did not take our chances which Cambridge most certainly did.

I must thank my daughter Vicky and the Elliott family for looking after me when I thought my parkinsonism was going to totally ruin my day and hope that the next time I venture away with the Red Devils that both our form and the way everyone supports the team has improved.

On Sunday I went to church and, not for the first time, I was amazed at the message given out. One of the readings was Psalm 137, which, if you don’t know it, is the basis on which Boney M’s song Rivers of Babylon was based. It tells of the people of Israel being asked to sing songs of joy by their captors and tormentors. Immediately, I thought of the trip to Cambridge and how the players might have responded to more positive songs and chanting rather than the negative chants sung by vociferous minority. We might still have lost but it is at times when things seem to be really tough that we should try and turn the tide of dismay and despair and not let the bad time persist.

I am not trying to appear holier than thou here, but I cannot see the purpose of belittling our own side when things aren’t going well. Onwards and upwards and let’s try and turn things around by supporters, players and management uniting in a sustained effort to climb the league.