THE CROW – Altogether now... at least we’re not Birmingham City
Published: 26 May 2011
BY rights, there should have been scary violin music, a crack of thunder and a bolt of lightning when Birmingham City scored that scrawny winning goal in the Carling Cup final against Arsenal. It was a cursed moment, I tell you, cursed. Everything went wrong after that moment on February 27.
Arsenal won just two matches afterwards: easy ones against Blackpool and Manchester United.
And Birmingham City – the one season they actually won something – hurtled so far south none of us will have to bother with them this season. Relegated. The rankers.
A little smile surely coursed across Eduardo’s lips where ever he was on Sunday afternoon. I sent him text updates.
As they were sent down for a life of playing Doncaster away, there those Brum fans were in the away end at Spurs. The ones we met at Wembley when they bobbing their bobby heads to UB40 after the final whistle. This time they were dressed as bananas and Wally from Where’s Wally?
What an awful thing. To be relegated at White Hart Lane, dressed as a banana with Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur ringing out of the PA. There isn't a worst punishment. I thought maybe you could be dressed in some other fruit-based outfit, say a pineapple, standing in the away end at Chelsea. But even that wouldn’t be so bad. No. Banana. Spurs. Chas and Dave. That’s bad. Now, get lost.
PS: Only 64 more sleeps till silverware. The Emirates Cup will be ours!
RICHARD OSLEY
BIRMINGHAM were terrible at the Lane on Sunday.
I’d like to think if my team were in the relegation places on the last day of the season they’d go for the win and let other matches take care of themselves, but Birmingham came for a draw and got exactly what they deserved, beaten!
Two-goal substitute Roman Pavlyuchenko showed again why he should have been starting ahead of Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch. Likewise for keeper Carlo Cudicini, in again for the hapless Heurelho Gomes, although he had very little to do.
As the season comes to a close, there is hope for the few that made it into the Premier League promised land, and worry for those that might not make it back! Have to say a huge respect to QPR, back in the big league and well-deserved. There is a game going on at Wembley over the weekend but we don’t really care about that.
So, though Spurs didn’t make the final four it’s been fun. Last eight in the Champions League, the Arsenal and Liverpool demons were put to rest, local rivalries are at an all time high and Harry Redknapp is still the manager of my beloved.
So all there is really left for me to do, no matter who you support, or even if you don’t like the stupid game that hero worships 22 men running around a pitch after a round ball, is to wish one and all, a healthy, safe and stress-free summer.
TONY DALLAS