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Kev Lawrence: joining the Posh promotion party
What a weekend. On Saturday, I went to the Posh promotion party, and joined the 11,000 or so supporters in paying tribute to our local side, whose achievements this past season have been astonishing.
What a weekend. On Saturday, I went to the Posh promotion party, and joined the 11,000 or so supporters in paying tribute to our local side, whose achievements this past season have been astonishing.Gaining Championship status, with a team of mainly non-league and un-proven young players, was quite astonishing, and to Darren Ferguson and all involved I would like to say a massive "well done".
I wasn't able to attend yesterday's (Monday] open top bus parade, but friends who attended told me it was awesome.
It must have been lump in throat time for the die-hard Posh fans, especially those who have followed the team over the last 30 or 40 years. And it's these supporters who I feel most pleased for. The "I hate Barry-Fry brigade" seems long gone, as finally we have a football club pulling 100 per cent in the right direction.
When Darragh MacAntony bought the club, and made all those promises of Premier League football within five years, I must confess I thought the man was in ga-ga land. A likeable charming man, but a little potty in his thinking. I didn't knock his enthusiasm or passion; I just found his vision a little difficult to believe.
And I bet I wasn't the only one. His appointment of Darren, and his policy of getting in young, hungry players, proud to wear the badge, has proved inspirational. His goals, focus, drive, spirit and leadership have helped deliver something magnificent.
I only hope that the relevant support can now be given to help them get a new stadium, as the current one is tatty, out-dated and utterly inappropriate for the level of football now being played in it. They've done their bit, and now, as a city, we should do ours.
I understand our city council leaders are on board, and I just hope that anyone else who needs to be is also pulling in the right direction to make it happen. And fast. It probably takes about a year from start to finish building a new stadium, and as part of this citiy's re-generation one has to presume this will be seen as a priority.
Additionally, wouldn't it be nice to see our local kids walking round town not in their Chelsea or Man Utd football shirts, but in Posh shirts, worn with pride. One of the invisible up-sides to the team's success, is that a whole new breed of young Posh fans, reveling in the glory of back-to-back promotions, are being born. The Family stand is packed week in, week out these days, and the benefits of this will hopefully unfold over the coming years. My own seven-year-old son has supported in his young life Arsenal, Leeds, Norwich, but as of now he is a Posh fan.
And that's the way I want it to stay. It's his local team. And they are flying.
Related:
Posh promoted to the championship: the full story.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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