Owls Blog - Relegation
Last Updated on Wednesday, 23 June 2010 11:54
Owls BlogNow that the dust has settled and the reality of League One is upon us regular Owls Blogger, Daniel Salamut-Beal returns to Wednesdayite.com
Dan's blog this time centre's on his "Dunkirk Spirit" rallying call for next seasons campaign.
Dan's blog this time centre's on his "Dunkirk Spirit" rallying call for next seasons campaign.
Seventy years ago this month the British Expeditionary Force had to retreat and re-group in order to fight another day. Rather than adopt a culture of blame and finger pointing they made good their escape and immediately planned the best route to return.
Relegation is a hard and bitter pill to swallow but like with most things in life it's how you handle it that determines how you move forward. The troops sat on a French beach all those years ago did not look for people to blame. There was no finger pointing, no unnecessary hurling of personal insults and no whispers or murmurs creating unrest and instability. Of course this was before the days of the internet where grievances where aired face to face and not on behind a faceless internet pseudonym.
The term, "Dunkirk spirit" still stands for a belief in the solidarity of the British people in adversity and as we retreat from the Championship into the 1st Division perhaps this is something we can learn from? Then we can start our journey back to the place where we belong. I hate to say the word but only, "united" can we achieve this. This relegation has been coming from many months, possibly since we kicked-off back in August last year. It has now happened and there's nothing to be achieved by looking back, finger pointing or creating unrest. Now is the time to draw a line under all what has happened and move forward.
If you look there are positives to take from the situation just as they did back in 1940. What are these positives we can take from relegation? Alan Irvine now has the chance to build his own team something he has yet to do. We now have an established leader in the team in club captain Darren Purse. This has been lacking since Lee Bullen and look what he achieved. 32,000 Wednesdayites turned out for the last match of the season which was a relegation decider.
That kind of support will be crucial next season not just from a supportive match day crowd perspective but also in making funds available to create a competitive squad. As in 1940 we know that even though we’ve been made to go back if we re-group and stand together we can return. We can come back stronger and (here’s that horrible word again) united as one. So remember those guys sat waiting on a foreign beach hoping for the opportunity to turn defeat into victory.
Let’s use that Dunkirk spirit and come back fighting next season.
Your club needs you.
Dan.
Relegation is a hard and bitter pill to swallow but like with most things in life it's how you handle it that determines how you move forward. The troops sat on a French beach all those years ago did not look for people to blame. There was no finger pointing, no unnecessary hurling of personal insults and no whispers or murmurs creating unrest and instability. Of course this was before the days of the internet where grievances where aired face to face and not on behind a faceless internet pseudonym.
The term, "Dunkirk spirit" still stands for a belief in the solidarity of the British people in adversity and as we retreat from the Championship into the 1st Division perhaps this is something we can learn from? Then we can start our journey back to the place where we belong. I hate to say the word but only, "united" can we achieve this. This relegation has been coming from many months, possibly since we kicked-off back in August last year. It has now happened and there's nothing to be achieved by looking back, finger pointing or creating unrest. Now is the time to draw a line under all what has happened and move forward.
If you look there are positives to take from the situation just as they did back in 1940. What are these positives we can take from relegation? Alan Irvine now has the chance to build his own team something he has yet to do. We now have an established leader in the team in club captain Darren Purse. This has been lacking since Lee Bullen and look what he achieved. 32,000 Wednesdayites turned out for the last match of the season which was a relegation decider.
That kind of support will be crucial next season not just from a supportive match day crowd perspective but also in making funds available to create a competitive squad. As in 1940 we know that even though we’ve been made to go back if we re-group and stand together we can return. We can come back stronger and (here’s that horrible word again) united as one. So remember those guys sat waiting on a foreign beach hoping for the opportunity to turn defeat into victory.
Let’s use that Dunkirk spirit and come back fighting next season.
Your club needs you.
Dan.
To see some of last season's Football League Championship in numbers click here
What are your thoughts? Post your comments below!
The views expressed in Wednesdayite.com blog articles are those of the author and not necessarily the views of Wednesdayite, The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Society Ltd, or anyone associated with the society.
What are your thoughts? Post your comments below!
The views expressed in Wednesdayite.com blog articles are those of the author and not necessarily the views of Wednesdayite, The Sheffield Wednesday Supporters Society Ltd, or anyone associated with the society.
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Comments (1)
...
Weary platitudes of war do not change anything...we head for the third tier in probably the poorest state ever. Tedious 'battle cries' fail to alter the reality of little or no money which means that Irvine wil be reduced to shopping solely in the bargain basement. I want Wednesday to do well - of course I do - but where is the substance to back this optimism?
