Owls Blogger David Crookes returns in time for the first game of the season with his 2nd blog for Wednesdayite.com.

In this blog David tells about those first day nerves and the anticipation and optimism about Saturday's outcome and indeed the season in general.

The advent of the month of August is different to any other period in the calendar for the genuine football supporter. For August marks the point in our lives when the new season is finally upon us and, like a young child awaiting Christmas, an eager sense of anticipation takes hold and possibilities seem endless.

In an instant we can say goodbye to the weeks since May that have borne witness to some of the following events from the world of sport. England did not win the World Cup as the “world-class stars of the Premier League”, to quote the various television pundits, were exposed as lacking in both the ideas and technique required at the truly highest level. Andy Murray, a tennis player described as British when he is playing well, Scottish when he isn’t, did not win Wimbledon resulting in the tiresome references to Fred Perry being extended for at least another 12 months. The England cricket team, or should that be South Africa “A”, played some Test Matches whilst the counties over-egged the Twenty20 pudding.

However the new season brings not only anticipation but a little trepidation and this is the same for supporters of all clubs because the 2009 / 10 slate has been wiped clean. It doesn’t matter whether the object of your footballing affections emerged from last season as champions or, like the Owls, suffered the ignominy of relegation. At each club (with the possible exceptions of Portsmouth and Southend United) new signings have been made, some players will have departed (rather a lot in the case of poor Pompey), managerial changes may have occurred and last year’s playing staff will all be one year older. In the case of the latter this means that some players will have gained an added maturity while for others the end of the playing road has ventured a little nearer into view.

In other words the only constant in life, change, is as much an integral part of the August footballing experience as entering the stadium with its pristine playing surface (and widened at Hillsborough), fresh paint and the first taste of Bovril.........well, for some at least. In its way the new season can be compared with the first day of a new term at school or the first day in a new job. What will the new teacher / boss be like? Will I fit in with the new boys / colleagues? Etc., etc

For my own part I stand by the opinion in my previous blog that the Owls will do well this year and achieve a top six place at the very least. But what else will 2010 / 11 bring?

Will a vuvuzela or two be smuggled into Hillsborough? Will Clinton Morrison remember that he should now score for, rather than, against us? Will the Kop chant “there’s only one Jon Otsemobor”? Will I get within 500 numbers in the half-time draw? Will I still be sat near the annoying bloke who perpetually shouts “this side of the pitch Wednesday” as if the game’s action should be no further than 20 metres from his line of sight? Will I manage to delay consuming the Mars Bar purchased pre-match until half-time or will the wrapper still shout EAT ME ten minutes before kick-off? 

At the time of writing, four days to go, bring it on!    

David.


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