A VIEW FROM THE FLOODLIGHT PYLON
- The Jottings of Buster Wright -
18 November 2009

Christmas is fast approaching, but it unfortunately doesn't look to be the season of goodwill for the Wanderers this year. However, most of the other clubs in the Ryman Premier can't feel aggrieved, as Cray continue to gift goals to them by the Santa sackload.

The Wands are not currently the 'strongest' team in the league (in more ways than one); that 'accolade' (of holding the rest of the teams up) goes to Bilgericay at the time of writing, whose only victory of the season so far was gained against Cray in controversial circumstances at the start of the current campaign. I'm a firm believer in what you sow so shall you reap. So, just desserts for the Essex side? I'll leave you to decide.

Several loan signings by Bognor Regis Town have seen them move off the foot of the table. They appear to have done a 'Kingstonian' by signing some new players, albeit on loan, from one or two Football League clubs in their south-coast vicinity. This should help them get out of the pre-Christmas 'relegation struggle'. I expect Cray to follow suit shortly; after all, it's not as though we're short of Football League teams in the area to borrow from. At the last count there was Charlton, Palace, Millwall, Dagenham and West Ham, all within a relatively short travelling distance of Hayes Lane. Surely worth thinking about in the interim, for getting Cray to plunder their way up the table.

The dreaded downpour of rain put paid to Cray's game against Bognor at Hayes Lane last week. Yes, it's a stark reminder that Winter is almost upon us once more. Even with undersoil drainage, the Bromley pitch can't cope in a torrent from the clouds. Let's just hope that the Sandy Lane facilities will be a huge improvement - if and when we ever get there.

I had a nightmare recently, where the Sandy Lane move fell through, and we were forced back to Oxford Road to play in the Kent County League. I read once that dreams are supposed to work out the opposite, but does that include 'mares?

There's been some interesting discussions on our forum lately, surrounding who's to blame for Cray's poor start to the season. It's not hard to detect pessimism creeping in and, from where I'm perched high above the pitch and clutching this red hot floodlight bulb, pessimism is an ugly attitude to have. I'm pleased to see, though, that the indulgence of the older generation of Wands supporters has shone through. The latest sequence of postings (called, for some reason, 'threads') about the culinary war mixture is sheer brilliance personified and has kept this old duffer in fits of laughter for hours. Long may laughter in the face of adversity continue - but not in Cray's case, for I'd like to start smiling again for notable achievements they are going to have on the field before May 2010.

A final word about Mark Hanscombe. He might be three times the size of anyone else at Cray, but he's got a solid gold heart to match. You'll be missed at the Club, big buddy, and that's no bullshit.

Till next time. COME ON YOU WANDS!!