Fever Pitch

So it’s the day after the day after the night before.
I go to my twitter feed and they are still all talking about THAT match. Well not exactly the match more the pitch invasion.
Now I’ll confess I spent a good part of yesterday watching re-runs of the Will Grigg goal and – yes – various videos of the “terrifying”, “horrifying” “babyslaying” pitch invasion.
One Manchester City fan on twitter @mumofseven (oh the fucking irony in that) was so appalled and terrified by it all that she sat there filming it for two minutes!
Now pitch invasions are not big and they are not clever but they happen. That is a fact. Get over it. I remember thousands of City fans charging towards us – and trying to get at us – back in 1999 after Shaun Goater handled them into the play-off final.

Maybe @mumofseven was busy then.

I doubt she was busy when a glorious Mario Balotelli-inspired City won the Premier League in 2012 that prompted a huge pitch invasion.
See, these things happen.
On Monday afternoon I went to the pub and one of the first things I said was: “I don’t fancy this, I reckon we’ll get battered.”
That was a general feeling around the place and why wouldn’t it be so.
Wigan Athletic were coming into the game on the back of two defeats and some worrying form.
We’d need to be at the top of our game just to stay in it.
The omens weren’t good.
But of course a few pints later and a few minutes into the game and everything changes.
The atmosphere was a little special on Monday night and as the minutes ticked by and as we seemed quite competent at dealing with anything “the greatest club side that has ever been” had to throw at us the nervousness receded.
When on the stroke of half-time Fabian Delph was sent off people could just – maybe just – begin to believe.
And while we are at it: That sending off.
It was a straight red from fifty yards away and it was even more so when I saw the replays.
Forget whether the ref had a yellow card out, whether he had ‘a word in his ear’ it was an horrendous tackle that could have caused serious damage.
The way the Wigan players naturally ran towards the referee told you that.
And if you don’t and can’t see the difference between players spontaneously reacting to a tackle and running at the ref to get a decision then you do not understand football.
Pep Guardiola and his players behaviour after the event also told you a lot (more later)…
As the game progressed I thought: “Well we might get a replay out of this”.
And then – then – £45m Kyle Walker (just let that sink in) went to sleep, Will Grigg pounced and finished beautifully.
The whole place was on fire!
There was 11 minutes to go; plus an inexplicable six minutes added time but the whole of the Wigan team defended with their lives, the final whistle went and modern football had lost.
82% possession, 29 shots, 15 corners versus one goal.
Shove it up your jacksy, Pep.
Now let’s be straight here: Like anybody that appreciates, loves and understands football I enjoy watching City play and like Guardiola as a manager which makes the elation I felt on that final whistle all the more sweet.
But how good did it feel to beat this side with – most importantly – their attitude and the attitude of their fans.
Those fans, eh?
Those fans were summed up in a few ways on Monday.
Firstly there were three little dickheads swaggering around – before being clod out – The Berkeley in their regulation suede adidas, Stone Island and Aquascutum scarves rig-out giving it the Liam Gallagher.
How fucking sad is that modern identikit “casual” scene that has nothing to do with the original ethos of the scene and those that made it happen?
I digress and I wouldn’t mind but the pub was half-empty – it was half-three – and those that were in there were old fellas like me.
It didn’t stop Liam, Noel and Bonehead as they can swagger as much as they like because they support “the greatest club side that has ever been”.
An hour or so later I’m in Wigan Central and four older City fans push in front of me in the queue for the bar.
The look of indignity and arrogance when I pulled them up on this was followed by remarks containing an overuse of the word “shithole”.
See this is what happens when you support “the greatest club side that has ever been”.
It’s why you can sing to (little) Wigan: “Your support is fucking shit” and “Where were you when you were shit?”
Again – the fucking irony…
All that and more meant that it was going to be inevitable that there would be a pitch invasion once that final whistle sounded.
There would have been one on every ground outside the Premier League if it had happened there!
It was inevitable.
This is what happens.
Needless to say I was on my way home and saw none of this: I’m far too old to be clambering over walls but I’ve done it in the past.
From 1966 onwards I’ve been on the hallowed – and it was fucking hallowed – turf of Springfield Park.
I’ve never been on the pitch at the DW Stadium but I’d love to at some stage.
See the football pitch is ours.
It isn’t just for the players that are passing through the club it’s for all of us that have a small emotional part in that club.
The pitch is sacrosanct and that is why we want to go onto it.
I spend most of my Saturdays up at Billinge FC: A small upcoming club that play on a railed pitch in the Cheshire League and after each game I may collect the corner flags or put the nets up and you know what when I step on that pitch it feels just different.
There is something about a football pitch that feels just right.
The same way that all blokes and girls that love football “will” that ball to come to them when they pass some kids playing football so they can have a kick.
One last kick – maybe – as we get older…
So that is why people go on the pitch.
That and loads of other reasons probably – especially – when you’ve just beaten “the greatest club side that has ever been”.
It happened get over it and of course players should not be caught up in this – and the club will undoubtedly get fined for all this – but watching those videos it was to this bloke in his 60th year bloody funny.
It was like a Hogarth painting there was that much going on.
Just watch those videos again and you’ll spot things each time you view them.
There’s – obviously – the fat lad with his top off goading the City fans but there’s so much more.
There’s a kid in full-on Quadrophenia fishtail parka.
Some kid with what appears to be an Arab scarf on, another lad with his foot in a surgical boot and of course the lad that’s come straight from work in his kecks, shirt and tie and a hoody on top.
There’s also a shot of some American kids who are over with ex-Latics player Gino Padula’s Soccer Academy on the pitch – undoubtedly loving it all – and of course there’s the City fan that gets cleaned out with a beauty of a left from some Wigan lad.
I’m sorry but slate me as much as you want but, it was funny!
The Agüero business is another matter and players shouldn’t get caught up in this.
They rarely do but this obviously all happened quickly, spontaneously.
City got their defence/excuses in quickly and they appear to be claiming that Agüero was spat on, hit and asked to “suck my cock” by the Wigan fan.
This may or may not be the case but “suck my cock” is the least likely Wigan insult ever!
And before we move on – and while we have been talking about video clips – there is a great video of the aftermath of the sending-off filmed by a Latics fan at close range.
There at the forefront of it all is Sergio Leonel “Kun” Agüero offering Wigan boss Paul Cook out.
It’s a great snippet: Pep’s in there pushing and shoving and before you know it Cook’s taken his gilet off and for that moment he’s back in The Fantail in Kirkby loving every bit of it.
Then as he goes back to the dugouts he throws his gilet on the bench whilst wearing the biggest smile on his face.
There is further footage – from moments later – of the scuffle in the tunnel and there in the middle of it all suited and booted is Peter Reid!
That is what football is about.
It isn’t about triangles and 82% possession – it is a passionate sport and when you have just knocked out a team that was seen as almost “invincible” passions run high.
And as it all dies down we can look upon it as another great day for this football club and this town.
This town – that in many respects is on it’s arse.
In many respects it is a”shithole” but you know what it’s our “shithole”.
It’s a different sort of town.
It has it’s own culture: A culture that continues to evolve.
Those kids that were on the pitch were five when Wigan Athletic got in the Premier League!
They have been on that journey and while oldies like me bemoan their dreadful taste in music and worse taste in clothes they are the future of Wigan and Wigan Athletic.
Yeah there are some daft lads (and lasses) amongst them but we’ve always had that.
Wigan is a daft town: That’s daft as in “Our Sean’s a daft lad.”
Harmless but daft.
I mean you should see the state of our Wes!
Monday night was a great night for those young kids, the town and all us older folk.
For Wigan Athletic it was another momentous day; for the management, staff and players.
It is no secret that the club is in the process of being taken over and from what I’m being told we should be in a decent place: It is a special club – always has been always will be.
The ambition is there and you just never know but we could be playing Manchester City very, very soon.
Meanwhile we look forward to the next round.
One game away from Wembley, two from the final.
As my mate Bongo said when he messaged me after the game: “It’s happening again”
Maybe?
Definitely Maybe!
Ps Will Grigg – I love you
PPs See you on the pitch. Maybe…