The Opponent: Peterborough United
Ah well, here we go again. Like a bad case of herpes, I return, armed with my offerings for the opening day of the season. It has been a close season filled out with a royal baby, an effort of a heat wave and enough Changisms to fill up a farmers shit box. On a personal level the start of the season comes as a blessing as its my first day off work since the end of March, I can’t wait to hit the road and go through the same emotions that most of us do, the smell of sizzling shergar as you walk through the turnstiles, the hope that they sell beer in the away end, even if it does have the same sort of kick as a can of Top Deck, and the hopes for the season ahead. Optimist or pessimist, board lovers/haters, happy clappers, Crispies representatives, its time to unite and support the same cause. Regardless of who wears the shirt for us right now, Spurs loanees, Jed’s mates kid or Portuguese wonder kids, providing they fight for that shirt like some of the great players that have had the honour of pulling on a Town shirt before them, they will get my unequivocal support. Fingers crossed our current manager has a better success record with us than he did with his short spell in charge of Peterborough, where he achieved an 8.33% win ratio.
The Posh have become something of a yoyo team in recent years, enjoying and suffering a string of promotions and relegations, a little like us really. Since their relegation from The Championship, Peterborough have reportedly received £6million for striker Dwight Gayle, rising to £8million with add-ons! But they have spent £1.5million of the cash on the brilliantly named Britt Assombolonga, the Posh club shop must have absolutely coined it in with printed shirt costs. Interestingly, Peterborough is a noticeably flat part of the UK owing to the fact that during the Ice Age much of the region was covered by ice sheets and this has influenced the topography and nature of the soils.] Much of Cambridgeshire is low-lying, in some places below present-day mean sea level.[The lowest point on land is supposedly just to the south of the city at Holme Fen, which is 2.75 metres (9 ft) below sea level.
The last time we met at – London Road. A simply incredible game of football, after half an hour we looked to be on to a hiding, I was so regretting making the long journey to Cambridgeshire but it was one that I wanted to tick off the 92 league grounds (now standing at 55). The fight back that followed was one of those times that no matter how disappointing it was to lose, the pride in the performance made the long journey home just that little bit easier.
If you are in the area – Peterborough Cathedral is both impressive on the inside and the outside, and if you feel necessary, perhaps say a quiet prayer for the lads before kick off. With Durham and Ely Cathedrals, it is one of the most important 12th-century buildings in England to have remained largely intact, despite extensions and restoration.
They’ve played for us both – Jimmy Quinn, Toumani Diagouraga, Bobby Barnes, Fola Onion Bhaji, Alex Pritchard, Bart Griemink, Terry Gibson, Lloyd Opara and not forgetting, Giuliano Grazioli.
Where the opposition gather -
http://www.theposhforum.co.uk/ The Odds – Posh Evens Draw 12/5 Swindon 11/4
The Son Says – Due to work we only managed to take in a couple of the pre season friendlies, the poor little lad is so confused with all of the comings and goings over the last few weeks, especially with what seems to be one favourite player after another leaving The County Ground. But as he is slowly learning, his heroes will come and go. Still, he remains as optimistic as ever, 3-1 to the youthful but mighty reds.
The Prediction – A hard earned 1-0 victory with a thunderous header in the last minute from
Darren Ward in front of 6’915, with 875 making the 2 hour and 38 minute journey from Wiltshire, amongst other places.
And Finally – Peterborough United are nicknamed "The Posh", a moniker coined in 1921, after the then manager of Fletton United was reported to say he was "Looking for posh players for a posh new team". When Fletton United looked to join the Southern League in 1923 they added Peterborough to their name to form Peterborough & Fletton United, in an attempt to gain the backing of businesses in Peterborough. Peterborough & Fletton United went bankrupt in Oct 1932 so the current club is the third to be known as The Posh.