Ebbsfleet United v Southport
The following is the article that I wrote for the home game v Southport in March:
As we reach Mid-March we are certainly coming to the pointy
end of the season. The pre and post
Easter period is certainly a make or break time for most football teams the
length and breadth of the country. This is the time to stand up and be counted
– regardless of whether you are a player or a fan. We all have an important role to play from
now until the end of the season.
With just over 10
games to go, there are three distinct groups of teams in the Blue Square Premier
League. There are those teams that are
vying for promotion to the ‘Promised Land’ that is League 2, those that are
comfortably sitting in mid-table and are tentatively thinking about next
season, and then there are those battling to save themselves from the dreaded
drop to a lower league. Unfortunately
for us, Ebbsfleet United fall squarely in the last group!
The fixture list shows that we have many battles ahead with
our fellow strugglers. To use a worn out
cliché, these are the six pointer games. Now would be a great time to go on an unbeaten
run! Liam and the coaching staff will be
doing their utmost to ensure that the Fleet are able to compete for another
year in the top non-league.
Today we welcome Southport who are one of those teams who
find themselves in mid-table. For them
there is not the worry of a relegation scrap.
Hopefully they will not be at the top of their game and the Fleet can
gain a valuable three points. Only time
will tell – well ninety minutes actually!
Being a big fan of trivia I thought I would trawl through
the World Wide Web and find out some interesting facts about our opponents
today, or I should say the town itself.
Did you know that the BBC football pundit and ex-Liverpool
star Alan Hansen lives in Southport? No, neither did I! Marc Almond, the lead singer of Soft Cell was
born in Southport. For those retro fans
in the crowd today, who can ever forget the classic ‘Tainted Love’. Creative geniuses, the Reverend Marcus
Morris and Frank Hampson created the Eagle comic and Dan Dare character
respectively.
The name Rimmer is certainly one that has become synonymous
with this seaside town. To date there
have been two well-known footballers with the surname Rimmer (Jimmy and Stuart). Jimmy went on to represent England in one
international in the 1970’s. Stuart made
his name as a goal scorer with Chester City.
Michael Rimmer is an 800m athlete who has represented Great Britain at
athletics. Finally there is the renowned
composer from the 19th century, William Rimmer.
Not to be outdone the Ebbsfleet area (well Gravesham) has
had its fair share of notable people too.
The Native American princess Pocahontas is actually buried
in Gravesend. There is a statue of her
in the grounds of St George’s Church.
The chemist and Nobel Prize winner Derek Barton was born and bred in the
area. One of the greatest writers of
all-time, Charles Dickens, lived locally for a number of years.
Whilst writing this article, my wife has reminded me that
she also grew up in Southport. This one
happens to be about 12,000 miles away in Queensland, Australia!!
Enjoy your afternoon’s entertainment. Let’s hope it’s a great game of football!
UP THE FLEET!
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