The good, the bad and the downright ugly

There are times when I sit to write and the words flow freely. There are times when I sit here and can take up to an hour to feel the groove and settle in to my ramblings. This week however is uncharted waters as fans of Eastbourne Borough have witnessed the good, the bad and the downright ugly side of the beautiful game.

Boxing Day in Crawley. What a very aptly named day it turned out to be. Now, don't get me wrong. I understand how and why some football clubs designate areas for the away fans to occupy, and that we are partitioned more often than not, but now and again, and thankfully it is rare, the logic behind the decisions can be baffling. Last season we were afforded an entire end to cheer the boys on when we crossed the border to West Sussex, with good banter and no unsavoury incidents. What a difference 12 months can make. Given a tiny corner with a segregation buffer zone in place, the 300 odd Eastbourne fans were almost penned in, and the rest of the Broadfield Stadium was given over to the home fans, some 600 odd at most.

With the toss of the coin, it was Crawley that would be kicking towards the 'away' end and in seconds the terracing behind that goal had filled with a small group of Red Devil faithful. A locked gate and a buffer zone of some seven feet separate the opposing fans and it didn't take long for the customary insults to be exchanged. Yes, it's all part of football these days and in times gone by we have stood side by side at Lewes and berated each other with 'tongue in cheek' songs and chants. However, in all my travels in the past six seasons in non-league, I had yet to witness such baiting at close quarters.

When Crawley took the lead, the surge at the barrier was furious and the verbal assault was intense. The dutiful stewards looked on and observed... Understandable, of course as passions do run high in football. So, when the opposition equalise, you would expect the same thing. It would appear that away fans are not expected to get excited, jump up and down and exchange a few gestures as a reply. Not at Crawley anyway. Maybe our fans did get too excited and over celebrated but when you are going through a bad patch, it means even more to see the net ripple. But to witness a young fan ejected for a goal celebration did leave a sour taste and to then have a home steward stand and smile at his actions was deplorable. When the Boro slipped further behind, the home fans once again bayed and baited but of course, no one was removed for that.

The second half had a much better feel to it, once the Crawley fans had changed ends but we were still under eagle-eyed scrutiny. It said 'Greenham Stewards' on the back of their jackets. Were they cast offs form some Nuclear Weapon establishment from the 1990s or simply sponsored by a block paving manufacturer? My money is on the later, as they seemed to have the personality of a slab of stone. The day's events didn't end there but all I will ask on that is, why, when you keep opposing fans apart in the ground, is there not more emphasis in separation as the crowd disperses at the final whistle?

The Bank Holiday Monday saw us, and several thousand others take to the roads, and what should have been a simple task of getting to Luton turned out to be a nightmare, not only for the fans heading to Kenilworth Road, but also AFC Wimbledon's attempts to get to Stevenage for a 3pm kick off. Garry and the gang didn't arrive at the ground until gone 2pm and that was with the aid of the local constabulary. No such luxury for the fans who sadly missed the first half and Matty Crabb hitting a blinder to give the sky blues an unexpected lead. As the 50 or so incumbents of the supporters coach managed to get to the away turnstiles, they were greeted by Luton stewards who waved them in, free of charge to catch the second half. Despite the painful trip up, the Eastbourne fans showed good spirit in cheering, shouting and dancing a conga. The stewards' reaction? They smiled, laughed and let the away fans enjoy themselves! A big big thank you to all in Bedfordshire for the hospitality you showed us.

AFC didn't fare so well.... On arriving at Stevenage with 45 minutes remaining, they too were greeted but with the news it was still full price to get in! I know all clubs are in business to make money but every now and again, would showing compassion really hurt? The festive games brought home one very clear message. There are right ways and wrong ways to do things. Luton Town excelled in the way they hosted us. Our West Sussex neighbours fell short. Will any lessons be learned? Only time will tell.

I will be back next year to carry on where I left off this year. To you all a very happy, peaceful and prosperous 2010. May your wishes for the New year come true..... Mine? BSP Survival....