The beauty of having a right to reply through fanzine medium means you can go all Star Wars when somebody – like former Arsenal, West Ham and Burnley striker, Ian Wright, says something about your team. The online empire strikes back, and all that.
Well, ok writes back then.
When I first saw Wright`s column in the Sun newspaper this morning as he praised Burnley`s recent promotion-win from the Championship, I assumed the mention he makes of facing Colchester United during his Turf Moore days would automatically be negative.
He`s only mentioning them now, anyway, because of their very impressive-looking wins against Everton and Manchester United inside the past week, I thought.
Instead the specific reference to Colchester seems to show us some respect, as he recalls facing the U`s on the away to a different promotion in 1999-2000.
“At first, I found the level of football in League One really hard. I could not cope so I said to Stan Ternent to bring me off the bench as I had been rubbish. But coming on as a sub worked.
“I remember being on the bench against teams like Colchester and Blackpool and all the opposing fans shouting at me ‘Wrighty, you’re a flash b*****d’ but I didn’t mind that.”
I`m sure it hurt his well-won ego just a little, but never mind.
My point is: someone in the famous football fraternity actually passed up the opportunity to say something negative about Colchester United! Halleluiah!
I remember when Sunderland`s former flashy-pants, Dwight Yorke, said his team didn`t want to be playing “teams like Colchester” anymore during Roy Keane`s revolution there in 2006-7, before facing the U`s at home in the Championship.
In all fairness to him, he scored although we prevented them being confirmed champions at Layer Road, winning a whopping 3-1.
I think that`s the last time a member of the opposition has uttered our team`s name in the pejorative sense, although sadly plenty of the club`s own players since haven`t held back.
By the look of it, though, we`ve even managed to stop Ian Wright from slating us in public! Thank you, kind sir.
So what do you think?
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I still remember that game against them at LR. Lost 2-1. Their centre back Davis scored both their goals. I think both headers from corners. Wright and Duguid got in a scuffle as well. And the crowed was taunting Wright, and singing songs bout his wife being fat.
… really?!? Well, then his words were coded! He is the better man, if you think about it because he knows the U’s fans siad some things but he still says he’s cool with it. Fair play to Wrighty on that score!!
Yeah – fair play to him. Up the U’s!