The relegation scrap: a Wolves fan explains the fear
I really wish I didn't work for a news and sport station at the moment. News I can cope with, but every time anyone mentions football, my heart misses a beat or two, and the butterflies start all over again. "Tom", my editor said to me today "you're a Wolves fan, why don't you fix some guests to preview the relegation battle." Thanks, boss.
I suppose I should be used to it by now. The night terrors and random stabs of chest-crushing panic have been going on for a few weeks now. But then such is the life of a fan of one of the Premier League's more safety-averse teams.
Last season Wolves cruised to a 15th place finish. I'd been nervous enough about survival following a shaky start to life in the top tier, but a thumping 3-1 win at West Ham in late March effectively secured our safety - and the old gold and black faithful were able to rest relatively easy until the end of the season.
In the summer, there was cause for hope. We may not have scored many goals last season (just 32 - two fewer than any other team in the division), but we only conceded 56. Surely that rock solid defence would be bolstered this season by the addition of Burnley's Stephen Fletcher up front. So Fletch arrived, and the goals started to flow - unfortunately they were flowing the wrong way too. All season we've leaked as many as we've scored - letting first half leads become second half defeats, and being turned over time and again by teams in our own half of the table.
Things looked bleak, until a rare win against Roberto Mancini's Manchester City in October on the day before Halloween gave us hope. Sadly a run of six defeats from eight in the run up to Christmas left us mired in the relegation zone over the festive period, and it looked odds on that next season's fixture list would be more Barnsley and Doncaster than Arsenal and Chelsea.
But then something happened. First Liverpool were felled 1-0 at Anfield, then Chelsea succumbed to the Old Gold and Black wave at Stamford Bridge. By the time Mick McCarthy's men lined up against Alex Ferguson's undefeated Manchester United on a windswept February evening, many Wanderers fans had started to see the top four as the only clubs against which we might get a result.
Three goals and the most nervous 45 minutes of my life later, we ran out 2-1 winners, the only side to dent United's unblemished league record so far that season. If Upton Park was the turning point in 2010 - then Molineux on the 5th of February might just have been the same this time around. As our chairman Steve Morgan told 5 live the next day "if we show the same spirit as we did against United, we'll be fine". He was right too. Only it took a while for the spirit to surface again.
Going into the run-in firmly mired in the bottom three after a miserable start to the spring, Wolves fate again appeared to be out of their hands. Hammered by Everton, Newcastle and Stoke, Mick McCarthy's men looked cowed and beaten. And then came West Brom.
It had to be West Brom didn't it? Our rivalry with the Baggies has been called the most intense in English football. Certainly we don't get along, to put it mildly. It's why I can't watch Adrian Chiles or Frank Skinner on TV, and why I once refused to phone Geoff Horsfield for an interview.
I was invited to the wedding of one of my girlfriend's mates the other day. She was marrying a man that through a quirk of circumstance I'd never met before and didn't know much about, save for the fact that he was a big football fan. I nearly choked on the cake when I saw the little figure on top of it had been specially made to wear a tiny West Brom shirt. Still, I'm feeling slightly more inclined to swallow my animosity now after they so graciously helped us to three points two weeks ago.
That win seemed to fire more than just hope. Beating your main rivals in a must-win game at the business end of the season has a tendency to do that. So last week, off the back of thumping the baggies, we traveled to the Stadium of Light and walloped Sunderland to ensure that on Sunday, our fate is in our own hands.
That doesn't help the nerves though. I've been following Wolves for long enough to know that our hands aren't always where I'd like our fate to be. Beat Blackburn and we stay up. Lose and we're at the mercy of a string of results so convoluted I may have to ask NASA to work out the permutations. It's even possible we could draw with Rovers and both teams still go down.
That's the thing about relegation dogfights though. It's more than just your club involved, and at the end of the day there'll be very real heartache for someone. It's not like losing in a cup final or missing out on a title, when you can console your fellow fans with the thought of trying again next year. Let your Premier league status expire and there'll be no second chance come August, and as big clubs like Leeds, Sheffield United and Leicester know all too well, relegation can become a habit.
The rewards for survival are great, but the penalties for failure are far more severe. That's why on Sunday, fans of Wolves, Wigan, Blackpool, Birmingham and Blackburn won't be hoping for survival so much as they will be dreading the alternative. Mind you, they say fear is addictive. Maybe that's the reason we keep coming back every year for more.
Still, come 6 o'clock on Sunday night two of those five teams will have their worst nightmares realised. I wish no-one had to go down, I really do. I've been through it, and I've watched my beloved team fight for their very survival at the foot of the old fourth division. That's why on Sunday I'd far sooner we beat Blackburn, and I can celebrate surviving on our own terms, instead of having to hope for a rival to suffer misfortune. At least one things for sure - when it's all over, I'll be able to get a good night's sleep.
Tom Green is a senior producer on 5 live Drive
Related links
5 live coverage of Sunday's football
The relegation permutations
Comment number 1.
At 07:38 22nd May 2011, Nickerlouse wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 2.
At 15:36 22nd May 2011, shockman59 wrote:As a disinterested party, I just want to see Blackpool go down today. This is not born out of any malice, but simply because I LOVE to listen to Ian Holloway rant like a madman at the questions he gets form the BBC correspondent, without fail, after his team take a whoopin'.
Wouldn't want to be a BBC reporter at OT today - no sireeeeeeeee.
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Comment number 3.
At 08:28 23rd May 2011, carrie wrote:This article illustrates the obsession and ridiculous pre-occupation with football that ruins the station. And to suggest someone has "night terrors and random stabs of chest-crushing panic" is the most unintelligent piece of nonsense.
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Comment number 4.
At 11:26 23rd May 2011, Pickle wrote:Many things ruin Radio 5Live. Football coverage is definitely not one of them though. The coverage was great. It matters to millions of people on many different levels. I will be having nervous sleeps all week - just praying that Messi turns up to Wembley on Saturday to destroy Utd!
Five are much more obsessed chasing an audience/demographic that just isn't there in the first place.
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Comment number 5.
At 13:23 23rd May 2011, carrie wrote:I love football too, but not to the exclusion of other sports. I don't know why 5 LiveSE isn't made the football station and then 5Live could cover just news of football and all the other sports would get a look in. Or vice versa. There was virtually nothing about the IRB Rugby 7s, the World Matchplay championship featuring many British players, the Challenge Cup, I could go on.
I was talking in @3 about this mania for going on and on with phone ins and shouty adverts which really dominate the station. Frankly once Colin appears it is time for me to go, when Riley's adverts come on you have to turn the volume down, as if we listeners didn't know by now the text number and email address it is rammed down our throats, you at the station have lost sight of how you come across to listeners.
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Comment number 6.
At 14:53 23rd May 2011, Fedster wrote:I really get annoyed with this argument that there is too much footy on 5live, footy is the main Sport of this Country, it brings listeners in like no other Sport, people get passionate about it, and i bet a large percentage of listeners only listen to 5live for its footy coverag.
Should 5live not cover what the vast majority of viewers want?
Yes we all pay the License fee, but that doesnt mean 5live should have coverage of every Sport in equal measure, footy brings the ratings in, and with the footy season coming to close next weekend, there will be relentless coveraghe of other Sports to fill the schedule.
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Comment number 7.
At 15:06 23rd May 2011, carrie wrote:Then why not dedicate 5 Live Sports Extra to football?
Do you honestly believe that a large percentage of listeners only tune in for football Fedster? That sounds a bit off the mark and I am sure AV-K would agree.
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Comment number 8.
At 15:10 23rd May 2011, Fedster wrote:Sport Extra in my opinion should be used for minority Sports, with the main station 5live broadcasting the main events which inevitably are football matches, no other Sport gets people talking like football, no other Sport brings people together like football.
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Comment number 9.
At 15:26 23rd May 2011, carrie wrote:Oh well, I bow to your superior knowledge. So motor racing, rugby, golf, boxing, athletics, cricket, whatever, can go hang out on the minority sports channel. While we listen to commentators shouting their heads off about overpaid philanderers and mercenary footballers. Hey ho.
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Comment number 10.
At 15:57 23rd May 2011, carrie wrote:Sorry about Rhod's blog being closed everyone.
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Comment number 11.
At 17:18 23rd May 2011, ryanw wrote:Here we go again. Hasit, if posts are out of order DO NOT CLOSE THE THREAD, you have other ways to deal with this.
I wanted to post about Rhod on the Rhod thread, now I have to do it here! You are out of control and doing us all a disservice!!
Now... back to Rhod!
What excellent news that the wonderful Rhod Sharp will be regularly contributing to these blog pages.
Not only does he host consistently the best programme on this radio station and doesn't worry himself with the trivial and superficial twitter banter he is the only host on 5Live that I know who has personally and consistently taken the time to reply to my email correspondence, now, in further sign of how much he values his listeners he is to regularly contribute to these pages.
If only others invested the same time in research and meaningful engagement with his audience.
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Comment number 12.
At 17:22 23rd May 2011, ryanw wrote:Hasit, two simple questions for you if I may --
1. I understand there will not be a message board, however, with a click of a mouse, you can provide a weekly 'open thread', where we can discuss anything we like about that station. It's simple and easy to do. Can we please have a weekly open thread beginning next week?
2. Who works for 5 Live Interactive? Every time I have asked this question it has never been answered. Where is Nigel? Why is this so secretive? Could you please let us know who and what their roles are?
Thank you.
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Comment number 13.
At 18:06 23rd May 2011, Binkie wrote:I was just about to post how great it will be to read more Rhod Sharp blogs, when I find that Hasit has closed that particular blog and yet another one, down !! Why is Fed so aggressive with his petty squabbles and comments ? He should be the one apologising.Thats two really interesting blogs he has gone off on one and caused it to be closed.I enjoy reading these blogs and the comments by contributors but this has become really annoying.
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Comment number 14.
At 21:33 23rd May 2011, carrie wrote:My fault for rising to his challenge I'm afraid.
However I stand by the comments about the football obsession of this station I made above. Just wish there were a few fans of other sports working for the BBC who would write a blog about their sporting passion. Now there's an idea for a blog..........
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Comment number 15.
At 10:09 24th May 2011, Hasit Shah wrote:ryanw - my polite request for people to stick to the topic of the blog was ignored, and I felt it was disrespectful to the author to allow his piece to become a forum for unrelated arguments.
carrie - now that the football season's almost over, there will certainly be blogs about other sports over the summer. Last week, my colleague Steve Bland, a keen golfer, wrote a very good piece about Seve Ballesteros, and I will definitely commission more like that.
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Comment number 16.
At 11:45 24th May 2011, ryanw wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 17.
At 12:02 24th May 2011, ryanw wrote:Hasit, we have a BIG problem. In post 16 which was referred to the moderaters I wrote a simple polite one sentance request to ask if you might address my question in post 12.
HOW ON EARTH CAN THAT BREAK THE RULES? Especially if the original post containing the actual questions ARE in order.
This is fast decending into farce.
Can you please sort it out! Thank you.
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Comment number 18.
At 13:36 24th May 2011, Hasit Shah wrote:ryanw - this is a thread about football, and about the shared experience of fans of five clubs last Sunday. If you continue to post unrelated comments, which is against the rules, they can be removed. Earlier, I made the point about showing the authors some respect, and that still stands. Your questions are not being ignored, so don't worry about that, but please don't expect instant answers either.
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Comment number 19.
At 15:21 24th May 2011, Fedster wrote:Carrie you speak as if 5live staff do not blog about other Sports, the point is they do, you have not been looking carefully enough.
Gordon Farquhar- Radio 5 Live's Sports News and Olympics Correspondent
https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/gordonfarquhar/
Alison Mitchell-reporter and commentator for Five Live
https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/alisonmitchell/
Iain Carter- BBC 5 Live's golf correspondent
https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/iaincarter/
Are these 5live staff not " blogging about their passion" all the blogs above are nothing to do with football, so i think your argument is rather redundant, i dont see any 5live staff having a specefic blog set up for the football, do you?
George Riley-Radio 5 live Presenter
https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/georgeriley/
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Comment number 20.
At 21:01 24th May 2011, Nick Vinehill wrote:Although Wolves had been hovering around the bottom three all season there was seldom any talk of Mick McCarthy being sacked! Although the calculators must have been overheating in the last game which they lost I think their survival highlights that its not all about the manager.
Can anyone explain why there are play off's for the third promotion spot yet not play off's for the third relegation spot. Thought the whole purpose of the play off idea was income generation anyway!
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Comment number 21.
At 22:31 24th May 2011, carrie wrote:@19: I am talking of blogs that appear on this, the 5 Live Blog page. It seems it is only football that staff are interested in writing about, never any other sports. Hence I wrote "Just wish there were a few fans of other sports working for the BBC who would write a blog about their sporting passion." Obviously I would hardly be including actual sports reporters in that comment and again obviously I don't need to have their blogs pointed out to me, thanks anyway.
Apart from a few cricket pieces in December 2010, and nothing from any of them about cricket when the Ashes were won, you might wonder what other sport 5 Live employees like other than the usual which is what I simply pointed out.
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Comment number 22.
At 15:06 25th May 2011, Fedster wrote:Hasit is there going to a Champions League blog to look forward to the final?
Alan Green has already posted a piece in the Belfast Telegraph https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/alan-green/alan-green-manchester-united-my-team-of-the-season-mdash-but-they-wonrsquot-beat-barca-16003531.html
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Comment number 23.
At 15:10 25th May 2011, Fedster wrote:Sorry posted to quick......
It would be intresting to hear how 5live are preparing for this game, in terms of the logisitcs, how many staff are going to be there,how you will be previewing the game etc.
Who will be part of the commentary team?my guess it will be Green,Ingham and Lawrenson, but what about David Pleat or Graham Taylor will they be involved?
So Hasit when can we expect such a blog?
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Comment number 24.
At 21:25 25th May 2011, Hasit Shah wrote:Fedster - yes, there will be a few Champions League blogs, starting tomorrow.
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Comment number 25.
At 15:03 27th May 2011, Fedster wrote:So Hasit where are the Champions League blogs?
This is the biggest thing since sliced bread, yet you are not blogging about it, i thought thats what this blog was all about.
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Comment number 26.
At 15:17 27th May 2011, Hasit Shah wrote:Apologies, Fedster. I decided to hold off today, because of Vassos' last day and the Kermode and Mayo tenth anniversary special. The Champions League pieces will be published later today and also tomorrow.
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