Author Topic: What the Dickens?.....A Pilgrims Carol  (Read 5020 times)

Bunyan

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What the Dickens?.....A Pilgrims Carol
« on: December 24, 2009, 08:03:21 PM »
A PILGRIMS CAROL

It was the night before Christmas and the Chestnuts were roasting in front of an open fire.
 
“Wake up David!” said Neil “You’ll get chilblains with your feet that close to the fire.”

“I’ve just had a disturbing dream” exclaimed a startled David. “I was visited by three ghosts. The first was the Ghost of Pilgrims Past.”

“Good Heavens!” interjected Neil

“No, more like Bad ‘Evans!” continued David with a wry smile. “First he took me back through the decades to the old Main Ridge ground, as a reminder of the humble origins of football in Boston, where two Boston ‘pub teams’  played and warned that if the Pilgrims do not change their ways they could become a Pub team again, if they were lucky! Then we quickly fast forwarded a decade to Shodfriars Lane in 1933 and the formation of United after the previous Boston club, Boston FC, wound their company up and went into liquidation. A timely warning – beware!
As we travelled through the decades I was shown some of the successes including trips to Derby and Spurs and was warned that those days may not be seen again if we do not mend our ways. Crowds of 5,000-6000 were regularly seen until scandal hit the club in the ‘50s and Joe Public voted with his feet, vowing never to return. Crowds never recovered.
Changes were still not made and again in ’64 the club hit financial difficulties and I found myself visiting, alongside the ghost, the football ‘megastadia’ of the Boston & District League. Reduced again to a ‘Pub team’ and a lousy one at that! Mighty Pilgrims indeed! Mighty Pilgrims beware! Another timely warning from my host!
We then journeyed through a decade of unbridled success as we became the Liverpool of the non-league world! The Glory days! But good managers moved on to higher echelons whilst the Pilgrims passed through the ‘tinpot’ doldrums for several years before another unsurpassed period of success resulted in Football League status. He took me to Hayes and all the elation followed all too quickly by a visit from Mr. Bean a few weeks later. Waves of shock, unbelief and finally shame descended over the town as cheating and fraud were laid firmly at the Pilgrims doorstep. The club became a pariah – a Billy No Mates – particularly popular in Dagenham! The rest as they say is history and far too painful to revisit - involving characters not worthy of inclusion in a Dickens masterpiece (and that leaves plenty of scope!).
However the Pilgrims managed to stumble through border control into the Promised Land where 5 years of competition provided some sense of delight, joy and light relief for the Pilgrims faithful. However I was then whisked off to Wales where I relived the euphoria of our goal against Wrexham followed by deep despair as the dream came to a sad end and the Nightmare on York Street played out its final scenes. Financial ‘difficulties’ finally broke the back of the rollercoaster soap opera that the club had now become. Very soon the Pilgrims’ Fathers deserted the sinking ship and set sail on the first boat out of Boston Dock to a new promised land in warmer southern climes where the grass apparently grew greener. Only honest John was left who could still hold his head up high. Despite five years of living the dream in the Promised Land there was no way back and the now soulless club was deported and shipwrecked along the way. Times were dark. The Pilgrims had become a warning to other clubs of the dangers of mismanagement, cheating, and chasing glory by living beyond your means. The Pilgrims must mend their ways were the words left ringing in my ears as, just like the Pilgrims’ Fathers before, the ghost of Pilgrims Past was there one minute and gone the next.”

“That’s frightening and a potential horror story” reflected Neil

“Then I met the second ghost – the ghost of Pilgrims Present,” recounted David. “He took me to Father’s Day at the York Street Stadium where 600 stout and true pilgrims stood firm, although fearing the worst. I saw myself in the crowd and the ghost giving me a nudge as he reiterated the message of Pilgrims Past that this club desperately needs to change its ways. If it doesn’t there will be no third ghost – the Ghost of Pilgrims Future! You no longer have the choice to be just a spectator, warned the ghost, because without you there will be nothing to spectate. David, you and Neil are the chosen ones. You must bring about the revolution. Get a hungry management team thirsty for success, assemble a team that’ll be strong of heart and proud to wear the shirt, produce a business plan, be professional, and bring honesty, integrity and openness back to the club. Make the club a valued part of the community. Aim for long term stability and then, just maybe, the glory days may eventually return and the Pilgrims find themselves once again in the Promised Land but this time with dignity and honour. I saw myself as I wrestled with the bedclothes all through a sleepless night as I grappled to come to terms with what the two ghosts had shown me and at day break the ghost of Pilgrims Present was nowhere to be seen but I now knew what we had to do and resolved in my mind to follow that path.”

“I don’t know why but that sounds quite familiar, almost as if I was there with you!” mused Neil.

“Then the third and final ghost came along – The Ghost of Pilgrims Future. He said that his time with me was short as he had another, not so unexpected, pressing engagement to attend at another club. He told us not to be afraid for lessons had been learnt, changes made, boxes ticked and foundations for the future laid. Although there are still major issues to be sorted and challenges ahead the future looks far brighter than on Father’s Day 2007. I thanked him for his encouragement and then asked him if we would make the play offs or win the league title this season but he said that he had to go now as he had a crisis meeting to attend with the two other ghosts at another club just down the road who also needed to learn from their mistakes and transform their current culture if they too were to have a meaningful future.
He was pleased with the Pilgrims progress so far and as a reward bestowed upon the Pilgrims a gift of a new heart and soul in acknowledgement of the good work accomplished in so short a time. A club with a heart and soul can go far he shouted as he was leaving. I’m sure that his last fading words to me were ‘good luck in the play-offs’ as he disappeared over the horizon in the direction of the A17. Then I woke up as my chilblains were starting to itch!”

 “You know David” said Neil, “as you mentioned about a new heart and soul an intense warmth stirred in my own heart and I want to share this new Pilgrim heart and soul with others less fortunate than ourselves. After all it is Christmas Eve, the season of goodwill, so let’s open our gates free to all Kings Lynn season ticket holders who would like to see our Boxing Day match. After all it is better to give than to receive! It’ll do nicely for starters!”

 “Great idea mate!” enthused David

Both withdrew their chairs slightly further away from the fire and soon in contented slumber were living their dreams again, whilst the Chestnuts continued to roast comfortably by the warmth of the fire.


Bunyan

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Re: What the Dickens?.....A Pilgrims Carol
« Reply #1 on: December 24, 2009, 08:22:45 PM »
A Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to David & Neil and big thanks for being like the proverbial Christmas Turkeys by sticking your necks out to be counted at the appropriate time.

Also season greetings to John & Maureen for being there when the going got tough and the toughs got going.

Happy Christmas to everyone connected with BUFC.

Bunyan.

Ed Kandi

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Re: What the Dickens?.....A Pilgrims Carol
« Reply #2 on: December 24, 2009, 08:25:39 PM »
Excellent stuff Bunyan, there is hope for us yet!  
Merry Christmas to everyone connected to BUFC   :xmasdeer

Lady GaGa

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Re: What the Dickens?.....A Pilgrims Carol
« Reply #3 on: December 24, 2009, 08:54:45 PM »
Agree Ed.
Would also like to offer best wishes to everyone connected with the club and it's wonderful fans(well most of them :xmashat)

Bostonshire

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Re: What the Dickens?.....A Pilgrims Carol
« Reply #4 on: December 24, 2009, 09:11:30 PM »
The frog came to visit the throat a few times reading that. Fantastic post and probely one of best i have read for a long time. And a massive reminder of the work done at this club in such a small time.

Thanks to all involved and a good christmas to neil and dave, all the staff and other bufc fans and to any other fans of true english football

uncleremus

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Re: What the Dickens?.....A Pilgrims Carol
« Reply #5 on: December 24, 2009, 10:35:38 PM »
I too was visited whilst reading this , my visitor was the ghost of welling up eyes. (as i was fathers day 2007).
Thank you David and Neil for making this another year of football in boston.
Without all your hard work this would be miserable town to live in, with nothing to look forward to.
Merry christmas to all supporters and everyone connected to this our beloved club.

howmanynames2pick

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Re: What the Dickens?.....A Pilgrims Carol
« Reply #6 on: December 24, 2009, 10:44:01 PM »
excellent :)

O CHO MEALLT

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Re: What the Dickens?.....A Pilgrims Carol
« Reply #7 on: December 24, 2009, 10:46:13 PM »
Can only concur with all of the above.To everyone at York Street,fellow Patterers,and all Boston United fans wherever they may be,a happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year. :santa

cookie

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Re: What the Dickens?.....A Pilgrims Carol
« Reply #8 on: December 29, 2009, 02:56:59 PM »
Just got back on the net after a Christmas break and would just like to applaud Bunyan on his Christmas Carol, brilliant reading!
Happy New Year to all Pilgrims supporters and also many thanks to David and Neil for everything they have done to save our club. May it continue for quite a few years to come.

noughtyforties

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Re: What the Dickens?.....A Pilgrims Carol
« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2009, 07:25:22 PM »
many thanks to David and Neil for everything they have done to save our club. May it continue for quite a few years to come.

It will need to continue won't it Chris, because I don't know what we'll do if we rely on the income from gate receipts and sponsorship to keep the club going. And that new ground won't come cheap.