An intriguing – and well-judged piece – from the Express and Star this week; written by Martin Swain in his column “The Daily Swain. While it is based in what was going on at West Brom and Walsall Football Clubs it is also about human nature.
See what you think eh?
“One of the curious features of the weekend was that we all know something we didn’t see but still nothing about something we did.
A fracas behind the dressing room’s closed doors at the Hawthorns is back page news thanks to someone who shall remain nameless but clearly has an agenda. But the most dumbfounding sending off in the history of the universe, committed in full view of the Banks’ Stadium’s patron, remains a total mystery.
The fact that a punch or punches appear to have been thrown and Saido Berahino was on the end of one is no surprise because Albion’s internal fury was clear as they left the pitch on Saturday.
But it seems that we will have to wait for the book to discover what on earth rattled the normally calm and controlled demeanour of Walsall’s Craig Westcarr that he should leap from treatment for a nasty shin gash to head butt Shrewsbury’s Sam Foley.
Three, four days on and we are still none the wiser. “Unfathomable” our Walsall man Matt Maher called it and equally confounded club officials, obviously fearing something truly untoward had kicked off, have been unable to glean any further information from the culprit about his sudden, out-of-character Pardew impression.
Sadly, with the saddlers reviving for one last shot at the play-offs, and one of their players of the season back among the goals, Westcarr’s inexplicable loss of discipline seriously blemishes his terrific contribution.
Whether it will carry more serious implications for the player remains to be seen. He is out of contract again this summer and now might not be the best time to knock on Dean Smith’s door and ask for a new one.
Westcarr’s team-mates will be equally annoyed – even more so if Peterborough continue to leave the door open to League One’s sixth spot by slipping up again this evening when the y meet Colchester.
The man himself must now sit out three crunch games.
That is only 270 minutes but it will feel like an eternity for Westcarr and the Saddlers fans still bamboozled by what on earth it was that sentenced their leading scorer to such purgatory.”
How often being a football supporter is like taking a part in a Shakespeare drama.
Next up ?
Port Vale, also on the edges on the play-offs.
Image taken from Shropshire Star (and yes it is from that game…)
Trials and Trails: life and times of a Walsall fan 