The Glory Days: When will we see your likes again?
I’m not sure what we’ve all done in a previous life, but it clearly must have been bad to merit supporting both East Fife and Scotland.
With the Fife struggling in the League and looking like a relegation battle may be looming, and Scotland looking to have already blown their 2014 World Cup qualification chances, it’s pretty bleak around these parts at the moment.
All of this could turn around in an instant of course. That’s the wonder of football.
At times like this though, it’s hard not to let your memories take hold and look back to happier times. The glory days.
You know, the days of “Five in a row”, Archie Gemmill’s wonder goal against the Dutch, David Narey’s toepoke, wee Gordon trying to jump the boards, John Gordon Sinclair and BA Robertson having a dream. When you could buy a packet of Panini World Cup stickers and excitedly hope that you got a shiny SFA badge or a self adhesive photo of god (Stevie Archibald).
Ah happy days.
Oh but wait. The East Fife fan part of my brain is kicking in and I’m seeing Peru, Iran, Hansen and Miller colliding to let Russia score, failing to score against ten man Uruguay, Costa Rica. Aarghhh.
Horrible memories. But you know what? I wouldn’t swap them because it was Scotland playing in the World Cup Finals, when we were consistently one of the best teams in Europe. At least we were there.
I’m lucky. As a kid, I got to grow up with all the excitement and assemble a collection of memorabilia full of Naranjitos and Piques. When those four weeks in June and July actually had some emotional attachment.
When will see these likes again?
Unfortunately for East Fife, most of our memories don’t go back to our special glory days, because most of us weren’t born to see the three League Cup wins and Scottish Cup history being made. And don’t the lino lickers down the road enjoy reminding us of that fact.
It’s in our history and these achievements will never be taken away from us. We may not have seen them, but we can be proud of them and have a tear in our eye when we read about them.
When will we see these likes again?
I’ve been watching East Fife since the 1983/84 season and I’ve seen one Championship, a scattering of promotions, some great Cup giantkilling feats, a lot of heartache, and a lot more disappointment.
You don’t follow a club like East Fife for the glory. But it would be nice more than just once in a blue moon or, at the very least, have the feeling that you’re at least trying and there is some hope.
And that just it with the Fife and with Scotland right now. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of hope around in the fanbase, and it is really hard to see the situation both are in changing any time soon.
It’s depressing, but you don’t give up on your team, no matter how many knocks you receive along the way.
That’s always been the old mantra, but sadly this does seem to be changing and there’s more and more people walking away from both club and country.
What is the solution? Who knows? But whoever has it would do well to come forward soon before things get into too grave a state.
Will we ever see the glory days return for East Fife and Scotland again? It looks less likely with every passing year.
I still have the hope, but the expectation has long since faded.
Maybe in the next life.