TENSE

Past and Future Tense in a Negative Sense

In my opinion going to a rugby match at Ravenhill has and should be a unique sporting event and social occasion for like minded people. Instead it is rapidly assuming an obstacle course of regulation, a barrier to goodwill and social and cultural enhancement.

It should not be like this, when the common denominator of health and safety is being abused and becomes an end to make money for sections of the economic state and a weapon on which to impose, regulate and nullify people’s common sense.

Positive Tense

By Friday I was feeling a little tense, some pre match tension isn’t a bad thing but when you’re spectating you have to wonder how on earth it is possible to become screwed up in the pit of the stomach about a rugby match. Perhaps a stressful week may have contributed but that really was no excuse for goodness sake.

By Saturday morning I was feeling very tense, though I found time to text a few fellow rugby supporters:

‘Have finished pre match warm up of a 10 mile run, 500 press ups and an Ulster fry!’

A large cappuccino and cherry scone later and having sucked in Mulligans positive pre match comments, I was now feeling almost as excited as Paul Marshall before a 10 minute match cameo.

Negative Tense

Going the opposite direction as I arrived at Ravenhill was Reg Empey, MLA. I eschewed the chance to let him have both barrels on lack of real leadership emanating from the hill. Perhaps I was mindful we were still awaiting the divine dispensation of pocket money for the building of our new stands at Ravenhill.

I assume he was up to look around the neighbourhood in connection with UR’s planning application. Perhaps it’s a positive sign, but I suddenly felt a little tensed again.

Positive Tense

The Ravers atmosphere built nicely bringing it all back home to the more memorable days of Heineken history at the hallowed ground. The car park may be empty of cars these days but their place has been taken by the supporters who were gathered with a mild sense of history unfolding. We’d been told this was Ulster’s biggest game since Alexander the Great captured Persia and it certainly felt a little bit different.

The august Benoit, the Biarritz hooker, mentioned pre match that he was approaching Ravenhill like a commando. I was a little apprehensive but no commandos were evident as I pondered what a commando might look like.

Suddenly a real commando miraged out of the crowd and warmly shook hands. It was Glynncommando sporting one of those Sheriff of Nottingham beards. Having enquired if I would be heading to the Scoop, post match, GC disappeared as silently as a submarine slipping beneath the icy waters of the Clyde.

On the Terrace the atmosphere was charged, nothing to do with event sec and their domineering presence but a keen sense of anticipation. Ravenhill has not gushed forth like this in many a day.

I found myself standing beside the right rorty reverent Kimble, chair of the supporters club and unadorned leader of the second barrier faction. The dear fellow is looking a tad gaunt these days as though indulging in death by tarmac again.

He slipped away at half time to stand with female company. I don’t blame him for eschewing my company, being leader of the URSC and 2BC, he must press the flesh, metaphorically speaking. Missing was his Perpignan bandana, one imagines to avoid a lynching by BO supporters!

Negative Tense

Conversation with Kimble centred around the empty seats in the stand. Weight restrictions on the old edifice imposed by the health and safety inspectorate, means that a 90% capacity is now in force. Alarmingly there is a potential 70% imposition on capacity being mooted for the stand.

Working in the construction industry as I do, I find H & S now caters for the lowest common denominator of idiot ever to set foot on a building site and as a result it’s all encompassing embrace is beginning to stymie competent people.

The old stand has stood for over 70 years and been filled to capacity many times over, so why start to impose loading restrictions based on a desire to micro manage every possible outcome.

It makes it imperative that UR are given funds to rebuild as they are suffering as a business under weight of over regulation imposed by big Government whose sole motivation it seems is to nanny people in the name of their own personal well being, whilst exercising a control over people’s lives that is becoming too close for comfort.

More Negative Tense

Like the old stand at Ravenhill, the crowd has for years largely regulated itself, often in far greater numbers than we have seen in recent times. Yet you are now required to show your ticket to event sec, just to get to the toilet.

As I lingered on the Terrace exchanging warm thoughts and basking in the rosy glow of a tense but hard fought victory I became aware of a long line of fluorescent jackets advancing on me across the Terrace, ushering people to the exit. The event sec are unfailingly polite, but really their presence is beginning to assume proportions of concentration camp guards.

Positives and Negatives

The Aironi match this weekend now assumes the biggest match for Ulster since Adam and Eve first puckered up to each other. UR have decided to open the membah’s bar to supporters to watch the game on a big screen TV. For season ticket holders and latterly URSC members at least.

Personally I think UR are entitled to charge whatever they wish for admission but distinguishing between various factions of the 16th man doesn’t send out a good message though I understand that numbers in attendance need to be controlled.

To be narky, the requests for volunteers to clear the pitch weren’t addressed to a select section of the support otherwise you might have had about 20 turning up to shovel snow.

Sometimes being a Chairman has it’s downside. Just ask the guy who ran BP up until the end of last year. By Thursday Chairman Kimble had clearly reached the end of his URSC tether when he lamented to the bickering classes on the UAFC:

‘Reviewing this thread reminded me why I rarely call by any more.’

By Saturday evening Ulster World will have righted itself, if the bacon is brought home from Parma by the team.

No More Head Butting Walls

I used to be so tense before playing a match as to be almost physically sick. How I wondered would players participating in a match of this Saturday’s magnitude be feeling then. According to D. Humphreys it’s all about control:

Of course there’s emotion before you play every game because it’s an incredibly physical sport. But the emotion is not like it used to be. There’s no head-butting walls now to get themselves ready. Those days are long gone.

There are emotions, but it’s about controlling that, taking it and making it work for the team.

Let’s hope it works!