Let the games begin

Football is dominating thoughts at the Shropshire Star at the mo.

On Sunday the Mighty Shrews take on Wrexham at the Racecourse ground. As we cover the whole of the county including the north Wales border, this has huge implications for a lot of people. Staff included.

Myself especially.

I grew up in Oswestry and all my friends from there are Wrexham fans. I’m a Shrews man. Last year, when we did the double over them, was an absolute joy.

One of my colleagues is a Wrexham fan. It is purely coincidental that I have taken next week off and will not hear his taunts should the unthinkable happen.

What’s more, before I came to the Star I spent a number of years at a newspaper in Wrexham, suffering the taunts of the photographer, who was as much a Robin (to me Wrexham will always be the Robins, NOT the Dragons. Ooh scarey…) as it is possible to be.

But, if that seems like a big game, Wednesday brings up an even more important clash as the Shropshire Star XI take on … a bunch of blokes who play 5-a-side after us on a Monday night.

Now the Shropshire Star’s record over recent games (I say recent, we haven’t played for about 18 months) is more your Charlton Athletic than your Man Utd.

A lot is at stake, as can be seen from the number of training sessions we have had over the last few weeks (0) and the number of people who have developed twinges (a lot).

We have a few good players and to them, on behalf of the players like me, I apologise in advance.

Hope Gary Peters doesn’t send a scout.