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Football Diary
by Patrick O’Connor
ANY footballer will tell you that winning is THE most important thing but sometimes getting those three points may have extra meaning. The players of tiny League Two outfit Macclesfield had a very special reason for ‘celebrating’ their 2-0 win at Hereford on Saturday.
And it had nothing to do with the fact that victory lifted them eight points clear of the bottom two places and the dreaded drop into the Blue Square Premier. It was only Macclesfield’s seventh league win out of 33 games but the trip to Hereford was a very emotional affair for players, coaching staff and supporters.
Reneil Sappleton and Emile Sinclair scored the goals in Macclesfield’s first game since the death of their manager Keith Alexander at the age of 53.
The Macclesfield team shirts had "Rest in Peace Gaffer" printed on the back and there was a minute's silence before the game for Alexander, who died in hospital following his side’s defeat at Notts County last Tuesday. He had suffered a brain aneurysm while managing Lincoln City in 2003.
Alexander had a modest playing career as a journeyman pro plying his wares in the lower divisions and that was where he spent much of his time as a manager as well stints in non-league football. He knew how to run clubs on paltry budgets, managing to survive on gates of under 2,000 and without the benefit of so-called ‘rich’ benefactors, something the Wengers, Ancellotis and Benitezs of this world haven’t a clue about, but Alexander was also Britain’s first ever full-time black manager.
Michael Hortin, sports producer for local radio station BBC Lincolnshire, spent four years working with Alexander when he was manager of Lincoln City. “The four years from 2002 were without doubt my favourite time in my job,” Hortin told the BBC. “Not just because of the relative success the Imps had, but because of dealing with the big man.
“Keith would talk to anyone – whether you were a fan of his team or the opposition, a player, manager, in the media or frankly not that bothered about football.” Hortin went on: “Ask the players why he was successful and the answer seems pretty unanimous - 'He treated me well. I wanted to play for him. He was like a father, friend and manager all rolled into one.'
“The other theme in the coverage of Keith's untimely passing has been the fact that he was the first full-time black football league manager. Whilst he was proud of that, perhaps a greater tribute to Keith would be for football to better reflect society at large with more black managers in the game.”
Unfortunately the game has a long, long way to go on that issue. Another team celebrating a win, although for far more mundane reasons, was fellow League Two side Grimsby. They ended a run of 25 games without victory with a 3-0 home triumph over promotion chasing Shrewsbury to go within four points of third from bottom side Cheltenham.
When you’ve gone that long without a victory, then coming off the field as victors must feel as good as winning the lottery or getting to the FA Cup semi-final.
Crisis hit club Portsmouth could do with both but at least they’ve managed to clinch a Wembley semi-final date against the winners of the Fulham-Tottenham replay. The people who have run Portsmouth into the ground financially-wise want stringing up. However, no one would deny their long-suffering supporters, who have been led up the garden path by a succession of owners, their taste of FA Cup glory before relegation to the Championship and no doubt further money traumas engulf them.
!Note - If you've been led up the garden path, you've been deceived.
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