Welcome (back!) to the Stray Shots.
Towards the end of last season, due to my other commitments (helping with the clubs official website, Shotsweb and the Shots Trust) I decided to amalgamate the Strays under the Trust banner in an attempt to make life easier for me.
Initially this was fine and it certainly helped to free up some of my time, however as a result, less than a year on and I can’t help but feel that I made the wrong decision so the old site logo has been returned to the Footy Mad team with a plea for them to upload it once again!
For me personally, I feel that “we”, as exiled supporters, have lost a certain something and life supporting the club, has lost a certain something too.
There’s no doubt that there is a more sterile atmosphere around the club in recent years and many supporters are feeling less and less of a connection with the club, which to me is a real shame and not what the club was set up to do.
Like many I’ve spoken too, supporting the Shots has, unfortunately become “boring”. I appreciate that there have to be rules but that isn’t the issue. What has really become noticeable is the lack of “support” that has developed over the last couple of seasons and that support, was the heart and soul of our club so it’s up to “us” to help get it back!
So what can “we” do? We can sit around and do nothing for sure, but that would be the easy option, but after last nights sad, sad news that Steve “Chappie” Chapman had passed away, I felt that in his honour – the most enthusiastic Shots supporter I’ve ever met in my 24-years supporting the Shots, it would be a great gesture for us to work together and help bring back the passion that used to be felt on the terraces and if we can manage just a quarter of the energy that he used to provide – then we’ll have succeeded.
Here’s to you Chappie – a great friend to all who met you.
Mike