Page 33 - Bath City v Peterborough Sports - Saturday 16 January 2020 - FA Trophy 4th Round

THE YEAR AHEAD

not just VAR that needs to be looked at. The highly
sensitive topic of dementia in former footballers linked
to excessive heading of the ball must engender greater
research, and the safety and wellbeing of players has
to be of the upmost importance.
Right, now we have got the grumble out of the way,
it's time to make some predictions for the year ahead.
Now, before you all go rushing onto your online
bookies and start waging money on my predictions,
City in action against Weymouth last March. The last time supporters were allowed remember that this is my personal opinion and is no
inside Twerton Park. more informed than the next person.
So, after the postponement of the A4 derby on the first Anyway, here goes:
weekend of January, we finally play our first match of Premier League Winners: Liverpool
2021 this afternoon. 2020 will go down in history as Relegated: Sheffield United,
the Covid year, a period of time from March onwards West Bromwich Albion, Brighton
that the like our country has never experienced before.
Who could have predicted on that warm spring FA Cup: Chelsea
afternoon back on March 7th, that City's 0-0 draw National League South: Dorking Wanderers
with Weymouth would be the final home game played Play Offs: Oxford City
in front of supporters for the year! Bottom: Welling United
Anyway, enough of the last 12 months, a new year With relegation to the Step 3 feeder leagues now
brings new hopes and wishes, and this year I am sure
that the whole country breathed a collective sigh of looking increasingly unlikely with the rumoured news
relief when the clock ticked over to 00:00 on January that a null and void option is on the table for those
1st. It's time to look ahead positively to the next 12 divisions we may well have no side relegated again
months and what they might bring for Bath City and this season. Let us hope that the huge number of games
now due to be played before the end of May sees
football generally. sides adopting an attacking philosophy and plenty
Firstly, today gives us a tough, but winnable FA Trophy of goals and great games are seen. Free from the
tie and wouldn't it be great to have another long run pressures of relegation and with squads being utilised
in the competition and, who knows, perhaps go one ahead of a fixture backlog, it's a long held hope that
step further than the semi-final appearance we made fans will return in the spring at some point to witness
in 2014/15. Make it through a couple more rounds, these exciting matches.
and City and indeed Peterborough Sports will start We must
to dream of those Wembley arches. As a small omen
perhaps, the last time City faced northern opposition all stay
before today was of course that semi-final meeting with safe and
North Ferriby United. Here's hoping! well look
after our
Secondly, I am sure we would all like the league family and
season to settle down and for the Romans to climb friends and
the table. This year has of course been like no other, see this
and even completing those 40 National League virus off
South fixtures would be an achievement in the midst while the
of a global pandemic which has stopped all but vaccine Wembley Stadium
elite football. The aim must be to get through the becomes
season, ensure the club is financially healthy in these more easily available for sections of society. Football
unprecedented times, and go again next season is an escape for many of us and we must be thankful
when the outlook generally will be a lot more positive it's still going on. We must show our appreciation
following the vaccination programme and the lifting of at all times to the players and management of this
restrictions etc. great Football club who are working in difficult
Football in general could do with a self evaluation of circumstances and putting themselves continually
the main talking points that it appears to be frightened forward for the good name of Bath City.
of addressing. The use of VAR has become probably Happy New Year and enjoy the football ahead.
the biggest talking point in Football, and its excessive
use has begun to ruin the game with penalties and ADAM MATRAVERS
goals being awarded and ruled out for sometimes
minor offences, which often cannot be avoided. It's

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