Future U`s

Your mood when you read this could, judging by the litmus paper of the U`s message boards, will be either euphoric or nigh-on suicidal.

Talk about swings and round-a-bouts. A few bad results and there are U`s fans ready to sign-up for trips to Bristol Rovers and Yeovil all over again. We`re mid-table in the Championship, not struggling to retain our grip on the lowest rung of the league ladder!

We`re punching so far above our weight we`re like Amir Khan taking on 'The Beast from the East` Nikolay Valuev. If you`ve not seen the 7ft-plus Valuev, stick his name in Google and prepare to scoop your jaw off your keyboard. He more than lives up to his name.

But we`re bulking up. Our equivalent 'protein shake` is the new stadium coming up on the horizon, literally. Another way to look at some fans` current disappointment is as a mark of how far we`ve come, that we expect better.

Rest easy U`s fans, the future`s bright - the future`s blue and white. I thought to cheer us all up I`d look at a future U`s. Not too far mind. Obviously in ten years or so, we`ll be conquering all before us in Europe - so how about a more easily imagined five years.

Come with me U`s fans. Make your own doodly-doo, doodly-doo wavy finger gesture, picture the Layer Road pitch in front of you blurring as you transport with me to the now five-year-old Cuckoo Farm. It`s 2012…

Olympian heroes

They`ve finally gone. We get our stadium back. Much as I enjoyed the 2012 Olympics, the Bulgarian Olympic team didn`t half hang around our training facilities - and the shot-putters have made a right mess of the penalty boxes. Still, those divots might help some of Jamie Guy`s wayward shots!

Didn`t it make your heart swell to watch Medy Elito on the top step of the podium collecting his gold medal with Team GB? The lad`s come a long way in such a short time.

I have to confess to divided loyalties though. I`m as big a patriot as the next man but as the Cameroon captain Big George Elokobi looked so gutted at the final whistle.

Still, that blockbuster shot will live long in the memory. Joe Hart could have dived twice and still got nowhere near it! I wonder if Dean Gerken would have stopped it? He`ll probably have been wondering that too after being left on the bench.

Still, on to today`s game - Spurs against Col U, who`d have thought it? I hoped to be facing their like one day but I confess I thought it would be after our promotion rather than their relegation.

They`ll be a familiar sight for some of our number. There`s a few of our boys who`ve spent time at White Hart Lane, not least the gaffer, Mr. Sheringham.

Our veteran playmaker, Johnnie Jackson is another. If he can spray those passes around from his deep-lying midfield role as he has done so well this season he`ll make a good impression.

Another ex-Spur, Mark Yeates, will be keen to get one over his international skipper, Robbie Keane. Robbie will know his game well from their time with the Republic but as so many full-backs have found this season, knowing what Yeatesy will do and stopping him are very different things.

As an ex-Gooner Matt Connolly will have had 'beat Spurs` bred into him from a young age. He probably imagined his first game against them would be in an Arsenal shirt but he joined us at the right time - he was never going to oust Toure, Senderos and Micah Richards from Arsene Wenger`s team.

Player-coach Doogie will be getting the lads well up for this match too. He may find it hard to resist bringing himself on from the bench though!

Do your own rabble rousing. Evoke that Layer Road spirit (remember that place? Lovely flats there now…) and raise the roof. Up the super U`s!

Back to 2007… that`s not a bad future eh? The present is called the present, because it`s a gift. Make the most of it! Ensure yourself an enjoyable afternoon - help your team win. Dance, chant, smile, have fun and make lots of noise for those super U`s!

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