Thick as 12 board feet of wood

This season it's started early. Far earlier than usual. Oh yes.

What am I talking about you may ask? I'm talking about the total inability of my fellow Barnet supporters to get there head around the concept of ticketing for football matches. And it drives up the wall, it drives me to distraction, it makes me want to hit their head, and mine, repeatedly against the nearest hard surface.

Usually it takes the coming of a big game such as last seasons FA cup 4th round game against Bristol Rovers. Back then people could not get their heads around the idea of a game selling tickets both in advance and then selling those remaining on the gate. How hard is that to get your head around? I mean really? But no, in the build up people were insisting that this must mean that some were being held back for the day and when they found there were only standing tickets on the day got the right hump. Why? What was so difficult about the fact that some areas of the ground might be more popular and so might sell out in advance?

This year we have a cup 1st round game. It's never going to sell out, no area of the ground will sell out. And yet people are getting in a right tiz. They can't get their head around the idea of the fact that tickets can be bought in advance and still on the gate! They keep asking when the ticket office will shut, when is the latest they can get one. For fucks sake! It's Barnet v fucking Rochdale! And then they struggle with the idea that the voucher in the back of season tickets that quite clearly says it gives you a £2 discount on cup tickets gives you a er..... £2 discount on cup tickets. What is so hard to understand? Where is the problem?

In short, why are there so many thick people in the world?

I'm alive, awake, alert enthusiastic!

Or so goes one of my prefered camp fire songs. And it's quite appropriate because yours truly is feeling irritatingly chirpy and cheerful today. The sun is shining, the trees are wonderful colours, my boss is out the office for the day and its the FA cup tomorrow. Yes the Mail is still telling lies, yes I'm still having to harrass cub parents to hand over subs and camp permission slips but over all it feels rather good to be alive today!

So yes tomorrow is round 1 of the FA Cup. Probably the only football competition that no one has managed to trash so far. They've had a go alright, Arsenal still wont play a first team come third round day and there is the nasty after taste of sponsorship to it, but over all its still a grand old competition. Two teams drawn randomly out the hat slug it out, if they draw, and I absolutely love this, they play the game all over again! Isn't that so wonderfully English? Shame it doesn't go to second and third replays these days but you can't have everything.

So I shall be at Underhill tomorrow to see Barnet v Rochdale. It's not glamorous, it's not sexy but it's the game I love and I can't wait.