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Diary - Monday 31 March 2008

31 March 2008

It's the day after for Leeds Diary and the rest of Town's following and there is, for a change, an overwhelming consensus amongst Town fans on not one but two fronts. First and foremost our team did well to make another Wembley appearance ("the third in four years," in the world of Buckley). And secondly we were deservedly beaten by a superior side, one that does sit at the head of the fourth division table with Peterborough. No laments then on Willy Guéret's penalty saved from the Bosh, nor the legitimacy of their penalty. It's a shame that Town were the Franchise's last hurdle for their first sense of 'history'. But little Town's huff, puff and grit will only take you so far against a capitalist-driven, money-hungry juggernaut like the Franchise.

The "Big Day" is now over, thankfully, and let's look forward. Maybe we'll find out how the club plan to squander their big payday. The tax bill? Investment in players? Put towards the new stadium? Slapping it all into a high interest savings account? Or possibly even to pay off some board members' loans? Let us look forward to Saturday as well now the diversion has passed. Time to roll up sleeves, get our heads back down and concentrate on the league. You know - that competition we were doing pretty well in until we qualified for Wembley? Beat Rochdale, grab three points and our slim play-off hopes stay alive. And yes, reader, I do feel that anything less than a win this coming weekend will spell the end to Town's topsy-turvy season in the space of six days, leaving five fixtures of tinkering and trialling for Alan Buckley.

It wasn't all cup final fever over the weekend for some Town fans, you know. After the success of our mighty anti-Franchise T-shirts people just weren't happy letting the Franchise have some of their hard-earned wonger. Guest Diary was one of those and has mailed about his non-Wembley attending weekend. "A few of us went to watch AFC Wimbledon on Saturday to present them and Town's trust with the profits from the T-shirt sales. And we had a magnificent time, only marred by the Wombles most unfortunate 4-2 loss. The atmosphere was tremendous, the bar had proper beer and the reception we got was very touching. Believe me they were all rooting for us yesterday and we got some nice messages of commiseration afterwards by email." But GD still watched the game, albeit on his Murdoch-funding tellybox: "There were crumbs of comfort to be drawn: Town ran their hearts out; Winkelman admitted both on FiveLive in the morning and on Sky in the afternoon that it had been the wrong thing to do and accepted 'that people will neither forgive nor forget'. So that is as near as we will get to an apology I suppose." Given Winkieman's joy at winning and non-remorse at his actions, a spelt out apology will never be forthcoming.

And finally, another missive, this time from the bearded Si Wilson, asking you, dear reader, to send in pictures of you and your mates at Wembley for our upcoming gallery, preferably modelling one of our T-shirts. The email address to send those shots to is simon@codalmighty.com. Please, no topless fat men though.

Which leaves me to say, adios, and tune back in tomorrow lunch, when things will much the same as today: we will be desperately trying to get the Diary live by 2pm, and the Bastard Franchise Scum, with their new-found history, will still be the Bastard Franchise Scum.