And when your own record is an unbeaten home run bettering the likes of Manchester United’s, you want to shout about it. A lot.
I have. Relentlessly. There hadn’t been a day go by over the past eighteenth months where I’d not mentioned to someone, sometime, that Livingston had not lost a game in the town since April 2010. Recently, when Man Utd collapsed to a 6-1 defeat by Man City in the English Premier League we surpassed their own impressive unbeaten run on their own patch. I may have told a few folk about that too.
Then, predictably, it all came crashing to an end - as it had to eventually, of course – last weekend. For the poetic amongst you, just as in the ending of some tragic movie the hero held on just long enough to outlive his closest rival. For those who deal in reality, Ross County came to town and wiped Livi away 3-0 with an impressive second half performance a couple of weeks after the Manchester derby.
It is natural in such circumstances to look for a silver lining. The manager and players trot out the usual lines about it being a disappointment to loose the record they’ve built up but that there’s always next week, and supporters prop up bars after the game convincing themselves that, actually, it’s just as well the unbeaten run has come to an end.
In reality, they’re all seething.
When you’ve not lost at home for such a considerable length of time it does become increasingly difficult to accept such defeat. I’ve sat at Almondvale in the past and watched us getting demolished 4-0 off Partick Thistle, brushed aside 5-0 by Motherwell and assaulted in the dying seconds by Hamilton, losing a game 2-1 we were winning going into stoppage time. But that loss to County hurt more.
Not because they didn’t deserve to win. County are an effective side who will in all likelihood win the First Division this season. They are far stronger in terms of squad depth than any of their rivals. Equally, the fact there were five ex-Livi players on the pitch in County colours, and a fellow ex-Lion in the dugout wasn’t the main source of consternation – although as irony goes it’s not a bad effort.
It was simply that we Livi fans are not used, in recent times, to seeing other sides and supporters have fun in West Lothian. Games were all about indulging in the opposition talking a good game before hand, perhaps giving Gary Bollan’s side a little fright by taking the lead on the half hour mark, but ultimately being overcome. Success makes dirty glory hunters of us all, briefly.
Last Saturday was merely being brought back down to earth. It hurt, but we might well the better for it.
I know – I’m sounding like one of those silver-lining hunters now. But hear me out. There have been games this season where – for the fans anyway – the goal of ensuring we remain unbeaten seemed to supersede that of winning the game. You could feel an anxiety spread amongst the stands as the thought of a not particularly impressive but stodgy outfit who were proving difficult to break down being the side who rumbled ‘the’ home record stumbled towards a reality. They were always cut down in their path eventually, but it was a close run thing on a number of occasions.
We may have finally lost that record, yes, but at least it was to a good side. And now that there is nothing to protect, the prospect of a defeat will no longer sprout arms, legs and wings and become some great symbolic victory over the Lions. It will be reduced to nothing more than one of the three consequences of playing a football match.
In turn, that will hopefully see the anxiety-ridden masses at the Braidwood Motor Company Stadium try to relax a little and simply enjoy supporting their side again. In turn spurring the team onto another good run. And another unbeaten home record. And more anxiety. Football’s a funny game.
Then again, perhaps that’s all guff and winning simply feels good, nothing more and nothing less. I bet it felt great to be a County fan last Saturday, in any case.
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