Harty on the Albion’s play-off hopes and Rebels rumours

THEY say that it is not over until the fat lady sings, but so far as Albion’s play-off ambitions go, is she clearing her throat as the Seagulls make their way up to East London to take on West Ham?

So far as I’m concerned, it was very much a case of mixed emotions after Tuesday night’s game at the Amex against Reading.

Having hit the bar, missed a penalty and conceded a deflected goal, there is no doubt the Albion deserved something from the game.

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Defeat was only tempered by the realisation that it possibly sets up Reading to pip Southampton for the title, which would definitely be on my current wish list.

Prior to the game, Gus Poyet said the Albion needed three wins from five to make the play-offs. Ever the eternal optimist, I personally feel we need 10 points, i.e, three wins and a draw from the remaining fixtures.

The upside is if we play like we did on Tuesday, I can see us actually beating West Ham on their current form. And that then would set up exciting back-to-back home games against Watford and Birmingham, before the traditional fancy dress last away game at Barnsley (I’m currently torn between Heather from EastEnders or Mussolini)

Whatever happens, it’s been a great first season at the Amex and with strong talk of an even bigger transfer war chest for Poyet in the summer, even more room for optimism.

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As Albion fans, we all wear our hearts on our sleeves, having been through all the bad times, so I go to Upton Park confident that come Monday we will still be in the hunt.

The trip to the Hammers brings up memories of a game up there in 2004, at the time Harty Junior was mad on autographs. When we moved house, we found reams of programmes and bits of paper signed by some people who probably weren’t even household names in their own households.

On this particular day, young Harty joined a queue, pen and a programme in hand, to secure the signature of none other than Sir Trevor Brooking.

As he reached the front, our lift was getting grief from the car park man at Upton Park, so I asked Sam to try to hurry up.

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He replied that he was next but then said “and I don’t even know who this bloke is”.

To which Sir Trev looked up, chuckled and said “it must be a generation thing”.

Latest Worthing Football Club rumour doing the rounds outside the club is that Chris White is getting sacked and former boss Simon Colbran is coming back to Woodside Road.

Would that be the same Chris White who arrived at Woodside Road two years ago after Colbran had walked out and started a squad from scratch?

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Would that be the same Chris White who operated, and still does, with a budget almost 70 per cent less than what Colbran was demanding?

Would that be the same Chris White whose team beat Bognor on Monday for the first time in 15 games?

Would that be the same Chris White whose team are still in play-off contention, despite having one of the lowest budgets in the league?

Rumours – don’t you just love them . . .

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