No matter how much you don’t want it to the season is now coming towards its end and the play-offs have started. 54 regular season games are behind us now, plus 4 challenge games (in our case) and now there’s 2 guaranteed games for each of the 8 play-off teams with an absolute maximum of 4 games left. In 7 days time 1 team will have lifted the final trophy and the 2011/12 season will be over.
It’s been the best EPL season I remember since we joined in 2002. Telford has proven their place in the league with some very competitive games and some big results. I said back in September that despite Bracknell being talked about over the summer as potential league champions that I believed they run out of steam and drop back in the standings and the 54 games sorted the play-off opponents excluding both those two teams. Good luck to Telford and Bracknell in their summer rebuilding and we’ll look forward to renewing competition with them next season.
For us, Guildford, Manchester, Sheffield, MK, Basingstoke, Swindon and Peterborough it’s play-off time this weekend with those “extra” games I mentioned above and a chance to end the season on a high as a winner.
The rumour mill has got into full swing early on this year judging by the hockey bible that (some believe) THF is. It’s always amusing to read some of the far fetched rubbish that’s posted, and to see some of what you know as fact defended by others to be just the opposite. The rumours developing are almost as exciting as the signing news released issued across the summer.
With this being my last opportunity to write this season I’d like to extend massive thanks to the game day team. Richard, Vic, Sean, Steve, Jon all do the vital official jobs that without whom the games wouldn’t be able to go ahead, Dan takes the photos, Simon does the filming for Jets TV so you can all enjoy the highlights weekly and Big John picks “John’s Alternative Classic”, waves loudly and scribbles down the notes that we (that’s actually he) edits Jets TV from. All these guys give up their time every weekend to either make sure the game goes ahead or to enhance the Slough Jets experience so massive thanks to them.
We may not have the largest fan base in the league but we have a dedicated loyal set of fans who turn up every weekend cheering the Jets on. There have been some frustrating games I’d guess from a supporter’s point of view but there’s been some big games too and some awesome performances from individuals in the team. Ice hockey is entertainment and I hope we’ve given you 29 entertaining evenings at the Hangar so far this season and hope tonight, number 30, is both entertaining and successful.
Enjoy the Coventry weekend, all those who are going, and keep in touch over the summer.
My team, your team, OUR TEAM
Mark
