Ed Balls should be a Gillingham FC fan.

As I read Ed Balls' interview in yesterday's I the more I thought of my beloved local team. Every season the doom mongers predict a rough season, only but a few hopefuls talk of automatic promotion and the majority of us take each game as it comes, there are NO guaranteed victories for Gillingham, its the way we play and its what the fans love I guess. Predictions are usually negative and the outcome bleak, every now and then we are surprised by a victory and jubilant when the team does well but there is always the nagging doubt of;

"It won't last."

and;

"We'll screw it up as we always do, we'll be mid table again."

Which brings me to Ed Balls.

He has been, eventually, proven sort of right. There does appear to be another, more frightening recession about to be all us and the Eurozone looks set to break. The Coalition is cutting too far and too deep, austerity alone is not a good enough measure we need a plan B... Suddenly I'm back at the end of the 09/10 season after our brief spell in League One listening to the nay sayers;

"We knew we'd never stay up. We've not got the quality."

The same critics were there after the beginning of 10/11 season who blamed the new manager, Andy Hessanthaler for early failings and squad problems.
"He hasn't got the quality and his squad are useless what is he doing?"
Without admitting that a manager who had been in post for a couple of months cannot change a squad in that time and that the mistakes were from the former Management (Mark Stinson) and clearly not his fault. Much like the economic crisis in the country. Its not the Coalition's fault that the economy was in such a state when they took over, granted it wasn't solely Labour's fault either - however Labour (indeed the Coalition) should, unlike Mr Balls, take responsibility for their role.

Of course I may be being too harsh on Ed Balls. After all he is actually an economist and I am not by a long way. His predictions are probably based on experience, knowledge and forecasts, he saw from the very beginning what the Bank of England and the Chancellor failed to, he had the foresight to put up red warning flags that no one heeded, he called for a plan B or C and begged the coalition to think again, all the while not providing suggestions as to what these plans should be. He has called the Coalition's cuts wrong and too deep but has ruled out any of his colleagues in the Shadow cabinet saying they would reverse them should they get into power. I'm a little confused by all this.

But Ed, if you want to admit your true colours and follow Stan Ternet's journey from Burnley to Preistfield you're always welcome in the Medway stand. I'm sure you'll fit right in with us, that's if you can bear to wear a blue shirt!