BLUE IS THE COLOUR

By Simon Wright

Yes, that’s a dated 1970 reference that only your dad will remember yet even so the reference still feels appropriate.

With the turnstiles clicking for pre-season and competitive action quite soon, do take some moments to look around the ground. Spot the differences made by hard working volunteers. There’s scope in the club programme for an I Spy type feature where supporters get points for which ground improvements they can spot.

Some changes of course aren’t visible such as the clean-up jobs in the dressing rooms or the TV added to the press room. Others are only notable by their absence after nature tries to take over during the summer. These routine chores don’t make headlines yet are so important for club credibility. But paint? Oh yeah some of that is very visible.

While other members of the Halesowen Town media team tackle the tech or big boy jobs (not a weight reference), I have this curious new reputation for being the blue paint handler. All too literally. Had not kitman Nick intervened, the referee would be very puzzled by his blue sink. I cleaned brushes with turps but the dislodged paint clung to the sink instead.

This paint is as determined to stick as Milan Butterfield. Learning from experience, I wore gloves and old clothes, yet on my last encounter just days ago with a paint brush, I later found blue paint on my arms, watch strap, mobile phone, driving licence and later on my toilet seat. I dream of blue paint. There seems a never-ending stream of large tins of blue in the club paint store. I should add that I was just one of a team of brush wielders, all of whom seemed more skilled than I in avoiding splashes. Don’t think I’m designed for manual labour.

All the stubborn weeds in the Shed wall who refuse to be pulled up, I painted blue. They didn’t seem keen on the idea. I have ambitions that some will survive attracting botanists to the Grove to investigate these mysterious rare specimens. A future club shop line if they can reproduce. Free blue weed with every shirt? Hmm Maybe not.

Just take a moment to look around. There’s always more that can be done but what is sorted already piled up a lot of man hours from a determined bunch of volunteers. Amusing to briefly meet one of my fellow painters on Saturday. We compared blue paint stains. As you do. Also chatted to club photographer Steve Evans who wisely added “Yeah blue paint. We’ve all been there.” A kind of status symbols for club volunteers.

Next time the request for a working party goes out, can you spare a few hours? If you can paint, I’ll pick you up myself..