So sad, so sad...

its a sad, sad sit-yoo-ayshun, warbled Elton Welsby John a few years ago, most notably for the younger patrons of this site with the boy band Blue. It sums up my feelings about Chatham Town FC at the moment.

I took advantage of an offer to visit a friend in the East Sussex region on Saturday just gone. Normally, such an offer would have been rejected with a dismissive pffffttt and wave of the hand - the Chats were at home. But with the season having already descended, in my opinion, into farce, why not take in the delights of Hove?

And I was proved correct as Chatham were beaten for the 10th time in 13 games, throwing away a one goal lead against a team who a few months ago we were able to call promotion rivals. Croydon Moneybags Athletic were the visitors to TOSC and came away 2-1 winners, Chatham's goal being scored by the spritely Jack Pallen.

Pallen's loan got me thinking about who we need to keep for next season. To be frank, there really aren't that many who seem to want it. And I can only assume that there is something amiss with the management of the club.

Brendon Cass, Byron Walker, Lee Barnett, Steve Hafner. One thing in common. Well, two. Very talented players. All left Chatham Town this season. And to be frank, they're the tip of the iceberg. It was implied in Alex O Brien's programme notes that Barnett went to Thamesmead for the money. Given that he is, to my knowledge, playing Kent League football now (last week he turned out for Erith and Belvedere), he's either had a massive turn of heart, E&B (who don't pay players) have had a change in fortune, or none of it was ever true. You decide.

And the rumours of indiscipline (some first teamers refusing to train) go unaddressed. Ascheri on a 35 day ban for a sending off playing with his mates in the sunday league. Possibly the most stupid thing to have happened since John Wilfort was affectionately termed "Mad John Wilf" by AOB. I'm not sure whether the problem here is the players or the gaffer. We've had too many players ghost in and out of the club - they must be smelling that something isn't right. And to be frank, as talented a coach as OB clearly is, tactically it's all looking a bit iffy. We never have a plan B.

If this season had another month to run, I'd be in Billy Hill's putting a ton on us going down, just to get something good out of the season. There have been so few positives this year - it started so well, and for once we looked like we might be competing rather than making up the numbers. But its fallen apart at the seams and no-one appears to care. That's why it rankles so much.

Should I stay or should I go? That's the song the artist formerly known as Don Logan is singing in the shower every morning... Whether the club will ever make the call remains to be seen. We've become an embarrassing shambles of poor tactics, thuggery, and lack of any credible talent. We have many talented individuals (Probets, Ruddy, Solly, Avery, Denness, Payne, Laker) but we are not a team. Next season must be an improvement.

Maidstone are apparently moving in. The money would be handy. And the men who took them from the Kent League to the Ryman Premier, Walker and Hume, are out of a job. Could be another "vancany" sign going up at TOSC over the summer...