It has been over three weeks since the wonderful ‘Great Escape’ was completed, and having finally come down from cloud nine with the news that pre-season has already begun, and in some style I might add, I am already looking forward to next season.
A second campaign in the Championship, something that felt like a pipedream six months ago. It was even looking pretty unlikely six weeks ago to be fair, so credit goes to everyone involved in preserving our status in the second tier.
The first season in the Championship was so crazy that if you pitched the story of it for a book, the chances are that it would get thrown out as unbelievable.
In order to survive we had to overcome a club record run of away defeats, the smallest budget in the league and a global pandemic which deprived us of our biggest advantage at the business end of the season – our fans at Kenilworth Road.
To overcome all that deserves a reward. In normal times another season of Championship football would be enough, but as it happens we got an even more special present – the prospect after 15 years of a derby against the old enemy after their relegation from the Premier League.
You have to go all the way back to April 2006 for the last time our paths with Watford crossed. A 1-1 draw on that occasion continued our fine record over those down the M1, one we will have the chance to maintain over the coming months.
Having survived in those extraordinary circumstances, and being made to watch the dramatic escape on a stream rather than in person, nobody can argue with the rewards.
The prospect of two hugely anticipated derby clashes are the icing on the cake of what should be another fantastic season to be a Town fan. Let’s just hope we are allowed in to watch by then.
