HARTY: Albion's survival and Hatton
A MIXED bag of emotions all round at the weekend. On Saturday, a last-day victory against Stockport saw the Albion avoid relegation, and in the aftermath I bade a fond farewell to the BBC Sussex fans' phone-in after 11 years.
I will hold my hands up and say that even I, ever the eternal optimist, had private doubts about whether the Seagulls could survive – after both the Tranmere and Swindon games.
But, having put my neck on the line for most of the season advocating survival, it all came good in the end.
Thankfully, the subsequent pitch invasion at the end stopped the players doing a Withdean "lap of honour", which in my opinion would have been wholly inappropiate.
By all means do a lap of honour when something to shout about has been achieved. But avoiding relegation on the last day of a wretched season doesn't, to my mind, come into that category.
In the main, this season has been a joke, and a very bad one at that. Things should have been done differently, and the blame goes right to the very top of the club.
Hopefully, lessons will have been learned. And if they haven't, if the Albion get in a similar situation again, they might not be so lucky next time.
Russell Slade's appointment as manager looks to be a good investment for the Albion's future. But, above all, and perhaps one of those lessons learned, he must be allowed to manage, and do what he wants and sign who he wants to sign.
With the Albion's survival assured and me entering the "media retirement home", I got home on Saturday night looking forward to an evening of top quality boxing.
Fate has many strands. Prior to me deciding to hang my microphone up, it was my intention to fly to Las Vegas to watch Ricky Hatton's second attempt to become the world's best pound-for-pound fighter.
When I realised that it clashed with the final Albion game, I knew I had to be content with sitting at home and watching it on Murdoch TV.
It would be the easiest thing in the world to slate Ricky Hatton in these jottings.
Easiest and hardest because, whilst I've only met him a few times, he is without doubt one of the nicest, charismatic and most down to earth sportsmen I have met.
There is no doubt that he had a game plan, which, if activated, may or may not have been successful. But clearly, and by his own admission, the "red mist" descended just before the first bell and he put in a performance more akin to a pub car park at closing time.
Thankfully, despite initial concerns after the final knockout, it all turned out okay, but what now for the Hitman?
I think only he can make that decision. It's all very well the likes of Oscar De La Hoya saying he should continue, as was once said at the Old Bailey "he would say that wouldn't he?", as Hatton's promoter, he has a vested interest, as do the hoteliers and bar owners in Nevada.
To my mind, it comes down to a number of factors. As a boxer, he has achieved a lot in the ring and created a level of support outside that I doubt will ever be seen again in this country. Financially, he is secure for the rest of his life but above all, he has a very stable and loving family life.
That final factor alone should be motivation enough to want him to retire and pursue a career in both promoting and after-dinner speaking, which, having had the pleasure of compering him in Eastbourne, will provide him with work for the next 40 years.
On the retirement theme, this Sunday, Guild Care have a charity football match at Woodside Road (noon kick-off) when Paul Rogers' ex-Albion XI take on a former Worthing side managed by Sammy Donnelly.
The Rebels line-up contains Harry Richardson, who informs me this will be his final game. For further details call 01903 239575.
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Weather for Worthing
Saturday 11 February 2012
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Temperature: -6 C to 2 C
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