A new year, a new beginning and a new project. One that will saunter around the familiar and the not so. A rich blend of predictability and fascinating surprise. From the sports grounds to the music venues, a twelve month journey that will likely provide quite a few twists. It is often mooted that the journey is more important than the destination and time will tell in the life of 2020cms the extent of this. At the outset, the destination is quite simply December 31st or as soon as the book closes on the sporting and cultural journey of 2020. Chances are quite high that the opening and closing gambits will be in the same arena. One frequented avidly for many years and often the scene of fluctuating fortunes. Consistency is likely to be elsewhere as the year progresses, although it would be nice if such a high level exists this year in the B71 post code.
2020cms begins its life at The Hawthorns (B71 4LF) and the New Year's Day highly anticipated promotion clash between West Bromwich Albion and Leeds United. These two pacesetters in the English Football League Championship have been neck and neck at the division's summit since August and well clear of a rather inconsistent chasing pack. If you are to put great credence in the assessment of the wise world of the bookmaker, the merry month of May will see both these teams promoted to the Premier League, a lengthier wait for Leeds than the two years since Albion suffered relegation in 2018. Yet nothing is won in January.
For the record, the opening live event attended in 2020 ended in a one-one draw as Albion failed to capitalise on a dream start of taking the lead in the opening minute. To be fair, a point apiece, which kept Leeds in top place on goal difference, was a just result with the Yorkshire side dominating the play if not the clear cut chances. Albion suffered a slightly stuttering run of form ahead of this billed 'big clash', not helped by a busy festive period of matches that stretch the stamina of clubs unable to rotate a star studded array of international calibre players like the Premier League big boys. Still the performance was a genuine improvement on the last few games and sets up an exciting second half of the season where it has to be said 'promotion is there to lose'.
The Hawthorns is set to be play a prominent role in 2020cms. Field of dreams or field of nightmares, who knows between January and May, and more so, what level of football will it be hosting from August to December. The journey has started and a project is underway. Wish me luck through the dog days and hard yards. Precedence suggests there may be 150 posts lying in wait. Maybe this stamina test will slightly restrict the quick passing of time that can afflict a twelve month period when you reach a certain age. See you at the next instalment, at this stage another football match before the live music cranks up into gear.
