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Another season, another relegation fight, more departing players: the perils of supporting the Nairobi City Stars.
As any Stars fan will tell you, enjoying football in the last few weeks of the season is very difficult and in-fact dangerous for your health .
The end of last season in particulur was difficult to take in as we were relegated, unofficially, then promoted... All on the last day.
On the final day of the season, I was on the road and couldn't watch the game live, but here is the story; with Congo United already doomed, it was left to we and Bandari to square it out.
A win for the dockers would see them in paradise, but they were away at Chemelil Sugar and we were most importantly at home to the wobbly Karuturi Sport.
Nervy
According to reliable reports, we were well in the lead, but the nature of the other game, which was still at 0-0 meant that a solitary Bandari goal would condemn us to division one football.
With no way of knowing how things on the other hand, it was hard to live, it was hell on earth.
Then the rumours started spilling in.. Apparently Bandari had scored and led 1-0 with 20 minutes to go.
It was swiftly followed by another report which said Chemelil had scored two quickfire goals to lead 2-1 and then late on, Bandari equalised and it was 2-2, with ten minutes of added time.
Then the worst followed.. a late goal for Bandari... 3-2 to the dockers.. Full Time.
Game over
And we were relegated. Nairobi City Stars, formerly City Stars and formerly World Hope and formerly.... had been shoved out of the Kenyan top flight and into the second division ( I pictured the headlines the following day).
What followed was unimaginable, as I fathomed life in the lower tiers..
Inter City, Dagoretti Santos and Vapor would all of a sudden be in the same category with us. They would tell us the same kind of jokes they usually tell themselves.
What would happen to the big players like Dan SSerunkuma and the potential to attract sponsors?, especially after earlier in the season failing to agree terms with a potential one?
It was heartbreak.
Safety
Still in disbelief and having parked the car on the side of the road, I called my pal, who was in Kawangware to commiserate with, but his reaction was nothing like sombre.
He was in celebration and when the message finally got through, we were safe.
Somehow, we had been relegated and then a few minutes later we were still in the league. Bandari had in fact drawn 0-0 and we were safe.
What a turn of events.. Shock, horror, dissapointment, confusion then, joy! joy! joy.
And anger towards the source in Chemelil (I would have made a poor journalist in another life).
Avoid
Why am I writing this, you would ask.
It is because I do not want a repeat of last season's scenario, I just can't go through it again. The pain, the anger, the anguish then the joy all in succession. I am too young to die of heart problems.
This year, we are in a far better position than we can dream of and with the games left on the roster, Tusker FC on the last day looks the worst of the lot.
By then though, we should be safe.. very safe... No drama, no lies, no heart attacks, the initiative is ours and we really should take it.
Lets' play it safe this time City Stars.. No final day drama please.
