2025/26 Season Review

Jason Burke is joined by Haydn Milligan, David Graham, Mo Brown and Ross Welsh for The Windsor Way's 2025/26 Season Review. This episode also contains a short feature with men's mental health advocate and Blueman, Steve Caldwell.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Hello and welcome to the Windsor Way podcast, where you can hear Blue Men on the Blues, home and away. This is Jason Burke back in the hot seat this week for our 2025-26 season review show. And with me to discuss it all, I've got Hayden Milligan, I've got David Graham, I've got Ross Welsh making his debut, and still not having watched his right hand after meeting King Charles yesterday as Mo Brown. Mo, what was that like for you?

SPEAKER_02 0:45

No, Jason, it was it was a fantastic day. Obviously, I'd I'd known for a week or so that their majesties were coming into town. But it was great to meet him personally. I had my Scots Guards label badge on, my household division tie, got an extra few pumps on, the handshake compared to the others in the road at uh that yesterday. Um it was really, really good. But in in reflection for the day, it's more about what's coming to the city in August. Um obviously this is a Lempfield podcast talking about football, but you know, you do have the largest traditional music festival on the island coming to the city uh between the 2nd and the 9th of August. So, you know, to have essentially the the Royal Family's blessing for it, to have our local bands involved in it as well. It was all good. And I also caught up, albeit briefly, with one of the Lempfield board, who we all know I've been very critical of the last couple of months. So it was good to still talk about Lempfield despite all what else was going on around me.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

I'm sure all the contributors on the Windsor Way Mo will wish you all the best with that coming up because I know it hasn't been easy. You put your head above the parapet, um, and and and showing leadership is isn't always easy. And I hope all the listeners of the Windsor Way podcast will show you the same support. I ironically, uh the day before I just posted on social media that five years ago to the day I'd met as he was then, Prince Charles. And you probably can't remember this, Mo, but I always tell a story, and it only occurred to me as I was writing the post at the time that it was that it was you who's sort of the punchline in this joke. So I met Prince Charles five years ago as part of a delegation of historians, seven historians it was from across the island to discuss the centenary of Northern Ireland uh and partition as it was at the time in 2021. And cut a very long story short, you'll know yourself, you probably had to be in position for a long time. Uh, yesterday, we were in the Belfast City Hall for a long time before the entourage finally arrived, and then you know the doors sort of burst open with only a moment's sort of preparation. Um because we'd been there so long, I sort of took my suit jacket off and I had my waistcoat on underneath. And as the entourage burst in, everybody had to stand up, of course, and uh bow for his majesty entering. And I didn't have time then to get my suit jacket back on without looking like a disaster, and didn't think anything of it, and posted all the pictures on social media, and there's a bit of bits and pieces of news coverage. And who pipes up but uh Maurice Brown saying you're sitting facing the future king wearing nothing but a waistcoat?

SPEAKER_02 3:16

Or I I I I remember that very, very well, my friend. As you well know, you know, I'm a couple of years older than your good self. I've watched you mature into one of the city's finest historians, being a fellow well, ex-pans man, I suppose, in your in your case, a Lymfe fan, you know, that was the moment for me that I felt you had arrived in that in in the local sphere of history and doing what you do in the city. Um yeah, no, I I think I was absolutely right. Morris said you should be always be appropriately dressed, and the fact you didn't have your jacket on. I mean, almost, you know, you think that all our team many of us follow Glasgow Rangers, you know, that the manager should always be seeing the shirt, jacket collar, and tie and a pair of brown brogues. Um, certainly for that moment for you to meet the Prince of Wales as he was at the time. Unforgivable mistake from your good self, and I hope you thoroughly reflect on him.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

It's a mistake that I won't make again, put it that way. Uh anybody else been up to anything interesting, Ross? I know you've been away stunning yourself.

SPEAKER_05 4:15

Oh, well, you have to you have to fit it in during the offseason, don't you?

SPEAKER_01 4:19

Forget about that season we've just had at Fulcan. Uh Hayden, you've been away, but you haven't exactly been sunning yourself. You were in Anskillon, I think, is that right?

SPEAKER_00 4:26

Yeah, in a skilling, yes. Actually, we were in Florence Court at lunchtime just for a walk around and uh a bite of lunch. And the lady who was in charge of the cafe there was telling us she used to be um the head of housekeeping at the Loch Iron Resort uh during the time of the G8, I think it was, or G9, whatever it was at the time. And some of the stories she told us about um how she was able to meet or almost meet certain people and what was there and the security and so on were like unbelievable. I'll not repeat them here, but it was quite it was quite um interesting to hear so we say what had happened.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

Well, talking of unbelievable, I've got some bits and pieces of Linfield transfer news to update uh the listeners on, just breaking news that sort of came out of the club today uh in various uh quarters. A young under 16, Cameron Reed. I don't know if anybody on the call has has heard of him. David Graham, who will uh is gonna be part of the session this evening. Um I'm sure he will have watched him play, but Cameron Reed moves to Charlton Athletic, so it's another positive news story coming out of our academy. It also seems pretty much certain that Rand Nolan's gonna join us from from Lauren and another Ryan. Uh Andy Ryan has been linked now with Hamilton Academicals. It said in the Belfast newsletter today, subject to a big money, uh a big financial package, I think was the words that was used to try and tempt him, uh to try and tempt him back across to his former club. But Andy Rand's been linked with Linfield in the last few weeks. Uh is he somebody that that we would take given the fact that the likes of Sheehan Lavery and people like that are now available? Is Andy Rand somebody who we would who we would want?

SPEAKER_02 6:11

As long as he keeps his mouth shut.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

He maybe a bit too like Fitzpatrick. Um and uh I think what the manager said at the AGM that uh uh he was looking to play offer up alongside Fitzpatrick at the start of the season. Obviously, that didn't happen because of Opposit injury. So they are a bit alike, but uh I don't know. I mean he's got a gold a goals record in the Irish League.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

And on one other piece of bizarre transfer news, Trey Hume is rumoured to be a target for Real Madrid, the mighty Real Madrid. If this one was to come off, it would be one of the most remarkable transfers in Irish football history, I would say. However, I think blue men across the board aren't too worried about where he goes as long as he just makes a transfer somewhere. Um, and if the the numbers of 20 odd million uh are to be believed, then Linfield are in for 15% of that, which would see us get a nice three million pounds in the kitty. Ross, what do you think about Trey Hume to Real Madrid?

SPEAKER_05 7:15

Yeah, that would be brilliant. And just following on all the chat about the AGM stuff, it'll be it'll be well needed £3 million. So it doesn't really matter where he goes to me, just as long as there's a bit of a windfall coming our way.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

So let's get into the season review then. We were hoping to have Stephen Beacon actually join us from the Belfast Telegraph. Um, and as Stephen warned me last week, just the nature of the job means that sometimes you get called away to to write some breaking news in bits and pieces. So Stephen, unfortunately, contacted me this morning and says he wasn't available. But let's hope he's writing some breaking news about transfers uh for Lindfield. I mean, transfers really is my first uh point here in the season review because I think it sets the tone, it sets the context for everything uh that follows, going right back to last year when the news broke that Joel Cooper was leaving. Um we then lost Matthew Orr, who was by last by the end of last season our first choice right back. Uh so we lost two first team players there. We made an effort to replace them beginning last January with uh Kieran Afford um and Callum Morrison, and there were a few more additions then in the summer. Uh the likes of uh Yeats and Sean Brown uh uh and others. Uh but Mo on paper, having lost, if we focus on those four players, having lost uh Joel Cooper and Matty Or, and having brought in Morrison and Alford coming into the season, were we stronger or weaker on paper?

SPEAKER_02 8:43

I would say we were definitely weaker on paper through Joel Cooper more than more than anything else. Obviously, you would have expected young Maddie Or to go on to bigger and better things in Phil anyway, which which he he seems to have done. So we knew that was probably going to happen. I think it was the nature of why and how Joel Cooper left. Um will always leave um a wee bit of a sour taste, certainly, in in my mouth and many of my um supporters' club's mouths as well. But yeah, no, much definitely weaker on paper. Um bringing somebody in from Scotland is always going to be a risk, particularly whenever there was you know a large transfer fee around it. We had Corda Morrison for a couple of years and he came in and failed, you know, whether he's failed personally, whether the clubs failed him, you know, it was a failure all around. And Joel Cooper went up to Cole Rayne and became an excellent field partnership up front with Matthew Chevlin, and Cole Rain, you know, finished much higher up the league table than what we did.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

Ross, I might just come to you now on the European campaign. We kicked off the European campaign in the Champions League, the European Cup, whatever you want to call it, against Shelborn with a fairly respectable 1-0 away defeat and then a 1-0 draw at home. We then moved into the Conference League. We progressed past Zalgeris. We then scraped past Viking Orr, having lost away from home 2-1, which then put us in to the playoff, mixed in uh again against Shelbourne. Um, I went to the away match at Shelbourne. It was a great game. We lost Matthew Fitzpatrick fairly early on to a at the time it looked dubious from the stands and having seen it back since it was a clear red card. So we were down to 10 men within what was it, 10-15 minutes or something like that. But what played out was a remarkable game where there was VAR, missed penalties, goals disallowed, all sorts. The long and short of it was Kieran Offord was standing over the over the penalty spot with the opportunity to put Linfield uh uh two apiece in the game. We had gained some sort of momentum uh uh in the tie, uh, but it was a poor penalty. Uh the wind was taken out of our sails, and we end up losing that game 3-1. Shelburne come to Belfast and quite frankly run rings around us. But my question to you, Ross, is do you think reflecting now on the European campaign, was the writing on the wall there for what was to come in terms of the ultimately poor season that we did eventually have?

SPEAKER_05 11:16

Yeah, I think yeah, I think it's easy to say that, Jason. But I think it's it's absolutely right. Um, we sort of flattered at a save the whole campaign, you know. A draw away to Lithuanian opposition isn't a great result. And then the the loss away to Faroway's opposition is is an unmitigated disaster for not just Limfield, but probably any R's League club. Um we just never really looked to get going at all. And then, as you say, Shelburne uh in the second home game, it was met against boys, and we never even looked like going through, unfortunately. So it's it's a big blow. Obviously, it was one of the the less kind draws we could have got in terms of getting Shelburne twice, but I think you still have to look at it as a bit of a missed opportunity, especially as you say, with the sort of sliding doors moment with the offered penalty miss.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

In the meantime, then the the league campaign had begun even before the European campaign had ended. We kicked off then with three wins on the bounce, and there was a draw away at the oval, and then a shocker with three and a stinker at the showgrounds at Balomena, where we went down one-nil. Um, it was one of only two defeats. Uh when I look back at the results today, it was only only two defeats up until the point where we had started the podcast just before Christmas. And then, having looked at the league campaign in more detail, you might split it up into sections. So there was that initial run up to Christmas. There was then the shocker over Christmas and New Year, where we lost three games on the bounce. It was three in the space of ten days or something, which Roy McGivern on the interview that we did with him admitted that that basically ruled us out of the title race at the time. We knew it then, but then there was a bit of a revival then because we went on a bit of a run. We won seven out of the next ten games. Um, there was a few draws thrown in there, but that put us back in contention after the Glenn Thorne win uh at Windsor Park, which was probably um besides the League Cup victory, was probably my highlight of the season. Actually, just the mood in the stadium, the way that we won that game, the podcast after. Uh that was a great uh great evening at Windsor Park, but that put us back in contention. And if you listen back to that episode, we well and truly thought we were back in it, and we had every reason to believe so. But then what followed then was a pretty dismal run, which starts with a 2-0 defeat at Cliftonville, which again took the wind out of our sails, and then we lose five out of the next eight games. So, Hayden, I'm going to come to you just about the league campaign. You were also with the AGM. The manager gives a report at the AGM. He was obviously very keen to stress how much of a disappointment the league campaign was, and I think we'd all agree with that. But he did suggest very strongly that the injuries to, in particular, Chris Shields and Kieran Offord were a key factor in what played out this season. But how would you sum up the league campaign?

SPEAKER_00 14:11

Well, I think I think the league campaign sum up just probably um two words, really very disappointing. Um, you know, you've gone through some of the stats there. Um, I I sort of um had a look through them earlier on. Um, you know, as you say, we started off very well. Actually, two Sunday games in a row, which is probably unique, what I thought. Uh, and we seem to be doing okay. But that game at Ballomina was just awful, really awful. One-nil defeat up there, and then we recover a bit a few more wins. Then we go to Port of Down and we go down 2-0 there. We just were not in the game. Um, and then we then we have a chance to win it at Colorain where we're two up and and they pull it back to 2-2. Um, and then another game against Cliffinville uh at Cliffinville, uh, and then a home draw against Coleraine that we should have won. Um and then, you know, it really goes on, and then a uh a draw at Larne, where we could probably have won that. And then, as you mentioned, those three dreadful defeats over the Christmas period um at Glen Avon, um, home on Boxing Day, uh, after I had again posted the the Boxing Day Glen Torren at Windsor Hoodoo, um, where they hadn't won for uh a couple of centuries, um, and they they threw that back in her face really with a such a disappointing performance by Linfield. Um, and then again we get beaten at Corain, you know, looking very, very uh second rate there. Um and then we you know we we go on uh uh over the next while, as you said earlier, starting to rack up a few wins, big win against uh Dunganon at home, and then another dreadful defeat at at Lurgan. Um and then and it's just back and forward and back and forward. But it's sort of you know, looking at it, uh you can sort of see that we weren't able to beat uh Corrain, we weren't able to beat Lorne, we did beat Glen and Glen Torren, um, and then we struggled against Carrick and things like that. But the last three matches were just you know, home matches were just absolutely uh dreadful. We we just, you know, as if it was the end of the season, which it was, we had nothing to play for the league, which we didn't really, um, and that was just reflected on on the pitch. And as the manager pointed out, the AGM he had intended to play offered up front, and of course it's dreadful that he comes into the team, uh, he shows a huge amount of promise, and suddenly he's out for months and months and months, twice, in fact. Um so uh you know that's a difficult one for the manager. Losing sales was dreadful as well. As soon as he went down on that in that match, I just knew it was an ACL the way he went down. Um, and that was just two big holes in the team. And how do you actually get over that? But it it's just the away performances, just how badly we played. Uh I just find it hard to accept, to be honest.

SPEAKER_01 17:21

I think David Graham is now with us. I might just come to you, David, after that uh great sum up there of the league campaign by Hayden. I might just come to you just about the Irish Cup exit. Um, as the league campaign's playing out, we crashed out of the County Antrim Shield to Cliftonville, but then there was the embarrassment of Limovati, where people like Ross Welsh, who's making his debut on the Windsor Way podcast this evening, was calling for heads-on plates on other podcasts that will not be named. Um, but on reflection now, David, how how bad a defeat was that uh to Limavati?

SPEAKER_03 17:58

Yeah, well, I think um look, in reality, the you know, this is not the first time under David Healy, and it's certainly not the first time under in in Linfield's history where we have fall to uh you know minnows uh or or perceived minnows or certainly teams from a lower league, obviously the sort of infamous Queens uh results back in 2020, if my memory serves me correct. Um I think probably in a way it it really kind of summed up perhaps our season where there were times, I know we'll get to it and I don't want to jump to the very end, but there were times where when you look at the playoff game against Dungan, we looked like a side who could and should have been competing for the league, and then there was times in many ways, kind of Limovati really, that game is a microcosm of the season, wasn't it, where we just uh seemed to kind of falter uh under under pressure. And in many ways, I think psychologically that had an impact, not just because we lost to Limovati and probably because of the sort of atmosphere around the club at the time, but I think I always think, you know, obviously the the the song goes, you know, uh if it's not the Irish, uh if it's not the the the league, the Irish couple do, but I think for any team, whether it's an expectation, whether it is, you know, a Rangers, whether it is, you know, one of the, you know, so Manchester United, would have the case maybe Chelsea this year as staying in the the main cup competition in a way drags out your season and keeps some sort of level level of focus and and gives that kind of positivity to cling on to. And I think when we were sort of dumped out dumped out against the opposition, we were dumped out, it probably really kind of pulled the wolf or the the rug from under us because and you're right, it it wasn't that long before when um we were all in in box eight, you know, sort of saying, you know, is the league campaign back on here? And I think in a way, even though strangely it was a cup game, that that kind of almost sort of pulled the shutter down our season, didn't it? And I think in reality, we've probably struggled to ever fully recover from it if we're if we're honest.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

Now, given that last week was mental health awareness week, we're going to take a quick break from the season review to hear a pre-recorded chat between myself and Stephen Calwell, who is a mental health advocate, uh, but also he's a blue man. So, welcome Steve. Thanks for joining us.

SPEAKER_04 20:20

It's an absolute honor. I'm Altram's biggest uh Winter Way podcast fan here.

SPEAKER_01 20:25

That's a big claim. That is a big claim. Um obviously last week was Mental Health Awareness Week. You you reached out to us quite a few quite a few weeks ago, actually, and said that you would like to do something with us. Now, unfortunately, we weren't recording last week during Mental Health Awareness Week because we did a post-match show instead. Uh, but we've invited you on this week um to tell us first of all uh your mental health story.

SPEAKER_04 20:50

Absolutely. Well, thanks for having me on, guys. Um my name's Steve, I'm 41. I'm from Antrim, been a blue man for over 30 years. Um seeing the highs and lows, everything that comes from um following Linfield, mainly highs, I have to say. Um but yeah, growing up, um my dad's a blue man. Um his dad was a blue man before that. But growing up, I watched my dad um suffer from um mental ill health. And he yeah, it was horrible to watch. And I suppose my prayers have always been, I hope that doesn't come to my door. And at the age of 28, I finished a stressful job in my 20s, and um nearly the day after, I had a mental health breakdown. And for about a decade after that, the story was depression, anxiety, extreme OCD, being bedbound, therapy, counseling, medication. And honestly, there were several times I nearly gave up hope and very close to the end of my own life. And I'm very grateful that I got help. I got help from doctors, from family, from friends. And I suppose coming out of that in the last number of years of maybe falling into the position of being a mental health advocate. And I'm I'm super passionate about men's mental health. I'm super passionate about breaking down the stigma and sharing my story in a in a bid to help someone else.

SPEAKER_01 22:23

And what what does it mean to be a mental health advocate, actually?

SPEAKER_04 22:28

I suppose I want to champion the idea that firstly it's it's normal to talk about your mental health. It's normal to share your struggles. It's more than okay to be struggling. And I want to in particular reach out to men. And I think the worst advice I've ever been given in my life is man up. And I think that man up culture needs to be torn down or redefined. And as a bloke, I feel whenever you are being courageous, one of the best ways you can be courageous is to reach out, talk to one of your friends, share how you're doing, and talk about your mental health.

SPEAKER_01 23:14

Now, obviously, you've been very vocal on social media. We've only just become acquainted because of the Windsor Way podcast. But I've I've seen, you know, most days you're posting stuff about your mental health advocacy, and last week you were encouraging actually clubs in a particular Linfield, the team that you support and follow, you were encouraging them to put out uh some sort of message about this. But what does supporting Linfield uh what's the connection between Linfield and your mental health journey?

SPEAKER_04 23:40

Yeah, there's a huge, huge connection. I've been going to Linfield games with a group of lads, and they're all podcast listeners. I'll give them a mention, Chris Keith, and Stuart, for over 20 years, and we've been home and away back and forward, highs and lows. And I suppose the the bravest thing I ever did at 28, 29 when I was having a mental health breakdown was take a brick take a big deep breath one day and decide I need to speak to these lads about how I'm doing. I need to talk to these lads about how low I'm feeling, how hopeless I feel. And I did take that big deep breath and uh I reached out to them, and I suppose I didn't really know what their reaction would be because most of the group chats, as I'm sure a lot of listeners and you boys yourselves, the group chats generally about transfers, football, debates, funny stuff. But I but I reached out to them and shared my story with them. And I have to say, following Linfield and that community I have with those boys is probably one of the reasons why I'm still here. And what I found on the other end of being brave about my mental health and my struggles was a group of lads who are prepared to support me, to walk with me, and were committed to walk with me, not just on the good days and on the on the bad days, which is a wee bit like I suppose following the blues or following your football team, that there are going to be highs and lows. But these guys are a community to this day who I can I can see as a safe space to talk about my mental health. And I I'm I'm delighted I'm doing much better. But they're I feel it's important to say when there's good days and bad days, and it's important to have a community of lads who I have talked about my mental health in the build-up to a game at Windsor or halftime or in the car and an away day. I use that um space to empower me and to help me keep going when I'm struggling.

SPEAKER_01 25:43

So look, there may well be people listening to this podcast, Linfield fans or other wags, who are struggling, but they're maybe struggling silently, or they maybe don't know where to go for for help. What what would you encourage those people to do, Steve? Where can people turn to help, or what would your advice be?

SPEAKER_04 26:02

I think we've all um been saddened by the tragedies that have happened in the Irish League community in the in the last number of years. And I think the number one thing I would say is don't struggle alone. We all love the camaraderie that comes with following a football team, and uh what that provides is a platform, an incredible platform, for you to talk about your mental health, how you're doing, to the game on the on the bus walk into the game before the game half time. Please reach out and don't struggle alone. Please take a big deep breath like I did with with lads who who love you and who go to games with you and talk about how you're doing. And if you're having a bad day, please reach out. The number one thing not to do is don't don't struggle alone. And I I hope and I believe I believe that whenever you do share how you're doing, you'll find a love and support in the community that I found that helped me keep going. Reach out to your GP. There are lots of good charities out there like Pips and Aware who will have phone numbers and reach out, be brave, talk about how you're doing.

SPEAKER_01 27:14

Well, look, Steve, thanks very much. Um, everybody at the Windsor Way podcast wishes you all the best. Let's hope you have more good days than than bad ones. Uh, and just remember, Fortune favors a brave mate. So, one of the positives of the season, then one of the few positives, I suppose, was the League Cup win. Um which saw us come through four rounds to reach the final against uh are you allowed to swear on this podcast uh against Glenn Thorn, which we won after extra time. Um for me this was one of the most memorable League Cup wins um that Linfield have had. I can't think more of of many better.

SPEAKER_02 27:52

No, no, certainly um the atmosphere at the end, obviously we I think we summed it up really, really well in a post-match pod that day. Um it was a great ending to it, but I think on reflection, if you look back at the course of the entire game, um Glen Thorn were the better team. And I think that's what made it all the sweeter for us, knowing that we'd knock one over them um with that Matthew Fitzpatrick goal, because again, it was quite a scrappy goal. It wasn't like the Joe Thompson won on boxing day where he drawn on and pinged it from 25-30 yards, you know. But the ball hit the network, won the trophy, and um they went into the game full of positivity, they were going to turn us over, they were gonna do all those weird and wonderful things that they promised to do to Linfield every year and fail to deliver, which obviously made it all the sweeter. Um the only thing I'll disagree with, Jason, is that it wasn't just one of the most memorable moments of the season, it was probably the only one, I'm afraid.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

The season finished up then with a victory over Donganon to secure a Europa Conference League place for this for this summer, which regardless of the financials should be, I think, a minimum uh requirement for any Linfield team because a club like Linfield should expect to be on the European stage year in, year out. But David Graham, how vital was it that Lindfield won that game?

SPEAKER_03 29:15

Well, look, I think I'm I'm I'm probably going to speak out of both sides of my mouth here, and I think I'm going to say that the obvious stock answer here is to say, look, um, you know, setting aside and and the the five-year plan and the various things that we've we've analyzed throughout since the winter wage started, um Linfield, it should be a given. Uh it is a legitimate expectation that we are in Europe every year. Um I think that, you know, uh remind me, Hayden, correct me if I'm wrong, we've been in Europe 19 out of the last 20 seasons. Does that sound about right?

SPEAKER_00 29:48

Um check it, but yeah.

SPEAKER_03 29:52

Uh certainly it's certainly it's something to to that effect. I mean, look, we it was the a it was a positive end to what was overall a disappointing season. Um one thing I would say is that you know it it was a frustration because I think we were there was times where we looked excellent that night, and I think you know, talking about it amongst ourselves after, in fairness, every time we played Dungan in this season, we we more than got the better of him. So in a way, it was kind of same again, and and and it was a very good result, but it was kind of what we have been been doing up to now. What what I would say is that on the other hand, and I know again we've been talking about this offline, you know, when when you kind of look through the money, we'll get in and around £300,000, probably a bit less of the exchange, because I think it's just over 300,000 euro. Look, we obviously are in the kind of the hands of the the gods in terms of the draw, because I suppose if I wanted to be sort of realistic and not negative, but realistic, uh the price of fuel and things now, if we get a kind of a you know, and I know it's regionalized, but even we end up having to go to Scandinavia in the first round, say we have to go for two nights, charter a flag, etc. etc. You'll you know, pretty much half of that will go on travel realistically. Um dependent upon then, you know, attendance is never particularly great in around that first European game. You know, we we may well walk away from that game with let's say 175,000 if it all kind of washes through. Now, obviously, that that is not to be sniffed at. You know, that's that's uh an important figure within where we are financially, and we'll probably get on to the finances. But what I would say as well is it does raise a few challenges because our season was extended this year, probably by the guts of a fortnight. Um, I know there was sort of chatter amongst you know on the on the ground of you know players having to re-jig their holidays, etc. Um, which which probably would be fair given I think when you sign for Linfield, you probably don't expect to be in a playoff, and and nor should you. Um, we inevitably then will have to come back, not earlier, because we come back really the same time every year, given the fact that we are almost always in Europe, but we have a shorter off season this this year. Um, you know, we we've mentioned Chris Shields, we've mentioned like you know, servants like Jamie who will will need properly rested managed. It obviously reduces the time we have to get players in the door. Um, how many obviously will remain to be seen? But you know, in in a way, it it's vital that we are in Europe. It it gives us really a good start. But I think and it's it's a wider conversation, it's a podcast in itself. But you know, what I would say is that we all talk about how vital European football is to the Irish League. And it is um, in fact, this year it's important that all teams do well because we are almost in danger of falling lower within the wider coefficient, which would reduce our overall number of teams in Europe, which which isn't good for anyone and and it's certainly not good for for us. Um, but certainly what it says, you know, it does create a challenge because I've always said it's a really weird situation where as a lot of clubs are literally just beginning to ramp up their pre-season, um, really the the biggest games for Linfield or for any Irish League club at the moment, it are the games in July. You know, you you literally go into a two-leg cup final, one of the games, even before the 12th of July. And it does create a lot a number of challenges. I think it creates a number of challenges, particularly for us, given the fact that we have lost so many players. And any player that comes in the door, regardless if it's Messi or Ronaldo, doesn't always hit the ground running. So um, look, I'm delighted we're there. I I would love us to get a you know a really good away trip, even in you know, mainland UK or maybe another one down south, whatever the case may be. But uh, you know, we we have gotta we've got to focus probably for me on the bigger challenges, which is try to get through as many ranges of Europe as possible, bank as much money as possible, and therefore be in as good a shape as possible to hit the ground running when the uh the league starts domestically at the beginning of August.

SPEAKER_01 34:02

I think, David, when you put it like that, it would be much easier if Real Madrid just bought Trey Hume for £20 million so that we could have three million of it and be done with it.

SPEAKER_03 34:10

Uh of course you you say that in jest, Jason, and I think funny, we we will talk about that. But in many ways, that is for me the best and worst thing that could happen, Lindfield, because it would allow in many ways, uh allow us off the hook because that would give us realistically two to two and a half years of a wage bill covered, which would allow us to continue to sort of trundle along as we've been doing for for many a year. I'm gonna wrap it up there.