2012/13 Uncovered: Saturday 14th July - Gateway shut as the Phoenix rises

  
   Maybe I'll get to see Billericay Town after all.  Nice and local, a few minutes on the bus to Great Wakering Rovers.  That'll do for me.

   The rain it raineth very rainethly though.  Not torrential but heavy and persistent.  Like Eric Pickles, and just as sweaty in the summer humidity too. 

   Throughout Saturday morning, one by one, matches are called off.  Eventually, at lunchtime, Burroughs Park falls foul of the conditions.  Still no Billericay Town for me.  Either a leisurely afternoon watching Gold or Sky Sports F1 or head to Brentwood for a stint on Between The Lines.

   I go through the motions of letting both Phoenix and Gateway know that the game I'm supposed to be covering is off.  I let Dave know I'm coming into the Phoenix studios.  The Gateway website I note, though, doesn't have any scheduled sport programme.  Hmmmm.

   Then it hits the face.  Book of face.  One of Gateway Sport's old presenters, now doing his stuff at Talksport, lets it be known that the programme has been scrapped.  Scrapped that morning, no less.  Well, guys, thanks for letting me know.

   I toddle off to Brentwood.  Dave's a good man, loves his sport, and the time flies by in the Phoenix studio, with only minimal slander.  I doubt Glen Hoddle, John Terry, Harry Redknapp or anyone connected to the now defunct Rangers would have cause to enjoy the show, but the feedback is very positive.

   Back home I make the point to directors of Gateway - politely, too - that it would have been nice to have been informed of the sport show's demise from one of them directly.

  Two of the three directors are as understanding of my position as they have always been, albeit slightly more formal.  The other one, though, is somewhat less than gruntled.  The gruntle has been dissed completely and ooh, someone isn't happy.

   An e-mail arrives full of personal frustration with a bit of bile thrown in.  Water off a duck's back to me now.  I was in an operating theatre just three months ago trying to get my heart working properly.  The rant is fairly irrelevant in comparison.

   One of the grouses is that I'm going over to Phoenix, who apparently are Gateway's enemies!  I put across a courteous and long reply, thanking them for letting have the opportunity of going on radio and that, as well as covering other issues, but also pointing out that I specifically met one of the directors, who approved this arrangement.

   I knew this was the end of my association with Gateway 97.8, though, and the inevitable angry reply and damned-with-faint-praise thanks for my time there makes me chuckle.

   No regrets though.  A little sad about how one director has behaved, but time will heal that wound.  I hope they do the people of Basildon and East Thurrock proud.  It's no longer my aim though. 

   Mine will be ensuring people are fully up-to-date with the goings-on at Billericay Town, Brentwood Town and East Thurrock United.  I think it's the glamour that attracts me.  That and the p.....ouring rain.

   2 weekends, no matches, and an argument.  A cracking start.