What's That Coming Over the Hill?

I spent most of the second half of Saturday's home match against Dover Athletic wandering around the ground with my son, Little Nedved Junior. He can handle staying put in the first half, but after that he needs a bit of distraction to keep from getting too bored. We ended up in front of the Family Stand, which is the corner of the pitch where the substitute players warm up before going into the game.

There were a couple kids clutching pens and sheets of A4 paper, trying to get autographs from anyone looking remotely like a player. Being asked for your autograph must be a nice ego-boost for the players. Unfortunately, these kids had a way of doing it that must have had the opposite effect.

'Who are you?' they asked one player, thrusting pen and paper towards a nearby player.

'That's Matt Coupe,' I said. I tried to say it with a tone that suggested that everyone should know the player known as the 'Beast of Twerton.' Well, I think everyone should.

'Is your name on the back of this?' they asked, pointing to their programs.

'Yeah, it's on there somewhere,' Coupe said, taking pen in hand. 'Just not as high up as it used to be.'

You could hear the frustration in Coupe's voice when he said this, even though he signed the crumpled sheets of paper cheerfully and with good grace. Up until October he had been a regular starter for Bath City. For good reason too. He is not only an excellent defender, but a source of inspiration for fans and fellow players. Coupe's presence on City's backline is almost tangible when he plays. He doesn't just shout out encouragement to his team mates; the will to win seems to seep out of every pore in his body. Even when he has an off-day, he can overcome opponents just by sheer bloody-mindedness. These qualities have understandably made him a fan favourite for many years, and also explain why he has made over 300 appearances in a City shirt.

And yet, for the last three months he has started matches on the bench more often than on the pitch. Although manager Adie Britton has often not had much choice when it comes to selecting goalkeepers or forwards, the competition for places in midfield and defence this season has been fierce. The quality of players that have appeared as substitutes, or been loaned to other clubs, has been remarkable.

As a City supporter I feel conflicted about this. It is great to have such a surplus of quality in at least two areas, but I hate seeing some of my favourites collecting splinters. Fortunately Coupe's warm-up was quickly followed by him going into the Dover match, taking Jim Rollo's captain armband as the players traded places.

A sign of Coupe's popularity is the fact that he is the only City player who has two songs sung from the terraces in his honour. The first, I Wish I was a Pornstar Like Matt Coupe (sung to the tune of She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain) was first aired at the Grimsby match. The more traditional song, though, is R.E.M.'s Monster.

Within a few minutes of arriving back on the pitch, it was evident that time with the subs had not dulled Coupe's desire to win. In a scrappy, battling match, Coupe scrapped and battled with a tenaciousness that was heartening to watch. The 'Ultras' on the Popular Side took up the old refrain, 'What's that comin' over the hill, is it a monster? Is it a monster?' This caused some consternation among the nearby Dover supporters, who do not appear to have the tradition of singing songs for individual players. Anyone who has taken the time to watch Coupe tear through an opposition attack, though, would readily spot the meaning of the song.

As Dover did take control of most of the end of the match, reinforcing City's backline with such a determined presence was obviously the right thing to do. I know I am not alone in hoping that we see Coupe more regularly. In sympathy with manager Adie Britton's dilemma, though, I'm not sure who should be dropped to make way. I suppose, on balance, that's the sort of decision a manager is wants to be presented with. All I can say is, it's a decision I am happy not to have to make.