Blackpool riding high, some fans advocating the distribution of Ince masks following his stadium ban, our feathers had been slightly ruffled on the road, but Ipswich at Bloomfield would surely see a repeat of our 6-0 thrashing of them on a previous visit, as we cemented our place at the top of the Championship.
We've subsequently witnessed a disastrous sequence of failures and embarrassing incidents on and off the field, to the extent we are now something of a laughing stock.
No team has a divine right to be top of the tree and, I don't think many of us expected such a bright start last year, but we had a flicker of hope until, as the tide began to turn, we vented our growing fury on the players for their lack of ability, together with the manager and his coaching staff for their apparently negative tactics, then celebrated their departure, before bemoaning the dilatory actions of the Chairman in appointing a successor.
Opinions were then divided as to whether the player-manager who took the reins was ready, or should have concentrated on playing, as the squad was considered too weak to survive in the second tier.
His henchmen duly arrived to emulate the manner in which their predecessors had dealt with players and fans alike, so few tears were shed when they all left after we'd escaped relegation by the skin of our teeth.
A succession of lies, broken promises, rumours and an irresponsible approach to squad retention then led to an unacceptable position whereby we couldn't fulfil pre-season obligations, started the season with a threadbare squad and have been playing "catchup" ever since.
Mr. Riga has conducted himself with dignity and attempted to make the proverbial silk purse. He deserves to have been treated better, although the business with Barkhuizen and perhaps McGachey (although I admit to not knowing the full details there), plus some debatable formations and a lack of organisation (Huddersfield away, by his own admission), puzzled me.
So now we're back to where we were before this merry-go-round started.
Questions remain about the lack of investment following our Premiership windfall, amateur-level training facilities, assurances that things would be done differently, we will be competitive and are the envy of the League, to the extent that we're clinging to a position for which we yearned, for many a year, by our fingernails.
I would remind the Chairman that he said funds would "be there for a rainy day" and suggest that the monsoon season has arrived in Blackpool.
Opinions will be divided as to who should carry the can for the current state of affairs and although I initially intended to wrap us this midnight ramble by suggesting that Blackpool fans are blameless, have been treated with disdain and are the victims in all of this mess, notice, unfortunately, that we've even turned on each other of late, occasionally stooping to the level of yobs at games and on respective forums.
It is painful to watch us washing our dirty linen in the media and to have fallen so far from grace, but, through it all, let's remember who we are; loyal, honest, decent fans who care passionately about our great club.
Let's be together.
Through thick and thin, I've always said, although I'm unsure whether "thick" or "thin" times are preferable.
COTP.
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