Baker’s Beacon Blog – Week 17

Dear Parents,

I’ve never been someone that needs much sleep but even for me, this has not been a good sleep week. Brigid states clearly that she requires at least eight hours, but whereas six is plenty for me, I reckon I experienced no more than three hours on Tuesday and Wednesday. And who do we blame for this insomnia? Step forward, Mr Emmanuel Dennis. On Tuesday, it was rumoured that Watford FC were interested in re-signing Dennis, one of our previous ‘star’ players, for the remainder of this season.  As with any new signing, initially one feels excitement and the news was applauded and welcomed in our household, but as the evening wore on, the prospect of someone who it was rumoured was a bit of a maverick and not the best example of a ‘team player’ could potentially upset what has been a solid and progressive season to date.  My concern kept me up all night. In the morning, Brigid asked how I slept and I replied, “Badly – couldn’t stop thinking about Emmanuel Dennis.” She looked at me quizzically and then dismissively, assuming Emmanuel Dennis was a member of staff or a parent at The Beacon.

The next day though, things looked brighter. On morning Gate Duty, I asked fellow Watford fan Freddie in Year 6 how he felt about ‘Emmanuel Dennis Announcement Day’.  Freddie had a massive smile on his face and only positive vibes, which put my uncertainty in the shade. Watching his first interview online, Dennis spoke a lot of sense and with no little emotion or passion for the Club.  I felt encouraged and suddenly as excited as Freddie, so I went online and bought some tickets for the Southampton FA Cup game this Sunday as Patrick and Joseph seemed equally keen and had a new found spring in their football-fandom step. And, you guessed it, now with a bit of adrenaline running through my veins, I found it difficult to sleep again, imagining a thrilling future for Watford across the remaining 18 fixtures, potentially ending in a Play-Off Final and return to the Premier League…we can but dream…

Have a good weekend,

Nick Baker

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