As time goes by!

Despite the comments of some of footbals top pundits who believe Carlisle United will be moving up a league next season through automatic promotion, boss Paul Simpson refuses to be drawn on the subject. Quite understandably too. There is still a long way to go before such talk can be banded around the corridors and United dressing room deep inside Brunton Park.
The ‘one game at a time’ mentality is clearly the best way forward at this stage of the season. The midweek trouncing of Boston United at York Street aroused national attention with compliment after compliment landing at Paul Simpsons feet. It’s not as though United have quietly arrived on the scene, far from it, just over a year ago the club was literally drowning, Brunton Park was engulfed in flood water, playing their football at National Conference level the early season form had dropped off, the future did not look too bright.
Since then, Paul Simpson and his back room staff supported by the excellent club owner Fred Story and his board of directors have transformed Carlisle United in every way possible. Promotion was achieved through the play offs back into the football league.
Attendances have risen and the flood water receded, ‘damage limitation’ was often a quote heard eminating from Brunton Park ever since the self centred egotist known as Michael Knighton ruled the club and almost took it out of existence. Thanks to the work of the above people (Knighton excluded) and countless more, it is no longer a quote associated with Carlisle United.
Ask anyone in Carlisle today about the success of Carlisle United and they will speak of Fred Story and local boy made good Paul Simpson. Suddenly Carlisle United are being remembered and reported upon for all the good things in the game. The club has worked hard to build a reputation which frankly was ripped to shreds during Knightons reign by Knighton himself.
Somehow, supporters still laugh (through gritted teeth) at some of Knighton’s failed exploits which included; turning part of Brunton Park into a butterfly farm; moving the club into the Scottish league; ground sharing with Glasgow based Clydebank; taking over managerial duties of the first team; speaking to aliens on the M62 motorway, finally his ultimate humiliation was anouncing to football that he had sold the club to a multi millionaire businessman – who turned out to be a penniless waiter in a Peebles curry house! Now that really does show how astute Knighton was as a businessman! Don’t get me wrong, Knighton is still the most despised man ever to be associated with the football club, he nor any of his family will ever be welcome there, not by the clubs support.
Fred Story is rather less flambuoyant, an excellent businessman and thoroughly nice chap he has transformed the image of the football club – it is now a community asset. He is definitely a true supporter in every sense of the word, he stops to speak with everyone, talks honestly and openly and more importantly, sensibly. Yet ask him if promotion is on the cards this season and like his manager he will take it as it comes.
The club is in a much healthier football state than it has been in for some time, as the team sit in second place in league two and are handily placed for success in the LDV Vans trophy. How times change – but you wont hear anyone associated with Carlisle United taking things for granted. As for promotion? Well lets just wait till the last ball of the season has been kicked then we can talk about it!