Somebody Stole My Sunshine

  

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away”

 

The lyrics to a terrace song that is synonymous with Wigan Athletic Football Club, a song that has been sung by Latics fans throughout the decades, from the Springfield Park days to the modern era.

 

Have those lyrics ever been more poignant to us than they are today?

 

Our club, our only club, the joy that the club brings, even when we are in a lull of form, the memories of our past achievements fill the supporters with so much happiness, and yes we do love our club, as has been proven over the past 10 weeks with the lengths the fan base, former players and officials have gone to, in order to keep the club afloat.

 

The song was originally written, ironically enough, back in 1932, when Wigan Athletic came into existence, and first performed in 1933,  but the writer, Oliver Hood, did not copyright it, he believed music was a ‘not-for profit’ venture, subsequently like the Latics, Hood was conned and someone else claimed the copyright for the lyrics and music.

 

Hood wrote a sequel in 1957, which he did copyright, ‘Someone Stole My Sunshine Away’, though never recorded. The feeling that ‘our’ sunshine has been stolen reverberates around the Latics supporters at this moment in time, we are in a very dark period indeed.

 

To nick a verse from that sequel:

 

“Somewhere the sun is shinning

But there’s rain in my hearty today.

There’s no denying

My heart keeps crying –

Somebody stole my sunshine away”

 

I am a glass half full person, always optimistic, but even I have been feeling frustration which is driving me to despair. A lack of clarity of where we are, coupled with confusing and conflicting statements from the administrators is weighing heavy.

 

There is a saying ‘the darkest hour is the one before the dawn’, often used as an analogy for troubled times as you reach the bottom and there is only one way left to go.

 

I fear we are in that ‘darkest hour’ now, seeking the breaking dawn and rising sun to put some light back into the club, we have got to hope that we are close to that, yes someone stole our sunshine, just give it back.

 

#AllTogetherNow #KeepTheFaith #Believe #YouAreMySunshine

 

With thanks to David Wright for the inspiration