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The 20th of April, 2009. Clyde FC, five years previously on the cusp of a First Division title victory which would have taken the club into the SPL, faced-off against Stirling Albion on a bleak Tuesday evening. The result of that game? 2-1 to The Binos. The consequence? A second consecutive demotion for the debt-addled Bully Wee, a little over three years after having played Celtic off the park in a famous Scottish Cup tie; a thoroughly and undeniably ignominious demotion into the bottom tier of the national set-up. The loss of a fair whack of the club's pride, stature and standing was offset by a seismic gain for the Third Division - not-long-after to be rebranded League Two - as its clubs looked set to benefit from the large support of and higher standards to which Clyde FC holds itself across the board. Alas, what was bullishly forecast to be a flying visit dragged on further and further, further and... before we all knew it, Clyde were part of the furniture. 'Is this our level now?', 'I can't ever see us getting out of this god-forsaken league'. Your Mother's Pride's most successful seasons appeared to be condemned, regardless of logic, justice or reason, as the club floundered in its - and its fans' - most dreaded, purgatorial holiday threatened to become a fully-fledged emigration. Envious glances were cast in the direction of Arbroath (x2), Albion Rovers (x2), Alloa Athletic, Stranraer, The Rangers, Peterhead (x2), Stirling Albion, East Fife, Queen's Park, Forfar, Montrose and Stenhousemuir, as all of the aforementioned clubs took advantage of the increased standards direct competition with Clyde FC demands, to secure promotions into the hallowed land of the third tier of the Scottish game. All the while, poor Clyde were left behind. Alas, every dog has its day, and all good things must come to an end. It is now that I, my fellow Clyde fans and our club must move on, bound for exciting pastures new but heartened by the knowledge that we have changed what it means to play football in this division forever, and redefined the success criteria for teams at this level with a ludicrous 2018-19 season. We won't leave entirely - I will forever hold an affection for this division, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be popping in to see how things are ticking along next season and beyond - but we are finally on our way back to where we belong. I just wanted to thank each and every one of you for playing a role, however small, in this chapter; life often boils down to a visceral pursuit of happiness, at the expense of being able to appreciate the cruel beauty of the challenges and ordeals through which we suffer. From the philosopher and his barely-legible 5am posts to Queen's Park fans biting at will for almost a decade, from Stirling Albion fans' commendably unending optimism to Cowdenbeath's fans' contentment just to exist in any form, I will miss this place being my home on Pie and Bovril. Scottish League Two, you've been wretched, you've been excellent. You've given me elation, you've given me despair. You've given me football, anti-football and everything in-between. Goodbye, old friend. But I'll visit, sometime.
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