Leader of the opposition at South Kesteven District Council reflects on the parallels between the council chamber and our national sport.

Everyone remembers going to their first football match, writes Graham Jeal, leader of the opposition at South Kesteven District Council.

The anticipation; the smells, the hum; the oohs; the aaarhs; the Anglo-Saxon language; the thousands of people; the questioning of the referee’s parentage after an unpopular decision; the fading away at full time.

And so it was, I found myself at the City ground at half time with my daughter battling plummeting temperatures and distributing sugary snacks to keep spirits up. I began to reflect on the parallels between the council chamber and our national sport. With recent recordings of council meetings – or VAR (Video Assistant Referee) – you can come to your own conclusions.

There was a great show of teamwork in Grantham to bring decision making back to a restored Town Council – let’s hope the team selection is right for the first season back where Grantham belongs.

In a recent finance committee fixture, Cllr Lee Steptoe (Lab Grantham Earlsfield), playing in his usual outside left position, described South Kesteven’s financial position as ‘fairly stable’. Given that council reserves have gone down by around £7,000,000 in the last year, he was lucky to not receive a yellow card. Post match reviews confirmed he was technically right when compared to Labour Nottingham City or Labour Birmingham – both now bankrupt.

In spite of the crowd demanding something to be done about litter on the A1, council managers continue to duck the issue – why is it that sometimes the manager can not see what everyone in the cheap seats can see?

The SKDC Administration of Independents, Labour and others rolled out their big guns to oppose council tax relief for vulnerable veterans. Almost every member of the Cabinet united in not wanting to waste time on veterans in wave after wave of attack. However, man-of-the-match Cllr Dixon-Warren (Conservative Aveland) had his shooting boots on and in questioning the Administration’s commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, secured agreement for more work to be done on how targeted relief could be introduced.

Leader Cllr Richard Cleaver (Ind Stamford St John’s) is making the home supporters restless speaking in favour of significant increases to Stamford parking charges. When tackled by Cllr Gloria Johnson (Conservative Stamford St George’s) about increasing Stamford parking capacity by finally upgrading the Cattle Market, she was told this will be ‘considered’ in the New Year. Even in the modern game, surely an obstruction ref? To paraphrase a comment under Cllr Elvis Stooke’s recent news story, we are expecting a little less conversation, a little more action from this Administration.

But the most extraordinary result of the season so far was caught on camera in an away match at Lincolnshire County Council. SKDC Cabinet Member for Finance and aspiring future Leader, Cllr Ashley Baxter (Ind Market and W Deepings) - voted against consulting on a devolution deal which included £2,000,000 additional funding for Grantham. Everyone is now wondering whose team he is actually on?

Given recent results, we are all counting the days until the next transfer window.