The following article did not appear in a Racing Club Warwick programme due to postponements.
So that was 2004 was it? As 2004 shuffles off into the annals of Racing Club Warwick history to be replaced by the birth of a bouncing baby 2005, this week’s ramblings take a trip down the highs and lows of the memory lane that was 2004. The year started as Warwick’s first full year at the fourth level below the football league following the previous year’s relegation to the Midland Football Alliance. By the end of the year Warwick found themselves yet another rung down the ladder, this time following the restructuring of the upper end of the non-league game. And there’s a further reorganisation ahead folks!
The first half of 2004 saw Racing Club having league form the like of which had not been seen in the previous decade. Only two defeats between Christmas 2003 and August 2004 would have heralded the Midland Alliance Shield itself for most teams had they not had the start to last season that we suffered! 2004 started in fine style with a 2-0 home win against Rushall. The following week saw our heaviest defeat under Marcus – a 4-0 reverse at hugely impressive Quorn. With pride having been well and truly dented, Racing Club proceeded to reel off five straight wins including a 1-0 home win over eventual champions Rocester.
The end of February heralded Warwick’s final defeat of the season, 1-3 at home to Willenhall Town, who themselves were embarking on a run that would lead them ultimately to promotion to the Unibond League. Racing Club’s response to this latest defeat was to go the rest of the season unbeaten! Nine wins and four draws including a 2-1 home victory against Stratford Town and a 4-0 away romp at Studley. What a conclusion to the season! It was touch and go as the end of the season approached as to whether Warwick could finish in the top half of the league and end with a positive goal difference but both were achieved with a rousing finale 5-2 home success against Cradley Town. It was the first time that Racing Club Warwick had finished in the top half of any league since 1994-95.
August came and Season 2004-05 started with realistically high levels of optimism amongst Warwick supporters for the first time in many a year. We commenced away at Ludlow’s well-appointed Coors Stadium and, after going behind, Racing Club ran out comfortable 3-1 winners. So surely this was it? A procession to the league title come May with a string of victories along the way. Well not quite! The following Tuesday saw a 1-3 reverse at home to Barwell and, cruelly stung, Warwick put Biddulph Victoria to the sword with a 5-2 win on the Saturday. Although the wheels were apparently back on the wagon we wouldn’t have chosen to go to Quorn the following week for what was always going to be a difficult match given the result of the previous season. We lost. Now there’s no shame in losing to a classy Quorn side but the realisation was dawning that this season was going to be much more difficult than many of us had anticipated.
Three straight wins in the league were punctuated by yet another early September FA Cup Preliminary Round exit, this time away to Shepshed Dynamo. Then it was off to my early season tip for the title, Chasetown, and unfortunately another defeat on the road to potential title rivals. Warwick’s topsy-turvy start to the season continued with a classy 3-0 mauling of Oadby Town. Next came the match that I consider to have been the turning point of 2004. Away at Boldmere St Michaels we were 3-0 up after half an hour. “Game over” I remember saying, only to then watch The Mikes pull one back before half time and decisively draw level in the second half. A 3-3 draw doesn’t look so bad on paper but the effect of losing our three-goal lead was, in my view, a crushing blow that would reverberate around the club for several weeks.
The hangover from Boldmere was three miserable games long – a hugely disappointing defeat at home to Ludlow in the Vase and away losses to Oldbury and Loughborough. Of course, Racing Club were simply too good to prolong the agony and we turned around the sequence with two wins and a draw including an impressive 2-1 win away at Coalville and a 6-2 trouncing of Alvechurch in October. Consistency? Why yes! Racing Club ended 2004 in consistent inconsistency – three defeats, one win and one draw including the bitter blow of a 2-0 defeat at Rushall (I write this ahead of the visit of Stratford).
And so what of 2005? Well, on Christmas Day we were twelfth in the table. Memories of the early part of 2004 mean that Warwick supporters know that the team is good enough to conquer all-comers. Memories of the second half of 2004 mean that our confidence is mixed – two steps forward and one step back. If we can recapture our best form then a top three finish is certainly possible – if not – expect another top half finish! Let’s have the former rather than the latter boys!
Happy New Year and keep the faith!
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