The following article appeared in the programme for Racing Club Warwick v Ludlow Town on 11th December 2004.
Can somebody explain what’s going at Racing Club this season? I’m thoroughly confused! We make a promising start and hit top spot in early September. On September 18th we’re 3-0 up away at Boldmere before half time and coasting when suddenly we start to struggle. That match turned into a 3-3 draw, and it marked the start of a dreadful run of six matches without a win. Then, just as you start to think that the season’s as good as over (out of all the cup competitions and plummeting towards the middle of the table), we turn the corner again with a win away at Coalville following that up with a most amazing win at home to Alvechurch. Now that’s real bouncebackability Iain Dowie!
Racing Club versus Alvechurch represented a personal milestone match for me (in fact, a whole series of personal milestones occurred!). Let me explain. Do you keep statistics concerning matches you have attended? No? Just call me Statto then! The first football match that I attended was way back in 1977 (yes that’s 27 years ago and yes I am well on the way to becoming an “old codger) at Elland Road, Leeds for the visit of the reigning European Cup holders Liverpool. I didn’t want to spoil my programme and so I wrote down the score, scorers, team line-ups and attendance in a brand new exercise book. As my matchday attendance became a regular event I continued my record-keeping habit and, today, I’m up to exercise books number 23 and my programme collection is beginning to take over the house (well one room anyway!).
Why bother? Well, for me at least, it adds to the pleasure of watching a match. Would you know exactly how many Racing Club matches you have attended? Or how many goals you have seen altogether? Writing it all down is my way of preserving a little something from each Saturday rather than allowing it to disappear into “times past” unrecorded. And why am I telling you all this? Well the match against Alvechurch on Saturday 30th October was a special occasion for me in that it was my 1,400th match attended ranking alongside previous personal milestone matches:
100 Football League Division 4 York City 0-1 Hartlepool United 13 Sept 1980
200 Football
League Division 2 Leeds
United 3-1
Burnley 20 Oct
1982
300 Milk Cup
Final Everton 0-0
Liverpool 25 Mar 1984
400 Canon
League Division 1 Coventry
City 2-3 Tottenham
Hotspur 20 Oct 1985
500 FA Cup
Semi-Final Tottenham
Hotspur 4-1 Watford 11 Apr 1987
600 Barclays
League Division 4 York
City 0-3
Grimsby Town 04 Mar 1989
700 FA Cup
4th Round Tottenham
Hotspur 4-2 Oxford United 26 Jan 1991
800 FA
Premier League Blackburn
Rovers 0-2 Tottenham
Hotspur 07 Nov 1992
900 World
Cup Finals Spain 3-0
Switzerland 02 Jul 1994
1000 FA Carling Premiership Tottenham
Hotspur 0-0 Everton 02 Dec 1995
1100 GM Vauxhall Conference Stevenage Borough 2-1 Altrincham 17 Mar 1997
1200 Dr Martens League Premier Division Tamworth 2-3 Weymouth 18 Nov 2000
1300 Dr Martens League Western Division Racing Club Warwick 1-6 Gloucester City 28 Jan 2003
What a way to celebrate my milestone! Racing Club
were 4-0 up at half-time (how often do you see that?). We saw goals in the 44th,
45th, 46th and 47th minutes (2 for Warwick, 2
for Alvechurch). Three Warwick players got a brace each. Take a bow for scoring
two goals Jam, Whitey and Leon! And a special mention must go from me to Leon
because Warwick’s sixth and final goal of that eventful afternoon was my 3,800th
goal ever seen. An absolute beauty too! The match finished 6-2 making it the
biggest Warwick win I’ve seen. And if that wasn’t enough milestones for you (am
I boring you yet?), Jam’s opener was my 100th Warwick goal ever seen
and Alvechurch’s second was the 150th that I’ve seen Racing Club
concede. So much for statistics eh? Well here’s to match number 1500 which I
reckon should fall just before Christmas 2006. I wonder what awaits us along
the way!
Keep the faith!
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