The Ramblings of a Football Obsessive (Part 10)

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!

Comments