The Road to the Westfalenstadion (Part 20)

The following article appeared in the programme for Racing Club Warwick v  

Just over a year ago, on Christmas Day 2004 we were sitting twelfth in the table. At the time I wrote “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!” So how was 2005? Did the earth move for Racing Club? Here’s my review of the year.

2005 arrived but there was no let up in the Racing club’s inconsistency. Racing Club had last won two games in a row in October 2004 and this was not to happen again until we went on a 6 game winning run that started with the 1-0 win at home to Causeway United on January 29^th. Significantly three of these matches were in the League Cup as we marched into the Final with a 3-1 victory against local rivals Stratford Town followed by a 5-2 aggregate success against another near neighbour, Alvechurch, in the two-legged Semi-Final. Those who were present on the night of the first leg against Alvechurch will never forget the late introduction of magical Marcus King who broke Alvechurch hearts with a cruel late winner. Sandwiched between the two Alvechurch Cup games was a fixture that was to have important bearing on the destiny of the Midland Alliance title itself as we crushed Chasetown spirits with a 3-1 home success. It should be noted that our 6 game winning run coincided with Jermaine Gordon’s magnificent hot-streak of form and also that the run was spread over 6 weeks during which time the weather really took it’s toll on our fixtures and left us with an alarming fixture backlog which was to coincide with an injury hit squad in the latter weeks of the season.

We came back down to earth with a bump. Unusually Racing Club lost two home games in a row against Malvern Town and Westfields. These two sides were the only ones to record doubles against us in 2004-05 (must be something in the water or the cider!). A return to form with wins at Barwell and at home to Coalville was another false dawn as we suffered a horrendous Easter fortnight enduring three league defeats in a row. Hardly ideal preparation for the Polymac Services Cup Final First Leg against Oadby Town! The fixture pile-up ensured that Racing Club were now forced to play Saturday-Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday in the weeks containing the Cup Final ties – hardly ideal preparation! The result in the First Leg against Oadby was a 1-1 draw with Racing Club coming from behind thanks to an all-important strike from Leon Thomas (more from him to come!) and a vital penalty save from Richard “The Cat” Williams. Two-legged affairs are never over until the end of the second leg but it was hardly the result that we would have wished for to take to Leicestershire.

That defeat against Westfields on April 5^th saw the start of another solid run that saw some impressive wins against the likes of Quorn, Stratford Town and Stourbridge in the league. But the jewel in the crown was surely the Second Leg of the Polymac Services League Cup (surely soon to be renamed the Paul O’Brien Trophy as he doesn’t seem to want to give anyone else a look in when it comes to winning it!) Final. Thursday April 21^st will be remembered for a long time in these parts. It was the day that ended over 50 years of “hurt”. Incredibly Racing Club had not enjoyed cup success since Saltisford’s triumphs of the post war era! The match itself was a microcosm of our up-and-down season. Throughout the first half Racing Club seemed to be second best creating few chances. Oadby on the other hand seemed to be exceptionally solid at the back with Tyrone Mintus in particular putting in a centre-half performance that had Andy Lovelock scratching his head. They scored via an overhead kick and at half-time Warwick trooped off 2-1 down on aggregate and needing to step up several gears.

I asked Marcus after the match what he had said to the players at half time but all I could get out of him were some modest mutterings about changing the shape. Surely they put something in the tea? The effect was astonishing. Within 15 minutes we had equalised and then taken the lead thanks to two expertly finished Leon Thomas goals (seeing as he scored three goals in the Final does that count as a hat-trick?). The second Warwick goal on the night saw Andy Lovelock round his tormentor of the first half, Tyrone Mintus, and pick out Leon. What joy! Suddenly, with away goals counting double, Oadby had to score two goals, a task that was well beyond them as Racing Club proceeded to boss the remainder of the match. Marcus even managed to bring on club captain Tom Cudworth late on to ensure that it would be he, rather than monumental skipper on the night Lee Everitt, who would collect the Cup. In the league Racing Club finished in ninth position, unremarkable perhaps when compared to our aspirations but it should be borne in mind that this was our first top-ten finish in any league since our 1988-89 promotion season!

The Ashes winning summer came and went. Racing Club, with the money derived from our Ben Foster sell-on arrangement with Stoke City, suddenly had a “promotion budget” and a few members of staff signed-on under contract for the first time. The departures of Mr Consistency Richard Williams and Lee Everitt to Atherstone were more than adequately compensated by securing the signature of former favourite Michael Payne as well as former Midland Alliance Golden Boot James Wood and Sky Blues starlet Ben Mackey. As ever, and as is customary at the beginning of the season, optimism was sky-high. Warwick’s first competitive game of the season was away to the previous season’s champions Rushall Olympic in the Joe McGorian Charity Cup. With the surprise appearance of Terry Angus at his imperious best at the heart of Racing Club’s defence, the curtain was raised on our season with another trophy (they come along like busses don’t they?): Warwick running out 2-1 winners over the vanquished Southern League Pics. After a start like that, what could possibly go wrong?

Three defeats on the bounce that’s what! An excusable home reverse to Stourbridge given our early season injury list was followed by a demoralising away defeat at Causeway. Our traditional early FA Cup elimination, this time by Oldbury United, left us re-evaluating our prospects for the season and there were still three games left in August! Thankfully the corner was about to be turned. A 2-2 draw at home to bogey side Westfields was followed by six (count ‘em) straight league victories that had Racing Club only denied top spot on goal difference. The pick of this run was an amazing 2-1 win at title contenders Quorn although our joy was tempered by the sight of Aaron Shanahan suffering a broken leg (Happy New Year Aaron, 2006 has just got to be better hasn’t it?). Our run of league wins was brought to a halt at home to Barwell but even that was incredible with Warwick coming back from 1-4 down to draw 4-4 and almost snatch it near the end.

Barwell were to visit Hampton Road again in the First Round of the FA Vase following Racing Club’s two qualifying round victories against Eccleshall and Blackstones. Barwell were formidable opposition and, in a muscular display, Warwick sneaked into the Second Round courtesy of a one-nil win. Back in the league Warwick’s form was undergoing a major wobble: defeat away to new boys Tipton Town followed by a draw with Coalville and a painful home defeat by Romulus (this last defeat followed hard on the heels of Romulus’s win here the preceding Tuesday night which ended Warwick’s interest in the Birmingham Senior Cup for another season). Time for another corner to be turned? You bet! Four straight league wins included a superb winning performance against Champions-elect Malvern Town who were truly second best on the night.

Drawn away to Tipton Town in the Second Round of the Vase and, following our recent defeat there, Racing Club rolled up their sleeves and produced a workmanlike 2-0 win. Into the last 64 in a national competition and with a decent draw away to unknown quantities Ashville of the (step 7) West Cheshire League our optimism had returned. Our visit to Villa Park (no, not that one!) on Merseyside followed three weeks of enforced inactivity following postponements due to bad weather. A game of high drama saw the game see-saw with both sides in front before each managed a goal in extra time. The replay at Hampton Road the following Saturday was supposed to be the game in which Warwick’s superior status (and class!) would tell. Unfortunately nobody told Ashville! Another hugely dramatic game saw Racing Club take the lead in the 89^th minute only for Ashville to equalise in added time. Our penalties may as well have been taken by the likes of Chris Waddle and Gareth Southgate – we were out!

With 2006 rushing towards us there was still time for further disappointment. Our run of four consecutive league victories ended away at Boldmere on a cold December evening. Our next Midland Alliance game was the little matter of the hugely anticipated visit of Leamington on Boxing Day. In a close run affair where the only difference between the sides was the ability to put away a chance, Leamington took the South Warwickshire bragging rights (but only until Easter 2006!). Consolation could be found in the attendance that day: 1,280 set a new all-time attendance record for both Hampton Road and for the Midland Alliance itself. Racing Club’s 57^th and final match of 2005 saw an untidy 1-0 away win at Westfields on New Year’s Eve. This left Warwick’s 2005 playing record thus:

 

	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against	Points
Midland Football Alliance	42	21	7	14	75	56	70
FA Cup	1	0	0	1	1	2	N/A
FA Vase	6	4	2	0	11	6	N/A
Polymac Services League Cup	6	5	1	0	12	5	N/A
Joe McGorian Charity Cup	1	1	0	0	2	1	N/A
Birmingham Senior Cup	1	0	0	1	2	5	N/A
	57	31	10	16	103	75	70

By coincidence 42 league games is the equivalent of a regular season. 70 points last season would have seen Warwick finishing in 6^th place. So how should we summarise Warwick’s 2005? Evidence of progress both on and off the field is there for all to see. Plans for our new stand / clubhouse are well advanced and, on the park, two shiny trophies are nestled securely in our trophy cabinet – the first Cup successes for Racing Club in 50-odd years! In the league our top-ten finish last season has been followed by a little more consistency this season resulting in Warwick figuring in the top-six for several weeks. That said, football fans have short memories and we’re no different: looking upwards at the mountain still to climb rather than remembering how far we’ve come already. With a feeling of déjà vu I conclude my report on 2005 thus: Warwick supporters know that the team is good enough to conquer all-comers. 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!”

Keep the faith!