The following article appeared in the programme for Racing Club Warwick v Chasetown on 26th April 2006.
Can it really be the last home game of the season already? It seems like only yesterday that we were kicking off a new season! Here’s my review of Racing Club Warwick’s season 2005-2006.
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 well and truly 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 (see you in August Aaron!). 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. I’m told that it was Racing’s best performance for years by the cogniscenti.
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 after 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 89th 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. 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 final match of 2005 saw an untidy 1-0 away win at Westfields on New Year’s Eve. This was the start of another purple patch of four wins out of five with our 3-2 away double-securing win at runaway leaders Malvern Town being the pick of the bunch. So on the evening of Saturday 28th January Racing Club stood 8th in the table, a mere 11 points behind leaders Malvern. Little did we know it but this was to be a high point for Racing Club – we were about to embark upon a poor run of ten games yielding just one win and that, at home to bottom club Rocester which was to be expected. Defeats away at Biddulph and at home to Quorn preceded Racing Club relinquishing our grip on the Polymac Services League Cup with our defeat away at Tipton Town in our third visit to Tipton of the season. The win against Rocester was something of a false dawn as our next game was away at Stourbridge where, on a windy day, we were simply blown away in a crazy game. It could quite easily have finished ten-all. Instead Stourbridge secured a 6-1 victory as our finishing let us down big style and Marcus saw the side chalk up our worst result during his tenure. This was a genuine low point and indicated that the blend was not right and that changes were required. With the season pretty well dead and buried it was time to start seeking the side to mount a serious challenge in 2006-2007. Players who had given the Racers solid service over the previous two years were released or allowed to leave and these included Marcus King, Leon Thomas, Tom Cudworth Ollie Olanipekun and James Wood. On the incoming side we welcomed back Gavin O’Toole plus we saw Danny Williams and Ben Steane arrive as Marcus rang the changes.
As April arrived our fortunes finally changed for the better with back-to-back wins against Boldmere St Michaels and Oldbury United. The scene was set for the rematch against our near neighbours and fiercest rivals from Whitnash. Sadly this was another wind-spoiled match that we didn’t deserve to lose but lost nevertheless 2-1 despite Ben Mackey’s early goal. The roller coaster ride continued with a last-minute away win at Cradley followed by a disappointing home defeat at the hands of Oadby Town. Two days later Racing Club put in their best performance for weeks in the Bank Holiday Monday 2-0 win at Alvechurch. This promising form was followed up last Saturday with our twelth and biggest away win of the season, this time 5-2 at Romulus notable for two bizarre goals. The first was scored by Jam from an uncontested drop ball near the half way line following treatment for a Romulus player. Deliberate? Only Jam will know but Racing Club certainly felt that it was a tad unjust and, to their immense credit, allowed Tyrone Fagan a free run through on goal straight from the kick off to right the wrong. Jam atoned in the second half with another goal to produce a welcome hat-trick thereby doubling his tally for the season.
And so on to today’s penultimate game this season at home to champions-elect Chasetown which will be closely followed by Saturday’s final fixture of the season away at Coalville. So how should we summarise Warwick’s season? As I write there is still plenty of opportunity to improve upon last season’s 9th placed finish which, if we manage it, would be our highest in any league since our last season in the Midland Combination in 1988-1989. That said, I can’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment. A taste of success last season promised so much for this and we did attain top-spot at one point. However the blend wasn’t quite right and Marcus is therefore back to wheeling and dealing in search of the winning formula. Nevertheless evidence of progress both on and off the field is there for all to see. Plans for our new stand / clubhouse are now well advanced and recent playing form (five wins out of seven games) is miles better than before.
Oh well, that’s the Road to the Westfalenstadion more-or-less traversed – it’s time to turn our attention to this summer’s World Cup. I suppose that I’d better not predict a win for England in case they do something similar to my pre-season tips for the Midland Alliance title. By the way, whatever did happen to Stratford Town?
Have a good summer and remember: Keep the faith!
Comments
Post a Comment