The following article appeared in the programme for Racing Club Warwick v Tipton Town on 27th August 2005.
This week’s “Road” covers another game that I attended at the end of last season in my attempts to avoid the long hot football desert that is the summer. Having watched the penalty shoot out between Arsenal and Manchester United in the 2005 FA Cup Final on the television the day before, Sunday 22nd May dawned and, for lovers of Non-League football everywhere, a far more important occasion beckoned: The 2005 FA Trophy Final held at Villa Park.
This year’s event features the delights of Essex’s Grays Athletic and Nottinghamshire’s Hucknall Town – neither side being a giant in the world of Non-League. It is a relatively recent phenomenon that Conference sides appear to have developed something of an aversion to the FA Trophy. The last three Trophy Finals have featured only one side (Tamworth) from the top-level of Non-League – those students of the game amongst you will be aware that there is a coincidence between this sparsity of Conference sides and the advent of a Play-Off place for promotion from the Conference to the Football League. It would seem that, in common with the alleged reduction in the romance of the FA Cup, an appearance in the Final of the Trophy has also lost some of it’s sparkle due to more important league business.
As with last season when Canvey Island played Hednesford, an Essex-based side were seeking a Trophy and promotion-to-the-conference double and were red hot favourites. Grays Athletic have been fielding a full time side throughout 2004/5 and indeed managed to pick up a few members of the title-chasing Hornchurch squad when their dreams fell apart mid-season due to the financial difficulties of their key benefactor. Grays finances also seem to be down to a wealthy benefactor rather than takings on the gate and it is to be hoped that Grays have taken a good hard look at the Hornchurch situation and have done something to protect themselves from the kind of disaster which saw Hornchurch ending the season being wound-up and the new phoenix club having to start again in the Essex Senior League (step 5).
It does feel like the summer has been full of stories concerning the ownership of football clubs, mainly due to the emerging situation at Manchester United. My view on United has been one of bemusement – why do the supporters of other clubs seem to take delight in the unrest behind the scenes at the Old Trafford Buccaneers? Don’t they realise that if Mr Glaser manages to break the Premier League’s TV negotiating arrangements then the majority of other clubs will be considerably worse off and the gulf between the top and the rest in England’s top division will widen inexorably? Ironically, in the land of free enterprise where only the strong survive, even Americans have long understood the need to keep sport truly competitive even at the very top-level and have arrangements in place aimed at keeping a level playing field. My own view is that it is time for the FA to step in and reclaim the game from the money markets for the true fans – oh and while they’re about it a “fit and proper person” test is long overdue as a means of keeping the hands of various ego-trippers and property developers off of our clubs.
The FA Trophy Final? Oh yes. The game was a real credit to the National Game with Hucknall relishing their underdogs status and rising to the challenge of Grays. Hucknall’s player-manager Dean Barrick was carried off midway through the first half with what turned out to be a broken leg. It was possibly the absence of Barrick that led to the defensive mix up after an hour which allowed Grays to take the lead and, with the favourites in the lead, the match appeared to be moving away from Hucknall. Enter Oli. No not Racing Club’s version but Dennis Oli, Hucknalls’ flying wide man who managed to stuff the ball into the danger zone and in turn created enough confusion for streaky Danny Bacon to save Hucknall’s bacon! The match finished one-one and extra time failed to separate the sides, so we had the drama of a penalty shoot out for the final of a domestic competition for the second day running. This one required fourteen spot kicks before a winner emerged with Grays scraping home 6-5 to the huge delight of the Essex hordes who invaded the hallowed Villa Park turf in a good-natured manner.
I’ve never quite understood why fans feel the need to invade the pitch. Given the number of orange-jacketed stewards and policemen in attendance plus the signs warning of a stiff fine and court appearance for entering the field of play it shouldn’t have happened anyway. No doubt the Villa groundsman was having kittens too! It took a further five minutes to clear the pitch before Grays could be presented with the FA Trophy, although I suspect that they didn’t mind the wait!
So is that the end of the run of FA Trophy Finals at Villa Park? Will the Trophy and Vase Finals return to Wembley next season when the new stadium is completed? I have a sneaky feeling that it may be a while longer before the most prestigious fixtures at National Game level return to the National Stadium. I, for one, would be perfectly happy if Villa Park became the permanent home for the Trophy Final and it makes sense to hold such a fixture in the Midlands since the odds are that it would represent a shorter travelling distance for the finalists. Wherever it goes, I’ll see you there next year!
Keep the faith!
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