The Hampton Roar (Part 10)

The following article appeared in the programme for Racing Club Warwick v Studley on 24th November 2007.

Welcome to today’s match and the latest instalment of the season’s diary by your favourite Racing Club correspondent.

Tuesday 23rd October – Wealdstone v Leighton Town, FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round Replay

I’m down working in London again and so the delights of another trip to Stapenhill for our League Cup 1st Round tie are a little beyond me. As always, if I’m not there, the boys go and put in a great performance to win comfortably by 0-4 for our second win on the bounce. Are we putting a run together? Remember folks that you can sponsor me to stay away from future Racing Club fixtures if you think that I am the jinx!

Instead tonight I elect to make the short trip from Brentford to Chestnut Avenue, Northwood, the home of nomadic club Wealdstone FC. I have already been to this ground a few years back to see hosts Northwood but I count this as a new ground again on the basis that I have never seen Wealdstone at home there. Don’t ask me to explain. Wealdstone of the Ryman Premier are facing lower league opponents in Leighton Town of the BGB Southern League Division 1 Midlands (the same one as Leamington) managed by Keith Scott. This is another game of two halves. A poor first half in which Leighton take the lead via a penalty late on followed by an absolute rip snorter of a second half. We can probably thank the referee for that! Midway through the second period Wealdstone equalise thanks to one of their substitutes who shows his delight by going over to the small gaggle of Wealdstone fans behind the goal and leaning up against the rails arms aloft. This is simply too much for the kill joy official who produces a yellow card to much derision from the home supporters. Worse is to come when, a few minutes later, the same player is involved in an innocuous challenge at the same end. Remember that I was a neutral and even I was amazed when he showed a red card for that. Cue all hell breaking loose. I can’t remember hearing such invective directed towards the officials for many a year and this included death threats and bellowed use of the C-word – “you can’t referee” or something like that. Poetic justice belonged to Wealdstone on the 88th minute with extra time beckoning when they scored a headed winner. When the final whistle blew the poor misguided referee required an escort by the stewards to save him from the wrath of the 130 or so that were present. Who’d be a referee?

Saturday 27th October – Oadby Town v Racing Club Warwick, Midland Football Alliance

Two wins in our previous two games and a score to settle against an Oadby side who had undeservedly knocked us out of the FA Cup earlier in the season. We travelled in hope! It always surprises me how quickly you can get to Leicester from Warwick and we were enjoying a pint in the Oadby clubhouse 45 minutes after setting off. Oadby is a tidy little club that have obviously got a band of active officials working hard in the background judging by the number advertising hoardings on display around the ground. Even their ground naming rights have been sold to a local tile retailer: Topps Park if you will. I understand that their end of season bash resulted in a night on the tiles (arf).

It was 0-0 after a forgettable first half but we fell behind within five minutes of the restart when Moore latched onto Racing Club’s failure to clear the ball and cleverly lobbed Dipple for 1-0. Dipple then proceeded to keep us in with a chance by making a couple of blinding saves. We huffed and puffed without creating much danger and played with three up front. Sadly it was all to no avail and Moore got his second on 88 minutes with a strange looping effort that I don’t think he intended. So 2-0 it finished thanks to a soft goal and a lucky one but Oadby were probably just about worth their win. Racing Club had certainly competed hard and there should be no shame in a defeat when you have given everything.

But for Martin and I, our day’s entertainment was not yet at an end. A couple of hours later we found ourselves at the Warwick Arts Centre with tickets to see The Proclaimers (and no we didn’t walk 500 miles to get there!). I haven’t been to the Arts Centre before but would certainly recommend the venue to those of you that haven’t as the acoustics are pretty good and it has an intimate feel ideal for this kind of band. With The Proclaimers being from Leith and well known Hibernian fans there were plenty of kilts, green and white shirts and Scottish accents in evidence amongst the audience. Thankfully though with the majority being from the East Coast of Scotland rather than the West, we didn’t need sub-titles to understand what was being said. As we walked in I was a little disconcerted when a stranger remarked to Martin and I: “Hey, shouldn’t you two be up on the stage?”…Cheeky so and so! We don’t look a bit like Craig and Charlie Reid do we? On second thoughts don’t answer that!

The twins covered most of the material on their new album as well as keeping the audience happy with the full array of Proclaimers classics such as “Letter from America”, “I’m on my Way”, “Sunshine on Leith” and many more. It was a cracking performance. It got me to thinking: what would be an appropriate club song for Racing Club to play whenever we score. Scotland apparently celebrate to the sounds of the Proclaimers “500 miles” at Hampden. However with most Warwick residents not even bothered to walk 500 yards to Hampton Road that wouldn’t be appropriate. “Silence is Golden” might be just the thing you know. I would welcome more constructive suggestions which I will pass on to our very own “Disco” Dave!

Saturday 3rd November – Barwell v Racing Club Warwick, Midland Football Alliance

Yet another away fixture and another visit to Leicestershire and, in my view, one of the best grounds in the Midland Alliance. Barwell, nestling close to Hinckley is a short trip for Warwick supporters and we arrived in good heart after a few good performances of late. This game was to prove to be another good outing for our boys and, although it finished goalless, in my view we were just about the better side and certainly worth a point. The key moment of the match occurred when Ryan Howell burst through only to be brought down in the box. I’ve seen similar not given but the referee on this occasion made the correct decision and awarded Racing Club a penalty. Without wishing to seem ungrateful, having made that decision, one wonders how he could then fail to send off the culprit because Ryan was clearly brought down by the last man. What’s more the foul didn’t even merit a card which I found strange. Anyway, up stepped Nobby Glynn to place his spot kick at a comfortable height for the keeper who proceeded to make a save and our chance was gone. The point secured left us in the bottom two but more optimistic than of late because of the fight and spirit on show. Well done boys! I don’t like to pick out individual performances because it’s a team game when all’s said and done but on this occasion almost everyone played well - Ryan Howell worked his socks off whilst new boy Stefan McGrath looks to have a rosy future in the game. Martin Hutchcox is also in a great run of form of late – things are looking up for our boys!

Keep the faith!

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