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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