The Hampton Roar (Part 12)

The following article appeared in the programme for Racing Club Warwick v Stapenhill on 15th December 2007.

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

Wednesday 21st November – England v Croatia, European Championships Qualifier

Every football fan will have an opinion about this performance, the result and the state of the English game. You may be aware that I have championed the cause of Steve McLaren throughout the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. In my view, given the level of abuse that predecessor Sven suffered, if we were going to appoint an English manager then Steve represented probably the best available both in terms of experience of  international competition and club success at both Manchester United and Middlesbrough. Along the road to Austria-Switzerland we had tasted an embarrassing defeat in Zagreb and then another disastrous defeat on the plastic in Moscow but, due to an extraordinary set of circumstances the previous Saturday, both Croatia and Russia had slipped up against Macedonia and Israel respectively to leave England requiring only a draw to secure their passage to Euro 2008. In my view, had Russia beaten Israel the previous Saturday rendering our home fixture against Croatia meaningless, Steve McLaren would have likely as not have retained his position as England manager. But now that qualification was back in our own hands once again I think that it was clear that defeat would spell the end of his tenure.

The weather on the night was atrocious. It tipped it down throughout the afternoon and there were puddles visible on the pitch as the national anthems were sung. The pitch looked terrible and much criticism was voiced beforehand about how the FA had allowed a Gridiron game to take place only a couple of weeks earlier – certainly some of the American Football pitch markings were still apparent. In the event the pitch did not really have a part to play but the same could not be said for the line-up. England were without both first choice centre haves with neither John Terry not Rio Ferdinand being available for selection being supplemented by experienced campaigner Sol Campbell and new boy Joleon Lescott. The news was worse still up front with Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney both injured which left Peter Crouch as the only regular striker available – I wonder what the boo-boys who spoiled Crouchie’s England debut made of that? Another challenge for McLaren was who to select in goal. Paul Robinson has been woefully out of form of late and, personally, I would never select David James for England ever again following his criminal lack of preparation for a friendly in Copenhagen a couple of years ago. Bravely therefore McLaren gave Scott Carson a second full cap following his debut the previous Friday against Austria. Carson, if you remember, performed well for the Under-21s last summer and therefore has a good deal of International experience albeit at the junior level. Only in midfield did England look anything like at their strongest with Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Gareth Barry, Frank Lampard and Shaun Wright-Phillips (Crouch ploughing a lone furrow up front) making up the five across the middle. Overall however, the England line-up looked rather makeshift and indicative of a lack of depth of talent.

Notwithstanding the fact that England looked below strength, the same was also true for the sides that beat Israel and Russia at Wembley. Surely a draw was more or less certain? Well after a quarter of an hour it seemed that the match was more or less over. After only eight minutes Portsmouth’s Niko Kranjcar let fly from outside the box. The ball was admittedly wet but Carson must have wished that the ground would open up beneath his feet as he failed to get his body being the ball and he spooned it into the back of the net. Six minutes later and a clever through ball to a clearly onside Ivica Olic left him with a golden opportunity to beat Carson again which he did with ease. Carson continued to look shaky throughout the rest of the first half and a number of below par performances were in evidence elsewhere: in particular Wayne Bridge looked all at sea. We reached half time without further mishap but, having come back to the dead courtesy of Israel’s result the previous weekend we looked to have thrown it all away again. McLaren’s sides seem to have something of a habit of coming back from the dead – do you remember Middlesbrough doing it twice during their UEFA Cup campaign a couple of years ago? This time was to be no different. David Beckham, earning his 99th cap replaced Wright- Phillips and Jermain Defoe replaced Gareth Barry as England reverted to a more conventional 4-4-2 as the second half resumed. First of all England were awarded a penalty which Frank Lampard duly despatched (it was the only thing he did all night and god knows how he was made man of the match according to the stadium announcer). Then, after 65 minutes, Beckham’s cross from the right was expertly taken down by my man of the match Peter Crouch who smashed it home sending England fans went into delirium. 2-2! We had saved ourselves!

Er no. England immediately sat back and allowed Croatia to go into the ascendancy. I think that it was apparent that we were still in trouble and it was hardly a surprise after 77 minutes when substitute Danijel Petric slotted home the decisive goal to consign England to ignominious defeat and send Russia through to Euro 2008. The final half an hour saw England playing non-league style i.e. lumping it up to the big fella up front – a tactic that was obviously never going to work against a talented side like Croatia. Such a lack of inventiveness speaks volumes for our national side and we do not deserve our place amongst Europe’s top sixteen sides next summer. McLaren was dismissed by lunchtime the next day with a reported pay off of £2Million (how we could do with 2% of that here at Racing Club oh gentlemen of the FA) and the search was on for the next victim for the gentlemen of the press to turn into a root vegetable by 2010. England have got a few months before their next game so Brian Barwick has time on his side. That said I’m already heartily sick of the endless speculation surrounding the vacancy. Ironically, whoever is appointed into the post will have to overcome Croatia in 2008/09 as we have come out of the hat together for the World Cup qualifiers. One comment from me: Alan Shearer? Nooooooooooooooooooooooo……..

Saturday 24th November – Weymouth v York City, Blue Square Premier

My first viewing this season of my other favourites: the Minstermen from York. I had decided to make the trip to the Wessex Stadium, a new ground for me, and to forsake Racing Club for one week. As it happens it turned out to be a good decision as our boys succumbed to Studley 0-2 despite apparently dominating for much of the game, such a shame given our victory at their place earlier this season and bringing an end to our four match league unbeaten run. The run to Weymouth was a good one, 165 miles from Warwick but deceptive. I got to the outskirts of Southampton well inside two hours and, for the uninitiated like me,  thought that I was getting close. In fact it took over an hour to do the short but very slow haul across to Dorchester and then down to Portland, the peninsula upon which one finds Weymouth. The Wessex Stadium (what else?) is dead easy to find and well signposted but somewhat disappointingly well out of the town, located on an industrial estate and sadly has no pubs or landmarks nearby to keep the casual visitor amused.

I decided to stand with the City fans as is my wont and was further disappointed to discover upon entry that the away fans were penned into an uncovered corner of the ground. With the skies looking leaden and the sea breeze being, shall we say, a little brisk it looked like it was going to be one of those afternoons where the monkeys lagged themselves for warmth and I would need my sou’wester. Oh and the view was crap as well. Good job then that newly managerless City proceeded to outplay their opponents but missed a penalty before the break thereby having nothing to show for their superiority. Shortly after half-time the Minstermen took a 0-2 lead and, although this was pegged back to a slender single goal lead just before the end, York were comfortable winners in the end. An away win always makes for a good trip home and I was back in Warwick by 7:45, satisfied with my day’s work. Only one more Conference (I can’t get the hang of this new fangled Blue Square Premier thing, it just doesn’t sound right does it?) ground left to visit: Northwich Victoria’s new home is the one missing from my collection but they look like they’re going to go down anyway so I may be able to complete my Conference set without having to go anywhere. That would save on the environment anyway!

Keep the faith!


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