The following article appeared in the programme for Racing Club Warwick v Cradley Town on 15th March 2008.
Welcome
to today’s match and the latest instalment of the season’s diary by your
favourite Racing Club correspondent.
Saturday 23rd February – Racing
Club Warwick v Barwell, Midland Alliance
The
chips were down. In fact the chips were so far down that you’d have been
forgiven for treading on them on the way into the ground on this particular
Saturday. Following the previous week’s home drubbing at the hands of Rocester
I wasn’t particularly optimistic about this one, especially as we haven’t done
too well in the lower half of the table six-pointers this season. Then when I
learned that our former boss Marcus Law had just been given the same
appointment at Barwell, what was left of my optimism disappeared altogether.
The
game started as I might have expected with Barwell playing the better football
and the lion’s share of possession with our boys being reduced to playing on
the break with rather too much long ball for my liking. But after half an hour
the tide began to turn, we began to string a few nice moves together and
started looking like the better side. On 34 minutes Levi Bailey scored a
net-buster from a corner (let’s savour that phrase folks: yes Warwick scored from a corner!) and we
proceeded to dominate the game from that moment on. In fact I cannot remember
Scott Hanley having a save to make in the last hour of the game and on 72
minutes Matty Blair extended our lead with his tenth of the season. 2-0 should
have become three a few minutes later following an extraordinary incident when
Castle, the Barwell keeper, blatantly upended the flying Blair in the box for
the clearest red card and penalty that you’ll ever see. We were awarded the
penalty which Ryan Howell managed to squander but everyone was astonished when
the referee brandished a yellow card to Castle. Apparently he felt that the
keeper wasn’t the last man due to the presence of other players in the box but
the referee must have been the only person in the ground holding that point of
view. Personally I never like to see players getting their marching orders but
rules are rules. One can only hope for similar leniency for Racing Club in
future similar circumstances but somehow it never seems to work that way for us
does it?
It
finished 2-0 and Marcus’s face was a picture as he hurried off at the final
whistle. The points (and the pints!) belonged to Bobby for once, making it 32
points from 32 games and just about on track for my minimum survival target of
42 at the end of the season. The really good news was that Oldbury lost so they
were now five points further back with six (count ‘em) games in hand on us and
we’ve still got to play them twice. The victory also brought Westfields into
touching distance although they have seven (!) games in hand on us. We’re not out
of the woods yet with ten games to go and with a possible three week gap before
our next game I think that it’s time for a mini pre-season ahead of some tricky
fixtures. Come on boys!
Sunday 24th February –
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur, Carling Cup Final
What
a weekend I was having! A win for Racing Club the previous day and now the
treat of a Cup Final thanks to contacts at work giving me a chance for me to
see if Spurs could lift the silverware against their rich neighbours from
Chelsea. A trip to Wembley for a club match has a completely different
atmosphere compared to an England International. For a start it seems as if a
much higher proportion of the crowd are making their first trip to the new
stadium and mill around unsure of where they’re going. Secondly, people seem to
be much more up for the occasion with more banter and singing on the train and
much drinking in evidence. Thirdly, once inside, the atmosphere is electric
with the stadium split evenly between the two sets of fans - the Carling Cup
Final is often referred to as “The Fan’s Final” when compared to the FA Cup
Final because a much higher proportion of the tickets is given over to the
participating clubs. Even allowing for my bias towards Spurs, the Tottenham
support seems to be much more passionate and excited about the occasion. A pair
of black market tickets on the internet for the Spurs end would fetch much more
than a similar seat in the Chelsea
section of the stadium, evidence perhaps of the greater demand from Tottenham’s
success-starved fans. The middle tier is given over to the Corporate market but
even this seems to be full of Tottenham fans.
The
match gets underway and Chelsea
take the lead before half time through Didier Drogba. But Spurs won’t lie down
and continue to press until, after 70 minutes, they win a penalty that looks to
be a little fortunate. Dmitar Berbatov is the coolest man in the stadium as he
sends Cech the wrong way as he strokes the ball home. At 1-1 after 90 minutes
the game goes into extra time. Despite what the papers might have you believe,
Chelsea are the side willing to commit more bodies upfield at corners and free
kicks but for the decisive moment in extra time, Spurs have only five men
forward. Despite being at a numerical disadvantage, nobody picks up recent
signing Jonathan Woodgate whose header ricochets off of Cech’s punch and
balloons into the net! 2-1 to Spurs, just like the FA Cup Final 41 years
earlier, and the Cup belongs to Tottenham. Within seconds of the final whistle
the Chelsea end
is empty as their success-spoiled support don’t wait to watch their side pick
up their runners up medals. The stage is left to Spurs who get the party
started. Strangely I haven’t heard from this publication’s esteemed (or should
that be “steamed”) editor since Spurs finally nailed their bogey-side. Only
another 41 years to wait for revenge Chief!
Tuesday 26th February –
Uxbridge v Bridgwater Town, Southern League Division 1 South & West
My
third game in four days as work once again finds me West
London way. Uxbridge’s home is the deliciously named Honeycroft
and is tucked away on an industrial estate in West Drayton. It is a very tidy
affair with a roomy car park, well appointed clubhouse and a bowling green of a pitch. Uxbridge ply their
trade at Step 4 of the Non League game, one level above Racing Club and go into
this match in the last play off spot. Bridgwater from the West Country lie one
place below. The sides are evenly matched but Uxbridge have the better of the
chances with Bridgwater’s keeper Manley being in fabulous form making three
world class saves (I kid you not). 0-0 it finishes as the Uxbridge bench sound
like they have employed the Eastenders’ Mitchell brothers to cast much
expletive-laden cockney comment on the decisions of the officials. OK so they
weren’t all correct but how can the referee be a cheat? Surely if you are a
cheat then you are seeking to gain some advantage for yourself? Fans are
ignorant sometimes aren’t they?
Keep the faith!
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