The following article appeared in the programme for Racing Club Warwick v Boldmere St Michaels on 10th November 2007.
Welcome
to today’s match and the latest instalment of the season’s diary by your
favourite Racing Club correspondent.
Saturday
29th September – Stapenhill v Racing Club Warwick, Midland Football Alliance
Stapenhill’s
Maple Grove ground is another new one for me and
I’m accompanied today by my mate from Newport,
Les, a fellow ground hopper who makes my ground hopping exploits look
distinctly amateurish. Today’s ground is my 370th whereas Les has
been to well over 800! It would take me at least eight years of doing nothing
but new grounds to catch up so I’m waving the white flag here and now. As a
football ground, Maple Grove
is tidy enough and has a spacious club house. I am amused that the main set of
turnstiles is well concealed around a corner and there is no sign to guide you
in the right direction – just imagine how many hundreds more Stapenhill might
attract if they could only find their way in! Another feature of the ground is
the quirky double-decker stand behind one goal that would appear to be capable
of accommodating around fifty standing punters. The question “Why?” springs to
mind!
Stapenhill
were promoted last season into our league from the Leicestershire Senior
League. Forgive me therefore for being a little bemused to be travelling to Burton upon Trent in Staffordshire for this
fixture. To be fair, the county boundary’s not that far away but even so it’s a
rum do! Stapenhill are actually no strangers to the Midland Alliance having
been founder members a few years back. Their team are no strangers to Racing
Club either given that Craig Jones is on the Stapenhill teamsheet along with
Simon Wczasek (thankfully known to one and all as “Sas”) under the management
of our old friend from Racing Club’s Dog & Duck days, Mick Beadle. Given
how poor Racing Club were in the days of Mick and Pete I can’t help feeling
confident about our chances today and, sure enough, we have the better of the
early exchanges. Stapenhill however gradually work their way into it and by the
end of the first half have shaded what is a poor offering. Both sides are far
too ready to launch the long ball forwards which may be a reflection on the
bumpy pitch but simply creates a lot of 50:50 tussles. Stapenhill continue to
dominate after half-time and Jordan Gough scores a scrappy winner for
Stapenhill early in the second-half. Racing Club end the match in the
ascendancy and sadly miss a golden chance to equalise just before the end. The
home win enables the Swans to fly above Racing Club and dumps us back into the
bottom three. Ten games gone and only 7 points to date. Things can only get
better and with the arrival of several new faces in recent weeks including,
today, Danny Hicks at centre half and substitute Richard Eastell, the good
times are surely only just around the corner aren’t they?
Saturday
6th October – Stratford Town v Racing Club Warwick, Midland Football
Alliance
Today
is our fifth away game in a row and another fixture pulled forward from 2008 to
plug a gap in both sides fixture lists due to early Vase exits. Now we’re
scheduled to have three weeks without a fixture between 23rd
February and 15th March instead. It’s a while since I’ve visited
Damson Park, the home of Blue Square North new boys Solihull Moors formed
during the close season out of a merger of Solihull Borough and Moor Green and
I count this as a new ground once again today because I’ve never seen Stratford
Town playing at home there. The journey to Solihull is over inside half an hour
and indeed it probably took only a few minutes longer than previous trips to Stratford Town’s old Mason’s Road ground. We won’t
be going to Mason’s Road anymore however as Stratford are building a new ground
in Tiddington which is expected to be ready for Stratford’s Christmas programme
and explains why Stratford are presently the tenants of Solihull. Solihull’s ground is most definitely a classy affair and
a good advertisement for a step two quality stadium with the pitch looking
superb especially when compared to the recent bobble-fests that we’ve endured
at Glossop and Stapenhill.
This
is yet another game that long-suffering Racers have travelled to with little
hope or expectation of a favourable result. Stratford are following up last season’s
storming fourth place finish with an undefeated start under manager Michael
Moore. Former Racers Kirk Miller and Mark Faulds are appearing for Stratford and we are
obliged to give a debut to young keeper Paul Dipple in the absence of Brooksie.
Stratford’s most recent game was a 1-5 away victory at title challengers Friar
Lane & Epworth and, when you bear in mind how readily FL&A disposed of
us at our place in August, one or two are worried about a large defeat.
However, as with our away game at Studley, when you travel without hope, Racing
Club have the capacity to leave you feeling somewhat surprised and delighted.
Throughout the first half we are more than a match for Stratford and, if anything, we are the better
side creating the better chances. One or two disgruntled Stratford supporters boo their side off at
half time and mutter about how poor the game has been. All I can say is that
they must have been watching a different game to me because this one is a fine
advertisement for the Midland Alliance. I feel sure that the tea cups must be
flying in the Stratford
dressing room at half time and my aspirations for the second half don’t go
beyond surviving the initial few minutes after half time. Survive them we do
but sadly we don’t last the rest of the match with our defence unbroken as
giant striker Rory May scores Stratford’s
first after 71 minutes. To rub salt into the wounds, and give the score line a
rather unjust look after what has been an excellent Racing Club performance, Stratford
get their second in the 90th minute thanks to young substitute William
Grigg. 2-0 it finishes but we can hold our heads high in the knowledge that if
we put in a performance like this every week we will finish in the top half of
the table come May. Talk is cheap though. What we need right now is a few
points!
Keep the faith!
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