The following article appeared in the programme for Racing Club Warwick v Friar Lane & Epworth on 19th August 2008 and v Stourport Swifts on 30th August 2008.
Welcome
back to Townsend Meadow and the visit of Friar Lane & Epworth. This will be
the fifth League meeting of the two sides and Racing Club have yet to record a
win with FLAE ending victorious on both of their previous visits to Townsend
Meadow, 2-0 a year ago and 4-1 in 2006-07. So looking on the optimistic side, any
kind of result today will represent an improvement won’t it! To keep you from
getting too down, here’s further tales of my football watching exploits that
took place after our final home game of last season.
Tuesday 29th April – Staines
Town v Ramsgate, Ryman League Premier Play-Off Semi-Final
As
is so often the case these days, I found myself working in West
London and away from home on a Tuesday night. Yet another chance
for a new ground and, to add to the interest for this particular neutral, it was
a Play-Off Semi-Final between Staines
Town, who finished second
in the Ryman Premier, and Ramsgate who finished fifth. Another attraction for
me was that I had tried to visit Staines’ home Wheatsheaf
Park a few years back only to discover
upon my arrival that they were playing at Chertsey
for reasons that I never did discover. The empty ground that I saw that day has
been significantly improved with the addition of a brand new health club which
also houses the Main Stand and affords a fine view of the proceedings.
Clearly
nobody told the heavens that it was nearly May and the rain had been tipping
down throughout the afternoon. This made the pitch extremely sodden indeed and,
although it was playable, from time to time the ball either skidded off or
stopped in a puddle which added an extra variable to the play. I’m sure that
the weather took a couple of hundred off the gate although possibly it was the
counter attraction of Manchester United v Barcelona
on the goggle box that kept a few punters away. Champions League? You’re having
a laugh! Give me live Non-League fare every time! In the end the crowd numbered
a respectable 502 but it was clear that Staines would have to make the Play-Off
Final an all-ticket affair in the event that both themselves and the home side
in the other Semi-Final were to make it: Fans club AFC Wimbledon could have
sold out Staines’ 2,500 capacity by
themselves.
I
must say that I approve of the way the three Leagues that feed into the
Conference (or whatever it’s called these days) organise the Play-Offs. There
is none of that two-legged rubbish that you get in the Football League. No, if
you finish second then you get to play the Semi and the Final at your place
(assuming you win your Semi of course). Fifth placed Ramsgate knew therefore
that they’d have to get promoted the hard way via two away games at the grounds
of higher-placed opponents. They fell at the first hurdle of course after falling
two goals behind to worthy winners Staines
before grabbing a late consolation that made the last few minutes dramatic and
exciting. Staines put tickets for their
Play-Off Final on sale immediately after the final whistle. Bring on the
Wombles!
Saturday 3rd May –
Leamington v Stourbridge, Southern League Division 1 Midlands
Play-Off Final
And
so onto another Play-Off game, this time the small matter of Leamington’s
biggest match since their reformation and the opportunity for promotion to the
Southern League Premier. I think that it’s fair to say that the Brakes had had
a great season having only lost out on automatic promotion as Champions due to
Evesham United’s consistency. Leamington fell
two points short in the end and then proceeded to put Rushall Olympic out in
the Pay-Off Semi-Final the previous Tuesday. Now for the Final, again at home
thanks to the Brakes’ second place League finish, and a fourth meeting in the
season with Stourbridge. Stourbridge certainly had the measure of Leamington over the course of last season having won home
and away in the League and having knocked them out of the FA Cup too for good
measure before this one. One or two Brakes fans that I chatted to before kick
off were certainly hoping for fourth time lucky.
One
noticeable feature of the Southern League Midland Division last season was the
success of a number of recent former Midland Alliance teams at the higher
level. Bunched near the top of the table one could find old foes Leamington,
Stourbridge, Rushall Olympic, Chasetown and Romulus. This is surely a good sign for the
strength of our League and must give last season’s promoted sides a bit of
confidence (assuming that they find themselves in the Midland Division of
course). The attendance at this game was always going to be a big one and it
was a pleasure to be present as Leamington
recorded their biggest gate ever at the New Windmill Ground. Although a huge 1,634
crammed into the Ground there was a strangely subdued atmosphere which was
described by Leamington’s own website as one were you could have heard a pin
drop. Nerves perhaps?
We
anticipated a tense and thrilling climax to a very good season for the Brakes
and all Racers present looked forward to seeing how Ben Mackey had developed
since reigniting his career at Warwick.
We were to be disappointed however as the game never really got going and
neither side looked really hungry for the promotion that victory would bring. I
found Jason Cadden’s programme notes to be interesting in that he took the line
that “Whatever the result, it has been a great season and we have finished
higher than we could have hoped for”. Whilst no doubt true, does that sound
like a rallying cry to you? Leamington earned themselves an early penalty after
18 minutes and, as Mackey stepped up to take it, Racing Club supporters minds
went back to that crucial penalty shoot out against Ashville in the Vase where
Mackey missed the target. Things have obviously improved a touch since then mind
because, although Lewis Solley in the Stourbridge goal saved it, Mackey snapped
up the rebound to put the Brakes one up. The lead was to last just three
minutes however as Nathan Bennett brought Stourbridge level following some pin
ball football. The score line stayed at one a piece until half time, and then
through the second half with precious few chances for either side. Leamington
were marginally the better side as Stourbridge rarely got forward and I
remarked afterwards (with the benefit of hindsight I suppose) that if Cadden
had wound his troops up to go at it hammer and tongs then they might have won
it in normal time. As it was the game went into Extra Time and a further 25
minutes elapsed without the hint of a goal. Just as we were beginning to relish
the thought of a penalty shoot out, the drama that we had been waiting for
finally arrived. Leamington created a couple
of golden chances including one where Solley managed to redirect the ball over
his own crossbar for a corner whilst lying on the ground. The corner was
cleared and Stourbridge broke forward with the ball launched out to the right
for Sam Rock (great name for a defender that) to chase onto. James Husband had
the chance to put the ball out for a throw but hesitated and Rock was clear
enabling his cross to be lashed into the net by Leon Broadhurst for a cruel
winner. 2-1 to Stourbridge, a fourth straight win over the Brakes and promotion
to the Southern League Premier. It doesn’t seem that long since Stourbridge
couldn’t even get out of the Midland Alliance due to their three-sided cricket
ground but now they’re two levels higher – I wonder what the Blue Square
Leagues will make of Stourbridge’s ground if they have any further League
success.
Keep the faith!
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