For May 11th I'm going back just two years to 2019 and the National League Play-Off Final at Wembley.
If you've been following these daily postings you'll have seen my recent articles about AFC Fylde, Salford City and my love of Play-Off football (if you missed them then you can find them on my blog). My interest in these two clubs had been sparked by their respective recent successes and now here they were at Wembley competing for the right to play in the Football League. Salford had achieved three promotions in the previous four seasons. Fylde had achieved five in eleven. Remarkable records both!
Fylde finished the regular season in fifth position in the National League (the fifth tier of English football) compared to Salford City's third place. Fylde had beaten Harrogate Town at home and won away at Solihull Moors in the Play-Off Semi-Final whereas Salford had had to play only a Semi-Final and had eventually dispatched Eastleigh on penalties.
Fylde played the Final in their yellow and black away kit rather than their customary white shirts which surely wouldn't have clashed with Salford's Manchester United red? Still prominent on their sleeves however was the number 2022 which they had carried there since declaring their target of the Football League by 2022 several years earlier. Surely this is the definition of wearing your heart on your sleeve? Their opportunity to reach the Football League had, incredibly, come three years ahead of schedule! We didn't know it at the time but a combination of a season of struggle in 2019/20 that culminated in relegation back to the National League North and the global pandemic now means that Fylde failed to achieve their 2022 target. Hats off to them for coming so close however and I don't doubt that they'll make it sometime soon provided that their Chairman continues to bankroll their efforts.
Salford took the lead after 15 minutes thanks to an unlucky Fylde clearance by striker and programme cover star Danny Rowe which hit a team mate and ricocheted into the path of Emmanuel Dieseruvwe (try saying that out loud) who finished clinically. The match co-commentator (see the video clip attached to my blog) harshly opined that Rowe "should have done better" with his clearance whereas I think it was just plain unlucky. Fylde wouldn't have been at Wembley at all but for Rowe's goals that season so he deserves to be cut a little slack. Carl Piergianni got the Ammies (Salford were once called Salford Amateurs remember?) second early in the second half and it was all over as a contest after 61 minutes when Ibou Touray scored a fortunate third with a mishit cross that went in off the far post.
It's a tradition in Cup Finals at Wembley for royalty to be in attendance. However there were no royals for this occasion unless you count Salford's nouveau riche Class of 92 and David Beckham in particular. In fact there were only 8,049 in attendance at Wembley that day. It was the product of having a Final involving two unfashionable clubs neither of whom had legions of fans backing them but, crucially, both of whom had owners with deep pockets instead. It's sad that the likes of Wrexham, Stockport County, York City et al have been overtaken by such smaller well run clubs since the larger attendances that the traditional clubs would have brought would have made this more of an occasion. However, following the crushing of the recent European Super League proposals, I defend to the end the need for all clubs to earn their right to promotion on the field of play and not just be given it because they have a lot of fans or money.
Salford had won their fourth promotion in five seasons and had done in five seasons what they had planned to do in eight. Fylde would be given the chance to return to Wembley and make up for their disappointment the following week in an FA Trophy Final against Leyton Orient.
CRB Match No. 2307
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