The final countdown

There’s an old saying that the more you watch the clock the slower time passes. I seem to have been waiting an age for Saturday’s FA Cup Final; six weeks will have elapsed between my last trip to Wembley and my next, but it feels much longer than that. When I was a kid, the six week summer holiday seemed like an eternity. This, by comparison, seems much longer. And the slow passing of the minutes, hours and days is all the more painful with the knowledge I have one more game to take in. Only one more, the ultimate game. One final hurdle left before I can complete this gallop through the fourteen ties that has whittled 731 teams down to just two and, at its climax, to one eventual winner.

Should I worry that I might not complete this journey? I have surpassed all my own expectations. I envisaged getting as far as maybe the fourth or fifth round before coming up against any number of insurmountable obstacles. I have already had one trip to Wembley. I now have a ticket for the final on May 17th, it is up there on the shelf above my desk as I write. It rarely leaves my sight. And I know that finally owning a golden ticket is a massive hurdle negotiated. I owe a friend so much.

I know I shouldn't watch time tick by, life is far too short, but there are still so many things that could go wrong in these final few days. I have had some near misses so far; my wife’s volleyball injury (Dartford v Camberley Town) and my chest infection (Wolves v Cambridge United) being the most notable. Although I have that valuable ticket in my sweaty handed possession, other factors may yet prevent me from taking those last steps up Olympic Way.

Fire, pestilence, flood? Hardly. But one cannot rule out anything. I consider myself to have been extremely lucky so far the way this season’s FA Cup has shaped up. No incredibly long journeys for me, no sight nor sound of a Premiership club until the Sixth Round Proper, no replays that clash with any “no you cannot get out of this” type of family occasion. Maybe it is time for my luck to run out?

A car breakdown? A tube strike? A blow to the head? A family crisis? A “dog eats ticket” shock? I know I must put all those things to the back of my mind. But a kind of paranoia has started to take hold and once it starts it can only get worse.

Here's how my week looks.

Tomorrow I'm at the dentist. The possibilities for disaster are endless. A slipped drill creates a new cavity where there shouldn't be one. A malfunctioning chair rockets me up through the ceiling into the tanning salon above. I could be gassed by an incompetent anaesthetist. Patient records are mixed up at reception and I end up with full jaw brace and have to take on food through a straw for the foreseeable future. I could become another NHS blunder headline "man has leg amputated in teeth cleaning fiasco". Gulp.

On Thursday I have a golf society day. A veritable minefield. A lightening strike on the first tee? A golf ball embedded in my temple or a stray tee embedded in my scrotum? I could step on a bunker rake and get smashed in the mush, cartoon style. I could shatter a kneecap as I attempt to break my clubs out of frustration. Not a safe environment.

And then on Friday I take my son swimming. Where to start? A slip on a wet changing room floor to break a few bones? A momentary lapse in concentration as I forget to come up for air? A stumble off the diving board and a fall from a great height to wipe out the "Aquarobics for Geriatrics" class. Or even a frenzied blood curdling shark attack? Perhaps not.

Good grief. The final countdown to the culmination of several months of effort should be a pleasurable period. But as the clock slowly ticks and tocks and tocks and ticks, I am working myself up into a state something close to hysteria. If I'm this bad, just think what it must be like for the fans of, and everyone involved with, Cardiff City and Portsmouth. A hundred times worse I suggest.

If you are off to Wembley next Saturday, and I make it there in one piece, please do come over and say hello. You won't be able to miss me. I'll be the lummox wrapped in cotton wool.

A mix of fortunes

Whilst Cardiff City and Portsmouth play out their league campaigns, with one eye on their sojourn to Wembley in two and a half weeks, many teams across the country have reached their season end. Some of the leagues lower down the pyramid played out the final games at the weekend; for other clubs with league games to complete the season is effectively over anyway.

My visit to Chertsey Town on Saturday, back to the source so to speak, prompted me to look at how the teams I have encountered in this FA Cup have faired this season. And as one would expect, there has been a mix of fortunes.

Mid-table respectability (or mid-table obscurity, depending on the ambitions or expectations at the start of the season) was the final resting place for a few of the clubs. In my last post I mentioned Chertsey Town’s campaign. Their 1-0 win over Wembley lifted them into the upper half of the table. They ended up playing three games in the FA Cup and in the FA Vase they were out by September after a 5-1 reverse against Deal Town. Another club that I visited for an FA Cup tie from the same league (Combined Counties Premier Division) were Camberley Town who had an arguably more successful season with a 3rd place league finish, six games in the FA Cup and a successful run in the FA Vase, reaching the Fifth Round before succumbing to Concord Rangers.

The middle reaches of the table were also final resting places for Sittingbourne and Bromley. Sittingbourne, who eliminated Chertsey Town in early September, finished 9th in Ryman Division One South, a league won by fellow Kent outfit, Dover Athletic. The FA Trophy wasn’t any kinder for them, losing in October in the First Qualifying Round to Northwood. Bromley had a tense culmination to their Blue Square South season. For a long time just outside the promotion chasing pack (aiming for the Blue Square Premier) they still had a mathematical chance of sneaking into the play-offs. However a last day home defeat quashed any dreams and Bromley ended up down in 11th, missing out by only five points in what was a very tight top half of the table.

For Weymouth, their run-in to the end of the season was equally tense, but not in the way they would have hoped. For a long time embroiled in a Blue Square Premier relegation battle with the likes of Farsley Celtic, Altrincham, Halifax and Northwich Victoria they escaped with an 18th place finish, five points above the drop zone. Their defeat at Cambridge United in December was their fourth FA Cup game. In the FA Trophy they lost in the Third Round to eventual finalists Ebbsfleet United.

For a few other teams that I have taken in this season, an exciting climax beckons.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been typically inconsistent this season, but with the final set of games this coming Sunday they can still reach the Championship play-offs. In an incredibly tight league, West Bromwich Albion virtually assured promotion with their 1-1 draw with Southampton on Monday evening. Then it is likely to be Stoke City or Hull City joining them, with those two and Bristol City guaranteed a play-off slot. After that, anyone of five clubs can claim the last play-off slots, including Wolves. It will be a nail biting final day. Mick McCarthy’s side finish at home to Plymouth Argyle but their fans will have radios tuned in for results elsewhere.

For Eastbourne Borough the season continues. The Blue Square South league fixtures are complete and the Sussex side finished runners-up to local rivals Lewes. The lottery of the play-offs now awaits the men from Priory Lane. Eastbourne Borough led the league for a large chunk of the season, but could not hold on to their position in the final stretch, winning only one of the last six games. They now battle out a two-legged semi-final with Braintree Town. Should they be successful, the club, who recorded the league’s second highest average attendance of 872, would have a play-off final date at Stevenage’s Broadhall Way ground on May 8th.

Another of our FA Cup teams with a play-off extension to the season is Cambridge United. They also finished 2nd in their league, behind Blue Square Premier runaway leaders Aldershot Town. The club enjoyed five FA Cup games but lost in the FA Trophy in January to local rivals Histon. Burton Albion are their opponents in the play-off semi-final. Who knows? Cambridge United may still get to Wembley this season.

But out of all the teams I've seen the most successful club has to be Dartford who were crowned league champions a few weeks before the end of the season. They won the Ryman Division One North by nine points, losing only seven games. The team I have seen most in this season’s FA Cup, they scored an impressive 107 league goals, 31 one them coming from the division’s leading scorer Brendan Cass. Dartford have swept most teams aside with apparent ease this season, chalking up some impressive score lines; 7-2 v Witham Town, 6-1 v Enfield Town, 6-1 v Canvey Island and three separate 5-0 wins. And their supporters have turned out in force, averaging 1,135 at Princes Park. To put that figure in context, the next best average was Canvey Island’s 325. The league’s lowest average attendance was 73 for Waltham Forest. Congratulations to Dartford.

So a mix of fortunes indeed. Cardiff City and Portsmouth complete their league campaigns this weekend and next respectively. The team from Wales cannot reach the Championship play-offs whilst Pompey can theoretically still finish as high as fifth in the Premiership. But with an FA Cup Final appearance looming on the horizon, both clubs will quite rightly claim that it has already been a successful season.

And for one of them, on May 17th, it could get even better.

Polos at Princes Park

My eight year old son has, all of a sudden, discovered Polos. Round, minty, hole in the middle. Not that he leads a particularly deprived life, but he tried one last week for the first time when we visited relatives in South Wales. And he now loves them.

For some time my son has been asking if we can go back down to Princes Park, home of Dartford FC. Regular readers will know the circumstances surrounding my son's first ever visit to the home of the Darts. It was back in September when I was faced with a difficult decision; do I stay at home and tend to my wife after she had recently ruptured her ligaments in her right ankle, or do I go to the FA Cup Second Qualifying Round game between Dartford and Camberley Town? You know what I chose, and I took my son with me. He loved it, and has been nagging me ever since to return.

So yesterday I took him back. Some Dartford fans have kept in touch and have been encouraging me to visit again anyway, so we set off for yesterday's Ryman League Division One North game against Brentwood Town with my son shouting "Come on you Darts" as he clung on to a large packet of Polos.

Dartford fans were hoping for a record attendance at Princes Park. Saturday morning they sat top of the league, nine points ahead of AFC Sudbury and favourites to win the league. The previous best turn out this season had been 1579 for the encounter with Ware but yesterday a lower than expected crowd of 1309 braved the rain and the wind to see a surprise 1-0 win for Brentwood Town.

Those that did show up must have left feeling rather disappointed with the result. The game was by no means a classic. Little happened in a rain drenched first half in which Dartford resorted to long balls, and struggled with only one player up front. Any attempts to use the full width of the pitch were nullified by Brentwood's full backs, who both had very good games. Dartford hit the bar with a fine header from Jamie Coyle but that was their only real chance in a poor first forty five minutes.

By half time, by son was on his sixth Polo and enjoying the banter of the crowd more so than the match itself. He also learnt a new word, which I really hope he forgets by the time my wife reads this.

In the second half, with the introduction of the Dartford sub Phil Williams, the home team applied a lot more pressure and had some opportunities to score. These included a couple of sliding attempts to make contact with decent crosses, another header that struck the bar - this time form Jay May - and strong shouts for a penalty when Brendon Cass was tripped in the box. But once again, as in the first half, the Dartford midfield simply did not get into the game and the match bypassed them. That final bit of quality where it mattered most was lacking, and Brentwood took full advantage.

The only goal of the game with eight minutes remaining. The diminutive Brentwood midfielder Lee Noble picked up the ball just inside the centre circle with not a soul around him. With the Dartford midfield AWOL, he sprinted at the heart of the Dartford back line. This guy was like a whippet and before any Dartford defender could react he unleashed a screaming shot from outside the area that gave Tony Kessell in goal no chance. It really was an effort that deserved to win any match; local press described it as a "wonder goal".

As I recall, in Dartford's FA cup game back in September, Camberley's equaliser that day was from a wonderful long range effort, another goal where a midfielder had been given the freedom of Princes Park. Significant or just coincidence?

The Dartford fans were somewhat subdued yesterday. Maybe the weather, but quite likely the below par performance. Dartford have a cracking home record this season, and had not lost a league game since November, so I guess they were due for a dodgy result. Just my luck to choose this game. Brentwood deserved their win. The twenty or so travelling Brentwood fans, with their single light blue and dark blue flag, and drum, were in fine voice all the way through the game. They would have enjoyed their trip back to Essex.

This defeat has now reduced the margin between Dartford and AFC Sudbury to only six points; the chasing team have two games in hand so it will be a tense season's climax.

I think my son enjoyed the trip, although he did admit later that the game was a little boring. He brought home with him some Dartford tattoos from the club shop, but what he had enjoyed most were his Polos. And yesterday both the Polos and the Dartford team had one thing in common. Both had big holes in the middle.

Elvis Ain't Dead

Peterborough United were once again in town last night. Their third visit to London in a week. As reported previously on this blog, I was at their victory at Barnet a week ago with POSH mate, and he also saw them win (3-2) at Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday. Last night, they won 2-1 at Brentford and being the sucker for punishment that I am, I was persuaded to spend another Tuesday night in the entertaining company of the POSH fans. The game was very similar to the Barnet match in that Peterborough didn't play particularly well but came away with all three points. Darren Ferguson, their manager, described the performance as "resilient". They once again sit at the top of the league having won eight league games in a row and have won seven away matches on the trot. An impressive record.

Last night's excursion to Griffin Park - famed for having a pub on every corner of the ground - serves to illustrate the appeal in going to watch football games at all levels. It was by no means a classic, but entertaining nonetheless. I have touched on this subject before when I wrote up the match report from the Camberley Town v Dartford FA Cup tie when I said that "I'd rather be at a bad game of football than dozing in front of Eastenders." I always find the whole experience of attending a game, not simply the football alone, enjoyable. And last night was no exception.

Here are some random reflections from my evening at Brentford.

1. Elvis Ain't Dead. On three separate occasions I heard someone do an Elvis impersonation. The first in the pub before the game; not obvious whether he was a Brentford supporter, a Peterborough fan or hired entertainment at the pub. I do hope it wasn't the latter, he wasn't very good. The second a guy in the gents toilet at the game ("I'm all shook up") and a third walking away from the ground. Why? Was it "National Impersonate Elvis Day"? I felt as if I had missed out on something. All very strange.

2. It's not only the players who get injured. Supporters do as well. It's a tough sport. I left the game limping. When POSH scored their first, I jumped up and whacked my left knee on the metal safety barrier. Not very safe if you ask me, but that's another story. Woke up this morning with a bruised knee and a throbbing sensation. And talking of injuries, there was a young girl stood at the perimeter fence on crutches. Her left foot was in plaster. She spent the majority of the game booting the fencing with her good right foot, in time with the away supporters' chants. I wondered if that was how she got injured in the first place.

3. These are hard times at Brentford. I know that Brentford FC are going through a tough time financially but I limped away from the game sensing that times were really hard at the club. The whole game was played out in what can only be described as gloom. See picture at the top of this post. The floodlights seemed very dim and any action at the opposite end of the ground was difficult to make out. The stand lights in all parts of the ground were extinguished when the football started, just like the cabin lights on a flight. An attempt to reduce electricity costs perhaps? And the home support was sparse, attendance was a little over 4,000. Empty seats and empty terraces in the half light of Griffin Park gave the whole place a rather morose feel.

4. Fans are so passionate about their clubs that they will do crazy things. In an attempt to raise money for the Supporters Trust "Bees United" a number of Brentford fans will be walking to Stockport where Brentford play their last away game of the season. A total of 176 miles. Just like Brentford, Stockport County Football Club is also owned by its supporters so the destination is fitting. It is great to see a community getting behind its local football club (and vice versa). The most telling quote in the match day programme about this walk game from Natasha Judge, the Fundraising Director at Bees United. "Together fans can make a real difference to the way football as an industry treats its customers". Regular readers of this blog will know how close to my heart that sentiment is. A massive "hats off" to all the walkers.

5. Opal Fruits and chips don't mix. Or should I say "Starburst" rather than Opal Fruits, as the chewy sweets have not been called that since 1998. I prefer to call them Opal Fruits, but that's another, different, story. I went to last night's game straight from work and managed to grab a limp pasty from the ground. By the end of the game I was so hungry I could eat a horse. The traffic away from the ground was heavy, mainly due to road works between Brentford and Isleworth. As I was sat in the jam edging forward a few yards every few minutes I remembered that there was a bag of Opal Fruits left over from the Middlesbrough trip. The long journey to Teesside on Sunday was bearable due in no small part to the Jelly Babies, Wine Gums, Liquorice Allsorts and bags of Doritos that were devoured throughout. We couldn't quite manage the Opal Fruits bag which was a relief for me as I didn't want anyone to be sick in my car. So last night, in the traffic jam, I started to tuck in. Once out of the jam I decided to stop for a bag of chips with lashings of vinegar and salt. It wasn't until I got home, having already pulled over to eat the chips, that I realised how many Opal Fruits wrappers were covering the passenger seat and therefore how many I had eaten. About twenty. Laying in bed trying to get to sleep on a stomach full of Opal Fruits and chips is not a pleasant experience. They don't mix well. And my car stank of stale spuds and acetic acid this morning. If you are ever tempted, just say no.

Last night proved once again that teams can play below their best but still grind out important results and that, sometimes, the actual football is a side show. As for Elvis? He's left the building. Thank you and good night.

Club #9

Wembley is so close you can almost smell it. Not that the new national stadium gives off an unpleasant odour, but it really is only around the corner. Are we there yet? Actually, not far now. The quarter-finals will be held on the weekend of 8th and 9th of March and for all clubs concerned a little matter of two ties away from the final. The excitement amongst the fans of the remaining clubs is palpable.

On a run that has seen me start at Chertsey Town and visit Camberley Town and Cambridge United, I now move onto Cardiff City. Spot another trend? The Ws and the Cs certainly have it so far.

So the Bluebirds will be team number nine for me:

1. Chertsey Town
2. Sittingbourne
3. Dartford
4. Bromley
5. Eastbourne Borough
6. Weymouth
7. Cambridge United
8. Wolverhampton Wanderers
9. Cardiff City

I have now had more time for the draw to sink in. And I'm still happy with the outcome. The distance to travel is the biggest negative, although Sheffield and Middlesbrough are not exactly the other side of the planet. Chertsey to Sheffield is only 169 miles whilst to Middlesbrough it is 261 miles. Whatever happens a week tonight in the replay between those two teams, I will be spending a good part of the Sixth Round day on the M1.

With the travelling in mind a bit of good news yesterday. All four quarter-final games will be shown live on TV; BBC will cover our game which means that it will move to a 1310 kick-off on Sunday 9th March. In the middle of the day, it will call for an early start but will ensure a reasonable return time. It could have been much worse. The two other BBC games have kick-off times of 1730 (Saturday) and 1800 (Sunday).

Game number fourteen next but I am still to be convinced that I will make it all the way to the final in May. Although as each day, each game and each round passes, I am enjoying this adventure more and more. In the same way that my mouth starts to water whenever I get a whiff of Marmite, the smell of Wembley is having the same effect.

Home in Hong Kong

Tomorrow, on Saturday 9th February, Chertsey Town will entertain Bedfont Green in a Combined Counties Football League game. Camberley Town travel to Raynes Park Vale. For Dartford it's a trip to AFC Sudbury whilst Eastbourne Borough welcome Dorchester Town.

Not particularly newsworthy, you might think. Important games for those non-league clubs, teams that I have enjoyed watching on this FA Cup run. But on a day when the big football news is a million miles away from the non-league scene, I felt those fixtures were worthy of mention. Hold that thought.

Meanwhile, the unavoidable football news in all the papers today is the talk of proposals for Premier League games to be played in various cities around the world. The globalisation of football. The story is on the back page of every major paper, and even on the front page of some.

And I really can't quite grasp the enormity of what I have been reading. The story first broke yesterday with a statement from the Premier League that they are to investigate the possibility of certain English games being played in venues in America, Asia, Africa and Oceania with major cities bidding for the right to host games. What's more, the matches will be played out between top flight clubs, they will be additional league fixtures - an extra ten games - and league points will be up for grabs. Billed as an "international round", these will played in January each year and fixtures will be drawn at random. So Arsenal may have to play Manchester United in three league matches in one season, whilst Chelsea get to play Derby County three times.

The reaction has been strong (to say the least) and the idea is already being denounced by players, managers, fans and press alike. At the root of the proposals, not unsurprisingly, is money. The opportunity for the Premier League (not the FA) to capitalise on the phenomenal marketability of our beloved game around the world. And it has been coming for some time; more and more foreign owners have invested in our game; club tours to America and Asia have become the norm; merchandise sales in countries such as Korea and Japan far outweigh sales in England. The Premier League want to be in on the TV rights that will come with this globalisation deal, something that will be worth millions.

Money talks.

I heard Gareth Southgate this morning say "this will not happen". Harry Redknapp said "it will happen eventually, it has been coming for some time". I heard West Ham fans explain that, once again, the real supporters are being priced out of the game. That "the clubs don't care about the fans". Understandable views.

That is not all. Will clubs really want to drag their players halfway around the world in January? Will the national game - the FA - support an idea that is going to add to the number of games that players will play in a single season at a time when there is a call for a reduction in the number of games?

My own view? Well, that has lurched from utter disbelief, through mild shock and on to thinking of the implications of this idea, and therefore implied acceptance that yes, this could actually happen. In football terms, this is massive news, and it will stay on the back pages for a long, long time. And you will read and listen to the whole gambit of reaction to it over the next few weeks and probably longer. Who can say whether it really will come to fruition or not? Certainly not me. But for what it is worth, I can't think of a single good reason for doing this.

But if it does happen it will, in my humble opinion, be a sad day for football in our country. Football will become divorced from our heritage. The history will be severed from the very heart of the game. It is this close relationship between present and past, the team of today and the club of yesteryear, that I have seen to be so important for clubs and fans in the course of doing this FA Cup Road to Wembley. It means so much to clubs, that sense of heritage which brings with it a sense of belonging for supporters.

But it is more than that; it is the sense of place that is paramount in the game. Fans always go back to their club, a physical location, the ground, that piece of turf in their neighbourhood. Owners come and go. Players come and go. Even some fans do. But the one thing that remains the same, with the exception of the occasionally rare ground move, is the location. The village, the town, the city. The sense of place is what matters.

And if football really does go global, what will happen? Many years down the line, will we end up with a closed league of four, six or eight clubs that will only ever play on foreign soils? Will we no longer see the top four teams play in our own country? Watching Arsenal play in Beijing will, for the majority, be as practically impossible as it is for most of us to watch Barcelona, Real Madrid or Boca Juniors. Being able to afford the match ticket for a game in North London is difficult for many as it is. The elite teams will disappear out of range; out of pocket and, quite possibly, out of mind.

Who knows? Maybe a new "top four" will grow in the place vacated by the globetrotters. Like a new shoot growing from a scythed tree, new names will emerge to fill the void. Located still within our shores, the likes of Everton, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Blackburn will become the big English clubs. For many, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, with their new bases in Tokyo, Melbourne, Johannesburg and Los Angeles will become distanced both physically and financially. They will be playing with themselves.

There is some precedent, albeit on a smaller scale. It has already happened with Wimbledon; uprooted and carted off to Milton Keynes, the loss of that sense of place was just too much for many fans to bear and AFC Wimbledon was born out of the withered stump of the old club. And in protest of the foreign ownership buying into the brand that is Manchester United, FC United came into being.

So whilst you are reading all about these plans for globalisation of our game, and the expert judgements that will inevitably come to pass, bear in mind it will only affect the top few clubs in our game. The elite. Meanwhile, the real football continues. The games at Chertsey Town, Camberley Town, Dartford and Eastbourne Borough will still be played out. The smaller clubs will still strive for greater things; they will still have their FA Cup dreams and yearn for their moments in the spotlight. They will still want to push on up through the league pyramid and on to greater things.

But how far will they now want to go. To league football? Undoubtedly. To the Premier League? Probably, yes.

But to Beijing? Or to a home in Hong Kong?

You tell me.

The £1 deal

There's no such thing as a free lunch.


The FA are offering children the opportunity to watch FA Cup games in the Third Round for £1. When I first read about this last week, my initial reaction was positive. A noble effort to get more kids along to games, and what better games than the ones the FA Cup has to offer. To use the FA's own words:

"...to encourage parents to introduce their children to the magic and excitement of the FA Cup – for just £1 a ticket."

Great.

I know many clubs have done this for league games as well, and it is to be applauded. Dartford charged only £1 for the football fans of the future for their Second Qualifying Round tie against Camberley Town back in September. And my son loved it (as you may recall).

But hold on a minute. This £1 deal applies to only six of the thirty two ties:

Blackburn Rovers v Coventry City
Bolton Wanderers v Sheffield United
Huddersfield Town v Birmingham City
Plymouth Argyle v Hull City
Sunderland v Wigan Athletic
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Cambridge United

Why is that then?

Well, the FA say that they have made that selection based on a fair mix of geographical location and of ties involving teams from a variety of different leagues. Fair enough, most leagues are represented in that selection; Premiership (5 teams), Championship (5), League One (1) and Conference (1). But geographical location? Four of the six ties are "up North" - two in the North West, one in the North East and one in Yorkshire. Throw in a couple more from the South West and the Midlands, and that is not what I'd call an even geographical distribution.

No games from London. No games from the South East.

But then, I shouldn't be surprised. Looking at those six games selected, with the possible exception of Sunderland, none will be sold out to capacity. On the day, there will be empty seats in most of those stadiums, including my venue of fate, Molineux. And it comes as no surprise that some of the bigger clubs are not partaking. I would have thought Chelsea v QPR would have been an ideal choice; an opportunity to get kids along to see a team that continues to price many people out of the market. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United are noticeable by their absence.

So the real deal slogan should be "bring your child for £1, with a full paying adult, so that we can get some bums on those otherwise empty seats and, as a result, makes for a financially better deal for the clubs." Doesn't really roll off the tongue, does it?

Am I'm being too cynical? Probably. Go on, take your kids along to a game that weekend. They'll love it. But you'll still have to buy them lunch.

Your football club wants you!

More than once in this blog I have mentioned the role volunteers play in local football. At clubs such as Chertsey Town, Sittingbourne and Camberley Town, where financial backing is scarce, the role of the volunteer cannot be understated. They are the life-blood of clubs and without them many would not survive. Across the length and breadth of the country this is evident; it drills right down into the heart of football in this country, even below the non-leagues. Into youth football, school football and Sunday park pub football.

I looked up the word volunteer in the dictionary, partly to make sure I spell it correctly (my spolling is terrible). It is defined thus:

vol·un·teer – noun
1. a person who voluntarily offers himself or herself for a service or undertaking.
2. a person who performs a service willingly and without pay or reward.

Whenever I hear the word volunteer I think of the Battle of the Somme (July 1916) in the First World War. Not an obvious association you might think, but I have more than a passing interest in the battle which was one of the bloodiest in history. The reason I associate the word volunteer with this horror is that the majority of military personnel that died were volunteers of the Territorial Force and Horatio Kitchener's "New Army". Now the thing that fascinates me the most is the willingness of young men from all parts of the UK to give their lives in the name of their country. The willingness of young men with seemingly their whole lives ahead of them to step over the top into certain death. A sacrifice that, no matter how much I read about it or think about it, I still struggle to fathom.

Anyway, back to the football. Don't believe for a second that I am comparing the voluntary work that goes on in our national game with the giving of life in the First World War (or any other war for that matter). The two are beyond approach.

But the part of the definition that stands out for me is that volunteers "give freely" and "without personal reward". And down at Eastbourne Borough, this is happening to an extent that has really taken me by surprise.

I guessed that the degree of help given freely within the local community would dissipate the further up the pyramid one progressed. Eastbourne Borough are, after all, joint top of the Blue Square South (as I write this), only two steps away from the Football League. I had every reason to believe that the set up at Eastbourne Borough would be a little more "full-time" than that witnessed at clubs in the earlier rounds.

How wrong could I have been?

Eastbourne Borough FC only have one paid employee (the Commercial Manager) and she only works four days a week. There is no one bankrolling the club and the club rely on a team of dedicated volunteers. There is also a full time Bar Steward employed by the sports club but that's it. Other bar staff are part time and nearly every other person at the club (including the Chairman, Chief Executive, all the Committee and the match-day Stewards) offer their services freely.

Eastbourne Borough is a "members club" which means that it is owned by the members. Membership of the club committee is open as long as interested parties have the skills (and time) required to help run the club. No one individual has any financial interest and any 'profits' that are made go straight back into the club.

The club is also an important centre of the community. They provide adult education; a nursery for foundation learning; a bowls and an archery club; plus a massive youth section comprising of approximately 500 boys and girls in over 40 different teams.

Eastbourne Borough for the best part of their history have been a sports and community club. In 1964 Langney Football Club was founded, taking their name from nearby Langney Point. The picture (left) is of the Langney Point Martello Tower, an image represented in the club crest. This is one of a series of Martello Towers along the South Coast which date from the Napoleonic Wars.

Four years later the club became Langney Sports Club with affiliation to Langney Community Association. In 2001 the name of Eastbourne Borough was adopted. Many of the people who played in a youth team in the 1960s have since stayed together, formed the club, built the ground and built the clubhouse themselves. Much of the money raised has come from their own fund raising efforts and many still serve the needs of the club.

I have been invited to have a look behind the scenes at Eastbourne Borough and I am honoured and intrigued in equal measure. By all accounts the Chairman and Vice Chairman will (before the game this time next week) be laying bricks for the smokers' shelter outside the club bar. Marvellous.

And one last thing; I must question the "without reward" element in my earlier definition of the word "volunteer".

In the case of Eastbourne Borough there is reward. The results of all the hard work and effort by the band of volunteers at Eastbourne Borough are tangible. The actual existence and continued survival of the club is due, in no small measure, to the time and dedication of the volunteers within the community. A real altruistic contribution in every sense of the word. There is a genuine sense of pride and community spirit that oozes out of Eastbourne Borough Football Club.

And I haven't even been there yet.

Credits: thanks to Lee Peskett and David Bauckham at Eastbourne Borough FC for volunteering invaluable information that I have used in this post.

Divided we stand

At the Bromley v Dartford game tomorrow you will find several hundred Bromley fans, several hundred (very noisy) Dartford fans and at least one Sunderland fan, a Peterborough United fan and a Leeds United fan. The odd ones out in that sentence are the teams of choice of the three of us travelling to Hayes Lane for this FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round game. And the great thing about tomorrow's game is that all paying customers will be standing together. There will be no segregation. Supporters of both participants will mingle freely before, during and after the game. All genuine football fans with a shared passion for the game.


One of the definite highlights on this FA Cup road so far has been the lack of segregation at the grounds. Fans have still grouped together and swapped ends at half time, that is only natural. Tribal instinct prevails. But I have stood amongst Sittingbourne and Chertsey fans as they trade good humoured jibes with each other. I have stood between Dartford and Sittingbourne supporters as both groups bemoan the quality of refereeing. I have stood at one end of Camberley's ground and spent alternate halves of normal and extra time stood with either the home support or the away support.

After my son came with me to watch the Dartford v Camberley game, I was surprised how much he enjoyed it. I asked him why, when at other games he had become bored or twitchy long before the players were tucking into their half-time oranges. The answer didn't really surprise me. He enjoyed the freedom of being able to move around the terrace and watch the game from a variety of different vantage points. He enjoyed not being confined to one seat for a full 90 minutes. He didn't feel trapped.

I saw a question raised about the Bromley game tomorrow; would there be segregation at this game? It is a fair question as a big crowd is expected. Bromley have stated that there will not be any segregation.

Good news.

I wonder how long into this FA Cup journey I will travel before I encounter a game where fans are forced to stand apart? Possibly in the 1st Round Proper when the league clubs enter the fray. A friend of mine has already asked where I would stand for segregated games; the home or away end? To be honest, I don't know. In the latter rounds I'm sure it will be where ever I can get a ticket.

Thinking of all my family, friends and work colleagues who are into football, the range of football teams that they support is quite large. I've already mentioned Sunderland, Peterborough United and Leeds United. QPR and Fulham have also been represented on this FA Cup journey. Other teams supported in my social coterie include Manchester United and Manchester City, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Marlow, Altrincham, Aldershot, Hereford United, Hull City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Coventry City, Newcastle United, Stockport County, Sheffield United, Newport County, Cwmbran Town..... I could go on. The point is that we all have been to watch games with our friends and enjoy doing so, irrespective of who is playing.

And irrespective of where you stand or sit.

Tomorrow we will have a choice of where to stand. I just hope I'm not stood next to any weird Sunderland or Peterborugh United fans.

Game 6: Camberley Town 0, Dartford 0 *

*AET, Dartford win 4-1 on penalties

2nd Qualifying Round Replay
Tuesday October 2nd 2007
Kick Off 7:45pm

Attendance: 242
Weather: Drizzle

Distance travelled: 35 miles


Camberley on a miserable, wet, damp, dank, dark evening. A replay which simply did not live up to the first billing but ended with a few minutes of excitement in a penalty shootout. Dartford squeeze through, but only just. And about 150 Darts fans go home happy.

Four of us made the short journey to Camberley, and one of our friends even came out especially for this game on his birthday. His 40th to be precise! Having already celebrated (drowned his sorrows) at reaching this mid-life point at the weekend, the draw of the FA Cup could not be resisted. Turning forty does strange things to a man's mind. You start to reflect on life past and life future. Some people struggle to deal with it. They do crazy things in an attempt to rekindle lost youth. Mid-life crisis. And last night, as my friend saw out his 40th birthday in the drizzle at Krooner Park, it suddenly hit me.

Good god, I'm having my own mid-life crisis! This whole FA Cup thing. This is my black Porsche. This is my trek across the Andes. This is my long-legged brunette from accounts. You know, the one with the big personality. That explains everything. I feel I can justify this crazy venture. I'll be fine once I get through it and out the other side all in one piece, my marriage still intact and my family still talking to me. I'll be just fine. Phew.

Might as well enjoy it while it lasts!

Enjoyment is not a word I feel at ease using in the context of last night's game. But then again, maybe. The game was poor. But I still enjoyed the evening in a sad kind of way. You know what I mean; I'd rather be at a bad game of football than dozing in front of Eastenders. And the evening had it's snippets of entertainment, which I'll come to later.

But as for the game, it was, believe me, not very good. The pitch was very wet and heavy from a couple of days of constant drizzle. The kind of drizzle that is the poor relation to rain, it just kind of hangs in the air. Stand in it long enough and your skin starts to wrinkle.

The Camberley ground was very much like Chertsey's ground, probably fairly typical at this level. One main stand, a single turnstile entrance, a small refreshments hut, an ageing bar. One end was partially covered with a wooden roof which provided shelter, a good view of the pitch and an equally good view of the club car park behind. The Camberley folk were friendly and welcoming. I take my hat off to two young girls who were selling raffle tickets before the game. They were brave enough to walk around the ground and into the travelling Dartford fans calling out "£1 a strip". Well, I assume it was raffle tickets they were selling.

No goals in normal time or extra-time and that kind of sums the game up. In the first half, only one significant event to comment on; the sending off of Dartford's Jay May for kicking out at a Camberley player after he was felled with a tackle from behind. The rest of the half was really a non-event. Lots of misplaced passes, long hoofs out of defence, rough tackles and hard challenges. And a great deal of niggle between the two sets of players, which seemed to have spilled over from the first game last Saturday. I guess this had a part to play in the sending off. To see this kind of hard, uncompromising football, up close and almost within touching distance, can make for quite a spectacle. Poor football, but entertaining nonetheless.

The second half saw Camberley attacking down the slope toward the end we stood at. All the Dartford fans (who had provided the best entertainment in the first half) had swapped ends and were just visible in the half light and drizzle a pitch length away. This made for a quiet half for us and I hate to admit it was quite painful to watch. The only positive to come from the game was that Camberley started to play some football on the deck, and for this they looked the more likely to score. The Dartford fans in the distance were getting more and more frustrated with the standard of refereeing and some of the delaying tactics of the Camberley players, but other than that there wasn't a great deal to shout about.

Camberley did have an opportunity to score with just under 70 minutes on the clock when a high ball into the box evaded the keeper and fell to an unmarked Camberley forward. It seemed easier for him to score into the unguarded net than miss, but he somehow pulled his shot across goal and beyond the far post. As the game stumbled towards extra-time, my friends started to pray for a goal. An additional 30 minutes would be difficult to take.

0-0 at 90 minutes (more like 97 minutes with all the injury time, where did that come from?) and into extra time. The Dartford fans began to make their way back to our end as the players lined up to kick-off. At the last moment, the players swapped ends which meant that Dartford were now kicking away from us. Some Dartford fans realised this and carried out an about-turn manoeuvre, whilst others carried on regardless. This caused a rather amusing mass crowd collision around about the half-way line. I think this was probably the highlight of the match. I'm glad to report there were no serious injuries.

The extra thirty minutes went by quite quickly, with Dartford having the best chance in the last few minutes when John Guest missed from all of five yards. It was to be one of those nights. Still no goals. And so to penalties.

Jamie Coyle, Steve Norman, Eddie McClements and Adam Flanagan all scored from the spot for Dartford. Camberley scored their first penalty; Tony Kessell in the Dartford goal saved two. As Flanagan sealed the tie with the winning kick, the Dartford fans (now down at our end) went berserk and the Dartford players, subs, manager, coach, physio, coach driver and tea lady ran to the Dartford fans to join in the celebrations. An exciting end to a poor game.

Over the two games, I think Dartford deserved to go through. Last night they defended resolutely with ten men when they needed to, a task made harder by the heavy pitch. I felt a little sorry for Camberley as they did try to play some decent football in the second half and they must surely be agonising over that missed chance late on.

Meanwhile, on the same evening, Bromley were disposing of Aylesbury United in their replay; final score 4-2 after extra time. This now sets up a Bromley v Dartford 3rd Qualifying Round game on Saturday 13th October.

I can't wait. I need to crack on with my mid-life crisis.

Aylesbury or Bromley?

The draw for the 3rd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup was made today and much to my relief the following came out:

Aylesbury United or Bromley v Dartford or Camberley Town

Not conclusive, but one thing I know is that it won't be a trip to Kent for the next round - although I have to say that Bromley is dangerouly close!

The Aylesbury v Bromley game on Saturday ended 1-1. The replay is on Tuesday evening, the same night as the Camberley v Dartford game. By late Tuesday I will know where I'm off to next, but I would be happy with either.

I would guess that Bromley are now the favourites to progress; they play in the Blue Square South, one level below the Conference. Aylesbury play in the grandly named British Gas Football League Division One Midlands, two levels below Bromley.

Travel wise, both clubs are pretty close for me. The game is pencilled in for Saturday 13th October, but that is the same day that England take on Estonia in a Euro 2008 qualifier. There is every chance that the game may be moved to an earlier slot on the Saturday or to either Friday evening or Sunday.

Best keep the whole weekend free then.

Game 5: Dartford 2, Camberley Town 2

2nd Qualifying Round
Saturday 29th September 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm

Attendance: 906
Weather: Mild, a little drizzle

Distance travelled: 97 miles

A twisted ankle and a twist of fate.

Only a matter of hours after writing Friday's post on the eve of this game, I find myself taking my wife to the A&E department of St. Peter's Hospital, Chertsey. On Friday lunchtime she turned her ankle playing volleyball. It was a nasty accident, and as we helped her off the field my first reaction was that she had broken it. After a lengthy wait at the hospital, the X-ray showed that there was no break, but badly sprained ligaments. My wife now has a foot the size of a balloon and is a nice shade of black to boot. We left A&E with my wife on crutches, in a lot of pain, and with instructions to rest with her feet up for a week. I am now at her beck and call. I sense it is going to be a very long week. At least she does not have a bell by her side with which to summon me...

Now, even before September is out, I have my first tough decision on this Road to Wembley. Do I stay home and look after my wife or do I head off down the M25. Do I stay or do I go?

Well, I did what every good, caring, compassionate husband would have done.

I went to the match.

We decided it would be best to take my son to the game, so giving my wife a bit of peace and quiet in the afternoon. And do you know what? My son was actually keen to go. Positively looking forward to it. Contrary to every single word I had written in this blog on Friday. Shows what I know.

And so, back on the M25 (it felt as if I'd never been away), my son chatting excitedly about the game and me feeling a little guilty.

The game itself was very good. It wasn't so much a cup shock, but certainly a little tremor of a surprise. An excellent away draw for Camberley, who produced the two best goals I have seen so far in this FA Cup journey.

Dartford took an early lead (16 minutes) with a neat goal from Brendan Cass. From there on in Dartford seemed to do exactly as they did in the home game against Sittingbourne, that is squander any real chances they had. Intent on hitting long balls most of the time, completely by-passing midfield, they lost possession on too many occasions. Camberley seemed physically tiny compared to Dartford. I could have sworn one the Camberley players was only about five foot tall. My son asked if he was their full back, Jason Short.

What Camberley lacked in height and physical presence they made up for with pace. Camberley certainly played better than I expected, and weren't afraid to have a go at Dartford. They began to find space for themselves and were rewarded on 27 minutes, when a beautifully struck 25 yard snap shot from Ben Cobbett brought the game level. 1-1 at half-time.

In the second half, Dartford began to bring their midfield into the game a little more and started to gain the upper hand; they won a series of corners and free kicks around the box at the height of their control. It was from one of these free kicks on the right that Dartford regained the lead. A high ball swung over caused a bit of panic in the Camberley box and it was nodded home by John Guest to make it 2-1 to Dartford. This after 55 minutes.

Dartford now were turning the screw, and Camberley's involvement in the game seemed to diminish. But, once more, Dartford failed to take their chances. A case of déjà vu.

And then, almost out of nothing, and with 15 minutes left on the clock, we were treated to a cracking goal from Camberley. A sweet strike from 30 yards, hit fully on the run by Dan Ker, gave the Dartford keeper Tony Kessell no chance whatsoever. With the game seemingly heading for another draw, Camberley may well have snatched a win late on when a cross into the Dartford box was just missed by the on-rushing forward. Now that would have been a smash and grab.

The exuberant manner in which Camberley Town celebrated both their goals and the final whistle demonstrated how much this result meant to the club. There is no doubt that they will be the happier of the two teams as both names go into the hat for Monday's 3rd Qualifying Round draw.

A couple of things happened at the game that accentuated the difference between this level of football and the higher echelons of the game, and both made me smile. Firstly, before the game started, there was a tannoy announcement reminding spectators that Princes Park was a no-smoking stadium. However, the gates would be opened at half-time for people to step outside for a smoke. Could you envisage the same flexibility at Old Trafford? And secondly, during the game, there was a stiff challenge on the touchline which propelled two players and the ball towards the perimeter fencing which resulted in a gentleman in the crowd getting his hat knocked off. A pretty amusing bit of slapstick in it's own right, but what made me smile was the Dartford defender who (on his way back to defend the quick throw) stopped and diverted his run to collect the said hat and return it to the supporter. A friendly gesture from a friendly club.

And there you have it; another replay and off down to Krooner Park on Tuesday evening. My son really enjoyed this game; there were even chants of "Come on you Darts!" from him during the match. I thoroughly enjoyed it as well, another great advert for non-league football. Albeit my enjoyment was tinged with a little guilt. But by all accounts, my wife had a relaxing afternoon with her feet up.

And on that note, I'd best sign off. My wife is calling me. Something to do with wanting me to go out and buy her a bell.

Sensible money

Well, tomorrow's game has come around rather quickly for me, and I'm looking forward to it. Dartford start the game as favourites, and it looks as if the sensible money will be on the home team. But you never know in the FA Cup.

Camberley Town are planning to take the usual coach for players and staff, plus an extra coach for supporters, so this should boost an already large home crowd. Dartford are more than capable of getting a crowd of over 1000, as opposed to Camberley's average home gate of about 100. I'm still rather surprised that Dartford's attendance in the last round of this competition was the lowest ever at Princes Park, when you also consider it was against a Kent neighbour.

There is a debate going on at Dartford about the reason for the lower crowds in recent games. The consensus is that the youngsters are staying away (even though it is only £1 to get in for children). Dartford estimate that about 100 children no longer attend home games. Add on to that at least one accompanying parent and that is 200 no-shows. Pretty significant at this level.

How a club at this level markets itself, and attempts to attract local support, is critical to the success of the club. Camberley Town only this week have put out the call for ideas on how to attract paying customers, and again there seems to be an emphasis on youth.

But it is difficult these days when the kids have so many other choices. At the Dartford v Sittingbourne game, I lost count of the variety of different shirts that the youngsters were wearing. Chelsea, Charlton, West Ham, Arsenal and (most bizarrely) a Spurs shirt (poor child). The glitz and glamour is only around the corner for many, and the non-league clubs have this to compete against.

My son loves playing football, but he's not over keen on watching the game. He resists any of my attempts to take him to Chertsey Town. He has attended a few Fulham games. He has a variety of different kits (e.g. England, Barcelona, RC Lens, PSV Eindhoven) but no single favourite. He claims to support one of Chelsea, Fulham, Manchester United or Liverpool - depending which friend he saw last. He is only seven years old, and kids are fickle at the best of times. And I do not put any pressure on him to support any one particular team. He will make his own mind up in time, and chances are it will be based on who his friends and peers support.

And I would very much doubt that any of the sensible money would be on him choosing either Chertsey, Sittingbourne, Dartford or Camberley.

Camberley Town

As mentioned previously, the baton has now passed to Dartford and in a week's time they will host Camberley Town in the 2nd Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, only three ties away from the First Round Proper.

So, Camberley Town; another new team to talk about. Camberley play in the Combined Counties Premier League Division, a Level 9 club in the pyramid. Both Dartford and Sittingbourne are Level 8 clubs, and Chertsey Town (where I began my journey) are in the same league as Camberley. As I write this Camberley sit third in their league with only one defeat after seven games. Along with Chertsey, Camberley entered this season's FA Cup at the Extra Preliminary Round and have so far disposed of Worthing United, Ash United and Colliers Wood United.

Their nickname is "The Krooners", presumably because they play at Krooner Park. And for me, if this next tie were to go to a replay, it's not far for me to travel. Camberley is only about 15 miles away. But then who am I kidding, as I am destined to spend the remainder of this season in Kent, the Garden of England.

Groundhog Day

Don't get me wrong, I've nothing against Kent, but come on, somebody is having a laugh. Having already seen games at Sittingbourne (Preliminary Round) and Dartford (1st Qualifying Round), I will be off to Sittingbourne again for the replay on Tuesday.

The draw for the 2nd Qualifying Round was made today and, low and behold, it will be Dartford or Sittingbourne v Camberley Town. Another trip to Kent. My fourth trip to Kent. I have an awful feeling I have done all this before.

I am more than happy to revisit Dartford or Sittingbourne, which were great for different reasons. But for the sake of this blog, a new ground would have been nice.

But then, that is the beauty of the FA Cup; you never know where the draw will send you.

I now have my own private lane on the M25.