Only the beginning

Can you see that question mark in the title of this, my first ever blog? Wick to Wembley? In my very first post I explained that the question mark was there for a reason, a very significant reason. It symbolised the fact that there was every chance that I would not complete this journey from Alwyns Lane, Chertsey to Wembley, North London. These two locations are physically separated by a mere 58 miles but I travelled 2354 miles to get there.

The dust has now settled for me. I have deliberately let that be so before I came back to write this piece. All week I have thought that this last post would indeed be that. The last post. The final summary. A conclusion. The end. But in reality, it is only the beginning. And look, that there is no question mark this time in my post title, because this I know for sure.

When I say the dust has settled, that is not strictly true. There has been the odd whirlwind and eddy of activity since last Saturday. For a couple of days (Monday was the worst on my return to work) I felt quite down. Quite hollow as if something had been taken from me. This FA Cup adventure has played a significant part in my life for eight months and it ended as suddenly and as quickly as it had started. A few days in to the week and the expected newspaper and radio interviews came and went. Many, many messages of congratulations were received; thanks to everyone who made the effort to contact me. This whole FA Cup thing has remained high on my agenda.

In the middle of the week we were served up the "game of all games", the Champions League final between Chelsea and eventual winners Manchester United. Probably over-billed, but a very good game with a dramatic end. But the thing that struck me most at the end was, within minutes, with the trophy barely lifted, thoughts back in the studio and with the players on the pitch turned to next season. What would happen to Avram Grant? Would Chelsea sell most of their players? Is this start of a period of dominance from the reds from Manchester? Ronaldo - staying or going?

Football never stands still. There really is no end. Many clubs are already deep into planning, scheming and plotting about next season whilst this season has not truly finished. Promoted clubs gear up for life at a higher, tougher level. Relegated clubs have already come to terms with their fate and are adjusting accordingly. In the lower levels of the non-league pyramid decisions have already been made (and don't forget it is still only May) about league restructuring; some clubs already know which league they will be playing in following enforced sideways moves based on geographical location and changing league numbers. In football the dust is never allowed to rest.

And with me the same is kind of true. I am now entering a period where I have some tough decisions to make. I am mulling over a serious book offer - who would have though that back in August? - and it is a decision I cannot afford to take lightly. I have rediscovered my taste for writing and I hunger for more. This blog, and more specifically the response to it, has been a real eye-opener. This is indeed the last post for this particular site, but I have a feeling another blog may be just around the corner. But who knows? Let me think on it for a while.

And what of the FA Cup? The journey for me was more important than the end. And I have not been surprised with what I have found. The FA Cup is alive and well and it is not only about the big boys. Far from it. It is about clubs and teams from all over our land, in the villages and small towns and local communities. You or I could play in the FA Cup; I know some of you reading this have. On heavy pitches surrounded by single railings on miserably wet October days in front of fifty people. Knowing that game could be the first steps on a footpath that grows into a magnificent road, a road that leads all the way to Wembley.

I have already found myself wistfully looking through the list of teams who have requested to be in the 2008-09 FA Cup. Some will not be accepted, but some new first-timers will. The list is made up of names such as AFC Wulfrunians, Heather St John and Walsall Wood. A world away from 2007-08 winners Portsmouth but undoubtedly still part of the same FA Cup family. The draw for the next season's Extra Preliminary Round will be made in only a few weeks time.

I wonder who Chertsey Town will draw? Wick again? Who knows? This is the beauty of the FA Cup. Only a matter of weeks and we will be back at the start. Return to go. And for me, I know I have not reached an end, but arrived at the beginning. Of that, there is no question.

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.

Wembley at Chertsey

It seemed rather fitting somehow to go to the Chertsey Town v Wembley match, a Saturday afternoon Combined Counties League (Premier Division) encounter with a traditional 3pm kick-off. My FA Cup run had started here at this ground, Alwyns Lane, way back at the start of this season. A team called Wembley were in town for the final game of the campaign and catching this one felt quite apt.

The game had all the feel of a preseason knock-about. Both teams have had a mediocre season and mid-table obscurity beckoned long before the Christmas lights had been taken down. Yesterday the sun was shining, the shorts and flip-flops were out in force and sun block was in order. Except the latter never crossed my mind and I ended up with a burnt bonce. My wife would later remark, with that kind of stifled amusement that is evident in a person who is impressed with their own quality of wit, that I resembled a bottle of tomato ketchup. Red with a white top. Thanks dear.

It certainly is relaxing going to a game when the venue is on your own doorstep. A lovely beer garden lunch (phase one of the forehead scalding) was followed by a quick peek at the closing ten minutes of the Chelsea - Manchester United game, including that late penalty that turned Sir Alex Ferguson's face the same colour as my head. And then a leisurely amble down to the ground, arriving a little after ten to three. A stampede to the (single) turnstile was never going to be an issue. I went to the game with old faithfuls PB and Mackem and fellow Chertsey resident Gee Jay.

The game itself was nothing to write home about, even if home was only around the corner. When Chertsey Town scored the only goal of the game the substitutes were still getting comfy in the dugouts. My watch still read 3pm, but I think the referee had either started the game a couple of minutes early or my watch was slow. A neat move saw the ball pushed out to the right and the resulting cross into the box was finished comprehensively. I'm not sure who scored for Chertsey. No tannoy announcements or big screen replays here. I'd like to say it was the number nine, John Pomroy, if only to get the chance to mention that he scored his 50th goal of the season last week. An impressive haul for any striker, irrespective of the standard of football. Law of averages dictate that it probably was Pomroy who slotted home.

Such an early goal always gives rise to thoughts of goal fests, but unfortunately for the crowd of 153, that was the end of the scoring. The preseason ambiance must have filtered through to both sides as neither showed any urgency in their play. Throughout the ninety minutes Chertsey Town were the more threatening and were the team in control. They had many chances to score, but just didn't seemed that bothered about doing so. Their football was at times over-elaborate with fancy flicks or back heels failing to impress, when a more conventional approach would have paid dividends. Wembley certainly struggled with the pace of the Chertsey wide men and Marc Talbot in goal made a few fine saves to prevent a greater margin of victory.

Inevitably, concentration on the lacklustre proceedings began to falter and my strongest memories are of peripheral goings on. These were, in the main, things that one is far more aware of at these smaller grounds, with the touchline only a few yards away. This is what I enjoyed so much in the earlier rounds of the FA Cup, being so close to the action that watching a game became a quite different experience altogether. The banter between players, the constant abuse of the referee and non-stop berating of the assistants. Big news this season has been the experimental efforts to minimise the stick that officials on the pitch receive, but it was interesting yesterday to hear the officials give as good as they got.

Particularly one of the referee's assistants. On one occasion, Wembley were defending a set piece. As the ball was centred, one of the Wembley centre backs stood with his arm raised high above his head (in Tony Adams fashion) and shouted "Oi! Lino! Offside!". The said defender was clearly the last man in the area, by a country mile. The assistant screamed back a response with some gusto "You're the one playing him on!!!". The only words missing at the end of his reply were "you plonker".

As the game drifted on into the second half, we noticed that the Chertsey players were playing their own "pass the coin" game. I have heard about this, but never witnessed it. The drill is something like this. One of the players (normally the captain) takes to the field with a small object, usually a coin, that can easily be transferred from player to player during the course of a game. There is a bet riding on which player is holding the coin at certain key points in the game e.g. when a goal is scored. The player left in possession at such times would be the "loser" and have to honour a bet e.g. buy a round of drinks in the bar after the match. This was quite evidently happening, with the Chertsey full back Paul Batholomew regularly receiving the coin. He spent most of the second half running around with his right hand clenched. No matter how often he relinquished the hot potato he seemed to get it back again. We lost track of the coin towards the end of the game, but my bet is that Bartholomew had an expensive evening.

Not a brilliant game then, but a comfortable three points for Chertsey Town to round off their season. A small group of young kids had started a game of football on a small area of grass just behind and below the terrace we were stood on, using a couple of Sainsbury's trolleys as one goal and a jumper and floodlight pylon as another. Frankly, their game was better. It ended 6-4. At the height of their contest, with the scores delicately balanced at 4-4, a wayward clearance flew in our direction. Yours truly nodded a fine goal in off a wobbly trolley wheel. To my dismay, one of the youngsters declared the goal null and void. He shouted up at me "that doesn't count" which I suppose was technically true. It was also at that point, as I headed the ball, that I realised how sunburnt my forehead was. Leather and third degree burning do not mix.

For Chertsey Town the curtain has drawn on another season. My season had began at Chertsey with dreams of Wembley; Chertsey had ended their's in the company of Wembley. In a almost poetic way, that deserves to be an end to any story. But for me, there is one chapter left. But before that final chapter, I just need to stick my head in a bucket of After Sun.

The Road to Wembley Diamond Car Wobbler

Try telling anyone in Cardiff or Barnsley that the FA Cup doesn't mean anything anymore. The Road to Wembley can start anywhere. It can be as long or it can be as short as needs be. But actually getting there is a huge achievement, so much more if it is totally unexpected. It is the arriving that means just as much as the journey, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Cardiff fans and Barnsley fans alike are living the dream.

In Cardiff and in Barnsley the message boards are buzzing. The club websites are failing to play it down, even though they are "taking one game at a time". The local press are loving it. In sharp contrast to Chertsey back in August, cup fever really has come to town.

And with cup fever comes the cup merchandise. For example, Cardiff are offering fans the chance to pre-order the FA Cup semi final programme. The £5 programme will cost £11 if you want it delivered to your door. That alone is double my entry fee for the Chertsey Town v Wick game.

The occasion is a money-maker's dream. You must make sure you have all the latest gear before the trip to Wembley. The Road to Wembley Car Window Flag. The Road to Wembley Diamond Car Wobbler. The Foam FA Cup. The Foam Wembley 2008 Hand. The Road to Wembley Mini Car Scarf Wobbler. The Road to Wembley Mini Hand Flag. The FA Cup 2008 Scarf.

Yet the best one has to be The Road to Wembley Tee Shirt. Sky blue. But then I guess I'm just being biased, as my wife kindly offered to model the top (see picture above). Looking good dear.

And to think I was worried about getting tickets for the big game - I now have other concerns. So I really must dash and order some merchandise for my trip. I'd be mortified if I left it too late to get my hands on a Road to Wembley Diamond Car Wobbler.

Let's wobble all the way to Wembley.

A date with Middlesbrough FC

Middlesbrough it is then.

In the end it was a large chunk of luck that decided the replay tie on Wednesday between Middlesbrough and Sheffield United. Over the two games the team from the North East deserved to go through. I have nothing at all against Sheffield United, but this was the result I was hoping for. I have been to Sheffield United a few times but I have never watched a game at Middlesbrough. One regret is that I never got to see a game at Ayresome Park and I'm looking forward to my first visit to the Riverside. If anything accentuates how far I have come on this trip, it is the comparison of the ground I started at - Chertsey Town - with the stadium I will (hopefully) be sat in come 2pm on Sunday 9th March. Worlds apart.

Tickets for the game against Cardiff City go on General Sale on Monday morning. Once again, prices have been slashed to £15. That will please her indoors.

So another new club to introduce. I'm quite surprised that the competition has been reduced to the last eight before a Premier League club makes an appearance on this run. It had to happen eventually. By way of an introduction, some notable dates in the history of Middlesbrough FC. In no particular order...

29 February 2004 - a total coincidence (I'm not that organised) is that today Middlesbrough celebrate the first anniversary of their leap year Carling Cup win. Exactly four years ago Middlesbrough beat Bolton Wanderers 2-1 in front of over 72,000 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Goals from Job and Zenden (the second after only seven minutes) were enough to give Middlesbrough their only major trophy. The club were also runners-up in this competition in 1997 and 1998.

18th May 1899. The date Middlesbrough were elected to the Football League (into Division Two). The club were founded in 1876 by the local cricket club so that the players could stay fit during the winter. As amateurs they had won the Northern League (three times) and the Amateur Cup (twice) between 1889 and 1898. Also in that period, a breakaway team called Middlesbrough Ironopolis had also formed. They wanted professionalism and joined the Football League in 1893. This proved financially damaging and Ironopolis folded at the end of that season.

25 February 1905. Alf Common's first game for Middlesbrough. The club had broken all transfer records by signing Alf Common for £1000 from Sunderland in early February. In his first game away at Sheffield United, Common scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot to record Middlesbrough's first away win for two years. That season, Middlesbrough survived relegation. Common went on to score 58 goals in 168 appearances before a move to Woolwich Arsenal in September 1910.

10 May 2006. Middlesbrough reach the final of the UEFA Cup in Eindhoven. Their 4-0 defeat at the hands of Spanish side Sevilla was a huge disappointment after a cup run that had provided two of the most exciting games in European football. Middlesbrough, whose first ever European game had been in 2004, were trailing 2-0 from the quarter final first leg tie against Basel. In the home return leg they conceded halfway through the first half and looked to be heading for the exit. In a breathtaking game, Middlesbrough responded with four goals to take them through to the semi final. Massimo Maccarone scored the winner in the last minute. In the semi it was a case of déjà vu. The opponents this time were Steaua Bucharest who arrived for the second leg at the Riverside 1-0 up. Two early goals from the visitors meant that, once again, Middlesbrough needed four goals to progress. It was Maccarone who sealed the remarkable win on the 88th minute. Pulsating stuff.

26 August 1995. Middlesbrough play their first game at the new Riverside Stadium against Chelsea. In front a crowd of 28,286 the hosts win 2-0 with goals from Craig Hignett and Jan Åge Fjørtoft. The ground has a capacity of over 35,000 and cost £16 million to build; the construction took only 32 weeks to complete. Middlesbrough had been playing at Ayresome Park for ninety two years. Ayresome Park was demolished in 1997 and the gates of the old ground now stand outside the new. A housing estate now stands on the old site.

18 March 2004. The Middlesbrough FC chairman and local lad Steve Gibson was granted Freedom of the Town for "the eminent services rendered to the economic and social well being of the community." In 1986 Gibson, then on the Middlesbrough board, rescued the club from going into liquidation. As a result of this investment and vision the club went on to win that first trophy in 128 years, the Carling Cup, plus make that UEFA Cup Final appearance. Gibson gave the manager's job to Bryan Robson in May 1994 and many saw Gibson as the instrumentalist in the "Riverside Revolution" which also saw them make three cup final appearances between 1997 and 1998. The Middlesbrough supporters have nicknamed him the "King of Teeside". Basically, he's a local hero.

18 August 2001. The date that the current Middlesbrough manager, Gareth Southgate, made his debut playing for the club. Southgate is one of ten players that the club's supporters voted into the Middlesbrough "Hall of Fame". The other nine are George Camsell, George Hardwick, Wilf Mannion, Brian Clough, John Hickton, Willie Maddren, Tony Mowbray, Bernie Slaven, and Juninho Paulista. Southgate was Steve McClaren's first signing for the club - remember him?

17 May 1997. Middlesbrough reach the FA Cup final for the only time in their history. They lost to Chelsea 2-0 after Di Matteo put the Blues 1-0 up after only 43 seconds, the quickest ever FA Cup final goal. Middlesbrough had been relegated from the Premier League a matter of days earlier, along with Sunderland and Nottingham Forest. They would have stayed in the Premier League had it not been for a three point deduction imposed after they postponed a league game with Blackburn Rovers less than twenty four hours before kick-off, due to illness and injury. So they were perhaps not in the best frame of mind for that final. Chelsea sealed victory when Newton netted with seven minutes from the end.

Maybe Middlebrough now have one eye on another FA Cup final appearance; a repeat of the 1997 final is still possible. But they have to overcome Cardiff City first. It is off up the M1 to see the Smoggies take on the Bluebirds for my fourteenth game.

If I get tickets, let's call it a date.

Much, much more important

I will never tire of hearing or reading Bill Shankly's famous quote:

"Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I'm very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that."

For a long time people have debated what Shankly really meant. Did he really say that? Those same words in that same order? Were his words quoted out of context? Did he really believe football is more important than life or death? Was he half joking, tongue in cheek?

In more recent times, following Heysel and Hillsborough, Shankly’s words were scrutinised to the nth degree. Some have referred to Shankly's comments as "outrageous", rather harsh given that two decades lapsed between his words and the two tragedies.

I can understand what Shankly was saying. The game of football is close to many people's hearts. Supporters all over the world eat, drink and sleep the game. For some it is a way of life. For some it is life. The times you are not watching the game, you are thinking about it; planning the next game or reliving the last. In those idle moments at work you replay that great goal in your mind, the wonderful celebrations, the heartache of that last-minute penalty miss. In the car, in the bath, in the gym. Round at the mother-in-law’s. It is a constant part of your life. It pervades, it controls and it takes over. It also offers release. An escape. The one thing to look forward to. The single bright light in dark times. This applies to every real football fan, no matter who you support. From Arsenal to Accrington Stanley, Chelsea to Chertsey Town, Manchester United to FC United.

Shankly was certainly not making light of death - nor life for that matter - but simply trying to articulate what many football fans feel. I have used the word "passion" probably far too much in this blog, but I make no excuses for using it again now. People have passions for many things in life and if you care enough about something then you allow it to become central to your life, or as a minimum, a significant part of your life. Football is a particular passion that afflicts many millions around the globe. Shankly was simply putting into words how many people felt about the game and what an important and central role it played in the life of the man on the street.

On this subject, the results of a survey caught my eye last week. The survey basically attempted to "measure" how important football can be in our lives, particularly for blokes. I believe the survey, which was polled by the Football Fans Census, was timed to coincide with Valentine's Day. The passion for the game as opposed to the passion shown for your girl? Classy.

Some interesting findings:

> 76% polled would rather give up their girlfriend than their club

> 85% would rather go and watch their club play than go on a Valentine's date

> 78% would rather score for their club in an FA Cup Final than "score" with their dream woman

> 44% would knowingly buy counterfeit goods as a present for their girlfriend whilst 82% would never buy a fake replica kit for themselves

> Men would spend an average of £80 to watch their club play away compared to £51 on a date

> 89% polled from the North East would chose their club over their girlfriend if forced to choose between the two

Now these sort of polls always make me laugh and should not be taken too seriously; attempts to prove (or otherwise) anything based on such results should be taken with a large pinch of salt. But the underlying message from this survey is the extent to which some fans support their club at the expense of all else; the acknowledgement that supporting their club is central to their lives.

This is something that Shankly fully understood. He knew what the game meant to the fans and what the fans meant to the game. Shankly came from a working class background and appreciated how football enriched the lives of many; he knew exactly what it meant to them day in, day out.

Now, at a time when the game seems to be drifting away from what the fans really want and is increasingly pampering to the demands of the money men, it is a shame that there are not more involved in our national game that share Bill Shankly’s understanding. People who realise that it is the fans, those loyal and passionate supporters, that are important.

Much, much more important.

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.

I am not alone

I've used the words "sad" and "inane" on more than one occasion in this blog about my FA Cup journey from Chertsey Town to (hopefully) Wembley. In the half dozen or so interviews I have done to date, I repeatedly used those descriptions. I'll be doing another interview tomorrow morning - talkSPORT radio this time - and I know, without even thinking about it, I will use one or both of those words.


Many of you have been very kind in response. "It's not sad at all, it's a pretty good idea" is a well worn retort. I know you mean well, and I appreciate everyone's support. But occasionally, the tone of the comment betrays the truth. "What a great thing to do!" is sometimes accompanied with that slight inflexion that doesn't quite sit comfortably with what is being said. You know, the "of course your bum doesn't look big in that" type of comment.

Anyway, ahead of the game tomorrow, I would just like to point out there are a few of us out there. I am not alone.

The "Road to Wembley" concept is nothing new. One of the best ever football books "Tividale to Wembley" charted the journey of Brian James in the 1976/77 season as he started with his local team Tividale. He ended up at the Liverpool v Manchester United final at Wembley. This sowed the seed for many, and it is probably fair to say that someone, somewhere, has tried to do this most seasons since.

I'm not the only one attempting it this season; I have been made aware of several other people doing the same thing. Phoebe in the Midlands started with Cradley Town v Gedling Town in the Extra Preliminary Round back in August and has taken in games at Meir KA, Stamford, Nuneaton Borough and eventually Chasetown. If Phoebe is still going we should be at the same Cardiff game tomorrow. Further North, Paul Kirkwood started with Guisborough Town. I believe Paul has done this a few times, but takes it only as far as the non-league clubs as that is where his passion lies. His journey this season ended with Harrogate Railway's home defeat to Mansfield in December's Second Round tie. Another guy who loves the FA Cup, his blog is well worth a read.

There are three guys who started out with Dulwich Hamlet, another small group who followed Crawley Town from their entry into the competition and the "Did He Really Mean It?" mates who also ended up with Chasetown. I'm not sure how many of these are still going, but the one thing we have in common is that we all share the love of the competition enough to at least give it a damn good go.

I have also been asked to give a mention to John Lovell who did the same thing last year (managed to go all the way, so to speak) and is having a go at the FA Trophy this season. John began with Grantham Town and is now with Burton Albion after their narrow win over Histon in the last round. John is also documenting his journey in a blog.

Many people also do a similar journey in the FA Vase where the smaller teams play out their dreams to reach Wembley and this is a popular venture for the fans of the non-league game.

There will be a few reading this that have done the "Road to Wembley" in seasons gone by or are in the middle of a run this season. If you are doing one this season, our roads will meet if they haven't already. I hope you manage to keep it going and we'll hopefully arrive at Wembley in May.

With my mind on Cardiff tomorrow, Wembley stills feels an awfully long way off.

Tell me why I don't like Mondays

I have had a bad day. In the whole scheme of things, one man's bad day is another man's good day. I shouldn't complain, there is always someone worse off than you. But in my own little world, it has been a particularly bad day. One of those days that starts bad and gets only worse.

And just when you think it can't get any worse - it gets worse still. We all have them. We always will. As my Nan used to say "You know it's a bad day when you put your bra on backwards and it fits better". Yep, it was one of those days, only without the bra. Obviously.

Today was the day I realised how obsessed I am with this FA Cup venture. Today was the day that I realised how much grief I was prepared to accept to keep this venture going. Today was the day that I felt as if it was starting to get too much. Today was the day that I first questioned what I am doing and why am I doing it. Today was the day, for the first time ever, I felt like throwing the towel in.

I had a bad day at work. A miserable Monday. People moaning. People being totally selfish. People being ungrateful. No one happy. No one full of the joys of life. No one on top of the world.

In amongst all of that, today was the day that I knew I had to try and get tickets for the Cardiff game. The last chance. I had failed so far. If I was unsuccessful today, then that would be that. Quite possibly the end of the road. Not so much Wick to Wembley, more like Wick to Watford. Or Chertsey to Watford to be more precise.

I have struggled to get tickets. I have struggled to make travel arrangements. I have struggled to keep everyone happy. I have spent all weekend constantly checking the status of ticket sales. I have spent forty minutes in the freezing cold on the mobile, on hold, securing those tickets. I have spent two weeks making plans with friends to ensure that, yes, they definitely want to go. To ensure that, yes, they had a lift to the game. To ensure that, yes, they had a lift back home again. To ensure that we would all meet at the right time. To ensure that it was convenient for everybody. To ensure that no one was put out.

I have become a travel agent. I have become an event organiser. I have become a ticket buyer. I have become a money lender. I have become a dog’s bloody body.

It has been a really bad day today. But that means tomorrow can only get better. And I must not forget, after all, that I did manage to buy tickets for the game on Saturday. They say that every cloud has a silver lining. However, if today is any indicator of how this week will pan out, then I fully expect the tickets to go missing in the post. That bad taste in the mouth, which has been building throughout this bad day, still lingers.

But anyway, enough about me. How was your Monday?

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 story that never was

The Internet. What a marvellous thing, the "invention" of our time. The power of instant communication, information available at the click of a mouse, making a mockery of physical distance at the touch of a button.

My FA Cup journey owes much to the Internet; it has basically made my life so much easier. Finding information about the competition format, the dates of games (and replays), about tickets, ground locations, travel. It allows for immediate and rapid communication with the clubs and their fans. In fact everything connected with my road towards the final. All this has been done from the comfort of the spare room.

Not to mention this blog. In equal measure I have enjoyed going to the games, meeting new people and writing about it all. As I have alluded to a few times already, the response I have had to this blog, since my first post on 24th August, has shocked me. And it continues to do so, daily. As I write this post this evening, there have so far been 13,071 page views in 7,027 different visits to the blog. This is from 3,087 unique visitors in 53 different countries. For 200 visitors to vote on my latest frivolous poll is, on it's own, pretty good going.

Now, in Internet terms, not huge figures, but for something that started out as a stroll down the lane to watch Chertsey Town on a cool August summer evening, these stats never cease to surprise.

Of course, without the accessibility that the Internet creates, none of this would have been possible. The clubs along my journey have assisted with the access. Links on the home pages of the websites of Sittingboure, Dartford, Eastbourne Borough and (most recently) Cambridge United have helped. Add to that mention of the site in a number of match day programmes, non-league football publications and over match tannoys, and the fingers of the web are encouraged to spread further and wider and deeper.

But the Internet can also be a perilous place, especially when the information you find is of dubious quality or questionable caliber.

On the way into work today I was amazed to hear a radio newsreader declare that there had been "a mistake" with the FA Cup draw on Sunday. The draw for the Third Round Proper. The one that paired Cambridge United with Wolverhampton Wanderers. This "news" even made some of today's newspapers. You could probably understand my reaction. What on earth is going on? Would the draw have to be done again? Maybe I'm not off to Wolves after all? Probably Trevor Brooking's fault (again).

As it turned out, this was the story that never was. There was no mistake, no error, no blunder. A conspiracy theory of sorts, that had broken on the world wide web early on Tuesday and had spread like wildfire across the ether to make big news within a matter of hours. The "mistake" reported was that the number 25 ball had been drawn out of the bowl but the number 24 read aloud instead. If this indeed had happened, it would have meant that Manchester United should be playing Bristol City instead of Aston Villa.

But photographs and video stills of the draw proved that there had been no mistake. The number 24 ball had been pulled out and read out. End of.

But it just goes to show how powerful the Internet can be, something that the conspiracy theorists can use to great effect. And often do. Many things are written on the Internet that people believe and over time are perceived as fact or, at best, written into folklore. The 9/11 conspiracy theory is probably the most notable example. Of course, this is nothing new; the Internet alone is not to blame. Storytelling as a form of communication has been in existence since man could stand unaided on two legs, and stories have always been passed from generation to generation. The mere passing of time allows for the real facts to be diluted and the (usually more interesting or newsworthy) fiction to be elaborated. The difference with the Internet is that the time element is condensed - for thousands of years read days, for hundreds of years, read minutes. And the fact that we can view something "in print" on a screen fools us into thinking that what we are reading is true.

We can all be easily fooled. Personally, I blame the bloggers. Especially the idiots who blog about football...

Weymouth FC - club #6

It started with Chertsey Town. Then Sittingbourne. Followed by Dartford and Bromley. Plus Eastbourne Borough for a while.

And now it's club number 6 - Weymouth - who have hold of my baton (so to speak).

Other clubs have played their part along the way - Wick and Camberley Town - but as opposition to two of the above. Nine games in total so far, including two replays. Nine hundred and seven miles and twenty four goals (not including penalties).

I must confess, I know little about Weymouth FC and up until last Saturday, I had never seen them in action. I mentioned in an earlier post that they are nicknamed The Terras; a nickname they acquired in the 1890s when they wore terracotta and blue quartered shirts. They play their home games at the Wessex Stadium having left their old Recreation Ground in 1987. An odd fact about the club is that, because of the proximity of the ground to the coast, they rarely have any postponements

Weymouth are currently 17th in the Blue Square Premier having won six, drawn four, of their eighteen games. Cambridge United occupy 4th slot. The teams have met once in the league this season, the game at Weymouth ending 2-2.

For a non-league team, Weymouth have enjoyed reasonable success in the FA Cup. Having first entered the competition in 1893, they reached the "national" stages in season 1905-06. Unfortunately, they lost that match 12-1 against Gainsborough Trinity. Weymouth met Manchester United in the Third Round Proper in 1949 (a 4-0 reverse at Old Trafford) and they went one round further in 1962, losing 2-0 away at Preston North End.

More recently (2005) they held Nottingham Forest to a famous 1-1 draw in front of the TV cameras, before going out 2-0 in the replay. The following season they held league side Bury to a 2-2 draw.

Famous Weymouth players over the years include Graham Roberts, Andy Townsend, Shaun Teale, Tony Agana. And Tom Jones (not the Welsh singer - that would be unusual). The athlete Darren Campbell briefly donned the Claret and Blue shirt for the Dorset club, making twenty seven appearances and scoring four goals. You learn something new every day...

Famous managers include Trevor Senior, Neil Webb and Steve Claridge.

And one last thing (for now); a Weymouth player may be off to the FA Cup Final in May 2008. Stuart Beavon was nominated (by the Daily Star) as the FA Cup "Player of the Round" after his hat-trick against Eastbourne Borough. If he wins (based on a public vote) he will enjoy a VIP visit to the new Wembley.

Good luck Stuart. I hope to see you there...

My glass is half full

Is it just me, or are we hurtling towards Christmas at an alarming rate? Maybe it's my age, but time seems to pass quicker nowadays. On the eve of my second trip to Priory Lane, home of Eastbourne Borough, I can't quite believe that this season's FA Cup will, after tomorrow's game, be half complete. Or half remaining, depending on your view.

It feels like only yesterday that I went to the Extra Preliminary Round game between Chertsey Town and Wick, back in August. The kids were still off school, the days were long and some of the Chertsey players were still on the beach.

From the Extra Preliminary Round in August to the Final in May, there are a total of fourteen rounds. The seventh round will be played out this weekend. The games have come relatively thick and fast since August, one every two weeks (not counting replays). From now on though they start to spread out; three weeks between the First and Second Round Proper, a month between the Second and Third, and so on.

The rather sad thing for me is that many will see this weekend as the start of the FA Cup. Particularly the big media companies. The BBC and Sky TV now get in on the act. Sky TV will broadcast the Hereford United v Leeds United game tonight and the BBC will be showing Torquay United v Yeovil Town on Sunday. There will also be an FA Cup Match of the Day on Saturday evening. The draw for the First Round Proper was the first draw in this season's competition to attract live television coverage. All future round draws will be live. And if you read any of the mainstream newspapers this is when the FA Cup coverage really starts. You would be excused for believing that the previous six rounds didn't exist. The spotlight has just arrived.

But then this is not such a bad thing. The character of the competition has up to this stage has been enhanced somewhat by the relative anonymity. The small clubs, the tiny grounds, the local support, the sub-one hundred gates. Out of the eyes of mainstream media the FA Cup still sparkles and for me that is where it glitters brightest. And it is more intimate. As an individual the early rounds allow you to get up close and personal. The only way to get any closer is to be playing.

But now here come the TV cameras, the bigger crowds, the greater recognition. The First Round Proper - even the title gives something away. And to be honest, my previous FA Cup viewing had only ever been from this stage of the competition. But this season it has been very different for me. I have learnt so much since August and I'll be the first to admit it has been a real eye-opener. There is still so much more the FA Cup will offer up this season and there is plenty to look forward to, but my involvement from the earliest knockings has seen my love affair with the FA Cup blossom.

The viewing gallery has suddenly got bigger. And my glass is, without doubt, only half full. It must be your round...

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.

Don't believe everything you read

Towards the end of last week I picked up a copy of our "freebie" newspaper, the instantly forgettable "Walton and Weybridge Informer". You know, the weekly that is pushed through your front door whether you want it or not. 90% of the newspaper is made up of adverts, and most of the stories are truncated so that if you are really interested you have to read the full story in the sister newspaper, the Surrey Herald (75p).

Now the reason I mention this is that, on the back page, there was a picture from a Chertsey Town match. In one of my very earliest posts (24th August) you may recall that I was bemoaning how little (if any) coverage Chertsey Town get in the local press. You would be excused for believing that the town did not have a football team. The back page of the "Informer" is usually devoted to Esher Rugby Club. To have a picture from a Chertsey Town match was, to say the least, unusual.

There was no accompanying report with it, only the picture. The picture caption read:

"Scott Edgar (right) rolls in Chertsey's third goal in Saturday's 3-0 FA Cup win against Erith".

Now, as you know, Chertsey were eliminated from the FA Cup at Sittingbourne on 1st September in the Preliminary Round after beating Wick in the Extra Preliminary Round. So to see a picture from their FA Cup triumph (in October) against Erith Town was all rather... baffling?

An obvious error, but it got me thinking.

I wonder how many people believe Chertsey are still in the FA Cup? There may well be a small group of Chertsey fans who are walking around town revelling in Chertsey's greatest ever FA Cup run. They may need expert help; the emotional trauma of the truth may be too much to bear. It saddens me just to think of it.

This error now makes me question the accuracy of the local paper's BIG news stories. Did the "Friend's of Chertsey Library" really raise £13.78 at their coffee morning, with cakes made by Ethel and Mavis? Did callous thieves really steal the life size paper mache model of Bruce Forsyth from the local craft shop. The same paper mache model that was found two days later balanced precariously atop the church flag pole. Was Chesney Hawkes really the guest of honour at the Black Cherry Fair? How do I know that any of this is true? It may well all have been utter fabrication or, at best, unmitigated errors.

Everything I once believed in I must now question. My whole value system is in tatters. I'm going to write a letter of complaint to the editor. No doubt they will only print part of it.

So it just goes to show, don't believe everything you read.

Except this blog. Obviously.

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.

Game 2: Sittingbourne 1, Chertsey Town 0

Preliminary Round
Saturday 1st September 2007
Kick Off 3:00pm

Attendance: 194
Weather: Warm, sunny

Distance travelled: 131 miles



Huge open skies.

My first visit to this part of England and the thing that struck me most is the sky. It just seemed so, well, how can I put it?

Big.

A big expanse of sky. And, taking it's place below, Sittingbourne FC sitting in a big expanse of space. The Sittingbourne ground sits next to the (bigger) Greyhound Stadium, but both stadia are surrounded by so much open, concreted, land. Compared to the Chertsey ground which seems to have been shoe-horned into the town, Sittingbourne's ground couldn't be any more different.

The approach towards the ground, north and east of the town, is through a business park-cum-industrial estate with wide open unmarked roads. The entrance to the Central Park Stadium complex is through a set of overly grand gates. You have to drive through a huge (upper) car park to get to the large (lower) car park adjacent to the Sittingbourne ground. A vast amount of space for a club which attracts between 150 and 200 supporters.

The club itself could not have been any more welcoming. Friendly faces, jovial turnstile operators, amicable programme sellers. Before the game I even got a mention on the tannoy, and this blog address was read out to the 190+ crowd. Quite a nice moment for me, but nothing too momentous for the crowd (there was no frenzied applause, for example). An old chap, stood just alongside me, had patently misheard the announcement and, with great concern, asked why there was a delay.

The game itself was by no means a classic. Sittingbourne just about deserved the victory in a match with few clear chances. Chertsey had a golden opportunity in the first half, when the right full-back (Billy Jones) was unable to connect with a cross as the goal stood empty in front of him. Sittingbourne looked the far more likely to score and this they did on 58 minutes. Yours truly had the 72 minute Golden Goal ticket.

I managed to watch the game from a variety of different positions, with the most intriguing vantage point just in front of the tractor in one corner of the ground. Considering the amount of space outside and around the ground, it was a strange place to keep a tractor. But hey, what do I know about tractors? Maybe they like football too.

The game drifted to it's conclusion, and the locals seemed more than happy with the result. It had been a lovely sunny day with a cooling breeze, and watching an FA Cup tie in these conditions didn't really compute.The skies were still big and blue with gigantic rolling clouds and a Wembley final felt a million years away.

As I made my way back to the car, I could just about make out another tannoy announcement, this time about Sittingbourne's away game opponents in the next round. There was a huge cheer from the departing crowd and it was at that moment I realised I would be on my way back to this county for a Kent derby in two weeks time.

All in all a good afternoon out. A great little club, and if Sittingbourne now go on a bit of a cup run there is a chance that I could be back here in a later round. And I for one would be more than happy to return.

Sittingbourne v Liverpool would be good.

Pie in the sky?

A full match report and photos can be viewed on the Sittingbourne website.