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...

Don't take anything for granted

There are many things in life we know will happen. Night follows day. We are born, we will die. We pay tax. Our knees will eventually give up on us. These are certainties.

Then a there are things in life I take for granted, which I know I should not. Water. Electricity. My wife. My family. My health. Sugar.

And there are things in life that perhaps we should do, but never do. Enjoy your youth before it's too late. Do one thing every day that scares you. Don't worry about the future. Dance. Sing. Floss.

In football there are perceived certainties. We know that one of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal will win the Premier League this season. Maybe not? We are certain that England will lose the next penalty shoot out they are involved in. Who knows? We can say confidently that a club outside of the Premier League will not win the FA Cup in the next ten years. Who can say? Maybe in this beautiful game there are no real certainties.

In reality these are things we are just taking for granted.

Regular readers will no doubt have gathered that the FA Cup is my favourite football competition. And there are certain things I have always taken for granted. The excitement of the games; the David v Goliath match-ups; the Cup shocks; the fact that the BBC always chose to televise a dull all-Premier League tie in the Third Round.

And the thrill at the small clubs when a big team comes a visiting.

On the eve of the Eastbourne Borough v Bromley match last week, the FA allocated draw numbers for clubs that would be in the hat for the First Round Proper. My post that day was all about the "prize" of a small club pulling out a big name in the cup. Eastbourne Borough v Leeds United or Nottingham Forest, for example. Go back to an earlier post in this blog and I dared the Sittingbourne fans to dream of a home tie against Liverpool.

I have always assumed that if you spoke to anyone involved with a non-league club they would positively drool at the thought of a big club coming to town. But during my visit to Eastbourne Borough, a comment from committee member Lee Peskett really caught me on the blind side.

It made me question something I had always taken for granted.

I put this question to Lee. "I guess you fancy Leeds or Forest at home in the next round then"? I felt at the time that this was a rhetorical question. Goes without saying doesn't it?

But no, it doesn't. Lee painted the picture for me. Yes, a home tie against a big club would be great. The fans would love it. It would be a proud moment for the club. It would capture the imagination of the town. And so on; things we hear every season at this stage of the competition. But there was a but. A big but.

For a small club, drawing a big team at home could be a logistical nightmare.

Lee pointed out that there are many additional things that need to be considered if a big team comes to town. For example, segregation. This does not simply involve throwing up a gate between two sections of ground. It has to be installed to meet all of the Health and Safety standards. The segregated fans must have safe access in and out of the ground. Refreshment and toilet facilities need to be made available. Things we take for granted at the top grounds, but at places like Priory Lane, things that cannot be changed overnight.

And then there are increased costs associated with bigger crowds. More turnstiles to be opened, more programmes to be printed, more chips to be fried. And the Police expenses can be astronomical. Many clubs at this level could feasibly lose money when a big team is in town.

In this situation the club's feelings can be mixed. And under FA regulations, clubs can no longer choose to switch their game to be played elsewhere, unless the Police insist. So for many non-league clubs, an away tie at a big club would be preferred. Clubs get 50% of the gate for FA Cup ties so the benefits of an away trip are obvious. Getting a big team at home is not all that it is cracked up to be.

So there you have it. For us footy fans, we simply turn up. We pay our money, we watch the game, have a bit of a moan, a shout and (if we're lucky) a cheer. Then we go home. The club is always there and the volunteers are there long before we arrive and will be there long after we have left. And many of us (myself included) perhaps don't appreciate the detailed planning that goes into running a club and organising a match day, especially an FA Cup game against one of the big guns.

It is something we just take for granted.

The Prize Draw

A little less than two weeks ago Bromley and Eastbourne Borough were winning their FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round home ties against Dartford (1-0) and Welling United (2-1) respectively. Those results set up the big game at Priory Lane tomorrow in the last qualifying round of the competition.

And now it gets really tasty.

The big prize awaiting the winner of tomorrow's game is an entry in the draw for the FA Cup First Round Proper.


But first things first.

In between FA Cup games both clubs have had other matches to concentrate on and I would have to say that Eastbourne Borough appear to be in better form. One week ago Bromley won 3-2 in a league game away at Dorchester Town but followed that up on Tuesday with a bizarre result at home to St. Albans City. Bromley scored first in this match after only three minutes, but then conceded an amazing three goals in four minutes to trail 3-1 before some supporters had even finished their pre-match bovril. Bromley eventually fought back to 3-4 but couldn't quite snatch a result. The news on the streets of Bromley was that their defending was woeful.

As for Eastbourne Borough, they had one more game to play than Bromley following their win in the last round. On the Tuesday after their success over Welling United, they disposed of Ringmer (3-0) in the Sussex Senior Cup and then went on to beat Sutton United at home in the league by the same score. Last Tuesday they had another league game up at Cambridge City which ended 1-1. Defensively a bit meaner for the South Coast club.

And so to tomorrow's game, and I anticipate a good match and a great atmosphere. Financially, the rewards aren't insignificant; clubs winning in the 4th Qualifying Round receive a tidy £10,000 which is not to be sniffed at for these non-leaguers.

But the biggest prize of all for club and fans alike must be the opportunity in the next round to pit your talents against a league outfit. The draw numbers have already be allocated by the FA; Eastbourne Borough or Bromley have been given number 74.

I have more than a sneaking suspicion that both sets of fans have one eye on the next round and 74 versus either 22 or 32 would be rather nice. Leeds United or Nottingham Forest.

Now that's what you would call a prize draw.

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 4: Sittingbourne 1, Dartford 5

1st Qualifying Round Replay
Tuesday 18th September 2007
Kick Off 7:45pm

Attendance: 303
Weather: Chilly but dry

Distance travelled: 131 miles

There is something extra special about a midweek football game under floodlights. Some of my earliest memories as a child are of watching cup games on TV, midweek games played out in front of packed (standing) crowds. The teams would be illuminated from all four corners of the ground, with the players being followed around the pitch by their surreal four bodied shadows. And some classic games always spring to mind. Without giving my age away too much, I remember my Dad letting me stay up to watch the great European nights. I never forget the Liverpool versus St. Etienne European Cup quarter-final. The red of Liverpool, the green of St. Etienne, the ginger of David Fairclough. Super-sub Fairclough coming on and scoring that late, late spectacular winning goal. The roar from the floodlit kop that night could be heard three miles away. It makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

And I'm not even a Liverpool fan.

Sittingbourne had their lights on for last night's replay against Dartford and as soon as I arrived, spying the illuminated ground in the distance, my childhood memories came flooding back. I've been to hundreds of evening games, and its always the same. From Leeds to Luton, Preston to Peterborough. Always that sense of excitement at watching a game under floodlights. Superb.

There seemed to be a buzz around the ground as well, over 100 additional paying customers compared to my last visit to Bourne Park. There was a sizable contingent from Dartford, not surprising for the Kent neighbours.

Have I mentioned that this was my third trip to Kent...? I think I'm getting a bit paranoid about this.

A friend joined me for this trip, and he was befriended in the Gents by one of the stewards before the game, who seemed keen to provide details of how to make a quick exit from the vicinity after the game. Maybe the steward sensed it was going to be a tough game for the home team. I don't recall ever watching such a one sided encounter. By half-time, Dartford were 4-0 up and the game was over. As the fourth goal hit the back of the net, the Sittingbourne keeper fell to ground and stayed down. He quickly realised that it was game over (for both him and his team); it later transpired he had broken a small bone in his knee.

Sittingbourne did not get a shot on target until the dying minutes of the game, when they were awarded a dubious penalty. Dartford totally dominated, and were stronger than their hosts in every department. A wonderful hat-trick from Brendan Cass (27, 44, 68 mins), plus goals from Adam Flanagan (23 mins) and Eddie McClements (36 mins) proved Dartford's superiority. It could quite easily have been more. The consolation goal from Bradley Spice arrived on 85 minutes.

As we were leaving after the game, I felt a little downhearted. I have seen Sittingbourne play three times in this cup run, and visited Bourne Park twice, within the space of a few weeks. And I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed their company. I got another mention on the tannoy last night, and the match programme offered up a full page spread on my blog. The encouragement and support I have received from Sittingbourne will stay with me for some time.

A huge thank-you to Peter Pitts and I wish the club and the fans of Sittingbourne every success for the rest of the season.

It's now time for Darftord to pick up the baton on this Road to Wembley and it's an exit from this season's FA Cup for Sittingbourne. Could the last one out please switch off the floodlights.