Tag Archives: Blue Square South

Saucy

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Ask the average man (or woman) in the street anywhere in the UK apart from in a WR postcode what is the name of the Lea & Perrin spicy sauce you can chuck on your food and I bet 90% will answer “Worcester Sauce”.  Well saying such a thing in or around the cathedral city of Worcester could get you put inside (not literally of course…you need to do something much more serious in Brown’s Britain for that privilege, such as putting rubbish in the wrong bin).  For the answer is WorcesterSHIRE sauce.

First made in Broad Street, Worcester by two chemists (John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins) back in 1837, and is still being produced by HJ Heinz in the city.  So what has that got to do with football?  Well nothing really – it’s just that I like it on my food and I thought I would share it with you.

English beer

Is there anywhere more English though than Worcester?  Home of Edward Elgar and also St Georges Lane where it is rumoured the last remaining dragon lived and was hunted down by our patron saint. It has a rugby team, a county cricket team, a racecourse and of course the football team.  Just down the road was where Cromwell’s New Model Army (who a few centuries later released the album Impurity) beat King Charles (pretending to be a dog) to win the Civil War (so called as they didn’t actually fight each other they just traded mild insults). During World War II Churchill was based just up the road, as it was decided that the city was far enough away from a potential German invasion and as they cannot pronounce their “W’s” properly and undercover attempts to locate him would have been rumbled – “Vere is Vorcester?”.  And that is why the whole TBIR team had made their way across country on a glorious April Saturday wearing our red and black roses.

Playing away? Miss Worcester models the new kit

So Worcester City – what a mixed situation they find themselves in.  Six weeks ago the club looked doomed.  Three nil down with fifteen minutes to go away at relegation rivals Lewes they stared demotion to the Southern League in the face and with uncertainty over the future of the ground things looked bleak.  Then fifteen minutes of magic started a chain of events.  Three goals in that period not only gave them a point, but in the context saved them three, and since then two further wins and two draws had put some breathing space between themselves and the final relegation spot, still occupied by Lewes.  Last weekend the whole situation was turned on its head again with Lewes winning and Worcester losing, meaning that this game was a real six pointer.  Add to this the off the field news  for the relocation of the team from their St Georges Lane ground that has seen so many sights in its 108 year history but is now showing its age.

St Georges Lane

The finest moment at the ground, and in fact in the club’s history must have been events on the  15th January 1959 when the then Birmingham League team beat Liverpool (then in the 2nd division) 2-1 in the FA Cup 3rd round.  Drawn at home in round four they lost 2-0 to Sheffield United in front of a record 17,000 crowd. How can you top such an event?  Well you can’t and the club has been dining out on the fact that they have beaten a five times European Cup winning team since.  I once met a Worcester City fan who tried to explain to me that the club were in fact the World Club Champions.  After all they had beaten Liverpool, and Liverpool had beaten Manchester United, and Manchester United had beaten Real Madrid who in turn won the first ever Intercontinental Cup which then became the FIFA Club Championship.

TBIR

After a long stint in the Southern League, including a season under the stewardship of Ronnie Radford, he of THAT Hereford United goal in 1971 they were one of the original clubs to form the Alliance Premier League (today the Blue Square Premier) where they stayed until the mid-eighties.  Two seasons ago they moved from the Blue Square North to South to balance up the numbers and have struggled this season at the bottom of the league with crowds falling about 10% from last season.  Inconsistency has been the only constant this season.  Some great wins against the likes of Dover (home and away), Woking and Dorchester have been balanced by defeats to already relegated Weston-super-Mare and Weymouth.

The Lewes Lunatic Fringe (and Northern Steve)

The TBIR team met up with Cynical Dave and Big Deaks who can boast an almost 100% attendance record this season.  Dave certainly has been there through thick and thin and wasn’t looking forward to the prospect of away games at Aveley, Canvey Island or Hornchurch on a wet Tuesday night (although Hastings United and Margate on a sunny day in August is a different story) if relegation did come to Lewes.  Unfortunately Danny had decided that this game wasn’t big enough for him so had headed over to Madrid for the small matter of Real v Barcelona.  Me myself had turned my back on the Circus again, choosing this relegation battle rather than the one at Upton Park.

Welcome to the heart of England

This was the longest away trip of the season and through the bizarre workings of the non league authorities Worcester is actually some 30 miles north of Gloucester who play in the Blue Square North.  We sent off at 10am and shortly received a mercy call from the Lewes Lunatic Fringe who were stuck at Reading so we diverted there scooped them up after negotiating some of the worst signage known to man in the one way system and made our merry way up to Worcester.

After passing Sixways, home of Worcester Warriors sitting in the middle of erm…nothing…we headed on down to the ground and got a spot right outside the entrance, and opposite the Cavalier pub.  Let me describe the setting for you.  Benches beside a canal, sun shining, big tattooed bloke sitting outside with a huge pitbull, three yoofs listening to tinny music on their mobile phones – can a pub scene be any more English than this?  We passed on the Cavalier and instead went round the corner to the Swan for a pint of London Pride and Marston – “the beer of England” the glass told us.  All we needed was a man in a bowler hat with a copy of the Times to walk past to complete the scene.  Instead we saw/heard a Polish/Slovakian/Serbian couple, complete with 18 children wander past throwing their crisp packets on the floor – Can it get any more English than that!

And the winner is....

It was game time, and after hearing some revelations about the Lewes goalkeeper’s latest girlfriend (I cannot reveal it here – suffice to say that it is a close female relative of someone who epitomizes the current English cultural scene) we paid our entrance fee and were in.  Immediately we were thrust a voting slip for Worcester City’s player of the year – all of us except Lolly, who sporting her Lewes shirt was immediately excluded.  As a protest to such apartheid Dave, Deaks and myself cast votes for Julian Dicks!

Another record was set prior to kick off as we counted no less than 11 different team/country shirts in the bar.  Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd, Chelsea, Derby County, Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Wolves, Barcelona, England and El Salvador (OK so the last one was mine but it still counts) – hardly a show of solidarity for the home side!

Worcester City 1 Lewes 2 – St Georges Lane – Saturday 10th April 2010

Keehan heads wide

488…488…Four hundred and eighty eight days have passed since Lewes last won on the road in the League.  Tuesday 8th December 2008 was the date.  The place, Salisbury City but all of that has now been consigned to the bin as the Rooks won their most important game of the season.  It was tense, it was nervous and it gave everyone a headache but after 97 minutes when the referee eventually blew his whistle, the 23 Lewes fans could rejoice in the knowledge that for the first time in weeks the club’s fate was in their own hands.  With two games in hand and just two points now separating the teams the “great escape” could be possible.

Gradwell makes it 1-0

The match started relatively slowly, with the Worcester fans standing on the terraces urging their team on, but it was Lewes who made the early running.  The first real chance fell to Joe Keehan who headed a glorious chance wide in the 15th minute, and then David Wheeler smashed his header against the bar with Worcester’s keeper completely beaten.  Lewes didn’t have to wait too long for their reward though as in the 22nd minute a long Rikki Banks punt upfield was flicked on and Rob Gradwell outpaced the defence and slotted the ball passed the on coming keeper.

That's number 2

The rest of the half saw Lewes confidently playing the ball around and pushing forward, content in taking a half time lead.  The Worcester fans had seen enough and started filtering past us on their way to the bar.  One stopped and asked “Are you called Lewes or Looes?” .  A smart retort of “Are you called Worcester or Whorsester?” moved him onwards as he had lost his bet with his mates about the pronunciation and was seen shortly after buying a round of Aftershock in the bar. But then one of those rare moments at football stunned everyone.  Another long punt upfield.  Keeper and Defender both go for the same ball and both miss it and Steve Brinkhurst simply tapped the ball into an empty net.  One for the Danny Dyer/Ricky Tomlinson/Nick Hancock etc Xmas DVD I am sure.

Hands of my idea sky

As with tradition in the non leagues we swapped ends at half time, wandering around the ground.  It has certainly seen better days and if you ever wanted to make a film about football in the 1960′s or 1970′s then St Georges Lane is the place to come.  You can understand why the club are so desperate to move to a new ground.  The terrace behind the goal where we were now standing was a classic example.  Unusually set high above the goal, but close enough to reach into the net – it would have been a crime not to set up our own “Backofthenetcam” – a great idea but in practice almost completely redundant as all the action was at the far end as Worcester battered Lewes from the first whistle.  They hit the bar within the first 60 seconds of the half and if it wouldn’t have been for a brilliant Rikki Banks re-action save midway through the half the end result would have been different.  As it was Matt Birley’s headed goal in the 76th minute was their only reward.

The lonliness of a Lewes fan

With 4 minutes of injury time being played Lewes took the age old tactic of taking the ball into the corners.  Nothing wrong with that – or was there?  Every time they did it the referee shouted “get out of the corners”.  Now I know that some people are football purists but this is taking it to the extreme.  Sorry ref but you do not decide how the game is played.

So three valuable points from a highly entertaining away day.  We resisted the urge of a quick pint in the Cavalier as the man with the dog had been joined by a bigger man with a bigger dog and instead got back on the road down south.  Days like these are few and far between but that is what makes England great.

For more pictures from our day out in Worcester, click here.

About St Georges Lane
On entering into St Georges Lane you are transported back to the early 1970′s.  One main stand with a small terrace in front of it, a large bank of terracing on the far side, part of which has a roof and terraces behind the goals.  Basic it is and certainly not build for comfort but the proposed move to the new ground will change all that.  However in the meantime expect to get cold and wet if you come here in the winter, although on a sunny day it makes for pleasant viewing, especially in the unusual terrace behind the goal which is at cross bar height meaning you can look down on the action.

The bar seems to run almost the whole length of the main stand and is a great place for a pre, during and post match drink.

How to get to St Georges Lane
Leave the M5 at Junction 6 (Worcester North) and follow the signs towards Worcester along the A449. Follow the dual carriageway till you come to a roundabout. Take the 2nd turning towards Worcester. Stay on this road (Ombersley Road) for about a mile until you reach a T-junction and traffic lights. Take a right turn at the T-junction, St. Georges Lane North is the third turning on the left between a tool hire shop and the In-Toto kitchen showrooms.

As you travel up St. Georges Lane you will see the floodlight pylons of the ground, follow the road until you reach the front of the ground, very prominent. Car parking is roadside only, it is best to carry on past the front of the ground over the canal bridge and up Merrimans Hill road and park on the side of this road.

From Worcester Foregate Street Station. Exit via the long flight of steps and turn right onto Foregate Street. Proceed along this road past the Shirehall, Alice Ottley School and Royal Grammar School until you reach St George’s Lane you will see the floodlight pylons of the ground, follow the road until you reach the front of the ground, very prominent. Total distance is about one mile.

From Worcester Shrub Hill Station.  Its probably best to get a Taxi from here but if you want to walk leave the station and proceed ahead over the brow of the hil towards Pizza Hut. Cross the footbridge and walk along the canal tow path (you can only go one direction). Continue in this direction along the tow path until you reach the Cavalier Pub, turn left and you will see the Entrance to the ground in front of you.  Total distance is about two miles.

How to get a ticket for St Georges Lane
Admission prices to Worcester City for season 2009/10 will be:

Ground: Adult  £11, Concessions £7, Children (under 16) £3, Stand transfer £1.  The club has some special deals running for certain games such as children going in free with any adult.

Bash the Bishop – not today thank you vicar

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Question: What do you get for £400 at West Ham United, £250 at Reading, £120 at Lincoln City and £50 in the non-leagues?

Answer: To have the privilege to run out onto the pitch as a mascot (children only before anyone gets too excited!)

And what do you get for that?  Well in the case of Lincoln City, just about everything actually..For your £250 at Reading you have to supply your own kit, West Ham you get a copy of Match of the Day on DVD but what about your £50 at the non-league level?  Well read on to find out…

Welcome to Woodside

So this weekend we headed back up the M11 for the battle between two of the worst teams in the Blue Square South based on current form.  Bishops Stortford, with just one win from their last six and Lewes, with three draws and three defeats from theirs was hardly impressive form, but for one day the football was taking a back seat.  You see since coming to Woodside Park back in September we have had a soft spot for the club thanks to their general outlook on the football world, and we noticed a bargain when we saw one.

And so when the whole TBIR family drove into the car park at the ground at 2pm, it was not just to watch the game but to “be a part of it” as Carlsberg would say.  For not only was this very blog sponsoring the Match Ball, but the littlest Fuller’s were both mascots.  And as an added twist, Lewes official photographer, match reporter and general man in the know, James Boyes, was unable attend so he asked me to pen the details and snap a few snaps.  One hat tick, two hats hmm, three hats you what?  But four hats.  Well with a head as big as old big head himself I decided to give it a go.

I will not reveal how much of our hard earnt beer money had to change hands but when I was told by John Turner, the club’s commercial maestro and officially in the “Footballest nicest man” gallery about the deal he could do me, I almost bit his hand off.  Christmas presents sorted all round.  It wasn’t about the fame and fortune that goes with sponsorship at this level (after all look what happened to Bob Evans Taxi services Ltd when they sponsored Dorchester recently!) but it is about putting something back.  John himself welcomed us in, sorted kits out, signed programmes and a tunnel pass before explaining he doesn’t do this to make a profit, but to “see the happy faces of families”.  FIFA 5 stars to you John.

With the EFW team rolling into town as well with the Lewes Lunatic Fringe it was sure to be an interesting afternoon.   The girls were excited.  In Lolly’ s case it was same old, same old as this would be her third run out in the middle.  Nothing like the big stage as she had previously led out London Irish at Twickenham (aged just 3) and last year England Under 21′s versus France.  However, this was all new for Littlest Fuller and her nervous excitement was probably due to the fact she was going to her first ever concert at the O2 for the X-Factor Live at 7pm (oh how I was looking forward to that one).  It was also a rare afternoon out for CMF as she is normally on child care duties, but today was enjoying the facilities to the full with an offer from me to act as chauffeur for the day.

So after the girls were kitted up and taken to be amused on the pitch by a couple of the Bishops Stortford girls team we were able to enjoy a well earned beer for being “The Best Parents in the World”, apparently.  Now there are a few things you never see at football.  I have never seen a badger, or a Reliant Robin, or even a photo of Jimmy Saville.  But I had also never seen a vicar, complete with his dog-collar on.  And outside of football I had never seen a vicar carrying a drum, nor a drummer selling raffle tickets.  But here, in the bar was a drum carrying, raffle ticket selling vicar.  One for the trivia album!  The buzzer sounded and it was time to see the girls big moment.  ”Just wander onto the pitch if you want to take pictures – the referee wont mind” added John as they walked out…so we did.

Stortford had just about accumulated enough points to avoid the drop from the Blue Square South.  Essentially, Weymouth were down already, and then it was two from three involving Weston-super-Mare, Worcester City and Lewes.  So this game could either keep Lewes’s season alive for a few more weeks, or put the home team 15 points clear of the drop zone.  Since our last visit top scorer Charlie Sheringham had driven up the M11 (and along the A14 for a mile) to Histon, leaving the blues without a striker, and it is no co-incidence that since his departure goals had virtually dried up.

Bishops Stortford 0 Lewes 0 – Woodside Park – Saturday 20th March 2010
Last week we wrote about our trip to Odense in Denmark under the heading “Never go back”, and that is exactly how Stortford returnee Duane Jackman must have felt as he hobbled off in his first game back at the club after fifteen minutes following a clash with Rikki Banks in the Lewes goal.  One became two when they lost a second player a few minutes later.  Two substitutions in the first twenty minutes?  It had to be Lewes’s day surely.  After failing to win a league game away from home for well over a year could this be their day?  The team came into the game seven points from safety but with two games in hand and an all important six pointer away at Worcester in a few weeks time, and they certainly tried to play like they meant to win.

The Lewes Lunatic fringe stared in disbelief when Walder’s shot skimmed the crossbar and the giant Nick Morgan in the Stortford goal had to make a good save from Jack Walder soon after.  The girls busied themselves in the first half by taking pictures and mocking a young Spurs shirt wearing lad who thought it was like something out of The Firm or Football Factory to run across the terrace we were on shouting “You can’t score”, “You are going down” and “You’re not going to score in a minute”…Tell us somethng we don’t know!

After a brief half time cup of tea in the boardroom, adorned with the glories of yesteryear, and of course the smiling mug of Jeff Stelling on the wall telling us about the latest scores from the rest of the country it was back out into the action.  Danny and Deaks, both sporting fetching TBIR badges for the day had brought their cakes with them and taunted the rest of the away following with “We’ve got cakes, we’ve got cakes, you ain’t”.

So what can I remember about the second half? Well it rained, alot.  Neither team created a chance until the 75th minute when Stortford’s Reece Prestedge should have scored when set up by a great run down the wing from Pavett but he headed wide and we spotted the Stortford Manager Mark Simpson sporting a West Ham tracksuit top whilst parading around in the technical area with the initials “MD” on, which is a tad strange.  Simpson certainly didn’t like the major incident in the second half, going ballistic at the linesman when the referee sent off Ali Abdullahi near the end, not realising that he had been booked already.  It was the first time I had heard a manager apologise for his words in a long time.

So with time ticking down the final chance to wrap up all three points fell to captain Anthony Barness when his shot from distance through a crowd of players failed to take the necessary deflection and Nick Morgan smothered it well with a host of Lewes players waiting for a mistake.  Nil Nil it ended and it hadn’t been a classic on the field, but off it it was a great afternoon out for the girls.

After a few handshakes in the boardroom and a quick pork pie we were off down the M11 for a night with the X-Factor finalists.  Whatever you do Lewes, “Don’t stop believin’”…

If you are desperate for some more, have a read of the EFW day here.

Video thanks to Ben Dellows from Bishops Stortford FC

For details on Woodside Park and directions click here

Woking – the most dangerous place in England?

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Trawling through website as I do I came across a very unusual statement.  In their official directions to their Kingfield Stadium, Woking FC have added the following “safety warning” in bold letters:-

Please note: We recommend that, for personal safety reasons, women and young children do not walk unaccompanied to Kingfield Stadium. It would be advisable to take a taxi from Woking Station direct to the ground, costing approximately £4.

Now bear in mind the route actually takes supporters past a Magistrates Court and the Police Station, what other dangers lurk on the route that would avoid such a warning?  Woking fans are hardly the ICF from my frequent visits to watch them, so is there some other obstacle that the police in Surrey have failed to clear up that requires such a warning?

Well, we went and asked the Woking fans the reason for such a stark warning…Apparently there have been a number of assaults in the park mentioned in the direct route to the ground.  Whilst in daylight this risk is minimalised, the club and it should actually be applauded for doing so, would be negligent if they didn’t issue such a warning for the most “at risk” groups.  How many other clubs would issue a similar warning I wonder?

No stepping back

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Question: Which Blue Square team is the only one to have a twice winner of the European Cup amongst their midst?

Question: For which club did Mitchell Bryant score six goals for in February 2010?

Question: Where did the first goal scored by a goalkeeper in the FA Cup happen?

If you answered Leeds United, Nottingham Forest or Reading to any of the above you are wrong.  Because all three answers are Basingstoke Town.  Yep, the newest of the new towns in Hampshire have more than a couple of claims to fame.

I won two European Cups don't you know

They are managed by Frank(ie) Gray who broke into the Leeds United team under Don Revie in 1972 and went on to make nearly 200 appearances for them alongside his brother, Eddie.  Now here is a great big of bonus trivia for you.  In the 2009 film The Damned United, the role of Eddie Gray was played by his son Stuart Gray…and who played Frankie Gray?  Answer at end of this blog post.  Then Cloughie came along, and was suitably impressed that he shipped young Frankie over to the City Ground when he moved there and the young full back ended up playing in two European Cup Finals for Forest (he also played in the 1976 one for Leeds, making him the first British player to play in one for two separate teams).

Gray ended up at Basingstoke after spells along the M3 corridor with Woking and Farnborough Town in 2008 with an aim to try and take the club one step further.  They have been in the Blue Square South since its inception in 2004, having spent most of the previous decade in the Isthmian Premier League.  Dull and boring some may say?  Not at all.  Let’s look at three games in particular.

Mitchell Bryant thankfully not playing

Weymouth 0 Basingstoke Town 6 -February 2010
A Valentines Day massacre (overused cliche I know) for sure at the Wessex as loanee striker from Reading Mitchell Bryant scored all six goals for the away side.   Bryant scored a hatrick in each half to become the only player in Non-League Conference history to complete a double hat rick and the first I can remember since good old Frankie Bunn scored six for Oldham Athletic in the League Cup “back in the day”. So embarrassed were the home team by their performance that the deemed the following game free entry for all home fans.

Heybridge Swifts 3 Basingstoke Town 9 – 1998/99
A normal Isthmian League game in deepest darkest Essex saw Basingstoke trail 3-1 and down to ten men early in the second half before they found some magical pixie dust from somewhere.  Thirty minutes later they had scored 8 to pull off a truly remarkable result.

Basingstoke Town 2 Dagenham & Redbridge 2 – October 2001
In the FA Cup qualifying rounds, Basingstoke were leading into injury time to Conference leaders Dagenham & Redbridge.  With the last throw of the dice Dagenham sent up their keeper, Tony Roberts up into the penalty area and he scored with a 25 yard volley. A feat that made FA Cup history.

Game on - thanks to Amy Lloyd for this one

It was with recreating this moment that we set off at lunch time on Saturday 6th March for the biggest EFW/TBIR away day of the season.  Danny, Deaks, Cynical Dave, Lolly and were all up for this – the deal breaker being the £5 admission charge announced by the club – a saving of £5, or in simple speak a pint and a half free for watching a football match.  Obviously we would be there supporting Lewes, although based on their amazing ability to pull a draw out of the mouth of a victory last week against Worcester when they surrendered a 3-0 lead with just 20 minutes to go, but hope seemed to have faded and we were consoling ourselves that Aveley on a Monday night in the Championship Manager cup next season wasn’t such a bad thing (oh yes it is – read blog post from 2nd March 2010 below).

Welcome to another EFW awayday

So after a drive around the roundabouts in the town centre we pulled up at the ground just before 1.30pm to take in the big match atmosphere.  Basingstoke is not the most aesthetically pleasing town you will come across, and from memory of my time here at Cable & Wireless (or Mercury as it was in those heady early 90′s) I cannot remember too many nights out here.  Conversations turned to the orange ball debate, and when it can and should be used.  I threw in the point that it was used in the 1973 FA Cup final, memorable for the fact Bob Stokoes Sunderland beat Leeds.  Danny ventured the point that he used to know someone who owned a cat called Stokoe.  I tried to top it with the fact that my manager at the said role at Cable & Wireless was a certain Ken Knighton, who previously had actually been a player under Stokoe at Sunderland (he later managed them as well.  Wow top that I said….and Danny did by pointing out that the Basingstoke mascot, a large dragon was peering in the window.  His name, of course, had to be Stokie.

Basingstoke Town 1 Lewes 1 – The Camrose Ground – Saturday 6th March 2010
We marched the few steps across the car park, paid our £5 (and £1 for Lolly) and were in position in time for Joe Keehan to head home in the 3rd minute from Lewes’s very first visit into the home team’s penalty box.  I captured the moment on my trusty Samsung, much to the chagrin of the official Lewes snapper James.  The LLF immediately called for a withdrawal of a striker in favour of an extra defender to preserve the lead.  News filtered through of a goal at Upton Park, and as if to further justify my decision to turn my back on the circus for the afternoon, Kevin Davies scored the opener.

Another photo of the season candidate?

Most of the remainder of the half was spent with the ball at the far end.  The normally safe-as-houses Rikki Banks in the Lewes goal was having a bit of a tough half, hardly helped by the strong sun in his eyes, but he nearly gifted Basingstoke two goals in a David James style performance.  Basingstoke were ruing the unavailability of Mitchell Bryant, who had won the player of the month competition for February, and had been replaced by the “larger than life” Jahson (with an “H”) Downes who looked like he had been across the road for his pre-match warm up.  In fact I do not think I have ever seen a ground so surrounded by junk food.  McDonalds and Pizza Hut literally overlooked the stadium, with Pizza Express doubling up as a car park at the far end.

A tall story - but which one is Lolly?

With the half winding down Deaks served up the even better news that West Ham were now 2-0 down at the Circus.  Fantastic news!  I held off telling Lolly for a few minutes as she was on one of her picture wanders (she is allowed to walk around the ground taking irrelevant pictures for those who don’t know her).  Deaks then pulled a great spot out of the bag – “Isn’t that Shaun Udal?” and sure enough, playing footie with his son was the ex-England cricketer Udal.  1-0 to Deaks I think.

Half time came with Lewes still 1-0 up and we headed back to the club house for some refreshment just in time for Jeff Stelling to tell me that West Ham were “simply dreadful”.  Thanks Jeff – and how were Hartlepool getting on eh? (they were actually winning 2-0).  Danny managed to snap Mr Udal with the EFW logo and all were happy….for just four minutes, as that was all it took for Basingstoke’s Jide Ogunbote to level the scores.

Hardcore home fans

The rest of the half was dominated by one man.  The referee.  Mr Wes Linden.  Two words Mr Linden – “you’re shit”.  Time after time he ended up angering fans, players and managers alike with his bizarre decisions.  Take the incident when a Lewes midfielder was caught late after a ball out wide.  In full view of the ref the Basingstoke player kicked out at the Lewes player.  Referee waved play on, then stopped it as he realised that an incident could escalate.  So what did he do?  He booked the Lewes player.

And the referee books....no one...

I thought enough was enough so went to have a word with the Lino.  And did he want to know?  Did he f@ck.  He simply ignored me, even when I said he had dropped the £10 that had obviously been given to him as a “sweetener”.  With the game entering injury time another flash point arose.  This time 18 players got involved and both linesmen were on the pitch ready.  Basingstoke’s number 6 started to walk towards the dressing rooms, sure that he was to be red carded not only for his lunge but his reaction to the Lewes players, yet again the referee saw no reason to issue a card at all.  On an afternoon when FIFA stated that the “door to goal line technology had been firmly closed” perhaps they should invest in referee watch to rid the game of such incompetence.

And so the game ended all square.  Lewes really needed the win to try and claw their way out of trouble.  Results elsewhere meant that it was a point gained, but at this stage three was the order of the day.  The TBIR taxi was required to take the LLF back to the station, taking in the highlights of Basingstoke in just 30 seconds, and we were back at TBIR Towers just over an hour later.  Was a 1-1 draw in the Blue Square South better than an afternoon at the circus? As Matthew Kelly once said – You Bet!

More pictures can be seen at our Flikr page by clicking here.

About the Camrose Ground
The ground is named after their late benefactor, Lord Camrose.  It has a capacity of 4,000 although the record attendance is 5,085 for a game versus Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup 1st Round in November 1997.  The ground has just one seated area, the Main Stand (capacity 650), which is located on the south-east side of the pitch. The opposite side of the pitch has a covered terraced area, although the cover is set quite away back from the pitch.  At the north end of the ground is a covered terrace whilst the opposite end is open to the elements.  The club house is behind this stand and if you do decide to go in their at half time you need your ticket to re-enter the ground.

How to get to the Camrose Ground
Exit at Junction 7 – (A30) follow dual carriageway to mini roundabout – over roundabout. Up to a large roundabout take the 2nd exit into Western Way and the ground car park is 50 yards on the right. Entrance to the ground is via 2 turnstiles opposite the Social Club. The car park at the ground (£1 charge) gets full fairly early, if you arrive within 20 mins of kick-off we suggest you try the Retail Park public car park (free) opposite the ground. Basingstoke Station is based next to the town centre, about 1.5 miles from the Camrose. It is easily accessible from London Waterloo, Reading and Southampton. A taxi fare should be about £5.

How to get a ticket for the Camrose Ground
All Tickets Pay at the Gate on the Day. No Need To Book.  The matchday ticket includes entrance to the Clubhouse on that day for all First Team, Reserve and Youth Team (Saturday or Evening) Matches. On a matchday Saturday this would apply up to 7.00pm, after which time non-members would need to be signed in by a club member.  Ticket prices are £10, under 16′s £3.  There is a £1 charge to transfer to the main stand.

Answer to the question was…Nobody…Nobody played the role of Frankie Gray in the film The Damned United as he wasn’t featured.



Works on the toughest Staines

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One of my goals for the season was to visit all of the Blue Square South teams, and with two months to go I only had 3 to watch a game at and with some careful planning, I was due to see them all within a week starting with Staines Town.  Unfortunately, my original plans of a trip to Staines Town were thwarted by the kind heart of my beloved CMF who whisked me away for the weekend to celebrate my 40th birthday when Lewes were coming to visit in January.  Never mind though as Danny Last and the LLF (The Lewes Lunatic Fringe) went instead and recorded events from the afternoon perfectly whilst I was sunning myself in the Biosphere (aka Centerparcs).So excuse the lack of a normal pre-amble as I think that Danny has already given Staines a thorough going over in his excellent piece here.

Staines were enjoying their first season at this level after winning a close play off with Carshalton Athletic last season after falling at the same hurdle the year before.  The club had been playing in the Isthmian league for so long.They had also enjoyed a good FA Cup run, cumulating in a home tie versus Millwall where the local media went a bit OTT almost comparing the visit of the Lions fans with a horde of invading Vikings…NIMBY’s I ask you! In fact their form since Christmas had been nothing short of fantastic.  Out of a total of nine games, the Staines Massive had won seven and drawn two and they had climbed up the league to sit in a very healthy third place.  Goals were simply flowing with twenty four scored, including four last week against St Albans City.

Visitors Eastleigh on the other hand had not had the best of weeks.  Getting hammered 8-2 at home by Thurrock a week previously is hardly a smiling matter, although at half time when they were 6-0 down a little sweepstake started around us at Upton Park as to how many Thurrock would score.  I pulled 8 out of the bag so sorry Eastleigh I profited by a £5 in your misfortune.

The thing about the Blue Square South league this season is that it is so wide open, even now with two thirds gone.  Take Newport County out of the equation (currently three million points clear with twenty games in hand) and you will see that there are a dozen teams fighting for the four play off spots.  Before Christmas it had seemed as if Dover Athletic and Woking had two of these places sewn up but now it is a different ball game as Thurrock, Braintree Town and Staines had usurped them.  Consistency is the key at this stage of the season.  That and the actual ability to play a game due to the weather.  There is an age old argument that it is better to have points rather than games in hand.  I would disagree that this is always true (just ak our friends at Durham City with their played 26 lost 26 record if they would rather have a record of played 13 lost 13 with 13 games in hand at this stage?) and with the insistence of the league that the final round of games was to be Saturday 24th April then you can see some teams having to play three or four games a week.  Quite why the season has to finish then is unknown.  It is not as if many Blue Square players will be heading off to South Africa in the summer, and with the play offs in the North and South divisions being played at club and not national venues then fixture congestion in May is hardly an issue.

So after a whole week without a game, it was back on the Road to Hell (for all of you who are younger than 25 this will mean nothing to you) before following the Thames through Chelsea player territory to Chertsey.  Most people who live in Staines say they live in Chertsey as it sounds better (not my logic but that of Mr Phil “no I am not the Hull manager, can you see I am not orange” Brown, who actually does live in Chertsey).  Rain had been the main threat this week, and with the morning showers out of the way and a quite Twitter assured us that both Staines (and if necessary our “Plan B” at Ashford Town was on).  So after passing the firmly shut gates of Thorpe Park, crossing the Thames one more time and then negotiating the Staines one way system we pulled into the car park at Staines Town FC just in time for a beer and a couple of sendings off from Stamford Bridge.

The Wheatsheaf Park ground is perfectly positioned in a leafy lane close to the Thames.  In fact so close that they actually share it with the Thames Club, a posh toffs gym sort of thing.  The team had moved back here in 2003 after a £6m facelift, and what a smart facility they now have.  The club even advertise themselves as “Proper Football, Proper Fans” and who were we to argue as we paid our £10 to enter the threshold, hoping to be entertained.

Staines Town 1 Eastleigh 2 – Wheatsheaf Park – Saturday 27th February 2010

Wheatsheaf Park

So a game between one team on fire and one reeling on the ropes from an absolute whacking a week ago – home win banker surely?  Er not at all.  This was a real shock for the form book and just underlines the open nature of the league.  Staines never got out of first gear, perhaps wishing that the “thin Jeff Winter” (copyright Eastleigh fans) had not passed the pitch fit earlier in the day.

The very vocal Eastleigh fans

The first half was a battle of the two sets of fans.  Having become quite an expert in the Blue Square South this season it made a refreshing change to see and more importantly hear two sets of fans not only trying to rally their teams but also out do each other.  Staines, perched high in the man stand with their trumpets versus Eastleigh in the covered stand opposite with their drum.  Round one to Eastleigh with their rude opening:-

“We’ve got the best looking barmaid in the league,
Best looking barmaid in the league,
Best looking barmaid in the league,
And she takes it up the a@*e”

I am not sure if said girl was standing there but one young girl was going bright red during the song.

Not to be outdone, Staines responded with..

“8-2, you only lost 8-2″

Just send the awards for photo of the year to me now

Eastleigh drew first blood with a stunning free kick from 25 yards after just 13 minutes.  Standing from my vantage point behind the goal I could see Sam Butler lining up for a shot on goal.  I tried to tell Louis Wells in the Staines goal but he didn’t listen to me and 10 seconds later I had captured the sports photo of the year as the ball smashed into the net.

“What’s it like to win a game?” Sang the Staines massive

“What’s it like to score a goal!” Retorted the Eastleigh fans

2-0...can you guess which one scored?

Staines simply could not get going.  For a team on such a hot run of form something had either gone missing or simply been left in the dressing room.  Their own Mambo number 5, Yado Mambo completed a miserable half for them when on the stroke of 45 minutes he sliced the ball into his own net after a great break down the right by Andy Forbes who had beaten the offside trap and outpaced Danny Gordon before putting a dangerous cross into the box.

With the rain falling again the second half restarted Staines picked up where they had left off…”Shoot in a minute, we’re gonna shoot in a minute” was an encouraging cry from the home fans but it hardly sunk in as Eastleigh continued to attack, although they did take any chance they could to wind down the clock.

“We just had a shot, we just had a shot, oh gord blimey, oh god blimey, we just had a shot”

Staines pull a goal back with their first shot on goal

The home fans did get something to cheer about when a fortunate penalty decision for handball was awarded to them with just eight minutes to go.  Leroy Griffiths stepped up and sent Matthews the wrong way.  Did we then get the typical late onslaught to look for the equaliser?  Er no.  Staines seemed to simply think that was all they deserved.  If only they had some of the spirit Worcester City were showing some 80 miles southish at Lewes where they had come from a battering for an hour and 3-0 down with just fifteen minutes to go to salvage a 3-3 draw.

So that was that.  I was back on The Road to Hell within ten minutes, listening to England get embarrassed by the Irish at Twickenham and wondering what the barmaid in question was planning for verse two!

About Wheatsheaf Park
Wheatsheaf Park is the home of the Staines Town Football Club. It is situated in Wheatsheaf Lane, Staines. It has been the home of the club since it was purchased in 1951. Like many football stadiums, it has changed greatly over time; the most recent of these changes was the development of the main stand in the Wheatsheaf Lane End. Planning permission for this was granted by Spelthorne Council in March 2000, and Staines Town returned to the revamped ground on 22 February 2003. The club now boasts a brand new sports bar with Sky Sports football each week and refurbished changing rooms. Wheatsheaf Park is one of the most developed stadiums in the Blue Square South.

Wheatsheaf Park has a total capacity of 3,000, with 300 seated and 800 in covered terrace. The record league attendance for a match at Wheatsheaf Park is 2,285 vs AFC Wimbledon in 2006, However 1 year later Staines had a historic F.A Cup match against Stockport County and the attendance just creept over the 2,860 mark therefore setting the clubs over attendance record.

The ground consists of one main stand, raised above pitch level and three terraces, two of which are covered. There is also plenty of room for standing in front of the main stand.

How to get to Wheatsheaf Park
By Road: Leave the M25 at Junction 13 and turn east onto the London bound A30. At ‘The Crooked Billett’ roundabout, exit for Staines town centre. Go right through the town, passing the Elmsleigh Centre car parks, next bear left at the junction opposite the Thames Lodge hotel and into Laleham Road. Go under the iron railway bridge next to the river and follow the road for about 2/3 of a mile, turning right by the bollards and into Wheatsheaf Lane. The ground is on the left and sign posted Staines Town FC / The Thames club.

By Rail: Staines by rail is on the main Windsor & Eton / Reading line to Waterloo. The stadium is a 3/4 mile walk, exit onto Gresham Road (same platform side if coming from Waterloo) and turn left at T junction into Laleham Road, Wheatsheaf Lane is about 1/2 mile on the right.

By Bus: The main bus routes are 216 from Kingston via Hampton, 117 from Isleworth via Feltham and 290 from Twickenham via Sunbury: Either exit at ‘Stainash Parade’ or High street, (both 1 mile walk). From Stainash Parade take Worple Road to ‘Angler’s Retreat’ pub, turn right into Laleham Road, Wheatsheaf Lane is on left. From High Street: Enter Laleham Road at Thames Lodge hotel, Wheatsheaf Lane is on right.

Many thanks to Stuart Moore at the club for the above directions.

How to get a ticket for Wheatsheaf Park
Pay on the door is the order of the day unless the club get another big FA Cup draw.  Admission is via turnstiles either side of the main stand in the car park and it is £10 for Adults and £5 for Concessions.  Fans can transfer to the stand free of charge.