Another season of sheer joy watching all levels of football, seeing one of the best games I have ever seen, an abandoned game, promotions, pitch invasions, nostalgia, re-birth, disappointment and a little boredom and much more.
It all started at Fakenham, one holiday evening in July when the football was relaxed and the burger cooked on a barbeque outside was the highlight. 38 games later at my penultimate game I would be there to see Bradford City fans, players and officials joy in gaining promotion, 40 years after the fire at the ground that claimed the lives of 56 people.
On the way, I saw Hallam reel in Selsden’s huge points advantage but just failed to pip them in the quest for automatic promotion. They managed it via the playoffs.
A visit to St Albans, 70 years on, saw them win, although they still suffered relegation from the National League South. Ian Culverhouse, Paul Bastock, and the rest of the team have agreed to stay on for next season. They were hired too late for St Albans to avoid the drop, in the end, by only 1 point after at one time looking completely doomed at Christmas.
I always enjoy an evening of football at Matlock, but a poor showing in their FA Cup replay was only a portent to their relegation at the end of the season.
Wakefield failed again in the playoffs to get out of NCEL Division One, and I watched them play at home, this time at Fatherstone Rovers ground. Last year, it was at Wakefield Trinity’s. This nomadic romp may soon be over as they try to secure a permanent home at Brook Farm. In the Dearne Valley, there continues to be a resurgence, and it is Wombwell Town that has developed an impressive ground and gained promotion.
From visiting Premier grounds at Wolves and Villa to watching Sheffield Students in the 12th tier, I have been impressed at the quality of football. Talking of Students I again visited Loughborough Students, one of my favourite haunts, but this was soured by a £70 parking fine over a £1 parking fee. This was eventually squashed after the usual battle.
A stop off at Hackney Marshes to reminisce and nearby ‘The Old Spotted Dog’ to see the oldest ground in London was a happy event. Not so happy was the trip to North Leicester to see an abandoned game at Ansty Nomads, I still haven’t dried out.
European football was provided by TNS at Shrewsbury, and I later visited their true home ground near Oswestry. This is a very well run club that deserves its status as the best Welsh team. Competition in the Cymru leagues will be fierce in the coming season with a new structure looming and being based on this seasons placings.
I finally made it to Appleby Froddingham in Scunthorpe after a few re-routed journeys due to bad weather. The friendliness made up for the average facilities, and I am pleased to see that they have been reprieved relegation and remain allocated in the 10th tier. The facilities were not extensive at Keswick, but, ‘Oh’, what a scenic ground in the park, with the Lake District Hills as a backdrop.
Great to have seen a Bury victory as they make their slow but sure come back through the leagues. What marvellous support they have both home and away. A mention of support brings me back to St Albans, where despite relegation, they still hosted the 5th highest average attendance in the National League South.
County cups are often forgotten by clubs, yet on a cold evening I saw Ashbourne nearly upset Clay Cross, a team who won the United Counties Division One, in my view one of the hardest leagues to get out of anywhere in the country due to its competitiveness. The oldest derby in the world drew a crowd well over 1500 at Hallam to see them beat Sheffield Fc in ‘The Sheffield and Hallamshire County Cup’. The final of the cup where Worksop just beat Hallam was my final game of the season.
I have saved the highlights and lowlights to last. Visiting Gretna and watching some surprisingly skilful football and some skilful parking and a tasty scotch pie. A visit to Wembley to see Aston Villa not turn up and be humiliated by Crystal Palace and experience the worst football food of the season, the FA should do better. Biggleswade were down and out at half time at Coleshill in the cup, but turned it round, eventually winning 4,5, especially pleasing for their Chairman whom I went to school with. Another 4.5, this time on penalties after 4.4 after extra time, saw Gainsborough Trinity beating Hednesford after also looking to have no way back. This game was one of the most exciting I have ever seen in my long history of watching football.
For sheer emotion, the joy of the fans of Bradford City, when their 95th minute winner and promotion clincher went in, was my highlight of the season. To have been their and experience it was tingling.
Another season awaits.
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