I was on leave last week. I’m no great fan of standing out in the freezing wind, so I only went to eight matches. That’s 75 for the season now and a barmy 6,540 altogether.
The results were: Barnet 3-0 Concord Rangers, Katabella 2-0 Headstone Manor (Women), Poole Town 0-1 Staines Town, Christchurch 3-2 Hythe & Dibden, Operational Support 3-2 Hammersmith & City, Camden Athletic 3-1 Edexcel, Carshalton Athletic 2-1 Egham Town and Zoo 1-2 AFC Total.
The evening after the Barnet Cup tie, when I got drenched sitting in the second row of the West Stand, I was one of around 350 people privileged to be at a Gala Dinner to celebrate The FA’s 150th anniversary. It was at the Grand Connaught Rooms near Holborn tube, the site of the old Freemasons’ Tavern where The FA was formed, and on the same day too – 26 October.
I had to hire a suit for the occasion – I don’t think I’ve worn one for several decades – and the lady receptionist at my Paddington hotel saved my bacon by managing to put my bow tie on for me. I was getting nowhere with it up in my room. It was a fabulous occasion, as I knew it would be, and I particularly liked the FIFA President’s little story from the 1986 World Cup in Mexico.
“That was ‘English Fair Play’ and something to be proud of, I think.”
David Barber FA Historian
Argentina’s Maradona infamously scored his ‘Hand of God’ goal against us in the quarter-final and when Mr Blatter heard that FA secretary Ted Croker (my boss for eleven years) wanted a word after the match, he was expecting some kind of protest over the goal. But he just got thanks for the welcome and help of FIFA and the people of Mexico throughout the tournament.
That was ‘English Fair Play’ and something to be proud of, I think.
I went down to Bournemouth for a couple of days and it was a bit of a mess after the storm, with the pavement along the seafront covered in sand and seaweed.
But it was dry and sunny on the Tuesday, so I had no doubt that Poole’s Cup replay with Staines would be played. There was a lot at stake – a First Round tie at Brentford – and a crowd of 935 saw a tense match. Staines scored the only goal on 70 minutes and the Dolphins missed out on their first appearance in the Competition Proper for 30 years.
The following night I was planning to see Hamworthy v Whitchurch in the Wessex League but noticed in the afternoon paper that Christchurch were playing Hythe & Dibden in the Russell Cotes Cup and that was slightly more appealing. It finished 3-2, with all the goals coming in the first half. Back in town on Thursday I saw an Edexcel player sent off in the first minute at Market Road. He was wearing No.13 too!
I’m writing this on 5 November, which is 53 years to the day since Dad took me to my first football match. It was Crystal Palace v Hitchin Town in The Cup, my hero Johnny Byrne scored a tenth-minute opener and a 22,000 Selhurst Park crowd saw Palace romp to a 6-2 win. For me the weekend of the First Round is still special and I hope to see my 70th First Round tie on Saturday. My favourite so far is Walton & Hersham’s 2-1 victory against Exeter City in 1972, my first ‘giantkilling’.
