I got drenched several times over the weekend, but I saw 16 goals in two FA Cup matches so I’m not complaining.
The weekend of the First Round Proper remains my favourite and Saturday’s tie was a Kent derby between Bromley and Dartford that drew a crowd of more than 4,000 to The Fortress Stadium.
I went with my friend Cris, a top statto who often comes to England matches with me, and there was some brightness outside as we had lunch near Bromley South station.
The Barber watched from the sidelines as Bromley took on Dartford
But under dark clouds the rain came down as we stood on the terracing, a few yards behind the Dartford dugout, and with it being showery in nature, Cris’s brolly was going up and down every few minutes.
This tie got a five-star rating from The Non-League Paper and was described as ‘a seven-goal thriller’ but I did not think it was a great first half.
It all happened after half-time though. Dartford equalised Bromley’s second-minute goal and then went ahead 2-1. Dartford's goalkeeper panicked after a defender passed back to him and it became 2-2.
Then 3-2 to Darts, 3-3 and finally 4-3 to the visitors. I’m sure nobody wanted it to end.
A cameraman braves the weather at Bromley
My pre-match forecast of 0-0 made me look a bit silly. Well, I’m used to that.
On Sunday I was on the 9.30am train from Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour for Gosport Borough’s tie with Colchester United, the home side’s first-ever match in the First Round Proper.
The train was soon full of rowdy Aldershot Town fans on their way to their tie at Portsmouth’s Fratton Park.
It was sunshine and blue sky down on the coast but there was plenty of rain to come that afternoon.
The guard of honour at Gosport
My football roots are in Gosport, where my grandparents lived in the 1960s, and it was a dream to finally see them play a League club in The Cup.
But as much as I hoped for it, beating a team three levels higher was always going to be a big ask.
Colchester seemed to be quicker in everything they did and they were 4-1 up at the break.
Boro’ played some good stuff in the second period, drawing that half 2-2.
Gosport Borough were playing in the Competition Proper for the first time
At the pre-match meal I was sitting next to Ray Crawford, who played twice for England in the 1961-62 season, won the title with Alf Ramsey’s Ipswich and scored twice in Colchester’s famous Cup win against Leeds in 1971.
I could have listened to him for hours, as he told me about Alf’s amazing football knowledge, his disappointment of not making it into England’s World Cup squad for the Chile Finals and his knack of always scoring against Leeds.
I watched the last ten minutes or so with Brian Musselwhite, a Boro fan since the late 1960s who has recently brought out From Privett Park to Wembley Park, a history of the club in its 70th anniversary year.
Gosport put a sturdy fight, but went down 6-3 to Colchester
I was really chuffed to be asked to write the foreword and I’ll continue to look out for Boro’s results.
They are definitely a club ‘on the up’ and I wish them well.
David Barber, aka ‘The Barber’, joined The FA as Sir Alf Ramsey’s assistant after the Mexico World Cup in 1970 and has been its historian for the last 35 years.
He has attended nearly 7,000 matches at all levels but has lost none of his enthusiasm!
