Another week, another five games.
This time they included one in The FA Cup (Redhill 2 Tonbridge Angels 1), one in The FA Youth Cup (Tower Hamlets 5 Aveley 1) and one with a thrilling final five minutes in The FA Women’s Cup (Wealdstone 3 AFC Dunstable 2).
The other two were Fulham 2 Doncaster Rovers 1 before 8,070 at Craven Cottage – my seat was so far into the corner at the Putney End, I was nearly in the Thames – and AFC Groucho 2 London Tigers 5 before three lost souls alongside at Pitch nine in Regent’s Park.
That’s 50 games for the season. With October only three days away, you wouldn’t normally expect a swelteringly hot day, but that’s what we had in London on Sunday.
Late drama. Wealdstone score the winner from the spot.
No anorak, not even a jacket. There was a seven-goal game in the morning, meaning I’ve now seen 41 goals in four games in the same park.
The girls were playing lacrosse on the next pitch and the noise was unbelievable.
A Metropolitan Line tube took me swiftly from Baker Street to Ruislip Manor, a few minutes’ walk from Wealdstone’s ground at Grosvenor Vale.
Watched by about 30 spectators, mostly mums and dads, Stones’ women’s team edged AFC Dunstable 3-2 in their FA Women’s Cup First Round Qualifying tie – but it was all about the last few minutes.
A proud father watches on as his daughter competes in The Women's FA Cup
Standing on the terracing directly behind the goal, I had a good view as AFC’s goalie moved into position to clutch a near-post cross and then ‘bumped’ into a Stones player a yard or so away. The referee, very close, saw it as a foul and awarded a penalty.
The spot-kick was sent high into the net – but there was more drama to come as the visitors fought to save the tie.
The home ‘keeper saved a shot when she was just outside her penalty area, immediately withdrawing her hands but realising that she could be in trouble with the ref.
The result was a red card and one of her smaller team-mates had to put on her jersey. She calmly kept AFC at bay but must have held her breath as one effort thudded against the bar.
Wealdstone beat AFC Dunstable 3-2 at Grosvenor Vale
One of Stones’ coaching staff, possibly the manager, was sent from the dugout after complaining to the ref that he was playing too much injury time!
With Mum still in East Surrey Hospital, 100 yards or so from Redhill’s ground at Kiln Brow, I was more than happy to attend their FA Cup Second Round Qualifying tie with Tonbridge Angels on Saturday.
The Reds won 2-1 against a team from a division higher and put in a performance that I’ve seldom seen them match. And I saw my first Redhill game at their old Memorial Sports Ground more than 50 years ago. Tony Williams, the doyen of non-League football, scored twice!
I’ll definitely be going to Greenwich Borough v Redhill in the next round. I’m starting to tingle already.
David Barber, aka ‘The Barber’, joined The FA as assistant to Sir Alf Ramsey in the International Department after the Mexico World Cup in 1970 and has been its Historian for the past 35 years.
He has attended 6,710 football matches at all levels and still retains his enthusiasm!
