David Barber, aka ‘The Barber’, joined The FA as Sir Alf Ramsey’s assistant after the Mexico World Cup in 1970 and has been historian for the past 36 years.
He has attended nearly 7,000 matches at all levels but has lost none of his enthusiasm and was out and about again at the weekend...
Another Saturday, another AFA Senior Cup quarter-final. This one was at the Bank of England Sports Club in Roehampton, where Sir Alf’s England used to train.
Mazars NR (red/dark blue) v LBS Students in London Accountants League
On a dull afternoon, in front of seven spectators on the far pitch, Old Wilsonians beat the Bank of England side 2-1.
Wilsonians, the AFA Senior Cup holders, are a division above Bank and were clear favourites to make it through to the last four of the Amateur Football Alliance’s flagship competition.
They penned the home side in their own half from the start but it took them 27 minutes to score - Bank’s ‘keeper ‘Toby’ making saves that would probably have been described as ‘world class’ if it had been a Premier League match.
Some more backs to the wall defending, in which the tall No.19 was always prominent, kept it interesting until a classic chip from outside the box as the ‘keeper sprinted out made it 2-0 with six minutes to go.
But Bank stayed disciplined and actually pulled a goal back in the last minute. Well done to Bank for some gutsy football all the way through.
Middlesbrough Supporters v Aberdeen Strollers in Dave Baister Cup
Sunday was surprisingly warm for early February, that bitterly cold wind just a painful memory, but I was the only spectator as Mazars NR and LBS Students drew 2-2 in a London Accountants League Division Two fixture in Regent’s Park.
Mazars’ goal for 2-1 was an odd one, the ‘keeper having the ball in his hands but dropping it onto an opponent’s shin, from which it dribbled over the line.
Literally hundreds of people walk past me whenever I’m watching football in the Park but if I hear them speak, it tends to be in a foreign language.
Two professor-types were chatting on Sunday and one said to the other: “You know, I think self-awareness was an evolutionary step too far”. Wow.
With the weather decent, I was up for another match in the afternoon after a ‘Full English’ in a café on Baker Street. I had a look round and counted 15 different matches being played at around 2pm.
Goalmouth action in the Boro and Aberdeen clash
The one I chose was a Dave Baister Cup quarter-final under the auspices of the ‘Association of Provincial Football Supporters’ Clubs in London’.
It featured Middlesbrough and Aberdeen Strollers, a hard match that was highly entertaining.
Boro edged a goalless first half but then quickly conceded a penalty for a foul right on the edge of the box. The Boro lads thought it was outside, though they needn’t have worried because a weak spot-kick was easily pushed away by the ‘keeper.
Ten minutes from time one of the Boro midfielders hit a swerving 25-yarder that the ‘keeper right in front of me got a big hand to but couldn’t keep out.
I could probably have done a third match with more teams arriving but walked the two miles back to the hotel and later saw the Africa Cup of Nations Final on the telly.
