ISSUE 19
£2
Contents
ISSUE 19 jan/feb season 12/13
6 THE FUNK FACTOR
44 homecoming
so far. Can he take us up?
on a mammoth journey home for his club.
10 thackley
56 afc rushden
Well - the second half anyway...
We find out what he discovered.
14 darlo reborn
POSTAL address:
We take a first look at Rudy’s tenure
A Grand Day Out in West Yorkshire.
A Boro-Darlington match next season anyone? It might just happen.
Maidstone fan Simon Page takes us
Ian Anderson visited another reborn club.
media department, edge hill university, ormskirk, l39 4qp
26 those were the days
EMAIL:
A decade on, we take a look at the
EDITOR:
2002/03 season for Scarborough FC.
MATT LAWSON
borofanzine@gmail.com
30 das ist nicht gut, ja?
PRINTED BY:
Alemannia Aachen are in a bit of bother
DISCLAIMER:
in Germany. AC! takes a look.
36 death of denaby
THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL PRODUCT OF SCARBOROUGH ATHLETIC FOOTBALL CLUB. ALL VIEWS EXPRESSED WITHIN THIS PUBLICATION ARE THOSE OF THE RESPECTIVE AUTHORS.
their former level.
CONTRIBUTORS:
40 football in kosovo
IAN ANDERSON, SIMON PAGe, TOM MACDONALD, SAM COOPER, ADRIAN SHARPE, JOHN WOODHAMS.
Tom MacDonald muses over England’s
DEADLINE FOR ISSUE 20 SUBMISSIONS:
next bogey side in European football.
MONDAY 25th FEBRUARY
An ex-NCEL club strives to return to
ARTIZAN PRINT - ARMTHORPE
ABANDON CHIP! 20 : 8th MARCH vs. PICKERING
Abandon Chip! 4
EDITORIAL MATT LAWSON
Welcome to Issue 19 of Abandon Chip! To be fair, I’d forgive
What else has happened in the world of Boro? There was of
you for forgetting that there’d been 18 before this, such is the
course the tragic news that Brian France passed away, and
length of time since this esteemed publication passed into
even though it is a short while since it happened, I’d like to
the public domain. I used my ongoing university studies as
once again offer my condolences and repeat the sentiments
an excuse not to release another issue, and now I’m using my
of countless other Boro fans.. You won’t be forgotten Brian.
ongoing university studies as an excuse for releasing another
Thank you for everything.
issue. So here we are - a hearty welcome to you all who have
I’m sure he would be delighted with how things are going for
parted with your two pounds today.
the Boro nowadays, and it will be fitting if we go on to win
Paul Olsson was still in charge, and we were on our way to
the title this season.
a rather depressing 10th in the NCEL Premier. So - what’s
So - what are our chances? Even the most pessimistic Boro
changed? Well, for a start, we’re ‘top of the league and we’re
fan (and we’ve got some right miserable sods!) would surely
having a laugh’ as the occasional terrace chant goes. Written
argue that it is ours to lose now. Just over a dozen games to
before the game against Glasshoughton, Boro had a six point
go, and we’ve built up a small lead at the top. Bridlington
lead at the top following the second half battering of Thackley
and Brighouse will of course be knocking on the door for
on 12th January. Without wishing to tempt fate, everything is
the forseeable future, but we have to stop worrying about
pointing towards a Boro title win and promotion, but we’ve
them. I’m as guilty as anyone. During matches, I’ll check to
been stung before. Ask me again in April whether we’re going
see how Brid and Brighhouse are getting on. I even checked
up, and I’ll give you a more confident answer!
when we were 4-1 up at Thackley! What does it matter?! Give
So - the first issue since Rudy Funk took charge. How can
it a rest, man! The only thing that counts is that Boro pick up
I possibly sum up his reign so far in an editorial? In fact, I
three points, and that keeps the pressure well and truly with
won’t even try. There’ll be an article elsewhere in the fanzine
the other two ‘B’s.
which does just that!
The rest of this season is in our hands, so all we can do is
5 Abandon Chip!
support the team home and away, and hope that we continue
with fixtures, so let’s hope this doesn’t become too much
this good form until the end of the season. There’s not far to
of an issue as the season begins to edge slowly towards it’s
go now - let’s make it happen.
fascinating conclusion.
One thing we can be sure of is that we’ve never had a squad
As for the fanzine, there’s hopefully - as always - something
as strong as this. How many teams in this division can claim
for everyone in this bumper issue. It was originally meant
to have players such as Henry Sibenge, David Brown, Robbie
to be the usual 32 or 36 pages, but the contributions were
Hawkes and David Kelly in the first team, let alone sat on the
so significant that it kept on growing and growing. For this
bench as they were at Thackley?! Perhaps it is this strength
reason, the price increased to £2. I hope this didn’t cause too
in depth that will see us over the finish line. Who knows?
much deliberation and annoyance on your part, and I hope
Regardless, with injuries and suspensions beginning to
you feel as though you are getting your moneys worth.
pile up elsewhere, it is essential that you have strength in
Of course, if you fancy writing for the next issue, all
depth. Not the best example perhaps, but Brid lost their
contributions are welcome. Original contributors are the
top scorer in Carl Stewart before drawing 1-1 at home to
lifeblood of this publication, so please don’t be shy: get in
Glasshoughton. There may be no direct correlation there, but
touch with us!
it’s worth bearing in mind. We lost Ollie Banks and brought Jimmy Beadle straight into the team. Brid and Brighouse
Thanks again for parting with your money - it really is
couldn’t do that - and that’s where we may have the edge.
appreciated and keeps the fanzine running. I hope you enjoy
It’s that time of year where postponements begin to be
reading this issue as much as I enjoyed putting it together. It’s
a problem. As I write this on the Tuesday before the
good to be back. The next issue is out in March at the home
Glasshoughton game, the weather forecast doesn’t look great,
match against Pickering Town.
and it may be that you’re reading this with us having had
UP THE BORO!
a blank Saturday last weekend. The weather can play havoc
Rudy Funk’s reign under the spotlight...
Two seasons in...
Abandon Chip! 6
Rudy Funk’s first game in charge came at Pickering Town in April 2011. Boro lost the game 5-0, and it became immediately clear what a big job the Romanian had taken on. Two seasons later, with Boro flying high in the league, we take a look at Rudy’s reign so far. Is he the man for the job?
7 Abandon Chip!
THE FUNK FAC TOR!
Rudy Funk. A man full of character, charisma and passion. HIs arrival as manager of Scarborough Athletic back in April 2011 was greeted with almost unanimous support from the fans. We had seen what he’d done with our old foes Rainworth MW, who are still living on his success in the Evo-Stik League Division One South. Can Rudy take another team up to this level of football? With just over a dozen games to go this season, can Rudy Funk deliver Boro to the promised land of the EvoStik Division One North?
Abandon Chip! 8 The short answer to whether Rudy is the man for
evident before and after games. He always has time
Boro is quite simply yes. That’s an opinion, of course,
to chat with supporters after the game, particularly
but how could you possibly look at the league table
at Queensgate where he comes in the clubhouse
and argue that he’s not doing a good job? In his 87
after matches and offers his personal opinions to
games in charge before Glasshoughton, he had led
whoever happens to be passing. After a bad patch
Boro to 48 victories. Take away the dying embers
last season, I told him that I believed the majority of
of the 2009/10 season, whereby Boro were largely
Boro fans were behind him in his quest for NCEL
made up of reserve players and youngsters, and it
success. He replied that the fans were one of the
becomes 42 wins, 11 draws and 12 defeats in the
main reasons he was here, and that more than any-
league since August 2011. TEN of those defeats
thing he wanted success for us - the supporters.
came last season.
The more I see him on the touchline, and the more I
Rudy has made Boro hard to beat, and this season
read his views in the paper, the more I believe this.
more than ever before has instilled a confidence, a
Ever since the early encounters against Rainworth,
determination and an undying spirit never to give
there was something of a special relationship
up and roll over. We’ve seen it so many times this
between the Boro faithful and Funk. Who can forget
season. 3-1 and 4-2 down at Worksop and we came
the home game where he was the only person in the
back to get a point. 3-1 down at Nostell, and we won
ground to see an alleged penalty for his Rainworth
4-3. Two goals down at Retford and we won 3-2.
side? He picked up a raincoat and launched it
Losing at half time at Thackley and we tonked them
across the visiting dugout, narrowly missing half
5-1. That is the stuff that Champions are made of,
of his substitutes. However, just a few moments
and it remains to be seen whether the Romanian can
later, he was coming across the pitch at half time
deliver the ultimate prize to Boro fans everywhere:
to friendly jeers from the Boro fans. What was his
promotion out of the NCEL, a league which has on
reaction? He had a huge smile on his face, despite
the whole treated us well but is beginning to lose its
the fact his team were being beaten.
novelty factor.
There were some who doubted whether he could
Whether intentional or not, Rudy knows how to work
deliver promotion. There are perhaps some who still
the press too. His items in the Scarborough News
do. Some even exclaimed that Mitch Cook should
never fail to inspire, amuse, motivate and yes - some-
be brought in, as he did so well with Bridlington
times cringe. It is a testament to the character of the
last season. To tell you the truth, there’s nobody
man that he can invoke such a reaction among both
I’d rather have in charge at the moment than Rudy
fans of Boro and opposition supporters. He’s a bit
Funk. His passion for our club is infectious, and
like Marmite, but I’m sure a hell of a lot more people
even on the most rainy away day, he can liven things
love him than hate him.
up. If he wins us promotion, I have a feeling that he
His passion shown on the touchline is just as
will go down in Boro folklore. Over to you, Rudy.
9 Abandon Chip!
“I believe Scarborough are one of the biggest nonleague clubs around so to get this opportunity is fantastic. I had to grab it with both hands. “You look at Scarborough’s past and it is a little bit like the FC Halifax story. It is a very big club and I will adhere to the playing side of things and look to get them even higher up the leagues.” Rudy Funk, 01.04.11
Abandon Chip! 10
Away Days:
THACKLEY
‘Should I go? My usual lift can’t make it, so I’ll
repeats of Loose Women in my Pyjamas
have to get three trains and a bus, and that’s
whilst semi-consciously waiting for updates
only from South Yorkshire.
to come in, I’d have probably taken it.
It’s a tough game - we might lose it. I should
Rewind. It’s half past one on a bitterly
probably save up for Glasshoughton next
cold Saturday afternoon, and I’m stood at
week. Yep. I’ll stay at home, follow it on
Bradford Interchange wondering why I’m
Twitter, and go to Glasshoughton next
stood at Bradford Interchange.
weekend where we’re bound to get a better
Having negotiated the hinterlands of
result...’
Northern Rail’s winding routes through the
...oh sod it. “I’m off to the football - back at 8
ex-coal fields of South and West Yorkshire,
for tea. Bye...”
I’ve wound up in Bradford which looks
Not a bad decision as it turns out, although
particularly mournful on this wintery after-
if you’d have asked me at half time whether
noon. Today was always going to be a tough
I’d rather have been sat at home watching
match. Thackley had just moved up to 4th in
11 Abandon Chip!
the table, and with the exception of a couple
that the pitch was in a somewhat delicate
of convincing wins, Boro had often strug-
condition. ‘That won’t suit our passing play’,
gled to get anything from our ‘friends’ in
thought I as I perused the delicious peas -
West Yorkshire. Regardless, Boro’s form had
and rather sorry-looking pork pie - which I
been spot on, and we went into the game on
had bought out of pure boredom.
the back of seven consecutive league victo-
The temperature hovered precariously
ries, and were unbeaten since the Pickering
above zero as the two teams came out -
debacle. Things were going well for Rudy’s
some players wearing gloves, some looking
men, and even if we’d have lost the match,
like they’d rather be elsewhere.
we would still have been at least a point clear
The game kicked off with Boro looking more
going into the Glasshoughton match the
than a little dodgy at the back. Steve Wilson
week after. So what were we worried about?
looked uncharacteristically unsure about
Having entered the ground - a new one for
anything that came towards him on the
me, having failed to visit it in the past - I saw
boggy surface. After not doing a right lot up
Abandon Chip! 12 front, Boro went one goal down after around
a ‘double’ was traditionally thought of as a
ten minutes, when a defensive lapse let Matt
home/away league victory over the same
Hall skip around the immobile Wilson for 1-0.
side. Evidently not in West Yorkshire, where
Boro huffed and puffed their way through the
the 4-1 hammering at Queensgate was
first half, and had a few half chances, but it
forgotten in favour of our FA Vase exit at
was very much Thackley’s 45 minutes, and
Dennyfield earlier in the season.
Boro could count themselves lucky not to be
There’s something a bit fishy about Thackley,
more than a solitary goal behind.
and particularly their insistance on uploading
Boro were, it seemed, handed a lifeline on
articles to their website and updating Twitter
the stroke of half time. Tom Adams was
using a mobile phone, which has a predictive
brought down about six yards from goal, and
text with an overactive imagination.
the young referee (pictured) decided to give
Several times in the build-up and during the
nothing. Thankfully, his assistant (who was
match we were called ‘Seafood’ instead of
three times further away than the referee)
the usual ‘Seadogs’, and when we chanted
actually saw it, and after much deliberation
our new nickname, we came in for some
decided to give Boro a penalty.
bewildered looks from home and away fans
Tony Hackworth stepped up, hit it well
alike!
enough, but it was well tipped around the
The second half started, we took our place
post, and Boro would go in at the break a
on the terrace for more disappointment
goal down, and Loose Women in my Pyjamas
(such positivity!) and as the sun sank over
was looking very welcome indeed. As we
this Bradford suburb, we began to wonder if
retreated to the wamth of the clubhouse,
our title chances were about to take a large
there were some glum faces among the 200
blow.
strong Boro faithful in a crowd of 282.
If things weren’t going to improve, we had
It was on a door in the clubhouse that I
alternative forms of entertainment lined
spotted the bizarre poster (below), which
up. Behind the opposite goal, there was
asked whether Thackley could complete a
some sort of Crufts North going on across
double over Boro? Forgive me, but I thought
a hill. Seven or eight dogs running around
13 Abandon Chip!
in circles, evidently mocking our defence in
the team in 4th position for the second time
the first half. Behind the goal we were stood
in as many months, with Worksop occupying
in, was a horse. Thankfully, the game did
the same spot when we tonked them for six
improve, and our Farmyard Eye-Spy games
at Queensgate in December.
would have to wait until another time.
We marched out the ground, heads held
Step up Ryan Blott. After a few Thackley
high, with the Thackley manager comment-
chances to go two up, including one which hit
ing that our admission fees will buy him a
the post, Boro went into league leader mode,
few drinks that evening. He then told us to
and commenced a second half which will live
‘Go on - f*** off!’ which is fair enough, given
long in the memory. Blott (53,63 and 73) put
our rather enthusiastic retorts...
Boro into a commanding 3-1 lead, much to
It turns out Brid had drawn with
the delight of the fans behind the goal who
Glasshoughton, so a six point gap had
danced a merry jig. As the Thackley tweet
opened between ourselves and the two
below states, you “can’re” say the “Seafood”
chasing sides. The journey home was far
didn’t deserve it. Hackworth and Blott added
more enjoyable, and I didn’t even feel cold
two more to make it a rout, and the Thackley
anymore. Perhaps that was the title race
players looked as dejected as the Boro fans
hotting up? A great day out.
felt pure elation at full time. We had destroyed
COME ON YOU SEAFOOD!
Abandon Chip! 14
Darlington 1883 A club in turmoil and now a club reborn. darlo fan sam cooper talks us through the quakers’ venture into northern league football...
3
n. gh n
15 Abandon Chip!
Hi Sam. Could you start by telling us
with a top half finish and a visit to
about your involvement with Darlington,
Wembley, where we were FA Trophy
and a brief history of your supporting
winners.
years?
Second season in non-league and again we were plunged into administration for
I’m just your average football fan, driven
the third time in 9years, resulting in yet
by a passion for Darlington Football
another relegation. What was to follow
Club. I grew up being a Middlesbrough
was a nightmare, something I wouldn’t
supporter after my father started taking
wish on any football club or fan...
me to games as a young lad, but got the bug for Darlo back in ‘05 after going to a
Most Boro fans may not know exactly
game with friends.
what happened following your final
Since then it’s been a rollercoaster of
years in the Conference? What’s the
ups and downs, two eighth placed fin-
story between you finishing 22nd in the
ishes, a play off semi final heartbreak
Conference last season and being in
followed by my first experience of
the Northern League this season?
administration in ‘09. The next campaign was a season of
On January 5th 2012, the club was
struggle resulting in relegation to the
saved from liquidation at the 11th hour,
Blue Square Premier, however the first
after two men from the Rescue Group
season in non-league was successful
turned up with a suitcase full of cash to
Abandon Chip! 16 give to the administrator.
still active, hence why the club is now
This bided a period of time for the fans
Darlington 1883.
to rally round the club to allow the club
With current rules stating phoenix
to fulfil its fixtures until the end of the
clubs can start maximum of Step 5, this
season.
is where we now find ourselves today,
Through crowd funding, Darlo fans
playing in Northern League Division 1.
had managed to raise around ÂŁ300,000 within 14 days, however with former
How’s playing at Bishop Auckland
chairman Mr Singh refusing to sign a
working out for you? Are you happy
waiver of his loan, the fans efforts were
with the situation and the attendances?
in vain and the Company Voluntary Agreement therefore failed.
To be quite honest with you I, along
Another possible route was available to
with many other fans are loving the
exit administration and this was without
new experience, the fact you can stand
the CVA. The fans therefore bought the
in a tinshed, swap ends at half time and
assets from the company owning the
just generally enjoy going to watch your
club such as the badge and the name
team play football without the threat of
along with the football creditors debt
thinking when will the next sugar-daddy
to allow a new company to be formed
pull the plug.
to take over the running of the football
The attendances we have are some-
club.
thing I never envisaged in the summer.
Unfortunately, the previous chairman
With crowds around 150 in this league,
allegedly attached conditions to the
we are pulling in around 9 times that
transfer of the football share (the legal
amount, averaging circa 1,300 at
right to play football) which meant a new
Heritage Park, only a couple of hundred
football share had to be registered with
short of what we were getting in the
the FA.
Conference. Just before Christmas we
Due to the fact we no longer owned the
played 2nd placed Spennymoor which
football share with the name Darlington
pulled in a fantastic crowd of 1,832
FC, the FA treated us as a phoenix club and to grant a new share, this meant
Have you managed to hold on to any
a different name to the one that was
players, or have you a new squad?
17 Abandon Chip! We managed to hold on to one young
clubs the extra revenue that they need
lad who had came through the Youth
is a good feeling.
setup and had signed a 2year contract the year before, however he joined
Have you had any bad experiences so
neighbours West Auckland Town in
far with any of the opposing clubs?
November after not getting any game time. Other than that, it is a brand new
Unfortunately yes. Near neighbours to
squad that manager Martin Gray has put
our ground-share home, West Auckland
together.
Town, doubled the admission from their usual £5 to £10 just because Darlo were
Boro reformed at one level lower, and
coming to town.
it took some adjusting to the smaller
The excuse they gave was that they
grounds and lower attendances. How
had to pay for stewards, but doubling
are you coping with this new lower level
the price? Come on, the increase in
football and environment?
revenue would have paid for them. This led to a boycott from our fans which
Personally, I’ve been to a few Northern
snowballed in the days playing up to
League grounds before so I knew what
the game, even fans of other clubs in
to expect, but for the vast majority of our
the league agreed with us.
fans, it took quite a bit of getting used
Whether it was mind games from West
too, especially given the crowds we take
to try and keep our 12th man away we
to away games at this level.
don’t know, however they ran out 2-1
Some of the pitches at this time of
winners, but our boycott worked with
year are of a pretty shocking standard,
only around 200 odd Darlo fans turning
it becomes hard to try and play your
out instead of the expected 1500.
natural game on them, but as long as
On Boxing Day rumours were rife about
we keep picking up points, fans will go
Norton & Stockton Ancients ramping
home happy.
the price up, however they didn’t even
To finish, the hospitality we have
have the decency to admit it and only
received from most clubs has been bril-
let the club know about an hour before
liant, their are some really great football
kick off, with most of our fans finding
people in this league, so to give these
out as they got to the turnstile that the
Abandon Chip! 18 price was £8 instead of the usual £6. We
at the same level and its great to see
still don’t know why the price was put
you doing well.
up...
I hope we are both promoted as it would make for two cracking games next
What are your ambitions to return to
season and two big crowds
Darlington? Any time frame? Currently we know we will be ground-
At the time of going to press,
sharing with Bishop Auckland for at
Darlington were top of the Northern
least 2 years. Plans are very much in
League Division One with 67 points
progress to return to the town through
from 27 games; four more than Boro
our Community Investment Company,
had amassed at a similar stage.
though the Arena (thankfully) has been
Spennymoor Town, who beat Boro 1-0
ruled out completely. No timescale has
in the FA Cup earlier in the season, are
been given as yet but with Heritage Park
not giving up without a fight however.
having a grading up to the Evo Stik
They trail Darlington by six points, but
Premier we have at least 3 years should
have four games in hand.
it be needed
Darlington have been averaging well over 1000 for their home games, with
Any memories of playing Scarborough
a high of 1832 and a low of 911.
in Division Three?
Their manager Martin Gray (right) is certainly doing his best to get them
Unfortunately I wasn’ t following
into the Evo-Stik for next season, and
Darlington when we played each other.
it’ll be a tense finish to the title race, mirroring our own.
If we are both promoted, we would face
You can find out more about the
off in the Evo-Stik Division One North.
reborn Quakers at:
Looking forward to that?
darlington1883.co.uk darlofc.co.uk
Yes! Definitely. I’ve been following your
northernleague.org
story over the past couple of seasons,
@Official_Darlo (Twitter)
even more so this season due to being
19 Abandon Chip!
Abandon Chip! 20
H av e n ’ t we met before?
t t ?
21 Abandon Chip! - still one of Boro’s better home league crowds to date - went home wondering what this NCEL business was all about. Thankfully, it didn’t have lasting pyschological damage, and we finished the season in fifth. Another memorable game was the return fixture, where Boro earned a 3-3 draw, and the editor’s voice
BARTON TOWN OLD BOYS Saturday 26th JANUARY – Home
was permanently raised by an octave. This was due to over-zealous celebrations for our third goal which resulted
Last Meeting: 10/10/12 BARTON TOWN 1-1 BORO (NcELP)
in a brick wall and testicle becoming best of friends at great speed. Barton were also party poopers during out title
First Meeting: 25/08/07 BORO 2-6 BARTON TOWN (NCEL1)
winning season, beating us 2-1 at the Euronics to deny us promotion. Perhaps it was fate that it was Teversal who
Record: P 10, w 3, D 3, L 4 Sequence: L D W L W D W L L D
would host us for another celebration. Boro got a last minute point at Barton earlier this season in a 1-1 draw, which
Barton Town and Boro have taken part may turn out to be crucial. in some fascinating encounters over the Our interesting fact about Barton-uponyears, and are one of few teams who Humber is that it is less than 50 miles the ‘new’ Boro have clocked up double from Scarborough, yet a train journey figures in number of games with.
there would take almost five hours at a
Of course, we all remember the first time cost of £46. You would have to change Barton visited Queensgate. It was our three times at York, Doncaster and very first home league match since refor- Habrough, and there is no return train mation, and they tonked us for six. Dave connection following a Saturday match Bramley spent more time approaching until Monday morning! The alternative the half-way line than he did between is to get the train to Hull and then catch his sticks, and the 591 in attendance a bus, but nobody likes buses do they?
Abandon Chip! 22 LIVERSEDGE Saturday 2nd FEBRUARY - AWAY
3-3 draws at Queensgate between the sides. The two games were very different, however. Last season, Boro found
Last Meeting: 13/11/12 LIVERSEDGE 0-2 BORO (LC)
themselves 3-0 down with 20 minutes left before three quickfire goals from Miller, Draper and Blott rescued a point.
First Meeting: 28/11/09 BORO 5-2 LIVERSEDGE (NCELP)
If the game had been extended for five minutes, Boro would have won I’m sure. This season, Boro threw away a 3-1 lead
Record: P 8, W 5, D 3, L 0 Sequence: W W D W D W D W
by conceding in the last minute. Who knows if those two dropped points will be vital come April? Let’s hope not!
Liversedge matches are always good for The last meeting was a 2-0 win in the entertainment, and have served up goals, League Cup, which set of Tuesday drama but also tragedy.
night’s fixture at Long Eaton.
The first encounter with Liversedge Our interesting fact about Liversedge ended 5-2 to Boro in our first season is that it has something of an identity at this level of football. Hogg (2), Blott crisis. The inhabitants have a Wakefield (2) and Phillips were the scorers for postcode, a Bradford telephone dialBoro in what was one of three 5-2 home ling code and pay their council tax to scorelines which the Seadogs managed Kirklees Council - in Huddersfield! before Christmas. On 11th September
MALTBY MAIN league, in a game which will forever be WEDNESDAY 6th FEBRUARY– AWAY 2010, Boro drew 2-2 at Liversedge in the
remembered for the incident whereby
Last Meeting: 22/12/12 a ball. He never recovered from this, BORO 4-0 MALTBY (NCELP) Brian France was struck in the face by and his last act as Boro manager was a
First Meeting: 12/12/09 point. Boro again hit five in the return BORO 2-2 MALTBY (NCELP) double substitution which earned us a fixture, beating the West Yorkshire side
Record: P 7, W 4, D 3, L 0 The previous two seasons have seen two Sequence: D D D W W W W 5-1 at Queensgate.
23 Abandon Chip! First Meeting: 12/09/09 a victory of Boro in any competition. Long Eaton United 1-2 Boro (NCELP) Like Liversedge, Maltby are yet to gain
After a drawing start, Boro have since
Record: P 8, W 3, D 0, L 5 Miners, with lots of goals thrown into Sequence: W L W L L L W L won their last four matches against the the bargain. Last season’s 6-0 away victory has since been followed up by Long Eaton seem to be one of those a 3-0 and 4-0 home victory last season sides who we really don’t like playing. It’s and this respectively. It’s fair to say that often an unfriendly, intimidating place to Maltby probably don’t like playing us, visit, with the home supporters offering but are still a team not to be underes- little in the way of warm welcome, and timated. They have taken points off
more in the way of cheap jibes and ‘Big
Bridlington and other top sides at fre- Time Charlie’ insults every time we visit. quent intervals over the past few seasons, The 2-0 defeat back in August, one of so it has to be seen as a potential banana our worst performances of the season, skin on what will be a nasty, cold evening saw them shouting ‘you’ll win nothing, match in deepest South Yorkshire. Of
Scarborough’ as the fans left the ground
course, Boro should have played Maltby at full time. Let’s take a moment to in December, and Maltby agreed. compare our respective league positions. However, as the artist’s impression on Done? OK – I’ll move on. Boro’s first the back cover of this issue suggests, it trip to Long Eaton was a victory in the might have been wise to call an inspec- autumn of 2009. Scott Phillips and Craig tion before the match official arrived at Hogg, now playing elsewhere of course, half past one. Still - we musn’t grumble. got the Boro goals in a 2-1 victory in I’m sure we are all quietly confident of
front of 178. The unpronounceable Nick
three points regardless of the date.
Ghislanzoni got the goal for the home side. Four days later, at the same ground,
Long Eaton United Saturday 16th February – Home
an insipid performance saw us duck out of the President’s Cup by a goal to nil. Cue much more jibing from the 50 or so
Last Meeting: 22/01/13 Long Eaton United L-L Boro (LC2)
home fans who could be arsed to turn up. How we larfed when they got booted out for fielding an ineligible player and
Abandon Chip! 24 we were reinstated. We decided to let Our first meeting was in the final of Dinnington knock us out at Queensgate the President’s Cup. We earned a draw in the next round, just to make a point… at their ground which sports some red or so we keep telling ourselves. Since seats taken from the McCain Stadium then, results have been admittedly dodgy before it was destroyed, but lost it in the against Long Eaton, and they clocked 89th minute at Queensgate in a 1-2 reverup three consecutive victories against sal. Cue much World Cup winning style Boro – something which not many teams celebrations from the away contingent can boast. The latest run-in with Long and players, and much disgruntlement Eaton was just last week in the cup, but from the Boro fans. Let’s be honest we went to press before the result was though, we’d strolled to the league title, known.
so perhaps a double would have been
Our interesting fact about Long Eaton a bit greedy. Regardless, that final has is that in 1694, there was a ‘Great Fire always given our games a bit of an edge, of Long Eaton’ which destroyed 14 as well as their ex-keeper Sam Dobbs houses and the market place. It’s also admitting he was from Whitby about 20 our lengthiest away trip at 112 miles.
minutes into the first game with them. Not a clever idea, and much banter
Nostell Miners Welfare Saturday 23rd february - home
was enjoyed in the subsequent games with the exception of one match when it went a bit far. He was a good time-
Last Meeting: 22/09/12 NOSTELL 3-4 BORO (NCELP)
waster though, that Codhead, and he’s now taking minutes over goal kicks at Harrogate Railway. Our biggest victory
First Meeting: 16/04/09 NOSTELL 1-1 BORO (PC FINAL 1)
against Nostell came in our first season in the Premier Division, when braces from Blott and Phillips helped Boro to
Record: P 9, W 3, D 3, L 3 Sequence: D L L W L D D W W
a 6-1 victory, a result reminiscent of the previous season. Dobbs looked like he’d swallowed a wasp at full time.
Nostell used to be a bit of a bogey side Our interesting fact about Nostell is that for Boro, having won just one of our the settlement near the colliery was origopening seven encounters with them. inally named Cribbin’s Lump after the
25 Abandon Chip!
builder who put the houses up. It’s now, the top ten. Case in point: they lost their less glamorously, named New Crofton.
opening two NCEL Premier games after transferring from the East Midlands
Heanor Town Saturday 2nd march – Away
Counties league, and then won their third at Armthorpe. 7-1. They then lost at home. To Winterton. You think we
Last meeting: 29/09/12 BORO 4-0 HEANOR (NCELP)
can be frustrating sometimes? Imagine what it’s like to be a Heanor fan, because they followed the Winterton result up by
First meeting: 29/09/12 Boro 4-0 Heanor (NCELP)
beating Tadcaster at home 4-1, before a couple of games later losing 0-5 at home to Thackley. And so it goes on, ad
Record: P 1, W 1, D 0, L 0
nauseum. They are well supported but are criminally inconsistent. Let’s hope
Sequence: W (Sequence? really?)
Boro catch them on a day similar to the one earlier in the season where two
Heanor Town – the team who win or goals each from Tom Adams and Tony lose. If only they would be a bit more Hackworth put them to the sword. consistent one way or another, they’d Our interesting fact about Heanor is that be title challengers or relegation fodder. Nigel Clough and Nigel Pearson both Having entered double figures for both played for the club before going onto victories and defeats by early January, ‘better’ things at Derby and Leicester it’s no wonder that Heanor have spent respectively. There was also a theme park much of the season bobbing around in nearby called ‘American Adventure’, mid-table, making rare threats to enter which closed because it was crap.
Abandon Chip! 26
Those were the days, my friend The 2002/03 football season for Scarborough
Stadium, the same as this season’s Boxing
was one of the most frustrating as a sup-
Day derby against Bridlington) and Hereford
porter. The previous season, Russell Slade
all being beaten as Boro climbed to 7th in the
had come to our rescue and hauled us
table, and knocking on the door of the newly
from rock bottom to mid-table in just a few
introduced playoffs.
months. It was hoped that he would be able
Not for the first time during the season,
to take some of this form into a new season.
however, the next game brought Boro and
It turned out to be a rollercoaster of a
their supporters crashing down to earth.
season, with ups and downs.
Boro travelled to midtable Gravesend and
However, the first six games were far from
Northfleet, who had had an inconsistent
convincing, with Boro drawing four and
season thus far, winning four and losing
losing two of the opening league encoun-
five of their opening fixtures. It turned out
ters. By 4th September 2002, Boro sat in the
to be a Mark Hotte horror show, as the Boro
relegation zone with only two teams below
defender gave away a penalty, scored an
them in the table. A win was needed badly,
own goal and gave away a free-kick which
and thankfully it came.
resulted in a goal. Gravesend ran out 5-2
On 7th September, a low turnout of 1,078
victors, and Boro’s charge to the top of the
saw Kettering Town visit the McCain
table was abruptly halted.
Stadium. A brace from new signing Bimbo
This was just the motivational kick which
Fatakun turned out to be instrumental
Boro required, and they embarked on a
in seeing Boro to a 4-1 victory, with Paul
season best unbeaten run of ten games.
Shepherd and Richard Dryden getting the
Seven wins and three draws following the
other two goals. This was the start of a six
Gravesend debacle resulted in Boro enter-
game unbeaten run for Boro, with Telford,
ing the Christmas period firmly entrenched
Leigh (watched by just 950 at the McCain
in the playof f zone. Included in these
27 Abandon Chip!
2002/03
was a 2-1 home victory against eventual
crowded into the ground to see two of the
Champions Yeovil Town. Boro were one of
fancied sides for the playoffs. The game
only three teams who managed to beat the
started as it meant to go on, with Rovers
rampant Glovers during the whole season.
taking a two goal lead inside 35 minutes.
Following this successful run of results,
Paul Barnes notched his first, followed by a
the next game was to be a top of the table
Robert Gill effort ten minutes later. Gill would
Boxing Day clash against Doncaster Rovers
later sign for Boro, spending the majority of
at the McCain Stadium.
the 2004/05 season at the club and notching
The highest gate of the season, 3,435,
two goals in 14 starts. Having spent time at
Abandon Chip! 28 Carlton, Rainworth and Heanor, he started
precious lead. It wasn’t over there, however,
this season with Arnold Town, but did not
and due to Burton’s timewasting, a stupen-
feature in the 3-1 defeat by Boro earlier in
dous amount of injury time was added on.
the season.
From memory, I seem to think it was around 7
Back to the Boxing Day Derby, and Boro
minutes. In this time, Boro helped themselves
gave themselves a couple of lifelines during
to two more goals, and ran out ‘comfortable’
the game through a Shepherd penalty and a
4-1 victors. The floodlights went out shortly
long-range Nick Henry strike, but a red card
after the final whistle as Burton’s players
to Neil Campbell and three further Rovers
were warming down, and Nigel Clough didn’t
goals ensured that Boro would be defeated
like that one bit. Never mind.
by five goals to two for the second time in
That was as good as it got for Boro’s playoff
the season. It was a big blow, but not a criti-
hopes. January 2003 would go down as one
cal one. Boro would draw their next game
of the most bizarre months in Boro’s history.
and win their first match of 2003 at home to
Boro went into administration, and two
Burton to stay in 4th position.
days later Slade tendered his resignation.
The Burton Albion game was particularly
Fans presented him with a petition at the
memorable. Nigel Clough’s side had taken
Dagenham away game, which was lost 1-0,
the lead through Chris Kirkwood, but then
and on the following Monday he changed
proceeded to have three players sent off.
his mind. Two weeks later, he decided to
The middle of the three saw Paul Shepherd
join Bradford City as a youth coach, but
equalise from the penalty spot, but on 57
again changed his mind. The instability had
minutes Burton’s final player – their keeper
affected on the pitch results though, and
– was dismissed. They sent on striker Sean
the Dagenham defeat was the first of six in
Farrell to play the remaining half an hour in
a row. Boro’s playoff dream was over, and
goal. This is when the timewasting began.
they found themselves in 8th position with an
Down to eight men, and with a striker in
impossible mountain to climb.
goal, Burton realised that their chances of
Boro gained 18 points from their last 10
holding onto a point probably weren’t great.
league games of the season which resulted
Frustration grew among the 1,428 in attend-
in a 7th place finish, but it was too little too
ance as the clock ticked to 89 minutes.
late. A frustrating season where it looked as
Bimbo – in one of his more memorable goals
though the playoffs were a distinct likelihood
and celebrations – finally broke down the
resulted in disappointment. Slade would
stubborn Brewers, and Boro had snatched a
lead Boro for one more season, including
29 Abandon Chip! the famous cup run, but resigned at the end of the 2003/04 season to take up a role at Grimsby Town. From thereonin, it was a downward slope for Boro, culminating in the winding up of the club just three years later. Those were the days, my friend, and they did end.
Boro’s Neil Campbell battles with the Yeovil Town midfield during the 2-1 victory at the McCain Stadium during the 02/03 season.
Abandon Chip! 30
Aachen Ap
31 Abandon Chip!
pocalYPSE Aachen is a city of around a quarter of a
runners-up escaped relegation by less than
million inhabitants in western Germany,
ten points...
right on the border with Belgium and the
The success didn’t last, and a disastrous
Netherlands.
1969/70 campaign saw Aachen finish rock
It’s football club, Alemannia Aachen, are one
bottom, conceding 83 goals in 34 games and
of the household names in German football.
facing relegation to the Regionalliga West -
Granted, they’re not up there with the likes of
one of five regional divisions at the second
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, but
level of the German pyramid at this time.
they are reasonably well known nonetheless.
The following seasons saw respectable 6th,
The ‘Potato Beetles’, their nickname due to
4th, 6th and 7th placed finishes; something
their resemblence to the yellow and black
which worked to their favour the following
insect found across central Europe, have for
year when restructuring took place. For
much of their history played at the second
the 74/75 season, Aachen would be in one
level of German football - noawadays the
of two ‘2. Bundesliga’ divisions - north and
national division called the 2. Bundesliga, or
south. Thus began an era of stagnation for
2. Liga for short.
the Nordrhein-Westfalen side.
However, in 1968/69, the sixth season of the
At the end of the 1980/81 season, the
Bundesliga’s existence, Aachen finished
second tier of the German football pyramid
second only to Bayern Munich in the top tier -
would once again be restructured. Instead
their best ever league finish. In an incredibly
of 2. Liga Nord/Süd, there would just one
tight season, in the days of two points for a
2. Bundesliga from 1981/82. To ensure that
victory, only nine points seperated Aachen
Aachen would be part of the new second
in 2nd and relegated Nuremberg in 17th.
tier, they would have to finish in the top ten
It’s not often in football that you can say the
of the 2. Liga Nord. This they did, and they
Abandon Chip! 32
took their place in the 2. Liga for the follow-
relegation (Boro had a similar one before
ing season, whlst the bottom 12 from each
Russell Slade’s turnaround), the story
division were relegated to the Oberligas.
doesn’t get any more dramatic as we move
It was here that they stayed, consistantly in
towards the present day. Aachen did enjoy
the top ten of the 2. Liga until the 1989/90
one season back in the top flight, 2006/07,
season. Having lost 19 of their 38 league
after finishing as runners-up the previous
games, Aachen were relegated to the third
season, but this was short-lived. They were
tier for the first time in decades. As the
seemingly well on their way to safety, having
Nineties dawned, with German reunifica-
33 points after 26 games. Unfortunately,
tion bringing the country together, things
one draw and SEVEN defeats followed in
seemed a little gloomier in Aachen.
their final eight games, and it waa an instant
Their first season in the Oberliga Nordrhein
return to 2. Liga.
was succesful, and they missed out on the
We’re almost up to date now, which is where
title by just two points to FC Remscheid.
the story really begins. In 2011/12, Aachen
Despite missing out on promotion, things
were once again relegated to the third tier
looked bright for the future.
- the relatively new national 3. Liga. It was
After two seasons in the top ten, another
clear that all was not well at Alemannia
runners-up spot coincided with yet another
Aachen.The problems really began follow-
restructuring, this time of the third tier. The
ing their relegation from the Bundesliga in
Oberligas would become four Regionalligas
2007. According to the board at Aachen,
- Nord, Nordost, West/Südwest and Süd.
throwing money at the transfer budget
Aachen qualified for a place in the new
would guarantee a return to top flight foot-
West/Südwest division for the 1994/95
ball. As we know by too many examples in
season.
England, it doesn’t work like that .
The 1998/99 season will not be fondly
The board also became convinced that a
remembered by Boro fans, this being the
new stadium was required to take the club
season of the relegation from the Football
forward, and hence they moved from the
League and that Jimmy Glass moment.
modest but suitable Tivoli Stadium to the
However, for Aachen, this was the season
New Tivoli. The opening game at the stadium
they won the Regionalliga West/Südwest
was a crushing 0-5 home defeat, and it was
title, and regained their place in the 2. Liga
a sign of things to come perhaps.
- the second tier of the pyramid.
With a capacity of 32,960, it’s fair to say
After a brief scare in 2001/02 with
that there are usually lots of yellow seats
33 Abandon Chip!
Meino Hayen: President of Alemannia Aachen since March 2012
Abandon Chip! 34
on show during matchdays. This season, in
spell. Next season, they will be in a divi-
3. Liga, Aachen have the highest average
sion with an average attendance of around
attendance in the civision, but even this at
1,000. The reserve matches attract abysmal
13,545 makes their fantastic new ground
crowds. Fortuna Düsselford II played Bayer
look woefully underpopulated.
Leverkusen II at home earlier this season
So, I hear you ask, what’s the drama in this
in front of 72. You can begin to see why
story? OK - a team has been relegated to
Aachen’s situation is looking gloomy, and
the third tier, they’re getting lower crowds
why comparisons to League Two are not
than they are used to, and they’ve got a
applicable!
new stadium. Not disastrous, surely? Well,
Their coach René van Eck has vowed to
unfortunately, it’s just got worse.
stick by the club and help them out of the
In November, Alemannia Aachen filed for
mess they find themselves in. In the past,
insolvency. This move has seen the German
the Aachen fans have bailed the club out
football association automatically assign
by paying overdue debts, but enough is
them a relegation spot. As of November,
enough, and the fans have recently refused
Alemannia Aachen were relegated to
to dip into their pockets again.
the fourth tier of German football - the
If they can keep hold of their 10,000+
Regionalliga West. They will see out their
crowds in the fourth tier, they’ll be by far
fixtures with pride this season, but their
the most well-supported club in the divi-
fate was sealed a few months ago.
sion. Only Rot-Weiss Essen (8,300), Siegen
Before comparisons to League Two are
(1,400) and Wuppertal (1,300) attract four-
made, things are slightly dif ferent in
figure crowds on a frequent basis. Were
Germany. The Regionalliga West con-
Boro to be in the Regionalliga West, we’d be
tains six reserve sides of teams in the
half way up the attendance charts...
Bundesliga. It goes without saying that the
Things can surely sink no lower for Aachen,
division loses some of it’s crediblity when
but with a huge stadium for their level and
these teams are involved. This is one thing
fanbase, the money issues may not go away
we should be grateful about in England.
in a hurry.
Can you imagine League Two littered with
If you’re ever heading into Germany via
Man Utd II, Man City II, Chelsea II and so
Eurostar, spare a thought for Alemannia
forth?
as you pull into Aachen station, the first in
Alemannia Aachen beat Bayern Munich
Germany after leaving Brussels. As D:Ream
in the Bundesliga in their last top flight
used to sing: Things can only get better.
35 Abandon Chip!
The table prior to the winter break did not make good reading for fans of Alemannia Aachen. They will hope that the spring brings more fortune.
Abandon Chip! 36
Denaby United are a football club based
pitch, accompanied by You’ll Never Walk Alone being
in Denaby Main, between Doncaster and
pumped out of the tannoy system. Why? This was
Rotherham in South Yorkshire. They currently
Denaby’s last game before they became defunct.
play in the Doncaster and District Senior League
However – they did not have financial problems, and
Premier Division, but the story was very different
did not ‘go bust’ in the traditional sense of the word.
just a few years ago.
Tickhill Square, their modest ground built on the side
In April 2002, they hosted Arnold Town in
of a hill in the former mining town, belonged to the
the Northern Counties East League Premier
Denaby and Cadeby Miners’ Welfare who also had (and
Division. The game was watched by over 300,
have – it’s still there) a pub/club/welfare building next
and Arnold players allegedly formed a guard of
door. Coming as something of a shock, they informed
honour as the Denaby players ran out onto the
Denaby United FC that after the end of the 2001/02
ng
as
nd
.
de
he
nd
xt
ed
02
37 Abandon Chip! football season, they would no longer be
to the NCEL Premier in 1984, from what was
allowed to use the football ground. The
then the NCEL Division One South. It was
decision was reached without any negotia-
a club which, whilst not necessarily on the
tion, and they refused to talk to the football
up, were maintaining a level of football like
club or the local council. The decision was
so many other clubs in our division. They
made, and without a ground, Denaby had
were another Arnold, Maltby, Parkgate for
no choice but to pack it in. The justifica-
example. When football is struggling at the
tion (or excuse) at the time was that they
bottom levels, it seems even more tragic
wanted to “open the ground to all commu-
that the demise of the club was not caused
nity members and other groups for more
by financial problems, but by a group of
varied use and enjoyment.”
people who made the decision behind the
They later released a statement, two
backs of those who it affected most.
years later in fact, that stated “We’ve got
It isn’t all bad news, however, because as
Conisbrough Sure Start using the ground
the article stated at the beginning – they
this summer for a sports project. Tom Hill
are back in business. Reforming in the
Youth Club have used it in the last month
Doncaster and District Senior League
for a football in the community programme.
Division One, Denaby now play in the slightly
We are moving forward and I think we are
less glamorous surroundings of Old Road
doing ok. I am confident things will improve
playing fields in Conisbrough. Because
greatly. It was a closed shop when Denaby
Denaby did not fold through financial diffi-
United were on the pitch, now it’s a com-
culties, they were free to reform using the
munity facility. We want to get as much of
same name.
the community using the facility as we can.”
They made their aim clear from the start.
It seems like a step too far to kick out an
Firstly, to regain their Northern Counties
established non-league football club for
East League place, and secondly to return
the benefit of the community. Surely these
to Tickhill Square at some point. First things
things could have co-existed?
first though, and it was agreed that Old Road
In 1997, Denaby actually won the NCEL
in Conisbrough would be their base initially.
Premier division, but their ground was unfit
The Conisbrough and Denaby Community
to be allowed into the Northern Premier
Sports Association was founded and the
League – which at the time was just three
basic facilities there were earmarked for an
levels below the Football League. Going
upgrade.
back even further, they had won promotion
On the pitch, things have been going well.
Abandon Chip! 38 TickHill Square in 2013. One small stand remains, but there is a lot of work to do if this is to become a NCEL ground in the near future.
Last season, Denaby won promotion from
facilities or a clubhouse. Changing rooms, toilets and
Division One to the Premier Division of the
a pitch are acceptable. The leap from there to NCEL
Doncaster and District Senior League and are
standard is therefore quite significant, and Denaby will
currently in the top five. Promotion from this
need to look to the future. Tickhill Square has a small
division ensures a place in the Central Midlands
stand and two dugouts, but a lot of work will need to
League North or South (formerly Supreme and
be done to ensure NCEL standard is reached within
Premier), which in turn offers a route into the
the next year or so if they have genuine ambitions to
NCEL if the ground is up to scratch. This seems
return there. Otherwise, it may be that Old Road in
to be their next issue. A ground is required
Conisbrough can be enclosed and turned into a basic
promptly if they are to continue their rise up
football ground. They have a lot of thinking to do, but
the pyramid. The Central Midlands league has
for them, it’s good to be back playing in red and black
vary lenient ground regulations. In fact, a roped
under the name of Denaby United. We may see their
off pitch is adequate. There is no requirement
name cropping up more frequently before too long.
for hard standing, seats, floodlights, catering
39 Abandon Chip!
p u e h ’s t a h W to nowadays? Glen Downey. Ah the Downey brothers. Both useless. Surprisingly, Glen went on to sign for Grimsby, whose fans thought he was erm... useless. Russ Slade gave him a new one-year deal after making an appearance for 14 minutes in the previous Former Boro and Burton Albion winger Keith Gilroy has decided to try his hand at something else - driving instructing! After being plagued by injuries during his time at Burton (ironically, in my opinion, caused by a Burton player who went through him at the McCain Stadium), Gilroy was told
nd
that he’d never play football again.
EL
He hasn’t had to hang his boots up perma-
will
nently, however, because Derby manager
all
Nigel Clough appointed him as a coach
to
at the County Academy. The 29-year-old
in
made 41 appearances for Boro, scoring
to
five goals, between 2003 and 2005. He
in
then went on to appear for the Brewers
ic
164 times, netting on 19 occasions for
ut
the Pirelli Stadium outfit. He was part
ck
of Nigel Clough’s Burton side which
eir
took Manchester United to a replay at Old Trafford and also won promotion to League Two in 2009.
season for the Mariners. Now that’s dedication to a new signing. Following his not-so-productive spell at Grimsby (where he finally made 2 appearances and actually scored), Glen went on to Worksop Town where he made a handful of appearances before ducking gracefully out of football forever. If my sources are to be believed, he is now a professional cheese monger in Durham where he owns a shop. He was also cleared of charges relating to running a brothel.
Abandon Chip! 40
Room for a sma
International football is losing popularity amongst
but Albanians were in a majority in Kosovo. The
many football supporters. There has always been
Kosovan Albanians started an uprising
a club versus country argument but that used to
against the Yugoslav government just like the other
involve the clubs and national FA’s themselves
former Yugoslav states such as Slovenia and
rather than where the loyalties of supporters lie.
Croatia but the Serb dominated Yugoslav
There has always been a belief that the England
government would not let this territory
national team is followed mostly by those support-
go easily. After a long, bitter
ers of smaller clubs. There is probably something in
and extremely painful
this as the flags that dress up stadiums around the
period under the dictatorship
world, wherever England play, usually contain the
of Slobodan Milosevic, in
names of clubs such as Grimsby, Luton and York.
which Kosovo and Bosnian
International football has always appealed greatly
Muslims bared the harshest of
to me, a national team can represent the story of
atrocities, Kosovo declared independence
an entire country, fascinating geo-political com-
in 2008. This was a self declaration and
plexities you just do not get with club football. These
therefore is still not fully recognised by the UN.
interests are why I have been following the much
Kosovo is still in territorial dispute with
documented plight of the KFF, the governing body
Serbia, which still claims sovereignty over
for football in Kosovo.
the area. So what does this mean for football in the
Kosovo is and has long been an ethnically Albanian
region, well since 2008 the KFF have been looking at ways
region of Serbia. Albania was never part of the
to establish the national football team. UEFA regulations
former Yugoslavia, they were instead presided over
stipulate that new applicants must have UN recognition
by Enver Hoxha rather than Tito,
which leaves Kosovo ineligible for membership. Kosovo’s
41 Abandon Chip!
mall one, FIFA??
independence is recognised by 92 of the 193 UN members, which is a good start but still a long way short. When the former Soviet Union fell apart, one of the first things the new states did was to try and establish the national football team. They believed that a national football team would create a middle point for healthy nationalism and create in many people’s eyes as much as a defined border as passport control itself. Kosovo does have a national football league, Superliga, that was established as long ago as 1946. Despite this Kosovo’s clubs, like the national team, are not given UEFA recognition and therefore the league does not appear on the UEFA coefficient rankings. The Superliga is a twelve team competition in which the teams play each other 3 times over a season. Unsurprisingly, the league’s best supported team and current champions reside in the capital Pristina. The subject of Kosovo has been a recurring theme this year for FIFA president Sepp Blatter and the head of UEFA Michel Platini. In May 2012 Blatter stated that Kosovo should be granted permission to play international
he
friendly matches. Unsurprisingly this was met with great anger and despair
ays
by those in Serbia. Michel Platini has publicly disagreed with Blatter over
ns
the issue of Kosovo playing international matches and was quoted as saying
on
it would set a dangerous precedent to other none member countries such
o’s
as Gibraltar.
Abandon Chip! 42 The proposed membership of Gibraltar is strongly
has not forgotten where he comes from. He wears boots
opposed by the Spanish who have suggested they
bearing the national flags of Switzerland, Albania and
will pull out of future competitions if this went
Kosovo printed on them and he left the pitch in an Albanian
ahead, unlikely but enough to scare Platini. The
jersey.
Spanish FA could just be protesting against this as
The KFF were in presence for the game in Lucerne and
they feel it may open the floodgates to Catalonia and
used it as an opportunity to meet with players of both
Basque, who also wish to have their own interna-
sides. They have started a pledge with which they have
tional team. In October 2012 Gibraltar was given
gathered signatures of players from the region issuing
provisional membership by UEFA allowing it to take
support to a national team and even stating that they would
part in international friendly matches. This is despite
switch allegiances if allowed. This pledge has also been
UEFA rejecting an application from Gibraltar just a
signed by Kosovan born, German womens international
few years ago. This is a U-turn that gives Kosovo
Fatmire Bajramaj.
hope. Blatter continues to fight for Kosovo and in
As you can imagine this has angered those in the Swiss
his latest argument said that if ’22 of 27 countries
corner. Switzerland is not supportive of the Kosovan cam-
of the EU can recognise Kosovo then why can’t we.
paign, and in the aftermath of the World Cup Qualifier, a
The current situation is just not fair’.
major national newspaper ‘Blick’ went with the headline
Kosovan football has more pedigree than people
‘We fear the Kosovan’s’. Next to this headline was a picture
would imagine, many born and raised in the region
of their new national golden boy Xhaqiri. Ironically, the
have had to move around Europe to ply their trade.
Swiss are concerned a Kosovan national team will steal
Some of these players are names that most football
their best talent.
fans would recognise like Lazio captain Lorik Cana,
If you are wondering why Switzerland has a host of
young Bayern Munich attacker Xherdan Xhaqiri and
Kosovan’s in its ranks then the reason goes back to the
former West Ham player Valon Behrami.
conflict of the late 1990’s. During this period 300,000
In September 2012 Switzerland hosted Albania in a
Kosovan refugees settled in Switzerland, approximately a
World Cup Qualifier in which 9 of the 22 players that
sixth of the population.
started the game were of Kosovan descent. These
In an interview after the game Albanian national captain
players sang in neither of the national anthems.
Lorik Cana, who was born in Pristina, spoke about the situ-
Albanian supporters were scattered around the
ation. He said ‘the war was not that long ago so the whole
stadium and each time a Kosovan Swiss player
country has to rebuild its economy infrastructure etc and
touched the ball they were met with loud booing
this is difficult if we are not recognised by all the countries
and chants of ‘traitor’. The game ended 2-0 in
of the world, and this is mirrored with the national football
favour of Switzerland, and in an ironic twist one of
team. The country deserves recognition as the people who
the goal scorers was Kosovan born Xhaqiri. Xhaqiri
have suffered deserve this’.
is a player with great prospects and also one who
43 Abandon Chip!
ots
The KFF’s plan of action is to first be granted permission to play friendly
nd
matches and then step by step work their way into competitions. The
an
Football Federation of Kosovo has also made it clear that it is not seeking membership right away, but simply the right to play matches against teams
nd
from countries which recognise it.
oth
In a FIFA meeting with UEFA in October 2012, the subject was high in the
ve
agenda and the KFF awaited the outcome with baited breath to say the
ng
least. The topic was brushed over with Michel Platini using opposition from
uld
Serbia as a stick to beat away FIFA questions. This is strangely the same
en
meeting in which Gibraltar, which is not recognised by the UN, were given
nal
provisional membership. FIFA said it would discuss the matter at their next meeting due to take place in Tokyo in December 2012. They didn’t.
iss
Fadil Vokkri, KFF president who achieved international caps with
m-
Yugoslavia, was left extremely disappointed with the postponement by FIFA,
r, a
‘We do not understand the reasons behind this, in particular when one
ne
sees the double standard shown by UEFA between the situation of Kosovo,
ure
recognised by 92 countries in the world.....and the situation of Gibraltar, a
he
non-independent territory recognised by no one with embryonic football.’
eal
Gibraltar dallied with the idea of applying for CAF membership which would allow them to compete alongside African nations before turning to the Court
of
of Arbitration for Sport. This is an idea now being flirted with by the KFF.
he
The KFF are worried that they may eventually be allowed to play only age-
00
restricted games rather than full international friendlies.
ya
Stuck in the middle of this multi dimensional argument is Kosovo. A small territory which has seen more than its fair share of struggles that ultimately
ain
desires to just play football. If Kosovo does achieve full UEFA and FIFA mem-
tu-
bership then we could see an avalanche of new applicants such Catalonia
ole
and Republika Srpska. The Balkans is a tinder box as it is without the
nd
potential of Republika Srpska playing host to Bosnia in a World Cup quali-
es
fying match in Srebrenica perhaps. I’d enjoy seeing Sepp Blatter trying to
all
diplomatically talk his way out of that one. Interesting times ahead in inter-
ho
national football, issues you just don’t get when discussing club football.
tom macdonald
Abandon Chip! 44
Show Me The Way To Go Home...
Maidstone United Maidstone United were exiled for almost twenty years. In a situation which resonates strongly with our own, Stones’ fan Simon Page offers us a fascinating insight into their story, and what their return home meant to the club, the supporters and the town of Maidstone.
..
45 Abandon Chip! My father moved jobs in 1988 when I was 13 years
protective, nature subsided to the fact that I actually needed
old and we moved to Maidstone, I got on the bus for
to go to make friends and establish a “life” for myself.
my first day at school not knowing anybody and all I
So my first game, Maidstone United v Macclesfield Town on
can remember is wishing I was somewhere else other
21 January 1989 at Watling Street Dartford. Maidstone had
than on a bus full of people I didn’t know, on it’s way to
sold their home ground the season before in order to try and
a town I barely knew, to attend a school where I was
realise their dream of League football. The game finished
going to be Mr “No friends”
3-3 and from that day forward I was hooked, well and truly hooked. After that day, I simply couldn’t wait for Saturday
As the weeks went by I began to start chatting to
(and Tuesday and Wednesday evenings to come) and my
a couple of lads on the bus who I recognised from
mother had resigned herself to the fact I was going to go
school, they seemed friendly enough and at the time
every home game for the rest of the season and she was
my choice of people to “hang out” with was limited.
going to fund it.
Eventually one of them invited me to go to football
On 1 May 1989 we were playing Welling in the Kent Senior
on Saturday, my mother was against it as it involved
Cup Final at Priestfield Stadium, it was a tight game with
travelling to Dartford by bus but her overly motherly,
very few chances which was understandable as a huge
Abandon Chip! 46 focus was on a game elsewhere. Kettering Town, who
the promised land. In hindsight this was actually the
were lying in second place in the Vauxhall Conference,
beginning of the end of Maidstone United Football Club
were playing Enfield in a match they needed to win
as we knew it.
in order to maintain any chance of pipping us to the title. Eventually the news filtered through that Kettering
Having been born in August a Maidstone United Season
had indeed lost to Enfield and we were officially
Ticket was probably the most obvious but perhaps best
Champions. We went on to win the Kent Senior Cup
birthday present I had received, and I knew I was guar-
with a goal from Maidstone United Legend, Steve
anteed to be going to pretty much every home game of
Butler (more of him later), and two trophies in a single
the Stones first season in the football league.
day on the ground of our most fierce rivals was the
John Still had left the club after leading us to the
stuff of dreams.
Championship, having cited the fact he didn’t want
The final day of that season we travelled, much to
to manage a full time club as one of his reasons for
the worry of my mother (both emotionally and finan-
moving on. In stepped Keith Peacock, at that time a
cially) we travelled to Runcorn to lift the trophy. It was
Gillingham legend, who had left our rivals under a cloud
a surreal experience as we were travelling to Liverpool,
and against the wishes of their fans. Peacock signed
a city in mourning following the events of Hillsborough
a number of players including Warren Barton but the
and so perhaps the influx of 300 Maidstone United
spine of the team remained relatively unchanged.
fans celebrating being the number one team in non
There was opposition to us becoming members of the
league football may have been deemed as a little
league in the form of Southend United Chairman, Vic
inappropriate. However, I am of the opinion it was just
Jobson. Mr Jobson felt that a club who didn’t own their
unfortunate for the residents of that great city that the
own ground didn’t warrant a place in the professional
fixtures dictated the Non League Champions were in
league and so he quickly become another figure vilified
town so soon after a huge tragedy.
by the Stones faithful. Despite the opposition Maidstone
The elation of lifting the conference trophy turned to
United was about to take it’s place at, what was deemed
pure ecstasy when the news came in that our most
by non league clubs, the top table. And we were going
bitter rivals, Gillingham, had been relegated on the
to play the likes of Burnley, Cardiff, Peterborough,
same day, which effectively meant we were going to
Stockport and Scarborough.
be in the same league as them the following season,
Ironically our first game in the football league was
which meant our path’s were finally going to cross
against Barry Fry’s Peterborough United, Fry had
swords in the first ever Kent Football League Derby.
managed the Stones during the 85/86 season and
Under the guidance of John Still (Now of Dagenham
owing to his now infamous character, Barry Fry was
of Redbridge) the “Manchester United of Non League
very popular within the Maidstone United family. Despite
Football” (according to Barry Fry) had finally reached
losing 1-0 it was a proud day for the Stones and the
47 Abandon Chip! mind turned to our first ever home (away from home)
all Stones fans of that era. The first ever Kent Football
game.
League Derby at Priestfield Stadium watched by a
This was against Scarborough, and despite the excite-
capacity 10,412 crowd. Goals from Steve Butler (yes
ment there was a nervousness around the ground
him again) and Mark “Smokey” Gall sealed a 2-1 win,
prior to kick off as our home form the previous season
Gillingham also missed a penalty.
had been the foundation of a championship winning
This memorable victory served to springboard our
season. Out of respect to Scarborough I wont harp on
season and we rose up the league, beaten Southend
about how well we played but a 4-1 win to the Stones
(again) 3-0, and then on the final day of the season
was a sign that we were ready to mix it with the profes-
we beat Carlisle 5-2 to claim a play off spot. We were
sional teams. The only detail I recall is a hat rick from
10mins from Wembley in our very first season when
Steve Butler.
Cambridge Utd, boasting Dion Dublin and Steve
We struggled throughout the first part of the season
Claridge (amongst others) scored an away goal to send
but overall we did improve game by game, until the
them through (deservedly so)
day came when we were due to play at the home of the League leaders, Southend United. Southend had
This was the final act of our first, fairly successful season, in the football league.
a 100% home record and still hadn’t conceded a goal at home. The “Vic Jobson” factor and the short journey
Soon after our very first season in the football league
from our adopted home in Dartford, meant that more
it became more and more obvious things of the pitch
Stones fans than normal made the journey. I remember
were not going well and it was well publicised by our
it costing a fiver to get in, and there was uproar as it
chairman at the time, Jim Thompson, that the longer
was the same price for everyone, no concessions.
we remained “squatters” at Dartford the greater the
Steve Butler was once again the match winner with the
risk, financially to the future of the club. Mr Thompson,
only goal in a 1-0 victory, a sweet victory and to this
incorrectly assumed that the people of Maidstone, and
day I am unsure as to whether we actually received
in particular the local council would be fully behind the
an answer to the enduring question “are you watching
football club returning to the county town of Kent. He
Vic Jobson?”
was so confident that in the early ‘90’s purchased a
We were starting to find our feet and move our way up
piece of land on the outskirts of Maidstone town centre
the league, apart from wanting to avoid relegation our
and submitted plans for a 10,000 capacity stadium with
main aim was to finish above Gillingham, we’d given
a multi-sports complex.
them a head start and at one point they seemed to
It was already clear the money was running out as the
be sailing into the distance but slowly and gradually
Stones failed to reach the heights of their first season
we were clawing them back, then the day came. 26
in the football league, and their best players (including
December 1989 is the date engraved in the heart of
Steve Butler, Mark Gall and Warren Barton) were sold
Abandon Chip! 48 in order to keep the club afloat. Keith Peacock was
in the shadows of the huge warehouses that were built
relieved of his duties and Graham Carr (father of come-
where the original London Road stadium once stood.
dian Alan) was appointed. The Stones struggled, the
These warehouses gave a stark reminder of the failings
attendances dropped dramatically and the club was in
of the past 5 years but also quenched the first for the
freefall, the need to return home became ever greater.
return of past glories. The sanity of those involved was
However in 1991 the final nail was applied to the coffin
tested and the results quickly buried under the ashes
of Maidstone United Football Club when the local
of the old football club, but the journey had begun, and
council rejected the plans for the new stadium, the
given the fact the club had dropped to the very base-
club was immediately put up for sale, with no serious
ment of the football period it was going to be a very very
takers, and at the start of the 1992/93 season the club
long journey,
withdrew from the league and Maidstone United was
Maidstone joined the fourth Division of the Kent County
no more, the irony is, the club folded just 2 days after
League in at the beginning of the 1993 season and
the inauguration of the football money making machine
were crowned Champions at the very first attempt, and
that is the Premier League.
by 1999 they had reached the Kent County Premier
Nothing, after the highs of winning the conference that
Division. Despite it’s rather elaborate name, the Kent
day at Priestfield, beating our biggest rivals in the first
County League Premier Division was still in effect “park”
ever Kent football league derby (also at Priestfield) and
football, only the games were played on a Saturday
being so close to a Wembley date there was nothing.
(rather than a Sunday) and the pitch had a rope around
The common sight of replica shirts disappeared and
it in order to prevent pitch invasions from the 50 or so
the buses taking fans to and from Dartford remained
people who turned out the watch the games.
at the depot. Many fans comforted themselves with
I do recall, however, a game against Thames Poly (yes
the “new” Premier League and were treated to Super
they did play in the Kent County League) when the rope
Sundays, and Monday night football.
failed to prevent a shaven headed gentleman, with
But out of nothing, there was something, there were
knuckles adorned with the words love and hate, from
two something’s in fact, there was the name Maidstone
taking a gentle stroll across the pitch with his less than
United, and there were a small group of fans who never
adorable canine at the end of a chain used for securing
stopped believing and refused to accept the county
motorcycles. Thus bringing the match to a standstill as
town of Kent was without a football team. In 1992,
the referee deemed it too dangerous to continue all the
these “never say die” fans formed Maidstone Invicta
while the intruder was inside the boundary rope.
(the liquidation process didn’t allow the existence of Maidstone United), and under the guidance of Paul
In 2001 the club was politely asked to move it’s home
Bowden-Brown a team was built, it was to play it’s
games owing to the colourful language that was filling
home games on the training pitch which was located
the air on match days, this was actually the first time
49 Abandon Chip! Maidstone United had featured in the National News
was avoided on the final game of the 2007-2008 when
as the pitch was actually owned by the Mormon Church
a 1-0 victory against Folkestone kept the Stones in the
and the story seemed too irresistible for the media.
same division at the expense of our hosts on the day.
This was the trigger for Maidstone United to once again
And in order to try and bring the club back onto an even
become homeless and forced out of their hometown
keel, or at least reduce the overheads Maidstone United
once again and Sittingbourne agreed to a ground share
moved to The Homelands, home of Ashford United at
and with this the dream of one day becoming a team
the start of the 2009. It was clear the club could not
that played it’s home games in it’s own town began to
afford to assemble a team competitive enough to remain
fade again. However, the return of Steve Butler kept
in this league and add to the dwindling attendances the
the memories of 1989-91 alive, although by now he
future looked more and more bleak. It became obvious
was in the final years of his career.
the club was once again close to folding.
The following season (2002-03) the ‘Stones once again
In February 2008, an unknown businessman in the
received publicity when they were shown live on BBC
shape of Oliver Ash came into the picture, Mr Ash had
1’s “Road to Cardiff” kicking off the first match in that
business interests elsewhere, he was more of a “Rugby”
seasons FA Cup, in fact it was to prove the catalyst for a good cup run (for a Kent League side) which included a win away at out “new rivals” Tonbridge Angels who were 2 leagues above us, Steve Butler with a hat-trick in a 3-2 win. Although it looked at one point as though the ‘Stones were going to win the league in January a massive down turn in form and the withdrawal of Faversham Town from the league meant that the league was lost by 0.14 of a point. The Stones continued to progress on the field and 2006 won the Kent Premier Division and got promoted to the Ryman South (Isthmian League Division 1 South), and then promoted again the following year to the Ryman Premier. However, back to back promotions could not detract from the behind the scenes issues and the fact we were no nearer to moving back to our home town, and this, as it had in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s seemed to be imperative to securing the future of the club. Relegation for the first time in the clubs 110 year history
Abandon Chip! 50 club) worked tirelessly at different methods of funding the new ground, and it was unclear how much success they were having at the time. The business plan raised a number of eyebrows as it included the provision of a 3G pitch. The sceptics again reminded all concerned parties of the failings of past “Astroturf” pitches at QPR, Luton Town et al. But Oliver Ash felt that in order for a club to survive they needed to generate additional revenues, and he felt that the pitch could be hired out on a regular basis for 12 months of the year, and that all affiliated clubs could use the pitch, for training and matches alike, thus reducing the costs for using other more natural pitches. It was also thought that additional revenue would be generated in the club house by those involved in the proposed six-a-leagues that were going man and in truth the few fans that remained were sceptical about what Mr Ash’s intentions were. But despite relegation in 2011, the first in the clubs history, it was clear Mr Ash had the passion of a fan and the determination and know how to finally bring the ‘Stones home. In October 2011, Oliver Ash and Terry Casey (a lifelong ‘Stones fan) took over the club, with Paul Bowden-Brown stepping down. The club were moved back to Sittingbourne, in what was initially perceived as a backward step, but in our first season back in the Ryman South we finished just outside the playoffs and our average attendance rose to a respectable 377.
Again, as well as the team played during the 2011-2012 season the talk once again was of events off the pitch, was the dream finally coming to reality? Oliver Ash, Terry Casey and Bill Williams (a loyal servant to the
to use the 3G pitch. Despite the arguments for having a 3G pitch there was strong opposition to it and a lack of support from the authorities including the FA who dictated that we wouldn’t be able to play home games in any FA competitions. By this time another longstanding fan in the form of local businessman Pat Gallagher, Chairman of The Gallagher Group, a local Building, Civil Engineering and Property Development company, had become involved and he offered the Groups services to help build the ground, and the ground was to be named in honour of this. Ash and Casey gave the thumbs up for the new ground to be built in time for the 2012-2013 season and work commenced. Having moved away from Maidstone I was reliant on photos posted on the website and updates on forums as to how the ground was progressing, despite this I needed to see the progression with my own eyes
51 Abandon Chip! and so a few months into the construction I took a drive
Gallagher walked around the ground with what could
down there just to have a look, and there is it, in it’s
only be described as “hero” status, this was only threat-
half-finished glory. The pessimistic side of me meant
ened by the appearance of....yes....Steve Butler.
that I still didn’t fully believe this project was going to
In the business plan, Oliver Ash and Co had an antici-
be completed and I remember stories of a half finished
pated average attendance of 800-900 as it was unclear
ground at Oxford United.
how many of those who had turned to Premiership
But the progression continued and the belief became
clubs all those years ago would return, there was also
more and more tangible, the 3G pitch was laid and
an element of a lost generation, young football fans
all certificates etc etc were applied for. The pitch was
who would go and watch their local club as I did when
given a grading equivalent to the national stadium
I entered my teens. The next friendly was played on
in Moscow, a pitch which played host to an England
a Tuesday night against less glamorous opposition but
World Cup Qualifier and a Champions League Group
still attracted over 1,400 fans, followed by additional
Match between Spartak Moscow and European giants,
friendlies that attracted well in excess of 1,000 fans. To
Real Madrid. Yet the FA deemed our pitch was not fit
put this into perspective our last season ground sharing
to host qualifying rounds in the FA Cup, even the hal-
at Sittingbourne drew average attendances of just over
lowed turf at Wembley is made up of 20% 3G.
300, now we were averaging well over 1,000 for pre-
The excitement mounted, tickets for the opening game
season friendlies.
against Championship side Brighton and Hove Albion
The FA changed their mind and out of the blue sent the
were snapped up and the the date was set. On 14th
club a communication allowing them to play on 3G for
July 2012 Gus Poyet brought his charges down for the
qualifying rounds of the FA Cup, 3G is still only allowed
official opening of The Gallagher Stadium. As players
for leagues below Conference level.
such as Craig Mackail-Smith and Wayne Bridge
Our first league game of the season drew a crowd of
walked out onto the 3G surface, tears were rolling
1,569 but our visitors hadn’t quite read the script and
down the cheeks of grown men, in the capacity 2,226
ended up leaving with the 3pts in a 5-4 win.
crowd, who had seen the club through the dark days.
However Maidstone United had been installed a pre-
Gus Poyet kicked a ball to officially open the stadium
season favourites to win the league and this notion
and it was clear, the ‘Stones were back.
is supported by the fact we have this season beaten
The aforementioned Mr Mackail-Smith scored the first
a number of teams in leagues above, most notably
goal in a 5-0 victory for the visitors, but the day was
Salisbury City who were (and still are) leading the
about the occasion and not the result. The visitors were
Conference South, we have beaten the runaway away
extremely respectful of the day and in truth could have
leaders in the league above as well.
scored a few more. Gus Poyet described the surface
On non-league day, over 1,900 fans came through the
as “magnificent” and Messrs Ash, Casey, Williams and
turnstiles for the top of the table clash against Dulwich
Abandon Chip! 52
Hamlet, the kick off was delayed for 15 mins to allow
2013-14 season) on 26 January 2013.
the fans queuing outside time to get in. 3 Days before Christmas 2012, the last Saturday before the holiday
My initial thoughts are that as a football fan who has
period,which is traditional the weekend where attend-
seen his team hit the highs and then the unnerving lows
ances drop, over 1,700 turned up to see the Stones
of going out of business the future is something I have
take on Worthing.
struggled to focus on because for many years the future
On 1 January this year 2,291 fans packed in to the
looked bleak and I was always grateful to be able to see
Gallagher Stadium for the Stones match against their
the black and amber of Maidstone United appear in any
former landlords Sittingbourne, again the kick off
match no matter what league they are in.
was delayed, it was clear the directors expectation of
I am a convert in terms of 3G pitches and despite the
800-900 fans turning up to support the Stones. On a
knee jerk reaction that football should be played on
personal note my expectation was way off as I decided
grass I can now see the huge benefits in terms of not
to take a bet on with one of those friends who I first
only additional revenue but also the lack of postpone-
met on the bus in 1988 that our average attendance
ments and assurances that no matter what the weather
(for league games only) for our first season back home
the game will be on. This is especially highlighted at
would be less than 1,000, here we are in January and
this time of year when grass pitches become heavy and
our average is over 1,600, and I stand to lose the bet
difficult to play any sort of quality football on. Despite
(the loser is to pay for the others season ticket for the
the thoughts of years gone by, 3G pitches do not seem
53 Abandon Chip!
to add an additional injury risk to players and it is clear well below our natural level and should rightly expect from the football seen at the Gallagher Stadium this to be in Conference South within the next 5 years. year that players enjoy the surface.
“Expect” is a slightly arrogant word and I don’t doubt
Does 3G give the home team an advantage? This that we do not have a right to be higher in the football season our away record is better than our home record pyramid than we are purely based on attendances and so I guess not, one thing is certain is that opposing facilities. teams come to the home of Maidstone United and play It is brilliant to see so many youngsters around in front of crowds 5 times the average for the league on Maidstone now wearing Maidstone United shirts and a surface that encourages good passing football. Many talking about games they have been to against the teams have left the Gallagher Stadium having put on likes of Waltham and Hersham and Corinthian Casuals their best performance of the season and have there- rather than walking around in Chelsea or Man Utd fore enjoyed the experience immensely.
shirts, talking about games they have seen on Sky TV.
When it comes to our “Natural” level, if I had thought May I take this opportunity to wish you and all the other about that last season I would say we were pretty much supporters who have remained loyal to Scarborough at our natural level and so I was happy playing in a the best for the future. I hope it all works out for you, league where the average number of away fans very and if any of you are ever down South I’m sure you rarely exceeds 50. But given what this season has would be made to feel welcome and at the home of the served up and based on our attendances I think we are “non squatters”.
Abandon Chip! 54
T F I V E O F T H E WO R S
so much success, In a season which is bringing us balance is needed. it would seem that an element of have much to moan Seeing as the fanzine doesn’t we could take a lightabout at the moment, we thought at five of the worst hearted, cringeworthy look back tic have put in during performances Scarborough Athle our short history.
ogies in advance for If you were at these games, apol ories whic h shou ld bring ing back horr endo us mem without further ado, have been buried long ago. So, of your footballing off we go into the dark recesses memories…
Boro 2-6 Bart::on ATT 591 NCEL Division One :: 25.08.07
g as we were such a
Perhaps a bit unfair this one seein new club, but it certainly p***ed on
our cornflakes. Boro
es as Jon Ellwood, started with such household nam t in the team, and Matty Kennett and Craig Smethurs them apart. After 31 Barton’s experience soon took
an unassailable 0-3 minutes, the visitors already had did survive the initial lead. Scott Phillips, a player who pride a few moments early season cull, restored some
the stroke of half later, but another Barton goal on eline at the break. time made for an unhappy 1-4 scor more in the second Barton helped themselves to two
a hattrick. Craig half, with Gareth Barlow notching g memory of the Hogg got Boro’s second. One lastin finding himself near game is Dave Bramley frequently
nce going AWOL. An the halfway line due to his defe fledgling Boro team unhappy start to league life for the t early in the season. and supporters, but a lesson learn desp ite a poin ts Boro finis hed the seas on in 5th, e conceded six.. deduction. Also the only time we’v
ro Shirebrook 4-.093 ::Bo Att 160 NCEL Premier Division :: 21.11
Wait a moment. Losing by one goal
away from home,
It can’ t be that and scor ing three in the proc ess? Routledge (what bad, can it? Well yes actually. Paul and Craig Hogg put happened to him, by the way?) lead at half time Boro in a com man ding two goal ined for releg ation . agai nst a team who were dest Boro were losing Eight minutes into the second half, e out for the second 3-2. The team simply did not com chan ces at will. perio d, and Shir ebro ok took their hit a fourth, and the Twelve minutes later, Shirebrook as the rain drizzled travelling support were apoplectic Hogg did notch a down in deepest Nottinghamshire. but the damage had second with four minutes to go, otion hopes of this been done, and Boro’s faint prom blow. The full time season took another significant een a few Boro fans whistle brought confrontation betw h thankfully didn’t boil and the management team, whic y. A forgettable day over into anything too unsavour This result was the in a largely forgettable season. g streak, with Brid culmination of a three match losin ington putting us tonking us 5-2 in the Vase and Dinn t’s Cup at home. out of the much-maligned Presiden
R
N
l
y
e
d
s
55 Abandon Chip!
Rainworth 3-0 Boro NCEL Premier Divisiom :: 20.04.10 :: Att 137
h was abandoned This was a rematch of a game whic catching fire. That due to a floodlight blowing up and for two things. Firstly, particular night was memorable whic h sadl y was Joel Hart ley’s fanta stic equa liser s and secondly, the scrubbed from the history book t to put an electrical Rainworth official who was abou her until someone, fire out with a water fire extinguis that he probably rather in the nick of time, told him Rainworth offered up shouldn’t. The rematch was dire. ing. We had a keeper three goals and Boro offered noth tried his best but just in goal, Jamie Hawksworth, who mber much about wasn’t very good. I really can’t reme thing. Thankfully, the game, which is probably a good successful. 13-0 Boro’s next game was slightly more against Brodsworth.
Boro 4-4 Hallam 1.11 :: att 403 NCEL Premier Division :: 08.0
in the top five worst Four goals and a point and it’s bein g silly now ? perfo rman ces? Sure ly we’r e just
to remind you of the Sadly not. I’m sure I don’t need lt. It pains me just circumstances surrounding this resu : Boro 4-0 Hallam. to type it. 70 minutes on the clock now, but let’s indulge You could fill in the gaps yourself Medcalf hattrick and ourselves in a little more pain. A in a commanding a Gary Hepples effort had put Boro was see the game position, and all they needed to do e goals in six minutes out. Hallam had other ideas. Thre
defending and the (70, 75, 76) thanks to woeful Boro seen on a football worst case of complacency I’ve ever
to wha t shou ld, and pitch resu lted in a nerv y end demolishing of the nowadays would, be a complete s to an equaliser opposition. Hallam helped themselve
ory serves me right, in the last minute, and if my mem ments on the Surfing they could have had a fifth. Com g result’ and ‘Hallam Seadog forum included: ‘Disgustin
to score four!’. My were a joke but we allowed them ebody tell me this personal favourite was: ‘Please, som is a wind up’. No. No it wasn’t.
ro Tadcaster 3-09.11Bo :: Att 472 FA cup 1st Qualifying :: 17.0
are there as the It’s the FA Cup , the TV cam eras alrea dy won 1-0 at featu red gam e, and Boro had the season. There’s Tadcaster in the league earlier in a big crowd, including at least 300
travelling Seadogs,
for a game in a and it’s the most excited we’d been ral Boro thing to do is long time. So of course, the natu less performance I’ve to put in the most spineless, hope seen so far under the reign of Rudy
Funk. (I wasn’t at
to shield the ball out for a goal kick.
Tadcaster took the
which capped it for the Redcar match!). The moment chance to clear the me was when Daz Winters had the ’ and ‘poise’, he tried ball for a throw, but using his ‘pace
er how many times I ball off him and scored. No matt n’t help screaming watched the highlights back, I could the Titanic again and ‘CLEAR IT!’. Much like watching changes, and Boro again though, the ending never were a sinking ship on this particular
day.
Abandon Chip! 56
Rushden and Dires The STORY OF ANOTHER ‘AFC’ In this issue of AC we’re featuring some clubs in crisis.
stronger than ever.
While there are some well-publicised recent examples
Probably the most well-known of these crisis clubs is
(Rangers and Portsmouth are probably the best-known
Rushden & Diamonds. Their story is well-known but in
of these), there are many more out there, and I’ve
short this is it:
examined a cluster of clubs who have experienced
1992: Rushden Town have a Southern League
trouble in various forms in recent times.
place but a run-down ground. Irthlingborough
Northamptonshire is not regarded as a particularly
Diamonds have a ground right by the A6 with loads of
exciting place. It’s most famous for being the home of
space around it to develop, but are stuck in the United
Weetabix, the Carlsberg brewery and the British shoe
Counties League going nowhere. Enter Doc Martens
industry. Most people would know it’s somewhere in
boss Max Griggs, who suggests merging the two teams
the middle of the country but not much beyond that.
and begins to bankroll them up the leagues, culminating
This relatively anonymous lump of the East Midlands
in their promotion to the Football League in 2001.
has recently been an epicentre of clubs in crisis in
2005: Griggs ceases funding the club and they’re
one way or another. It’s home to some of the most
relegated to the Conference in 2006.
dysfunctional football clubs in the country, with financial
2011: Early in the year, it becomes clear that R&D
mismanagement, clubs losing their grounds, and so
are in serious financial trouble, with a large wage bill,
on. Thankfully it’s not all doom and gloom, as many
high rent costs at their Nene Park stadium and not
of these clubs have come out the other side and are
enough income to cover these outgoings. They fulfil
57 Abandon Chip!
estraights their fixtures but it is no great surprise when the club is a venue at which to play their matches, meaning they wound up during the summer.
had to find a ground with floodlights (since the NSYL is
And there the story could quite easily have ended. But a midweek league), which ideally didn’t already have a the fans weren’t about to let their club go that easily. youth team playing on it. They reorganised and galvanised their supporters Playing at Nene Park was clearly going to be a noninto a steering group with a view to entering a league starter. The ground owners weren’t about to rent their in 2011/12. There were precedents dating back to 6,000 capacity stadium to a newly-formed youth team Aldershot Town back in 1992, and including us fifteen with hardly a penny to their name, especially when there years later. Trouble was, it was early July by this point; had been a major falling-out with the old club. they didn’t have any players or anywhere to play their The old pre-merger Rushden Town’s old ground still games, and they had left it too late to apply to join a exists, and would have been an ideal location to base league, so they took a step back and decided on a new a phoenix club, within walking distance of many of its strategy. Who says you need a team in a league in the fans. Unfortunately Rushden & Higham Utd who now pyramid system? Who says it even needs to be an adult play there also have a youth team, so there wasn’t any team?
room to fit another side in.
So it was that in September 2011 that AFC Rushden & Thankfully, Northamptonshire is full of football teams. To Diamonds made their bow in the Northants Senior Youth illustrate, the Athletic Ground was about 18 miles from League. Their first major challenge had been to secure Queensgate. Within 18 miles of the Athletic Ground
Abandon Chip! 58 there’s only one other senior team at Step 6 or above
had led them to put a sharing agreement in place with
(Pickering). Within 18 miles of my house down here
UCL Premier side Wellingborough Town, which made
there are seventeen. AFC Rushden found welcome
things easier for me in a way, since the Dog & Duck
hosts in United Counties League side Raunds Town
Ground is only twenty minutes in the car. Unfortunately,
(four miles from Nene Park) and they kicked off their
unlike Raunds which is right by the A45 and has a large
campaign in front of crowds unprecedented in youth
car park, the D&D has space for officials’ and players’
football outside the top levels of the game.
cars only, and the retail park next door has a strict two-
I went to watch a game at Raunds around February
hour maximum.
of that first season. On a bitterly cold night, they’d
So having parked half a mile away, I wandered up to
attracted a crowd of around 250 to watch an under-
the gates, to a ground I’d visited several times before.
18s match. They produced a programme (as far as I
I immediately noticed that there were two stewards
know the only club in that league to do so), had a small
next to the gates; one of whom was politely informing
range of merchandise and even though the game itself
people that the car park was full and they’d have to
wasn’t the best, they gave the impression of a capable
park elsewhere. The other steward was guarding
club finding its feet.
the entrance to neighbouring UCL Division One club
I’d also watched them three months previously on an
Wellingborough Whitworth, whose ground is right next
artificial pitch in Northampton in an away game ten
door, with the car park gates close enough to mean
minutes’ walk from my house. I went along dreading a
you could easily park in the wrong place by mistake.
poor game on a plastic pitch which offered nothing but
However, the two Wellingborough teams are not good
friction burns and wild bounces and instead saw one of
neighbours, for reasons that are a mystery to me (and
the most entertaining games of the whole season. After
probably to anyone who’s not a native of NN8), but it
five minutes you forgot you were watching a game on
was being made very clear that Whitworth’s small car
an artificial pitch which is probably the highest praise
park was only for those who were off to watch their
you can offer, and ever since I’ve been an advocate of
game against Bourne Town.
3G pitches.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been to see Whitworth a few
But I digress. Over the summer of 2012, AFC R&D put
times and I’ve always found them to be a very pleasant
in an application for membership of a senior league.
little club, but for the life of me I can’t see why they and
Their ambition, business case and no doubt their
the Town club next door don’t get on better. A footnote
legions of fans helped swing their application and they
in this tale is that Whitworth are a crisis club themselves
were accepted into Division One of the United Counties
after an arson attack in 2011 burned their clubhouse
League for the 2012/13 season.
to the ground. Thankfully, they’ve got a temporary
On the day Boro were turning Thackley over 5-1 at
structure courtesy of a local building supplier and
their place, I decided to tick off one of the very few UCL
they’re going along nicely now.
teams I still needed to visit. Their ground negotiations
Meanwhile, back at the AFC Rushden game next door,
59 Abandon Chip! One crucial difference between AFC R&D and Boro though, is that while we’re actively working towards a return to Scarborough, they seem perfectly happy where they are, at least for now. When I’d been to the Dog & Duck Ground before it had been a perfectly adequate ex-Southern League ground, with a stand holding a couple of hundred people, hard standing all round and a sponsor’s box near the bar at one end of the pitch. AFC Rushden had installed a prefab metal terrace behind one goal, which is no small undertaking for a side if they’re not intending to be at a ground long-term! As the game against Northampton O.N. Chenecks kicked off, I was reminded that no matter how professional a team looks before a game, it can be a Looking around the place, it struck me – it’s like totally different matter after the whistle blows. Rushden watching Boro, just 170 miles further south! Former took charge and immediately put their opponents under Football League club goes bust, reforms at Step 6, pressure. It didn’t surprise anyone when they took the sharing at a Step 5 team’s ground, and attracts crowds lead after fifteen minutes; a scramble in the area leading which dwarf those of their landlords.
to a shot being cleared from behind the line. The goal
I went into the bar, which was a mistake. I will never was awarded on the linesman’s (correct) decision, much again complain about the bar at Queensgate being to the chagrin of the Northampton team (who despite all crowded. Imagine a bar half the size…. I squeezed the ground regulations in the book, still play at a ground to the front, got served then squeezed back outside without lights or any hard standing on two sides). again to read my programme. It’s a nice professional- As the half wore on, the two sides settled into a pattern. looking thing with lots of pretty pictures, but there was Rushden would pass it about a bit without achieving a disappointing lack of reading matter and at an eye- a great deal in possession, Chenecks played the kind watering two quid for just 28 pages, I did feel fleeced. of swarming football that primary school kids do in They could do worse than take a lesson from us – make games of thirty-a-side in the playground. Having four it black & white inside, drop the price 50p and it’ll still be men around the ball doesn’t work if you’re leaving three a good programme but far better value (and probably opponents unmarked in the process. In true Step 6 with a better profit margin!).
fashion it took Rushden some time to notice this and
I mentioned that it was similar to Boro; just how similar when they finally did, they got their number nine clean was brought home to me when a chap walked past through on the keeper….and hit a weak shot straight selling teamsheets. For twenty pence.
at him.
Abandon Chip! 60
The second goal came would be a candidate for one
tale to be told in Northamptonshire though. You could
of those “worst goalkeeping howlers” videos. Picture
write a book about the trials and tribulations at Kettering
this – Rushden player is running out of space on his
Town at the moment. This is a club who twenty years
run through and hits a hopeful low cross into the area
ago were pushing for promotion to the Football League.
before he takes it over the touchline. Somehow the
They’re now fighting for their very survival, having been
goalie contrives to palm the ball from his right hand, off
demoted from the Conference to the Southern League
his own left knee and into the back of the net.
Premier last summer.
Despite continuing ineptitude from the away team, that
In this case, the owners of their Rockingham Road
was somehow the end of the scoring and as I left I
ground served a year’s notice in 2011 that the club
overheard two of their fans chatting. They were pleased
would have to leave. Despite them having a year to
to get the three points to keep them in touch near the
act, their chairman decided that with Nene Park sitting
top of the table, but “disappointed that we didn’t get
empty eight miles down the road following Rushden &
five or six against that lot.” You could portray that as
Diamonds’ demise, it made sense to move into a ready-
arrogance but to be honest, the away team were so
made Football League-standard ground rather than
poor that I was surprised Rushden only scored twice.
appeal to their (not entirely co-operative) local council
Having watched a lot of Step 5 & 6 football across
and hope that something may be provided.
England, the two strongest leagues I’ve seen are the
Unfortunately, Kettering and Rushden were historically
Northern League and NCEL. Our league is a country
not the best of friends, and a considerable number
mile ahead of the standards of the United Counties
of their fans simply refused to watch their team on
League and while AFC Rushden are a very capable
what was regarded as “enemy territory”. Their crowds
team in their own league and they might be able to
dropped and their financial troubles started to catch
raise their game in a one-off cup game (as they did
up with them as the high rent cost for the ground
when they ran Ashington close in the Vase back in
became too much. They had tried their best to make
December), I can’t help thinking that at the moment,
Nene Park feel like home, including getting rid of the
they’d struggle in a stronger league.
myriad of Diamonds branding which was all over the
The saga at AFC Rushden & Diamonds isn’t the only
place. When I visited for a county cup final last April,
61 Abandon Chip!
the enormous R&D logos had been removed from
they’ve gone the same route as us, choosing a name
the back of the stands, they’d gone to the trouble of
which their reserve team used back in the 1980s.
rearranging the seats so they spelt “KTFC” rather than
They’re therefore known as simply Kettering FC,
“RDFC”, and they’d even rebranded their top-of-the-
are issuing a programme for their home games and
range comestible to a “Poppies Burger”.
have set out a specific target of re-establishing senior
Despite their attempts to make themselves feel at
football in Kettering.
home, the crowds weren’t enough to make playing
It’s not just a distant dream either. They have identified
there viable and they were locked out in October 2012.
a potential site and they already have a small stand
For a while their future hung in the balance as two
and other ground items in storage (snapped up on the
league games were called off. Eventually though, they
cheap from the former Daventry Utd FC, who merged
managed to arrange a groundshare at Corby Town’s
with Daventry Town last summer), so they could well
Steel Park ground and they struggle on against a points
be moving up sooner rather than later. I suspect lift-off
deduction, with a young team out of their depth. If they
for them may happen properly if Kettering Town finally
survive into next season it’ll be a triumph of sorts.
go under (as seems entirely possible), and their fans
If they don’t survive then a group of fans have already
realise that there is a viable alternative which gives
followed AFC Rushden & Diamonds’ example, and
them a proper voice and a say in the running of their
have formed a breakaway club playing this season
club.
as an under-18s side in the Northants Senior Youth
Keep your eye on AFC Rushden & Diamonds, and
League. Raunds Town have again rented out their
Kettering FC, because like us, they’re clubs formed
ground and following a visit there back in October I
by fans who have been through the mill and deserve
was very impressed.
far better than they got from their old clubs. So while
The parallels with AFC R&D the season before are
I’d rather be watching football up north, this area is
startling; same league, same ground, same sense of
certainly an interesting place to be in the meantime!
“thank God we’re away from the madness” optimism.
Mercifully though, one difference is that they’ve decided
not to go for the increasingly tedious “AFC” name and
Ian Anderson
Abandon Chip! 62
Wacky Programme Covers
1 Birmingham City Ladies v Arsenal Ladies - 2012 Blues goalkeeper Marie Hourihan is an accountant in her day job so is presumably quite intelligent, which just makes this gormless-looking photo even less appropriate, especially when you consider there’s a perfectly good one of her next to her interview inside which they could have used. Even then, surely the current FA Women’s Cup holders have more than two photos of their own goalie?!
63 Abandon Chip!
Rustington v Peacehaven (Sussex County League) 2007/08 Interesting choice of picture for their Sports Health Edition – we’ll assume they’re isotonic chips and diet lager...
2
Coventry City v Nottingham Forest 1980/81 Because nothing illustrates the glamour and excitement of a top-flight football match than a photo of the Duke of Edinburgh giving a speech to an audience including Jimmy Hill.
3
Abandon Chip! 64
EXTRA TIME:
Maidstone United Hi Adrian. How did you get involved with Maidstone
replay, Exeter in the cup, when we beat them 1-0 and
United. Tell us a bit about yourself?
winning the Conference with a 6-0 win on the last day.
My involvement with Maidstone United has been
After we went bust I was living away from Maidstone
mainly as just a supporter. However, when we were
and remained blissfully unaware that we had reformed
really down on out luck I was involved in several other
as Maidstone Invicta until 1996. When I first came back
ways such as selling raffle tickets at home games to
we played Guru Nanak in a Kent League cup game
raise a bit of money or getting up early to fork a pitch to
infront of about 50 people. After that I/we had to endure
get games on when we played in the County League
a few years of visiting a variety of local village pitches at
at London Road in Maidstone (right behind where the
places such as Eynsford, Rusthall, Phoenix Sports (no
old stadium used to be). When we were Kent League
I’d never heard of them until we played them either) until
I used to be the treasurer for the supporters club but
we finally got back to the Kent League. The highlight of
gave this up when I moved up North to Carlisle. My first
the County League years was undoubtably getting our
Maidstone game was a 3-1 loss at home to Grantham
senior status back and a crowd of 200 turned up to see
in 1976ish. From then on in I was a part time supporter
us beat Sevenoaks at home. The year we joined the
in the glory days of the 1980s. I was in the record crowd
Kent League we had to start playing at Sittingbourne
of 10,700 when we lost 2-1 at home to Charlton in the
FC because the Morman church had decided they
cup and saw other great games such as Gillingham
no longer wanted 150 football fans turning up to their
in the cup, when we knocked them out in the second
London Road ground (our crowds had started growing
65 Abandon Chip!
by then). We spent a good few seasons playing at
an ex-manager, Bill Williams (who had initially joined
Sittingbourne and I am entirely grateful to that club
through Mr Bowden Brown). Paul Bowden Brown then
for keeping us alive during some desperate times. We
left the club and Mssrs Ash, Casey and Williams set
also spent two years playing at Ashford Town’s ground,
about getting the finance sorted to build the ground
which was disasterous because it was difficult to get
in Maidstone. Their main masterstroke was getting a
to and crowds dropped down from 350 average to
local builder, Pat Gallagher, involved, as the ground
200. We came very close to the brink again. It wasn’t
was built for a lower price (hence the new ground being
a surprise when we returned to SIttingbourne again.
The Gallagher Stadium). After 15 years of watching
During this time our then chairman, Paul Bowden-
Maidstone play infront of crowds ranging from 50 in
Brown, had managed to acquire a piece of ground in
1996 to 350 in 2010, we now play in front of 1500+.
Maidstone. Unfortunately there were no funds to build a ground so it just sat there. What eventually saved us
What happened that led to you folding? What’s
was that Mr Bowden-Brown took a £100k investment
happened since?
from a man called Oliver Ash. When Mr Ash decided
The key stories are as follows. Immediately following
that this was not a good investment he couldn’t get his
demise Maidstone Invicta was formed. This initially
money back out because it had been spent. Mr Ash
involved Jim Thompson the chairman from the League
then decided to get much more involved. He teamed up
Club but as he was banned from football for the fiasco
with a local businessman called Terry Casey and kept
surrounding the League Club, Paul Bowden-Brown, a
Abandon Chip! 66 local businessman, was the Chairman from 1992 until
away from the train station with no public transport to
2010. We started life in 1992 in the Kent County league
get to it, meaning that crowds dropped by around a third
division 4 and won it. We were promoted straight to
on the Sittingbourne attendances. Many people started
Division 2 due to restructure of the league. In 1997
to give up going because they had no belief that we
we became Maidstone United again. In 1998 former
would get back. Those two seasons were very bleak
Stones league player, Jason Lillis, took us to the Kent
because it looked like we were not going to make it
Premier league after winning the division 1 title. In
having come so far.
2000 we regained our senior status and in 2001 we were promoted to the Kent League. We won the Kent
What are your ambitions as a club? How is the
League in our first year but could not get promoted
progression up the leagues going?
due to the short lease we had on our groundshare
At present we are second in Ryman 1 South but
with Sittingbourne. In 2002 we entered the FA Cup
hoping to get promoted this season to Ryman Premier.
again and were the featured team on BBc’s Road to
Unfortunately our 3G pitch is still not allowed in the
Cardiff. In 2004 we successfully applied for planning
Conference so who knows what will happen if we were
permission at James Whatman Way in Maidstone. In
to win the Ryman Premier. The ambitions are still to get
2006 we were promoted to the Ryman 1 South. We
back to the Conference National.
also signed a 99-year lease for James Whatman Way. In 2007 we were promoted to the Ryman Premier. In
How are you coping with the lower level?
2009 we moved to play at Ashford. In late 2010 Oliver
My message to Boro fans regarding playing at lower
Ash and Terry Casey took over from Paul Bowden
levels is to enjoy it for what it is. You will make some
Brown. In 2011 were relagated back to Ryman 1 South.
good friends if you don’t turn up with a ‘we are too big
2011 also saw us move back to SIttingbourne for one
for this attitude’. You will meet people that will enjoy
more year and construction on our new stadium began.
mocking you if they win because you were once a big
July 2012 saw us open our new stadium (complete with
club. Smile graciously, let them have their moment and
3G pitch) and crowd averages have been above all
remember it’s a game. the most important thing is to
expectations.
not give up. I can tell you stories of turning up to a cup semi-final to find we were playing on a school pitch
Where did you groundshare, and for how long?
or standing in a tiny stand with 30 fellow supporters
How was that for the club and its supporters?
(huge away support eh?) getting knocked out of a cup
Groundsharing was a fairly painful experience for
by Thames Poly, prices always being a pound or two
the supporters. Crowds never went much above 350
higher when Maidstone United were the visitors. I sold
unless there was a big game. Sittingbourne seems to
raffle tickets, forked pitches, held up banners saying,
have it’s own micro-climate meaning that it is cold all
‘Give the Stones a Ground’ to the local paper, organised
year round and Ashford Town’s ground is four miles
seaside card nights out in Maidstone to raise money,
cycled from Oxford to Sittingbourne to raise money. I also paid next to nothing to see my team, met lots of very nice genuine people and visited some picturesque places. All of the time the main goal was to get my
STONE TILE
team back to my home town so the kids of Maidstone had a team. We had about 50 supporters committed to the cause in 1996. today we are getting crowds of 1500-2000. When i look back on it all the journey was fantastic if not desperate at times. I hope this part inspires you to believe you can and will achieve a goal of Scarborough back in Scarborough. GOOD LUCK!
Specialist Natural Stone and Tiling Services
Any memories of Scarborough? I have no recollections of watching Maidstone play Scarborough (although does not mean I didn’t such is my memory these days). I do remember watching Scaroborugh lose 1-0 at Exeter in the late 80s with
Qualified, Friendly Tradesman
your goalkeeper making one the best saves I have ever seen. I was also there when you played at carlisle in the Conference. For the first 10mins I could not work
Free Quotes and Advice
out why Scarborough fans were so noisy as it was just a Tuesday night game at Carlisle. Eventually I remember the Jimmy Glass history. If you are wondering why I was at that game it is because I lived in Carlisle for three years.
My final message to Boro fans is to keep the faith and keep pushing for what you want. Enjoy the journey and you will get your rewards.
AC! was talking to Maidstone United supporter Adrian Sharpe. Find out more about the Stones at:
maidstoneunited.co.uk
Stewart M. 07725118543 T. 01904 634577