A SEASON TO TREASURE

Printed in the National League South game v Eastbourne Borough Monday 22^nd April 2019 We drew 1-1 in front of 905 people.

 

Luckily the football season ends just as my work goes into overdrive. Tomatoes need watering, weeds need pulling, fruit needs picking....the summer is a blur of vegetableness until it all calms down in time for the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round to get under way.

But what a mighty fine football season it's been. My eldests team won the Under 14 Sussex County League Division Three although I did spend far too many Sunday mornings in Crawley. After a previous season where he picked up two red cards and a seven match ban, he has now learnt to tackle boys twice his size with just enough aggression not to be shown a red. Must have been all that chocolate Clubshop Sue force-fed him when he was a baby.

I went to Wembley to see Brighton but who are now hanging onto their Premier League status by their fingertips.

As for Slough's Towns first season in the National South; well its been pretty sensational. A bit of a flirt with the play-offs we have never had to look nervously over our shoulders, had another brilliant cup run, turned over league leaders Woking at their place and I got a romantic weekend away with Kieran in Torquay. 
 

 

As this season comes to an end, I’ve started looking at potential opposition and places to visit for next season – unless of course we are transferred to the National League North.

Dorking Wanderers rise up the pyramid has been phenomenal. Only formed in 1999 they began life in the Crawley and District Football League. We had a fortunate FA Cup victory a few years back at their old ground and now they are bang in the middle of town in the totally revamped Dorking FC stadium which had been derelict but is now the home of the Surrey FA. Their chairman reckons they can reach the football league while the council are pretty pleased with the new place “Meadowbank Park will be a destination venue for decades to come. There’s nothing like it in the local area and to have a football ground in the centre of town these days is truly unique.”

I'm totally confused who will get promoted from the feeder league play-offs as there doesn't seem to enough spaces for everyone, but I hope one of them is Weymouth. That sunny weekend opening game of the Southern Premier League season when we'd just been promoted really felt like Slough were back in the big time.

Coming the other way we've been some tasty trips to savour. After going bankrupt, Maidstone had to begin again so far down the pyramid is was pear-shaped. Starting afresh in the Kent County League Division Four, they also powered up the leagues, eventually moved to a splendid new stadium and spent a few years in the National League before being relegated. The interview with their former manager about just what a tough league the National is highlighted what Slough has to do not just on the pitch but behind the scenes, if it ever wants a piece of that action. Accuse me of a lack of ambition all you like, but we will have to grow our crowds and our volunteer base for a few more years if we are to go up and compete.

I love a trip along the south coast line and Havent and Waterlooville will do nicely and somewhere i've never been, apart from waiting 15 minutes at Havent station for a connection to Bournemouth. I'm not sure that counts. I've also never seen Slough play at Aldershot, who after a couple of seasons around the National League Play-offs are once again struggling financially.

I was hoping Maidenhead would be relegated for some top derby ding-dongs. Our league paths just never seem to cross but their manager Alan Devonshire is a force of nature and works wonders at smaller part time clubs.

You might think that i'm some ground-hopping obsessive Slough Town junky who would travel to a Manor Farm in Bristol and schlep to Sholing on a school night, but the fact is that being cultured I like to see the sights and sounds this fair Isle has to offer. Well at least some of the taverns. See you next season you lovely Rebels boys and girls.