NIGHTS LIKE THESE

 

Printed in the National League South game v Chelmsford City 21st October 2023  Finished 0-0 in front of 785

Well what a time to deliver the best game of Scotty Davies Slough Town managerial career. If I’m honest I never expected that, and wondered if we had blown it at their place; but that performance in the replay at Arbour Park was something else.

I’m not sure this FA Cup run has been good for anyones health. It’s certaintly not been for my fingernails or bank balance but waking up tired on a Wednesday morning is well worth it when you witness nights like that.

Thanks to Richard ‘Big Flag’ Kendall sponsoring the game I at least had a bit of pocket money left for the Salisbury replay. As one of his guests, it’s the first time I’ve been in the Arbour Park boardroom. Well, that’s not quite true, many a game my children and nepthews were mascots, but that was at Beaconsfield where the boardroom was more broom cupboard and the youngsters just ran through scoffing all the cakes and biscuits they could cram into their little mouths. Mind you my boardroom visit was short lived as I had to wash out the bin before the game.

It’s also the first time I’d met one of our new owners Ashley Smith. What a difference they have made, but rather than bringing a wrecking ball to the club, they have added their skills to compliment the people that were already part of the clubs fabric.

Like any sensible owner – not often found running football clubs - he told me they need to increase the crowds before we have a crack at promotion. This is the sort of level headed thinking we had from former chairman Steve Easterbrook, who also knew you can’t build a football club on sand but that it has to be financially sustainable. First round of the FA Cup against league opposition will certaintly help that, bringing in new supporters and sticking money in the bank.

Running a small charity I’m often asked by grant funders to explain our ‘outcomes’ – these are the sort of words that strike confusion into my brain. Wouldn’t it be better to write in clear English that everyone understands? What they are asking in a roundabout way is what difference have you made with our money. Telling them that without it we would have had to close, probably won’t cut it with some of them. They usually want bells and whistles and lavish praise.

There isn’t a parallel universe where I can see what would happen if our community garden didn't exist. But I can tell stories. One of those stories is about one of our volunteers, Keith who sadly died a couple of weeks back. Keith came to the garden one day and quietly got on with knocking our veg gardens into shape. Unlike some of our volunteers, he had an eye for a straight line, could use a hoe without chopping down the onions as well as the weeds.

When he first started volunteering he used to sit and eat lunch on his own. But slowly he started opening up about his former chaotic, alcoholic life and forging relationships with people. We started using more of his old work skills to turn his hand to other practicial jobs like sanding our cabin floor and fixing our oven brickwork.

When we got some funding to transform the space by our cabin, Keith was just the man to project manage it.

He led an army of learning disability volunteers as they tackled the weed mountain and moved mound after mound of chalk and soil by hand, slowly flattening the area, terracing it, building flower beds with precision and love and turning it into this amazing space. We now wonder how we ever managed without it. It had its debut at our open day where we give people who volunteer the chance to show off what they do to family, friends and visitors. Keith of course, wouldn’t be seen at events like that, prefering to quietly get on with jobs in the background. That new space also means we can accommodate school trips during workdays and we hosted a wedding there. When people visited him in hospital, Keith was rightly proud of the legacy he had left at the garden and we will plant a tree in his memory and rename it Keith's Corner.

But his legacy was more than just about a physical space. It was about the unintended consequences, the human interactions. He particular stuck up a working relationship with a young lad with downs syndrome, giving him the work ethic and skills he needed to boost his confidence to find other volunteer opportunities – maybe even a paid job in the long term. It was playful, banter with Keith saying that on a building site he wouldn’t be having a break every 15 minutes! It was thanks to Keith teaching him new skills, that the young man can now help when we need other building work done. But it worked both ways and their friendship was a joy to behold.

I know our small community garden can have a big impact on peoples lives. Especially those that have been ignored, discarded or dismissed - to realise their full potential, to make them feel part of something.

Football clubs can do the same. That’s why I like Volunteer of the Month, to recognise the people who quietly go about supporting our football club in so many unseen ways. Slough Town is blessed with many of them. One of them is Keith Phillips who told me he didn’t want the limelight but said using his skills also helped with his mental health. ‘I hate publicity/photo taking etc, I just want to help the club the best I can.’

Feeling part of something is what all of us need, whether that’s working at our community garden or cheering on the Rebels in some far flung outpost. Then you hit the jackpot – beating Ebbsfleet moneybags United in the FA Cup in style.

Who wouldn’t want to be part of nights like these.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME

Printed in the FA Cup 4th Qualifying round replay v Ebbsfleet United Tuesday 17th October 2023  We won 2-0 in front of 779. Into the first round proper we go! 

Every two days, a pub closes. Does it matter? As I sat in The Rose before the Ebbsfleet FA Cup game, worrying about the finances of our community pub, I’d say it does. The Rose is a proper backstreet boozer full of fleet fans including the landlord donning their colours behind the bar, with a warm welcome despite our Slough colours. Infact he remembered us from last time when we sipped cocktails on the cheap. The game might be segregated but this pub wasn’t. We got chatting to one Ebbsfleet fan who asked us to join him for a beer. All ages, dogs, babies, and older gentleman who also have no teeth. Apparently there were chickens, a hamster and other animals in the garden but I never got past the toy room which looked liked Big Ted had just had a punch up. It’s never going to win any awards, but the melting pot of people is what warms my community cockles and brings people together.

With Dartford just a few miles down the road you notice a real contrast in wealth. The small, shut ticket office said it all. Infact Northfleet seems to be the poorer cousin to Gravesend were we once sipped beer in the Three Daws a 15 century pub on the banks of the River Thames, enjoying lessons in drinking at an angle and tales of having to wear wellies in the beer cellar when it rains. We missed the ‘Grim Gravesend’ talk but we heard about ghosts and underground tunnels used by smugglers and for people escaping the press gangs, who regularly raided to force men to join the navy.

I understand the reasons but I’m still disappointed Gravesend and Northfleet was ditched in favour of Ebbsfleet United. The old name invoked grainy images from some 1950’s TV footage, all football rattles and men in flat caps smoking fags. They’ve had some famous players as well, Roy Hodgson and Jimmy Bullard pulling on the red shirt. I even managed to see them when they were Gravesend; no not in the 1950s but in 2005 when they narrowly beat us in the FA Trophy 5th Round. As for the pub where we had pre match pints, that’s now a cafe.

The name change decision was thanks to the regeneration of the Thames Gateway with the station becoming ‘an international travel hub for the Eurotunnel and a new garden city called Ebbsfleet.’

Their ground still holds onto its oldie-worldie charm, despite the fact its now called the Kerplunk stadium or some other such sponsorship nonsense.

To say the club have had an eventful few years is an understatement.

In 2007, My Football Club announced a £700,000 takeover in exchange for its members having an equal share in the club. It was the dawning of a new internet era on how to run football clubs. Or maybe not. Members were promised a vote on transfers, player selection and other major decisions. Just two and half years later from a peak of 32,000 just 3,500 were still members and one of their founders admitted that “we failed to give the feeling of ownership and closeness to the club they had hoped for. Perhaps the idea of being part of the takeover and making decisions was more exciting than the reality.” The following season the club were relegated from the Conference and they’ve yo-yo’d between the divisions ever since. They’ve nearly gone out of business and in 2013 members voted in favour of handing two-thirds of MyFC's shares to the the clubs supporters' trust and the final third to one of the club's major shareholders.

After exiting Ebbsfeet MyFC voted to support Slough. This was mainly sponsorship of our filming equipment and our away kit rather than what onions we used in our burgers. The idea has now faded away without really doing what it set out to achieve. If their idea on how to run a football club was ever really possible.

As if covid wasn’t bad enough for football clubs Ebbsfleet were relegated from the National League by just 0.002 points after the league was determined on a points per game basis. This was despite being out of the relegation zone and in the top 3 form sides when the competition ended.

Their new owners wrote off quarter of a million pound debt but gained the National League South title at a canter. And when we played them in the league last season, it couldn’t have been at a worse time. Jon and Neil had finally left Slough after managing for nearly a decade along with quite a few players; our crowds were plummeting, and Scott Davies had the near impossible task of keeping us in the league. But what a difference this time round with 200 Slough supporters behind the goal. If only someone knew who could fix drum skins and build us a roof on the away terrace, we could have made some proper noise.

In the end a breathtaking 2-2 draw, somehow felt like a defeat and we have to do it all again tonight.

In Slough, Pubs like The Roses have nearly all closed – infact its official: Slough is the worst place to party in the UK (with Brighton being the best). I don’t think we will make a song about that, but what it does create is an opportunity for the football club. If it can ever wrestle control from the council and be allowed to run Arbour Park properly, it can become the community hub everyone can get behind. They might even let us have a few chickens.

THE RELENTLESS FOOTBALL CLOCK

Printed in the National League South game v Weymouth Saturday 7th October 2023  We drew 0-0 in front of 976

Sometimes its good to get a bloody nose. Not that many people probably felt that at the time. As my plane landed back in Gatwick, twitter or whatever its called this week, informed me that Slough had lost to Tonbridge – badly and tamely in the second half. Scott Davies was embarrassed and we were rooted to the bottom of the table.

Most Slough fans want Scotty to do well. He’s a top bloke, who has assembled a young exciting attacking squad but the goals just weren’t going in.

Fast forward a week and we had beaten Dartford away, Aveley at home and knocked Hayes and Yeading out of the FA Cup. This was more like it.

As you come into Dartford you can see why its one of the fastest growing most popular towns in Kent. It feels clean, spacious, decent bus service, decent pubs...and then there is an impressive stadium.

My only concern was the sign saying built by the Conservatives. Was it made from the crumbliest, flakiest concrete? Was it going to fall on our heads?

To be fair to the former Tory Leader of the council Jeremy Kite, he hit the nail on the head on what a new football stadium can do for an area.

“Everyday, councils throw bucket loads of money at schemes to deal with anti-social behaviour, childhood obesity, community cohesion, civic pride and community relations. Here in Dartford, we took the view that rather than fund a series of expensive here today- gone tomorrow initiatives, we would invest in football as a catalyst for all those things. I'm sure every Council thinks they are doing things right, but I've never regretted or doubted the wisdom of our investment in a new Stadium. You simply cannot put a price on the sense of pride and worth as a result of The Darts coming home.”

His clear thinking and vision is in total contrast to those now in power, flailing around, blaming anyone but themselves. The education secretary was unrepentant – no one could possibly have predicted that out-of-date concrete might be out of date. Any responsible politician in her position would have done nothing and hoped for the best. Yes they had cut the school buildings project, yes she was the fifth education secretary in a year but it was the schools fault. Surely they should have someone working there who understand concrete. Even a couple of governors who could knock up a new school on the cheap.

Dartford have feet in two camps – bit too big for South but never quite having a go of it in the National League. Their bar was full of cockneys who quite rightly moaned about the beer being served in plastic cups. Maybe the glass ones had been donated by a former education secretary and they were worried they would shatter in our hands.

Then up pops Cliff the former one-man-Lewes-fan who used to run the Dripping Pan gate, rush to the offy to get cans to sell behind the bar, start the singing when Lewes were lucky to get 100 through the turnstiles. Their most successful manager Steve King was even his best man at his wedding. It’s a different Lewes now, their gates have soared and the women and men players get paid the same but it feels more like a wine tasting session than being at a football match. This certainty wasn’t the case when Cliff was leading the charge!

Another great thing about Dartford is there amazing acoustics – we hadn’t bought a drum because apparently no one was going, but in the end about 80 of us stood behind the goal and watched a first half display of determination and skill that warms any supporters cockles. In the end a 2-1 victory, as players and supporters bundled into each other enjoying a rare victory. It also felt for the first time us old gits were outnumbered by the youngsters while Dartford fans complained about being outsung by us.

Next off Hayes. I loved the old Hayes ground but never went to Yeading. With summer refusing to die, I arrived early for a pre pint curry then beers with various Rebels in a gloriously, heart warming packed pub.

I chatted to an old guy in the pub who used to play for Yeading when they used to win everything. He said he couldn’t support the merged club and we heard similar from old Hayes fans, but times change. Mind you, try telling that to a couple of groundhoppers complaining that Hayes was now in the ultra low emission zone and they wouldn’t be coming. It’s a strange hill to die on.

Hayes and Yeading has all the makings of an impressive stadium with a really top quality stand, but being at the end of an industrial estate can’t be good for crowds. Maybe that’s why they struggled getting us all in in time with lots of us missing the opening exchanges. The stand behind one goal was also out of action cos the council were worried about hibernating newts, complaining that the stand was built a fraction to high. As one Hayes official pointed out, if that’s a problem why is there a massive industrial steel monstrosity being constructed at the other end of the ground.

In the end Slough never looked that troubled and we progressed to the next round, making it three wins on the bounce and early season jitters banished to another time.

Guess which stand the council said could harm the newts 

ROHAN KEEPING US IN THE CUP

Printed in the FA Cup 3^rd Qualifying round replay Tuesday 3^rd October 2023  We won 3-0 in front of 411

My first memory is of blood pouring down my face and being rushed to hospital after jumping off an upturned wheelbarrow. Maybe that’s why I’m now a gardener.

I think a cup might have also once dropped onto my head, as whatever I do, I can’t stop going to FA Cup games no matter how many obstacles get put in my way.

I’d already drunk its magic in their early rounds watching Bexhill and Newhaven win in the preliminaries, while also seeing Slough stroll past Hayes and Yeading.

But this next one was proving more of a logistical challenge.

I support the train strikes, but the only way I was going to be able to get to our game at Salisbury was to stay overnight at my mums.

So I jumped on the late evening train so I could be all fresh faced Saturday morning and joined Phil the Flags, Aidan the Turnstile and Clubshop Sue in various cars as we Wacky Raced to the Ray Mac stadium.

I had been to Salisbury before in their previous incarnation before they went bust and had to start again at the bottom of the pyramid pile.

It was New Years Day and I had been working late in an old anarchist club and grabbed a few hours on the clubs sofa before heading out on the journey of a lifetime. I was tired and it was freezing and the game ended 0-0 and I remember waiting for a connection at Farnham station to get home, questioning my sanity.

We also had some cup pedigree with the former Salisbury, beating them in the FA Cup 4^th Qualifying round, and being rewarded with a game against Paul Mersons Walsall at our temporary home at Windsor's Stag Meadow. It was a famous victory in front of the TV cameras. We used that game as a red card protest to tell Slough Council to help find us a ground back in the town. One councillor told us we should merge with Windsor which was very civic minded of him, while Merson said losing to Slough was the worst day of his footballing career. Ironically we drew Yeading in the next round and they knocked us out. And I’ve still got the hump about that because they drew Newcastle in the third round. So take that Hayes and Yeading.

Salisbury's ground is neat and compact and full of character with some very decent covered terracing in one end that had us Rebels salivating (or maybe we'd had one too many). The Slough hoards packed in there in the first half boasting the crowd to Salisbury's best of the season and unlike behind the goals at Arbour Park you could see all the action.

Their fans made some quip about only being famous because of The Office, so we gave them a rendition of These Are All Slough Things with a sprinkling of Uranus, which lays bare some of the towns notable achievements. We wheeled out ‘is this a Liberal Democrat constituency' to the tune of - is this a library. It was also good to see former chairman Steve Easterbrook in the ground – Slough Town Football Club have a hell of a lot to thank that man for, in particular our home at Arbour Park.

An ok first half, led to a dreadful second and there is only one player to thank for keeping us in it and that was loan goalkeeper Rohan Luthra. He was immense pulling off a string of unbelievable saves, earning us a very undeserved replay and getting some serious thank you songs from the Rebel Army.

After a get-out-of-jail celebratory session in the Wheatsheaf with some of the Rebels, I headed back to my mums for the evening. As my Sunday morning train meandered back into Brighton, I scribbled notes for the programme and plotted Tuesday nights visit. And hoped that our luck at still being in the cup meant that the first round proper was once again written in the Sir William Herschel observed stars.

photos by Scott McNeish