DIRTY OLD TOWN

 

Printed in the National League South game v Farnborough Town Saturday 16^th December 2023  We drew 2-2 in front of 720

There’s always those FA Cup stories that will catch peoples imagination and that will catapult a club and thrust them into the limelight. This season it was Ramsgate who thanks to family connections I always keep an eye out for. I used to pop along when visiting their pleasant but tired looking ground – Slough supporters even piled down en-masse one sunny October in 2006 to watch us lose in the league.

James Lawson became Chairman 4 years ago and has community turbo charged the place. “It is tough here now. It’s an airport town that doesn’t fly any planes, a harbour town that doesn’t sail any boats. 37% of children in our schools qualify for free school meals...we are now working in schools, we have community projects. We have 900 youth members, regularly wearing our kit, we are embedded in the community.” In 2019 they were averaging 150 with 17 season ticket holders, now they are averaging 750 + with 350 season ticket holders and are continually hosting activities and events.

Bromley also recently had their moment on TV. I’d visited Hayes Lane countless times during our Isthmian League days, It was also the scene of one of the great Slough Town footballing stories – a last gasp goal to seal our place in the Conference for the first time ever - which gave birth of our fanzine ‘Rebels without a clue’ and countless miles on the road.

What they’ve have done since is really impressive, and their stadium has been transformed – wooden seats behind the goal have become an new all seater stand. The place is now a 24 hour operation with gym, bar, restaurants. On National TV their chairman waxed lyrical about all the community stuff they are doing and that they are ready for the step up into the Football League. They’ve got all the equality and diversity and safeguarding policies on display. A football club for everyone!

There’s just one small problem with all this grandiose talk and that was the away end. This must have been designed by Steptoe and Son with a bin graveyard, pieces of metal and other assorted rubbish piles, a disgusting mould covered portacabin loo with women's toilet facilities not fit for purpose. There’s little cover in the ‘bar’ area with just six seats that were full of water and none on the away terracing. As for the table top where the condiments sat; well even Steptoe would have thrown that out. And all this could be yours for the price of £20 and a good old feel up on the gate. It’s not beyond the wit of man why a section of empty covered terracing couldn’t be given to away fans. And surely with all your all singing safeguarding words, shouldn’t the ladies loos actually be fit to use? People with disabilities or mobility issues have somewhere to sit?

In the end it was a game that won’t live long in the memory, Bromley's one bit of footballing brilliance saw them score in the opening minute and I feared the worse; but after that the Rebels more than matched them, getting stuck in, winning second balls, hitting the post, but it wasn’t to be and it ended 1-0 to the inhospitable hosts.

Earlier on I popped into the Cork n Cask one of the best micropubs I’ve come across. Real ale without the snobbery, a range of pub drinks and a cosy place where me and the landlord chewed the fat and agreed that despite all our complaints, we're lucky compared to what others are having to face across the world.

As we stood frozen on the windswept terrace, there was a real sense of injustice that we treated like second class citizens for the crime of being away fans. After my conversation with the Cork n Cask landlord, I know it doesn’t matter in the scheme of things, but if your club are going to talk about inclusivity and being a welcoming place then you seriously need to make more of an effort for your temporary guests.

The reason many of us support lower league football is because of its friendliness, a chance to mingle, have a beer, change ends at half time...i understand as crowds get bigger that becomes more difficult but whoever you are, there’s no need to treat away fans like mugs. I know our clubs ambition would be to be in the National League, but if that’s what to expect then its not for me.

As for the FA Cup as it reaches the 3^rd round, the romance for the TV companies vanishes. We know they will televise every Man United game but surely Maidstone could have been picked as well. The last club before Bury to be expelled from the Football League. They had to start right at the bottom of the pyramid pile and over the last 27 years have fought their way back up and created a ground to be proud of back in Maidstone. I know Stevenage at home isn’t that glamorous but surely its a bit more exciting that Crystal Palace v Everton or Spurs v Burnley. Games that don’t exactly get the blood racing, and whose extra TV pennies won’t make any difference to their bloated budgets.

As for Slough Town, its back to concentrating as they say, on the league. I just hope I haven’t caught cholera.