PLANE CRAZY

Printed in the FA Cup 4th Qualifying round game v Enfield Town Saturday 11th October 2025. We won 3-2 with a goal in injury time in front of 1,207. Into the first round proper we go 

Bedfont Sports away in the FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round. One of those games that serve up all the right ingredients for a proper day out.

A new place to visit. With planes flying so close you could bathe in the engine fuel and two Bedfont football clubs; not so much near neighbours, as partners who sleep in the same house but separate bedrooms. And the added bonus of a Desi pub. A Desi pub is an Asian owned boozer where you can get a curry and a pint which the Slough lot took serious advantage off. Except for Jonathan who went for that well known Asian speciality, fish and chips. With fish which had no doubt been sitting at the back of their freezer for years. He didn’t even have curry sauce with it.

We’d been to Bedfont before; well the other Bedfont. It was the last time most of us saw Chris Sliski alive. I remember peering over a wall and seeing another ground and getting an impolite answer from a Bedfont official what he thought of their new neighbours. Sports who were only formed in 2002 have powered up the leagues thanks to the vision of one man David Reader. With a team of volunteers and help from the local council and raising more than £1.3 million, they built the club from next-to-nothing, with the aim of giving children in the community somewhere to play with the very best facilities. Twenty years ago the Hatton Road Recreation Ground was derelict. Today it has a smart clubhouse with a 3G pitch surrounded with over 750 seats in 10 different stands and covered terraces on all four sides of the ground. David Reader passed away in 2020, but with more than 20 junior teams plus ladies, men's' and Sunday league set-ups, his legacy was there for us all to see.

A litmus test that we’ve never played a team before is the appearance of Alan ‘Slough Town database’ Smith. Alan also informed me this was the first team with Sports in their name we’ve played since Bradwell Sports in the 1930’s who were a works team based on the Farnham Road that built the Manor Park estate. Now I bet you didn’t know that.

Over land, sea (well a canal) buses, cars, taxis and Terminal 5 – all the joys of Heathrow without the holiday – hundreds of the Rebel Rabble descended, battling the rugby crowds as they cheered England on to victory.

I got chatting to a few heading to the rugby and they said they stopped watching football because it was too tribal. But there was none of that at the Bedfont game. A couple of us entered the ground early to beat the queues and then found ourselves back at main bar with no way of showing we had already paid. When Sports officials realised their mistake they turned to Trusty Richard Kendall who asked those that had already paid to swap their glass for plastic and make there way to the side door. Relying on peoples honesty, he believed everyone did the right thing. Depriving smaller clubs of matchday revenue is not the done thing. Which is the only reason we drink at games. It’s our way of supporting other football clubs.

As for the match, we had a scare or two, our keeper was red carded but eventually we came through and here we are now with the first round proper – were the previous rounds improper? - dangling tantalizing in front of our faces.

What I also liked about Bedfont Sports was the lack of visible stewarding; stewards so often cause the problems they are there to stop. I think in the main Slough Town supporters can police ourselves and honourable mention to Hampton as well who let us enjoy the game against them. Three points and no hassle – well apart from another poxy rugby game at Twickenham swamping public transport.

Which is why its a real shame today's game against Enfield Town is once again segregated. I think it created more problems in the league game than it was there to solve. It creates an us and them mentality and I like chatting to opposition supporters – especially ones like those from Enfield who set up the first ever supporters owned club in the country. It’s one of the reasons many of us like going to lower league football.

And while promotion for some is the dream it was taking a look at one of the articles in the excellent ‘Where's the Bar’ fanzine from a Maidenhead supporter whose stopped going to away games because it became apparent that being a football fan was the same as being a criminal; except you are guilty until proven innocent. And trying to get a drink, some decent food, celebrating a goal, standing up, or just breathing was a step too far for so many who love the power a uniform gives them.

With increasing popularity and bigger crowds, it’s inevitable that it will attract some idiots. So how to deal with these? Our stewards are the friendliest around but sometimes – like with Maidstone and Borehamwood last season – they should have thrown their loudmouths out. It clearly states in our programme foul and abusive language and generally acting like a prat will get you an early exit. So off you trot.

A few of us had watched Chatham home game highlights before we went to last seasons FA Cup game. They had a real problem with 10 year olds who seemed high on haribos. But when we arrived, their supporters couldn’t have been friendly – well apart from one lad who threw a Percy Pig sweet at me, presumably cos I looked hungry. At the end he came over and apologised. As for the hooligan nappy firm? They had been banned from coming to games because of their behaviour. Problem solved.

So here’s to us getting behind the team and getting Arbour Park rocking. Because make no mistake, this is a massive game. So let’s be the Slough that are loud and proud, have fun and enjoy the rollercoaster that is the FA Cup 4th Qualifying.