Seeing as our season was finally consigned to the ‘unsuccessful’ tray last Saturday as our narrow hopes of a playoff place fell away, I thought now would be an appropriate time to review what has largely been a decent season, with some great moments and some crushing disappointments.
Sadly the closest I came to silverware was watching Carlton Town lift the Notts Senior Cup
THE BEST……
HOME GAME- With 15 home wins this season out of 21 league games, this one is one of the hardest to pick but the 2-0 win over NORTH F£RRIBY to ruin their season was particularly joyous. A terrific atmosphere all game and a performance to stun the then league leaders and it could easily have been more. (Honourable mentions to the 6-0 v Gainsborough, 4-0 v Hednesford and the 3-2 v Alty)
AWAY GAME- STOCKPORT… end of. No, seriously, in a year where patchy away form cost us promotion, the rout at Edgeley Park on the opening day was as unexpected as brilliant. Yes, Stockport were shocking early on but we were even worse only 7 days prior in a 0-2 county cup loss to Gainsborough. Scenes when SWD put us 3-1 up will live long in the memory. (Honourable mentions to Southport 2-1, Solihull 2-1 and the 4-4 at Barrow)
The scoreboard that never gets old
PERFORMANCE- Again, most of these came from the home game but it has to be NORTH F£RRIBY at home. Superb at the back, including some big saves from Lewis King. We really got on top of them 2nd half and fully deserved the win. It was a genuine case of 8/10 or better from 1-11 and subs too. (Honourable mentions to Alty Home and away, Hednesford at home, Southport away, Stockport away)
ATMOSPHERE- NORTH F£RRIBY at home yet again. A higher than expected crowd of 1,567 created a feverish atmosphere. I’ve never been in a headlock with 1 lot of fans then crushed up against a barrier with another in the Town End all in the space of 5 seconds. It made for an intimidating visit for the Pub team with money and with Workington doing their bit, kept our playoff hopes alive for 5 more days and doubled the turnout at Kiddy. (Honourable mentions to Brackl£y at home, Southport away, Worcester ‘away’ and Tamworth away)
Close behind Ferriby was the Worcester game
CHANT- “You’re just a pub team with money” was a personal favourite (not because I started it!) Tom Graves’ “Down at York Street’ Went so well it did overtime at Kiddy but for laughs it was “FIFTEEN QUID, WHO GIVES A FUCK, WE’RE BOSTON UNITED AND WE’RE 4-1 UP” at Stockport as support pillars blocked the view somewhat in their Popular side stand and all for the highest entry fare for adults all year.
GROUND- This was done early doors. EDGELEY PARK, STOCKPORT. Though it does have seats on all sides and an open away end (which luckily we didn’t use as it was raining), you can’t hide form the fact the Cheadle End holds more than most grounds in this league. A club which knows how to deal with more than 300 fans too, surely next year they’ll sort their shit out. (Honourable mentions to Telford- always tidy, Hednesford, and Kidderminster/Worcester)
The Cheadle End, Stockport
PLACE- As I started going to games with a few other fans later in the season, I can say that LEAMINGTON tops this list. Tom Graves’ “we should make a weekend of it’ next time we play there has sense to it. A very smart little town, even if the ground is in a piss awful location. (Honourable mentions to Harrogate, Solihull and Telford)
FOOD- I’m not allowed to say Carlton Town or Radford FC for their amazing sausage cobs as they’re not in the Conference North yet but HARROGATE TOWN did the most amazing Steak Pies and all at about £2.20 (I think it was), so when we go there next year and go down to 6 men, I’ll top up on the pies there. (Honourable mention to Bradford PA pies, Vauxhall Motors hot dogs and Southport burgers)
Better than this bun at Hucknall!
HOME FANS- Given that they were one of the few who we could hear all season, I’d have to go ALTRINCHAM, though their COME………….. ON…………… YOUUUUUUUUUUUU REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDDDDDSSSSSSSSSSSS song goes on longer than a Nottingham-Skegness train trip. Honourable mentions to Leamington, Barrow, Hednesford, Vauxhall’s U8s and the Harrogate U14 Ultras)
AWAY FANS- Easy this…. LEAMINGTON. Brought about 70 and had flags, colour and noise. Yes this had the advantage of me sitting next to them doing radio comms but still the most impressive effort at YS this season, in a season full of wank away turnouts. (Honourable mentions to Telford with 60 in midweek, Alty with a similar number and the 7 from Workington on a Tuesday night!)
OPPOSITION- Sadly for beating us 3 times out of 3 and being one of the few teams to get on top of us at home, it’s BRACKL£Y. We were quite evenly matched in the 3 games but we made errors and they punished us… which is why their terrible finish to the season was a surprise. (Honourable mentions to Telford who were just efficient, F£rriby- especially away and Barrow away)
MOMENT- Tough to pick 1 in particular but MARC NEWSHAM’S 100th BUFC goal at Telford was a great moment for one of the most professional players I’ve seen at the club. He’s stuck with us through shit and even worse so to be in our top 6 scorers ever when loyalty doesn’t exist is a top effort. Here’s to overhauling Cookie’s record. (Honourable mentions to McGhee versus Brackley/Ferriby for pure crowd scenes. Pidge’s header v Southport caught on camera by Nick- a video which I still get goosebumps over, SWD’s goal at Stockport to put us 3-1 up and King’s miracle penalty save at Guiseley)
Marc Newsham celebrates his 100th goal for the Pilgrims
GOAL- RICKY MILLER v Solihull was like van Basten 1988 all over again. The technique was superb. Honourable nominations to some gorgeous free kicks, Ross’ at Bradford, Shaun Densmore for Alty at York Street and Kristian Platt’s rocket for Stalybridge. Also, Marc Newsham’s volley at Vauxhall in the last minute.
TRAIN RIDE- SOLIHULL MOORS outbound journey was good, as it was before my flue really flared up (drink aided). Some good laughs along the way with the train guard and chatting to Villa’s youth team keeper was neat. Honourable mentions to Barrow with Nick and the 2 Adam’s, Leamington and the 25 stop Merseyrail service to Southport)
Boston fans gather before the game at Solhull. Good day out
THE WORST….
HOME GAME- As I only saw the one league defeat to Brackley, a tough job, but the 0-2 v GAINSBOROUGH in the County Cup semi 7 days before Stockport away was embarrassing, pathetic and filled me with dread for the upcoming season as a defence including Tom Ward looked totally comfortable against some dire hoofball. Close behind was the Oxford game, Stalybridge (first 60 mins) and Histon
AWAY GAME- Plenty to choose from. WORKINGTON was dire. A 1-0 loss to a team who only won 6 all season in what should’ve been an away banker. Played in a howling gale, miles from home, I don’t think a goal has ever knocked the stuffing out of me like their 85th minute winner. Close behind were Leamington, Guiseley, Ferriby and Worcester
Boston fans at the Southern End, Workington. About 60 or 70 of us. You can see the new main stand to the right
PERFORMANCE- Workington was a poor result but we played worst at WORCESTER. Of all the games to do it in, a potential playoff decider in front of 300 loud away fans wasn’t the best time to fuck up. Close behind is Ferriby (A), Oxford (H) and Histon (H)
ATMOSPHERE- OXFORD at home was especially poor and tetchy but luckily the team got through it. Large chunks of Stalybridge were poor too but it picked up after an hour. Also close behind were aways at Stafford (there was none) and Stalybridge away (same reason)
CHANT- Actually some of our own qualify in this. Emotions can get stirred in football but Luke Jackson’s Geography let him down as he was chanting “ENG-ER-LAND” at Workington, which, whilst so far north it is probably closer to Iceland, it is still in England! Close behind were Colwyn Bay U18’s “DU DU DU DU…. FUCKING HORSEHIT and Brackley’s “YOU MUST’VE COME ON A TRACTOR”… ironic for a team with such piss poor support.
Brackl£y ‘fans’. Beer throwing wankers (well, not the BUFC fans who actually make up the majority in this shot!)
GROUND- BRACKL£Y quite comfortably…. fucking horrible. 2 tiny bits of stand at either end and a very small main stand. Plus, a portakabin… and we lost there twice this season. Close behind were North Ferriby, Vauxhall Motors and Colwyn Bay
PLACE- HOOTON is never the most thrilling of places given the route to the ground at Vauxhall is a suicide mission. Combine that with nothing nearby, and no fans at the ground then you have a grit your teeth day out (though i’m sad to see them go oddly enough, as they never tried to spend beyond their tiny budget yet always got a competitive side out) Close behind- parts of Bradistan were shit shit shit as I walked through to find Park Avenue’s old ground. Tamworth isn’t mega either, especially the big sorting office my poor map lead us to.
Bradistan… grim grim grim.
FOOD- Maybe not the worst food, but TAMWORTH’s prices were a robbery worthy of being from Merseyside. £1.80 for a top-less drink, £3.50 for a burger was diabolical. At least I know for next season. Close behind was the mint sauce ruined pie at Guiseley- all my fault though as I mistook it for gravy! also, Solihull’s burger was very iffy.
HOME FANS- Plenty to choose from but BRACKL£Y’S didn’t even value their beer as 2 pints costing quite a sum of money were thrown all over me after a bit of an argument following their 1st goal in the cup game there. The journey back left people looking funny at me from the smell… Close behind were Barrow’s for just moaning all the time and holding a grudge against us from when I was about 3 and Bradford’s for basically doing the same, minus the grudge.
AWAY FANS- Unusually, the highest turnout (93) was voted the worst support but F£RRIBY’s pathetic effort for what could’ve been a title decider if they won and Telford lost was shambolic from a club that has very little right to be pissing the likes of us, Alty and Stockport off by being bankrolled to a league 3 levels above their real level. Close behind were Brackl£y’s pitiful 24 and Histon’s woeful 30 on Boxing Day.
For a team which was facing a do-or-die match to go to the Conference for the 1st time, this was a shambolic turnout
OPPOSITION- STALYBRIDGE were hopeless against us in both games. The only reason we didn’t rack up a Cricket score away was because we gave them a 2-0 start and when we did get into 1st gear at home against them, we got 4 in 20 minutes. Honourable mentions to Oxford, Gainsborough and Stafford (who were almost on Stalybridge’s level)
MOMENT- The late goal at WORKINGTON to lose 1-0 and to leave me and Shergy the prospect of a 7 hour trip home with no points and playoff hopes severely dented. Honourable mentions- 3-3 collapse v Harrogate and Newsham’s penalty miss at Telford in a game we should’ve won easily but for missed chances and their winner containing the most obvious foul in the build-up.
MISS- Whilst it was on a rebound following a miracle one handed save by King, PAUL SULLIVAN from Hednesford who hit the bar at the Town End from 3 yards early in the 2nd half with them 2-0 down was the worst of the lot. Close behind was Galinski’s miss at Telford immediately after they equalized and also Ricky Miller at 0-0 versus Ferriby when he slides a 1-on-1 wide of both keeper and post… but he made up for that with the penalty!
TRAIN RIDE- VAUXHALL MOTORS return trip descended into farce as I helped an old bloke out (who I only net as my morning train was cancelled) and I missed 3 trains, eventually getting into Nottingham at 11:30 pm (meant to be back at 8:30) and waiting around for 90 minutes at Crewe was not a good Saturday night out.. Close behind were Bradford (Cancelled train), Workington (sombre though I did get in earlier due to making a delayed train at Warrington), the return leg from Alty with southern Man U fans everywhere as it was their European Cup game versus Bayern, not what I wanted when I wanted kip. Finally Harrogate, contemplating a 4-0 loss with 7 men and the school term starting on Monday…
The station at Workington. It is 6pm and we lose 1-0 to the worst side in the league… and it’s 6 hours from home
So there you go, our season from orgasmic highs to sanity-questioning lows, but at least this year it wasn’t all bad thankfully
Thanks for reading,
Josh
Under The Floodlights 