Supporting Fulham For The Final

Tonight is the Europa League Final in Hamburg, between Fulham and Atletico Madrid. I will be getting behind the English club this evening, hoping for a Fulham win. I've had a bit of a soft spot for The Cottagers for a couple of years now. I love Craven Cottage; there is something about small, rustic stadiums that appeal to me. Fulham's kit is pretty nice too, much nicer than that other London club that play in white. It was a couple of years ago that Fulham really gained my appreciation.

In November 2008 I was studying for a presentation I had to give in my history class about 19th century sport in London. I sent out emails to every club in the city, hoping they could help me in any way possible, particularly if I could meet a representative from the club face to face for a chat. My boys at Arsenal came through for me of course, gave me a tour around their museum and that season's yearbook for free. But practically every other club ignored me, especially the scum at Chelsea and Spurs - all except Fulham. They sent me an email back saying unfortunately they could not arrange a face to face meetup, due to their busy schedule (understandable), but they could answer any questions I had or help me in any other way possible. They also chucked in one of their media guides for that season, completely free of charge, which I felt was a really nice touch, and I've admired them ever since.

Fulham have had quite a sensational journey to the Final, especially THAT game at home against Juventus, in which they came from being 4-1 behind on aggregate to win it 5-4. I just hope Roy Hodgson and his men can get the win tonight, and lift that trophy at the end. It's easily Fulham's most important game in their history, and their fans are loving it I'm sure. I'd also like to see Bobby Zamora get a goal or two, and show a certain Mr Capello that he is crazy to have left Bobby out of the initial 30 man England squad for the World Cup. Zamora has been in fantastic form this season, and has quickly become Fulham's talismanic hero, especially in their European run. He is a slight fitness doubt tonight, but I hope he's 100% as Bobby is great to watch when he's firing on all cylinders.

I'll just leave you a little reminder of how dangerous this Fulham side can be. And how can you not love Dempsey's chip?

Thanks for reading.

Welcome To The Show

Bath City FC faced off against Woking yesterday in the Blue Square South Playoff Final. Promotion was the prize, as the winner would go up to the Blue Square Premier for next season. The game wasn't really anything special, but what a day it was...

I heard that the gates were open at 12, so I wanted us to get there early-ish, as a massive crowd was expected (the final number still hasn't been announced - they must still be counting!). Myself and Will made our way to the stadium, but had to wait for our friend Jamie. Eventually we got to Twerton Park around 1.15, 45 minutes before kickoff, and the lines were huge. Masses of people queuing to get in, quite surreal for a non-league football game, but it was just an example of how important the day was. We got in soon enough, I purchased my programme for £3 (a quid more than usual, bloody money grabbing Conference officials!) and made our way to where we normally stand. It was so busy we ended up standing close to The Legion, the especially vocal supporters who were obviously in good voice given the occasion. The start was delayed for 15-20 minutes to let more fans in, and the suspense continued to build.

The match didn't start well for City. Within a minute of the kickoff, Adam Connolly was injured and had to come off immediately, with Marcus Browning replacing him. Soon after, Woking had a brilliant chance to take the lead. In the 11th minute they hit the inside of the post with a vicious shot from Moses Ademola, which I thought was a certain goal but it bounced out for a goal kick somehow. The first half was end to end stuff, with both sides having a good share of the ball, but no one could stick it in the net and it finished 0-0 at half time. I was particularly impressed with Chris Holland and Gethin Jones in defence, as they were absolutely dominant in the air, and made a fantastic centre-back partnership. Sido Jombati was impressive as always, pure class, and probably my favourite Bath City player (because I am still young and immature enough to have such feelings towards grown men I don't really know).

The second half started brightly for City who had the majority of the possession and looked dangerous. Kaid Mohamed, who had scored twice in the last two games against Chelmsford, looked threatening up front, and lead the line well as usual, with his great composure and ability to hold up the ball. Mohamed was soon to make it three goals in three games: An Adie Harris pass put Darren Edwards clean through on goal, who knocked the ball round the keeper but was then taken out and the referee was quick to point to the penalty spot. We were all surprised Woking's goalie only got a yellow card, as it probably should have been a red. It mattered little to myself and the fans though, as we were all far to occupied with the penalty about to be taken. Mohamed stepped up and put it straight into the corner, sending the Twerton Park faithful into a frenzy. 1-0 and a step closer to going up! Mohemed was booked for his celebration, taking his shirt off, but nobody cared - we were ahead and on our way up!

Woking almost equalised immediately. A long goal kick looped over the defence and Woking striker Guiseppe Sole looked sure to score but Ryan Robinson was out of his goal in a flash and denied Sole with his legs, before scrabbling to secure the ball. City were safe for a bit longer. Woking piled on the pressure, with countless corners flying in to the Bath box, but the magnificent Chris Holland made sure every ball made its way back out with powerful headers - a defensive master class. With roughly 10 minutes to go, Ademola got into space and looked sure to score. From where I was stood it looked like he'd clearly beaten Robinson and had an open goal at his mercy, but he shot wide. There was more panic for the City fans, when a free kick was delivered into the box and got past everybody, except Sido who could only direct it into his own net. It looked like Woking had got their goal and tied up the game 1-1. However, as the Woking fans celebrated the equaliser, they failed to hear the referee's whistle; the goal didn't count. I'm not sure why, probably an offside but it could have been a foul on one of the City players, but all that mattered was that we had escaped. Still 1-0 to City, and they were hanging on by a thread. With minutes to go, Bath managed to get the ball back and keep it, winding down the clock and dominating possession, avoiding any more possible attacks Woking could muster. The final whistle blew and pandemonium began. Captain Jim Rollo (my new best mate on Facebook I repeatedly told Jamie and Will all afternoon) leapt into the crowd like an Olympic diver. He is a City hero, worshipped by everyone, and the passion he has for the club and the fans was all over his face at the end. The fans invaded the pitch as its customary to do on a big day like yesterday, and the celebrations began. As I stepped onto the Twerton Park turf, the smell of the grass was brilliant, and everybody had a wide grin from ear to ear on their faces. The players were ecstatic and deservedly so, as they've enjoyed a brilliant season, arguably the finest in the club's history. A brilliant day, and as the champagne flowed we all revelled in the glory.

Next season is going to be a big challenge, but for now we are all simply rejoicing in the moment, the ecstasy of promotion. Against the odds Bath City have done it and made it back to the big time, the pinnacle of non-league football that is the Blue Square Premier. Football League in a couple of years? We can only dream...

Thanks for reading.

We Are Going Up... We Hope

Bath City FC got the job done away at Chelmsford last weekend with a 1-0 win (3-0 aggregate), which means we are going to the Conference South Playoff Final. Its not quite as exciting as is it sounds (well, it is!), its not a trip to Wembley or anything, but its still set to be a grand day out, hopefully ending in City's promotion to the lofty heights of the Blue Square Premier. I personally cannot wait for Sunday (kickoff is at 2pm if you can make it!) and I'm praying for a City win.

Woking are the visitors to Twerton Park, who have had a rather topsy turvy season. After starting the season well, they had a bit of a torrid time after Christmas but managed to completely turn it around in April, winning 7 in a row to rocket them back into a playoff place. Woking knocked Dover out of over two legs and thoroughly deserve their place in the final on Sunday. Bath were victorious in both meetings during the regular season, including a spanking 5-0 win at Twerton Park on the 1st of December. Here's hoping for a repeat result this weekend!

With promotion on the line, it's set to be a frantic finish to the season. City will be hoping they can battle to just one more victory, arguably the most important match in the club's history, certainly for decades. Lets hope the lads can get it done.

I know I will certainly be there on Sunday cheering them on - the crowd is expected to be over 3000! I'm sure it'll be a brilliant day... so long as City win!

Thanks for reading

(credit to Yuffie for all Bath City photos - quality pics)

The Tale Of Twerton Park And The Magic Bon-Bons

In the last week I have ventured down to Twerton Park, the home of Bath City FC, to watch and support my local team in their quest for promotion to the Blue Square Premier (formerly the Conference). One regret I have had this season is that I have not been able to get to games and support the City more; shamefully the match at home against St. Albans on the 24^th was the first fixture I could attend. However, my lack of attendance has not quelled my support for the team, and I made sure I would be there for their final game of the season. City only needed a point to secure a playoff position and that’s exactly what they got. Truth be told it was a rather uneventful game and had that typical end of season feeling to it. The players were obviously tired, and the long struggle of the season looked as if it had taken its toll. However Adie Britton’s side, fatigued as they were, never gave up the fight and secured the point that was necessary with the game finishing 0-0. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon to watch football, and it was a nice touch by the players to applaud the fans after the final whistle.

With City securing their place in the Conference South Playoff Semi-Final, the 1^st leg was scheduled for the following Tuesday evening, the 27^th. I thought it was a bit bizarre to have the game arranged so quickly after the season had just finished (giving the players very little time to rest), but thankfully it gave me another chance to get down to Twerton Park and support the mighty City once more, as they went into battle against Essex side Chelmsford City.

Earlier that day, I was in the city centre with my girlfriend and we were just having a browse around town. We popped into Mr Simms Olde Sweet Shoppe, which I had previously never been into, and the missus pestered me for some sweets. We soon made our exit from the store, with her getting her way. I had decided to go for an old classic, a quid’s worth of strawberry bon-bons; I figured I would snack on them throughout the match later that evening... little did I know the magnitude of my decision.

Armed with my bag of bon-bons, my friends and I made our way to the stadium. It was another beautiful evening for football, with the sun shining on Twerton Park’s exquisite playing surface. The atmosphere was electric, with over 1,400 fans turning up in full voice, including a good number of Chelmsford supporters who were very vocal and did especially well to make the long journey from Essex on a Tuesday night. The first half was dominated by the away side, who looked dangerous every time they surged forward. Twice the ball had to be cleared off the line by the City defence, with captain Jim Rollo and Sido Jombarti making stunning efforts to keep the score level. In goal, Ryan Robinson was also tested often and early, producing multiple saves from Chelmsford’s attackers. City’s defence stayed strong and continued to keep the visitors at bay, but struggled to manufacture a real period of dominance going forward. Kaid Mohamed went close for the home team with an effort just wide of the post, but that was all City could really muster during the first 45 minutes.

The second half started with more of the same, with Chelmsford having most of the possession and desperately trying to return to Essex with a lead. However, events turned around for Bath when my Football Manager hero Darren Edwards had his shirt pulled in the Claret’s box. Mohamed stepped up to take the spot kick and confidently sent it into the back of the net, sending the City faithful into a state of euphoria. Bath got themselves more into game from then on, and with 10 minutes to go a bust-up in front of the dugouts resulted in a red card for each team. With 10 men each, the home side looked to increase the score-line as Chelmsford began to look stretched. With only minutes left in the tie, Mohamed chased down a long pass and somehow managed to cross it into the box. Young substitute Hector Mackie got on the end of this and guided the ball into the far corner, which from where I was stood appeared to travel in slow motion. It eventually hit the net and the two goal lead sent us into a frenzy - Twerton Park was in seventh heaven and the celebrations really began. When the referee blew the final whistle minutes later, the victorious Bath team were greeted with an enormous roar from us all. It was a great night and a brilliant result for City. As the players moved over towards us, every single man, woman and child applauded them for their heroic performance; it was thoroughly deserved.

And this is where my magic bon-bons come in. I don’t consider myself the superstitious type, but after the game I had a magical feeling about my bag of sweets. Without them, City laboured to a goalless draw on Saturday; but with my supernatural snacks in possession, Bath managed to withstand Chelmsford’s onslaught and score two goals of their own, taking a solid lead with them into the second leg. Nothing is certain though, Bath still need to produce a quality performance in Essex if they are to advance to the Playoff Final.

Nevertheless a ritual practice may have been born on the terraces that Tuesday night; one I hope shall bring eternal luck to the almighty Bath City football club. Expect to see me again at Twerton Park in the near future, with my bag of enchanted bon-bons in hand.

Thanks for reading.

Time To Get Bullish

With the 09/10 NBA season coming to a close yesterday, the playoff positions have been fixed and the number one seed Cavaliers have been drawn against Chicago, who have spent the last month fighting and clawing their way to secure the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. Mike Brown's men have had another successful year (Andrew at WFNY has written a brilliant season recap), and Lebron has been as spectacular as ever. Cleveland finished with a 61-21 record, the best in the league for the second year running, but it all counts for nothing now as the finish line is within sight; it's NBA Championship or bust for the Cavaliers in 2010. However the Bulls are coming into the playoffs carrying a lot of momentum with them, although just managing to finish the season at .500. Understandably the Cavs have spent the last couple of weeks with the post season in mind, so key players have been rested down the stretch, and the rest of the team have clearly relaxed a bit, hence the recent losses. I just hope we don't come out rusty in Game 1, as we'd obviously like to kick off our playoff run with a quality performance and convincing victory.

It's not going to be an easy series by any means, and I'm certainly not expecting a first round sweep like last year against the Hawks. Chicago's Derrick Rose is freakishly talented at the point, and will be hoping to lead his team to an upset. They proved they have it in them after last year's incredible series against Boston (which the Bulls were unlucky to ultimately lose.) The rest of the Bulls supporting cast is good, but not great, and they certainly have it in them to give the Cavs a hard time. Lebron will have to rally the troops, but it's obvious this is the best group of players Cleveland have had in a long time, if not ever. The mid-season acquisition of Antawn Jamison has helped pushed the Cavs over the edge; they have never looked more ready (on paper anyway) for a run at the championship. Managing to bring back Ilgauskas was brilliant too, not to mention the emergence of JJ Hickson this season. Lebron's supporting cast has the tools to get it done - it just remains to be seen if they actually can. Fans can only watch and hope, as the Cavs take on the Bulls at the Q on Saturday. Good luck lads.

Thanks for reading.

An Evening At The Track

Tonight I spent the evening at my local speedway track in Weymouth to watch the second qualifier of the Great Britain Under-21 Championship. The Wessex Raceway (located just behind the Wessex Stadium's "Carlsberg Stand", home of Weymouth FC) played host to a talented group of British riders from the region, with most of the guys from the south and a few northerners thrown in too. It turned out to be quite an enjoyable evening, as speedway usually is, with my brother and his son for company. It's been a few years since my last visit to a track, having been to see Poole Pirates quite a few times in my youth, so it was great to get back. The smell of the dirt and methanol is brilliant, and the noise the bikes produce is incredible. The racing is always intense, especially tonight as the youngsters were really pushing it in an effort to prove themselves. There were a fair few crashes as well, but luckily nobody got too hurt to my knowledge; they usually look pretty painful.

The beauty of speedway, to me anyway, is that its always appeared to stay true to its roots. It is a peculiar motorsport to most observers, and looks rather simple, almost boring to many. But the fact the sport is relatively unknown to the mainstream is what appeals to me the most. Speedway still has that grassroots look to it, and it's a real in-the-family motorsport. Fans can get close to the riders, who are just normal blokes at the end of the day, not untouchable superstars. As the riders fly out of the corners (no braking in speedway remember), as a fan your legs and torso will get pelted with dirt every lap; thats how close you are to the action - you feel, smell and hear everything.

If you ever get the chance to go to the speedway, I highly recommend it, even if you have no idea what its about. You soon will!

Thanks for reading.

Opening Day Is Upon Us

The day has finally come. The Tribe are back and the 2010 MLB season is set to begin; we are only minutes away from Cleveland's matchup today with the Chicago White Sox. The Browns are unfortunately irrelevant until August, and the Cavaliers will not get my full attention until at least the Eastern Conference Finals. Arsenal are on the final stretch of an unlikely, but still possible title run. However, this is now the time for baseball.

The Indians are starting 2010 with very low expectations. After the disaster of a season that was 2009, hopes are not high in Cleveland; but I'm sure we are all glad to have the Tribe back nonetheless. The main goal for Manny Acta this season is obviously to regain some respectability, as the Indians were simply embarassing last year. To be fair it wasn't entirely the players fault as trades and injuries destroyed any chance of having a successful year; the young guys coming up from the minors were thrown in the deep end. On paper the 2010 squad looks like a AAA team lucky enough to play for a club in the Majors. This youthful bunch of ballplayers is what we have, like it or not, and they'll need all the support they can get.

It is not all doom and gloom though. Spring Training was very encouraging, particularly the return to form of Fausto Carmona. The offense as a whole looked lively, and the face of the franchise Grady Sizemore is healthy once again. In fact, the Indians emerged from the spring with relatively few bumps and bruises; apart from Russell Branyan (who we knew was recovering from injury when we got him anyway) the team are pretty much as strong as they can be. The only concern is Kerry Wood, who will miss some time. However Chris Perez,who will likely be groomed to become the closer for the future, will fill in until Wood can return. There are more causes for optimism. Our youthful pitching staff look promising, with Carlos Carrasco narrowly missing out on a spot in the Opening Day rotation. Mitch Talbot went one step better and showed Acta he is ready to become a starter. Brantley has made positive moves in his efforts to prove he can cut it as a major league outfielder. And last but not least the Pronk is fit once again, and looks ready for a 30 HR+ season.

Its set to be an interesting year, with plenty of ups and downs ahead. We just have to hope there is less of the latter, and some real signs that this ballclub is heading in the right direction.

Thanks for reading.

EDIT: As I finish typing this, the Indians are trailing 4-0 to the White Sox. Westbrook doesn't look as sharp as we'd obviously like...