Chilli con carne!

Brakes won a cup game at the Phillips 66 Community Stadium tonight, beating Bishops Cleeve 2-0. Lee Chilton was impressive, provoking a cry of 'Chilli Con Carne' from the crowd. (Another view was that his runs went nowhere, but I think that they unsettled the opposition). However, on a chilly evening, only 143 and one dog were there to witness the triumph.

The Villagers were no push over and were lively in attack, particularly down the wings from where some good crosses came. Right winger Ed Major, an acquisition from Winchcombe Town, was particularly impressive. Breeden, for his part, had to make some good saves.

Bishops Cleeve did not use keeper Matt Wieczorek with his experience of 1st division Polish football, but stand in Sam Gilder was well up to the job, having been the youth goalkeeper and then gone on to Cinderford Town.

However, after a spell of fluent football, Brakes went ahead on 19 minutes through Rob Ogleby.

The Villagers made a double substitution after the break. Three corners in succession seemed to offer the chance for Leamington to increase the score, but the third one was cleared. Tank came off and Reece Mitchell came on.

A concern was that the visitors might equalise, leading to extra time and even penalties. However, on 69 minutes, Welsh international Owen Goal came to Leamington's aid, although Hood can take much of the credit.

Will Green, who had required prolonged treatment earlier in the game, was replaced by Lee Moore. Bishops Cleeve didn't give up, but Brakes moved a step nearer a trophy that was once theirs. Some evidently thought that it was a dreary game, but I found it more entertaining than Merthyr Town on Saturday.

Bishops Cleeve

As a full programme was not published for this game, I am adding the notes I wrote on Bishops Cleeve:

Turning to tonight’s visitors, in 1903 a dinner was held at the Royal Oak in the village for the combined cricket and football club, although most of the emphasis seemed to be on the cricket. After a toast had been drunk to the ‘Imperial Forces’, Colonel Bennett was asked to address the assembled company on his experiences in the Boer War. However, he had not got long into his speech, before a heckler shouted, ‘What about the flogging in the Guards?’ Colonel Bennett was not put off his stride, however, and replied calmly, ‘I have no information on that matter.’

By 1935 the football club was well established as an independent entity. They had won the Cheltenham League Division 1 cup, the Winchcombe Hospital Cup and the Cheltenham Town Cup. The secretary reported a balance of just under £5. By 1937, when the annual meeting was held at the Old Elm Tree, there was a balance of £12 8s 1d. It was decided to run one team only and to apply for inclusion in the First Division of the Cheltenham League and all cup matches for which team might be eligible. It was also decided to ask Mrs Bellinger to place the ground in Gotherington Lane at the disposal of the club.

In a match against Cheltenham Town Reserves in 1934 in the Gloucestershire Northern Senior Amatuer Cup, they unsettled their opponents with some vigorous tactics. In the first half they were the better side. According to the Gloucestershire Echo, the village side gave their opponents no chance of settling down and ‘playing pretty football. They tackled and shouldered unceremoniously’ in a way that would probably not be allowed today. However, they could not penetrate the Town defence, when they did shoot it was inaccurate, and they got caught by the offside trap. Town went ahead 1-0 from a free kick just before half time and eventually won 3-0.