Brakes supremo speaks out

Leamington chairman Jim Scott has said that non-league football will not be viable unless crowds are allowed to return: https://www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk/sport/football/non-league-footballs-return-not-viable-without-crowds-says-brakes-chairman-scott-2881022#gsc.tab=0

I would add that I am not watching football from behind a mask.  How could I then express my appreciation of the decision-making of the referee and the lino or the vigorous tackling of the opposition No.3?

Goalless draw at White Hart Lane disappoints

As my article for the game against Bradford Park Avenue never saw the light of day, here it is:

‘More disappointment for the Tottenham crowd’ was the headline on a report of a game between Tottenham Hotspur and Bradford Park Avenue in the Southern League in November 1907.   ‘The acquisition of one point by the Spurs last Saturday was better than defeat, but it was not the result that was expected after the performance at Portsmouth the previous week.  Supporters of the club fully expected to see them beat Bradford Park Avenue, and they were much disappointed at the goalless draw, all the more so, perhaps, because the Woolwinders, as the Northerners are called, gave only a moderate display.  On the form shown by the visitors, the Spurs should certainly have won.  We hardly know where to look for success when they fail to overcome such opposition.  It was a fairly interesting game, although there were not many exciting incidents.  [In other words, it was a bore draw].  The first half witnessed the better football.  The exchanges were largely favourable to the Spurs, who deserved to have led by two goals at the interval, having regard to the pressing they did.’

‘The Northerners played with spirit.  On the run of the play, the Spurs should have won, but their attacks needed to have been more thrustful, although we must recognise that Bradford had an admirable defence.  The effectiveness of the opposition was the more surprising because both the backs were reserves, the regular men being on the injured list.  The visitors’ halves had a worrying way with them, and were always on the move.   There were 20,000 people at the match, nearly half of whom came in after the start, which was earlier than it had been heretofore this season.’

Amalgamation talks were held with Bradford City in 1907, but got nowhere.   Bradford Park Avenue were confident that they could get into the second division of the Football League, but the Leeds Mercury (perhaps not the most unbiased source) was not confident of their chances of success.    The paper commented, ‘Their chances of election this year are not bright.   Fulham , Oldham Athletic and Rotherham are all anxious to take places in the second division of the Football League and their claims would undoubtedly merit more consideration than Bradford’s.   It is also well known that the Football League rulers are opposed to having two league clubs in one town.’  Nevertheless, they were elected in 1908.

At the beginning of September 1908 Bradford Park Avenue’s first game as a second division club was played before 13,000 spectators at home.  With the wind behind them, they opened the scoring in the second minute and this was the only goal.  Hull City had their chances in the second half, but failed to take them.

There were benefactors in football before the First World War.   In 1910 it was reported that the chairman, Mr Harry Briggs, had generously wiped off a loan of £5,000 advanced by him for transfer fees, leaving the club entirely free of debt.   This would be just under £600,000 at today’s prices according to the Bank of England.    The total income was £5,370, the net gate receipts being £4,085 and subscriptions £1,207.   Players’ wages absorbed £3,518 (somewhat over £400,000 at today’s prices) and travelling and training £716.  The profit on the season was £85 (£10,000 in 2019).

Breedstar

Superb long interview by Paul Edwards with Tony Breeden in the online Windmill Wonderland fanzine: https://windmillwonderlandfanzine.wordpress.com/2020/05/22/tony-breedens-mahooosive-interview/?fbclid=IwAR2BTms3R648puJYKL4mwbDJOeWFeAsgj3u83y64rj8xXelitcfFAAffjjo  I know that the

way he came out of goal annoyed some fans, but for me he was a genuine Brakes legend.

Hereford in top financial shape

Hereford FC, phoenix club formed following demise of Hereford United, have published their accounts. Club made £4,000 profit in 2018/19 and has plenty of cash (nearly £600,000) in the bank. Hereford FC rent rather than own Edgar St, which effectively costs them £8,000 a year. Looks as if shareholders put in £38,000 last year. Nothing like that at Leamington!

Spa towns compared

I wrote this for another of my pages

Cheltenham Town are currently in the play off positions in League Two and they had profits of £69,000 in 2018/19. This may be due to the sale of Mo Eisa to Bristol City for about £1.5m, notes Kieran Maguire of the PriceofFootball. The club has plenty of cash in the bank. Cheltenham did not sign any players for fees in 2018/19. Cheltenham loans down about £120,000.

Local businessman and lifelong fan Andy Wilcox became chairman in 2018: New chairman

Arguably Cheltenham as a club are punching above their weight. The population of the town is 115,000 and there are not many large places in the immediate hinterland. In comparison the Leamington urban area (Leamington and Warwick) has a population of 95,000 before counting some heavily populated villages nearby. Leamington, admittedly a phoenix club, are in the National League North.

One would not think of Cheltenham as a natural football town. The biggest employer must surely be the highly secretive GCHQ which is internationally respected and plays a vital role in protecting all of us from terrorism and other threats. How many of them go to football I have no idea. Do they all call themselves 'Brian' which seems to be the done thing at London clubs?

In the case of Leamington, the so-called 'Silicon Spa' there is heavy reliance on support from the less affluent southern area of the town, the CV31 postcode. There is a large Portuguese speaking population, many of them Brazilians with Portuguese papers, but they are conspicuous by their absence at Brakes games. However, they may not be fans of hoofing the ball.

Historically Leamington was a centre of the automotive parts industry, with AP Leamington, the name of the previous club, the biggest employer. As you drove into Leamington in the 1970s there was a big poster that said 'There's a part of Leamington in every car', reflecting the claim to be the brake and clutch capital of the UK. The old AP has gone, as has the Ford Foundry. It is now a service based economy in large part, although some manufacturers survive. The club's leadership place their faith in the transformative potential of a new stadium to be built by the Council nearer the town, but have they grasped the changing demographic of the town?.

It's all about Concord

Unfortunately, I was unable to travel with dedicated fans to Canvey Island as I had a prior commitment to staff a charity stall in the Priors until 12 noon.

It's a very hard way to lose, but if one is to believe The Non-League Paper report it was all about Concord with their headline 'Beachboys spot on - to delight of Cowley.' One column is about Cowley's comments, and the second one tells us that 'Concord should have been out of sight' and about the 'cynical' actions of Junior English. At the end there is a very short paragraph with a quote from Hollers.

Never mind, let's hope that the players are not too tired for the BSC game against Wolves on Wednesday and that the battling spirit is carried over into the league.

It's a trip to the Thames Estuary

After last night's match in which Concord Rangers defeated Bath City, Leamington will be travelling to Canvey Island for their FA Trophy second round match. Known as the 'Beach Boys' because of their location, Concord Rangers are currently mid-table in the National League South so are broadly comparable to the Brakes. Read more about them here (Danny Cowley was once the manager): Concord Rangers

Canvey Island has two football clubs, the other the formerly more senior Canvey Island who are currently 9th in the Isthmian League North. The island is separated from the mainland by a network of creeks and is linked by two bridges.

It is very flat and was devastated in the 1953 floods with great loss of life. It is known for its links to the petrochemical industry.

The island is mainly populated by expatriate Londoners but has a small and growing orthodox Jewish community: BBC report