The Mighty Saints were conspicuous by their absence from the First Round of the FA Trophy and TLF was faced with the possibility of her latest FFZ lasting until 29 December and no chance of any football related shenanigans with Julie the Red until 2019.

This being an unacceptable state of affairs, we scanned the fixtures for somewhere to visit. Independently we came up with the same top three, and finally settled on Wingate and Finchley.

Why?
Because we could get there via Thameslink and the tube? Maybe.

Because they have an interesting history? (While the merging of Wingate FC and Finchley FC only took place 25 years ago, Finchley FC was formed in 1874 and Wingate FC in 1946, after WWII, in the belief that the field of play was another arena on which to tackle the ignorance that fuelled anti-semitism) A bit, yes.

The chance to witness some giant killing? Wingate being in the Bostick League Premier Division while their opponents, Dulwich Hamlet are in the league above? To be honest, not really.

Because their website had a whole page dedicated to pre-match fuelling stations? Oh you can see right through us can’t you?

And so we found ourselves in the convivial surroundings of the Bald Faced Eagle. Or something like that. Suitably fed and lager-ed, there followed a short bus trip in the rain to the Maurice Rebak Stadium, where we received a suitably warm welcome from some very cold looking youth team players who were operating turnstiles and flogging programmes and golden goal tickets.

The Maurice Rebak is a tidy place and while the bar might not be that big it has big radiators and serves STELLA.

Come 3pm and it was time to join the Wingate Ultras behind the goal, fortunately under cover. The stand that is not the Ultras. Here we witnessed the ‘best goalmouth scramble ever’ (copyright BBC Sport, BT Sport, TalkSport etc). At the time we did suitably ‘ooh and ahh’ but we didn’t quite realise what we were witnessing. And if you don’t believe me…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/46586059

While that was amazing, Wingate’s second goal, was an utter worldie that had TLF on her feet (we had retreated to the seating for the second half) and a fitting way for them to complete a 2-0 win.

A great day out; we witnessed a Trophy upset, smiled at the chant that is, “We are the Wingate, we came to Finch-er-lee.” And as a result this team in North London will always have a small place in our footballing hearts. Even more so if they get through the next round; they have only gone and drawn the Mighty Saints’ dirty rivals, the Hemel Scum.
Come on you Finch-er-lee!

Even more lost than usual Fox

The inability of the Mighty Saints to see off Weymouth in the FA Trophy meant an unexpected but welcome interruption to the TLF football famine. Unfortunately, the replay clashed with a post-work commitment and the TLF plan was to arrive in time for the second half. But Thameslink Trains had other ideas and so it was that TLF made it for the final 23 minutes.

23. Now there’s a number to conjure with. Not any old prime number but the lowest one that consists of consecutive digits. John Forbes Nash, the Nobel prize-winning economist was obsessed with the number, because he believed that the number 23 has a unique role in human relationships, for personal health and the life order. He was also a Weymouth fan.

It is also the holy number for the Followers of Discordianism, a self-declared religion based on the premise that discord and chaos are the building blocks of life, or in more recent weeks the Saints’ defence.

More importantly Princess Leia is rescued from detention block AA23 in Star Wars.

And don’t get me started on the KLF and 23…

And of course, I sat in seat 2, in the 3rd carriage of the train to get to the game.

Sadly TLF’s 23 minutes didn’t really touch the heights of this list; not for mathematical facts or slightly mad conspiracy theories. But 23 will remain in the TLF memory forever associated with luck – I missed the first half deluge, with despair – I witnessed some not very good football and saw Weymouth score their second and with fortune – third place in November Saints Snowball thank you very much.

Not-always-completely-truthful Fox

Leicester’s home game against Burnley was not on the TLF football planner. But things in life don’t always work out as planned and sometimes it is very obvious what you need to do.

TLF tears did of course stream down TLF cheeks during the 2 minute silence on Satday and that tribute video. This is a soppy old TLF at the best of times and that video was the Lesta footballing backdrop to the last ten years of my life. A backdrop that Kun Vichai had such a hand in; not just the successes on the pitch but also the wider ethos that he helped to create and that he shared with us; creating a real football family, that reached beyond just the stadium. We celebrated together, we grieved together and now we will respect his legacy together.

Onwards and upwards; always remembering.
TLF

The story of Dulwich Hamlet has not, in most recent times, always been a happy one. Pawns in the somewhat filthy world of developers and local authorities locked out of their home, Champion Hill since March 2018 and at one point told they had no legal right to call themselves by the club name they have had since 1893, it must have slightly soured their promotion to Conference South (although made it all the more impressive). Things are now, through campaigning, fundraising, and the efforts of the unsung heroes off it that always seem to have to take on these battles, on the up and they will soon be waving goodbye to their groundshare at the KNK Stadium. My plans for a trip to leady Dulwich were still dashed but he story of the Hamlet (as I am sure some people call it) plus their splendid club colours (twice now we have seen the Mighty Saints play teams whose kit contains pink this season) meant that this fixture was firmly on TLS’s ‘Negotiate an away day trip’ list.

And so it was that on a sunny and fresh Satday we were heading for Mitcham via East Croyden, which didn’t sound as leafy but did involve use of a tram! What will they think of next.
Sterling research by Julie ensured suitable pre-tram and pre-match re-fuelling.

Now tram stops aren’t difficult and the internet is quite informative as to where to get off for Imperial Fields (or the KNK Stadium if you insist) but Julie and I clearly look a little needy, as a Dulwich supporter made it his quest to make sure we alighted at the right stop and then adopted us for the duration of the walk to the ground. Hand-knitted scarf, this spry old boy provided us with a potted history of his club. He has been supporting them for longer than either of us had been alive so he knew his stuff.

It is an interesting place the KNK. Part of a wider sporting complex, when you stand behind the goals you tower over other sports pitches, giving you an alternative view should things not be too pretty on the football pitch you have paid to observe. The lacrosse game helped distract TLF from the fact that the Saints were soon a goal down; although I was slightly shocked to discover that players now wear American football style helmets. It wouldn’t have been allowed at Mallory Towers I can tell you. Enid Blyton would have been turning in her grave if she had witnessed that.

In the second half the Saints tried but were up against an obdurate and slightly cynical side which always combines well with a wimpy match official. Fortunately in the second half we backed onto another football match – Coventry City v Newcastle (or thereabouts) and TLF did get to witness the stunning Newcastle (or similar) winner that curled into the top corner from outside the box. It got the loudest TLF cheer of the day (well that and my burger).

Sorry to miss out on that trip to Champion Hill; maybe next year.

Mitcham Junction Fox

Never has so much beer been served to so many by so few.
Or something like that.

National League Day, a celebration of semi pro and grassroots football usually guarantees a good crow at Clarence Park. There are no Premier League or Championship games to distract us and generally an offer or two to entice people through the gates. For the 2018 NLD (an unfortunate acronym which risks looking like a new right wing populist movement if you ask me) the Gods were gazing beatifically down on the Mighty Saints; a sunny day and a Roman derby no doubt helped encourage a bumper attendance. Free entry for kids probably helped too and once they are in though you have got to keep them keen. Free fruit, free posters, a well-stocked merchandise emporium and for the thirsty adults accompanying the ankle biters, an outdoor bar, were the order of the day and required all hands to the SBYS pump.

Even Mr TLF graced the fixture with his presence, pressganged into bar service, in a weak moment (he was being plied with free booze to be accurate) and to avoid any last minute matchday nerves, committed via social media by TLF.
His first face was of the nonplussed variety, “I’m surplus to requirements,” he muttered as TLF and Michael efficiently managed the steady trickle of early matchday purchasers of locally sourced ale, Carlsberg and (New!) for this game, red wine.
Mr TLF doesn’t know much about NLD.

By 2.20pm the demand for beverages of the alcoholic kind is constant and none of us are feeling surplus to anything. At various moments it’s not clear which is the bigger cause of bar staff grief – the fast approaching need to change a barrel or the fact that TLF is i/c the money belt. The badinage and beer was flowing well, but TLF’s four times table (£4 a pint) less so, and with the added complication of Carlsberg being £3.50, it was a mathematical horror show.
Kick off passed us by, although the masses in front of our serving area mysteriously part briefly just in time to let TLF get a fine view of St Albans conceding the opening goal. No time to sulk though; there is beer to serve. The second goal TLF knows about because the Bath City fan handing over his cash squeaks with celebratory excitement. I advise him that the price of a pint goes up with every goal, but he doesn’t believe me.

The beer trio are not the only workers. Julie is our unofficial runner – meeting the demand for more plastic glasses, more change (and again more change!) and chilled Carlsberg from the club shop fridge (that’s my kind of club shop – containing a beer fridge). And then we have Barry and Trevor who are dishing out free fruit and posters with a great deal of elan. Occasionally I hear a bit of age-appropriate banter with the kids or witness a high five with some Junior Saints. If that isn’t what NLD is about I don’t know what is. Well apart from the beer of course.

By half time TLF had relinquished money belt responsibility, which is handed over to Michael. TLF can focus on pints; sadly serving not consuming. The beer team are an interesting collection of styles. Mr TLF is the calming, steady midfield general; the fulcrum of beer service according to our shopkeeper (steady on!). He is also generous with his measures. TLF is louder and messier (I know that will surprise you), doesn’t mind if it’s not quite a pint, but isequally focussed. Michael is more your luxury player, the Glen Hoddle of the team, who wants to talk about ‘the ale’ and prioritise a creative experience over the ‘serve ‘em and move on’ TLF approach. The occasional muttering of ‘work harder’ seems to keep it all on track.

Early into the second half and we were down to bottled beer. We no longer cared who ordered what. A production line of bottle opening, pouring and dumping on the ‘bar’ (for which read ‘table’). By 4.15pm it was over. SOLD OUT. Apart from the red wine. But it always takes a while with a new line. TLF finally gets her paws on a pint of Stella, Mr TLF claims his raffle prize and escapes home to put the over on.

The game on the pitch is lost; a disappointing end to non-league day. The beer-merchandise-fruit-poster performance? Top dollar.
Three Brewers Fox

Match Stats
St Albans City 0 Bath City 2
Attendance: 1,432
Snacks consumed: 1 banana (free)
Alcohol consumed: A lot less than we sold
Gambling: an almost there goalden goal and a winning raffle ticket – BOOM!