It really is time for another gubbage blog, but it is Christmas after all and my reputation as being a bit of a scrooge can’t really afford to gain much more momentum! Questions need to be answered, so let’s be happy again… for today anyway! I fancy like doing part 2 of Hereford United as the relegation blog left a bitter taste in the mouth!
The suffering continued at Edgar Street for several seasons, nearly a decade to be exact! The 2003/2004 and the 04/05 season brought runners-up spots in the Conference but ultimately defeats in the playoffs to Aldershot and Stevenage over two legs had gubbed us! We were such a decent footballing side over this period and deserved a little better in all honesty! The 03/04 season yielded 103 league goals and 91 points, yet Chester still finished two points above the Bulls.
Again, we went into the 2005/06 season with high expectations and this time we weren’t disappointed. As a fanbase, we used to say it was like watching a non-league Brazil. Fast flowing football with goals galore expected. A strike force of the late and great Adam Stansfield, Stuart Fleetwood, Andy Williams and Guy Ipoua (signed by Turner the previous summer) was the most lethal in the league and would have held their own at a much higher level. Craig Stanley, Rob Purdie and Andy Ferrell complimented each other in the centre of the park, having the ability to break up play, close down opponents and add a bit of flare. Tamika Mkandawire, Dean Beckwith, Ryan Green and Simon Travis were all superb at the back and Wayne Brown, who was by all accounts Superman (remember the chant) in between the sticks! One Boss, Boss side that was!
Having finished second to Aldershot, the play-off’s looked about as nasty as it had been. Grays Athletic had a top side back then that had Aaron Maclean and Stuart Thurgood and I was dreading them in the playoffs. Thankfully Halifax beat them over two legs! We had Morecambe in our semi, who had the best player I think I have seen play in the Conference in Michael Twiss, I believe an ex-United lad! A 1- 1 draw away from home in the in the first leg after Rob Purdie had settled the nerves, having scored from the spot set us up nicely for the return leg! A dramatic 3-2 win at Edgar Street and the Bulls had a shot at getting back into the football league! All that remained in front of them was Halifax at the Walkers/King Power Stadium in the final!
Whereas Morecambe had left me with barely any nails, I needed my spare pants at Leicester! As fans, we were fantastic that day and luckily for us so were the lads again! For a long time it looked like more gubbage was about to ensue though as despite creating the better chances, we found ourselves 1-0 and 2-1 down with Andy Williams equalising for us in between! Former Bulls player John Grant had given the Northerners the lead for the second time! Déjà vu, surely not another season in the Conference, it becomes one of the nastiest leagues to get out of once in it, such was the (high) standard! It was always seen as the top half of the conference could hold their own in the Second division! Anyway, I am digressing, we needed some experience and some quality to turn this around. Enter Guy Ipoua!
He started the afternoon as a substitute but at 1-2, Turner made his move and sent the Cameroonian on! Ipoua was so pumped just to get on the pitch as you could see as he was waiting to come on! His glancing header to level it up changed the complexion of the match again and sent the tie well and truly in our favour! We were all going ballistic but even that was nothing in comparison to Ryan Green’s extra-time winner, a delightful curling effort from the edge of the box! It just went off, fans and players alike! Wild euphoria! Then the realisation that we had to settle and see this out as a team and fan base! It was tense, to say the least. We knuckled down though and saw it out. Cue even more wild celebrations. It all seems worth it at times like this! The older you get the more you appreciate these victories! This was glorious! A pleasant trip back to London followed!
We were back!
Andy Del Potro
The Gubbage and the Glory! 