AS I WAS DRIVING across the Essex/Suffolk border, it occurred to me just how hard up Suffolkians are for football. Now of course I need to clarify this statement somewhat. Obviously there are hundreds if not thousands of outlets for football in the county, but at the higher levels of the game, if you take Ipswich Town out of the equation you are sort of stuck.
In the Non League Football pyramid you have to drift down four steps before you find another Suffolk side. There are two of them - Bury Town and AFC Sudbury - lurking in the Division One Midlands of the Southern League. Beyond that, at step five, you start to see a much healthier proliferation of teams from the Eastern Counties League.
But with both Ipswich and Bury Town playing fixtures outside of the county on Saturday, I was arguably on my way to the biggest game in Suffolk on Saturday, when I opened up my FA Cup Preliminary Round collection of matches with the short trip from Braintree to Sudbury.
The match was heightened in its 'prestige' by featuring a team with true Wembley pedigree in Lowestoft Town, who were beaten finalists in last season's FA Vase. Seven of the players who started on the hallowed turf back in May were in the lineup for today's game.
Sudbury themselves have something of a Vase pedigree as they were on the losing side of a hat-trick of Vase final appearances from 2003 through to 2005, although all three of those big days out were at the 'lesser' venues of Upton Park, St Andrews and White Hart Lane.
It was a scorchingly-hot day. The first real day of summer coming at the end of August. The first and last as some wag on the turnstile pointed out as I bought a seven pound ticket and one pound fifty programme to gain entrance to Kings Marsh Stadium.
I'd been here once before, then to see an Isthmian Division One North match against Flackwell Heath, back when my interest for football, and in particular grass roots football, was starting to pique again. It still remains one of my favourite grounds. It has a main stand on one side which faces a second stand known as The Shed, which attracts the hardcore of the Sudbury fanbase. Each of the two ends of the pitch are enclosed by a roofed walkway ensuring protection from the elements on pretty much all sides. Pick your viewing area and off you go.
And because this was a revisit, and because of my proximity to Sudbury, I also had an allegiance, as I definitely wanted the home side to triumph. This nascent feeling was heightened when I realised that Sudbury manager Nicky Smith was one of the 'Dad's' who stood on the touchline with me when my daughter played football a season ago.
There was also something of a carnival atmosphere in the air, created in no small part by the vociferous support of both teams. Just over three hundred people had packed themselves into the ground and a large number of the home faithful were in fancy dress. They had their picture taken in front of The Shed ahead of the game by the local press and then made their way up onto the terrace, so that Shrek, Buzz Lightyear, the Pink Panther, Bob The Builder et al, all took up the strains of 'We're The Pride Of Sud-Buryyy, We're The Pride of Sudbury' - while Robin Hood furiously cranked the handle of an old air-raid siren which had been brought along for effect.
The hardcore element of the Lowestoft 'Trawlerboys', not to be outdone, had commandeered the far end and we were set for a drum-off between the two groups which would run for nigh on ninety minutes. Very impressive sustainment from both sides.
The form book would argue that Sudbury at Step Four and towards the top of their division, should brush aside a Step Five team, but I'd also seen Lowestoft Town play before, and they were one of the strongest teams from the Eastern Counties League that I'd encountered.
The game kicked off almost dead on the stroke of three and nintey seconds later Sudbury keeper Liam Jones was picking the ball out of the back of his net. Barely enough time to throw the form book out of the window. Both Sudbury and I could be accused of ball watching - allowing Lowestoft number eight Dale Cockerill to finish sweetly from the edge of the box, and me to completely miss the photo opportunity. I had to be content with a picture of the Lowestoft celebrations instead.
Sudbury attempted to respond but a very compact Lowestoft defence comfortably held them at bay, and with accurate passing and some swift counter-attacking, the visitors continued to look like the team most likely to score as the summer sunshine translated the exertions on the billiard-table pitch into red faces all round.
Half time came and went with Sudbury forced into a lot of sideways passing that crabbed across the pitch without threatening to penetrate. Lowestoft were caught slightly in two minds. Should they sit on the one-goal advantage or push for a decider? Ultimately it was this indecision that was their downfall.
As the game threatened to peeter out into a one-goal bore-fest, Sudbury finally delivered a sustained spell of urgency and pressure in the last fifteen minutes which was manifest by a series of balls into the box seeking the tall frame of home substitute Robert Brown.
From one of these a corner was won, and from the resulting knockdown, defender Ollie Blackwell was on hand to hammer the ball into the bottom of the Lowestoft net to the delight of the home supporters. Once again my camera work was found wanting, and typical of a defender, instead of wheeling around to be mobbed by the fans setting up a nice celebration photo, the big number five turned tail and headed back to his own end for the restart. Where was a glory hunter when I needed them?
Both teams then had opportunities to win it in the dying seconds, and indeed the equaliser set up a ping-pong of attacks and counter-attacks, the best of which fell to the visitors. But just as in my earlier visit to Sudbury a year ago, I was destined for another one-all, the first draw I have seen so far in the five games of cup action this season.
So Sudbury will be travelling to Lowestoft for the replay on Tuesday night, and I will have to make a decision on where to go next...
- If you've enjoyed this report, click here to read some sample chapters of The Road From Wembley, my forthcoming book about the FA Cup, which will be published by Troubador Publishing in mid September.
We were at the same game! Hot indeed, but that was a week ago now and how the weather has changed!
Posted by: Simple Pieman | September 06, 2008 at 19:40