| Memory Lane - The 2002/03 FA Trophy Run - The early rounds |
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| The FA Trophy. What is it? |
| Is it the poor mans FA Cup? Is it a competition that we can win? Do the Conference sides think more of the chance of a place in the Football League to bother with it? |
| One thing it is is a distraction. In my opinion it's a nice one, but the run of 1996/97 didn't help our league run-in that saw us eventually surrender the promotion spot to the Scummers. |
| Who would have thought that such a momentus run in the Premier knockout competition of Non-League football would start out at somewhere us un-glamourous as Sheepy Road, Atherstone? Always a place where we'd struggled to get a result, one where we'd never really enjoyed visiting and to my shame one where, on this occasion, I gave it a miss. However, Andy Hoskins didn't and his goal was enough to see us past our Midlands rivals and long time compatriots to see us into the First Round Proper at Banbury. |
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| Considering the short distance between Gloucester and Banbury, it was a torturous journey through sweeping rainstorms and along a route that Magellan might've used to combat wind in his seafaring days. From Tiger City to Andoversford (hello Noah), then across to Bourton, Moreton and Stow before ducking right along Antique Street towards Chipping Campden and finally landing in the roadwork hell that is Banbury. Even the traffic in the Oxfordshire town was choc-a-bloc as we attempted to get to the railway station and the potholled drive that took us down to the Spencer Stadium. |
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Will Steadman with the headed clearance |
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| Banbury, or the Puritans as they are known boasted the runaway leading scorer in the whole of the Dr Martens League in Norman Sylla. Rejected by Oxford United, the Frenchman had decided to stay local and play several levels below his level, although the fact the he didn't drive probably helped Banbury's cause. The Gallic forward was actually carrying an injury and was a doubt for the game, but at least it was better than City's own hotshot Jimmy Cox who was sidelinded with a hand injury collected on a boozy night out. |
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Normal Sylla rounds Bath to equalise |
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| Bizarrely, and on one of the wettest days since Noah was a round, a Banbury fan had decided to walk to the game from his home down the canal in Oxford, a distance of about twenty miles. |
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Drunken fools on the pitch (not Baylo & Burnsy!), they are NOT City fans |
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| A few of us, some with umbrellas and some without decided to spend the second half at the uncovered end to watch the game. I was onw of the 'have-nots', so I got soaked. As well as seeing us surrender our hard earned lead, we were desperately unlucky in front of goal and those brave fans in the rain didn't get to celebrate. However, the small number that were there will remember the look on the young ballboys' face as he was sent into the bull filled field behind the goal to retrieve Baylo's wild shots! |
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A City fan makes a few new friends! |
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| To end a good day on a low point, with the sanctuary of home within cycling distance, I had a crash. On the Zoons Court Roundabout in Hucclecote a woman pulled out into the outside lane even though I was already there. There was a crunch, a screech of brakes and we pulled over safely before too much damage was inflicted. To make matters worse, she was wearing a Cherry & Whites' shirt! |
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| The game itself had nothing to offer in the way of goals bit did feature a side contest between Andy Hoskins and Merthyr centre-back Jason Price. Sadly for the Welshmen it didn't last the course of the game as the defender foolishly put his face in Hosky's and earned himself a soft red card. |
| It ended goal-less, thrill-less and memory-less so it was a Tuesday night in the Valley's for City and their fans... |
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| It seemed that there might only be a small number of City fans at Penydarren Park for the replay at the vast open terrace behind the goal was only populated by me, the old man and a couple of stewards as the game kicked off. With not much going down on the pitch we got chatting to the Welsh equivalent of TC and poured over our anglo-taff clashes of the past. I reminded him of our 3-1 Trophy win and 7-1 FA Cup success and he countered with the time that they beat us 5-0 when were were being relegated from the Premier. That didn't matter to me as I wasn't there and we were deliberately fielding shite players at the time, although Neil Griffiths won't thank me for saying that as it was his City debut! |
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The City players await the arrival of a corner kick |
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| Of course, there was a game on too and Jimmy Cox reminded us with his wide ran, cut in back towards the penalty spot and shot that Merthyr keeper Neil Thomas could only parry up and under the crossbar. It was uncanny how similar it was to the goal that Graham Withey had scored in the 1991 Trophy match in the same goal. |
| The game wore on, the Welshmen didn't look as good as they had in the early season league meeting and were there for the beating. Chris Burns really should've been awarded a penalty as he seemed to be tripped as he skipped past a challenge en route to goal, but all he got was an injury for his trouble. |
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Jimmy Cox takes on a defender on the break |
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| Even the goliath figure of Cortez Belle couldn't breach the Tigers' rearguard and the introduction of Aussie stopper Steve Chipps firmed up the City backline. The Martyr's were left disappointed when their claims that a shot had crossed the line were turned down and City grew as Neil Mustoe (now in full time training with Yeovil) bossed the midfield in what was his best game for City to date. |
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Far too much action took place at the wrong end! |
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| The biggest cheer of the night came from me at the final whistle and we were through. |
| Driving home back down the A470 Merthyr Expreesway to Cardiff I almost crashed into a roundabout when I suddenly realised that I'd laid a £10 bet with Skybet at 3/1 that City would win! |
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| It was advantage City with the Sussex side being forced to make the long trip in midweek. |
| City fan Dave Reay was a relieved man at the final whistle as his straight £100 bet on a home win came to fruition. |
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| Thanks to for the additional photos |
