Not A Matter Of Life Or Death

The late Bill Shankly famously said that football wasn't a matter of life or death, but that it was more important than that: it isn't. At this time of year in particular, as the football season reaches its climax, it stirs the emotions in a way in which probably no other sport does and for supporters of clubs in danger of relegation, the thought of dropping a division, or even out of the Football League like Tranmere Rovers and Cheltenham Town, must feel like a tragedy. But tragedy is an overused word in a football context. Back in 1985 I thought it would be tragedy if the club I supported at the time, Leyton Orient, dropped out of the old Third Division and into Division Four. On the final day of the season, 11th May, O's entertained Bournemouth and nothing less than three points against mid-table Bournemouth would be enough to keep them up. The game ended 0-0, O's were relegated and as we drowned our sorrows in the supporters club bar after the match we became aware of events that had unfolded at Valley Parade, Bradford.

Bradford City had won the Third Division and their last home game against Lincoln City should have been an afternoon of celebration; it turned into a disaster, a tragedy of unimaginable proportions that ended with 56 dead and over 250 injured as the main stand, which was due for demolition, caught fire. As we watched the TV news of the blaze the previous 90 minutes of football we had seen, the whole season in fact, became meaningless. Relegation became irrelevant because come the next August we would be back to watch our team. Over fifty people who had set out to support their club that afternoon never went home, many of those who did make it out of Valley Parade that day probably never had the stomach to return; that was tragedy, relegation wasn't.

Photo: The Guardian

Despite my best efforts to keep matters in perspective however, I am just one of countless thousands, millions even, whose mood is affected by the performances and results of the team I support. It used to be said, in the days when the UK was a manufacturing powerhouse, that Saturday's football results had a direct effect on productivity and absenteeism. If the local team won the workers were happy, and happy workers were productive workers. If the local team lost them absenteeism was higher and productivity lower. In my case the fortunes of my team, Romford FC have distinctly affected my mood this last season.[1]

The season began on a high, with a 4-0 win over Burnham Ramblers last August, but this was followed by an not unexpected defeat at the eventual runners up, Harlow Town. The next two away games were galling however as Boro contrived to lose at Waltham Abbey and Maldon & Tiptree despite leading both games as they entered the final five minutes. Dropping points from winning positions was a feature of the season. Boro led 2-0 against Tilbury, but drew 2-2, lost twice to Soham Town Rangers despite leading in one game and drawing until the final minute in the other, and dropped points at Aveley in a thrilling 4-4 draw having been 1-0 and 4-3 ahead. Heavy defeats were another unfortunate feature of the season; 8-0 at Wroxham, 6-2 at Needham Market, 5-0 at home to Brentwood Town and 6-2 at Thurrock. It was difficult to remain positive as relegation became a very really possibility, however three wins from the last three league games garnered sufficient points to avoid the drop into the Essex Senior League, but it was nail biting stuff.

Two goals by Nick Reynolds in a 3-1 win over Ware secured 20th place in Ryman League Division One North.

The narrow defeats are somehow harder to bear than the heavy ones. When you are 5-0 down at the home of the eventual champions (Needham Market), getting two quick goals back is some consolation, even if the hosts get a sixth, but leading with little more than stoppage time to play and still losing makes for a dispiriting weekend. 

Romford's visit to Needham Market, home of possibly the biggest hedge in football.

In fact, weekends between August and November were generally a bit depressing as we saw only one league win, although there were a few unforgettable cup ties. Having beaten St Margaretsbury (one league below Romford) in the FA Cup Preliminary Round, Boro were rewarded with a home tie against Bury Town from the division above, and on a memorable Sunday afternoon, Romford won by the game's only goal to set up a tie with Kingstonian, also from the division above.

Boro on the attack at St Margaretsbury.

The first game ended goal-less, but the replay at Kingstonian was a match that will live long in the memories of all who saw it. Romford led twice in the first 90 minutes and after K's had twice equalised, Boro nearly won it with the last kick of the match. In extra-time Romford again took the lead only for the home side to run out eventual 5-3 winners. Almost equally remarkable was the 4-4 draw at Aveley where Romford were 1-0 up, 3-1 down and 4-3 ahead before having to settle for a share of eight goals and the points.

It's games like those at Kingstonian and Aveley, even when you don't win, that make memories and then there were the final three wins, after a run of just three in the previous sixteen, that kept Boro up and meant that despite finishing 20th out of 24, the season finished on something of a high. For those of us who don't support Chelsea or Manchester City, or in the lower reaches of the game, clubs like Needham Market or Maidstone United, league titles are a dream rather than a real possibility so you take pleasure in other ways. In Romford's league there are teams with playing budgets that run into the thousands of pounds per week, and then there are Boro and a handful of others who pay little or, as in our case, nothing at all. Just competing with the teams who can afford to recruit ex-Football League or noted non-League players is success to a degree. In a similar way supporters of the majority of clubs in most divisions know that their chances of winning something each season are slim; you take your glory when it comes in individual games and hope you don't end up at the bottom of the pile.

The players of Dereham Town and Romford mark the Football Remembers event commemorating the outbreak of The Great War.

Leyton Orient still have a place in my heart and after reaching the League One Play-Off Final last season now find themselves on the brink of relegation to the Football League's lowest division next season, just as they did thirty years ago. That day when they were relegated it wasn't a tragedy, the fire at Bradford was; this time round if O's get relegated it won't be a tragedy either, but Bradford still will be.

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[1] In case you are wondering how I went from supporting Orient to following Romford, see Romford 1 Manchester United 0