League Two – GAME OF THE PEOPLE

NORTHAMPTON Town didn’t just steal the points at Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium, they also nicked the bus stop with their coaches, leaving local fans gnashing their teeth at the foolishness of parking not one but two huge vehicles in the bus lane. It’s a common problem at Broadhall Way and suggests local authorities, who advise away clubs to use the bus stop after the game, disregard the safety of the fans who have to walk dangerously close to traffic to attract the attention of a bus.

They were actually the only buses parked at the Lamex, for Northampton came out determined from the start of a riveting match between the leaders of League Two, Stevenage, and the Cobblers. They scored after less than a minute, a confident penalty from Scottish striker Louis Appéré after he was brought down in the area by Terence Vancooten. There could be no complaints about the penalty, although the locals were less than happy.

Stevenage struggled to make much impact in the first 20 minutes and their frustration was evident when manager Steve Evans (pictured) was red-carded. It was a little surprising when they equalised after 35 minutes, Danny Rose sweeping the ball home as he was falling in the area.

The game ebbed and flowed and a draw looked the most likely outcome, but in the last 10 minutes or so, there was a flurry of activity. Kieron Bowie gave Northampton the lead once more with a low left-foot drive from outside the area in the 81^st minute. Stevenage came back straight away, with Alex Gilbey finishing well from close range after Dan Sweeney’s header from a corner was only partially cleared.

As a smoke bomb landed on the pitch, Northampton refused to settle for a point and Stevenage were only level for a minute or so as Shaun McWilliam volleyed past Taye Ashby-Hammond for their third goal.

The Cobblers finished the game with 10 men as Danny Hylton was red-carded for appearing to strike a defender.

There was no doubt Northampton were the best side to visit the Lamex this season and the game itself was an excellent advertisement for League Two football. And it also highlighted the contribution made by a healthy travelling contingent, the atmosphere was raucous at times, adding to the intensity of top-of-the-table rivalry. It was Stevenage’s first home defeat in the league; they’re still ahead of Northampton, but Leyton Orient, who won 3-2 at Carlisle, went to the top of the table. Stevenage have two away games next, at Doncaster Rovers and Colchester United.

THIS SEASON (which apparently is a unique one according to the media), I have decided to lend my support to clubs that need a helping hand. It is very clear that the pandemic, like all crises, has hit the poorest in society and football is no exception. Although all clubs have had to bite the bullet in some way, those at the bottom end of the food chain have been hit the worst. Therefore, they need more support than the elite clubs who will always survive and even prosper.

While some big clubs, like Barcelona, have got themselves into dangerous waters, it is hard to sympathise given the amount of money the big clubs pay to their players. Wage bills have, for some years, spiralled out of control, but the clubs perpetuate the problem. Similarly, transfer fees have become ridiculous, yet very few small clubs seem to get a decent slice of the pie. Many transfers are simply being conducted among the top clubs, making agents every wealthy.

Money should be no problem for the behemoths of the game, yet the selfish pursuit of more cash continues, with grand schemes like the European Super League, the somewhat dubious growth of crypto currency and dangerous link-ups with very questionable owners. Football creates it own controversies and its own drama – just look at the financial chaos that exists in the Championship as an example, with wages rocketing beyond income.

Away from this, there are hundreds, indeed thousands, of clubs around Europe that are a million kilometres away from this self-serving model. As a Chelsea fan for more than 50 years, I have moved beyond the stage in life where their results make or break my day or weekend. Chelsea of today are not the club I adopted at the age of eight years old. I am not prepared to pay exploitive prices for tickets at any ground, although like many, I have been forced out of regular Premier action by lack of availability. I refuse to feed the beast and would encourage fans to show their contempt for pricing in the most effective way – by not buying them. Of course, this won’t happen, because fans are frightened of losing their place in the queue. Clubs with waiting lists have no motivation to lower prices, but the fans line-up to shovel more money into the well.

If we all love football, then we should care passionately for the state of health of the so-called eco-system. By neglecting the system, we actually push the big clubs further towards that super league and also damage the structure of the game. There’s few things in sport that are sadder than a closed or derelict football ground.

Part of football’s charm is its aspirational aspect, the possibility of something unexpected happening, be it promotion, relegation, cup shocks or romantic player development stories. The latter is moving into the hands of major clubs, who sweep-up every available young talent and by doing so, deprive smaller clubs from unearthing their own jewel. And then, the young players are rejected and they end up playing in the Isthmian or Southern leagues.

Given there are more fans of big clubs than available tickets, is it not a good idea for those fans who have little chance of gaining a place among the 40,000 at Stamford Bridge or 60,000 at the Emirates to adopt their local football institution as a second eleven? I’m not talking about special “non-league days” or “pay what you want” occasions, but on a regular basis? This not only allows the “fan” to watch live action instead of being glued to TV or social media, but it also pumps more money into the lower leagues of the EFL or non-league.

This is partly why I have decided that in 2022-23, I will be attending League One and League Two as well as women’s football and my local non-league club. I have been something of a portfolio fan for about 10 years, watching the game abroad on a regular basis and also visiting grounds up and down the country (85 of the 92). I won’t pretend this has its downside as I have certainly lost any remaining element of myopic partisanship, but at 63 years of age, I can live with that. But I do feel that it is very beneficial to connect with the very essence of the historic roots of British football. I would add that my next book will be all about the towns and cities in which the game is played across the United Kingdom!

So 2022-23 is a unique season for me and I am actually looking forward to smaller crowds, less hype and some honest endeavour. I would also like to think that crowd behaviour can take a leaf out of the women’s game. I was at Wembley for the final and I have never witnessed a near-90,000 crowd behave with such dignity or respect. It can be done!

This article first appeared in Football Weekends magazine.