IT’S SO GOOD TO BE BACK!
Depending on when you are reading this, I may be on my way there, already there, or possibly on my way back from there.
‘There’ of course being Moss Lane, Altrincham, setting for the mighty Chester’s first play-off match for 17 years. Absolute scenes. Except of course there won’t be, the match sadly taking place behind closed doors for obvious reasons.
I thought I had seen everything following this club, but a play-off match against a local rival played in front of a handful of press and photographers is not something I ever envisaged. Presumably, some banter lords have hilariously pointed out that Non-League grounds are generally half empty anyway, but in normal circumstances it is no exaggeration to say we would have taken a good 2,000 to Alty, spilling out of pubs, singing in the streets, and guaranteeing an absolutely febrile atmosphere. The good old days…
So, while my precious press pass is a Golden Ticket far sweeter than anything conjured from the mind of Roald Dahl, thoughts will be with those that can’t be there for safety reasons, many of whom are counterintuitively planning to pile into pubs to watch the live stream. It’s by no means ideal, but simply having a game to look forward to has been a rare salve in these uncertain times. When it was finally confirmed that Chester would compete in the play-offs, my initial jubilation was swiftly followed by that deep-rooted sense of trepidation and excitement. A low-level churn in the pit of my stomach, increasing by the day as destiny draws closer. The sheer jeopardy is invading my every waking moment. Even writing these words, I’m getting a tingle in my feet, although that may be gout. Whereas I have immersed myself in Premier League and Championship action on a daily basis, these hollow charades are mere wallpaper compared to the emotional rollercoaster of following your own team, a ritual that has been desperately absent over the last six months.
I miss the thunder, I miss the rain. I’ve even grown mildly nostalgic for the M6, that joyless strip of tarmac that has sabotaged many an away day. Welcome back, old friend. You were a worthy foe. Completing a full house, Chester were the last club to confirm their play-off participation. Credit has to go to all involved, with the incredible fans again digging deep into their pockets to make it possible, and the players unanimously agreeing to play for free.
Teasmade
Say what you like about them – and Christ only knows I have – that is an excellent gesture and I applaud each and every one of them, as I will do at
Moss Lane, the sound of one man clapping.
There were many valid reasons for not taking our place in the play-offs, not least the parlous financial situation of a fan-owned club in a pandemic.
Throw in our top scorer departing for pastures new, plus not having a goalkeeper on the books until this week, and it would be understandable had they decided to sit this one out and build for next season, whatever form that may take.
But that would be defeatist, and a waste of what was a largely successful – albeit curtailed – campaign. In the parlance of Bullseye, we’re going to gamble, Jim. I think it’s the right decision. Otherwise we’d have spent all eternity wondering what might have been, waking up to a tawdry teasmade and a nest of tables when we could have had a half share in a Ford Fiesta. I don’t want to jinx things by looking beyond Alty, but with the winners going to York, I would dearly love to be saying my third goodbye to Bootham Crescent, which has had more comebacks than Status Quo. Victory there would see us go into a one-off tie for a place in the National League, which might be more than my emotions can take. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Take it one game at a time. That said, if you’ve read this far, hopefully a man in a blue smock has been spotted performing a one-man conga down the M6.
Longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2018, The Card: Every Match, Every Mile by Steve Hill is published by Ockley Books.