The results were: Dagenham & Redbridge 2 Gravesend & Northfleet 1, Chiswick Wanderers 4 Bedfont Sunday Reserves 4 (5-4p), Acton & Ealing Whistlers 2 Sheen Park Rangers 1, Athletico Chips 4 MTV 1 and TNT Magazine 2 Cross Keys Academicals 1.
On another scorching Saturday it was a toss-up, if you’ll pardon the expression, between Dagenham and Hampton. Daggers would be presented with the Conference Championship trophy and opponents Gravesend needed a win to give themselves a chance of featuring in the play-offs. Hampton would be Ryman Premier Champions if they beat Slough.
I plumped for the former, 22 tube stops from Lancaster Gate, and found a substantial crowd already inside the Victoria Road ground at 2 p.m. Everyone seemed to be in red and white, the first-choice colours of both teams, as I picked my way along the covered terrace and found a spot to eat my banana.
There was a definite party atmosphere, particularly around the Daggers fans, and I loved it when the team invited the mascots (of which there were several) to join them in the traditional "huddle" just before kick-off. I’d never seen that before. Then there was a very warm minute’s applause for the late Alan Ball, tremendously popular at all levels of the game.
My "birthday double" on Sunday started with the Feathers Cup Final between Chiswick Wanderers and Bedfont Sunday Reserves. Previous winners of the competition, played since 1957, include Candy Filter, Quick Turnover and Jolly Gardeners. I read in the programme that one of Bedfont’s players had been signed from Bell of the Green FC for "a bag of dry roasted peanuts and half a pint of shandy", so it was obviously going to be a high standard.
I was in a surprisingly large crowd of around 250 and we saw a game of fluctuating fortunes on a sunny morning at The Orchard. It was 4-4 at the end of 90 minutes and during the extra period I was perfectly placed behind the goal to see the ref wrongly disallow a Chiswick effort.
The leaping Bedfont ‘keeper pushed the ball away when it was at least a foot over the line and he admitted as much to some pals who were also close the goal. Justice was served in the shootout when Chiswick crashed home all five kicks to win the Cup. I was back at Hatton Cross tube by 1.30, giving me half-an-hour to get to Boston Manor for a Riverside Challenge Trophy semi-final featuring Acton & Ealing Whistlers and Sheen Park Rangers.
A slightly smaller attendance – well, four people actually – saw another very competitive fixture. It looked destined for extra-time with Sheen 2-1 down and pushing hard for an equaliser. But the Whistlers in their green and white horizontal stripes held on to make the Final on 13 May, the day of The FA Vase Final.
The Bromley v AFC Wimbledon play-off would’ve been in the frame last night if I hadn’t been invited to a champagne reception at HSBC to mark the re-opening of Wembley. The guest speaker was Sir Geoff Hurst and though he must have told his World Cup-related stories thousands of times, it was very entertaining for everyone present.
I was in the stand for England’s quarter-final with Argentina in ’66 and there were some fascinating insights into that infamous game. Sir Geoff said that in those days most football teams, at whatever level they played, would have a couple of "hard men". But Argentina had seven or eight! As he spoke, the ’66 Final was being shown on a big screen behind him. Every pass, every tackle is so familiar to me now.