Last Thursday’s FA Youth Cup First Round Proper match featured Brentford and Lewes at Griffin Park. On arguably the coldest night of the winter so far, 'The Barber' had two coats, two pairs of trousers, scarf, gloves and woolly hat. Only the Paddock on one side of the ground was open and the crowd braving the elements was less than 200.
I was sitting in the back row, the only one without wet seats, next to a cabbie. He was telling his pals about his 'great fare' of the previous day, picking a lady up in Richmond and taking her all the way to Hastings.
"Just wake me up when you see the sea," she’d said, before dozing off in the back. It cost her more than two hundred quid.
The Brentford lads, stronger and fitter, were 2-0 up and comfortable at half-time but Lewes made a game of it in the second period. If their No.8’s long shot hadn’t been tipped over the bar near the end, it would’ve made it 3-2 and ensured an interesting last couple of minutes.
FA Cup First Round Proper day has always been special. My first ever game, Crystal Palace v Hitchin Town, was on that day 47 years ago and I’ve now seen 54 games in that round. On Saturday I was one of 2,711 fans at Priory Lane to see Eastbourne Borough, in their second appearance at that stage, lose 4-0 to Weymouth. It was only 1-0 with nine minutes to go.
Coming away from the ground I walked over a grassy bank in the dark to get to the bus stop and stepped in a pile of doggie-do’s. It completed a perfect afternoon.
I came back to London on Sunday via Lewes, in order to take in Lewes Ladies’ FA Women’s Cup Second Round Proper tie against Welwyn Garden City at the famous 'Dripping Pan' (pictured, left). This game was due to kick off at 1.30 but was delayed for 17 minutes. Someone told me one of the teams had insisted on a 45-minute warm-up period.
The visitors were 2-0 up in six minutes, but Lewes were back in contention after a disputed twice-taken penalty on the half-hour. The sun shone on an eventful second half, Welwyn scoring three more goals, having their manager red-carded and directed to the stand and their left-back whisked off to hospital after she’d jumped for a header and landed awkwardly. It looked like a broken ankle.
Last night’s Middlesex Senior Cup tie between Hanwell Town and Wembley at Reynolds Field was unusual in that both goalkeepers were injured in the first half and had to be replaced. Wembley, who won 2-1, didn’t have a sub ‘keeper and their lanky No.4 had to don the jersey.