A Grand Drive

The second game of my 50th season was like the first at Taplow on the previous Saturday. Raynes Park Vale v Kingstonian, at the former’s Grand Drive ground, also finished in an away win, also had three goals, also had a goalless first half, also had an opening goal in the first ten minutes of the second half and also had a second goal three minutes later. So far, so spooky.

It was years since I’d been there. There was an evening Combined Counties League fixture with Merstham when there was a big-top circus less than 50 yards away. I watched most of the game with two elephants and a llama, in cages just the other side of the fence round the ground. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Vale win but I thought they did well on Saturday against a team from a higher level.

The visitors from Kingston, with legendary commentator Martin Tyler as one of their coaches, had nearly all of the possession in the first half as the rain slanted down on a grey afternoon in Surrey. But Vale’s ‘keeper was equal to their best efforts and it was 0-0 at the break. Five minutes into the second period Ks’ No.9 scored with a penalty, which the sub ‘keeper got a hand to, and the same player chipped in another three minutes later from 25 yards.

Vale now had their best spell, with some very enterprising attacking moves. They matched Ks for 20 minutes or so and pulled a goal back. It was good stuff for a friendly.

During the close season I was delighted to be invited to a dinner to mark the publication of ‘From Cloisters to Cup Finals’. This is a book on the history of football at Charterhouse, the famous public school in Godalming. They were playing football with proper rules before The FA was even founded and their Old Boys team, ‘Old Carthusians’, won The FA Cup in 1881.

Malcolm Bailey, a schoolmaster at Charterhouse since ’74, kindly picked me up at Godalming station in his car. I remembered seeing him play twice for Cambridge University (both times against an FA Amateur XI) and at club level for Lewes. I’d never been anywhere near a public school before, so it was a very interesting evening.

This weekend I’m going up to Liverpool to stay with a friend from University, now a vicar with a wife and four children. John and I plan to watch Marine v Chester City on Saturday.