FAN ZONE
TUST's Chair and TUFC board member, Nick Brodrick's column in this week's Herald Express - updated for the latest news.
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UNITED’S FA TROPHY JOURNEY CONTINUES AFTER 2-0 VICTORY
TUST REPRESENTED AT FSA FOOTBALL AWARDS CEREMONY
HAVE YOU EVER LEFT A MATCH EARLY?
What on earth does a football fan do on yet another blank Saturday? Well, this was an enforced one as Storm Darragh hit the south-west, some areas worse than others.
It must have been serious as millions of mobile phones rang out with a Government alarm on Friday evening with a red alert. And quite rightly United’s FA Trophy match was called off. Visitors Horsham were not due to travel until the day but now had to set out on Tuesday afternoon; not easy with their players having other jobs.
Horsham, 14th in the Isthmian League, lost on their last fixture, a 2-1 defeat at Billericay Town but they have a good cup record.
Tuesday's game wasn’t a classic but with United winning 2-0 they collected £4,500 in prize money with an away trip to Gosport Borough in Round Four. The successful club in that tie will pick up £5250.
Gosport won their 3rd Round match at Step 2 Worthing after grabbing a 94th minute goal to level the score at 1-1. Borough, who play in the Southern League South Division alongside sides such as Tiverton Town and Taunton Town, held their nerve to win the penalty shoot-out 3-2.
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The previous weekend was a long and interesting one for me involving a trip to London. Once near the capital you notice the busier roads, endless traffic jams and packed underground trains.
The purpose of the trip was to represent United as a director at the National South match with Enfield Town and then to be at the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) football awards on the Monday evening with TUST one of four nominees for the Non-League category.
Staying in one of those national hotel chains in Stratford near the Westfield shopping mall, the Saturday morning was spent walking around the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park where twelve years ago I had the privilege to be a Games Maker at the London Olympics in charge of a team of volunteers at the hockey stadium.
The park has clearly gone through a transformation in the intervening years with a road running where during the Olympics it was a walkway and many new buildings are now on the skyline where once there were sporting venues.
The biggest area still standing is the London Stadium now the home of West Ham. With a match that evening kicking-off at 5.30pm against Arsenal there were brisk sales in the club shop while around the ground there were pictures of previous teams representing the Hammers, a Bobby Moore statue and names of fans embedded in the walkways.
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That evening my wife and I had a meal in a Westfield restaurant and sitting next to two guys who had already been there a while. One of them got chatting and said they were both West Ham season ticket holders but had walked out after 40 minutes when Arsenal’s fourth goal went in.
Can’t say I’ve done it but have you ever left a match early because you are so fed up with how your team were playing? Let me know: fanszone.tu@gmail.com.
Two Hammers’ fans now have Torquay as their second team!
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Earlier, in the afternoon, it was a first trip to Enfield. It’s always a bonus when the team you visit have access to an adjacent car park.
First thing you notice on arriving at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium is the art deco building which houses a bar, offices and the players’ changing rooms then the running track around the pitch also comes into your eye line.
Enfield were the first club in the UK to be fully fan owned and it was a chance to have a conversation with the chairman to pick his brains to learn how they do it.
FoodBankEnfield thank Gulls’ supporters who generously donated towards this project.
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Monday evening was a completely different experience with the FSA awards held at the Nobu Hotel in Portman Square. This has to be one of the poshest hotels in town with rooms starting at £750.
With almost 400 guests from the world of football from Gary Neville to Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to ITV’s Sam Matterface plus sports writers, league officials and representatives of grass-root football, it was a glittering occasion.
Victoria Derbyshire, fresh from Newsnight, introduced each award, welcomed a special guest who presented the prize and then interviewed the winners.
Our Non-League Award went to the Non-League Paper but we got an honourable mention and we take pride in being nominated.
It was good too to meet Daniel Storey who wrote a great piece about United earlier in the year when all seemed lost.
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There were more matches last week in the much maligned National League Cup. Top attendance was 3,681 for Rochdale v Manchester United, 1,092 Sutton United v Tottenham but Wealdstone v Derby County only attracted 93.
Friday is Plainmoor Legends Evening while Saturday sees United back to National South league action with Farnborough the visitors, another return game and a chance to avenge that early 1-0 defeat.
COYY
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