So this was the last-ever game at the old ground. Guy Mitchell (Eddie M’s dad?) was “Singing the Blues”; your reporter still has Tommy Steele’s cover version on 78. We sat in the main stand (Leitch, 1936) in line with the “D” at the open (north) end. The teams lined up with Cherries looking confident, satisfied, but Spireites seemed nervous. Cherries k.o. to our left, towards the covered (south) end. Spireites began with a 20-yard shot caught well by Jalal. The lino on our side was not up with play so he didn’t flag the left-winger (he did the same in the second half); Pearce headed the cross for a corner. Cherries had the better of the early play, but Jalal had to catch again. Cherries was felled again; his 30-yarder free was just wide. Cooper was calm & Pearce alert. Cummings & Hollands had shots blocked & way over respectively. Feeney & Fletcher (looking good) showed skill; Feeney’s shot showed that Spireites were not dominating, which they needed to do. Jalal saved an angled shot, & Pitman caused havoc in the home back line, with a save needed from a Feeney attempt. Cummings was looking to impress, turning up all over the pitch. Pinball in the home area led to nothing, but Hollands was holding & linking well, occasionally reaching the 18-yard line. Bartley was strong beside him, with away cheers for fast covering.
A home assault saw Cooper, Pearce & Jalal resolute; frustration was showing in the blue shirts. Hollands fed Fletcher, playing in Pitman who set up Hollands to slide in & put it over. Robinson had looked useful wide left but Feeney went left; Bartley blocked well. Cummings took an in-swinging corner, which ended up inside the far post – evidently an OG. 0-1, 42. Away fans sang, “F… U to the Football League”. The away central defence had been so good it almost looked easy. Hollands had been outstanding, the rest hardworking & professional. HT: 0-1.
The second half started with a Cummings corner & a beach ball on the pitch. Jalal was felled again but a corner was awarded. He went down superbly at Lester’s feet; calls for a home penalty from a corner went unheeded. Pearce was strong against Lester; in spite of his innocence he had a talk from the ref. Bartley went down; a moment later the ball was in the away net but the offside flag was up. Squabbles had been breaking out; another saw a yellow for Bartley. Away fans: “We’re going to Hillsborough, you’re going to Stevenage” – ooh, how cruel. May not be too long before Stevenage go to Hillsborough… By now, Spireites were putting everything bar the kitchen sink into the Cherries area, and when Lester was felled he shoved Pearce. So much talent, but… The free was at the left of the “D” but went over. Then Hollands appeared in the home area, managing to squirm round to toe-end a loose ball. As it trickled towards the line the ‘keeper just managed to finger-tip it round the post.
Pitman was through, & taken out - yellow for the defender. McQuoid replaced Feeney on 70; Pitman’s attempt was tipped against the post. Lester turned & sent it over the bar. Spireites were lumping it in from the back & from midfield – not the Sheridan way. Connell came on for Fletcher on 75, who received a standing ovation from all 4 sides. Spireites had a series of corners but the defence held firm; cover, read, block, intercept, clear. By now Robinson was contributing little to the game other than holding a position. Then Cooper or Connell appeared to handle in falling; it seemed to be Connell who received the yellow but it turned out to be Bradbury, who had a torrid time against Demontagnac. Then a gap in the defence, Lester turned & a snapshot to Jalal’s right equalised. 1-1, 80. Pressure had told. Spireites hit a post – it came out roughly in Jalal’s direction. Cooper went down, but Garry replaced Cummings on 84 & went to left back. McQuoid was through, & taken out. A home corner saw another headed clearance off the line, followed by a good Jalal catch. Pitman went down but Hollands’ free was poor.
Added time – 6 minutes! Connell hit the bar from 18 yards, although he & McQuoid made the away attack look powder-puff. Nevertheless, Connell battled hard as always, & Pitman sent one over. With fans gathering in front of the home end, Niven sent one in from the edge of the area. A couple of bobbles, & it went in just inside Jalal’s right-hand post. 2-1, 90+6. The crowd invaded, but they were cleared for the restart & a moment’s more play until the final whistle. FT: 2-1.
The result was great for Spireites although too little too late, missing out on the play-offs by 1 place. A defeat for Cherries was disappointing, but with ‘Dale losing at Barnet 2nd place was assured – a remarkable achievement. Home fans on the pitch sang with away fans, “There’s only 1 Steve Fletcher”, as the tannoy played Roy Orbison’s “It’s Over”. As we walked from the ground, The Seekers’ “The Carnival is Over” could be heard. Yes, the ground is tired, beyond its shelf life, decrepit, but at least it’s real. The next day’s Observer (May 9) had an article about Saltergate. Some parallels with Boscombe – time in Div.2, an amazing FA Cup run, dodgy owners, fans’ ownership (as well as the same ground configuration as the old Dean Court) – and near the end of the piece the reporter talked about it not being for triumph & glory but longevity, loyalty & commitment. Those last two will be essential next season.
Eddie Howe – a terrace Cherry when young; our own Bobby Moore on the pitch. He reads the game, sets out a strong defence & holding midfield, & looks to build from the back. As player, so as manager. This season, teams on 50 points were relegated to Div.4, so 51 will be needed. That’s 12 wins & 15 draws, so 9-6-8 (h) & 3-9-11 (a) would be a survival pattern.
Our first relegation at the end of the 60s was with a mediocre side, replaced with a Bond flair team that returned directly. The financial crash & burn a few years later saw a bunch of expensive misfits failing to be a team & dropping down. Dave Webb’s early 80’s promoted side was in his image – strength, crafty cunning. Then ‘Arry’s team of has-beens, cast-offs, nearly was’s, fitted together like a jigsaw to go up on that fabulous May day in ‘87. 3 years later, a sequence of dodgy transfers & too many injuries took us back down. O’Driscoll’s mix of cerebral soccer & no money led to another drop, but the magnificence of Cardiff 2003 wiped away the bad memories.
Then more mediocrity plus dodgy owners led to the last demotion, including the League points deductions so in a sense we have for a time a common thread with Luton & Rotherham – the Overpenalised. It’s one in the eye for the Football League for Cherries to have been promoted. So there must be some praise for Eddie Mitchell for taking on the job & seemingly reducing the debt enough to survive at least this season. The concern is whether there’ll be enough quality in the side.th time to where we started nearly 90 years ago – back to square one in a sense.
So we’re back for the 5th time to where we started nearly 90 years ago - back to square one in a sense.
More than anyone else, this guy put his stamp on the game. Linking, supporting, covering, setting-up, even a few attempts - it goes to Hollands.
AFCB: Jalal, Bradbury, Pearce, Cooper, Cummings, Robinson, Hollands, Bartley, Feeney, Fletcher, Pitman
Subs: Thomas, Igoe, Partington, McQuoid (for Feeney, 70 mins), Connell (for Fletcher, 75 mins), Garry (for Cummings, 84 mins)