UP FOR THE CUP

09-11-2009

Saturday marked the biggest day in the history of Stourbridge Football Club - a home tie in the FA Cup against Walsall. Damien Doran was among 2,000 fans squeezed into the War Memorial Ground.

There's still three months to go before Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal etc, start moaning about having to play F.A. Cup matches. It will also be a time when the managers of big Premier League sides, such as Birmingham City and Bolton, breathe a sigh of relief after being knocked out of the competition so they can concentrate on more ambitious targets, like not being relegated.

There were no such complaints at The War Memorial Ground in Stourbridge on Saturday. Having played as many games to reach Round 1 for the first time in their history as Man U will to win it, the Glassboys, their fans and almost the entire town were determined to enjoy every minute. The 200 or so regular fans were joined by another 2,000, the biggest attendance since the 1974 Welsh Cup Final. They even had to give up their regular home end to accomodate the visiting Walsall fans.

The place was spruced up for the big day with turnstiles and gates not used for twenty years brought back to their former glory. To get everyone into the three sided ground, which is shared with the local cricket club (and a fine pavillion it is by the way), a temporary stand had been erected behind the goal and Walsall provided the stewarding, a great gesture to ensure the match was played where it belonged rather than shifting it a larger stadium like Kidderminster. Any move would have detracted from the sheer excitement of the day.

Everyone says the F.A. Cup is about generating money for the little clubs and Stourbridge would have done very nicely from the big crowd and being featured on ITV's highlights show. They were also quick to arrange a corporate package involving good seats, a pre-match meal and half time drinks etc.

The 'prawn sandwich brigade' however did have to walk through the crowd and negotiate up and down the grassy hill which become muddy and slippery as the day wore on. This was not so easy for the ladies in heels, particularly local MP Lynda Waltho, dressed in bright red to support the team, who ran the gauntlet of her constituents asking if her ticket was on expenses with good grace and cheer.

With cheerleaders, glossy programmes and special scarves it had all the hallmarks of a big game. There was even a half time 'crossbar challenge' for lads and dads to win a prize for hitting the bar with a shot, just like at league grounds. It took a while to get going and they had just finished the first round when the teams came out for the second half, lined up and were ready to kick off but had to wait until the kids had round two. Can you imagine Alex Ferguson's face at that!

A spirited last twenty minutes by the Glassboys could not give the fans the goal they craved. There were a couple of penalty appeals and when chances did come their way shots were hurried over the bar. They gave a great account of themselves despite losing to a terrific strike from Walsall's Steve Jones and received a wonderful reception from the crowd at the end. We all then went home happy in the 'orderly fashion' requested by the tannoy announcer. The F.A. Cup still has real magic, but you have to go to clubs like Stourbridge to appreciate it.

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