Boston v County: Match Thread (11/11/2017)

I was thinking along similar lines, Herm. If Stopforth joins Minihan on the injury list, I would bring back Harry Brazell to be our high-energy midfielder. He's done well on his few opportunities, from what I can tell. I think a midfield of Ball, Winter / Walker and Dixon might be a bit lacking in mobility.

My 'Take Five' piece for COWS:

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TAKE FIVE… Boston United

By Hatter in Macc

1. So - a cross-country trip to Boston. Where we’re going, we won’t need motorways, eh?!

Indeed not. And, historically, wending our way to and from York Street (or the Jakemans Stadium, if you will) has tended to feel like an even longer drawn-out trial, given County’s record there…

Until last season, that is, when a Danny Lloyd double secured a first-ever win in Boston for County, after four attempts in our current division and two earlier ones from Football League days.

2. Ah, yes - another ex-League club with whom we get to renew acquaintance.

There are seven of them among this season’s opponents in all - and, having already met Gainsborough, Bradford Park Avenue, Southport, York, Darlington and Kidderminster, we complete the set with our visit to Boston, who competed in the FL’s fourth tier from 2002 to 2007.

The ‘Pilgrims’ made a little bit of unwanted history on their League debut, by becoming the first FL club to begin a campaign with negative points - having been docked four of them, for breaking FA rules over the registration of players, before a ball was kicked. And they left League Two five years later to face a double-demotion, after entering a Company Voluntary Arrangement at a late stage of their final match in the hope it might avoid a points-deduction at the start of 2007/08.

3. But they have a rather more illustrious history in the world of non-league?

They surely do - and over the last 50 years in particular. Having been formed in 1933 from the ashes of Midland League outfit, Boston FC - which itself succeeded two pre-Great War clubs, Boston Swifts and Boston Town, that had used separate pubs adjacent to the current ground (known as Shodfriars Lane in its pre-York Street days) for changing rooms - the Pilgrims spent their formative years switching between the Midland, Southern, Central Alliance, United Counties and West Midlands Leagues. And for 1964/65, in the face of financial difficulties, they operated as a local amateur side in the Boston and District League, simply to keep the club’s name alive.

Their beginnings were not entirely modest - as they lifted the Lincolnshire Senior Cup, or a variant thereof, on seven occasions before the 1970s. And, in 1955/56, they set an FA Cup record that still stands for an away-win by a non-league side against Football League hosts by thrashing that season’s Third Division North champions, Derby, 6-1 at the Baseball Ground. But the Pilgrims really… erm, progressed with the formation in 1968 of the Northern Premier League, which they won on four occasions - and, 11 years later, the new top-tier Conference, where they stayed for 14 straight seasons until 1993. Boston are the only current National League North club to have been founder members of each - and also reached the 1985 FA Trophy Final, before losing by the odd goal in three to Wealdstone - although, since that relegation by two levels from the FL, have remained in non-league’s second and, briefly, third tiers. The last seven years have seen them enjoy an unbroken spell in the NLN, and make the play-offs on three occasions - in 2011, 2015 and 2016 - albeit narrowly bowing out at the semi-final stage each time (twice on penalties).

4. How about players to have featured for both clubs? Are they confined to our NLN years?

Not at all. Certainly, since we left the League, there have been several - including goalkeeper Christian Dibble (who was at County in 2014, and to whom I owe an apology for omission from my recent corresponding piece on Nuneaton!), defender Carl Piergianni (2011/12), winger Kaine Felix (2016/17) and perennially-nomadic striker Richard Brodie (2016). But, going further back in time, cultured midfielder Tom Bennett (1995-2000) and winger Alan Daley (1956-58), together with strikers Anthony Elding (2007-08 and 2011) and Jason Lee (1991) have also worn the amber and black of Boston. Lee also served as player-manager at York Street during 2011/12, while another former County striker, Ernie Moss (1986/87), was assistant manager there from 1992 to 1994.

5. What to do after a match in Boston, though? That’s got me Stumped! Arf.

(Sigh) You can always come to my Tea Party…

I still have pretty painful memories of our four-goal thrashing there just over Christmases ago, and only a week after travelling down to Corby and winning by the same score. Within seven days we had gone from feeling renewed hope to seeing the writing very plainly on the wall for Neil Young...

Yep - you weren't a bad judge there, exile!

"In this special episode The Sportsman.com sponsor Gary Stopforth for a special kick-up challenge in aid of Remembrance Day.

And Chris talks to manager Jim Gannon and special guest Sam Byrne of The Stockport Express."



soundcloud.com/user-415776765/more-than-a-feeling-looking-ahead-to-boston

Why does that feel like a win today ?

Teams down there should be put away. No easy games though.

Could have been worse at 95 minutes gone.