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The year that was 2009
Town's Match day reporter Bryan Hale reflects back on 2009.
The previous year 2008 had seen what was arguably the most significant development in Town’s entire history with the completion of the move to the prestigious Knights Lane complex, and having made such impressive progress off the field the next step was to make similar progress on the field with the immediate aim for the 2008/9 season being promotion to the Southern League.
But with Town struggling for any consistent form the end of 2008 saw them already out of contention for a top of the table finish, and the need for change was becoming apparent although few could have foreseen the extent of the upheaval which was such that of Town’s squad for their first match of 2009 only one - Mark Faulds - would still be at the Club twelve months later.
But even though the League form was disappointing Town were keeping their season alive by making what was ultimately to be record breaking progress in the prestigious F A Carlsberg Vase, and their third match of 2009 saw a dramatic Fourth Round clash with Stone Dominoes which featured a bizarre incident in the closing minutes of extra time when the Dominoes had an apparently good goal ruled out, with the referee believing the ball had hit the crossbar instead of the stanchion at the back of the net, followed by Town immediately going down the other end to score the winner.
Town were now into the last 16 for the first time ever and the Fifth Round draw paired them away to Whitley Bay - winners of the Competition in 2002, semi-finalists last year and destined to be winners again this time round.
The snow and ice of early February led to two postponements, but Town and their supporters eventually made the long journey to the North East on February 21st with Town bowing out 2-0, but only after a gutsy second half effort having recovered well from being two down after only 25 minutes.
This match also saw the curtain fall on the legendary Nigel Niblett’s career - and typically he gave
100% plus right to the final whistle.
Although overshadowed by the Vase the League programme continued, and curiously Town’s results improved markedly from what had gone before. Of the 25 MFA matches remaining in the season at the turn of the year 15 were won 7 drawn and only 3 lost, but it was a measure of how far Town had fallen off the pace earlier that even with that eye-catching improvement they could only finish 6th - just one place and 11 points better off than 12 months previously.
At least the season had an individual interest right to the end as striker Jozsef Jakab - who was almost a cult figure among a section of the Knights Lane regulars - battled away for the MFA’s Golden Boot, with the final match pitching him in direct competition with Ryan Rowe of Cradley Town. Both started the game on 28 goals but although Town won the match it was Rowe who took the Golden Boot scoring twice in the second half.
Nevertheless promotion had been the target and since it seemed to be as far away as ever it was decided that a change in leadership was required. Micky Moore’s two year reign as Manager was ended, and a few days later Rod Brown from Bromsgrove Rovers was unveiled as his successor.
And the new boss immediately sought to build a rapport with the supporters by holding a Fans Forum in June which attracted an encouraging attendance and a number of searching questions for the new Manager to respond to. He also took the opportunity to announce his squad for the new season although inevitably several names had changed by the time the season kicked off.
Meantime a tough programme of pre-season friendlies was arranged with all the opposition being at least two grades higher in the Non-League Pyramid and unsurprisingly the results were mixed, but these games did give Brown the opportunity to properly assess his squad and by the time the season proper started on August 8th a team he considered capable of challenging for the MFA title was beginning to take shape.
Such optimism however proved to be shortlived. The opening Aspire MFA game was a home fixture against Friar Lane and Epworth and it was expected to provide a comfortable Town win, but Rod Brown’s side - which contained only three players from Micky Moore’s squad in Jozsef Jakab, Mark Faulds and Kevin Brookes - were desperately disappointing and only a goal deep into stoppage time prevented an opening day defeat.
And frustratingly the team’s performances became as inconsistent as during the same stage of the previous campaign, while all the time Barwell were blazing away at a blistering pace and effectively wrapping up the MFA Championship before Autumn was out.
One bright spot in the early weeks of the season was Town’s progress in the F A Cup. Midland Combination sides Pilkington XXX and Nuneaton Griff were swept aside in the Preliminary Rounds
before Cradley Town were edged out in the 1st Qualifying Round to set up a clash with Blue Square North Redditch United. Town excelled themselves in holding out for a draw at the Valley Stadium but class eventually told in the replay with the Reds scoring twice in the closing minutes in front of an impressive crowd of 481.
The other Cups were less rewarding. Town went out of the Polymac Services League Cup in the First Found with a disappointing home display against Coalville Town and similarly exited the Birmingham Senior Cup at Rugby Town, which left only the F A Vase in which Town had an exemption until the Second Round Proper as a result of their exploits in the competition last time.
Sadly there was to be no repetition of those heroics this time. Town were drawn away to West Midland League side Wellington and were unceremoniously bundled out of the competition by a 3-0 scoreline, with Rod Brown describing the performance as “unacceptable.” Nobody who was there would disagree.
All the time though the squad was changing as Brown sought the extra quality he felt was lacking. The popular Kevin Brookes left before the Redditch Cup ties to join Midland Combination side Pilkington XXX after finding his opportunities limited, and immediately after the Rugby Town match leading scorer Danny Lennon returned to Evesham United.
Several fringe players came and went as well while Barry Woolley and Carl Motteram sustained long term injuries, but on the plus side keeper Chris Jay was able to return after a year out with a knee problem.
By mid-October the lack of real progress in the League was causing concern, and successive defeats at the hands - or rather feet - of Tipton and Alvechurch meant that Town had lost 5 of their first 13 games. Rod Brown reacted by holding a “clear the air” meeting with his players, and hardly increased his popularity rating among some of the supporters by releasing the talismanic Jakab.
But it has to be said that Town’s results soon improved significantly, as from then until the end of the year they won 6 out of the 7 League matches played although sandwiched in the middle of this run was the Wellington F A Vase debacle which indicated that the team was still some way off being the finished article.
No doubt with that in mind Brown sought to stiffen the backbone of his side in the closing weeks of the year by bringing in the experienced defenders Lucan Spittle and Dennis Pearce, but Town still seemed lightweight up front with last season’s striking duo of Brookes and Jakab yet to be adequately replaced as evidenced by the fact that Town’s current leading scorer in the MFA is midfielder Sam Alsop who has netted a mere 5 times.
Two other stats show how Brown is still searching for the right formation - 41 players have already been used, and only 3 who were in the starting line-up against Friar Lane back in August - Mark Faulds, Mark Smith and Tom Warmer - also started against Highgate on Boxing Day.
Nevertheless the late surge in form enabled Town to head into 2010 in 3rd spot in the table, although with Barwell already out of sight the best Town can realistically hope for is to finish as runners-up.
But - as Barwell found out last season - that does not guarantee promotion, and at least one further season in the Aspire MFA is probably inevitable.
So while Town are moving in the right direction patience is still needed for - as Rod Brown has stressed many times - the team continues to be “a work in progress.”
And at least we’ve still got Fauldsy !!!
Bryan Hale
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