THE END OF A LOVE AFFAIR.

Chippenham  7  Magpies 2001  1

With age comes experience, and with experience comes wisdom. Not perhaps as much as I might have liked but nevertheless over the years I have experienced the odd lucid moment where I have recognised that I do have some wisdom. Life has taught me that nothing lasts forever, that when one door closes another often opens, and that life itself is about the future and not about the past. Of course at the same time we still allow ourselves to hanker after the “good old days” but those days weren’t as good as we remember them, selective memory sees to it that the best bits last longest in the mind, and all the rubbish that went with it is easily forgotten. When I look back at this season I won’t be quickly recalling the 10-1 mauling at Fulbourn Sports, the 5-1 home defeat to Quy Park Rovers, or indeed today’s game which was in truth another wretched episode. However instead of being annoyed that we ended the season in such timid fashion (that can easily be skipped over) I will really only focus on what we had already achieved and the momentous and sad decision taken after the game that this fixture at Chippenham would be the club’s last. With so many players leaving the club this summer, in truth many of the better players, and with Dan Probert unable to manage the club next season and wanting to hang up his boots I just couldn’t face the prospect of recruiting most of a new team again as well as a manager. Besides which the club would pretty much have lost its identity with as I reckoned just one player who was with me when I became manager three years ago still being with the club for the next season. It seemed to make sense to go out on a high with the club having avoided relegation yet again and in a reasonable vein of form, and with a general consensus that we’d taken it as far as we could. It’s been an amazing, hugely rewarding and very enjoyable experience but also one that had near the end left me feeling emotionally and physically exhausted and knowing that it just couldn’t go on.
So it’s the end of a love affair, one that lasted for nearly eleven years and one that started with a simple idea to help out a bit with a mate’s team and maybe get a game. It ends with me having mostly run the whole club for the last three years; I really hadn’t anticipated that when I signed in November 2002! It isn’t the only love affair that’s just ended for me. My recent flirtation with Wigan Athletic has now also come to an end. For many years now I have drawn the parallels between them and Magpies, the under-dog just staying up, playing attractive football and winning friends and admirers but not competitions! Actually the fact that Magpies never got relegated in their history gives me immense pride and that we didn’t receive a single booking for dissent in the last two seasons also does. For me it was as important to be a sporting and honest team, upholding fair play and participating in the true spirit of the game as it was to win. So whereas poor Wigan won the FA Cup but finally went down, Magpies didn’t win anything but once again defied the odds and staged a late season rally to once again keep their heads above water. So now I can’t support Wigan as my Premier League side as they aren’t there anymore and with Derby still a Championship side there’s a clash of interests which can leave only one option: I will no longer follow Wigan and more so since Roberto Martinez has left. He is a true role model in the game, a genuinely nice guy, and I was always pleased to see such a decent bloke doing well.
So Magpies had already made sure of staying up well before this final game at Chippenham, that much had been confirmed with other results the weekend before, and in the back of my mind I had always been confident that we had enough points already. So we were able to relax completely in this last game and treat it in a way appropriate to the occasion. Actually we relaxed rather too much and got hammered but it didn’t really matter. Sadly of course there was the usual list of absentees unable to be there for the swansong and as a result we had to field what was a bit of a weakened side. Ralph Turner, Adam Briggs, Kearon Winteringham, Jamie Clarke, Gary Anstee, Chris Kenwell and Moumen Kuwaider were all absent and the thirteen we had there for the game included me, I was keen to play the last ten minutes or so just to be out there on the pitch when it came to an end. Manager Dan Probert elected to omit himself from the starting line-up in order to give everyone else a full game and we lined up as follows: James Brennan behind a back four of James Davey, Tom Hammond, Charles Harpur and Daniele Masseroni, a midfield four of Naz Usaini, Nick Stubbings, Nick Whitehouse and Albert Obiero and a front two of James Burns and skipper Jonny Pugh.
In typical Magpies fashion, and indeed for poor Charles Harpur, he pulled his hamstring just five minutes in and Dan Probert was on for pretty much the whole game when he had only intended to play a few minutes! Despite Magpies losing the player most at the club regard as their best, they managed ok for the opening stages and neither keeper was properly tested. Indeed not much of any note happened for a while, some joking moans at me by the Chippenham lads for the odd offside decision was about as entertaining as it got for the opening fifteen. Magpies had an optimistic shout for a penalty after a challenge on Naz Usaini and a couple of corners, Chippenham had a few promising attacks and a couple of corners too but the custodians were definitely under-employed. Naz Usiani had another chance but saw his shot smothered and then Chippenham took the lead with a quick corner as a free header was allowed. Magpies defence was no-where near ready and despite some protests from James Burns that there should have been a whistle from the ref before it could be taken, the goal stood. Two minutes later Chippenham did the exact same thing again as another header was powered home from a corner and Magpies were already up against it. They steadied the ship and almost scored a wonder goal but Jonny Pugh’s acrobatic overhead attempt went well wide of the target. The rest of the half wasn’t exactly enthralling and we reached half time with the home side two goals to the good.
Half-time was pretty relaxed, two poor set piece goals aside we hadn’t played badly and the hope was still there that we could find a way back into the game.
Magpies made a bright start to the second half and had a few decent attacks, then a direct free kick which James Burns took well and only a deflection prevented a goal but the ref didn’t see it and gave a goal kick much to the annoyance of James Burns. After that James Brennan made a trademark one on one save to keep Magpies in the game and then the home side had a few corners to defend as Magpies tested the keeper with deliveries right under his crossbar. However on the hour mark Chippenham made it three and in doing so took the heart out of Magpies. Three soon became five and only then did Magpies find a route to goal for the only time in the game as Jonny Pugh latched onto Nick Stubbing’s through-ball and slotted home. Magpies nearly pulled another back but this time Jnony Pugh was denied by a really amzing save by the Chippenham keeper. After that though it was nearly six as Dan Probert volleyed powerfully against his own bar in trying to clear and James Brennan was forced into another good save a minute later as Magpies were really starting to tire. With about twelve minutes to go I came on for Naz Usaini and as I did Jonny Pugh handed me the captain’s armband, a gesture I really appreciated. However the first thing that happened after that was the Chippenham keeper going up for a corner and thundering a header in off the bar although he appeared to have climbed on Tom Hammond. Had it been closer and had it been that important I’m sure in another game Magpies would have protested more but today it by this stage hardly mattered at all. I did get a couple of touches and made one decent pass but it was Chippenham who scored the final goal to make it seven and soon after the game ended and with it Magpies history had reached the end of its final chapter. And not only us, it was Chippenham’s final game too and indeed the referee Dave Burch’s last Sunday game too so a sad day all round. After a few minutes to reflect on the game the end of season awards were made despite the trophies not actually having arrived yet and the following players won the following awards:

Players’ Player of the Season :- James Burns
Manager’s Player of the Season :- James Brennan
Sponsor’s Player of the Season :- Kearon Winteringham & Ralph Turner (shared)
Clubmen of the Season :- Jonny Pugh and Tom Hammond.
Man of the match today was Nick Whitehouse for another fine display in the holding role whilst Naz Usaini could also be very pleased with his contribution.

So here ends the journey, after fifteen years in total, thirteen seasons of men’s football and untold ups and downs we end with our heads held high. All that remains is for me to thank every player who ever turned out for Magpies over the years and to wish you all well with your futures.

Chris