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One Step Closer
Mar. 26th, 2022 08:11 pmTo the London-Essex borderlands yesterday for Walthamstow's away game at Woodford Town. The tube ride out east was so nostalgic, taking me through all the stations familiar to me from my student days and the subsequent ten years I stayed on in East London - Mile End, Stratford, Leyton, Leytonstone, Snaresbrook, South Woodford. Alas, the old Underground signs of 1960s vintage that graced the four last-named stations in my day have gone, although at least the new ones are lookalikes, to the point where the South Woodford ones even have 'George Lane' underneath in brackets. For me this time it was on one more stop, to previously unknown Woodford.
From the tube it was a short walk to the bus stop and a ride along a main road of shops, takeaways and a garage, to a little green opposite which lay my hotel. Although still located in Woodford, it was named the London Chigwell Prince Regent. The place was very posh. I arrived at 2.50, ten minutes early, but the nice lady on reception made a phone call and found me a room that was ready.
I walked round an impressive round corridor, past photos from the hotel's past as a Barnardo home and a church, to the room. The TV onscreen guide said London Live was showing The Bromley Boys, but there was no signal. Happily there was nothing wrong with Challenge TV, which was showing a Les Dawson-era episode of Blankety Blank starring Faith Brown and Lynsey de Paul both looking absolutely lovely <3 plus the legend Lonnie Donegan.
Just before 6 I popped to a nearby pub for something to eat. I really fancied the Salted Caramel Irish Cream & Vodka Martini Bar for dessert, but after I'd ordered a main the barman told me my chosen dessert was off. So I opted to switch to the two course set menu, as that included a Classic Burger which looked good to me, and ordered a cheese board for afters, but was still charged the higher a la carte rate, probably due to the confusion caused by my changing my order. The classic burger was excellent though.
As I waited for the cheese board, a man came over to my table and asked "Are you the guy who travels up from Turktown?" I confirmed that was the case. He introduced himself as John, originally a Pompey fan from Gosport, now exiled in Walthamstow and following the local team. He asked how I came to support Walthamstow, I said that was a long story but did explain how I have a sentimental attachment to East London having been a student there and stayed on for ten years. We talked for a while, but the bloody cheese board never showed up.
So I headed back to the hotel to get my things and walked to the ground, still fairly hungry and not in the best frame of mind. Happily, in the clubhouse were two friendly barmaids who cheerfully got me to buy a square on a blackout card. I do love a blackout card at a game. There were only a few squares left; Leicester was one of them so I chose it in honour of my friends Jill and Steph. After a quick Guinness, and a quick chat with Adam who was sitting at one of the outside tables, it was time to hit the amusingly named 'Big Arse Burgers' van for a bacon roll to fill the hole in my stomach. The buns were brioche ones and the whole thing very tasty.
I passed some of the famous Woodford Cultras in the stand and said hello to them. They, like me, we're looking forward to the contest between their songbook and the Waltham Rabble's. We agreed the game should be a cracker. I joined the Waltham Rabble standing at the far end of the stand.
With Stow needing just seven points to seal the league title and promotion, spirits were high. From the start the 'Stow' song based on Gold got plenty of airings, as did 'Sex and Drugs and Walthamstow'. Woodford had an early chance, drawing a good save from Richard Hayward in the Stow goal, sparking a rendition of the na-na section of Hey Jude with the title sung as 'Hayward'. That was followed by 'We all live in a Samir Bihmoutine' and the Harrison Carnegie version of Let It Be. One of our fans then observed "That's our Beatles medley done". Next Tommy Fletcher was celebrated to the tune of Macarena. A fan returning from the burger van was serenaded with 'Brioche buns, brioche buns' to the 'Here We Go' tune.
With the scoreline still blank and over half an hour gone, the Woodford fans were holding their own in the singing contest, aided by their drummer. Two of our fans produced kazoos and played the 'Sex and Drugs and Walthamstow' tune on them, prompting the others to sing to the Woodford fans 'Have you got a horn section?'
On the stroke of half time Tendi Quamina, from the edge of our own penalty box, ran the length of the pitch, beat three men and unleashed a shot that deflected into the far corner. Cue wild celebrations and a few lusty choruses of Tendi's name to the Seven Nation Army tune.
At half time I nipped back to the clubhouse to find out who won the blackout. I asked a barmaid who said "Wimbledon". I remembered then, the name 'Wimbledon' had been on the card without the prefix AFC. Just how old were these blackout cards? I'd seen several at other clubs that were clearly also printed quite a few years ago. Still, they might as well use all their old ones before buying new.
During the break a jovial voice on the PA announced that the blackout card winning team was "Wimbledon, chosen by someone who signed himself Ray B. So, Ray B, please go to the bar, make yourself known to the bar staff and collect your £20 prize - and avoid your friends as they'll want you to buy the next round".
As the second half began a couple of the guys to the side of me were working out when they thought the title would be clinched and making plans for their promotion party. With the athletics track around the pitch, the action was further away leading one of our fans to call out to the Woodford goalie "You're too far away to have banter with".
A few spectators were standing on top of a grass bank behind the goal overlooking the pitch. The Rabble chanted 'North Bank, give us a wave' to them, then one of the guys on the bank was nicknamed 'Pizza' and became the object of several chants (presumably there was a back story there that I'm not privy to).
A Carnegie free kick was spilled by the Woodford keeper, and after a goalmouth scramble the ball was volleyed over the line, no-one was sure who by! Few of us cared too much, as the confetti cannons sent up an impressive spray, the players raced over the running track to celebrate with us and "2-0 to the Walthamstow" and "the Stow are going up" rang out. As the home fans' drummer had gone quiet, the Rabble taunted them with 'Where's your drummer gone?' The drumming promptly resumed.
Soon after, Michael Osei turned four players in the middle and passed to Carnegie on the wing, and Carnegie squared for Callum Ibe to lash into the roof of the net for Walthamstow's third. Cue a rendition of 'Sweet Callum Ibe' followed by 'Osei Osei, Osei Osei, feeling hot hot hot' and 'When the Stow go marching in'. One Stow fan began enthusiastically clanging a pair of cymbals.
A lone Stow fan had kept trying to start a chant of 'Stow, Stow, Stow your boat' but met with scorn from the others. Now, when he made another attempt, the response from the rest of the Rabble was 'I would sing anything for Stow, but I won't sing that' to the Meat Loaf tune.
I didn't join in the singing of 'We'll never play you again'. Apart from the eternal truth that in football the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune can land any team anywhere some time in the future, there is also something called the Essex Senior Cup.
Then in the dying minutes Ryan Wade played a spot on pass to Tendi Quamina who rolled home his second. Tendi's chant rang out again followed by another few choruses of 'We're going to win the league' and another blast of confetti from the cannon. The final whistle went and the players came over to the Rabble to high five or bump fists with us. The coaching staff and physios applauded us too, we clapped back. One more chorus, then we started to drift out of the ground.
For me it was back to the hotel and bed. Up early this morning, an excellent buffet breakfast at the hotel, then the long journey home. Made it just in time for the Women's Six Nations rugby on telly.
From the tube it was a short walk to the bus stop and a ride along a main road of shops, takeaways and a garage, to a little green opposite which lay my hotel. Although still located in Woodford, it was named the London Chigwell Prince Regent. The place was very posh. I arrived at 2.50, ten minutes early, but the nice lady on reception made a phone call and found me a room that was ready.
I walked round an impressive round corridor, past photos from the hotel's past as a Barnardo home and a church, to the room. The TV onscreen guide said London Live was showing The Bromley Boys, but there was no signal. Happily there was nothing wrong with Challenge TV, which was showing a Les Dawson-era episode of Blankety Blank starring Faith Brown and Lynsey de Paul both looking absolutely lovely <3 plus the legend Lonnie Donegan.
Just before 6 I popped to a nearby pub for something to eat. I really fancied the Salted Caramel Irish Cream & Vodka Martini Bar for dessert, but after I'd ordered a main the barman told me my chosen dessert was off. So I opted to switch to the two course set menu, as that included a Classic Burger which looked good to me, and ordered a cheese board for afters, but was still charged the higher a la carte rate, probably due to the confusion caused by my changing my order. The classic burger was excellent though.
As I waited for the cheese board, a man came over to my table and asked "Are you the guy who travels up from Turktown?" I confirmed that was the case. He introduced himself as John, originally a Pompey fan from Gosport, now exiled in Walthamstow and following the local team. He asked how I came to support Walthamstow, I said that was a long story but did explain how I have a sentimental attachment to East London having been a student there and stayed on for ten years. We talked for a while, but the bloody cheese board never showed up.
So I headed back to the hotel to get my things and walked to the ground, still fairly hungry and not in the best frame of mind. Happily, in the clubhouse were two friendly barmaids who cheerfully got me to buy a square on a blackout card. I do love a blackout card at a game. There were only a few squares left; Leicester was one of them so I chose it in honour of my friends Jill and Steph. After a quick Guinness, and a quick chat with Adam who was sitting at one of the outside tables, it was time to hit the amusingly named 'Big Arse Burgers' van for a bacon roll to fill the hole in my stomach. The buns were brioche ones and the whole thing very tasty.
I passed some of the famous Woodford Cultras in the stand and said hello to them. They, like me, we're looking forward to the contest between their songbook and the Waltham Rabble's. We agreed the game should be a cracker. I joined the Waltham Rabble standing at the far end of the stand.
With Stow needing just seven points to seal the league title and promotion, spirits were high. From the start the 'Stow' song based on Gold got plenty of airings, as did 'Sex and Drugs and Walthamstow'. Woodford had an early chance, drawing a good save from Richard Hayward in the Stow goal, sparking a rendition of the na-na section of Hey Jude with the title sung as 'Hayward'. That was followed by 'We all live in a Samir Bihmoutine' and the Harrison Carnegie version of Let It Be. One of our fans then observed "That's our Beatles medley done". Next Tommy Fletcher was celebrated to the tune of Macarena. A fan returning from the burger van was serenaded with 'Brioche buns, brioche buns' to the 'Here We Go' tune.
With the scoreline still blank and over half an hour gone, the Woodford fans were holding their own in the singing contest, aided by their drummer. Two of our fans produced kazoos and played the 'Sex and Drugs and Walthamstow' tune on them, prompting the others to sing to the Woodford fans 'Have you got a horn section?'
On the stroke of half time Tendi Quamina, from the edge of our own penalty box, ran the length of the pitch, beat three men and unleashed a shot that deflected into the far corner. Cue wild celebrations and a few lusty choruses of Tendi's name to the Seven Nation Army tune.
At half time I nipped back to the clubhouse to find out who won the blackout. I asked a barmaid who said "Wimbledon". I remembered then, the name 'Wimbledon' had been on the card without the prefix AFC. Just how old were these blackout cards? I'd seen several at other clubs that were clearly also printed quite a few years ago. Still, they might as well use all their old ones before buying new.
During the break a jovial voice on the PA announced that the blackout card winning team was "Wimbledon, chosen by someone who signed himself Ray B. So, Ray B, please go to the bar, make yourself known to the bar staff and collect your £20 prize - and avoid your friends as they'll want you to buy the next round".
As the second half began a couple of the guys to the side of me were working out when they thought the title would be clinched and making plans for their promotion party. With the athletics track around the pitch, the action was further away leading one of our fans to call out to the Woodford goalie "You're too far away to have banter with".
A few spectators were standing on top of a grass bank behind the goal overlooking the pitch. The Rabble chanted 'North Bank, give us a wave' to them, then one of the guys on the bank was nicknamed 'Pizza' and became the object of several chants (presumably there was a back story there that I'm not privy to).
A Carnegie free kick was spilled by the Woodford keeper, and after a goalmouth scramble the ball was volleyed over the line, no-one was sure who by! Few of us cared too much, as the confetti cannons sent up an impressive spray, the players raced over the running track to celebrate with us and "2-0 to the Walthamstow" and "the Stow are going up" rang out. As the home fans' drummer had gone quiet, the Rabble taunted them with 'Where's your drummer gone?' The drumming promptly resumed.
Soon after, Michael Osei turned four players in the middle and passed to Carnegie on the wing, and Carnegie squared for Callum Ibe to lash into the roof of the net for Walthamstow's third. Cue a rendition of 'Sweet Callum Ibe' followed by 'Osei Osei, Osei Osei, feeling hot hot hot' and 'When the Stow go marching in'. One Stow fan began enthusiastically clanging a pair of cymbals.
A lone Stow fan had kept trying to start a chant of 'Stow, Stow, Stow your boat' but met with scorn from the others. Now, when he made another attempt, the response from the rest of the Rabble was 'I would sing anything for Stow, but I won't sing that' to the Meat Loaf tune.
I didn't join in the singing of 'We'll never play you again'. Apart from the eternal truth that in football the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune can land any team anywhere some time in the future, there is also something called the Essex Senior Cup.
Then in the dying minutes Ryan Wade played a spot on pass to Tendi Quamina who rolled home his second. Tendi's chant rang out again followed by another few choruses of 'We're going to win the league' and another blast of confetti from the cannon. The final whistle went and the players came over to the Rabble to high five or bump fists with us. The coaching staff and physios applauded us too, we clapped back. One more chorus, then we started to drift out of the ground.
For me it was back to the hotel and bed. Up early this morning, an excellent buffet breakfast at the hotel, then the long journey home. Made it just in time for the Women's Six Nations rugby on telly.
