FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD FOOTBALL CLUB – A BIGGER NAME IN FOOTBALL THAN Borussia Monchengladbach
Sometimes it seems that the
football season never ends. To be honest, there are times when as a football
supporter you are glad of the break.. it’s normally after England have crashed
out of some Cup competition or other… You know the one where the whole Country
all of a sudden become ‘Soccer experts,’ and fill their faces with annoying, “I
told you so,” when you feel your world has ended after another heartbreaking
defeat…
Well, when you take part in
various Supporters competitions that normally take place in the summer months ,
that is exactly what happens, football never ends.
STOCKFEST SEMI
Follow The Yellow Brick Road
Football Club, or put simpler FTYBR FC, the Supporters team of the long
suffering fans of Mansfield Town had the previous IFA season played their 20
IFA games and more, and had done okay. So it was with much anticipation that
the side travelled the hour and 20 minutes to the fields of Stockport County’s
training pitch to take part in Stockfest to help raise money for MS.
The team had been drawn in
Group B alongside, Ayr United, West Bromwich Albion and hosts, Stockport
County. Now the Scottish side were an unknown opponent, West Brom, a new set of
Albion fans after for years playing against a Baggies side called the Strollers
and hosts Stockport, well the side had played them a number of times. Not the
easiest of Groups on the face of it.
Ayr had travelled down on a
large coach and must have set off real early because FTYBR got off to a dream
start making you wonder if a few of them had remained on it. Jamie Wheatman
blasted in an opener and Daz Plume wrapped up the points.
The game against West Brom
was a pretty heated encounter, they moaned about the sides goal, but it stood
and FTYBR walked off 1-0 winners thanks to the 2nd goal of the day
by Daz Plume.
The last game in the group
against Stockport determined who FTYBR would play in the semi final, as it was
a tight game saw the host narrowly win 1-0 leaving FTYBR with the difficult
task of taking on a strong and eager looking Hull City side. By this stage of
the day some of the Mansfield players were feeling a little dead on their feet,
whereas the Hull were out training and psyching themselves up. It obviously
worked, Hull deservingly winning by one goal to nil.
TAKING ON THE WORLD
In reaching the semi final
at Stockport, the whole squad got a massive boost ahead of the most important
couple of days in the IFA calendar, Worldnet.
Now elsewhere on this site
you can read all about Worldnet, the who, where and why, but safe to say it’s a
extravaganza of football, beer and burgers. Something every football fan
craves. The team were due to set off to Leeds on the Friday afternoon, but
manager, Steve Hartshorn was involved in a serious car accident meaning he was
unable to travel. Responsibility for the team falling to Dave Baxter, Craig
Ploughman and Phil Waddington with Dave Cross lending a hand when needed, it is
safe to say that there were more than enough capable people to take charge and
things at least started well enough with a 2-1 win over Brentford. The goals
coming from Wheatman and Plume. The next Group game saw the side come up
against Leicester City, who were swept aside with Wheatman scoring all four
goals in a fine 4-1 win.
In a Group of five teams,
the name of Mansfield was being talked about as favourites to go through to the
actual Cup knockout stage rather than having to compete in the Plate, the competition
for teams who finished 3rd and 4th in the Group.
Next up were unknown Castle
Rock. Now the only thing anyone knew about them was that they were from
Northern Ireland. The 0-0 draw was really a decent result due to the fact that
come the end of the following day, Castle Rock reached the final.
Here is where things went
slightly wrong. For the first time ever, FTYBR took on a team from outside the
UK in Arsenal Nigeria. Unfortunately a bit of brilliance and shall we say
questionable goalkeeping resulted in the African’s winning one nil. The result
enough to knock the hopeful Stags side out of the running for a place in the
Cup, instead it meant a silly o’clock start on the Sunday against Bury.
Now there is always
controversy in football no matter what level you play at, so FTYBR’s winner,
pushed over the line by Martin Clark after a scramble didn’t go down well. What
made it worse was that it was a golden goal, meaning Mansfield through to the
next round to take on Ayr United.
Hopes of any further progression
were blown away by two defensive errors. A real shame because through James
Bird, Mansfield had actually took the lead. The 2-1 defeat hurt as many of the
players were confident of at least reaching the final of the Plate. To go home
with nothing after doing so well the previous day was disappointing to say the
least.
HARSH 2-1 HOME DEFEAT
One of the major problems at
the start of the football season for Supporters teams is getting a pitch. It’s
not just a Mansfield thing, it’s an all over one. Not until the Sunday league
players shake off the Saturday night beer goggles do the Council even put the
posts up. Stockport County were at Chesterfield meaning they were more than
happy to travel to Mansfield on the morning to take on FTYBR. Here is where ex-FTYBR
player and damn decent Referee, Darren Wragg stepped in to help by obtaining
Blidworth’s 2nd pitch. As for the game itself, well the 2-1 defeat
was a little harsh, County scoring one of their goals from the penalty spot,
the other from a great free kick. At least Jamie Wheatman’s reply gave the game
a more respectable scoreline and the chance for the Stags supporters side to
have a spell in the game where they did everything bar score an equaliser.
A WOMAN REFEREE!
The first away trip of the
season saw the short journey to Rotherham. Now FTYBR FC have come up against
Rotherham on several occasions and yep, you guessed it, never won. It was to be
no different this day either. The 3-0 defeat was deserved. The strangest thing
about the day was that the Rotherham Ref failed to turn up, so Carol Charlton,
all time good egg and team physio stepped forward to be the Referee. Most men
think that women know sod all about football, well in most cases it maybe true,
but not in Carol’s case. She knows more about the so-called beautiful game than
most men. It was the only plus point of the day, even Stags lost, but that
wouldn’t be the last time we felt that particular sorrow in what turned out to
be a depressing season following the men in amber and blue.
PARK AND RIDE HELL
FTYBR’s next game was away
at Shrewsbury Town. Old foes and a team who in the past FTYBR FC have enjoyed
taking on. The posh new surroundings impressed but yet again the performance
didn’t. The 2nd 3-0 loss on the trot was again not to be argued against.
Shrewsbury were simply better on the day, a fact not lost come season’s end
with a top four IFA league finish. The best lesson learned on the day was to
never follow Keith Gilbert’s advice when it comes to directions. He claimed he
remembered where the right turn for the new leisure centre was, but in the end
took us down the drive of a posh Country house. The lady of the house just
heading out for a stroll with her many dogs when a confused car full of
Mansfield fans came driving up to her front door before turning round and
speeding off back up the driveway. Bet she was well impressed?
Now Shrewsbury’s new ground
is quite something, the idea of park and ride isn’t with many Stags fans
grumbling about the wait after the game, still there was the joy of a 0-0 draw
and the thought that Stags had turned the corner.
FOOTBALL CAN BE A REAL BITCH
Sometimes games of football
can leave you wondering whether or not you love the feeling of football flowing
through your veins, or whether or not shopping with the good lady would be the
way to go. FTYBR FC’s home game against Macclesfield Town was one of those
games. Now James Bird scored a hat trick and Gary Bird also scored. Well simple
maths, that’s four goals for Mansfield yes? Trouble is Macclesfield scored five
including a sickening last minute winner.
HMM FOXY
Trips to Leicester to take
on the Internet Foxes have not always gone to plan. The 06/07 season saw
strange goings off with the game being called off at the last minute and Drew
Stokes getting out the mini bus to throw up and then a mass stop at a burger
van on the way home to empty it of anything hot. The 07/08 season looked to be
going no better when after controlling the first 45 minutes the team trooped
off two goals down. A spirited 2nd half comeback though saw another
goal for Gary Bird and an excellent worked equaliser and first goal for the
Club by Rob Allsop. The celebrations afterwards were such that you would have
thought the team had won, in a way they had. They had stopped a poor run of results
and had managed to come back from two goals down. Leicester looked gutted,
while the smiles remained on the Mansfield players faces all the way back up
the M1.
Ilkeston Town were next to
make the short trip to Abbott Road, Mansfield, and despite a spirited
performance, were on the end of a convincing 4-1 defeat. The first goal of the
game came from Gary Bird, who again all morning tormented the visitor’s defence
with lightning pace. James Brown thumped in an unstoppable free kick to make it
2-0, before Keith Gilbert was adjudged to have handled, giving Ilkeston the
chance to score from the spot. Nick Sankey saved brilliantly, but with the
Stags defence flat footed, the Town player followed up to score. Two goals in
the 2nd period, both headers from James Brown corners by James Bird
gave the Stags side a much needed confidence winning boost. It was the end of a
six game winless run.
Any hopes of taking
something from table topping and eventual IFA League champions, Rochdale, were
dismissed when the usual reliable home ref decided to have an off day. The
weather was horrid, three penalties were conceded and Dave Baxter got himself
sent off in the last minute of a thumping 4-0 defeat. Over the years we have
had some great games against Rochdale, this wasn’t one of them. A day to
forget.
Ilkeston were improving
fast, too fast for the Stags supporters side who followed up the defeat away at
Rochdale with an altogether miserable 2-0 defeat in Derbyshire. It was Town’s
first ever IFA win and deserved, as for FTYBR, they got what they deserved for
thinking all they had to do was turn up and win, and that was bugger all.
Credit to the home side though who took their chances well, much to the delight
of the sizable crowd.
The 3rd straight
defeat came at the hands of Bury on what can best be described as a game played
in the coldest ever conditions on earth. It is the first time on record where
players were actually begging to come off and poor old Ady coupe complained of
hypothermia afterwards. Added to the fact that he scored an 18 yard own goal,
it was a game for him to forget. Gary Bird got a goal back for FTYBR, but
Bury’s young side were well worthy of their 3-1 win. Put simply, they wanted it
more.
With confidence at an all
time low, a trip to Grimsby Town was not something we all wished for, and at
the end of the first half, you could see why. The team were 2-0 down and
heading for another defeat. Now, personally I think that the players who pull
on the FTYBR shirt a damn good, sometimes they let themselves down and then
there are times when they prove just how good they are. James Brown was first
then Jono Rowe both with long range goals that would grace the Premiership and
then with the game ticking down, Dave Baxter let fly from 30 yards and the ball
raced into the top corner to give the side a 3-2 win. The Grimsby manager said
afterwards, “I don’t mind losing games to goals of that quality.” It was a
proud day for all concerned.
The following game, at home
to Grimsby proved yet again one to forget, own goals and bad defencive play
resulted in a 2-0 defeat. Not one of James Brown’s finest moments, but he has
more than made up for it in further games. He would be the first to admit though,
this was not his finest hour.
As the season agonisingly
neared its end and the threat of relegation for the Stags never came out of the
eyes, FTYBR FC prepaired to take on shrewsbury Town. The Shrews side are old
friends and were having a terrific IFA season where they had only lost once.
Two goals from Gary Bird and a FTYBR career first for James Brunt saw the
Mansfield side rock the boat with a stunning 3-0 win. There were no complaints
from Shrewsbury who dearly hoped that Stags would get themselves out of trouble
and keep league football alive. It wasn’t to be.
The nest game, a week later
saw Stags face Rotherham United in a do or die encounter, FTYBR of course took
on their supporters side, a team who the Stags side have never beaten. The 90
minutes that followed was possibly the most one sided 0-0 games in history.
FTYBR FC were simply brilliant and did everything but score a winning goal that
would have been richly deserved. Heads were held high though although come the
end of the day, Stags were down and so ended our league status. It was a
depressing end to a promising day.
The final game of the season
had been arranged in anticipation of the Stags game away at Dagenham &
Redbridge being a do or die fixture, in the end with Stags already down, it
matter not, but it didn’t stop a full FTYBR side making the early morning trip
to take on a new looking Daggers IFA side. Another goal from James Brunt and a
daisy cutter from Dave Cross gave the Stags side a 2-0 victory. The game marked
the last ever appearance of one Matt Genever who sadly passed away months
later. RIP mate.
Final thoughts of the
season? over to manager, Steve Hartshorn.
“A season of too many lows and not enough highs mixed with off the field problems for the Stags. Sometimes football can be a real tart, and this was a season when she nipped off around the back end of the niteclub with your best mate.”
Top Goalscorer – Jamie Wheatman with 7 goals.
Goal of the season – Dave Baxter Grimsby Town away.
Performance of the season – Shrewsbury Town home 3-0