The players of Fisher Football Club wander out onto the pitch at Champion Hill Stadium in Dulwich Hamlets and immediately start their warm-up. Decked out in a black and white striped kit, they are a mixture of teenagers, international castoffs and builders who all have one thing in common: they could run rings around your local pub team. The difference is, unlike the local pub team they are not likely to receive payment, even if in pints. Not yet anyway.
With grey skies looming and the recent ghost of an abandoned game, there is an edge in the air as Fisher have recently had a poor run of form and have slipped down the table. As the Ref talks with the linesman, the subs huddle in the dug-out, rubbing their hands whist the visitors, Lordswood FC of Chatham, Kent, trot out in their orange kit. For those who watch footy on telly, it looks like Newcastle vs. Holland. But that is where the similarity ends.
Intimate Setting
With a capacity of not more than five hundred stands, the intimate ground is easily one of the best pitches and club house facilities in the Kent Football League and while Fisher remain at the bottom of the table and fighting a relegation battle, local advertisers have started taking notice; groups from as far away as Greenwich have pitched in to sponsor local players and recently sports suppliers as well as the local chip shop have signed up and the program has increased in size from six pages to twelve with local sponsorship.
Glorious Past
Rising from the ashes of a winding up order which was applied against its earlier incarnation, semi- professional Fisher Athletic Football Club, founded in 1908, the team is in the throes of establishing itself in this division and then moving back up the ranks. But as optimistic as the board room may be, it will be tough going. Away games against teams such as Sporting Bengal, Herne Bay, Erith Town and Tunbridge Wells are not exactly Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford are they? But that is all part of the charm.
Shouts from the terraces
As the games gets going another fan leans forwards along the rails and sets into the Ref who has yet to blow his whistle and has doled out a surprisingly low number of cards. Just as this matter is discussed amongst the punters, one of Fishers lively young players, teenage wizz in midfield, George Savage, slides in for a late tackle. The yellow card is miraculously produced. One of the regulars in the group from Greenwich winks at his partner and then lashes into the Ref:
"Give it over, Ref, its not a cup tie."
As the game commences a local supporter leans forwards and announces. "We need this win, the last time we played we were pounded 5-1 by another non-league side. How can you win promotion when you can't win games?" Watching in the stands the regulars keenly hold their program notes and lean forwards crying: "C'mon Fisher."
As the games builds in intensity and is still 0-0 at the half whistle, the regulars file back up into the dug-out and drink in the bar and get caught up on the football scores at half time. "West Ham up 2-0" whispers one lady, a nurse at a prominent London Hospital. Later as the game draws on, Fisher takes the lead from a free kick but then start to lose momentum. As the tension increases, this same level-headed lady shifts gear and leans forwards:
"C'mon Fisher. Don't faff about just kick it."
Good natured banter and exasperated screams cut through the silence as the coach paces the sidelines and yells, "take it Into the the corner." Finally after an impossibly long final minute of extra time, Fisher finish the game with hard earned three points, enough to take them up to 16th place and a tie with Deal Town. "Out of the Relegation zone now", announces another black cap wearing chap who makes a charge for the pool table in the club house where the aforementioned teenaged wizz George Savage is playing pool with his mates to cool off after the game.
Football for a fiver?
Well almost. If you pay the six quid entry to get in, you'll likely get the program for free.
Well, I did anyway.
Not a bad little number then.
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