TT No.49: Paul Roth -  Saturday 27th September 2008; Kent County League Div 1 West;            Tonbridge Invicta FC vs. Farnborough OBG FC; Res: 2-1; Att: 25 (?); Programme: 8 pp produced by FOBG FC. 

 

Matchday images (6)  >view>

Linda was a pretty young girl with medium length blond hair, attractive brown eyes and lovely long legs. And for a few months we were boyfriend and girlfriend.
 
In my formative days as a young man, Saturdays were sacrosanct...the day meant meeting up with mates to go drinking, laughing and watching Dover FC play, wherever that might have taken us. Girls did not get in the way of those three precious commodities, ever! Maybe, well maybe, after those three desires had been massively sated, then perhaps love might have got a look in. For an hour or so?
 
A group of us had been watching a match in Tonbridge at the old Angel Ground and such a good day was I having and not wanting to leave the party, that I stupidly asked my old chum Bob to telephone Linda and tell her that, owing to my consumption of one too many 'Kir Royals' I would not be keeping our pre-arranged assignation later that evening. He told her that I was so intoxicated that speech and vision had had all but deserted me. Bob also added, in his brief telephone conversation, a couple of rather intimate details about Linda, that I had boasted about her earlier to the lads. OUCH! Private, intimate things that happen in the back of a Ford Escort Mexico should remain...well, private. Lesson learnt. The phone box from which that fateful call was made is still there and it did give me a wry grin as I drove past it today, en-route to the Swanmead Centre, the home of Tonbridge Invicta FC.
 
Before I carry on, hands up those that remember the old Angel Ground, the former home of Tonbridge FC. Wasn't it a fantastic old stadium and again, I have many many happy memories of matches watched there.
 
Located just off the A26 as you enter the town from the Maidstone end of Tonbridge, Invicta have their HQ at the back of the towns' golf course. The arena is also home to the Cowdrey Cricket Club, named after the famous England cricket captain and batsman who had, and still has, important family connotations within the town.
 
A small car park leads to the rather austere brick pavilion, which is actually rather less misgiving upon entry and houses the changing rooms plus a club room that boasts some interesting old photographs of the club, when they were in residence on the other side of town. Mars bars and Kitkats are the only comestibles on offer.
Thick trees on two sides enclose the arena and give it a slightly homely feel, but otherwise there are no further spectator facilities.
 
Newly promoted FOBG FC are the visitors this afternoon and Shaun Keddle has once again produced his excellent 8 page, full colour programme for the match. The four 'hoppers gathered, plus myself are indebted to him for his sterling efforts.
 
Plagued by injuries, this was always going to be a tough ask for the Old Boys and although having 60% of the play, it was the home side that looked the more dangerous and it came as little surprise that they led 1 nil at the break. Farnborough had much the better of the last 45 minutes but found themselves two down on the hour mark. A consolation headed goal with 20 minutes left and a frantic effort late on to gain parity, couldn't glean the visitors the point they deserved for their efforts; the match went a long way to emphasising that the step up from Div2 West is going to take a bit of time and adjusting to.
 
A gorgeous, early Autumn day and some very fond memories made this a most enjoyable sojourn across my home county. And yes, the following day Linda and I broke up...cheers Bob!
 
FGIF Rating 3***
 

contributed on 27/09/08