Tivvy +20

At Patgod we do love a good anniversary. A date to relive old memories, reminisce about past glories and for a few moments go back in time. Is this how it begins?  One day you’re having what you think is a normal chat about how things once were, the next you’re dribbling incoherently and laughing at random things. From certain examples among our fan base, this can take effect surprisingly early in life.

Anyway, what triggered this particular musing is a chance coincidence.  For reasons entirely unconnected with football I find myself in a corner of the south west just a few miles from Tiverton.  That set me thinking, 2002? Then with a jolt I realised it was exactly 20 years ago to the very day! 27^th April (I have a good memory for dates, if not much else).  What a day that was.  Well worth reliving, on the off chance anyone reading this who was there hasn’t thought about it for at least a week.

The early millennium Poppy was positively spoiled with last day of the season cliffhangers. In 2001 we had to win while another team didn’t to avoid the drop, twelve months later it was the same equation but with the opposite outcome – hence despite the distance to the Devon border, at least 1,500 of us converged on Tiverton’s little ground (back then we could afford to be condescending) for what no one expected to be an unruffled tension-free afternoon.

I can only really remember three things about the game itself. Steve Ooh Aah Lenagh fired us into an early lead, they equalised, we scored a second. Maybe not in that order. Ok a fourth thing. In the early days of mobile phones, some fans were connected to events at Folkestone, where a Tamworth win would deny us the title. The game down there see-sawed rather more. As the minutes ticked down we heard that, with the score tied at 3-3, Folkestone had saved a penalty.

The clock reached 90 minutes. Back then that was pretty much it. Games finished at 4.46.  As the ref blew we were over the fence, then moments later there was an explosion of joy on the pitch as the news magically arrived from Folkestone. We have jolly well done it, many congratulations, is the family friendly version of what I said to Wayne Diuk.    

The rest was messy. There were people on the dressing room roof, they thought it was all over. Kettering were back. After about an hour of partying and singing we finally dispersed, to start to contemplate a triumphant return to our rightful level in the non League game. Where we have spent precisely 5 of the last 20 years.  

  Doesn't look much after all these years, but was packed with red 20 years ago today