As my train heads out of Worcester Shrub Hill station, the weather is fine and sunny, a respite from the continual rain of yesterday. There is rain forecast for the afternoon and I still haven't found out which game to go to yet.
I phone a number for the Solihull Moors secretary but find out it's a wrong number as the guy answering tells me his number has nothing to do with that club. So I must have wrote it down incorrectly. Instead I phone the mobile number for Chasetown FC's secretary, John Richards. I leave a text message for him after hearing his voice mail message and a few minutes later he's kindly rang me up and confirms that their match has been given the go ahead after a 9:30am pitch inspection.
After arriving at Birmingham Snow Hill I make my way to New Street where I take the next train for Cannock. When I get there 40 minutes later, I grab a take away meal of cheeseburger & chips from a van near the shopping centre and soon, suitably refreshed, am boarding the No.60 Lichfield bus. Although I visited Chasetown's ground early last season, I'd forgotten what a long and winding route the bus takes to get there. During this journey, the sky suddenly turns very dark and there is a terrific, violent deluge of hail for a few minutes. It plants a thought in my mind that the match will be called off after all!
However when I arrive in Chasetown, the rain has eased off considerably and I walk through the gates at 2:45pm. I soon find out that the kick-off has been delayed for 15 minutes while ground staff and volunteers are busy getting the pitch ready.
I take my place at the front of the small stand at the western end of the ground to get out of the returning rain and to finish my cup of tea. The Scholar's Ground has been Chasetown's home since 1983 and the club itself are celebrating 60 years of existence. They find themselves in 12th position in the league table and are unbeaten so far this month. Lincoln their opponents are 4 places below them.
As planned the teams troop on to the pitch at 3:15pm, Chasetown in their blue strip and Lincoln United in white.
It's Lincoln who start the better and take the lead after 11 minutes, their No.11 slotting home at the near post.
The home fans are re-assured 4 minutes later when their No.9, Nick Wellecomme returns the compliment to make it 1-1 after Jonathan Gould lays on a pass for him after going past a few defenders . This game has all the makings of a classic,....prediction of a 4-4 draw anyone?
I shouldn't have got so excited as there is no more score until very late on in this half. Chasetown are the better side for long periods, with Wellecomme and Luke Bottomer, in particular being very lively up front.
Luke Bottomer puts Chasetown deservedly in the lead after 47 minutes when after a mazy run, cutting in from the left he beats the keeper in a one on one situation. Great goal!
During half-time I go in to the club shop and purchase a club badge, thinking that I will start a collection, as I did have some years ago but they were taken in a burglary in my flat, when I was living in Southampton at the time. I have a good chat with the friendly guy in charge and one of the coaching/playing staff who has come in to see him.
The second half again sees the home side mainly on top and after 10 minutes they score number 3 when their defender, Richard Teasdale scores with a header from a corner.
Nick Wellecomme finishes off the scoring in the 76th minute and a few minutes later I make my way out of the ground as I am unsure what time my bus will be, as I remember the last time I came here, I had along wait at the bus stop. Of course I find out when I get there, that I could have stayed and still have had just 10 minutes to wait.
I enjoyed my visit today at a friendly club who, from what I have seen, play good attractive football. The ground staff and their volunteers did a very good job to get this match played at all and I hope it was appreciated by the 147 spectators who attended today's match. I know I certainly did and I wish them well for the rest of this season!
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