Wednesday 3rd May 2023

Aylesbury & District League: Premier Division

GREAT MISSENDEN 3 (Tripp 65 78 84)

ELMHURST 1 (Giles 42)

Att 51

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Football watching does tend you to draw threads. A week so earlier I’d watched a game at Brill – once the furthest flung outpost of the London Underground. Here I found myself another village with station that used to be on the Metropolitan Line but this time the station is still open; it’s just that the trains these days are normal sized ones!

But there’s so much more to a visit to Great Missenden than just trains. If you’re approaching from Thame as I did, please avoid the motorways, aim for Princes Risborough then Bledlow Ridge. I promise the journey over the limestone escarpment is well worth the effort.

This is the town where Roald Dahl set up his home, and his house is still open to the public. Do go and imagine yourself as “Danny, the Champion of the World.” Perhaps there’s a literary tradition here, John Le Carre used to live here, and several properties her have been used as the backdrop for filming of “Midsomer Murders” and several Hammer Horror TV films were taped here too. 

But on this particular the dominant feature of Great Missenden was that is close to Chequers, the country house of Prime Minister. With the Coronation being on the next Saturday, those at the football saw a cavalcade heading there, and no end of helicopters taking dignitaries to and from the Official Residence. It could have been quite entertaining, but there was plenty to hold the attention at Buryfield Link Road.

It was thus, Great Missenden needed 3 straight wins from their last 3 games to win the league, but had two forwards Daniel Moss and Charlie Brooks, worth over 50 goals between them unavailable. They did the traditional tactic, by putting centre half James Tripp up front and hoped… with a little help from their mascot a lucky Japanese waving cat!

Now I shouldn’t be pedantic here, but if the left paw waves it’s inviting trade, the right is good luck, so what happens as did here, that the right paw falls off? I think we may have got our answer, as Elmhurst, who were destined to finish the season third took the lead in a fractious game. The cat was fixed (not neutered mind!) and suddenly it clicked for Great Missenden. Tripp collected a 19-minute hat trick, and the smiles returned, and congratulations to all at the club, they did end up winning the league.

I do hope the cat got prime position at the awards ceremony though!