Saturday 11th May 2024 ko 18:30

North Berkshire Cup Final

WOODCOTE 2 (Scoffham 59 Wallace 83)

Gray sent off 120 (dangerous play)

BERINSFIELD 2 (Palmer 2 Holdsworth 21)

Chainey sent off 102 (violent conduct) 102

A.E.T. Berinsfield won 4-2 on penalties

Att 284 at Northcourt Road, Abingdon (Abingdon United FC)

Entry & Programme £5

Well, it had to end at some point. The previous week I’d announced my intention to stand down from the North Berkshire League’s committee after the North Berks Cup Final, the league’s finale for the season. There were many reasons, mainly me not having the time to devote to doing the job as I would like, and I feel the league needs. There was a straw that broke the camel’s back but that isn’t for here.

Those needs are many and concerning. Ever since the league opted not to retain its Step 7 status it has been squeezed by events. Clubs wanting that status have been pulled upwards to the likes of the Oxon Senior League and the Wiltshire League, while the general decline in village football has seen clubs fold at an alarming rate. When I organised the league’s first hop in 2011 the North Berkshire League had 5 divisions; come the 2024 AGM I expect that to be down to two. Those aren’t factors unique to the NBFL, the likes of the Basingstoke, and Oxford City FA Leagues have folded altogether. My greatest hope is that we’re not seeing a managed decline heading towards a merger or extinction.

Please don’t see this as any kind of criticism of the league or anyone who’s ever served on committee, God knows it’s a thankless job, and to a great extent football at our level is trying to cope with circumstances beyond our control. I just wish I felt I could make a difference to it all.

My involvement with the league started with that first hop in 2011. I was humbled to be Guest of Honour at the 2015 League Cup Final and was co-opted on to committee the same year. Robyn and I were proud to represent the league at the 2017 FA Cup Final, and when the hops finished at Westminster FC in 2017 I carried on as the committee’s “Token outsider.”

In those thirteen years of involvement, I made many friends along the way both club, and committee people. The league helped build up my confidence after what had been a fairly shattering couple of years, but I can’t though write this piece without mentioning Phil Annets.

Phil as NBFL Press Officer helped me immensely in getting those hops up and running and it was a real wrench to see him leave committee, although his replacement Benno is also a fine chap! But so much that was good about those hops, both in the North Berks and later in the Witney League were down to Phil knowing local football better than I did, and helping my ideas take root. I and local football have much to thank Phil for, and it was a shame he couldn’t make this final, but his reason was sound. He was at the FA Cup Final in his role as “Mr F.A. Cup Factfile!”

But what better way to exit than among friends, and the honour of being PA man for the evening was an unexpected pleasure. I have to mention my friends at Berinsfield, ever since Jackie Cullen tapped me on the shoulder at Sutton Courtney that club has proved to be everything I could have possibly asked for and more. For the record there is a tiny minority who do really need to adjust their attitude to the club, if for no other reason than the reasons above. One benefit of me not being on committee is that I can now watch Berry as a fan and as a friend.

Berinsfield do have a certain style when it comes to finals. For this one all were in shirt and red tie, and a coach was hired to get them to the ground. Yes, a coach for the journey of 7 and a half miles, yes they do know how to make an impression!

It is a shame this was Woodcote’s first XI’s final game in the NBFL, they’re moving back to the Step 7 Thames Valley Premier League, and many will remember them as being darned good hosts on the last Hellenic Hop. Yes, that pressure from above once again….

We saw a quite wonderful game, a fitting coda to the season. Those in the know are aware of the talent that is at Berinsfield, and that training sessions tend to be seen as precursors to pints. The game proved the point, as Berry raced into a 2-goal lead, but were slowly pegged back. Even then, it took a massive bobble for Dan Wallace’s shot to creep in for Woodcote’s equaliser. I felt for Berinsfield, but the game did deserve extra time.

A game of this importance does deserve extra time, but all that produced was tired legs and minds, and I’ve no doubt the two red cards were the result of that. I’ve no idea whether Berinsfield training sessions include penalty kicks, but their 4 perfect spot kicks won them the cup, and I got to advise the Mayor of Abingdon one final time to stand back after presenting the cup!

After bidding farewell to the committee members who were still there, made for home, and I can tell you it was an odd feeling hanging up my North Berkshire League tie for probably the final time.

So where does that leave me? Hopefully with a little more time! You’ll still see me at local games, just not in an official capacity. Because what hasn’t changed in those 13 years is my love for local football, I now have endless respect for those who run it.

Dedicated to all my friends at the North Berkshire League, past and present.