onionbagblog

Wivenhoe Town? Arsenal Ex-Pro’s & Celebrities ????

(4-1 to the Arsenal when we buggered off back to base shortly after HT…)

To Broad Lane on Sunday lunchtime for the first game of the new football season.

Hurrah!

Having spent Saturday morning recording a Wiv Chat broadcast with a distinguished gentleman who was responsible for building Broad Lane (more to follow…) there was a sense of local history as @AnnaJCowen and I cycled past the iconic (steady) blue gates.

The Dragon’s Den has seen some change since the last ball was kicked in anger / apathy back in May. Broad Lane Future may *or may not* be still happening (my sources suggest quite strongly that it is) but blow me - Broad Lane has only gone and got itself a complete bicycle rack makeover.

Blimey.

With Arsenal *cough* Ex-Pro’s and Celebrities in town (North London Z-List XI as one wag observed) there was actually a queue at the turnstile (singular.) I rather liked the hyperlocal ticketing planning that was in place - £4 for Wivenhoe locals from the High Street Post Office, or £8 on the gate for Z-List XI glory hunters from out of town.

Safely inside the hallowed turf of Broad Lane (the grass really isn’t greener - it was slightly burnt to be honest) and the next surprise awaiting us was that the away terrace has been torn down.

Not in a fit of anger by the angry mob of away from Walsham-le-Wilows, but probably just as a pre-season spring clean, possibly related to the grander Broad Lane Future plans.

A junior game was in progress on the pitch - this was what was really great about the afternoon, seeing the whole club community getting a chance to showcase the good work being put in place at Broad Lane.

Local cheerleaders followed, all enjoyed by the growing crowd, which came close to the 1,000 mark. A couple of smiling coppers enjoyed conversation with Mr Mayor, and there seemed to be a higher headcount of Wivenhoe Town replica kits, rather than that of the Arsenal.

Spotting a couple of gents wearing replica tops with a wider girth loitering around the changing room, @AnnaJCowen remarked that me must have missed a vets match.

Um, that’s the main Wivenhoe team for the afternoon, luv.

Whoops.

I don’t know how they do pre-match preparation at The Emirates these days, but I’d wager that the might of the Anti-Nowhere League doesn’t get a blast out of the stadium PA.

The forty-five minute warm-up for the home team was worrying. Some of the local chaps looked in need of A & E before the game even kicked off. No sign of the Arsenal celebs until the formal team photos - they must have been bathing in a communal bath of champagne back in the changing room, or something.

And then shortly before 3pm, both teams were led out of the changing rooms by local mascots, and we were soon underway. The game itself was so so, with Paul Davis still controlling the midfield in his late 40′s, without even breaking sweat.

Some young urchin from Eastenders was looking lively up front for the away team. The Wivenhoe way for combating the skill and energy was for the young coaches to ask “how ya feeling, fella?” every five minutes. This is Wivenhoe local talk for “yer time’s up, Granddad.”

The Arsenal celebs took an early lead and never really looked - yep, THEY NEVER REALLY LOOKED BACK ‘cos most of the action was being played out in front of them in their own attacking half.

The Wivenhoe ‘keeper had a decent game, and kept the score to a respectable 4-1 at half time. @AnnaJCowen and I had to bugger off back to base to catch the close of the cricket.

The level of support on the afternoon shows that interest and awareness in the Dragons is there in the local community. The trick is how to sustain this as the season progresses.

My recording earlier in the weekend with the 85 year-old former Wivenhoe Chairman reflected on regular crowds of 500 and an all-conquering team that came close to touching the Football League.

Times change, and so does Broad Lane. Having bicycle racks is a great start. Here’s hoping that Broad Lane Future, and the team, can continue to move in the right direction.

Full flickr set over here.