Quite significant for a goal which is highly likely to be goal of the season.
The more significant goal will be the one that eventually wins us the league!!!
Chad welcome back! This article was due to appear in Saturday’s Leek Programme. On the basis it will now be out of date and never see the light of day it may as well get posted on here (should anyone be bored and require some light reading to send them off to sleep);
Tales from the Warren
According to sources far more reliable than me I am lead to believe that Alex Brown’s wonder goal last Saturday was our 1,000th League Goal! In a season where we have broken records for games unbeaten, consecutive home wins and will also (God willing) have a new club record holder for appearances, we could not have asked for a better goal to set another landmark!
Was I the only one in the ground that for a split second thought Alex should have hit it first time? The technique and the composure he showed was first class and the finish was straight out of the top draw! In the words of Andy Gray “you don’t save those” and possibly more appropriately “take a boo son”.
How fitting that the 1,000th goal should be scored by a player who made such an impact at the start of this campaign and has set the perfect example of how to deal with an enforced absence. Alex has travelled home and away watching his teammates over the last three months – just after his operation he was on crutches at the Leek game, he was starting Zigga Zagga’s at the Stocksbridge Trophy match and was one of the many getting soaked in wet and windy Worksop!
Brownie has set an example to every player, he has always had time to stop and talk to fans who have asked him how the recovery was going and from his reaction to the team’s performances you can see how much the results matter to him. His return to first team action might well be the league’s “biggest signing” in January in that it is the equivalent of recruiting a new player!
Frankly whether this goal had been our 987th or 1021st is perhaps not the most significant factor – what may be more telling come April is the difference between 1 point and 3!
Ilkeston gave us good games both home and away – we tried our luck at their place and they hit us hard during the first half of last week’s game. The difference between Witton this season and last season is that we have developed a patient and professional approach to our game and an attitude that a game is never beyond us. Think United in Barcelona (sorry to all the Mickey Mousers reading this)!
We have definitely picked up points this season where we would have failed to do so previously, the games that stand out are Ashton away, Frickley away and Fleetwood away.
It was interesting to see that the Fleetwood midweek game was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch – I expect we will see an increase in the number of postponements over the next four to six weeks. Pitches at Unibond level struggle at this time of the season and this is when the fixtures start to pile up!
Sprucie, Andy and the others involved in keeping our pitch in good condition deserve a lot of credit this season, I personally think our pitch has held up very well this year and it is no accident – it does not keep itself in good condition! Ironically last week’s opponents Ilkeston probably have the finest pitch you will ever see at this level (although it has not helped their league position too much)!
Jim, Nige, GE and others also have been extremely clever and quick to act when it comes to rescheduling our league fixtures for ‘free’ Saturdays. We have learnt from last season throughout the club and rearranging fixtures may be one of the most successful tactics this year without kicking a ball. Getting into a commanding 12 point lead at this stage puts huge pressure on those below, regardless of the games they have in hand!
Leek are our visitors today and I have given up trying to predict results in these encounters – they have a habit of spoiling the party! I think we might be a bit more prepared this time around!
Enjoy the game, Rabbit
I think the club’s decision to pay for Alex to go private has been proven a fantastic decision following his goal.
I think getting Alex back at this time of the season must be the signing of the year he was in my opinion our best player up to his injury. Getting Macca in was a masterstroke at just the right time, picking the team will be hard for Jim between now and the end of the season, Alex, Lloydy, Macca, Brodie, Peers to fit into 4 positions not to mention the 3 quality strikers and 3 superb central defenders but what a difference from this time last year, we have just let go Wilson, Wood, Craven, Dillon and Tom all players who would walk into any other side in this league and probably a lot in the league above. A lot of big games to come now so lets all do our bit and get behind the lads spread the word and lets push for the promotion everyone has worked so hard for. UP THE ALBS!!!
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rearranging fixtures may be one of the most successful tactics this year without kicking a ball[/quote]
Re-arranging fixtures means we kick a ball, just on a different day to that originally planned ???
Rabbit - the Programme for the Leek game will see the light of day as it will be used for the re-arranged game.
The posted article will be out of date then though do you not think…
The whole of the programme will be out of date but I do not think they will have another printed due to the extra cost involved. GE will confirm I think ?
I mean in regards to Rabbit posting his article. Alot of the other content - such as pen pics etc - will still be pretty much applicable when the game is played.
It could be the promotion winning game programme !