ETFC are in Billericay, Dickie - and we're doing - very - well!

Billericay Town vs. Enfield Town

Saturday 4th February 2023: The Isthmian League Premier Division, 3 pm k-o

Attendance: 1,071

The Football Pharaoh is back! (again) - and NOT in need of Mandrax.

Back by popular demand - no, really! You might be surprised by just how many people have said they've missed my unreliable ad hoc reflections on The People's Game. I know I have been. For the record, and contrary to some unfounded rumours, The Football Pharaoh has actually attended plenty of games since the end of Covid lockdowns. But, alas, none of those exploits has excited me quite enough to bore you with my reflective outputs. Until now. However, I recently travelled into deepest, darkest Essex ("The horror! The horror!") to meet up with old college buddy (and local media personality) Bill, and his Essex-based group of like-minded, itinerant, footie fan friends.

The events of that day struck me as being well worth placing on record for posterity. So here we are! As Bill recently reminded me: it's 'now over 40 years since we first met in a (smoky, sweaty) college bar!' Surely, after all, it's the socialising AROUND football that we appreciate, just as much as we do the on-pitch action itself. And don't call me "Surely".

This Essex fan group call themselves "Yoko-Meshi" and are in their second full, post-Covid season of enjoying(?) monthly visits to obscure fixtures in the lower reaches of "my" football pyramid. Yoko-Meshi, incidentally, is apparently a Japanese phrase implying the notion of doing something familiar, but in a different way. It means literally "eating rice sideways". But doesn't everybody do that?

In their case, this means spending a day out at the footie in familiar, convivial company, but normally deliberately doing so somewhere previously unvisited and, therefore, unknown to the group. You've got to like that kind of thinking, innit? (sayonara!) Incidentally, a prize may be awarded for the first correct guess at the combined age of this group (of six) attending the game.

The Pharaoh (in blue-and-white Enfield Town scarf) with Bill (2nd from right). Others from the Yoko-Meshi crew, L to R: Mike Harwood, Steve Peacock, and Bob May - while Stevie B took the picture (thanks, Stevie!).

Topical Background: they took us to the cleaners - and other misdemeanours

Some people still believe financial fair play rules the English Premier League (EPL). While others still believe in Santa Claus. It seems you pays your money (in some cases, allegedly, unfeasible amounts of it!) and you takes your pick. See brief recent news and thoughts about this here: Manchester City Football Club charged with more than 100 breaches of financial rules. I also heard a related,  superb soundbite, shared by Phil on BBC Radio London's Sport Desk on Saturday morning. It adds helpful context to the hoary financial fairness problem for football's hard-of-thinking officials:

"Chelsea, this January, have spent more [on new players] than Brentford have ever spent since they were formed, in 1889

 - and that includes building a new stadium".

Financial Fair Play, you say? Ignoring the massive gulf in funding, Fulham's "David", incidentally, held Chelsea's "Goliath" to a 0-0 draw, away at Stamford Bridge, in Friday evening's televised EPL fixture. So Fulham have taken four points off them this season - and they are currently only the third best team in West London, according to the EPL table.

Of course, some people were driven to give up on all that Prem. nonsense a long time ago. And who can blame them for returning to watching "grass-roots" football at their more local clubs? You never know, it could even catch on. Personally, I have so far kept a foot in both these camps of The Beautiful Game.

Top-flight Fulham FC still figure highly for me. It's certainly been a privilege (and something of a pleasant surprise) to see them dishing out footballing lessons on a tight budget to a number of supposedly bigger clubs, this season. I'm lucky enough to get an occasional invitation to join long-time friend Graham ("Plumber to the Stars") to enjoy the delights of Craven Cottage. A truly classic ground on the banks of Old Father Thames I've been visiting for over 45 years, now. It currently features both the oldest AND the newest stands in English professional football. The Johnny Haynes/Stevenage Road stand [Grade II listed and dating from 1905, protected by English Heritage] and the New Riverside stand, partially opened in 2022.

But it's true that I do more frequently get along to see Enfield Town FC play, as regular readers will know only too well. The Towners play in the seventh tier of my pyramid. I've been following them since they moved home, to their current QEII Stadium in Donkey Lane, back in November 2011. Town were the country's first ever entirely fan-owned club, founded by the Enfield Supporters' Trust. They are described by Wiki's global list of fan-owned sports clubs as a "Protest Club", formed 'due to disaffection with the owners of Enfield F.C.'.

AFC Wimbledon and F. C. United of Manchester have, arguably with a higher profile, famously since followed similar paths in our pioneering footsteps (Good King Wenceslas-like - see: Fan-owned Sports Teams).

Unsurprisingly, this weekend's proposed visit to Billericay's New Lodge ground was just too big a lure (cat-nip, a siren call if you will) for the Yoko-Meshi - who thus found themselves mysteriously unable to stay away. Although, to be fair, I think the close proximity of The BILLERICAY BREWING CO. SHOP & MICROPUB (at 52 Chapel Street, CM12 9LS) may also have been a contributing factor. The alluring charms of which hostelry certainly helped make them almost late for kick-off. And, meanwhile, it was a new ground for me, too, anyway.

Local Background: Good evening, I'm from Essex, in case you couldn't tell

Billericay Town F.C. were recently the play-thing of a sugar-daddy: professional Essex Man, Glenn Tamplin. Although the ghost of his presence is now largely long-gone. Part of his remaining legacy is a ground whose capacity was raised to around 5,000 with 2,000 seated. His shorter-term, more ephemeral legacy was the arrival of a number of famous name, star pro players (incl.  Paul Konchesky, Jamie O'Hara and Jermaine Pennant). You may remember their names; rare sightings "at this level". As is a Non-League venue with permanent stands on all four sides of the pitch. Even Oxford United and Lincoln City have struggled to compete in this latter arena.

I am unqualified to offer a medical opinion on the historical state of Mr. Tamplin's mental health. But even I am intrigued by the causes of his on-off managerial relationship with the club he once owned. After appointing himself club manager, he sacked himself. But then re-hired himself just two days later. Before, finally, again resigning - and putting the club up for sale. Which is a very different kind of "yo-yo" track record from this sport's norm. Think of the on-off relationship Norwich City and - well - Fulham FC have with the EPL.

More recently, Billericay were relegated from the National League South, at the end of last season (2021–22). Perhaps unsurprisingly, this club with big ambitions still regularly boasts big crowds of support (the fourth largest in the Isthmian League Premier Division) and expects success on the pitch, too. On Saturday, New Lodge hosted 1,071 fans for the visit of Enfield Town F. C., whose own travelling support made up a good (loud and proud) proportion of that number. The visitors harbour their own visions of increased grandeur. They started the day in second place, but with a better goal difference than current table-toppers Bishops Stortford - and marginally better form than the latter. The only blot on Enfield's form landscape being a surprise 0-1 reverse against Kingstonian which, unfortunately, I also attended. Town hit the woodwork THREE times. It was NOT our day!

Things are close at the top. The League Title Jackpot is still in the handle, on a normal fruit machine, as I have heard cryptically said/sung.

And Saturday's Match, itself?

Since Enfield had hosted Billericay in the reverse fixture just 11 days earlier, this latest game may best be viewed through the context of a preamble describing aspects of that other recent and relevant fixture. That earlier one had resulted in a fairly critical win for the hosts. Had the Essex visitors overcome Enfield, they would have leap-frogged us in the table, on the day.

In a close game, 'Ricay had created chances but looked rather "blunt", up front. Their defenders seemed determinedly more focused on bossing the game physically, rather than the all-important score-line - and an actual winning result. The visiting GK had to make the more important saves AND The Towners missed a late "sitter". Despite all of which, Enfield ran out fairly comfortable 2-0 winners.

Town were not going into Saturday's follow-up return fixture as table-toppers though, as might have been the case. Bishops Stortford having won their Tuesday night game-in-hand, away at Harringey, to rise above Enfield. But a good atmosphere was still expected - and delivered - in the fiery cauldron of The New Lodge. And any potential complacency had been left well and truly at home.

Apart from the incremental gulf in the final score-line, the pattern of this return fixture was much the same as the first. A high degree of physicality, late "hits" and niggle led to two early enforced substitutions and some head clashes, adding plenty of stoppage time. Again there was a blunt 'Ricay attack, a greater goal threat offered by The Towners and (mostly) an increasing control of the game by the visitors.

Defender Lewis Knight bears the scars of battle. But at least he lasted the whole game.

Juevan Spencer was less lucky, carried off the field early with what looked like a nasty knee injury.

That was largely true, except for the early minutes of the second half - perhaps due to a bit of  "re-education" in the 'Ricay dressing room, or what is sometimes termed a hair-dryer moment. If true, perhaps a seasoned-up hyena could not have been more obscener than the Home side's manager, Danny Brown. But, luckily for Enfield, any impact he/this may have had did not last long.

Wyllie and Coker routinely tormented the home defence. The former hit the woodwork as early as the 12th minute and had a good effort saved in the 72nd, while the latter scored the game's opener, after 28 mins. A sharp finish to despatch a slightly lucky ricochet off the shin of a defender. But, then again, they say you make your own luck!

Enfield's players and fans celebrate the opener, as Andre Coker roars his delight at scoring it. Photo credits to "Wee" Stevie Ball. Great work!
And apologies that I made him use my sub-standard phone camera to take the "Yoko-Meshi" group shot: weestevieb.com / wee_sportie.

Cunnington, a former 'Ricay player, gamely acted the role of traditional target man. And he was a bit unlucky to put his best effort on goal over the top, after 25 minutes, set slightly off his stride by the attentions of Quick, from behind. After the early second-half pressure from the hosts I've already mentioned, Chez Isaac finished with aplomb, just before the hour mark. That followed a long throw routine which fell kindly to him, about 15 yards out. Finally settling any nerves. For the visiting fans, if not for the players.

Town's deep squad increasingly offers threat off the bench. "Finishers" used on Saturday included Jake Cass and Lewis Taaffe, who both scored late on to put some extra gloss on Enfield's final winning score-line. The former headed in a rebound off the crossbar, following a powerful Joseph Payne free-kick. While the latter trickled in a bobbler, wrong-footing the 'Keeper - but hey, they all count.

For the 'Ricay, Alfie Cerulli fluffed his chance for what surely would have, should have, could have been only a consolation goal, with just minutes (and blushes) to spare. Final score: Billericay Town 0 - Enfield Town 4.

The video highlights at this link are well worth 6 minutes of your life. They're action-packed and give a good sense of the standard of football being enjoyed by the Yoko-Meshi "at this level" - and by other punters willing to part with twelve of your English pounds for the privilege.

As well as being an entirely fan-owned club, Enfield Town is also a Community-focused one. Saturday's next home game, against Wingate & Finchley, has been designated "PUBLIC SERVICE DAY". There will be free entry to the ground for NHS/Care, Prison Service, Police, Fire Brigade, Armed Forces, Utilities, Postal Service, Transport, Local Authority, Teachers, etc. That's right, basically the people who are currently continuing to help / make this country run, in the absence of a functioning government. Even whilst many of them are also simultaneously being forced into taking strike action.

And what else? 

Well, after a 0-1 reverse to current table-toppers Bishops Stortford on December 3rd (an early Xmas present of 3 points - or 6?) Enfield still have the chance to exact revenge in the return fixture on 15th April. That could yet become a title decider. And the Yoko-Meshi have already set it as a target date for another reunion. Even as I was typing up this post, 16th-placed Bognor Regis Town were busy handing out a Tuesday night defeat to Bishops Stortford, courtesy of a late brace from Nathan Odokonyero (72' and 90'). Stortford fans will, surely, be echoing the alleged sentiments of King George V about the seaside town. 

Still in with a shout at automatic promotion, you say? A game in hand and only 2 points adrift, you say? Come On, You Towners!⚽

Public notice: no bragging bricklayers were hurt in the making of this post.

#ETFC

References:
'Heart of Darkness' (1899) - Joseph Conrad
'Billericay Dickie' (1977) - Ian Dury