I DESPERATELY need Boro to beat Manchester United - if only to keep alive my once far fetched hopes of an orgasmic trophy treble winning climax to the season. I have crazily pencilled in Boro to go first footing in the FA Cup final at the fashionably late New Wembley, bubbling Billingham Synthonia to keep on beating the big boys to lift the FA Vase and mighty minnows Billingham Town to lift the Northern League title for the first time.
What the hell, let's really go for: Guisborough and Stokesley could face off in the Northern League second division cup and in the Wearside League Wolviston are in the Shipowners Cup final and both Redcar-based Teesside Athletic and Guisborough Black Swan are in the semi finals of the League Cup. There could be a run on Brasso.
Obviously, in terms of the cash, prestige, collective passion and bums on seats Boro are the biggest of those but spare a thought for the lads who put in a full shift in a demanding and not always well paid job before driving to Tow Law for an evening game in January for £20 a game and a few pints put behind the bar by committeemen who can't really afford it.
The honesty of the Northern League is refreshing. Yes, you still get divers and moaners and sneaky gets who will swing an elbow when the ref is not looking knowing full well it is not going to be dissected in slo-mo by the pundits later on. But when you strip away the money, the crowd and the superstar entourages of the players the game is in essence the same. There are still big established teams, the rashly ambitious, the perenniel strugglers; still dedicated loyal clubmen, money spiders who will move for an extra fiver, hardmen, fancy dans and players with skills that would be gracing the pro game if they were a yard faster,a foot taller or if they had that hungry spark to take it to the next level.
They deserve their success too. Synners are well run former giants of the league, five times champions, they have been to the second round of the FA Cup and can boast Brian Clough, Terry Cochrane and Curtis Fleming among the players who have worn their shirt. But in the grand scheme of things in the Vase they are the poor relations, paying a pittence in expenses but knocking out sides expensively assembled with the express intention of winning the minnows' national knockout. In their last four games they have knocked out the reigning champions of the Midlands Combination, Eastern League, Northern League and Western League. Next up is Wessex League leaders AFC Totten of Southampton in a two legged semi-final showdown with a possible final at Wembley at stake.
Billingham Town, a Sunday side 30 years ago who have carefully nurtured the team, the pitch, the clubhouse to build a strong platform to challenge local big boys Synners, are three points off the top with a game in hand. They run one of the smallest playing budgets in the league as this is not the Premiership where banks will let you run a £50m overdraft and in recent years they have dug deep to build a social club, erected new floodlights and had to put up a new fence after the old one was blown down in gales. Earlier this term they faced the prospect of being unable to balance the books and came within a few weeks of being absorbed by Synners.
Now they are within touching distance of beating millionaire backed Consett, pyramid giants Whitley Bay and a Sunderland Nissan side with professional standrad facilities funded by the car giant whose name they bear. And they are doing it playing fantastic football.
Teesside should be as supportive of those lads in pursuing their dream as they are the Boro. And as happy and proud if they can succeed. T-T-Teessiders.
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