The lost art of making the most of late delays – Football in Berkshire

The joy of sports is its unpredictability. Embrace unexpected turnarounds, last-minute goals, controversial decisions because that’s why we spend our more predictable working hours anticipating the next game.

Sometimes even this anticipation can be unpredictable due to the changeable British weather which every season will cause delays. There aren’t as many as there used to be, thanks to huge advances in land cultivation and of course synthetic surfaces.

So perhaps this is why when it does happen, some people will be quick to blame the match officials, whose primary duty is the safety of the players, or even mutter about dark conspiracies stemming from the assumption of the home club’s best interests, especially if the decision comes too late. But why not just accept this unexpected event and take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy an afternoon with friends without the stress of its consequences?

Looking back at a match I once attended which came up as a PP on a secret check, I first recall a mid-week trip to Nyewood Lane, Bognor in February 1997. Arriving early at the ground, our car full of Maidenhead United fans were greeted by the legendary Chairman/Manager Jack Pearce who said “sorry the players don’t look good”. He pointed us in the direction of a friendly local pub and said he would call the owner when the referee arrived. True to his word he did, with the inevitable news that the trip had been in vain as we all sat down with a pint watching the big screen showing the famous goalmouth clash between Chesterfield and Plymouth Argyle.

This turned out to be more exciting than a goalless draw in the rearranged fixture, only to be recalled on the way back to the team coach where the match secretary insisted on playing a Frank Carson tape for everyone to enjoy while the fixtures man demonstrated his knowledge of floodlight installations in the Scottish League.

“My then-girlfriend was prompted by the bitter cold of winter to question why the postponed match caused me to return late and more drunk”

Enter the new century, and my then-girlfriend-turned-wife was driven by the bitter cold of winter to question why a postponed game caused me to return later and drunker. This happened at least twice, in Gander Green Lane one afternoon at the now closed Plow opposite Sutton turnstiles, and in Aldershot, where a thought-provoking conversation took place with a soldier in the Crimea. [just to be clear, the pub, not the region – TC] as the country heads into the Iraq war.

Related: Shouldn’t managers be fired?’ – How the league ladder brought unexpected interest in Non-League football

This all ended with a failed trip to Kilmarnock to watch Partick Thistle that winter. This followed a successful trip to see the Jags at Ayr United the previous season. Booking an admittedly cheap flight from Stansted to Prestwick was seen as risk-free as Killie has underground heating so a sense of confusion followed the news of the delay just after we landed. It turned out there had been a Scottish National age group match at Rugby Park in midweek, when the heaters had been used. This prompted complaints about noise from neighbors so it was turned off only to have the temperature drop low enough for the afternoon game to stop. With half a day to spare before our flight home, our group headed to Glasgow for my first visit to the city, a quick tour of the city center followed by an introduction to the famous Horseshoe Bar, grabbing a haggis dinner on the way back to the airport.

The next time your game is postponed, especially if it’s late, take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy some unexpected time with friends, get to know some strangers or strange places, and enjoy a rich afternoon safe in the knowledge that your team never loses.