The final game of the 2003/4
season for the Old Harrovians arrived after a month of inactivity on the pitch,
but much celebrating off it. Since the tense 4-4 draw against Forest on the
Phil pitches at the start of March, the Harrovians had learnt that due to the
demise of their nearest challengers, including today’s opponents Charterhouse,
the Arthurian League Championship was theirs. The team were determined that
their last game would be a worthy tribute to the magnificent season they have
enjoyed so far, as well as a thank you to the many supporters who have followed
the team in one way or another through only the second Championship season in
the club’s history.
Charterhouse arrived on the
Hill with a much-changed lineup from the first match between the sides earlier
in the year, even fielding a schoolboy at right-back. For the home side there
were three notable absentees: Charlie Tweddle was getting to know the delights
of Goa (and his flatmate, but NOT girlfriend, Polly), whilst Bert Worthy, back
from his annual jaunt in South Africa, was involved in a public schools golf
tournament, and Tim Dalton injured a hamstring in midweek. Everyone else was
present and correct, John Wyn-Evans, Rowley Higgs and Jamie Waugh all started,
with a courteous nod to tradition being observed with the naming of Andy Butler
among the substitutes.
If the idea was to
demonstrate to the legion of supporters, who had come to send the team off in
style, the quality of football that had swept the team to the title, things
didn’t go quite according to plan. Playing into a strong wind, the home side
made a shocking start to the match.
Straight from the kick-off,
a back-pass from Nick Warner was mis-controlled by goalkeeper James Harper and,
with an open goal awaiting him, the Charterhouse forward was brought down for a
clear penalty: 0-1.
Less than five minutes
later, with Harrow still looking like they had been celebrating the title
rather too earnestly, Charterhouse scored a second. A long throw from their
right was headed home by the completely unmarked Jason Golder: 0-2.
Despite managing not to
concede a further goal before the break, Harrow’s play was generally poor, with
little for the home supporters to cheer about. As the half wore on, things
improved slightly, but the team still displayed the hallmarks of not having
played for a while, with too many balls mis-controlled and given away.
Harrow did manage to pull
one back around ten minutes before half-time: Harry Hoffen made an excellent
challenge on a hesitant defender, the ball breaking loose to David Lederman who
had wandered over to the left-hand side of the pitch. Taking on the last
defender on the outside, Lederman coolly drilled home left-footed at the near
post, to at least bring some hope to the team and it’s supporters.
Whether or not it was the
wind at their backs or simply the determination not to lose their unbeaten record
on the Phil pitches, the Harrovians came out for the second half like a team
possessed, and within ten minutes had turned a 1-2 deficit into a 3-2 lead.
First, with only a few
minutes of the half played, a Lederman corner was headed powerfully home by
skipper Quentin Baker. Then, with everyone present sensing the Harrow team was
about to show their true colours, Baker produced an absolute cracker: cutting
in from the left, he neglected to take on the retreating Charterhouse defence,
instead firing an unstoppable curling shot into the far corner of the net to
send the team and its supporters into raptures.
It quickly became one-way
traffic, with Harrow throwing caution to the wind and once more treating those
present to the carefree, attacking football they have produced throughout the
season. Chances were created and spurned with regularity and, given the
vagaries of Arthurian League football, a one-goal cushion was unlikely to be
sufficient.
The game was made safe
however in the last twenty minutes. Lederman scored his second of the match
with almost a carbon copy of his first: taking on the last defender on the
outside before firing home low, this time on the right-hand side.
Then some unselfish play
from Harry Hoffen set up a tap-in for his brother Rupert, the Charterhouse
defence having been sprung, leaving them clean through with only the goalkeeper
to beat.
There was still time for
more drama at the other end: a second penalty was awarded to the visitors after
Rowley Higgs temporarily forgot which sport he was playing and rugby tackled a
Charterhouse player inside the box. Although James Harper produced a good save
to deny the Carts skipper, the referee ruled there had been encroachment (Obi
Umenliyora was practically standing next to the guy when he took the penalty)
and the kick had to be re-taken. Once again though, Harper produced an
excellent save and kept the score at 5-2.
The final whistle brought to
a close a memorable season for the Blues. The final table will show them having
won the league by a margin of at least six points and probably more. The team
won 12, drew 3 and lost 3 of their 18 games, scoring a remarkable 63 goals in
the process – a record that will take some beating.
However, surely the main
reason for the success this season has been the major contributions made by
every player in the squad – no longer reliant on one or two stars, there is now
a core of 15-16 players who can seamlessly blend in to take each other’s
positions when the need arises. This fact is borne out by the remarkable
statistic that not a single player in the squad was an ever-present for the 18
matches.
At the celebrations after
the game and down in Fulham later on in the evening it became clear how much
the team’s achievement had meant to an awful lot of people.
Huge congratulations to the
whole squad and a big thankyou for all the support the team has received
throughout the season.