Redditch United 0 Tamworth 3 (22nd April 2023)
Two of my more embarrassing football incidents have involved both of these clubs. Back in 2011, I went to a Tamworth match and managed to miss both goals of a 2-0 home win in the five minutes in took to queue up for a burger. More embarrassing was turning up for a match at Redditch on the opening day of the 17/18 season, only to find that while it was indeed the opening day for many leagues, the rather sparse car park was my first indication that their league kicked off a week later.
Thankfully no such problems on this day on either front, for this last-day-of-the-season encounter, or least visitors Tamworth were hoping it’d be the last game, with a result securing the title and promotion.
While not struggling this season, things weren’t quite a cheerful for hosts Redditch. While a crowd of 1,942 would be at their ground today, over five times their normal crowd, talk in the programme was of the disappointment that crowds were 20% down compared to the previous season. That’s a shame because it’s certainly an interesting venue. The big plus points are two decent terrace; one at the side, and one behind one goal, even if there is a strangely large gap between the front of the terrace and the pitch.
The main stand is somewhat unusual, being three stories high and angled forwards towards the pitch, while the other end, seemingly one an untamed grass embankment, is now smartly walled off. If an end being a flat footpath is disappointing, it does at least revel in the glorious name of “The Hollywood Monster End”, even if the odds of a there being an actual Hollywood monster movie about downtown Los Angeles being terrorised by a high wall and a strip of tarmac aren’t great.
With Tamworth’s ambitions, and perhaps mindful of the disappointing aspect of crowd trouble creeping into non-league fixtures in the West Midlands, this was a segregated game, with Tamworth generously given two and a half sides of the ground. They would have the bulk of the fans at this game, and it did have the benefit of bunching most of the home fans onto the partially covered terrace behind the goal.
A few of these fans were a little too over exuberent though, and this youthful contingent found singing the kinds of songs that would be fine in the anonymity of a League game crowd, doesn’t work so well at this level, and a couple of them were ‘invited to leave’ before the game had even started. All a bit of a shame, but one of the joys of the non-league game is usually the lack of such antagonism between fans.
The Tamworth fans were in a celebratory mood, clearly confident of getting the result that would take them up. If they won, then as long as Coalville didn’t win by a two goal larger margin, they were up, and they set about trying to achieve that task as quick as possible.
After a fairly even start, Tamworth got on top in the spring sunshine. It took just over a quarter of an hour for them to be on their way. A corner was headed against the crossbar, and with it bouncing away on the edge of the six yard box, it was hooked in at the back post before anyone could clear.
The goal gave the visitors even more energy, while the hosts looked tired. Had the noisy home contingent got behind their team at this point, rather singing some rather negative stuff, considering the team is comfortably in the top half, things might have been different, but Tamworth took control.
It was probably getting to the stage, just before half time, where Tamworth would have been wondering if their wastefulness could come back to bite them, that they actually went 2-0 up. Good work down the left saw a ball crossed in low. Defender and attacker both went for it at the near post, but it was the attacker who get the touch, angling it across the keeper into the far corner. More celebrations. Every goal now was a really big goal.
If they though that might be enough, they would have been worried to hear news from Coalville, where it was 3-0 at half-time. Another strong half from them, maybe winning 5-0, would see Tamworth requiring four.
None of that was of concern to the home fans though, who’d just rather not end the season on a disappointing note. They so nearly got back into it early in the 2nd half, with a low shot rolling agonisingly past the post. It could have been so different for both clubs has it rolled a few inches in the other direction.
It was a five minute spell that was crucial to the two battling it out for promotion. That shot would have put Coalville top, had it gone in. Within a couple of minutes it was 3-0 to Tamworth, with a low shot evading the home keeper, sparking more celebrations. And there was even more joy in the away stands just a minute or two later, as news came through that Stourbridge had pulled one back at Coalville, meaning they now need to score six, and hope Tamworth didn’t add to their tally, to go up.
It would have been easy for Redditch to have folded, with the game lost and nothing but a bit of pride to play for, but they did at least show some of that pride for the remainder of the game. They didn’t look like scoring too often, but they were looking a bit more solid at the back. Maybe, with no further news from Coalville, Tamworth knew 3-0 was enough. They did have the game’s last chance, which crashed off the woodwork, but while they were undoubtedly outplayed on the day, a 0-4 defeat would have been harsh.
In injury time, a request was made for fans not to run onto the pitch, and this was about as successful as these announcements usually are. The fans ran on, popping red smoke and dancing about with the delighted players. Generous applause too from the home fans, respecting the achievement, maybe also wondering if they could have their own similar celebrations on the pitch in the not too distant future.
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