Jen had a trip to America booked and so I dropped her at the airport early in the morning. I’d thought about going with her, but I’d been doing some remote work and the time difference with the States would have meant some very early starts for meetings.
Another factor was the lack of sport going on out there at this time of year compared to in Europe and by staying behind it gave me the chance to get to a few games, including two Boxing Day fixtures. The first of those was a Northern League Division One clash between Boro Rangers and Redcar Athletic.
I think both sides were promoted last season with Boro Rangers having continued their previous form to sit at fifth place in the table. Redcar Athletic hadn’t fared quite so well and were down in fifteenth.
The game was at Trinity College, which sounds impressive, but is actually just a school. It’s an enclosed artificial pitch with a small covered seated stand and two small covered standing areas. It’s probably at about the bare minimum for Northern League level and if Boro Rangers were to get back-to-back promotions, I’m not sure that the ground would satisfy tier eight requirements. On the plus side, there was a burger stand and another selling cans of beer.
It was seven quid in and the eleven o’clock kick-off had attracted a sizeable crowd of more than 250, including two kids with a drum. There were a few away fans wearing club bobble hats stood nearby as I took up a position on the barrier behind one of the goals. Boro Rangers were wearing proper Boro strips, with Redcar Athletic in blue and black.
I can see why the home side would want to emphasise their Boro roots, but I’d have thought it would have been better to have their own identity, rather than being coming across as a tribute act with their kit. It’s like when you head up to Tyneside and the so many of the clubs have appropriated the black and white stripes.
There was a lot of squabbling and bickering between the teams with everyone appearing to appeal for everything, no matter how unlikely the prospect of getting the decision. The visitors took the lead ten minutes from half-time when someone got on the end of an enormous throw and stabbed the ball home.
I got a coffee at half-time, which was crap, and a burger which was much better. I’d barely resumed my position on the barrier when Redcar conceded a penalty with a handball. It was dispatched to bring Rangers level.
The momentum swung further towards the home side a few minutes later when the Redcar captain picked up a second yellow. Nobody else complained about the decision but he chuntered away to himself all the way to the dressing room.
Despite being a man down, Redcar restored their lead fifteen minutes from time with a header from a corner, only for Boro Rangers to level again moments later. The home side pressed for a winner and controversially were in possession and looking to get a shot away on the edge of the Redcar box when the ref blew for full-time. It wasn’t quite of Clive Thomas proportions, but he got some stick for it. The dropped points put a spoke in the wheels of the home side’s play-off ambitions but I thought a draw was a fair reflection of the game.
Trail of the Lion King 
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