SATURDAY, APRIL 27
Dunstable Town 2 Hatfield Town 0
I RECEIVE an e-mail from Dunstable Town asking if I would like to attend the club’s final match of the season at Creasey Park.
They have the chance to complete the Molten Sparten South Midlands League Premier Division season unbeaten, a remarkable achievement that seems to have slipped the consciousness of the Premier-centric mainstream media.
The ground is unrecognisable from when I visited AFC Dunstable two seasons ago. £3.5 million has been spent on the community complex.
I pay £6 to ‘Pipeman’ at the turnstile and another £1 for the programme. Pipeman is very proud of this issue (“just one page of adverts”). His match reports are certainly a labour of love and thankfully avoid the tedious ‘the-ref-cost-us-the-game’ comments that tarnish so many programmes.
There is a reserve match taking place. It kicked off at 12pm but I couldn’t make it; a pity because it is 3-3 when I arrive! There is a covered terrace behind one goal and a full-sized 4G pitch behind the other.
An Arena-type seated stand runs along one touchline with the huge clubhouse and changing room facility along the other one complete with a wide concourse.
The locally-sourced 100% beef in the burger is magnificent, let down by the awful, soggy bread roll surrounding it. The £1.20 price tag for tea came as a bit of a shock too.
While I was waiting for my meal at the serving hatch, I was twice hit by a kid’s ball. Other people in the queue were becoming irritated too. Note to Dunstable: please ban ball games on the concourse!
Full sun greets the kick-off. Hatfield players form a guard of honour for their hosts, which is nice. The champions stroll to a two-goal victory, seemingly in first gear. They have some promising youngsters on show.
The players don special ‘The Invincibles’ T-shirts for the trophy presentation. No fewer than 348 spectators witness history as Dunstable Town join Preston NE and Arsenal in the record books. The “cheers, fella; nice to see you” from Pipeman as I leave the ground is icing on the cake for me.
