THERE are some chairmen who would move heaven and earth to get their side scoring more goals, but perhaps in future Ashford Town’s Dave Baker will be more careful what he wishes for!
When he was overheard promising the club’s defenders that if a hat-trick was scored he’d personally clean their boots, things became a little twisted.
Before he knew it, word had reached the Ash Trees’ forward line of this bubbly bet and to the 69-year-old’s horror, twitter was ‘awash’ with the strikers pledging to ensure he’ll be getting his gloves on in exchange for grabbing the matchball.
A week after uttering the words, Mark Bitmead notched a three-gun salute in the club’s gigantic 8-1 FA Cup victory at Wellingborough.
“I was misquoted!” insisted Baker, who has dedicated his life to the Combined Counties League club. “I was chatting to a few of the defenders in the bar and we were talking how many years they’d been at the club and their lack of goals and I said if you score three I’ll clean your boots. They aren’t regular scorers.
“I think something got lost in translation, by accident or on purpose – I’ll let you be the judge – but all I’ll say is that they’ve given me little support. The next thing I know I’m being told that they’re all talking about this incentive on twitter and that it’s open to every member of the team!
“I was in a bind – the defenders I was talking to wouldn’t back me up and they said they had witnesses, so it was a matter of time before the sponge and water came out.”
Morale
Keeping to his word, he invited The NLP down to watch as he shined his striker’s footwear and highly-rated Bitmead is impressed by what he’s seen.
The 23-year-old forward said: “He’s done a great job. I’m hopeless at washing my boots and I’ll leave them in my bag between games if I can’t get my parents to do it for me – I always need a helping hand!”
Baker, who drove the team bus to Northamptonshire for their extra preliminary round tie, perhaps should have known better and has previous.
He’d vowed to do the same for his goalkeeper if he kept three clean sheets in a row earlier in the month. Such was his determination to avoid the boot shining session, there was some fist-pumping after Tyler Tobin conceded up at Wellingborough following two shut-outs against Chessington & Hook and AFC Hayes.
“We were already 6-0 up so I actually gave a little cheer because I wouldn’t have to clean a second pair, that’s would have sent them all crazy!” he added.
“It’s bad enough driving the bus with them on as it is, but driving with them behind me having to clean two of their pairs of boots? We’d never get home!”
Manager Ben Murray added: “The chairman’s been a fantastic sport. It’s kept morale really high and it’s great to see he’s not shied away from the challenge despite a bit of mischief making from some!”
