The Price Is Right: Gloucester City Challenge - Are The Kids Alright?

[SimonP12]

Chapter 29

A quick run-down of a few of the games I've played in January, as I'm racing ahead with the challenge and hoping to complete it soon:

In the league, still unbeaten but had a major scare at Harrogate Town which threatened my perfect run. Also I am STILL IN all the Cups and we'll come to them shortly.

League wins include (in order) a 3-1 win at Gainsborough: Gainsborough 1-3 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube

A 4-2 home win against Stalybridge: Gloucester 4-2 Stalybridge - Match Highlights - YouTube

Then.... we faced Harrogate Town...

and we ONLY just won - 6-5 in fact, despite being 3-1 down at half-time. It was a **** of a game, but showed that we have battling qualities - on a boggy Yorkshire pitch, it was hard to break Harrogate down and to be honest I felt that we would be pasted. Yet Ethan Mannion and Darren Edwards performed amazingly well for us (Ethan eventually bagging a hat-trick!) Somehow I feel prouder of the players after this game than I did when we hammered teams 3-0, 4-0 etc. Harrogate 5-6 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube

In the FA Cup - WE BEAT STOCKPORT COUNTY 5-0 AT HOME!! Gloucester 5-0 Stockport - Match Highlights - YouTube

The BEST performance so far, so proud of the lads and our reward is (finally) a Premiership side away in the 5th Round - we're off to St. Mary's to face Southampton! Gloucester 5-0 Stockport - Match Highlights - YouTube

Kieran Tracey was promoted from the Reserves due to scoring over 20 goals in 15 reserve games - in his first game for The Tigers against higher opposition he cut through to score on 8 mins. Davies (2), Mitch Harding and Joe Hanks were the goal-scorers.

Also, in the FA Trophy, we progressed to face Macclesfield Town after beating Hereford United 2-0. Goals by the in-form Davies and Harding securing a great win at Edgar Street.

Hereford 0-2 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube

 

[Toonsi]

Good write ups, the only thing that has put me off and I found myself scanning for results is your winning every game and through to 5th round fa cup! Personally I find it difficult to believe you have got all these results without reloading until you get the result you want. If I am wrong then hats off to you. Your write ups are good though

 

[SimonP12]

Hi Toonsi,

No reloads at all - I have been very lucky with results and I would never cheat.

I lost 4-2 against Southampton and wasn't at all tempted to reload. I was amazed that I beat Stockport 5-0 as I really expected a battle from them but it was one of the easiest wins I have had. I could not believe we'd do as well after having five goals stuck past us by Harrogate Town, but the game has been pretty good to me.

The formation I wanted to use (4-1-3-2) I've been fortunate that the players I got have fitted into it quite comfortably and Fawke, Raven, Tubbs, Cleverley and Burley have been immense. Also Edwards-Davies upfront are solid, but Mannion/Harding/Amos have also been great stand-ins. The Goalkeepers and Defenders have also generally been pretty solid (a few bad passes/poor tackles, but that is par for the course).

No special secrets, I keep fitness and attacking movement high and encourage a short passing game using the width of the pitch. Maybe this season I have had the midas touch (in contrast to 09 and 10 when I very nearly stopped playing altogether!). Guess it's karma or something like that.

Anyway, I'm glad you like the You Tube videos and thanks for your comments Toonsi!

 

[SimonP12]

Going to abridge the posts, as I am close to completing the challenge:

February Videos:

Solihull Moors 0-1 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube - We record a narrow 1-0 win against Solihull Moors, with Jasiah Donaldson scoring (only just realised that he has a slightly more famous relation in football named Clayton).

Gloucester 2-1 Droylsden - Match Highlights - YouTube - On a boggy pitch at Whaddon Road after heavy rainfall, we record a 2-1 win against Droylsden with a late goal from Tom Webb preserving our 100% record.

Gloucester 2-0 Worcester - Match Highlights - YouTube - The M5 Derby part 2 - a 2-0 win against Worcester City is just the tonic before we face Southampton.

Chapter 30

The FA Cup 5th Round fixture against Southampton was THE game of the season. On the morning of the game, Gloucester City fans boarded special buses and trains down to Southampton. The fans were in dream-land - the season had been amazing so far and now they had that chance to get one more step closer to Wembley. Whatever happened, they would enjoy their day out.

St. Mary's Stadium stood imposing on the Southampton shore-line, light years ahead of the traditional 'tumble down' grounds of non-league which The Tigers were accustomed to. Looking around the stadium before kick-off, The Tigers were impressed by their surroundings but Simon was keen to enforce the message that the team should not be overcome by the big occasion and to play their usual game.

'Hopefully we can get a stadium like this one day' Simon mentioned to Nigel Hughes, over the pre-match dinner.

At 2.30 p.m. it was time to deliver the message - the speech that would hopefully result in another win for The Tigers:

'No matter what, you've been incredible in the Cup this season lads! Everybody wrote us off as no-hopers, and yet here we are - three more wins and it's Wembley! I'm proud of you all, so give it everything you've got!'

Darren Edwards raced away on 10 minutes and shot past Artur Boruc....

'YESSS!!!!' shouted Simon. 'Perfect start!'

Nigel Adkins scowled... this was NOT in the script.

However, Southampton soon showed their class with Adam Lallana, Gaston Ramirez, Guly Do Prado and Rickie Lambert scoring.

Gloucester City, to their credit, did not give up and a late goal by Dominic Raven gave the fans something to cheer about on their way back up to Gloucestershire. 4-2 it finished and Southampton faced a trip to Molineux in the next round.

'You gave it everything' said Simon. 'Not many sides at our level or above would have scored two against Southampton at St. Mary's - but we did. To get as far as the 5th Round was fantastic, so very well done. We move on - the FA Trophy semi's are next. Win those two games and we will be at Wembley after all!' Southampton 4-2 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube

Gloucester duly won both games: Macclesfield 2-3 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube Gloucester 2-1 Macclesfield - Match Highlights - YouTube meaning WE ARE GOING TO WEMBLEY!! We will face Wrexham in the FA Trophy Final.

 

[Toonsi]

Hat off to you mate, will keep following this

 

[SimonP12]

Glad you're enjoying, Toonsi.

Have finished the challenge but been laid up with flu this weekend, only just feeling able to complete the story.

Chapter 31

March had arrived and all eydes (errr.. eyes) were on Whaddon Road. Gloucester v Workington was the game that would decide whether Gloucester City would be promoted to the Conference Premier.

The fans were in confident mood and, as kick-off approached, Simon delivered his match-talk.

'Workington have nothing to play for, but they will be stubborn to break down. Keep your heads and get the ball forward - worry them with early crosses and don't give their 'keeper or defence any time to relax.'

Gloucester bombed forward from the off, but Workington dropped back to a five-man defence and were eager to repel The Tigers attack. A wide shot by Gareth Arnison is all the visitors had to show in the first-half.

Covered in mud, the players trooped back to the dressing room.

'Keep going lads!' said Simon. 'The goal will come - they are tiring in defence. It only takes one error from their back-line and we are in. A win today and all the hard work we have put in since August pays off!'

That goal only took four second-half minutes - Lewis Hogg sneaking the ball home from a corner.

'YESSS!!!' said Simon. 'THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!!'

Gloucester raced forward, time after time, but wayward shooting and stubborn defending limited their chances further. Still the three points would be theirs at the final whistle and that win ensured promotion to the Conference Premier - the highest league Gloucester City have ever played at. The largest English City to have not played at League level had just taken an almighty step closer towards League football.

A fantastic day (as a certain 80s band would have said). Gloucester 1-0 Workington - Match Highlights - YouTube

 

[SimonP12]

Chapter 32

Before the Wembley visit, we faced games against Bishop's Stortford (away) Bishop's Stortford 0-2 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube and away to Hinckley United Hinckley 1-2 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube

If you had asked a Gloucester City fan, at the start of the season, if they would be FA Trophy finalists they would have laughed in your face. Yet Gloucester City were just that - FA Trophy finalists!

Cars, Buses and Trains left Gloucester early on a mid-March Sunday morning - the M4 becoming a mini sea of yellow and black! The fans went in expectation - if The Tigers could embarrass league sides (as they had done in the pre-season) then surely Wrexham would be small fry.

Wrexham v Gloucester, Conference Premier v Conference North, Dragons v Tigers, Wales v England - however you wished to dress this game it would be a crunch game. As the teams took to the field, 22,469 fans watched on in eager expectation.

It was first blood to The Tigers, Hogg heading home a Harding cross!

'YESSSS!!!!!!!' Simon was delighted with that goal, 29 minutes in after Wrexham had pressed hard early on through Ormerod and Proctor.

1-0 up at the break, and things were good:

'45 minutes to be champions, lads!' said Simon 'Keep at it and the Trophy is ours!'

However, in the 66th minute, a deep cross caught Gloucester City flat and Andrew Proctor's header meant it was now 1-1.

'Keep at it lads!' roared Simon - 'It's OURS!'

1-1 at the end of 90 minutes:

'Lads, we keep going - Wrexham will buckle - get forward and sneak in behind their back line. Mitch - watch for Cleverely and Fawke to feed you.'

It proved inspired as Mitch seized upon an error by Mayebi before turning sharply and volleying home.

'YESSSSSS!!!!!'

Full Time - 2-1 to The Tigers. Amazing!!!

Nigel and Colin were absolutely delighted. They had not expected so much from The Tigers this season, and they could hardly believe that what they were seeing was real.

'It's like a beautiful dream' said Colin 'If it is, I am not waking up!' said Nigel.

An open-top procession in Gloucester was held the next day - from Kingsholm, through the City Centre, to the Docks. The event was fantastic for The Tigers and extra good news was Simon extending his stay until 2014.

To conclude, here are the last games from the challenge. I've enjoyed it and thanks for the great feedback. I'm currently 1st on the leader board - wonder if I'll be overtaken?

Bradford PA 1-2 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube
Gloucester 3-1 Altrincham - Match Highlights - YouTube
Boston Utd 1-2 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube
Gloucester 2-1 Oxford City - Match Highlights - YouTube
Guiseley 1-5 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube (best away league display and the best goal of the season for The Tigers, in my opinion)
Brackley 2-4 Gloucester - Match Highlights - YouTube
Gloucester 2-0 Chester - Match Highlights - YouTube (the last game - two goals in 10 minutes. Only sad that Darren Edwards could not have got 30 goals... he ended on 29).