Rusty Gate
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A football story by Rusty Gate
NOTE: In posting this I unfortunately formatted it wrong in that it came out as eight separate posts. If you read Part One, the entire storyline can be found there now, and you can ignore parts two through eight. If I could delete them I would. Thank you for those bringing this to my attention, I do apologize, and now that I know the correct formatting procedure anything I do in the future will be easier to read and follow.
APRIL 2022 – WINDING DOWN A SENSATIONAL CAMPAIGN
NOTE: In posting this I unfortunately formatted it wrong in that it came out as eight separate posts. If you read Part One, the entire storyline can be found there now, and you can ignore parts two through eight. If I could delete them I would. Thank you for those bringing this to my attention, I do apologize, and now that I know the correct formatting procedure anything I do in the future will be easier to read and follow.
APRIL 2022 – WINDING DOWN A SENSATIONAL CAMPAIGN
The month started off with a pair of left-sided fullbacks deciding their futures would be better served elsewhere. Morrell signed with Gillingham. The top-rated player and vice-captain never lived up to the expectations of being a team leader on and off the field. He appeared in 29 games but had just three assists and a 6.88 rating. Kang left for Redhill. The 21-year-old played in 16 league games although almost all of those appearances were in the first three months of the season, scored one goal and had a 6.86 rating.
Infinity began the month with a 3-1 home loss to third-place Bremerton Heath on April 3 – ending its season-long 17-game home winning streak – and bounced back with a 2-1 road win over second-place Totton & Eling on April 9. With two league games remaining, the team could still break the league record for wins (33) and goals (134), all set by Tadley in the 2007-08 season. With 32 wins and 131 goals the records seem within reach. Infinity would also have to win both its remaining league games to tie the points record of 102 – also held by Tadley.
The run of league games was interrupted by a Wessex League Cup semifinal test with Baffins Milton on April 12. The game result meant the end of another trophy run, as Baffins Milton played Infinity off the park, although the final score was only 2-1. Massaro did give us a 1-0 lead five minutes in but that was the end of the highlights. We did get some surprisingly good news before of the game, Parsons was ready to be inserted into the lineup and he played the entire 90 minutes, although his finishing didn’t look game polished he did come close a few times late in the contest. It is good to be young as he healed up a lot quicker than originally predicted.
That just left the two league-games to finish out this season.
The first of those came against 17th-place Dowton on April 16. Infinity found itself down 2-0 after six minutes but roared back for a 4-2 win and eclipsed the league scoring total of 134 goals to go 135 with one game to play. The victory tied the league record of 33 wins. Massaro scored the final two goals to go to 29 in league play (36 total in all competitions). Downton’s Declan McGregor scored once and leads the league with 38 goals (39 in all competitions). Parsons didn’t dress for this game and sits on 33 league goal (42 in all competitions).
I introduced one youth player into the lineup, Kieren Elliot, who at 16 years old became the youngest ever player for Infinity. He came off the bench to play midfield the final 20 minutes and scored a 7.2 rating. Elliot was one of four youth players I offered contracts to during the youth tryouts. The others being 16-year-old goalkeeper Ronan Tivey, who is already is 6-foot-4, and another pair of midfielders in 16-year-old Micky Fenton and 15-year-old Kevin Biggs, who can also play at striker.
Loughney agreed to a new contract through next season. He has appeared in 21 games as a right fullback and 18 games in central defence, putting out a 7.10 rating and even has four goals to his credit – all off headers despite being just 5-foot-10.
On the staff side, one scout left, Jeffrey Browne to become a head scout at Sevenoaks, and his replacement is 30-year-old Jonah Gosling.
Onto the final game of the season. The season best eleven would start the game against East Cowes Vic on April 23 and they lived up their billings recording a 5-0 victory with Massaro scoring the opening three goals inside of 21 minutes. Those goals – a header off a cross, a breakaway goal and a penalty-spot kick – gave him 32 league goals on the season. Parsons would score to finish with 34 league goals. Neligwa had the other goal. It was his eighth league goal and 12th in all competitions.
The victory gave Infinity 34 league victories, a Wessex League Division One record. The team did not record a tie all season finishing 34-0-4.
This truly turned into a memorable season. Infinity finished with 102 points, 23 more than second place Bremerton Heath, who went 24-7-7 for 79 points.
Surprisingly, maybe, neither Parsons or Massaro would top the goal scoring charts, but rather the aforementioned McGregor, who finished with the same number of goals as his age, 42.
Parsons would edge McGregor for overall rating – 8.36 to 8.15 – with Neligwa third at 8.03.
It wasn’t even close when it came to setting up goals, with Neligwa’s 31 assists more than double the next best in the league.
With so many talented players it would inevitable that the most player or the match award would go elsewhere and so it was McGregor taking that with 15. For Infinity, Parsons and Massaro each had eight with Neligwa finishing with seven.
Arnold, who we mentioned left before the final month of the season, topped all goaltenders for clean sheets with 12.
On the team side, Infinity was first in every major category that matters including goals with a whopping 140 (an average of 3.68 per game).
As for the Infinity individual awards, Parsons was the player of the season and young player of the season while Neligwa was chosen as the best signing of the season.
The manager was given an A- by the board, who despite proving you could dominate with a youthful squad were still not onboard with most of my signings this season. No player rated higher than a C in their opinion – that being Balogun – while Parsons’ performance only rated a D. Harrumph! To them, I say.
All-in-all not a bad first season.
Now Infinity is ready to rocket into the Wessex Premier League.
EPILOGUE – THE GREAT BEYOND AWAITS
I know that some people like to see pictures, so I have included a couple here.
Infinity by the numbers:
The final Wessex League Division One table:
The best 11:
For some reason, the game gave out Arnold’s and Morrell’s numbers for their new teams. Go figure! Anyways, to refresh your memories (although only league appearances can be recalled in the history panel): Arnold made 30 appearances, gave up 32 goals, had 12 clean sheets and a 7.10 rating; Morrell made 29 appearances, had three assists and 6.88 rating.
I almost forgot to include this, so it arrives here at the end of the story, the financial picture at the end of the season isn’t all that rosy – although it is very red. We finished $93,175 CDN (£53,751) in debt as our total income for the season was $68,369 CDN (£39,440). Our average paid attendance at Clayfields was a whopping 45.
This adventure took longer than I originally anticipated due to Covid and the effects of the long form of the illness I have been enduring – some days it was a task, although an enjoyable one to play. I hope that some of you find this story entertaining and maybe even helpful and/or amusing.
I will endeavour to carry on with this save for a few more seasons, although I will try to keep the stories briefer than this first season.
To everyone that took the time to read this, thank you. Feel free to comment but please keep it family friendly.
All the best in your FM saves.
Rusty Gate
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