Boston's first international since Wrexham

Corby Town vs Boston United

One of the semi-complete stands at Corby's new ground.

Coming back to non-league after a Wembley based International is a bit of a shock to the system, especially if that return is the short trip to Rockingham Triangle.  Corby's ground, you see, isn't actually a football ground as such.  It is in fact an athletics track.  Wonderful, one of the worst grounds I have ever been to.  I know the Corby fans dislike the situation as much if not more than any of the visitors; they, after all, have to put up with it every other week.  With construction on their new stadium stalled as the contractors are in administration it looks unlikely that they will be able to move next door anytime soon.  I wonder how many billy-big-time fans showed up for non-league day, it's enough to put them off for life!

Welcome to Corby.

On arrival the group I was with were ushered through the turnstiles and told to use both sides to reduce queues despite the fact there was only three of us waiting.  Arriving early did mean that I could take full advantage of happy hour at the bar.  Happy hour at a football ground would be between two and three you'd have thought; apparently not.  Just for reference, all beer in the Corby sports bar, sorry, 'Trackside bar' is two pounds between one and two.  The Green King I.P.A. isn't all that bad either.  Be careful not to drink too much though as you might need to use the bar's toilets which resemble a 1950's psychiatric asylum.

Stairway to heaven,
well the Boston end anyway.

The Corby officials, perhaps anticipating that we might bring a few, decided that segregation was the way forward.  They divided the only stand in two with a bit of rope and all the Boston fans had to go up to the 'away end' following the far from clear signs on a dodgy old staircase.  The officials, whilst having the right idea, didn't quite anticipate how many Boston would actually bring.  They set aside 200 seats which quickly filled up, as did the standing area at the back of the stand to the point where the stewards were discussing moving the rope.  In total more than 500 Boston fans made the trip, over half of the 907 attendance.

Segregation of the highest standard.
There is a rope there, honest!.

This was going to be a tough game.  Corby sit fifth, one place below Boston in the table.  They have won their three home games which were against the three teams that Boston have beaten away.  The teams were fairly evenly matched then and the game reflected this.  Boston, fielding an unchanged team again, had the first real chance but Davidson spanked the ball miles over the goal from a one on one situation.  The only other chance of note in the first half was a Yates corner which required some smart goalkeeping to prevent it going in the top corner.  Both sides were defending well and it was looking like it could be one of those days.

The Boston fans about half an hour before kick-off, before it got
too cramped to get my camera out of my pocket.

The cramped Boston fans were making some fantastic noise from the over crowded stand, much to the annoyance of the Corby fans on the other side of the rope.  Mocking the loss of steel works, the Weetabix factory and the Scottish football team was the order of the day.  One of Corby's sizable Scottish community took such offence that he decided to become a one man army of abuse for the duration of the second half.  The stewards had their hands full although why they didn't throw him out was beyond me, especially as the threatened United supporters who were forced to stand on a 'gangway' step because of overcrowding caused by their incompetence.  The Pilgrims followers gave as good as they got until the jock army had run out of insults and resorted to calling us all 'carrot crunchers', how original.

East Midlands Trains: top of the league since January '09.

The second half opened up slightly and both teams had chances to win it.  It was Cannoville who spanked it over the bar this time for Boston, at least I think it was Canners although it was that far away across the running track it was difficult to tell.  Some decent 'keeping by McKeown kept Corby out at the other end to finish the game level.  0-0 away at Corby is not a bad result, it is one which I would have taken at the start of the day and it is one that proves we are competitive at this level.  That said, United have some tough challenges coming up over the next couple of weeks with second place Workington at York St next Saturday before a visit to 100% Alfreton the week after.  These games will give a good indication of just where we can expect to be in the league come the end of the season.  Hopefully we'll be just as good as East Midlands Trains.