The 1999/2000 season when I was director of football for Croydon was a most memorable campaign in which history in non-League football was to be made.
An Isthmian League and cup `double` for the first team and Surrey Senior Cup finalists, the reserves won the Suburban League and the women won the Women’s FA Cup and also the Women’s Premier League and were League Cup finalists - a total of seven honours, never to be repeated in non-League football as top women’s football is now professional.
My boss and chairman, Ken Jarvie, who appointed me as director of football, obviously knew I was the man for the job.
One of my many tasks was to do some scouting to watch a player or a team and now this is where current Pitching In Southern Football League Division One Central club Barton Rovers come into the picture.
Although Barton were not doing particularly well in the league they had taken a few scalps from some of the better sides and I felt the need to see them play at their home ground as I was concerned about their ability to upset us.
Now you would think going to watch a game of football is quite a simple task, but not so for me on this day!
I cannot remember the exact date, but it would have been in November 1999.
What I thought would be a simple journey for me, a train from East Croydon Thames Link to Harlington and a taxi from the station to Barton-le-Clay turned out to be a bit of a nightmare.
Having gotten off the train on a windy wet Saturday afternoon, with not a soul around or a taxi in sight, I made my way up Station Road to the pub, The Carpenter’s Arms.
I am never one to drink before a football match because this is work, but on this occasion, I felt I had to buy a drink in the pub before asking the landlord if he could get me a taxi to Barton.
He replied with a big smile on his face “You could have a taxi, but old Jack is the only taxi and he is over there with one of his mates rather the worse for wear” and with a good three mile walk and no buses I was up the Swanee without a paddle.
Suddenly this chap who was drinking in the pub (I think he was a farmer) who had overheard our conversation said: “If you wait for me to finish my pint, I will drop you at Barton Rovers Football Club.”
For obvious reasons I did not offer to buy him another pint and, as always with my football, I was dressed smartly with my club tie on and a white shirt.
Of course, what I didn`t realise is that a farmer’s Land Rover is not the ideal place to wear decent clothing, having gotten my shoes all muddy and splashes of mud up my trousers getting into the vehicle (talk about Worzel Gummidge!).
I did arrive at Barton Rovers in time for kick off, got my team sheet and programme, got my burger and a cup of tea, took my place in the small stand and got notebook and pen out.
They were playing Bromley that day and they were one of the better sides.
Barton, to be fair, on a heavy pitch and a slope, adapted to the conditions better than Bromley and therefore won the game.
With my notebook quite full with my report it was time to go home.
I went to the clubhouse to ask them to call me a cab. I was not going to mess about with going back to Harlington. Instead, I decided I would go to Luton and get a faster train back to Croydon.
The fare quoted to me was over £25 (good job I carried a little bit of cash with me) and I telephoned Ken Jarvie to see how the first team had got on and to let him know the cost of the cab to which he replied: “That’s okay, I’ll pay you when you get back to the club tonight.”
By this time, I was now wet, frozen, and tired but glad that the first team had won.
Now for the real curse of Barton Rovers. I say this because many clubs, even today, do have certain uncontrolled things that happen to them, for example a bogey team that they can never beat, a certain ground that they can never win on, and yet can win titles and cups with a year containing an even or odd number.
With this in mind, and not being a believer in these things, on Saturday 18th December 1999 during what was to be our historic season, this time I travelled in style with Croydon to Barton Rovers.
The game plan was already sorted. It was the type of ground and conditions where you get the job done, however ugly, and get home, but not this day.
My report was in tatters as Barton played a different formation and had a couple of different players and we played like we had won the game before it had started.
We were beaten 2-1 and deserved to be beaten and were repeatedly reminded of our defeat in the clubhouse before we left by the Barton chairman.
On that note we made a hasty retreat. I am one for sweet revenge and in between that game and our home game against Barton we remained league leaders.
So, it was on Saturday, 6th April 2000 and with six games to play in the league we already had the tag of champions elect.
It was now time to put Barton Rovers to the sword and if it had been a boxing match, the referee would have stopped the fight in the first three rounds we were that superior but - and a big but - the curse of Barton struck again as they were to come from behind and beat us 2-1, therefore completing the double over a team that were to be champions of Division One of the Isthmian League by a clear 9 points.
Barton also wrote themselves into the history books by being the only club to do the double over us in that historic season.
I must finally add that all of my stories are based on fact and not fiction and no way do I ever want to show disrespect to any club, but I have to be truthful.
I am sure there will be players, managers, coaches, scouts, who will read this and will understand the meaning of this article.
One more final note. Would you believe I still look for Barton results every week as they are part of our big non-League family.
(Micky Taylor`s excellent book `Non-League Football - A Roller Coaster Ride To Beat Any` is available to buy from Amazon priced £12.99 (Kindle version £3.99. All proceeds to Cancer Research).
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