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Ok, so here’s a thread. It’s about football but I hope you like this story, even if you don’t like football...
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So, I support @Wealdstone_FC. You may not have heard of them, but they’re well known in non-league circles, being the first ever winners of the non-league double in 1985.
Unfortunately, things haven’t exactly gone well for them since then.
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Unfortunately, things haven’t exactly gone well for them since then.
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So, the league they won in 1985 is called the national league, the top of non-league football, one level below the football league. In 1988, they were relegated from this division and have not returned since.
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In fact, things got pretty bad. They sold their ground, lost some of the proceeds and over the years have shared with 4 other clubs. They’ve been relegated and also been demoted or denied promotion for non-football reasons.
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Things got pretty bad. Pretty very bad. If it wasn’t for a few die hard fans, who knows what might have happened. These people stuck with their club and in recent years things have got better.
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In fact, they’ve been promoted a few times and now have their own ground.
This season, they’ve been playing in National League South, one level below the National League. They’ve been top all season and despite the COVID crisis calling an end to the season...
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This season, they’ve been playing in National League South, one level below the National League. They’ve been top all season and despite the COVID crisis calling an end to the season...
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...it was today announced that they’ve been declared champions of this division and next season, assuming there is a next season, they’ll be playing with the big boys in the National League, that league they were relegated from 32 years ago.
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I have to say this is the best piece of news I’ve had i a long,long time. I am delighted.
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So what? you say?
Well, this club could and would have gone out of business if it wasn’t for those few fans that stuck through those hard times. They’ve run the club, owned the club and as a group have kept Wealdstone FC alive. People spent their summers doing...
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Well, this club could and would have gone out of business if it wasn’t for those few fans that stuck through those hard times. They’ve run the club, owned the club and as a group have kept Wealdstone FC alive. People spent their summers doing...
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maintenance work around the ground. One time they literally built a stand. Seriously.
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Anyhoo. A number of years ago, my mate Simon and I were at a loose end and so I took him along to a game at this club I used to go and watch when I was a wee nip. We were hooked, becoming regulars home and away
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Sadly, Simon passed away a few years ago. His friends and loved ones were devastated.
Shortly after, Neil, a fan of the club and the guy who co-runs their fans twitter account got in touch, asking if they, the fans, the club, could do something for us. For him.
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Shortly after, Neil, a fan of the club and the guy who co-runs their fans twitter account got in touch, asking if they, the fans, the club, could do something for us. For him.
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What followed was amazing. We were invited to a game as guests for the day. They fed and watered us. They held a minutes silence for him before the game. So many people came up to us to say how sorry they were. They left blue and yellow (their colours) in the spot where we stood
And midway through the second half, they ‘banged him out’ - a minute of everyone in the ground banging against metal stands and posts- something they do in the newspaper industry when someone leaves. He never got that when he was alive so they did it in his memory
They didn’t have to do any of that. But they did. I will be forever grateful for the kindness and love those people showed, and continued to show.
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So, to all those people that stuck with them through the bleak times, and only you know how bleak they were, this is for you. Enjoy it, you deserve it. Good things come to those who wait and sometimes good things actually do happen to good people
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One last thing. Occasionally I go into my garden and talk to Simon. He’s not there (I’m not Anna Friel in Brookside), I know that. It’s just a thing I do.
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Anyway, so after the news come through I went out and told him, and in my head he did one of his little air punches and said “get in there, you little bastards”.
So, there you go. Get in there, you little bastards. x
So, there you go. Get in there, you little bastards. x
Ok, so I was thinking of adding to this thread tomorrow to mark Wealdstone’s first game of the season but this has knocked me sideways. What an incredibly lovely, selfless thing to do. Thank you, Torben. x https://twitter.com/torbenprestwich/status/1312037120035389440">https://twitter.com/torbenpre...