And so here we are. The cup final. Exactly 112 days since beating Sandhurst 9-3 to book their place, North Camp will take to the field against Rectory Road on Sunday 12th September.
Battle lines have been drawn. Matches have been watched. Instagram posts have been ridiculed. Anticipation has reached fever pitch and the game promises to deliver.
Both sides have improved dramatically since the start of last season, with North Camp scoring goals for fun, and Rectory beating league champions Morley on their way to the final.
Let’s take a look back at how we got to this point...
After scoring 23 (TWENTY THREE) goals in the final four league games to secure promotion to division 3, that's 5.75 goals per game, North Camp’s cup campaign started with a 3-1 win over Farnborough Athletic at the polo fields. Two goals from Steve Schofield and another from Alex Barnett paved the way for a second win in a matter of weeks against a tough side.
Next to be put to the sword were AFC Bowenhurst and their dreamy pitch. By this point, Rectory had already secured their place in the final, so they sent a few scouts see what was in store. Two more goals from Schofield, along with one each for Joshes King and Ferry-Woodard set up a comfortable 4-1 win and sent a message to those in attendance.
Then came the goalfest against Sandhurst. Both teams came into the game knowing a win would get them into the final, but after a scrappy start, Matt Butler took the game by the scruff of the neck, scoring four goals in 17 minutes just before half time. Barnett added another before second-half braces for Nathan Davis and Ed Simpkin completed the rout.
Fast forward a couple of months and preseason brought mixed, but generally positive results, with some stern tests mixed in with confidence-boosting wins.
And finally, fresh in everyone’s mind, the 5-1 battering of Purple Cobras. One of the better sides in division 3 last year, no match for the Camp in this season’s first league game.
And that brings us up to date. Confidence is high, competition for places is strong, and Benagorn has rallied his troops.
A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but today is not this day.
Benagorn, 2021
Jelly babies have been ordered, masturbation has been sacrificed, and the champagne is on ice.
As a wise King once said, ‘we are all brothers, in this together.’
