Cup Final day had finally arrived. It seemed a bit strange to be playing on a Saturday afternoon rather than the morning, but at least the weather had a chance to get the worst showers over and done with in time for the game. I have to confess to feeling a bit nervous before the game. I kept telling myself that it was all about the boys enjoying the game and I knew the result wasn’t what’s important, but there’s something about football, and particularly a Cup Final, that gets you going….

On arrival at the stadium I managed a quick word with the coaches who said they were feeing calm and ready for a good game (my sources later told me they’d been a bit edgy and tense during the build-up at home in the morning!) I missed the league game against CA Whites which the Blues won 6-1. It was noted though that the CA squad for this match didn’t look like the same players as last time.

As with the league matches, there were six mini-pitches arranged and we were in the middle on the far side. It was good to see the whole squad there together and some vigorous warming up took place with the boys eagerly shedding various hoodies, coats and training tops as soon as possible. In contrast, the gathered fans chatted about the cold and the snow, rueing the fact that the boys’ coats were too small for them to put on as an extra layer! The boys had a team photo and then the stadium announcer called for all players and coaches to go into the dressing rooms.

The EMJFL clearly put a lot of effort into organising their league, and they really go to town on this great season finale for the teams. The boys all get a wonderful experience for their final. They get to play on a high quality grass pitch in a modest stadium, and as they’re announced they emerge from the tunnel to the strains of the Champions League music, just like it is on the telly! It’s wonderful and the EMJFL deserve huge credit and thanks for organising it.

So, the Blues came out from the tunnel alongside the CA players and made their way across the pitch to do a line up and handshake in front of the stand. Glossop had won the kick off, setting up 2 X 2 with an opening side of Chris (GK), Theo (RB), Len (LB), Joe (RCF) and Zac (LCF), playing left to right. Joe kicked off to start the game and the Blues played some nice passes around and stayed in the CA half. Len has had a good season and his recent form has shown how he has developed a strong and determined physical presence with him bossing his part of the pitch. So it was in the opening minutes of this match as Len made good tackles and shielded the ball to see it out for a goal kick.

CA were playing in a black strip and this was a bit confusing as they had a couple of players who were only just a bit shorter than the ref, also in black. Theo has been rock solid at right back and he also set about his business putting in good tackles and taking the ball forward out of defence. Against the run of the early play, CA managed to get hold of the ball and had a shot from distance that went wide. CA teams do seem to like to try and shoot from anywhere and this side were no different.

Chris played the ball out to Len over on the left and Len pushed forward before playing a nice pass through to Zac. The CA defending was robust and they quickly closed down this move. CA were clearly a good side, well drilled and organised with the ability to use their size and strength to hold or block our boys when they were trying to move for throw ins etc. Len made a good clearance from the back and the ball broke well for Joe. Joe pressed forward and CA lost their shape and looked a bit panicked as Joe headed towards the centre of their goal. The defenders couldn’t catch Joe and he fired in a great strike off his right foot that brought huge cheers from the fans. Goal GNE! A lovely goal and just reward for the pressure the Blues had put CA under.

The Blues continued the early pressure with a promising move for a second goal as Zac put Joe through towards the goal, but CA were quick to close the move down. CA were starting to come back into the game and Len made a series of three clearances and headers to put the ball out for a CA corner. The boys managed to take the play back to the CA end and Joe was a bit unlucky to have a CA clearance hit his arm and a handball was given.

Coaches Dom and Geoff took the opportunity to make the first subs with Theo and Joe coming off for Sam and Billy going on. The CA attack mounted a sustained series of efforts on our goal and Chris kicked to clear the ball a few times while Billy battled well back in defence and through midfield. Len charged down a shot and Sam headed the ball off our goal line to stop CA from scoring. The CA pressure finally took its toll as they played a ball in hard from the right and one of their players managed to put a foot out and we all watched as the ball looped up and over Chris, into the goal.

The boys restarted and Billy was quickly going forward in search of a goal but he was unlucky with a bounce that just took the ball the wrong way for him. Len and Zac were linking up well on the left with good interplay and Len had a shot that was just wide. Zac fired in a good corner and Billy’s volley went over the bar. CA played some lovely passes to get the ball quickly down the length of the pitch and set up a shot that Chris blocked well with his knee. As the ball bounced back out into the path of another CA player we breathed a sigh of relief as the next shot went high over our goal.

A further substitution saw Zac going off for Harvey on. Harvey was just coming back after an injury and it was good to see him take to the field. All of the boys have really developed their skills and grown in stature in the past year. During a further period of CA pressure, you could hear Len talking to his team mates and martialling the back line to keep on top of any danger. Sam was quick and strong to battle for the ball and he played a lovely pass through to the front which the CA defence just managed to cut out but Billy picked up the rebound and his shot was just over the bar.

Len was moving the ball well through midfield but we had an odd moment where suddenly the Blues were all stood off watching as CA had a free shot on goal that pinged off the cross bar above Chris’s head. As the boys broke back, CA won a throw in near their goal and Billy managed to get in front of a CA player and took a very speculative shot from distance. The resulting CA goal kick was played short and the Blues stormed forward to claim the ball. There was a bit of tussling and Harvey scrambled well but ultimately Billy emerged goal side with the ball and struck a firm shot into the middle of the goal. Goal GNE! The fans erupted again and the echo off the stand was a joyful noise.

Harvey was playing well and he tracked back nicely to disrupt CA’s build up play. CA won a free kick in a dangerous position but the shot went wide. After Chris played the goal kick out to the right, the CA players closed down quickly and the ball was played forward from the back of a group of players. Unfortunately, Chris was unsighted and the ball managed to go just inside of the post for a goal. The last minutes of the half played out with CA putting pressure on but Len cut out a through ball and the whistle went for half time.

The good sized crowd were appreciative of the first half performance and the feeling was that the score was probably a fair reflection of the play but that the Blues were maybe a bit unfortunate not to be a goal up. The half time talk was too far away to be heard but it looked like the coaches weren’t too concerned and it looked like Chris was being reassured that the CA goals had been a bit lucky.

Joe was back on for the start of the second half and CA had swapped their keeper and put their biggest player in goal. Theo dealt with an early CA attack with a good headed clearance but they kept trying and a shot form distance was just a bit too hard for Chris to handle and it ended up in the goal. Theo was putting a shift in all over the pitch and following some good defending he made a run up the pitch weaving in and out of CA tackles. A final CA tackle was too good and they took the ball back. This was played nicely across the pitch through our defence and a firmly struck shot made for a well taken goal to CA.

CA were really up for the win now and I feared the worst for the Blues. They all continued to work hard and Sam held off a CA player to put the ball out for a corner. Joe had been getting needled by a couple of the CA players, his frustration started to show a little and CA were awarded a further free kick. Theo had another surging run stopped and Sam did well to halt the CA counter attack. Theo then covered across the back and put the ball out for a throw.

More subs were made as Joe and Sam came off for Len and Zac back on. Theo and Billy mounted a good attack on the CA goal and were unlucky not to score. Len was straight back in to the good work and his defensive cover was top drawer. The CA players were being thwarted and so they had another shot from distance that went over our goal. The goal kick was played out to Len who played a brilliant cross field ball but it just had a bit too much on it for any of his team mates to get to before it went out.

The fans were starting to get a bit nervous about this match being closed out by CA. Their players had their tails up and were closing down the Blues with pace and aggression. Theo took a heavy fall and worried us for a spell while he recovered and we wondered if he’d have to come off. Luckily he was OK and as the game resumed, Len made another last ditch tackle to deny CA. The boys have had spells in their recent games where they can lose focus and play the ball back dangerously across their own goal. This is exactly what happened next and combined with some indecision from all, CA took advantage and scored another goal.

I confess that at this point I started to think it was over and hoped that the boys could play out the game well to take some positives from it. Suddenly, Theo led a charge forward with the ball and slipped out of a couple of tackles to end up in front of the CA goal. Theo saw his chance and prodded the ball past the keeper just as a strong challenge came in and he scored. Goal GNE! A good consolation I thought, the score won’t be so bad. Then I heard the sound of the youth section of the Glossop Ultras start a chant from the back of the stand. The sound grew and grew and all you could hear was a constant “come on Glossop, come on Glossop”. Hats off to the young supporters who hadn’t stopped believing.

Back on the pitch Billy was subbed off for Harvey on. Like the fine captain he is, Theo was leading from the front and quickly pressing on the attack again and was unlucky not to score. The boys were going to finish the game with their heads held high I thought. Theo won a corner and the kick came in for Harvey who was in a very tight angle and could only manage to hit the side net with his powerful shot. The CA goal kick came out to midfield and the Blues scrapped hard to win possession. As the ball bobbled through to Len, he struck the ball magnificently, keeping it down, and the ball sailed into the CA goal. Goal GNE!

The Glossop fans cheered louder and non-stop now. The CA players were looking unsettled by the fight back and the Blues were now closing down play quickly and looked keen to keep the momentum going. As the minutes ticked away, a CA player had a panicky shot that missed wide of the goal and the coaches made their final substitution with Harvey off and Joe on.

The Blues made their way forward again and Zac couldn’t quite keep the ball in to finish off the move. At this point I heard coach Claire hassling Garry that he wasn’t shouting his usual “go on son”. Garry pointed out that his son wasn’t on the pitch but Claire wasn’t having it and said “they’re all still sons”. Half a second later and the shout “go on sons” rang out loud and clear! Theo was making great tackles and played a lovely cross through to Zac who just couldn’t get there in time to connect.

The Blues were finishing the game at a high tempo and with constant pressure on the CA goal. There was a scramble in the CA goal mouth as they couldn’t get the ball clear and Theo took a shot that was just saved and went out for a corner. The corner was played in really well and the CA players looked desperate to clear their lines but nearly scored an own goal as the ball hit the post off their player. Oh well, the boys really had given it everything and there could only be a minute or so left now, perhaps it just wasn’t meant to be their day.

The young fans were still giving it their all as the boys gained possession in their half of the field and Theo moved up to half way and laid the ball off to Joe. Zac was out on the left with no one between him and the goal. Joe just avoided a tackle and managed to play the ball out to Zac. The ball seemed to get under Zac’s feet a bit but he quickly recovered and took a touch to set the ball. The crowd were screaming for him to go on and then in a true Hollywood moment, Zac balanced himself and lashed a pacey shot across the keeper and into the right corner of the CA goal to level the scores. Goal GNE!

The crowd went absolutely crazy! The remaining seconds passed harmlessly by and the ref blew the whistle for full time. PENALTIES!

It had been an incredible game with a stunning fight back by the Blues to recover what had seemed to be a score line beyond their reach. Coaches Dom and Geoff gathered the boys on the pitch to sort out the penalty takers. My mind turned to the many famous England games that had gone to penalties and my nerves stepped up another gear. It was incredible to see all of the boys with their hands up, keen to take a penalty. I’ve seen many pro’s turning away and not wanting the stress of taking penalties but these boys were all up for it.

The arrangements were concluded with Glossop to take the first penalty and Chris stood near the goal waiting his turn to face a penalty. Joe stepped up to take the first one. A short approach and he played a powerful shot past their keeper and into the goal. Goal GNE! Text book stuff.

Chris swapped positions with the CA keeper and their payer stepped forward to the spot. The ball was struck well and went past Chris, goal to CA.

Theo was next up and he struck the ball well, low and hard to the keeper’s right. The keeper guessed right and saved the shot well.

The next CA player came forward and hit the ball firmly, but it ballooned up and hit the crossbar, no goal.

Len was next for the Blues and he took a short run to strike the ball hard to the left of the CA keeper and into the goal. Goal GNE!

The next CA penalty was the last of the regulation ones, after this it would be sudden death. The CA keeper was taking this one and he blasted the ball past Chris to score.

Now we were into sudden death. Zac came forward and struck the ball firmly past the CA keeper to score. Goal GNE!

The next CA player stepped up. He ran and hit the ball with his right foot and we watched as it was dragged just a bit too wide and the ball missed to the left of the goal. That was it, game over, the Blues had won the Cup!

The crowd were overjoyed and some of the youth support managed to get on the pitch to join in the celebrations with the jubilant Blues players and coaches. It was such a joyful moment but I could see that Dom was quickly concerned to console the CA team. CA had played really well and must have thought it was in the bag. Sadly for them, it wasn’t their day and last year our boys had a taste of how that feels.

There was a magic atmosphere with everyone smiling and the boys and coaches were called back to the tunnel to prepare for the medals ceremony. The happy fans made their way over to the opposite stand to see our boys pick up their trophies.

The first order of business was for a man of the match award to be made, decided by the ref. We had just seen a game where every one of our players had dug deep, they never gave up or looked down and we had seen five great goals scored by five different players. For the parents and fans we had eight men of the match. However, the ref had to pick just one, and I didn’t envy him that task, but it seemed right when the announcement was made that the MoM was Len. Len was immense in the game and his cool head, bossing of the left side and great goal deserved the recognition.

It was a delight to see the boys bouncing up the steps to receive their trophies and the Cup. They all loved taking the cheers and applause and looked very natural and at ease with it all – remarkable. We moved on to let the other teams have their ceremonies and more photos were taken before leaving the ground.

What a finish to the season, even now I’m wondering if that game really happened! The Blues have really come on and we’ve seen some sublime football at times, some great defending / goal keeping and some wonderful goals scored. Football is “a funny old game”, no doubt about it. But sometimes, on days like these, it’s one of the best things in the world. Credit and big thanks to the players, parents and particularly the coaches who give so much to make the club what it is. Claire, Andy and Nathan can also take credit in this result as all of the coaches work with all of the boys in training, and Claire also puts a lot in to the admin and organisation. Thanks also to Jon Matthews who clearly loves youth football and who gives so much to the under 8s as well as the under 7s and the rest of the club.

Next season we move to 7 a side and I think we may be playing in this format in the tournaments and the summer league (don’t quote me on that). Have a fantastic summer and I look forward to seeing you all at the games – vivaGNE.