A new book: From Hashtag United to Wembley
(all profits go to charity)
Where I saw Leiston
FAT R2 v Bishop’s Stortford (a) 1-5
(all profits go to charity)
FAT R2 v Bishop’s Stortford (a) 1-5
When a Leiston supporter said that Leiston supporters would give their right arm for the player budget that Bishop’s Stortford probably has. At that moment, a Bishop’s Stortford fan with his arm in a sling walked by.
Leiston is three miles from the Suffolk coast, due west of Sizewell. If you don’t know where Sizewell is, it’s three miles due east of Leiston on the coast.
I found the Leiston fans that made the trip from Suffolk a friendly bunch. However, they were not optimistic about their chances at Bishop’s Stortford. They were right, it was 5-1 – pessimists or realists?
Leiston had a tough afternoon at Bishop’s Stortford and sunk to a 5-1 defeat. At 2-0, Leiston were struggling but a well-taken goal from Adam Mills gave brief hope.
However, the Leiston supporters were a very friendly bunch, but, sadly, we parted company after one game. I was looking forward to a weekend in Suffolk, but that came much later.
The book describes my journey following the 2021-22 FA Trophy. I chose to start at Hashtag United v Chipstead in the First Round Qualifying of the FA Trophy. From there, I followed the winners of each tie, finishing at Wembley, where I saw Bromley lift the trophy after beating Wrexham. It was a magical journey that enabled me to visit 9 non-League grounds plus Wembley and meet supporters from 12 different fantastic clubs.
I travelled to each game by train and stayed at or close to the venue of each tie for at least one night. Each chapter takes a light-hearted look at my travels, my exploration of each town or city, as well as covering my match-day experience. I also met many interesting people on my travels, enjoying a beer or two with the locals at each venue. The book captures the spirit that I believe only exists in non-League football and describes some truly enjoyable and memorable moments.