A new book: From Hashtag United to Wembley
(all profits go to charity)
Where I saw Whitehawk
FAT 3RQ v Chipstead (a) 1-2
(all profits go to charity)
FAT 3RQ v Chipstead (a) 1-2
Meeting the young lady supporting Whitehawk in a shrimp outfit. I was never clear why she wore the shrimp outfit or whether it only came out for cup ties. Still, it was novel and added to the pre-match banter.
Having visited Whitehawk on a number of occasions before the Chipstead tie, I already knew about their novel chants. “The referee is a referee” sticks in my head. Whitehawk came with a great bunch of supporters.
I was able to witness an Egyptian international no less, performing in the Whitehawk defence.
Not only that Adam el Abd curled a beauty in the top corner to give Whitehawk a 1-0 half-time lead. It turned out not to be enough as Chipstead hit back to win 2-1.
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.