Who's With Us In The Conference South?

With Concord Rangers being promoted last season (still struggle to take that in sometimes!) and making their way into the Conference South, I thought it best to have a quick glance at some of the teams (and in turn lengthy journeys) we’ll have the pleasure of enjoying next season! Please note that mileages & journey times are estimates found online, and I am using the initial FA team placement to identify our opponents, the league set-up will be ratified at the AGM later next month.

I’ll start close to home, and the closest team are one that we’ve become accustomed to playing in cup competitions over the years, Chelmsford City. Just 20 minutes down the road, we’ve played & beaten them in the Isthmian Cup this past season and in the Essex Senior Cup the season before. Back in 2009 they beat us to win the Essex Senior Cup that season, so it’s been back and forth over the years. The Clarets are currently without a manager, but by the time the season begins they are bound to be back on track and pushing forward in the league.

The other teams that are within relatively close proximity to the club include Ebbsfleet Utd (40mins), Bromley (55 mins), Bishops Stortford, Tonbridge Angels & Boreham Wood (1hr). Ebbsfleet United were relegated from the Conference Premier last season, finishing 23^rd overall after earning just 8 wins throughout the year. The Fleet were the only Conference Premier side to be relegated into the Conference South this season, as the other three teams were placed into the Conference North, and Bishops Stortford were moved from the North to the South division. The “Bishops” have spent the last two seasons in the Conference North after Rushden & Diamonds were expelled from the Football Conference, which has led to some testing journeys over the years, so they’ll be much happier to be back in the South!

Alongside us, Whitehawk (now Brighton City FC) were promoted to the Conference South as champions of the Isthmian Premier League, and we know all about them from our two encounters last season! Gosport Borough were also promoted to the Conference South after winning the playoffs in the Evo-Stick South Premier League, and much like us they are entering this level of football for the first time in the clubs history.

Being at this level of football means that our away days will be longer, with journeys stretching up to nearly 200 miles and well over 3 hours long when travelling by road. From what I could find out, the longest journey for the Beachboys this season will be 195 miles down the road to Weston Super Mare, a journey which will take around 3 and a half hours. Add to that the journey back, and the lads will be in for a very long day. Slightly closer (but not by much) are Dorchester Town (176 miles), Bath City (170 miles) and Eastleigh (125 miles), all taking between 2hrs 10 mins & 3hrs to get to! Obviously it’s not just us making these trips, our opponents will be doing the same when they visit us, but they do look like some excessively long and drawn out trips. The key will be when the fixtures are (released in early July), as a 390 mile round trip wont be fun on a Tuesday night!

One of the other teams of note will be Sutton United, where Tom Lovelock is the custodian of the goal. Tom spent a period of time on loan with the Beachboys this past season, turning in some excellent performances including in the penalty shootout cup victory over Chelmsford City. I would love to have seen Tom back at Concord Rangers but best of luck to him there, except when playing us of course.

I could spend all day going into detail on the teams in this, such are the stories and histories associated with them, but I don’t wish to bore you all to tears (if I haven’t already). Next season will be a massive one for the club without a doubt, and I for one am looking forward to the challenges it’ll bring!

You Are My Concord!

Back To Basics

It’s been some time since I wrote a personal blog, strange considering I used to do them on a regular basis. But to be honest most of the time over the past year I’ve been writing about Concord Rangers and the hell of a season the club and everyone associated with it has had. It’s not been a bad thing, football helped keep my mind off issues at home with my mum & her partner, and stopped me writing pages of emotional issues!

So before I drift into that of which I have been avoiding, things are a lot steadier and more relaxed now in my personal life. Myself and my youngest brother Ben moved out of the “family” home (I say family like that because of the issues we had and that I continue to have) at the end of February, the date set by ourselves as a target after a conversation with our mum late last year. We’ve moved to a decent 2-bed flat in Basildon, right near the station & town centre so everything we need is right there on our doorstep. Admittedly took a while to settle in, I for one wasn’t exactly sleeping well for the first couple of weeks. But now everything is in place, our expenditure is under control, Sky has been installed, and we are both eating well & regularly!

My aunt & Nan both said that a few months in we would wonder why we didn’t do this earlier, and they wasn’t wrong. Both myself and Ben have wondered that, as it’s gone so well. I say that, but it’s our first inspection next week so it could all go horribly wrong! We did receive an awful lot of help from our dad and Nan, both provided immense support and assistance in the lead up to and the weeks after the move. I really cannot thank them both enough for everything.

What else? Well work has been interesting to an extent. I am now mainly based at our New Cross Gate depot, the control room there was admittedly left to the side and now the focus is on bringing it up to the same standards if not better than our main control room at Swiss Cottage. The guys there are now getting regular management coverage (me) and a bit more support when it comes to systems stuff and decision making when things go wrong. No denying it’s been tough at times, but thankfully some of the guys there are very decent and make the job a lot easier. The nature of our company means that minds are changed higher up more often than you’d like, and closer to the front line we have to adapt and keep them happy, so far so good!

Still a single man, slowly but surely approaching my 30th birthday this November so I do feel as though I am getting old. Thankfully the move has saved me from feeling like too much of a sad old bastard. I do still have plenty going on though to keep me from going mad, and not just football, although that is one of the key things (and has been for some time). I’ve got 2 whisky tasting events the next few weeks, the Great British Beer festival in August, Railsports (providing everything gets signed off in time) next month, oh and the small matter of two weddings. Paul Hill & his partner Emma will be tying the knot in July down in Brighton, over the last few years Paul has become a very good mate after meeting him through Duncan (a friend & former colleague), and I wish him all the best. Before that though, a friend who I have been through a lot with, who’s seen as many ups as they have downs, will be getting married in June. Over the years myself and Vikki have had our arguments, disagreements and issues, but as friends we’ve managed to get through it somehow. I wish her all the best and will be glad to be there for the big day.

So yeah, that’s pretty much it for now I guess. Nearly 3 months in the new place, me and my brother are surviving, keeping everything under control. Football season ending will see it missed for the summer, but thankfully the lads that are a part of that have become good mates and I’m sure there’ll be a few beers drunk before preseason starts (not too many though for them, of course). I appreciate you reading this if you’ve managed this far, thank you!

Beachboys In The Conference South!

Football has an amazing effect on your emotions & your physical state, and never is it more apparent then during the business end of the season!

So Monday 6^th May started like any other day, except full of nerves and a distinct lack of sleep because of it. History had already been made by Concord Rangers this season with the highest league position and the Ryman League Cup victory, but today was a chance to add to that in spectacular fashion by winning promotion to the Conference South. Win or lose though, it had been a brilliantly successful season for the Beachboys and the lads could be proud of what they had already achieved.

The players coach left Thames Road just after 9:30, and so begun the long slog up the A12 towards the days opponents, Lowestoft Town, themselves a team who were making their 3^rd consecutive appearance in the Ryman Playoff final. The mood was jovial to be fair, a bit of nervous excitement around, but that was eased midway through the journey as we descended on a café just past Ipswich and came close to eating them out of business (well, that may have been just me). A great story of the day was that winger Reece Harris had flown back from the States just to be a part of the squad, which to me just highlighted the effect this club has on the people involved with it.

We arrived in a sunny Lowestoft at around half one, and the supporters we had begun singing almost immediately, if only to drown out the fairly woeful karaoke singer our hosts had brought in to “entertain” the crowds! 90 minutes to kill, so the Lowestoft facilities were enjoyed & the beer sampled, as the other coaches of Beachboys fans began to appear. The time just seemed to drag until kick off, as the ground filled and nerves were clearly being felt by everyone there (final attendance was around 2,490).

With the game under way, a group of us descended on the shed behind the Trawlerboys goal and proceeded to make ourselves heard with a variety of songs, made all the more vocal when Steve King headed in our first goal. There wasn’t much room in that shed, but we made sure every inch was used as we bounced around celebrating! Our voices rarely stopped to be fair, even when Lowestoft equalised we continued to show our support and cheer on the lads. It was a beautiful day, and an occasion that happens rarely, so we were making the most of it! Second half was more of the same, noise from us and Concord playing fairly well against a Lowestoft side who were not at their best. Maybe it was the pressure of being there for the 3^rd time in a row, maybe it was the crowd, but the Trawlerboys were not playing as well as they had done previously. Concord made that count as with a few minutes of normal time left Leon Gordon popped up at the back post to head the winner past the ‘Stoft ‘keeper, sending us fans into delirium!

After what seemed like an eternity the final whistle blew, prompting emotional scenes from the players, bench, committee and the fans (including myself) who clambered on to the pitch to celebrate the amazing achievement. That was my first pitch invasion, actually felt special to be a part of! Didn’t do myself any favours though as I fell to the ground in a heap after getting over the barrier! The first person I saw was Danny Cowley, it was all I could do to give him a hug and scream “we did it Dan”! The whole experience of the day, the celebrations on the pitch, on the coach home & in the club afterwards, was something to behold. Everyone pulling together for one goal, all the emotion, blood sweat and tears that have been invested into this club being worthwhile as promotion was achieved. When I started watching Concord Rangers 3 short years ago, never did I believe I would be a part of something so special, it’s a great feeling which continues to show why non-league football has become such a big part of my life!

Everyone involved in the club should enjoy this moment, soak up the emotion of it all, and then in few weeks time, start looking forward to life in the Conference South!

You Are My Concord!

The Season Draws To A Close

With just one game left in the regular season, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on how the whole thing has gone, and look towards our impending playoff journey.

Coming into our 3^rd season in the Ryman Isthmian Premier League, the main priority was survival, it’s no secret that we as a club are punching above our weight, and the focus was keeping Concord Rangers established at this level. The months that have passed since the season kicked off back in August has seen the Beachboys do just that and much more. We’ve had heartache, joy, tragedy and more bumps & bruises that you could care to count.

The start of the season saw some poor results come our way, including 1-3, 1-4 & 0-3 defeats from 3 of our first 4 games in August. Only 2 league games in September thanks to cup commitments, both of which produced 2-2 draws. The cups however provided a bit of welcome relief after victories at home to Needham Market & away to Kettering Town. It was possibly the first game n October which started to light a fire in the lads when in the league, as we grabbed a deserved (and to outsiders unexpected) 2-0 victory away to Margate. The cups also continued to provide excitement for the Beachboys, as they came back from 0-3 down to win 4-3 away to Dagenham & Redbridge in the Essex Senior Cup.

An unbeaten November highlighted the corner that had been turned by the lads, winning 4 league games, drawing 1, and winning cup games against Takeley and Redbridge (which Jason Hallett score 7 & 6 goals respectively). A total of 34 goals were scored by the Beachboys this month, highlighting the strength of not just the strikers (Stokes, Hallett & Elmes) but the rest of the squad in that respect. December gave the club a smack in the mouth a week before Christmas as Lewes came to Thames Road & won 6-3, but the team were able to recover quickly and win the first of the two Island derbies 3-0. January became a month controlled by the weather, as did much of February, with snow & rain meaning many games were postponed and rescheduled! The good form continued though, and Concord were able to reach the semi-finals of both the Essex Senior Cup and the Isthmian League Cup. Although Grays sent the Beachboys out of the first, a victory over Hastings sent Concord into the final of the latter.

Thanks to the previous months weather, March & April were some of the busiest months I’ve known for any football club. Tuesday night games were a mainstay, with a few on Thursdays having to be thrown in for good measure. Concord were able to cope though, and remained unbeaten through March until an away trip to Wealdstone on the 28^th where they fell 1-2. A victory over Canvey Island on Easter Monday did little to stop a slide though, as the Beachboys then lost their next 3 league games. The league wasn’t the main story at this moment in time however, as on Tuesday 9^th April history was made when Concord Rangers beat Dulwich Hamlet 3-2 aet to become Isthmian League Cup Champions. It was a fantastic performance from the team, and the support shown for the lads was excellent.  Later that month the form returned with hard earned victories at Leiston & Met Police which confirmed our place in the playoffs, but at the time of writing our opponents were not certain.

Within the season we’ve also seen our players take a battering. Striker Harry Elmes suffered a horrific broken leg in a home game against Thurrock, a player who means a lot to the team on & off the pitch, I personally wish him all the best and it’s been great seeing him at games recently cheering the lads on. Other players have been seen to take harsh knocks too, Easterford putting his head on the line & coming away a bloody mess, and more recently Danny Spendlove suffering a double break to his eye socket & a compressed/fractured cheekbone. The team have been through the wars this year, and they have worked hard for what they’ve achieved. Now after the home game against Leiston it’s time to focus on the next goal, securing promotion through the playoffs!

You Are My Concord

Alan Jessup-Peacock

Chairman “Concord Supporters Association”

Bit of a Mixed Bag

Lately the fortunes of Concord Rangers have been as mixed as the weather! Since the end of March it really has been a rollercoaster for the Beachboys & their fans, and it’s not hard to see why given the fact that the team are running on empty (as most teams with hectic schedules are right now).

The topsy turvy run of form began on the 28^th March with a tough away trip to fellow playoff (and possibly title) hopefuls Wealdstone. An early sending off for Leon McKenzie made the job difficult for Concord on the night, however some exceptional defending and determined play kept the game scoreless through the first half. John Easterford rose above all others midway through the second half to give the Beachboys the lead they deserved after being the better side even with 10 men. However 2 quick goals in the last 5 minutes gave Wealdstone the victory. There were some ugly scenes at the final whistle from the Wealdstone “fans” invading the pitch, but highlighting the details would give them publicity they do not deserve.

Another away game lay ahead on Easter Monday, this one being the 2^nd of the seasons Island Derby games against Canvey Island. To be completely honest it wasn’t the greatest game between the two sides, but Concord ran away easy winners on the day by a 2-0 scoreline. An early Tony Stokes goal & a bit of luck from Jason Hallett got the job done against a Canvey team seemingly not bothered (save for maybe one or two players) whether they won or lost.  

2 more defeats followed for the Beachboys (at home to Hendon & away at East Thurrock) which really killed off any hopes of pushing Whit£hawk all the way for the title, but the playoffs were (and still are) a very good possibility. Before the playoffs though there was the small matter of the Isthmian League Cup final against Dulwich Hamlet. I won’t go into detail as there’s already a great report on the site by Jack Junior Smith on the match which sums it up completely, but after extra time Concord Rangers won 3-2 on the night. The celebrations after the game continued long into the morning for some of us, and it was a date that will live long in the Beachboys memory, even more so for captain Tony Stokes who that day announced he and his partner are expecting their first child.

Concord were brought back down to earth with one hell of a bump this past Saturday though, as relegation threatened Harrow Borough came to Thames Road and pulled off an unexpected 2-1 victory. Players were playing injured, 4 solid penalty appeals were waved away by the ref, & 2 sending off offences were also ignored and just punished with yellow cards, but even so it was a tough defeat to stomach. This made it 4 league losses from the last 5 games, 3 of them in a row, which is the poorest form we’ve been on this season. Every team has blips, and it appears that ours has come right at the business end of the season.

The final 4 games of the season will be tough, as all games are in this league. Tonight Concord travel to Leiston, visit Met Police on Saturday, go to Kingstonian next Monday before ending the regular season at home to Leiston on Saturday 27^th April. Now depending on how those games go, the playoffs will take place during the following week, 2^nd & 3^rd place will host 5^th & 4^th place teams respectively before the final on Saturday May 4^th. Obviously we’d love to see Concord there, so it’s fingers crossed as the final weeks come and go. It won’t be easy though, and the lads will need all the support they can get, it’ll be good to see as many of you as possible at the games!

You Are My Concord!

Cup Final Fever

I am writing this with a little over 24 hours to go until kickoff of the Ryman League Cup Final between Concord Rangers & Dulwich Hamlet, and I have to admit, I am buzzing!

I’ve seen finals before, watched West Ham in the FA Cup final against Liverpool, and went to Wembley to see West Ham beat Blackpool in the Championship Playoff Final last season, but this is different. I tend to approach watching Concord & watching West Ham as following two different sports, although it’s the same game, it’s a different atmosphere, different set up etc. And I know that tomorrow, when I’m on the coach down to Maidstone for the game, it’ll be an experience like no other.

Ok so I’ve followed the Beachboys for 3 years, I’m open when it comes to that, and I’ve not been here through the Essex Senior League days of yesteryear. But it shows the type of club this is, and the effect it has on people, that in these 3 years I’ve become a passionate supporter, a regular contributor to the club (by these articles, PA announcing at matches) and being named “Chairman, Concord Supporters Association”. So when the team does well, it’s the club as a whole succeeding, and it is very easy to feel a part of that success, as even us fans singing in the shed end all have a part to play. The word being used around the club to sum it up is Teamship, sounds made up I know, but thanks to some work by Miki Hood, he found that it’s a proper word, and the meaning he found sums it up completely:

Teamship – “The state or quality of being a team, associated or working with other teams, towards a common benefit or goal.

Teamship, where multiple teams work together, is necessary for the better care and good stewardship of the planet. It’s the next level up from partnership, which is a one-to-one concept.”

So the lads have to take that Teamship, that togetherness, that focus on the goal into the game tomorrow night, even more so after 2 consecutive league losses. This game will be the perfect opportunity to forget the league for the moment, take in the atmosphere of a cup final on what will be a spectacular pitch, and put in a performance worthy of the prize ahead. A number of players have been a part of the Beachboy journey this season, some for only a couple of games and many throughout the whole season, and all their efforts come down to this period, the “business end” of the season. The team have had a fantastic season so far, and it’s nowhere near over with so much still to play for. But a cup final victory, well that would be a payoff for all the hard work the lads have put in over the months since it all kicked off last summer.

I’m excited, it’s hard not to be, it’ll be the biggest game for Concord Rangers that I’ve been a part of without a doubt. And to be fair it’ll be one of the biggest some of the players would have been a part too. It’s a big occasion, as the Chairman has said a few times, it’s a big game for big players, the lads have to step up, put the performance in that’s needed, and work to bring home the first bit of silverware in a few years! There will be a healthy amount of Concord support down there tomorrow night, it’ll be a pleasure to be a part of it, here’s hoping we all come back as very happy Beachboys!

You Are My Concord!

The Road To Maidstone

With a less than a month until the Isthmian League Cup final, I thought it was worth looking at how both teams made it to the game which will be held at Maidstone FC on the 9^th April. It’ll be a momentous occasion in itself as the Isthmian League Cup becomes the first major competition in the country to stage its showpiece cup final on an 3G surface, how that will effect the play of both sides remains to be seen!

Our opponents on that day will be Dulwich Hamlet of the Ryman League South Division, and they are no stranger to playing higher league opposition in this seasons cup competition. After a 2-1 away victory at Eastbourne Town in the 2^nd round, and a 5-1 home victory against Herne Bay in round 3, “The Hamlet” hosted Ryman Premier League high-flyers Wealdstone. Dulwich were the better side throughout, and scored the only goal of the game 4 minutes into the second half. As seems to be the case in most games, the trailing team rallied in the closing stages, but the tie-saving goal never came, booking Hamlet a Quarter Final date at home to Kingstonian (also in the Ryman Premier League).

After 3 weather-related postponements the game finally took place at the start of February, and Kingstonian took an early lead. Many would think the lower league team in this scenario would capitulate, but they rallied together to get back into the game & eventually ran out 4-1 winners. Although the score looked one sided, the Hamlet match report naming their ‘keeper as MOTM probably tells you all you need to know about how the game went. A penalty shootout victory over Thamesmead in the semi-final (after being 1-1 at 90 minutes) gave The Hamlet their place in the final next month.

The Beachboys journey to the final began away to Romford in the 2^nd round, with the match being played at the home of Thurrock FC due to a ground-share agreement. A comfortable 4-1 win for Concord Rangers against the lower league side set up an away trip to Redbridge in the 3^rd round, where the lads demolished their opposition by winning 9-0 (Jason Hallett even grabbed 6 goals). Next up was a home draw against fellow Ryman Premier team Bury Town, and a tough game saw the Beachboys earn a 2-1 victory early in December.

The weather affected the quarter final against Wroxham, with the game being postponed two weeks on the trot, however when the game finally took place it started fairly quietly. The first half finished scoreless but within 4 minutes of the restart Jason Hallett gave Concord the lead. Wroxham tried to get back into the game and put on some pressure, however they left themselves open at the back and 3 minutes from time Ade Osifuwa pretty much killed the game off with a 2^nd Concord goal.  Hastings were up in the semi final just over a week after beating them in the league 4-0, but nothing could be taken for granted as football can produce some surprising results. Didn’t happen on this night though, Concord romped to an emphatic 3-0 win in the mist to set up the final.

The countdown is on, it’ll be a massive game with both clubs looking to take home their first bit of silverware for the season, hopefully we’ll see as many Concord Rangers fans as possible there to support the Beachboys!