Inspired in part by the Que Sera-tinged popular terrace song ‘On Our Way (To The Football League).
The song has been adapted for whichever league (Football, Premier, Champions, National etc;) that you find yourself languishing or thriving in and has been heard regularly doing the rounds at many a ground, including here for the past couple of seasons.
This poem was also written in pensive and somewhat providence-testing anticipation of the up-coming Vanarama National League Semi Final Play Offs this week .
Our local team Forest Green Rovers who finished the season 3rd, take on Dagenham (4th) away this week and then at home on Sunday for a place at Wembley . The first ‘prize’ is an opportunity to face the winners of the Tranmere Rovers / Aldershot match in the other tie . The ultimate reward for one of us is a coveted place in the Football League 2.
So like it or not on Sunday, I’ll be drumming again on a big drum, one of many the club provide in the young and noisy South Stand. I’ll be there on the green and flag bathed terraces with poet Elvis McGonnagall and his father in law who is 89 and who has never been to a football match in his life.
Often referred to as ‘the little team upon the hill’ , but more recently as the first (and only) vegan club in the world, FGR/The Rovers have been largely under the radar and non-league since 1889, unlike many of our esteemed ex-league opponents who make up this current National League eg; Lincoln City*, Tranmere Rovers, Dagenham, Aldershot, Wrexham, Torquay United, Macclesfield, Chester, Barrow, Southport** and York City ** .
A demanding and difficult league in which, unlike the Football Leagues above, only the team finishing top are automatically promoted, with one other place only at stake. To put it into perspective, Forest Green have been in the Conference for 19 years, having been promoted from the then Southern League Premier Division in 1998. We’ve seen the likes of Bristol Rovers, Wimbledon, Luton Town, Newport, Cheltenham Town, Crawley, Fleetwood and many others drop down or get back up again down the years.
But for FGR, who never having been in the league in the history of the club, it’s involved working the long way up via the local and lower leagues for just over 128 years ..so this is special. Mind you it was special last May, when we made it to Wembley only to lose to Grimsby in front of 13000 Town inflatable-waving fans singing “Fish” and backed by 4000 from our little Gloucestershire home. .Don’t ask .
But first, there’s the small matter of the first leg (Thursday). It’s on BT and we’re hoping to take 300, but we’ll be here, watching up at the New Lawn. Fingers crossed then. Come on Rovers!
* Lincoln City Winners/promoted .
** Southport and York City relegated
Good luck! Hope to see you on Sunday if I can make it.