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Cropley’s Suzuki Boston Saturday League

End of season round-up 2004-2005

by Neil Johnson

THE Boston Saturday Football League season kicked off on August 28, 2004 with Axe and Cleaver FC in disarray. Their main problem appeared to lie with their first team, who failed to persuade the bulk of the previous season's players to re-sign and although the reserve team had an adequate playing staff, league rules stipulate that a club cannot withdraw their senior side. The club reluctantly pulled the plug on their season and the Premier and Division One were instantly reduced to 11 teams.

Cropley’s Suzuki Premier Division

How ironic that the opening game of the season in the Premier Division paired champions Spilsby Town and Billinghay Athletic together. This, remember, was the Billinghay Athletic, who had finished rock bottom of the top flight four months earlier but a 3-0 victory put them on the road to what was to be a unstoppable journey. Tom Dickinson scored one of the goals on that opening day and his influence in attack was to prove crucial.

Spilsby, on the other hand, struggled throughout the campaign and the absence of several key players had a major effect on confidence. Jordan Wood was one player who Spilsby sorely missed and was another reason why Croft United were suddenly one of the favourites for pushing for the title.

As it turned out Billinghay Athletic soon proved that they were the ones to be caught as they set on a run of nine unbeaten games. In fact they didn’t drop their first point until the first week in November when Croft held them to a 1-1 draw at Skegness and their first defeat didn’t arrive until March 5 at Boston Town Colts when a Tony Brooks goal settled the match. Billinghay looked well prepared to do well in the Lincs Junior Cup but they eventually went out to Nunsthorpe Tavern.
However, Billinghay went onto to complete a league and cup double when they lifted the James Eley Sports Cup on the last day of the season following a comfortable 3-0 victory over Skegness Town.

Croft United were hoping that their new signing, Jordan Wood would compensate for the loss of Dave Miskell, who struggled to regain his sharpness after a bad injury at the end of the previous season.

Although the ex-Spilsby man grabbed a hat-trick in an early league game at Sutterton he never set the league alight this time around. “Magic” Miskell briefly showed his scoring prowess in Division Two when, in the second week of the season, he hit five goals for Croft Reserves in a 6-4 home win over Spalding Town. Croft United have some good youngsters among their ranks and with a couple of crucial new signings will be hoping that they can improve on their runners-up spot in a year’s time. Croft sealed the runners-up spot with a 9-1home mauling of CFC Napoleon during the final week of the season.

CFC Napoleon were left playing catch-up as their cup successes proved to be their downfall in the league campaign but manager Simon Ingamells will be pleased with their collection of silverware, the Fishtoft Cup and the Willoughby Cup, especially as they were both gained at the expense of Billinghay.

The Napoleon also hit 17 goals in a Sports Cup tie back in November when West Pinchbeck were the unfortunate team on the receiving end.

North Sea United didn’t have such a good season this time around and they finished well off the pace, just above Sutterton but nine points behind Spilsby Town. Sutterton suffered the same fate as many of clubs who gain promotion into the Premiership while not quite ready for the top flight and so it turned out to be as they finished well adrift at the foot of the table with just two points. They experienced quite a few lows but recovered a little towards the end of the season when they earned two consecutive 1-1 draws against Boston Town Colts and Swineshead. They also had the unenviable task of facing Heckington in an early round of the Lincs Junior Cup and their heads went down well before they conceded the 17th goal in a match that did their confidence no good at all.

Cropley’s Suzuki Division One

One man who will be relishing another crack at the top section will be Wrangle United’s Nigel Birtwistle whose impressive outfit could spring a few surprises and if he could add one or two new faces to compliment some of his young talent, they will, no doubt, benefit for the challenge ahead.

The highlights of their Division One campaign were probably a 10-2 home win against Gedney Drove End where the dynamic strike-force of Donnelly and Fenwick did the damage, both scoring four times, and a 1-0 Willoughby Cup victory at Spilsby Town proved their potential. 

Division One proved to be the most competitive out of the four and the championship was not decided until the final game with Wrangle showing their pedigree with a thumping away win at Old Doningtonians to lift the trophy. Wrangle were last in the Premier back in 2001/02.
Coningsby were close behind and now have the chance to return to the top fight after a short time in Division One.

Gedney Drove End had led the way on occasions and appeared to hold the upper hand as the season entered its closing stages but defeats at Fishtoft and Spilsby Town Reserves probably put paid to their chances. Paul Markham’s side were compensated with a Challenge Cup victory in one of the season’s best finals when they defeated Old Doningtonians in a closely fought encounter, decided by Danny Goddard’s first half strike.

Boston Town Colts Reserves suffered from the turmoil of having to find a new manager after the club’s changes at the top. The second string, who had taken Division One by storm during the previous season, came off worse and after suffering a poor start they never really regained the confidence to move from the bottom of the table. Bobby Smith tried vainly to rally his troops but he was always going to face a huge mountain to climb. The club have since decided to withdraw their Reserve side from the Boston League.

Cropley’s Suzuki Division Two

Tydd St Mary produced a storming end of season run to leapfrog Spalding Town and take the Division Two title. Tydd, who struggled during their first season in the Boston League when they were very nearly relegated to Division Three, finally found their feet and the club can now look forward to life in Division One.

The club could be a real dark horse in the forthcoming campaign at a higher level and their team spirit will be a major factor. This was typified in their end of season tour to Antwerp in Belgium where the club were victorious in both the matches. No doubt manager Carl Wilson will be preparing his team well in advance during the close season.

Park United boasted the league’s number one goal scorer in Gervadson Torres who netted 41 goals in all competitions in the Boston League. He netted an amazing 12 goals in two consecutive matches when he first hit seven out of Park's nine at Shodfriars and this was followed by five Sports Cup strikes in their fine 6-5 home victory against Old Doningtonians.

Billinghay Athletic Reserves enjoyed an impressive climax to the season which saw them lift themselves off the foot of the table. Shodfriars bravely kept going throughout the season despite suffering several setbacks involving the retention of key players. Ex-manager John Sutton persuaded some of his old playing staff to join him at Harrowby in the Lincolnshire League, leaving Simon Reed with the unenviable task of scraping together a decent side week in week out in the Boston League.

Cropley’s Suzuki Division Three

Out of the three new clubs in Division Three, Woodhall Spa United fared the best and looked as if they might romp away with the title as they got off to a blistering start winning their opening six games starting off with an excellent 3-2 away win at much-fancied Westside Rangers.

They also recorded a 3-1 away victory at Spalding Harriers before finally slipping up at home to Kirton Town Reserves at the end of October. From that moment on Woodhall never rediscovered their early season form and they finished up just above the half-way mark.

The other two clubs, East Region School of Sports and Sibsey, struggled both on and off the pitch and they can only hope for better things next season.

West Pinchbeck, despite having the top goal scorer in their ranks, suffered early on in the season when administration failings cost the club dearly. Although Simon Webster rattled in no fewer than 29 goals for his club they were always going to struggle to get among the leading pack following the deduction of several points.

The three big successes in Division Three were the two promoted clubs, Holbeach St Marks Reserves and Spalding Harriers, and the cup conquerors, Kirton Town Reserves.

Holbeach St Marks were in pole position during the second half of the season but now appear to be following in the footsteps of last season’s champions, Park Road Old Boys who did not re-apply for the new season following their title success. St Marks Reserves have also not applied to compete in the league although they would have been in a slightly different situation, as they would not have been allowed promotion because their first team is already in Division Two.

Spalding Harriers produced an impressive end to their season to snatch the runners-up spot.
Kirton Town Reserves, who enjoyed a reasonable league campaign, certainly excelled in the cups — especially when it came to lifting the Main Ridge Takeaway Trophy. Croft United Reserves from Division Two had no answer to the Kirton outfit who deservedly won 2-0 thanks to a Simon Collins strike and an own goal. Their other triumph was another 2-0 victory, this time against Park United Reserves in the Willoughby Shield.

The league was reasonably lucky with the weather and only suffered badly at the end of February and the beginning of March when half the fixtures were lost in the two weeks.

Swineshead Cup 2004-2005

CROFT UNITED won the 2004-2005 Swineshead Cup. Here are details of all the results in the competition.

First round: Wyberton 2, Old Doningtonians 1; Horncastle 5, Spilsby 3.

Second round: Horncastle Town 3, Spilsby Town 2; Croft United 7, Swineshead 1; Holbeach St Marks 0, Kirton Town 5; Old Leake 1, Wyberton 2.

Semi-finals: Horncastle Town 1, Croft United 2 (after extra time); Kirton Town 1, Wyberton 3.

Final: Croft United 3, Wyberton 1.