Page 4 - Deal Round Up November 2019

Just Like
The Italian Job
By Hugo Varley

I was frantically working towards yet another print deadline when I came across a story
which certainly made me smile.
As they jubilantly travelled back from their FA Vase victory at Bacup Borough recently, the
players and staff of Grimsby Borough found themselves in a scenario fit for a Hollywood
thriller as their coach ended up perched on the edge of a 45 feet ravine!
They had only just set off on the journey from The Borough’s West View home when their
coach driver suddenly took a rather perilous wrong turn.
“When it crashed we started singing ‘you’re getting sacked in the morning!’ to the driver,’”
said Grimsby boss Daniel Barrett.
“Then the bus tilted and we started to realise that things may be a bit more serious!
”We had stayed in the bar after the match for a little bit and were still very much at the
beginning of the trip home.”
Nevertheless the group was determined to make
the best of the situation and set out in search of
a pub.
However, in deepest rural Lancashire, this proved
more difficult than expected.
Barrett continued: “We ended up walking about
five miles!
“We stopped off at a petrol station and bought
some drinks. We had our portable speakers and
were singing all the way, I don’t really know what
the local residents were thinking.
“When we eventually found a pub the people running it were so helpful and said that we
could stay there for the night.
“It was a pretty surreal evening but we certainly made sure that we made the most of
the situation.
“Thankfully we are at home in the next round so there won’t be a repeat!”
While this represents a rather funny tale which will certainly be remembered by those
involved for a long time, I think it also demonstrates one of the best things about playing
football at this level.
In an age of over protected and out of touch professionals, this kind of story would never
have happened in the higher divisions.
A huge part of Non-League football is about enjoyment and about getting away from the
rigours of another working week to play the game for the love of it with people that you
get along with.
Of course, everyone wants success and to move up the pyramid but Non-League football
also has that lovely human element of regular people enjoying their weekends while also
trying to fulfil their dreams in the game.
It is for these quirky tales why people like myself have come to love Non-League football
and everything that it represents.

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