Greenwich Borough 1-2 South Park - Thugs tarnish South Park's FA Cup upset over Boro'

Sunday 15th August 2010

GREENWICH BOROUGH 1-2 SOUTH PARK
FA Cup (Sponsored by E.ON) Extra Preliminary Round
Sunday 15th August 2010
Stephen McCartney reports from Oakley Road

FOOTBALL VIOLENCE reared its ugly head at the end of Greenwich Borough’s FA Cup exit at the hands of physical lower-league outfit South Park.

Tensions were high both on and off the pitch in this Extra Preliminary Round tie at Holmesdale’s Oakley Road ground in Bromley, as the Reigate based Combined Counties League Division One side left their mark in front of the watching ITV Sport camera.

South Park fully deserved to book a home tie against Ryman League Division One South side Horsham YMCA in the preliminary round in two weeks time, as goals from Karl Parker and Georgie Smith sealed their passage inside the opening 20 minutes, sandwiched between a Jason Mabbs header for the out-muscled Kent League leaders.

Tackles were flying in from South Park, which went unpunished by a weak referee (Mr Thomas Brooks), and the sight of his two overweight assistants before kick-off, you just knew we were in for a controversial afternoon.

The first flashpoint occurred in the 76th minute when Matthew Ward’s lunge on Greenwich Borough right-back Adam Wadmore brought disapproval from one Greenwich Borough person, who was standing beside the barrier adjacent to the home dug-out (which had the ITV Sport camera positioned on top).

South Park brought a large following to Oakley Road and many of the vocal fans were seen drinking alcohol from plastic glasses, sitting in the wooden scaffold stand and standing beside the visitors’ dug-out.

One of them, a man who appeared to be in his 40s, who was called “Paul” by his mates and was wearing a red England football jersey with the number 6 on the back, shouted to the large Greenwich Borough fan (who had access to the home dressing room after the game), “you fat c***!”, which sparked a verbal confrontation, between the two men, which was overheard by everybody in the vicinity, and “Paul” was told to calm down by his mate sitting behind him in the stand.

At the final whistle, both sets of supporters took it upon themselves to walk towards the clubhouse (on the other side of the pitch) across the pitch, although the two men involved in the verbal exchange were seen putting their arms around each other as they headed towards the clubhouse (illegally on the pitch).

The well-beaten Greenwich Borough squad slumped to the pitch for their post-match talk, whilst South Park’s players headed towards their dressing room, a green portacabin, adjacent to the clubhouse (which is accessed by a porch, which houses gents toilets, the officials’ dressing room and the home changing room) in the corridor, before fans would turn to the right for the kitchen, clubhouse and boardroom.

Moments later, the abused Greenwich Borough fan was seen standing in front of the three match officials - illegally on the pitch.

As he walked down the so-called players “tunnel” - a couple of grey scaffold poles that offer no protection on day’s like this - to the cries of “shut up, it’s only a game,” and exchanging abuse with a man waving a walking stick - it was clear to see that to his left spray from a thrown pint of beer was directed at him and the powerfully built man reacted by throwing punches - which sparked a sickening free-for-all between “supporters” and players alike.

This lasted a few minutes as other shocked supporters looked on - and a handful of Greenwich Borough players leaped into the melee to support their mate.

South Park players were then ushered away from the flashpoint towards their dressing room, as a couple of fighters walked away with blood pouring from their faces, and the decision was made for the visiting players to immediately collect their bags and head for their coach.

The Greenwich Borough fan - who had red mist descending from him - defended his SHOCKING behaviour to a screaming woman inside the clubhouse, shouting “I stood up for myself!”

The Police were called but they arrived too late - South Park and their drunken followers were long gone by then - and after abusing me earlier, the Greenwich fan (who had a bleeding right ear) approached me afterwards and apologised and agreed to an interview, agreeing that his name would not be published.

He alleged to www.kentishfootball.co.uk: “All I can say, as I walked back down, I had one person who throughout the game was abusing the players, the black players and then as I walked back down he said something and as I walked across here the geezer spat in my face - and I’m not prepared to take that, which I’m sure any man wouldn’t take it so I looked at him and he walked towards me so I done what I had to do, then I got attacked by about 10 of them.”

Reflecting on the 76th minute incident when Wadmore was taken out, he alleged, “No! It’s not on but did you hear what they called our player? (I have decided to omit what he said was allegedly said as from my position I did not hear it!).

“Is that on? When he was lying on the floor injured. Is that on? So my words were ‘you need to shut your mouth, you silly..’ I don’t want to say the word!”

He proudly added, “I stand my ground!”, not knowing what his sickening actions may bring his club, especially considering this was their first game back in The FA Cup following a six-year ban!

“But I’m not being funny, they picked on somebody today that stood up for himself and that’s what I do. I stand up for myself!”

When asked about spectators walking across the pitch at the final whistle, he replied, “To be truthful, I always walk across!

“In my opinion they (South Park’s followers) were all drunk, they all were when they got here, so that says it all. They’ve come out for a piss up! They are friends of friends of friends.

“Throughout the game they were abusing people and it shouldn’t happen in football.”

He insisted that he didn’t remonstrate with the three officials afterwards.

“He just didn’t do nothing about it (the strong challenges). The referee was not strong enough for an FA Cup game and it wasn’t remonstrating. There was no arm waving. I was speaking to him.”

South Park took just 187 seconds to break the deadlock, much to the delight of the hostile South Park beer drinking following.

A long kick up field from goalkeeper James Wastall wasn’t dealt with by defenders Frankie Richards and Frank Bunani and Karl Parker’s delicate chip sailed over goalkeeper Danny Firkins and into the empty net.

The goal stunned Greenwich Borough - currently top of the Kent League table after winning their opening game away to Fisher eight days ago - but the hosts clawed themselves back into the game after 17 minutes.

Greenwich Borough’s best attacking play came from left-sided midfielder Nathaniel Bell and he was released by a long kick from his goalkeeper and after cutting inside he cracked a right-footed screamer from 25-yards, which left Wastell rooted to the spot as the ball crashed down off the underside of the crossbar, but midfielder Jason Mabbs had ghosted into the six-yard box to nod the ball into an empty net.

But their joy was short-lived as South Park scored what turned out to be the winner just three minutes later.

Borough right-back, Frankie Richards failed to tackle Parker down the inside left-channel and he cut the ball back to Georgie smith, who slid a low right-footed shot across Firkins and the ball rolled nestled into the bottom far corner, gently caressing the foot of the far post.

This goal ensured that the tackles started to fly in and referee Mr Brooks failed to protect Greenwich Borough’s more gifted players.

But South Park had the better chances against a disappointing Greenwich Borough side, who can play much better than they did today.

Gareth Whiting-Balcombe wriggled his way through three defenders and centred low for Kieran Lavery, but his shot from the edge of the penalty box brought the very best out of Firkins, who dived full-length to his right to prevent the ball sliding into the bottom far corner.

After the half-hour mark, Greenwich were grateful to the managers son for keeping them in the tie.

Georgie Smith (riding the snapping challenges from firebrand diminutive midfielder Harry Draper) played the ball through for Parker, but his right-footed low drive was parried by the diving Firkins.

South Park’s goalkeeper was finally called into action after 42 minutes, comfortably saving Peter Afolayan’s ambitious right-footed half volley, but the shaven headed keeper made his best save of the game, blocking Duke Binitie’s low angled drive after he was played in behind the visitors’ back four.

Greenwich Borough brought on Kennickson Jarrett-Elliot at the break and the 26-year-old slotted in at left-back and he went on as many mazy runs forward as he could.

But South Park really should have wrapped up the game, after just 38 seconds into the second half.

Jarrett-Elliot lost possession high up the field and South Park swiftly sent Parker forward and once inside the Greenwich half he fed Mottram (who was watching the offside trap) and after turning Wadmore he cut the ball back for Parker, who chipped the ball just over the crossbar.

The high-tempo of the first half didn’t materialise for the second half, and after a lull in the game, Mabbs played a short corner for Afolayan, who on the angle drove a shot which arrowed over the crossbar.

Another chance arrived for the Surrey side when Mottram’s corner from the right was met on the volley by Lavery, which was cleared off the line by Draper, but Georgie Smith fired wide.

Greenwich skipper Mabbs was twice denied by two fine blocks from Wastell, before Greenwich were denied an injury time penalty when Draper was brought down inside the area by Matt Smith, which angered the home side even more.

On reflection on what happened today, it’s probably best that these two sides avoid playing each other again!

Greenwich Borough’s manager Steve Firkins, who is also the club’s secretary, was disappointed with today’s events.

In what was his first ever FA Cup tie, Firkins didn’t want to be on the end of a FA Cup upset, although he will not be the last this season.

Firkins, who was speaking to www.kentishfootball.co.uk at least 45 minutes after the final whistle after calm was all restored, he said: “Not a nice statistic for my first FA Cup. We’ve given the game away, more so than they’ve won it.

“I think we’ve given them two sloppy goals. I thought we got that out of our game over the last few weeks and we haven’t.

“Whether the occasion got to us a little bit, I don’t know, but I’m disappointed because we haven’t played. You’ve seen us play and we can play a bit better than that and we’ve let ourselves down on the day.”

When asked about the referee’s performance, he replied, “I thought, I don’t want to over commit on anything, I felt he was very lax in some of his decision making.

“They’ve obviously had us watched because they knew what we were all about and they got in amongst us. There were a few naughty tackles going in there and I think if he dealt with it earlier on then it might have possibly opened it up a little bit better for us but I think as there were more and more tackles like that, Nathaniel Bell getting whacked every couple of minutes, little Harry Draper, I just think it played into their hands and the longer it went on they just grew into it and we got frustrated.

“If he had dealt with a few early tackles, I think it would have been a different game.”

But going out the way his side did, and what happened after the final whistle, left a very bitter taste in the mouth.

“I’m bitterly disappointed,” said Firkins. “At this level these chances come along once every year in the FA Cup and I suppose for us, every six years, but it’s disappointing because we’ve gifted them two goals. Not just that, all the effort that we put in over the last couple of weeks, and to get back into the Cup and we go out at the first attempt.”

Putting his secretary’s hat on, Firkins was sickened by the violence that brought shame on the competition and will sadly put both clubs in the national limelight for all the wrong reasons.

When asked his take on the incident, Firkins replied, “There was a bit of a scuffle at the back there, a couple of supporters got involved with somebody and all a bit untidy, not very nice.

“I must admit I’m not too pleased about it all but what can you do? We’ve got to react to it as a club and we will sit down and discuss it on Tuesday and that whatever necessarily action we have to.”

When asked whether he feels both clubs will face punishment from the Football Association, his response was: “Well I know there’s an FA official here so again, I think, without seeing the match referee’s report, whether he says anything that went on or not, I don’t know, but I really don’t know.

“As far as I’m aware it’s normally the referee’s report but as far as I’m aware he was nowhere near.”

When asked about spectators streaming across the pitch at the final whistle - which sparked off the flashpoints in the first place - Firkins blamed the away contingent.

“I don’t think we had an awful lot of support here to be honest with you,” he said, especially as his club only averaged 31 fans in the Kent League last season.

“”There was quite a lot of their people on the pitch and I tried to get our players in the middle, which I did do and we were sitting and talking and then the next thing we know there’s untold trouble.

“I mean, there’s a lot of kids here today. I had quite a lot of my family, my brother and his kids and that and they’re only young and my first reaction was ‘where are they?”

“I think it’s developed from one individual who had a bit of a fracas in the stand earlier on but I don’t know whether he was involved or not. I don’t know but apparently somebody spat at one of our people and it kicked off from there.”

Firkins insisted he will suspend his players that got involved with the fisticuffs.

“I weren’t too pleased with a couple of my players’ reaction,” he bemoaned. “A couple of them got themselves involved and we shouldn’t really.

“It’s nice when you know your players are caring for each other that way, but we shouldn’t be involved with that and I’m disappointed and I’ve told them that in the changing room.

“As I said, we’ll deal with that on Tuesday. We’ll sit down and have a meeting with a few committee members and if it means banning a couple of them for a couple of games then we will do.”

Expressing his feelings at the end of the interview, the stunned manager said: “I’ve got the right hump with it to be honest with you. If I drank I’d go and get myself a few beers down my neck!

“I always felt this was going to be a tricky game. I would rather be playing Horsham YMCA or somebody like that.

“I just wanted to get this one out of the way. Unfortunately it’s all backfired on us. I always felt these would be a tough nut to crack.”

Greenwich Borough: Danny Firkins, Frankie Richards (Kennickson Jarrett-Elliot 46), Adam Wadmore (Billy Walton (jnr) 80), Jason Mabbs, Frank Bunani, Bobby Hanley, Harry Draper, Michael Jones, Duke Binitie (Luke Tanner 55), Peter Afolayan, Nathaniel Bell.
Subs: Danny Taylor, Sam Friskey, Tommy Lau.

Goal: Jason Mabbs 17

Booked: Duke Binitie 44, Harry Draper 68

South Park: James Wastell, Jerry O’Sullivan, Matthew Ward (Matt Smith 86), Daniel Guscott, Steven Wilson, Gareth Whiting-Balcombe, Daniel Mottram, Georgie Smith, Karl Parker (Chris Smith 70), Kieran Lavery, Daniel Stone (Justin David 77).
Subs: Ben Smythe, Jamie David, Harry Mullard.

Goals: Karl Parker 4, Georgie Smith 20

Booked: Gareth Whiting-Balcombe 71

Attendance: 134
Referee: Mr Thomas Brooks (Dagenham, Essex)
Assistants: Mr Keith Curran (Southend, Essex) & Mr John Farrant (Basildon, Essex)