ALUMNI TO THE FORE

It has been a festival of football this week, not just for Gareth and his chaps but for me too. I left the Curzon Stadium on Monday feeling positive about our national game and yesterday travelled to Tonbridge in Kent to watch my old school U18s play in the Independent Schools' Boodles' Cup last 16 against Tonbridge School. These two teams have never played each other at "full" 1st XI before because Tonbridge is mainly a rugby and hockey school in the Autumn and Spring terms.

Of course you will know that Tonbridge is also well known for giving England Colin Cowdery, and his sons, an education and I was privileged to stay overnight in Colin's old "boarding house", Ferox Hall. Many thanks to the Housemaster and his charming family for putting me up!

In the cup tie, Charterhouse won 5-1, but the score flattered them and the home team were well in the game until the last ten minutes or so. All credit to them and to their wildly enthusiastic coaches, one of whom OF COURSE, is an Old Carthusian, so he had been well trained, as so have his players.

(I might mention another cup tie in the Boodles's ISFA Cup between old favourites Eton and Harrow, the first time this has happened. Eton won 3-0.)

So much is the Tonbridge teachers'  love of football, that their staff took us off to Tonbridge Angels last evening, to see the local side play in an FA Trophy replay against Kingstonian. The ground was in immaculate condition, the game was tense but it was the visitors again who ran out winners 2-1.

Why the Angels? From 1947 they played at their first ground, where Kent CCC originally played, known as the Angel Ground (named after a local pub). The footballers eventually moved to the now well appointed Longmead Stadium in 1980. The staff at the ground were also charming, serving good beer and even finding me a pristine programme as a keepsake!

At this point I need to remind you of the past players who cut their teeth at the Angels. Roy Hodgson would be one player, as well as being an international manager.

Neil Emblen, was another international team manager, who looked after New Zealand's squad in the 2012 Olympics. One tournament match he managed was against Neymar's Brazil, which ended in a 0-3 defeat. But Neil says, he "managed" Neymar who didn't score, didn't he!

George Cohen of Fulham and 1966 World Cup fame was the club's manager in 1974-5 when the Angels played in the Southern League. Malcolm MacDonald (the well known centre forward of the old school) and Ron Saunders (another well travelled centre forward) have been members of the club. It was rewarding to see the Tonbridge goal being scored by their NUMBER 9 who rose like a salmon and nodded the ball strongly past the Carthusian keeper.