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well my first attempt at writing a short story, it’s taken from a long running CM03/04 game with Aldershot, any feedback welcome
The Armband: By Wimb The Barman
As Aldershot goalkeeper Scott Knight made his way out of the visitors dressing room at Selhurst Park to head to the team coach, he noticed that 1 suit jacket still hung on its peg in the dressing room. A quick inspection of the pin striped black jacket revealed that it belong to the skipper David Fox but Foxy was nowhere to be seen in the dressing room, nor had he made it onto the team bus. Scott quickly shouted to veteran striker Stefan Moore to hold up the coach, and dashed out of the dressing room and down the tunnel area to see if he could spot the elusive captain.
Scott went past the goal where just hours before he had taken his place ‘between the sticks’ for Aldershot Town in their biggest match of the season, a title decider against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. Aldershot manager Daniel Wimbush had said very little in the dressing room beforehand, but then again he didn’t need too his players had been here before. The story of Aldershot was perhaps the most remarkable in modern football history, as the side had progressed from the Nationwide Conference to winning the UEFA Champions League in just 12 years. The man responsible? A previously unknown manager named Daniel Wimbush. Yet here and now all of Wimbush’s achievments counted for nothing as the Sony Premiership leaders had to win their final game to be assured of their first Premiership crown and pip second place Chelsea to the crown.
Scott spotted a half-suited Foxy just after he reached the edge of the penalty area clutching something in his hand, inside the centre circle. The ground had long since emptied but Foxy was just stood there looking around at the old ground, taking in every view possible. Hours before 27,812 fans had been inside the stadium and witnessed Fox and his Aldershot colleagues shaking hands with the Palace players, red and white balloons all over the pitch having been thrown by the 3000 expectant Aldershot fans. Now as Fox stood there a solitary balloon lay by the side of the pitch and just as it caught Fox’s eye. Scott tapped him on the shoulder
“Come on skip, we’ve got a bus to catch said the big keeper to his still silent skipper. But Fox didn’t reply and instead simply handed Scott the captains armband before walking back to the dressing room alone. Scott looked at the armband in his hand remembering how it stood out so strongly on Fox’s white shirt during that early scramble in the box where Palace striker Kevin Smith had thumped the bar with a shot on the turn. Scott had been left stranded but thanks to left back Gary Hudson the danger had been cleared. Knight had little to relax though and throughout the rest of the first half he had made a string of fine saves to keep Aldershot in the title hunt.
Snapping out of nostalgia Knight jogged back down to the dressing room and out to the car park to the waiting team coach, scurrying on before the bus left him stranded in London for the night…. (Not that it wouldn’t have had certain advantages)
The last seat left was next to Simon Griffiths the talented striker who almost made the headlines with his 43rd minute opener for Aldershot that day, finding himself on the end of Lionel Morgan’s cross, to send the visiting fans, players and staff into utter raptures.
Scott glanced over his shoulder and saw the solitary figure of David Fox sitting on his own at the back of the bus, just staring out of the window.
“Simon, what’s up with Foxy?, he hasn’t said a word since that final whistle what the hell is wrong with him?” Griffiths looked just as miffed as the ‘keeper simply shrugging his shoulders and saying “who knows?”
Foxy had certainly reason to be silent midway through the second half when Kevin Smith had headed Palace level from a corner, leaving Scotty totally helpless. At the time of the goal Foxy simply stared at the manager Daniel Wimbush for a few seconds before rallying the troops with the words Just forget it, we’re all playing now for the same thing and we know EXACTLY what we need to do, so lets just do it The rallying cry spurred on every player in a white and red shirt and they all poured forward hoping to snatch a winner. News filtered through that Chelsea had a 3-0 lead over Bradford and that victory was the only way to win the title and the fans were getting more and more anxious. However Scott had little time to worry about what was happening at Stamford Bridge, as he had to make repeated saves from Palace man Cherno Samba just to keep Aldershot in the mix.
As the coach arrived back at The Recreation ground Scott prepared himself for what was to come. The approach to the ground had brought back memories of the year before when Aldershot had missed out on the title by just a single point. Yet that year had also witnessed the triumph over Lazio in the Champions League final and Scott remembered the scenes after both of those events. He knew what he was about to walk into.….
But what scene he would walk into would not to be known to the young keeper as he ran into the box with just seconds remaining of the game. Despite the best efforts of all the Aldershot players the scoreboard still read Palace 1 – 1 Aldershot, with 92:43 on the clock as Lionel Morgan stepped up to take this last corner. Scott hadn’t scored since the Year 5 vs. Year 6 ‘international’ at his primary school, but if ever there was a time to break a 20 year duck, it was now. He replayed the moment in his head and every second had seemed like an hour as the ball floated into the area towards the near post, and just as Scott rose up to head the ball a figure flew in front of him and connected with the ball. All that Scott could hear as he lay on the floor was the soft ripple of the net followed by an almighty roar from the away enclosure. The goalscorer was being mobbed by every Aldershot player and Scott ran over to add his own celebrations as the final whistle blew…..THEY HAD DONE IT
As they stepped off the team coach into the wall of cheers, whistles and applause Scott felt a hand on his shoulder. “That armband represents the team and the heart of the side, today you truly earned it, this title came from the bottom up, and that goal I scored today only counted because you made sure our second was a winner and not a consolation goal….by the way nice try with the header but I’d stick to keeping if I were you” Scott realised in that moment that the Palace game had meant nothing to David Fox. To Fox his goal was no more important then Hudsons great tackle, Griffiths fine goal, or even the bizarre own goal in that 2-2 draw at Charlton. The only thing that mattered to David Fox was the team, and they key man in the team today had been Scott Knight.
Afternotes
Aldershot would have many more glory nights, both at home and abroad but nothing would come close to the passion and strength that had lifted them to that very first title. Scott Knight is still at the club and at 32 now skippers the side regularly. David Fox meanwhile is a full time manager, of his sons under 5’s. Foxy retired just 2 seasons later after a glittering career and with the reputation of Aldershot Towns greatest ever captain.
The Armband : A Short Story by Wimb 
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