Pre-Conceptions

Billericay Town  2  Eastbourne Borough  0

National League South

So much has been both written and said about Billericay Town over the past couple of years, that it’s almost impossible not to have pre-conceived ideas about the club.

The recent history has been well documented, and this all intrinsically links back to one man, Glenn Tamplin.

Mr Tamplin took ownership of the club in December 2016, and the man who at one point looked to be taking over Dagenham & Redbridge, set about using his fortune made in the steel industry, to lead Billericay forward, the destination the moon so it seemed at first glance!

The Mural

Shy of publicity he certainly wasn’t, Mr Tamplin was also not backwards in coming forwards about his plans for the club, and in fairness, the big name signings on the field like Paul Konchesky, Jermaine Pennant and Jamie O’Hara were matched off the pitch with some significant and impressive improvements to the New Lodge stadium. The national media were loving it, along with Salford City, you would have thought non-league football didn’t exist outside of Billericay.

Within a matter of months though, Tamplin made the footballing World sit up even further when he appointed himself as Manager of the club. “What could possibly go wrong?” were the words on many people’s lips, but to be fair, the Isthmian League was won, part one of the mission ‘together, we sail as one’ was complete. But clearly it wasn’t straightforward, it couldn’t be any other way could it?

Harry Parker Stand

The National League South was always going to be a different ball game in terms of the challenge, and after numerous managerial changes that were instigated by a seemingly trigger happy and somewhat erratic Tamplin, that didn’t portray the club in the best of lights, Harry Wheeler returned to the club after an indifferent spell on the pitch, and looked to have got things back on track.

Tamplin has had his problems, he recently had a spell in the States undergoing treatment for burn out, and to be fair, he seems to be going about his business with less fuss and while certainly not taking a back seat, he’s letting the results do the talking rather than his social media accounts.

The Family Stand

But what about the supporters? Gates have not been at the levels Tamplin hoped for, however support is healthy, and the view seems to be that they will enjoy the ride while it lasts.  As for the rest of the football fraternity, well the whole period has been met with scepticism, bordering on disbelief at times as off the field events were more akin to Eastenders.

But, Glenn Tamplin has put his money where his mouth and his Twitter account is, and to be brutally honest, I set about planning a visit to Billericay Town, unsure of which camp he came in to.

Was he just an egomaniac who used his wealth to fuel that need, and Billericay Town were the vehicle. But ultimately, when the ego is no longer being fueled it all goes pop?

Terraces

Or, was he a genuinely wealthy man who did see himself as a philanthropic, born again Christian, who ultimately wanted to bring success and happiness to a football club and its fans? Ok, it wouldn’t be a smooth ride and it wouldn’t be without its controversy, but that is what you get with a man like Glenn Tamplin.  He’s in it for the long haul, for all the right reasons.

We’ll come onto my thoughts post visit shortly, but let’s not forget, Billericay Town did exist prior to Glenn Tamplin, and they weren’t a bad side either.

As an Essex Senior League and then an Athenian League side in the Seventies, they completed a remarkable hat-trick of three FA Vase wins in four seasons. In 1976 they beat Stamford at Wembley, and then the following season they beat Sheffield FC in a replay at Nottingham Forest.

1978 saw them only reach the fifth round, but a year later they went on to win the third title against Almondsbury Greenway under the twin towers.

The Business Side

The Isthmian League beckoned, and the club moved between divisions for many seasons until 1998 when they set about a long period in the Premier Division. In 2011-12 they won the league, the clubs first championship since 1980, and with it they gained promotion to the Conference South. It lasted only one year before relegation, and then when Mr Tamplin arrived, they found themselves back in the National League as champions.

I did a bit of homework before I set off to watch the game against Eastbourne Borough, mainly around parking and of course liquid refreshments. Parking was found easily on the main road out of Billericay, but when you arrive an hour and a half before kick-off you would expect that I guess. 

Warming Up

After initially making the mistake of thinking I could pay cash at the turnstile, I was sent back to the ticket office to purchase one before being allowed into the ground. Once in the ground I did my usual thing and found the bar, to have a quiet pint after a two and a half hour journey, but also to watch what was going on around me. People watching was certainly going to be part of the experience.

The walk from the turnstiles to the clubhouse takes you past the infamous mural that the owner had painted. Now, I quite liked it (must be the Ulster blood), but I wasn’t sure about the images of Tamplin in bed with his wife, dreaming about football! But then again, I’m more used to paramilitaries wearing balaclava’s!

First impressions were very positive. The ground really is excellent, two covered terraces sit behind each goal, and a full length stand adorns the West side of the ground. The East side of the ground has the Harry Parker Stand, named after a young boy with cerebral palsy who’s family Tamplin gave £45,000 to, to aid his treatment, which was a quite brilliant gesture. Next to the stand is the clubhouse and the two story building that houses a corporate area and a bottle bar underneath. The changing rooms with Lions painted on the home dressing room walls sit beyond the clubhouse.

Corporate Bits

Inside the clubhouse, or Sports Bar as it’s been rebranded to, it was incredibly smart, with a stairway leading to the hospitality area above. Numerous tray of food and bottles of fizz were heading up the stairs as the guests were kept well entertained. One of the things that struck me was the number of staff on duty, not just behind the bar, but all around the ground.

The word I would use is quite simply ‘professional’, it had all the hallmarks of a professional football club. Everything was being managed down to the finest detail, from the PA, to the catering, to the stewarding, to the cleanliness, right down to the club having its own Pastors inside the ground for fans to engage with.

As a sub-plot, ITV were at the ground today to film the first part of a documentary about the club. Cynics would argue that it’s another ego massaging exercise, others would argue that it’s fantastic publicity for the football club. I mean, how many non-league clubs would turn down the opportunity of a series on national television? Not many I can assure you!

Panoramic

A crowd of just under a thousand turned up for the game, and to be fair the vocal support and passion from the Ricay fans was impressive. They saw Adam Coombes score with a header after 22 minutes, and then the game was effectively sealed in the second half when Marvin Hamilton had the misfortune of finding his own net for the visitors from Sussex.

The win see’s Billericay remain in fourth place. One of either Torquay United or Woking will win the league in my opinion, but as it stands, Ricay are well placed to make the play-offs now some stability has been found in the managerial department. Tamplin’s plan was always to get promotion from National League South in the second season, so if it doesn’t happen, this year, Wheeler will no doubt be given the chance next time around.....maybe?

Ok, so what’s my view?

I don’t know Glenn Tamplin, I’ve never met the chap, and I’m not even sure if he was at the game on Saturday. But, he’s clearly a man with passion, and he’s certainly generous, but like everyone, he has flaws.

More Terraces

Billericay Town have got a superb stadium, fit for the Football League I would guess. They appear to have a great off the field infrastructure, and they compete at the second tier of non-league football. If Tamplin walked away tomorrow, then that remains, and yes, clearly the wage bill and players would have to change, but isn’t that what happens as football clubs evolve anyway?

People talk about boom and bust, but let’s be fair, Billericay Town have risen just one level, the fall back to where they came from is hardly a dramatic one?

Glenn Tamplin for me has had a bad press, some of it he could have avoided, but he cares, he’s prepared to put his money where his mouth is. I for one, and I’m pretty convinced I’m not in the majority with this, hope he succeeds. He wants the best for Billericay Town, its supporters and the town, is that such a bad thing?    

Not in my book it isn’t.