Protocols

Phoenix Sports  0  Beckenham Town  0 (abandoned 45 minutes)

Isthmian League – Division One South East

Admission / Programme – £10 / Online

There’s something about New Year’s Day football that I like.

Firstly, there's nothing on the roads which is a real bonus, and that allows for a longer journey that you might ordinarily undertake, but also, it’s something to look forward to before that moment when the 6.15 am alarm goes off to wake you up for the first day back at work!

I’ve done some good one’s over the years, AFC Sudbury, Highworth Town, Westfield and Thame United to name some of the venues further afield, the bulk of which have been done over the past six or seven years. This year, the plan was going to be something similar, I’d very much got a game at Redbridge FC on the radar.

NYE in the Hatt household was a somewhat different affair, it started in the morning when I walked downstairs to be told by Mrs H that she’d booked us tickets to go and watch the Ice Hockey. Nottingham Panthers v Coventry Blaze, and that involved a train, a meal and a few beers before heading back to Belper for a few more beers in the Grapes and a walk home.

It had been different, and very enjoyable, fair play to Mrs H for her blue sky thinking, and there was me thinking I’d smash into a crate of 18 Carling around 4pm and keep going until it was done! Midnight came and went, Jools Holland, Rick Astley, fireworks, Chinese students on the Thames Embankment, before bed, welcome to 2024, the year when I’ve vowed to be exactly the same on every level as I’d been for the past twelve months…..

The weather didn’t look like it had been too bad, so when I saw a Tweet from Redbridge saying that the game was off due to warthogs, I must admit I was a bit surprised, but not to worry, I had a Plan B, and that was in Dartford, where Phoenix Sports were playing a Kent derby against Beckenham Town, a club myself and Steve visited last season and had a spiffing time at.

The journey was a breeze, the M1 and M25 behaved, straight over the crossing and then first exit into the North of Dartford and Crayford, running pretty much along the edges of the river, before cutting back inland and parking in the school right opposite the Mayplace Ground home of Phoenix.

For those not familiar with the manor, Phoenix Sports play almost equidistant between Barnehurst and Crayford train stations, but, and this is the thing, probably only two pitch lengths away from the home of Phoenix, is the home of local rivals VCD Athletic. VCD currently play in the Southern Counties East League, whereas of course Phoenix are a level higher in the Isthmian League, but last season, the positions were reversed, until the Inter League Play Off when Phoenix went to VCD and won! It seems there is no love lost between the two clubs, and having seen the two sides play each other a few years back at VCD, between Christmas and New Year, I can concur that the rivalry isn’t hugely friendly!

I arrived just after 1pm and snaffled the pack up I’d prepared in the car, before trotting over the road and into the ground. It was early, I was one of the first in, which lead to a conversation with the gateman. I explained where I was from, and he subsequently took the time to point out where all of the facilities were, most importantly of course the bar!

I’d not been in the bar long when the Phoenix club secretary came over and introduced himself, the gateman had told him about me, and we had a chat about the club, the play-off game with VCD, the state of football in Kent, and of course the challenges on so many levels when it comes to moving up to Step 4. He bought me a pint, a cracking chap, I’d already got a good feeling about Phoenix Sports Football Club.

What’s the history of this lot then?

Well, they were originally formed in 1935, but didn’t take the name Phoenix until just after the Second World War, with the name itself being symbolic of a club rising from the ashes of the destruction. The club played in local leagues until 1981 when they joined the Spartan League for a ten year spell before returning to the Kent County League.

Phoenix moved between the divisions of the County League until 2011 when they joined the Kent Invicta League in it’s inaugural season. By the end of 2013 the club had won the championship and with it gained promotion to the Southern Counties East League. At the culmination of the 2014-15 season they were crowned champions and with it a promotion to Step 4 and the Isthmian League. Their spell in the Isthmian League lasted first time around until 2021-22 when a last day defeat to Herne Bay saw them relegated.

However, a runners up spot last season lead to the previously mentioned play-off game against VCD Athletic, and on the back of that victory we are now back at Step 4 again.

The ground is tidy, you enter in the South West corner behind the goal, and then to your right is the dressing room building, the clubhouse, a small covered area dedicated to a chap called ‘Wing Nut’ and finally the tea bar. The East side and the area behind the North goal are just hard standing, while on the West side of the ground, elevated above pitch level are two seated stands of the Atcost style variety. The pitch itself was in decent nick, and one of the things I had noticed over recent weeks, notably in the bad weather, was that home games for Phoenix Sports, and indeed ground sharers Welling Town, always seemed to be played.

As you will probably have already gathered, the game was abandoned as the second half was about to kick off, with Beckenham captain Harry Gamble vomiting and then collapsing to the floor as the referee was about to get the contest back underway. It was an alarming scene, but medical staff were quick to get to him and after a delay while he was treated and an ambulance called, the game was concluded. Gamble was suffering from concussion, and with the correct protocols in place, and a fifty minute wait for the ambulance advised, both clubs and officials decided it was the right call.

The preceding 45 minutes saw both sides create reasonable opportunities, but it was the visitors who did have the better of opening stages, and were indeed at a man advantage when Phoenix captain Ryan Hayes was dismissed for an off the ball incident. Phoenix, despite being down to ten, did come back into it but the score at the interval remained goalless.

But that all was irrelevant as thoughts turned to health and wellbeing of Gamble, who was thankfully released from hospital later that evening having undergone tests.

We had a choice at the final whistle, collect a ticket to allow free admission to the re-arranged game, or get your money back. I chose neither, as I walked to the exit I said another ‘thank you’, and a farewell to the Phoenix secretary, before arriving home around 7.30pm.

Not quite the New Year’s Day I was planning when I woke that morning, but sometimes you have to be grateful that everyone returns home safe and well after going to a football match, whether you are watching or participating.

Let’s hope Harry Gamble gets back on a football pitch as soon as he is fit to do so. Concussion is a dangerous matter, and it’s good to see it’s finally being taken very seriously, with proper protocols in place.