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The Boston Tea Party


sherm

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They say you need to start at the bottom and work your way up – obviously some people are luckier than that, but after a playing career that saw me spend 17 years at Aberdeen, racking up 443 games, I got the opportunity to manage Boston United  - they were languishing in the English Conference in the summer of 2001, and when the opportunity arose, it was one I couldn’t refuse – a foot in the door and a chance, aged 36, to show what I could do

My Aberdeen debut came at 18, coming off the bench against St Mirren at Pittodrie. We were 2-1 behind, and it was my assist that allowed the equaliser. I wasn’t a skilful, tricky midfielder, but I never shied away from a tackle and always put my foot in. Box to box and hardworking were the two words used to describe me – prolific certainly wasn’t, as 28 goals in 443 games proves

Walking through the corridors of York Street, it was obvious that the old place needed a lick of paint – however, funds were few and far between, as had been made clear to me when I took the job. That said, there were already some decent players at my disposal – I scanned the list I had as I headed to training to meet coach Mike Marsh and his assistant Leon Mills

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Watching training, it was obvious within the first fifteen minutes where we needed to improve and where we had strength. Paul Bastock was the only ‘keeper on the books and, if I’m being frank, he wasn’t the best. Paul Ellender was the standout central defender, while Mark Monington, though talented, was on the wrong side of 30. In midfield, the star of the team was, without doubt, Simon Rusk. The diminutive Scot was highly rated and was courted by many teams, but he had recently signed a new five year deal and would be the mainstay of the team, holding the role in front of the defenders

Daryl Clare was highly talented, and he had an abundance of skill, while Anthony Elding had pace to burn on the wings. Up top, David Town was the obvious choice but he was woefully short of backup and would need some help. The scouting team were sent out immediately to look for new additions, and within five days we had six new players

Adolfo and Butra, two Spaniards, were brought in to boost the midfield and forward line, while central midfielders Wouter Kos and Agustin added strength in depth to the middle of the park. Portuguese defender Helder Rosario also came into the ranks to shore up the defensive side of things, while £10,000 went on Radcliffe striker David Collins, who would add the much needed backup to David Town

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Another CM01/02 tale from me - this is a game I thoroughly enjoyed and I thought I'd share it as a story with you - England from Conference, Scotland and Spain loaded

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The new lads were thrown straight into the squad as we toured Wales for Pre Season, and though we didn’t have hard challenges, it was about fitness levels and gelling the team into my formation

I sat in the stands for the opener against Carmarthen Town, and while I spent most of the game on the phone, I did manage to see all three of our goals in a comfortable 3-0 victory, with Town, Collins and Clare all bagging one each. More good news during the game as we strengthened between the sticks, free agent Trevor Wood joining the ranks when we got back to England

Barrow midfielder Steve Housham was also secured as a new addition, another £10,000 coming out of the kitty, while £24,000 of it went to our divisional rivals Telford for their ‘keeper Dean Williams. All in all, the squad was looking good and starting to take shape, and just before the second game against Bangor City, I received some good news and some valuable experience joining the squad, with Adrian Littlejohn accepting the contract we had laid out for him, and his knowledge and experience would be a crucial asset to us as a team

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The Bangor game had been a dire 0-0 draw, and the final game, against the most famous Welsh side outside of England, TNS, also finished as a draw, 2-2 this time. The goals came from Town and Wouter Kos, and the little Dutchman really impressed me in the centre of midfield, running the game for the 76 minutes he was on the field

We arrived back in England with a week before the opening game, and aswell as all of the new signings agreed while on tour, we also captured Scottish midfielder Kevin Thomas, and secured thee season long loan deal of Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Paul McLaren, meaning we had cover all the way through the squad

The board expected a promotion push, but with the likes of Doncaster and Barnet as favourites and only one promotion place up for grabs, we would have to be at our best and consistent through the season.  The team trained solely on learning my formation for the next few days, before their days of rest ahead of the opening game of the league season

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August 2001

That opening game was against Morecambe, a mediocre side who would be nothing ahead of mid table come the end of the season, and I never expected the game to go the way it did – after 33 minutes of play, we were 4-0 ahead, thanks to a brace from David Collins, and one each from Paul McLaren and Daryl Clare. The home side were shell shocked after that, and while we had to wait until six minutes into the second half for a fifth, it was a dominating performance. The home side pulled one back, before Collins completed his hat trick, but a lapse in concentration saw us concede a second which took a little shine off the win – however, message sent, and three points on the board

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Another away game followed, and while we again conceded two against Hereford, we still outscored our opponents, as we came away with a 3-2 win. David Collins equalised for us just after half an hour, before Daryl Clare sent us ahead eight minutes later. A dull second half came to life on 59 minutes, as the home side equalised, before Mike Marsh (yes, my coach) won us the game with a wicked free-kick

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The early signs were good, nine goals in the opening games showing our attacking prowess, and while I was sure our defence ould come good in the end, we needed to start to show it, and a home game against Woking was a good way to start. David Collins had picked up a slight knock so wasn’t risked, but his replacement, David Town, did the business, as his first half brace secured the win. We did show a lot more resilience in the second half, despite countless attacks from the visitors, and we held on to record a third win on the trot

Early murmurs of promotion had been bandied about but I told the lads to ignore them and just focus on their job in hand, and with the month drawing to an end with a visit from Hayes, there was plenty to be done. Adrian Littlejohn did his bit, opening the scoring after 18 minutes, and it was his assist that set up the second, as he rolled the ball through for Town to loft the ball over the ‘keeper. This was by far and away our most productive performance, both in defence and attack, and man of the match Littlejohn sealed the win, using his pace to steam through and slide the ball home into the bottom corner and maintain our 100% start

August 2001 Results

Morecambe 2-6 Boston Utd (Collins 7,33,69 ; McLaren 20 ; Clare 23 ; Agustin 51)

Hereford 2-3 Boston Utd (Collins 31 ; Clare 39 ; Marsh 61)

Boston Utd 2-1 Woking (Town 2,35)

Boston Utd 3-0 Hayes (Littlejohn 18,75 ; Town 50)

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Colour me intrigued, Sherm. Anyone who kicks Steve Evans out of a job is always a good egg in my eyes. :D

Is your David Collins the former Burnley striker, by any chance? I remember him being absolutely incredible in CM99/00, and maybe even CM00/01 as well.

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Cheers boys - CFuller - having looked at his history, he has Burnley on there and Altrincham too, and since I signed him from Radcliffe, it would suggest he is a local lad so it's probably the same one. Dave/Mark, glad to have you on board!

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September 2001

The board had expressed how delighted with the start they had seen from the team on the pitch, and with the crowds expected to grow, especially if we continued to play the same style of football as we had so far, it would make us a nice tidy profit. We did however, have a tough test to open up the month, with favourites for promotion Dagenham and Redbridge our next opponents. It was a cracking game, both sides showing their attacking intent throughout, but both had to settle for a 1-1 draw. Paul Ellender had scored for us from a corner, powering a bullet header home, but Mark Stein’s equaliser was enough to grab a point. I wasn’t too disappointed with the point, as we stayed top on goal difference, but this was a testing month with some tough fixtures

The next one proved not to be one of those, as we ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over a poor Forest Green side. The returning David Collins took just four minutes to open the scoring, while the impressive Paul McLaren doubled the lead six minutes later. Chances came and went through the game, but it was defender Mark Monington who sealed it, firing a left footed rocket from the edge of the box and securing the points

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The games were coming thick and fast with no rest for the wicked, but I did manage to grab some breakfast before we travelled down to Stevenage for the next game, finding a little café that had 15 or so workmen in it, which was usually a good sign. Maybe I should do it more because again, the team were fantastic. We did find ourselves 1-0 down early on, but two goals in seven minutes from David Collins and Littlejohn saw us edge ahead, and in the second half we took complete control, the win confirmed with a brilliant goal from Collins, as he took the ball on his chest, flicked it over the defender and smashed the volley home

A talented Yeovil side were next up, and they had some terrific players but had failed to live up to early expectations, and they failed to deliver here too, as we cruised to a 4-1 victory. David Collins was the man of the moment, bagging a hat trick, and making his £10,000 fee look an absolute bargain. His was the perfect hat trick too, as he scored a header to open the account, before tapping in the second with his left foot nine minutes into the second half. Simon Rusk opened his account for the season just after an hour, before Collins completed his second hat trick of the season, and scored his tenth goal in the process, with a thunderous right foot drive from the edge of the box

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Two more wins followed, as we travelled to Chester and welcomed Farnborough to York Street in our next two games. Chester gave us our toughest game yet, as they flew into a 2-0 lead in the opening quarter of an hour, shell shocking the lads into action. 32 minutes into the game, Adrian Littlejohn capitalised on a mistake in the home side’s defence to take the ball round the ‘keeper and bring us back into it, before Paul McLaren equalised with a thunderbolt of a strike, collecting the ball 35 yards out and unleashing a shot that no ‘keeper would have saved. This set the home side back a bit, and eventually, after pressing and pressing, we found the winner, David Town heading home Daryl Clare’s cross to seal the comeback and the points

With the lads having come through the test, they were a lot more comfortable when Farnborough visited, and despite the loss of David Collins to a minor knock, we had the replacements. It did however, take us until over an hour to break the deadlock, Wouter Kos combining with Town before curling his effort beyond the ‘keeper. Monington headed home the second from Rusk’s cross, before Rusk himself grabbed the third with a placed drive, and we continued on our good run

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Having already played six games this month, I afforded the lads an extra couple of days rest following the previous game, and when we travelled to Southport on the coach, I sensed a new energy within the team. This proved to be the case as we raced into a 4-0 half time lead, David Town bagging a twelve minute hat-trick, before Simon Rusk curled home a free kick just before half time. We did let ourselves down in the second half, conceding two silly goals, but the win was already assured

Still the local papers were talking about promotion, but as always, I played it down in public, although secretly I did feel we had a chance. We proved this once again with the visit of Margate, who, despite taking a lead, were no match for our strength going forward, as goals from McLaren, Kos and a returning David Collins sealed the points

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September 2001 Results

Dagenham and Redbridge 1-1 Boston Utd (Ellender 10)

Boston Utd 3-0 Forest Green (Collins 4; McLaren 10 ; Monington 67)

Stevenage 1-3 Boston Utd (Collins 24, 79 ; Littlejohn 31)

Boston Utd 4-1 Yeovil (Collins 16,54,89 ; Rusk 63)

Chester 2-3 Boston Utd (Littlejohn 32 ; McLaren 43 ; Town 76)

Boston Utd 3-0 Farnborough (Kos 61 ; Monington 73 ; Rusk 79)

Southport 2-4 Boston Utd (Town 17,19.29 ; Rusk 45+1)

Boston Utd 3-1 Margate (McLaren 1; Kos 64 ; Collins 86)

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October 2001

Following on from the eight game month in September, we just had three in October and they were well spread out. This was largely due to postponements for bad weather so I took the opportunity to spread my own wings and watch a few of our rivals – always having my notebook in hand to make a note of a few of the decent players I would come across. I saw Dagenham drop points at Dover thanks to a late equaliser from the impressive John Eliot, while Justin Jackson bagged a hat trick to ensure Doncaster’s win over Northwich. There were a few players that caught my eye over the first ten days of the week, while my scout had provided a list of players from the lower leagues that would be useful fits for what we’re trying to achieve

When we did eventually find ourselves on the pitch, we travelled to Northwich to face the mid table side. We got off to a great start, Daryl Clare bombing forward and converting Mike Marsh’s cross after just 38 seconds. We dominated the game throughout, chances from Town, Kos, Marsh and Clare all coming and going, but three minutes before the half time whistle, we doubled our lead, Wouter Kos playing a neat little one two with David Town and smashing home the ball. Again, we controlled the second half, but we couldn’t find a third and we had to settle for a 2-0 win but we stayed top, extending our lead to four points

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FA Trophy action was next up, and while I was still undecided as to how we wanted to do in this competition, I decided to rest several first team players for the trip to Enfield. Obviously it’s a game we were expected to win, but credit where it’s due to the home side, they made it tough for us and we had to rely on a late goal. Wouter Kos grabbed his third in three games right before half time, sliding home nicely off the base of the post, but the home side equalised twenty minutes into the second half. However we pressed and pressed, and eventually, young Liam Joyce headed home the winner in the final minute of stoppage team, rising highest to head home the corner and send us through

Back to league action next and a huge game against second placed Doncaster, who knew that a win would take them to within a point of us. Full strength eam was on the field, and we started like a train, Simon Rusk and David Collins sending us into a 2-0 lead inside six minutes, shocking the visitors. They came back into it slowly, Justin Jackson pulling one back on 34 minutes, but Collins grabbed his second on 43 minutes, giving us a two goal cushion again. An 88th minute goal pulled it back to 3-2, but we hung on to affirm our status at the top of the table

October 2001 Results

Northwich 0-2 Boston Utd (Clare 1 ; Kos 43)

Enfield 1-2 Boston Utd (Kos 45 ; Joyce 90+3) FA Trophy Qualifying Round

Boston Utd 3-2 Doncaster (Rusk 3 ; Collins 6, 43)

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November 2001

The table was looking good, and I came out of the board meeting very very pleased. The on pitch activity was working out very well, while off the field, things were also good. Funds were in the black, we had money for wages if we needed to add to the squad, and work on the stadium renovation was in the pipeline. Plus, I had also found a local pub and decent little café near my flat so I was happy

The only thing I did need to look at was adding to the backroom staff, as I only had two coaches, so when Stan Collymore agreed to join the team as my number two, I was pleased. Stan had been through a lot and had a lot of experience to bring, so when he took the job, it was a great addition. He had moved into his own club flat until he sorted somewhere of his own out, just down the road from mine, so that was useful.

We had a couple of nights in the week in the pub, discussing the team and training schedules before our first game of the month, a visit from Stalybridge. Despite his good start to the season, I had asked Stan to take David Collins (and the other strikers) for a bit of individual training, which he was more than happy to do. The game wasn’t much to write home about, probably our most sluggish performance, and Simon Rusk’s red card 26 minutes into the game didn’t make it any easier. 0-0 looked on the cards, but we picked up all three points in the 87th minute, as David Town slotted through Littlejohn, and Ade rounded the ‘keeper and slotted into the empty net

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It had been a bit of a wake up call for the lads, as everything had come pretty easy up to the Stalybridge game, but as we welcomed Leigh RMI normal service was resumed, a comfortable and professional 3-0 win. Monington headed home the opener a quarter of an hour in, but the visitors ‘keeper kept them in it, making several good saves in that first half. It took two special goals to complete the win though, as a volley from Dave Collins, and a 30 yard rocket from defender Helder Rosario, a stunning way to open his account for the club, secured the points and sent the away team packing.

We had a little break before our next game, so in the coaches meeting, we all made our notes about players and picked our ideal starting eleven. They were all very similar, with a couple of different additions – Stan for example, preferred Paul McLaren to Wouter Kos, while Mike had Wouter in – I also had Trevor Wood in goal just ahead of Dean Williams, and Helder Rosario in defence over Monington. Other than that, it was a toss-up between the strikers – either one would fit the bill and score goals upfront

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Another side from the North West visited us for the first round of the FA Cup, as Altrincham made the trip to York Street. However, they were brushed aside easily, although we had to wait until stoppage time in the first half to break the deadlock, Paul McLaren latching on to a pass from Agustin and firing home. It only took four minutes of the second half to double the lead, Butra grabbing his first goal for us when he powered past his marker and smashed the ball into the top corner. Scotsman Kevin Thomas also scored his first goal when he fired home from five yards following a scruffy scramble in the box, and a second 3-0 win on the trot, and a third clean sheet, more interestingly, was secured

FA Trophy action again called round, and the team we had so easily demolished in the season opener, Morecambe, were our opponents. To be fair to them, they had improved since that thrashing on the opening day, and went in at half time ahead, but a four minute brace early in the second half from loanee Paul McLaren was enough to seal the win and our passage through

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November 2001 Results

Boston Utd 1-0 Stalybridge (Littlejohn 87 ; Rusk s/o 26)

Boston Utd 3-0 Leigh RMI (Monington 15 ; Collins 53 ; Rosario 78)

Boston Utd 3-0 Altrincham (McLaren 45+1 ; Butra 49 ; Thomas 71) FA Cup Round One

Morecambe 1-2 Boston Utd (McLaren 49,53) FA Trophy Round One

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December 2001

I was amazed at how quickly the season was going by – it never seemed to be this quick as a player. The year was drawing to an end, as we headed into December, and we held a 9 point lead atop the table – and two games in hand due to postponements. The team rapport was going really well, and this led to success on the pitch so far

Telford came to York Street next, and this game belonged to one man – David Collins. He was sensational here, grabbing all four goals as we romped to a 4-2 win. The defence just couldn’t handle him, and everything he hit flew into the goal. Stan obviously took the credit, with tongue in cheek, but David himself is a superb finisher and took this to the next level

The second round of the FA Cup was next, as we faced promotion chasing Torquay. We struggled early on, and when David Graham put the Division Three side ahead, it was well deserved. Just before half time, Eifion Williams doubled the lead with a looping header, and we looked to be heading out. The second half was a completely different game though, as we were excellent, and we managed to get ourselves a replay – the goals came from Housham and Clare, and Clare could even have won the game at the end, smashing a shot against the bar, but we got the draw.

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Barnet were next, and Dave Collins was the man to thank yet again, as his was the only goal that separated the sides, his 65th minute header enough to seal the points. We had been playing well lately, but we had been missing chances in some games, which was enough to have me slightly worried. These were slightly allayed as we welcomed Torquay for the second round replay, and this time we were excellent. We controlled the game, and two goals in less than a minute, from David Town and Daryl Clare, before a second from Town sealed the win. A consolation from Bedeau in stoppage time made no difference, and we secured a nice third round tie at St James Park

Christmas came and went, as it usually did for me, and myself and Stan ordered a takeaway and had a few cans at mine, knowing we had to travel early the next day. Early meant 8.30am, and the coach left to take us to visit Scarborough. Maybe the home side were suffering from a festive hangover but we brushed them aside, an early double from Adrian Littlejohn enough to seal the win

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Since we only had a couple of days rest, and we had to travel to our next game, the lads looked jaded and weary legged, and this showed in the next game against Woking, as we just weren’t ourselves. We struggled to string passes together, couldn’t find openings, and for the first time this season, we failed to score and had to settle for a 0-0 draw

Normal service was resumed against Hayes, and we were much more towards our best. Two up inside twenty minutes, with goals from Daryl Clare and Agustin, and the third came from the penalty spot, Wouter Kos slotting home. It was a much better performance and one we could take great credit and heart from, and we ended 2001 on top of the Conference

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December 2001 Results

Boston Utd 4-2 Telford (Collins 18, 32, 51, 70)

Torquay 2-2 Boston Utd (Housham 51 ; Clare 80) FA Cup Round Two

Boston Utd 1-0 Barnet (Collins 65)

Boston Utd 3-1 Torquay (Town 52, 82 ; Clare 53) FA Cup Round Two Replay

Scarborough 0-2 Boston Utd (Littlejohn 6, 21)

Woking 0-0 Boston Utd

Hayes 1-3 Boston Utd (Clare 6 ; Agustin 19 ; Kos pen 61)

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January 2002

Starting the New Year atop the table with a 14 point lead was pleasing, and the fact we had dropped just four points thus far was a testament to the style and flair we had played with. I had already, along with the rest of the backroom team, started to think about next season in Division Three and identify potential transfer targets, but of course I didn’t tell the players that, emphasizing we still had work to do

That began with the trip to mid table Nuneaton, and we were rarely troubled in the outing. David Collins slotted home the opener 27 minutes into the contest, and it was the striker who laid on Adrian Littlejohn for the second, threading it through for the little winger to nip in and dink it deftly over the onrushing ‘keeper. The win was confirmed five minutes into the second half, Daryl Clare picking the ball up from Helder Rosario, cutting inside and lashing a shot into the top corner, a fantastic finish

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We got lots of press coverage over the next few days, as it was that special day on every football fans calendar – FA Cup Third Round. We had done well to get to this stage, and the draw of Newcastle away was a good tie for us – I can’t fault the Premiership club either, as they had paid for our travel to the game and given our fans a good allocation of tickets at a reasonable price. The day out was a great experience, both for fans and some of our players, and Bobby Robson and his team couldn’t have been more welcoming of us. The result on the pitch never really was going to go to plan – admittedly I thought we gave a good account of ourselves in the first half, but once Carl Cort opened the scoring, we succumbed to superior fitness levels and a 3-0 defeat

The lads thoroughly enjoyed the experience and for us to have experienced that in our position was just brilliant. Normality soon brought us back down to earth, as we visited Dover in Conference action. They had started the season well, but faded away towards the end of the year and sat 9th in the table – Their mid table mediocrity was exposed by, without a doubt, our best performance of the season, as we ran riot. David Town was in upfront, mainly due to an injury sustained by Collins in training, and it was the striker who grabbed the first, collecting Littlejohn’s pass and firing home low and hard. He scored again ten minutes later, rising to head home Butra’s cross. Paul Ellender scored the third just before half time, heading home from Agustin’s cross, and there was even time for a fourth before the break, Agustin again sliding Littlejohn in and the little man sliding home. The onslaught continues in the second half, Town completing his hat trick just after the hour, swivelling and firing home with his left foot, before smashing home his fourth and our sixth ten minutes or so later. Agustin had four assists and he got his fifth shortly after, sliding across for Butra to slot the ball into an empty net. Boys were fantastic in this game. Perfect performance

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The lads (and, to be fair, me) were buzzing from the last performance, and we continued our good form as we welcomed Hereford to York Street. While not as scintillating as the Dover game, we did create lots of chances, and yet again, David Town was the difference make, his first half brace the only goals of the game. I had been keeping an eye on the table through the game, and our rivals were all floundering, either beating each other or dropping points elsewhere, and we suddenly found ourselves 19 points clear at the top, which at this stage of the season was a massive cushion

That cushion was extended come the next game, as we easily dispatched of Morecambe for the third time this season. Once again, as in the opening game of the season, we blitzed the visitors, finding ourselves three clear inside half an hour, thanks to a free-kick from Paul McLaren, a stunning volley from Adrian Littlejohn and a bullet header from Paul Ellender. Littlejohn could have had four, having probably his best game for us, and it was his assist to David Town for the fourth to continue the strikers great form

FA Trophy action next – admittedly I had not been to fussed about this competition at the start of the season, but with a trip to Highbury at stake and a trophy to lift, the further into the competition we got, the more I felt we had a chance, and with lower opposition than us, Bath City, next up, we were edging closer. Once again, as we had seemed to do so many times this season, we blitzed our opponents with an early goal rush, as the in form Adrian Littlejohn, Butra, and Simon Weatherstone fired us 3-0 ahead inside half an hour. This was enough, despite a consolation from the home side, and we progressed

We finished off with a trip to Farnborough, and they gave us a hell of a scare. Goals from Littlejohn and McLaren saw us take an early lead, but the home side levelled before half time – and the open goal they missed to make it 3-2 just two minutes into the second half was not only costly, it was near criminal, as Spaniard Butra, enjoying his run in the team, grabbed an eight minute brace to seal the win

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January 2002 Results

Nuneaton 0-3 Boston Utd (Collins 27 ; Littlejohn 39 ; Clare 50)

Newcastle 3-0 Boston Utd FA Cup Round Three

Dover 0-7 Boston Utd (Town 14, 24, 61, 72 ; Ellender 44 ; Littlejohn 45 ; Butra 79)

Boston Utd 2-0 Hereford (Town 19, 36)

Boston Utd 4-1 Morecambe (McLaren 2 ; Littlejohn 20 ; Ellender 29 ; Town 68)

Bath City 1-3 Boston Utd (Littlejohn 3 ; Butra 10 ; Weatherstone 27) FA Trophy Round Two

Farnborough 2-4 Boston Utd (Littlejohn 3 ; McLaren 7 ; Butra 57, 65)

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February 2002

Stan and myself had gotten together with the coaching team to discuss the season so far, and to, although prematurely, look ahead to our Divison Three campaign, as it would take a seriously bad collapse to not find ourselves promoted! The next stop on the road was a home game against Stevenage, a team that had nothing to play for through the remaining games, and this showed in their sluggish start, Butra capitalising on an error in the defence to rifle home after just 32 seconds of play. No team wants to start conceding like that, and they were shell shocked as we controlled the remainder of the game. Butra hit the post, the ‘keeper pulled off several good saves, but four minutes before the break, we found the breakthrough, as Butra grabbed his and the teams second. Paul McLaren scored eleven minutes from the end to make it 3-1 after the away team snatched a goal in the second half

FA Trophy Quarter Final action was next, and I think it’s fair to say that our performance against Slough was, in a word, awful. We just could not get going. Our passing was poor, we were sluggish in the midfield, and made mistakes at the back, and the only reason we survived and came through 1-0 winners was purely because of the lousy finishing of the home side. James Lambert was the worst culprit, missing three glorious chances, and they left themselves open for the counter attack, which we caught them with, Agustin slotting home in injury time to send us into the last four

We received a boost as Dave Collins had returned to full training. He had been making sporadic appearances through injury this season but had already reached 20 goals, and in the next game, as we faced Dagenham in league action, he made it 21, clinically finishing 8 yards out. Mark Sein was our nemesis once again, equalising less than two minutes later, but four minutes into the second half, Butra continued his excellent form and put us back in front. The visitors pushed us hard, creating a few good chances, but Trevor Wood stood firm and we hung on to extend our lead at the top to 22 points.

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We were so close to promotion that we could taste it, and I knew that if we could keep our run going, we would have it secured in no time, but our next opponents Chester had different ideas, as they started like a train, finding themselves 2-0 ahead after twenty minutes, two defensive errors from my lads seeing us up against it. Dave Collins headed us back into it just before the half time whistle, which made my team talk a little easier, but it was the man on form again, Butra, who did the business and got us out of the mucky stuff, as he scored a brace to seal the points, but I knew and the players knew we had been in a serious test, just as we had been earlier in the season against the same opposition

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To end the month, we had three successive 1-0 wins in the space of 8 days. The first was quite a dull game, as Forest Green sat back and defended for 90 minutes – the problem was, while we did struggle to break them down, they had a lapse in concentration in thee fourth minute which allowed Wouter Kos to score the only goal. Margate, our next opponents, had more of an attacking intent about them, and they even tested Trevor Wood several times throughout the game, but it was the man who had hot form since the turn of the new year, Butra, who scored the decisive goal, just two minutes after the break. The final game of February was a visit from Southport, a side who, apart from ourselves, ahd the best current form, and this showed as both sides cancelled each other out. The deciding factor came 22 minutes in, David Collins collecting a loose backpass and slotting home past the ‘keeper. This win saw us go 25 points clear, which meant, with ten games left, we needed just two more wins to secure promotion and the title, so only a monumental collapse that would see me lose my job would stop us going up!

February 2002 Results

Bosston Utd 3-1 Stevenage (Butra 1, 41 ; McLaren 79)

Slough 0-1 Boston Utd (Agustin 90+2) FA Trophy Quarter Final

Boston Utd 2-1 Dagenham and Redbridge (Collins 42 ; Butra 49)

Boston Utd 3-2 Chester (Collins 45 ; Butra 60, 73)

Forest Green 0-1 Boston Utd (Kos 4)

Margate 0-1 Boston Utd (Butra 47)

Boston Utd 1-0 Southport (Collins 22)

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Gav - glad you're enjoying so far. This is, without doubt, my favorite ever version of any CM/FM game, and I always end up going back to it - as for still having it, I believe there is a way to download it legally if you type it in google

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March 2002

Promotion was so close that we could taste it, and while nothing was secured just yet. We were confident enough that in the board meeting to end February, we had planned for the season ahead. I had given transfer targets plenty of thought already, myself and Stan had discussed formations and tactics, and we had even looked at bringing in more staff to affirm our status as a Football League Club in the next few years

The players were also aware of what was ahead – as much as I had tried to keep it away from them and keep them focused, it was all over the local papers, in the magazines inside the papers, on the telly, on the radio, it was literally everywhere. So I got them all sat down at the next training, and laid it out simply for them. Six points, and we’re there

A trip to Yeovil was the next game on the agenda, and we didn’t look at all nervous, which I was half expecting. There was a calmness and composure about our play, as we stroked the ball about nicely, making the home side chase the ball, but it wasn’t, despite our dominance, until just before the break, that we scored that all important first goal, Agustin slipping the ball through for Collins to run onto and smash into the roof of the net. The second half was a mere formality, especially when we doubled our lead, Agustin curling a free kick onto the bar, the ball dropping at the feet of Collins who just nodded it home into the unguarded goal, the ‘keeper floundering on the floor. His hat-trick and the win was secured 13 minutes later, another header from a Darryl Clare cross. The fourth came from the penalty spot, a handball allowing Simon Rusk to slide the penalty into the bottom corner

York Street was packed to the rafters for the visit of Northwich, the streets were decorated with bunting and banners, and there were fans all around the hills and on the roof of the stadium – so much for health and safety when promotion is at stake! An early goal would have eased the nerves, but as it happened, it came for the visitors, Andrew Brownrigg slotting home from the edge of the box. I’ve never heard a silence like it. However, the noise started back up again, as Adrian Littlejohn equalised on 28 minutes. We went in level at half time, and it took just four minutes of the second half to gain the lead, David Collins rocketing a shot home from ten yards out. The final ten minutes were nerve wracking, both for the fans and the players, but these nerves were settled six minutes from the end, Agustin curling home a brilliant free-kick, and the celebrations began, as we could officially call ourselves a Football League club for the first time ever

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To celebrate, myself and Stan enjoyed a nice meal and a few drinks that evening, and I had given the players a few days off, since we had ten days until our next game. Waking up a little delicate the next morning to front and back page news proclaiming our promotion, I knew the work had to begin, so I fired up my laptop and got my list of potential targets ready. The first training session back for the lads was a little sluggish, as they obviously had celebrated well, but come the next game against Leigh RMI, it was business as usual, as a Simon Rusk penalty and another Agustin goal sealed the win.

Dover had been annihilated by us just a couple of months before, as we smashed seven past them, but they had obviously learnt from their mistakes as they visited York Street. John Eliot had a couple of earl chances, and Tommy Tyne missed a sitter to put them ahead, and this they paid for, Dave Collins grabbing his 28th of the season, setting a record in the process of highest goals in a season for the club. We did create more chances in the second half, and probably should have scored more, but whether you win by one or five, you stil get only three points and that was what we ended up with

We had little rest before our next game, and a few changes were made for the trip to Stalybridge. It was however, three of our regular starters who grabbed the goals, as Collins, Clare and Rusk sealed the points and continued our fantastic run of form. A red card for Mark Monington didn’t help us but we recovered from that setback and did the business

March 2002 Results

Yeovil 0-4 Boston Utd (Collins 45, 56, 69 ; Rusk pen 76)

*Boston Utd 3-1 Northwich (Littlejohn 28 ; Collins 49 ; Agustin 84)

Leigh RMI 1-2 Boston Utd (Rusk pen 32 ; Agustin 68)

Boston Utd 1-0 Dover (Collins 34)

Stalybridge 1-3 Boston Utd (Collins 23 ; Clare 68 ; Rusk 88)

*Boston United secure the Conference title

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April 2002

With things all wrapped up, the lads could relax on the field, but I was keen to make sure they knew that they still had business to take care of, and there was still a trophy up for grabs. It all started with a visit from second placed Doncaster. I had a feeling they would be well up for it, wanting to end our unbeaten record and stake their claim that they would be promoted next season, so I made the lads motivated and gave it them simply – five more games for an unbeaten campaign!

We started well, David Collins opening the scoring with a scrappy goal after a scuffle in the box, the ball falling to the striker and he smashed it low into the corner. David was clear at the top of the scoring chrts, four clear of Justin Jackson, and it was the Doncaster striker who scored the next goal in the match, heading home a Paul Benson cross to send his team in level. It looked to be going into the break that way, until Helder Rosario smashed home a 25 yard screamer, collecting the pass and firing a beautiful strike with wicked curve into the corner, leaving the ‘keeper no chance. This sent the visitors heads down, and within 8 minutes of the restart, we had extended our lead to 3-1, Wouter Kos marauding forward and sliding the ball past the ‘keeper. They did pull one back but we saw it out and collected another three points

A comfortable win against Barnet followed, Adrian Littlejohn and David Town securing the win. The win was one hich meant we were in top form as we travelled for the first leg of our FA Trophy Semi Final, a game which was against a side two divisions lower than us, Halesowen. A quirk that I did only find out on the way to the game was that they had a centre half called Lee Collins playing for them – it turned out he was David Collins’ older brother. There was a bit of ribbing from the rest of the lads but Dave took it in good spirits

As it happened, the older of the Collins brothers didn’t play as he had picked up a slight knock, and I’m guessing they missed him as we overcame the home side easily with a 3-0 win. David Town scored the opener inside two minutes, but by the time Butra scored a second just before half time, it should have been about 5 or 6, as we had controlled the game with ease. Town had hit a post and had a shot cleared off the line, while Wouter Kos and Butra both forced saves from the ‘keeper. The third goal came just after the break, Town collecting the ball and smashing home into the roof of the net from an angle, and we had one foot in the final

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We were back to Conference action, and our 40th game of the season saw Nuneaton make the visit the York Street. I had opted for some squad rotation over the last few games of the season, but it made no difference as we secured another win. Adrian Littlejohn scored his 15th of the season, proving how good a signing he had been, and it was the little midfielder who helped assist the second goal, as he slid the ball for Agustin to square it across for Daryl Clare to smash home from six yards to send us in 2-0 at the break. The visitors would get back into the game, and they had us on the back foot at times, but Wouter Kos won, and then scored the penalty that sealed the win, bringing us just one step closer to that unbeaten record

The second leg of the FA Trophy semi final was next up, and with us having a 3-0 lead already, Halesowen had a lot of work to do to overturn the deficit. They had even more work to do within ten minutes as Adrian Littlejohn extended the gap, and despite two goals in ten minutes , we equalised on the day to make it 2-2, and with the 5-2 aggregate win, we booked ourselves a trip to Highbury in the FA Trophy Final, giving us the chance to complete a double. Telford were next up, in league action, and we ended the month with a superb 4-1 win. We did go 1-0 down early on, but goals from Helder Rosario and David Collins in the first half, before Collins again and a penalty from Wouter Kos in the second half were enough to seal it

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April 2002 Results

Boston Utd 3-2 Doncaster (Collins 4 ; Rosario 45 ; Kos 53)

Barnet 0-2 Boston Utd (Littlejohn 57 ; Town 73)

Halesowen 0-3 Boston Utd (Town 2, 47 ; Butra 45) FA Trophy Semi Final

Boston Utd 3-1 Nuneaton (Littlejohn 17 ; Clare 44 ; Kos pen 90)

Boston Utd 2-2 Halesowen (Littlejohn 10 ; Collins 40) FA Trophy Semi Final

Telford 1-4 Boston Utd (Rosario 14 ; Collins 21, 58, Kos pen 88)

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May 2002

The season had just two games left, so I took the opportunity to sit the lads down in the first training session of the month and congratulate them on their fantastic achievement. They had been sensational over the course of the season and had made me as proud as I could have been, and we now had to build on that and head into the Third Division

The final league game of the season was a visit from Scarborough, a team who sat 5th in the table, but they were brushed aside easily. Mike Marsh opened the scoring inside four minutes, in what he had told me would be his penultimate game for the club as he was focusing on coaching after this season, and David Collins grabbed his 34th of the season 25 minutes later. He made that 35 in the second half, racing through after a loose backpass and rounding the ‘keeper. We did concede near the end to take the shine off the game but we completed our season in fine style

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Most of the lads had never seen a ground like Highbury before, so as I expected, they took in the sights and took pictures of the stadium and were amazed at the size of the place. Once we finished and got into the dressing room though, it was business as normal, and as the lads got changed, I popped the team sheet onto the wall for the game, one that would see us face Woking, a team we had beaten and drawn with in the Conference

Wood ; Ellender, Rosario, Monington ; Rusk, Agustin, Kos, Clare ; Littlejohn, Butra, Collins

I had gone with the strongest possible team we had, and it worked wonders as we started like a train. Collins continued his scoring form by giving us the lead eleven minutes into the match. Paul Ellender headed home a second from an Agustin cross. Our opponents were slow off the mark again in the second half, and found themselves 3-0 behind after 64 minutes, Collins getting in behind the defence and firing home. This was more than enough to seal the win, and despite a goal from Woking, we managed a fourth, Butra finishing his season in good form, and we completed our double and ended the season as well as we could have hoped

May 2002 Results

Boston Utd 3-1 Scarborough (Marsh 4 ; Collins 39, 68)

*Woking 1-4 Boston Utd (Collins 11, 64 ; Ellender 38 ; Butra 75) FA Trophy Final

*Boston United win the FA Trophy and secure a double

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