Football’s coming home

On 24th April 2004, York City went down to a 3-1 defeat at Third Division Champions-elect Doncaster Rovers, a result that effectively cast them adrift from the Football League after three-quarters of a century as an established member. Even the mention of some of those names wearing the famous crest on that fateful occasion – the likes of Brass, Wood, George, Newby and Wise – would be enough to leave York fans in a cold and desperate sweat, such was the horrendous nature of what had unfolded before their disbelieving eyes over the course of that dreadful season. Doncaster celebrated as York wept. Life would never quite be the same again.

Six years on, and not withstanding embarrassing and stinging canings at such as Canvey Island, Gravesend & Northfleet and Crawley Town, not to mention crucial and scrambled end-of-season victories at imposing footballing giants Leigh RMI and Weymouth, York finally have the chance to put all those wrongs right and heal so many painful sores that have developed over so many bleak years.

Throughout those times their magnanimous supporters have locked together firm, standing shoulder to shoulder in unwavering support of the club they love. Attendances have remained stable and hearts defiant as passions continued to burn deep inside. Naturally there was talk of whether the club would ever return to their former glorious, or if it would be merely confined to tramping around the non-league circuit for the rest of its meaningless existence.

Three years ago Billy McEwan went close to becoming its Messiah, before his hopes were finally washed up on a sandy beach in Morecambe. A period then followed of mind-numbing tedium, albeit with a couple of lengthy unbeaten sequences, under Colin Walker before along came a rather unlikely choice of saviour in Martin Foyle. His initial progress appeared slow, although he did manage to steer his inherited collection of misfits to eventual league safety and an unlikely second-ever appearance at Wembley Stadium in the FA Trophy.

That alone helped the club to regroup financially and investments were made in the playing resources over the following summer, although ironically it was somebody rescued by Foyle from the relative backwaters of a loan spell at Barrow that proved their trail-blazer to success. Enter Richard Brodie – lean and mean and an incredible goal-machine. 37 times he bashed, crashed and nodded the ball past the opposition goalkeeper as York romped majestically into the top five of the table. There was even a brief glimmer of hope that they might actually catch the seemingly unassailable leaders, until their previous fortress of a Bootham Crescent home suddenly began to wobble as the finishing line drew nearer.

Into the play-offs and a meeting with the apparently unbeatable Luton Town, who were fourteen games without defeat and smashing in goals faster than Gordon Brown was collapsing in the opinion polls. It was tight and tense in the first-leg at Bootham Crescent, where the visitors had the edge for long stages until up popped that man Brodie in the final minute to cast a completely different reflection on the tie. The York faithful roared before celebrating long in the night. But nobody knew if it would really be enough.

Those doubts still heavily persisted as the gallant York heroes travelled to the hostile environment of Kenilworth Road in the second-leg. The Minstermen fought valiantly as their opponents quite literally threw everything at them. But the visitors defence led magnificently by the imperious David McGurk were once again superb, and their midfield tireless as they looked to tick off each and every agonising minute one-by-one in order to keep their dream alive. And then just after the half-time break it happened. Michael Rankine’s firm low free-kick was fumbled by the keeper and Chris Carruthers followed in to score what could turn into one of the most priceless goals in the club’s history. The York element simply exploded into scenes of unbridled joy.

And so to Wembley, where twenty-four hours earlier the likes of Drogba, Anelka and Lampard will be providing the tedious warm-up act for Rankine, Brodie and Lawless and the main event, as York’s battling heroes take to the field against Oxford United in a real winner takes all clash.

A nation holds its breath, while a city collectively clutches its heart …