Change of plan leads to a Saturday at the Withdean Stadium

AFC Varndeanians 4 Wick FC 0, SCFL Division 1, Saturday 30^th March 2019


At the start of March, it had been my intention to have visited the three remaining Southern Combination Football League Premier Division grounds that I’d yet to get to this season by the end of the month.


Unfortunately, as I sit here and type this on the last day of March, I’ve only succeeded in ticking off one of the three – Peacehaven back on the 9th.


I’d had it all planned out. I was due to visit Arundel last week and then Pagham yesterday. Mission accomplished. Simple. Then life got in the way. Wait. No, not life. That’s not the right word. Children. That’s the word I’m looking for. Children got in the way.


Last week, instead of being in Arundel I was chaperoning my eldest to the Hollywood Bowl for his end-of-season football do, while yesterday my youngest was invited to a Birthday party in Brighton, the timing of which would have meant getting to Pagham in time for kick-off would have been a logistical nightmare.


However, just because I couldn’t get to Pagham didn’t mean I would have to miss out on a game completely. Noticing that the party venue was just a short walk away from the Withdean Stadium, and that one of the ground’s two current incumbents – AFC Varndeanians – were due to be at home to Wick, I merely decided to shuffle my plans. Visits to Arundel and Pagham are now planned in for April instead!

The Withdean Stadium, of course, is most famous for being a temporary home to Brighton and Hove Albion between 1999 and 2011 (pre-Premier League years). Sometimes dubbed, somewhat ironically, ‘The Theatre of Trees’ (see the below picture for the reason why), the stadium is traditionally an athletics venue and was never really a befitting home for a professional football club.

Temporary, uncovered stands were erected to take the ground’s capacity to just past 6,000 during Brighton’s tenure of the stadium, but with the athletics track standing between the stands and the pitch, some spectators needed binoculars to get a view of the action.

Today, the temporary stands are gone, leaving behind only the main stand running along one side of the athletics track. While the Withdean may not have been a befitting venue for a professional club, at Step 5 and 6 on the non-league pyramid it’s one of the grander venues you’ll see. Albeit the athletics track means you’re further away from the action that many spectators – myself included – would like. 

My eldest son (attending his first visit to a game with me since New Year’s Day) and I arrived at the ground at just after 14:20. With no one yet at the gate to take admission money, we walked along the athletics track to the small clubhouse to find someone to pay. Admission was a bargain £5, which included a rather truncated program (the usual editor, it transpires, is currently in Australia) and a raffle ticket that can be exchanged for a hot drink at any time during the afternoon. Like I say, bargain!

Upon sitting in the near deserted stand, my son noticed something that I’d not actually paid any heed to. Despite it being nearly 14:30 by this point, Varndeanians were the only team warming up.

“Why’s there only one team out?” he asked.


“Don’t know,” I replied. “Maybe Wick are doing a warm-up elsewhere.”


The minutes ticked by. By 14:45, there was still no sign of the visitors. Or indeed the officials.


To alleviate some of the boredom, my son began acting as an impromptu ball-boy for any balls that went errant during the Varndeanians extended warm-up (A role he would continue during the match), before asking me to time him as he ran the 100-metres on the athletics track. I’m pretty sure his (rather generously-timed) best effort of 20.02 seconds isn’t going to have too many Olympians quaking in their running shoes.


By 14:50, the officials appeared, but there was still no sign of Wick. I guessed the combination of the frankly glorious summer-like weather (wearing jeans was a huge sweaty, mistake) and Brighton being at home must have played havoc with the traffic getting into Brighton.


Anyway, by 15:00 Wick players started to appear on the pitch and, after the briefest of warm-ups (honestly, my Sunday League team used to go through a more strenuous routine), the game surprisingly kicked off at just after 15:05. Whether this was something Wick agreed to, or were forced into, I’ve no idea.


I’d seen mid-table Wick a few weeks ago, when they beat Selsey to reach the final of the Division One Cup. On that occasion, they’d been well-drilled and combative, barely giving their higher placed opponents any time on the ball.


However, probably in part due to their unorthodox preparations for this game, they started the match slowly, and within ten minutes the hosts were deservedly ahead. A well worked move in the middle of the park led to Matt Waterman being played on through on goal, and he poked the ball beyond the reach of the Wick keeper.

Varndeanians continued to control the match, dominating both possession and territory. That’s not to say Wick were without their chances, particularly when they got the talented Shane Brazil running at the V's defence. Twice he went close to scoring. Once with an angled drive that stung the palms of the Varndeanians goalkeeper, then again following a mazy run that saw him jink past a number of players before a last gasp challenge prevented him from getting a shot away

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Despite these glimpses of goal for Wick, it was no real surprise when Varndeanians extended the lead just after the half-hour mark. Waterman once again was the scorer, demonstrating just why he’s the division’s leading scorer with an accomplished finish. The best, however, was yet to come!


The game’s pattern stayed the same after the interval. Varndeanians continued to enjoy the majority of possession, the more direct Wick looked to hit on the break. It was the visitors, though, who created the better chances in the opening exchanges of the second half. Twice the Varndeanians keeper pulled off stunning saves to stop Wick from reducing the arrears. From the second save, the ball fell invitingly to Brazil six-yards out, but he could only hit the post when he arguably should have done better.

Any hopes that the visitors would be able to salvage something from the match were well and truly extinguished with 20 minutes remaining. The Varndeanians’ right winger did really well to reach the byline and dig out a cross aimed towards the penalty spot. However, few people in the ground could have predicted what happened next. That man Waterman again, with both feet off the floor, caught the ball perfectly plush on the volley and sent the ball searing past the helpless Wick custodian.

This was the 43^rd non-league match that I’ve been to this season, and I can’t remember any better goals. Everyone watching clapped, even my wife who, along with our youngest, had joined me for some of the second half, with the party having finished. The perfect strike with which to complete a fine hat-trick.

With little over ten minutes remaining, the hosts added a fourth, which probably gave the game a more comprehensive sounding scoreline than the match actually deserved (although the better team definitely won). This time Charlie Farmer was the scorer, heading home from a corner.

Still Wick didn’t give up, and they went close to snatching a late consolation when a cross-come-shot from a substitute bounced off the top of the bar.


With the season fast nearing its conclusion, the win keeps Varndeanians slim hopes of promotion alive, although they are still reliant on results of other games going their way to stand a chance. For Wick, with little to play for in the league, thoughts will no doubt already be turning to 19^th April when they take on another promotion-chasing side, Steyning Town, in the Division One Cup Final. Let’s home their preparation for that match runs a little smoother than it did for this one.

For me, all being well, I'll be off to Arundel next week to see the relegation threatened hosts take on my home town side, Newhaven. That is, of course, unless my children get in the way of my well thought out plans!