Willand vs Westbury
1996 was quite the year. I’d left the meaner streets of South Cheshire and ended up living in Southampton during a time when English football felt like the absolute center of the universe, clubs were lighting up with the sound of Britpop, and Three Lions blasted out of every car window.
Music and football were a way of life that summer. Oasis were the uncrowned Kings of Knebworth, while Charmless Man by Blur, Trash by Suede and The Day We Caught the Train by Ocean Colour Scene filled out the playlist — okay, they can’t all be bangers.
You probably remember Gazza’s “dentist’s chair” celebration at Euro 96, Darren Anderton rattling the post against Germany, and the national heartbreak that followed. Manchester United’s “Double Double” season, back when they were still the best team in the North West. Liverpool’s “Spice Boys” strolling onto the Wembley turf in flamboyant cream Emporio Armani suits. Kevin Keegan’s live TV meltdown, slumped over the advertising boards as Newcastle’s twelve-point lead evaporated. We’d all have loved it if you’d have beaten them, Kevin.
Away from the Premier League, Stevenage Borough won the Football Conference title with 91 points, only to be denied promotion because Broadhall Way wasn’t up to scratch, while Macclesfield Town beat Cheshire rivals Northwich Victoria to win the FA Trophy at Wembley.
But I’m not talking about music. I’m not even talking about football. Because something else happened in 1996. It was the year Pokémon got released.
It’s relevant because today marks the official worldwide launch of the Pokémon TCG: 30th Anniversary set. And I’m very excited about that.
When Pocket Monsters Red and Green hit shelves in Japan that February, it seems unlikely anyone thought a piece of cardboard would one day be worth the transfer fee that took Ronaldo from Inter Milan to Barcelona that same year. Cards were bought, played with, and drawn on with reckless abandon.
Fast forward to today, and those early vintage cards have become a high-end goldmine. A flawless 1st Edition Base Set Charizard will set you back upwards of £200,000 at auction. Even standard, well-loved holographics from that era command hundreds of pounds.
It’s different now, of course. Much like football at the highest level, Pokémon has become the playground of middle-aged men trying to relive their youth, while the actual young get priced out of the marketplace.
Case in point: scalpers are, even as I type, buying out entire shops worth of stock just to flip on eBay at inflated prices. Something the board of Manchester United would no doubt encourage.
And yet. For all that, there’s still something undeniably joyful in it. You still get that little spike of hope pulling a holo, even a rubbish one. Find an SIR, even one that’s only worth a few pounds more than you paid for the pack, and suddenly you’re the best investor in Devon.
There’s a particular joy, too, in the chase itself. Hunting down that one card to finish off a set, checking eBay at 11pm, working out if the seller’s “near mint” and your definition of “near mint” are the same thing. And then, finally, slotting the last card into the binder and looking at a complete master set. It’s a small, stupid, entirely pointless kind of satisfaction. Might be the best kind there is.
Not dissimilar, really, to watching football — especially non-league, on a Wednesday night in the dying embers of a British summer. The hope that you might pull off a victory. The joy when you see a goal. The serenity of just being there. Belonging to something.
Willand came into the game after a good win away to Slimbridge at the weekend and manager Ben Watson again utilised his squad, with Ford and Sa returning to the back line. Opponents Westbury travelled to Devon on the same points as their hosts, but looking to bounce back after a 2-2 draw against Bideford and a 3-0 reverse to Larkhall in their previous games.
The game began cagily, with both sides taking their time to find any rhythm. Rovers created the better openings in a half that was dominated by the midfields.
The first chance fell to Bateson in the 36th minute. Capitalising on an error on the Westbury defence the Willand 9 could only find the side netting with his well struck shot.
Kempster was at the heart of most of Willand’s attacking play and he was unlucky in the 43rd minute when he controlled the ball in Westbury penalty area, cutting inside the defender, only to see his delicate flick-shot pushed round the post.
Halt Time Willand 0 – Westbury 0
Rovers wasted little time asserting themselves after the restart. Bateson was the architect of the opener, beating three Westbury defenders on a driving run before pulling back for Kempster, who drilled a first-time finish into the bottom corner from outside the box.
Kempster doubled the lead in the 66th minute with a goal that brought both people in the Baylis stand to their feet. Picking the ball up on the right, the Willand winger lashed a shot into the top corner for his second of the game, giving Manning no chance.
Dorothy then almost had an immediate impact off the bench, seeing a shot from a counter-attack drift just wide, before getting his goal moments later, rising highest to meet a Kempster flick-on and heading past Manning to make it 3-0.
With the game seemingly settled, Rovers gave away a penalty in the closing stages, but Seedhouse produced a fine save to stop Thomas adding to his season total, despite starting his run-up from somewhere near Uffculme.
Westbury did grab a consolation in stoppage time, another beautiful strike from outside the box that gave Seedhouse no chance, but it was too little too late, with Willand earning a well deserved three points.
Not a bad way to spend a Wednesday. In the end.
It turns out that pre-ordering 30th Anniversary cards from the official Pokemon store doesn’t actually guarantee you get anything (other than a two month delay in delivery)
So instead of looking for Charizards and Pikachus I’m listening to Pulp and drinking Maddog like it was 1996 all over again.
At least there’s always football.
Full Time – Willand 3 – Westbury 1
