It's The League Cup - Which Must Mean Harrow Again.

The mid-season break from league action continues this evening as the much-maligned League Cup begins in earnest. Now, unlike many of my contemporaries I quite like the League Cup, even if it does come 6^th in my, and probably the club’s list of priorities. I’ve never really got my head around the idea of dismissing cup competitions as an unwelcome distraction in the same way I can’t understand why clubs work their nipples off to qualify for Europe and then bleat about the work load the following season. Anyway, that is by the by, I’m talking about the League Cup and as far as I’m concerned, any piece of silverware is worth winning. Every Cup Final I’ve been to (and I’ve been very lucky to have been at plenty of them with Hendon) has been a terrific occasion – with the possible exception of the defeat against Wingate at the end of last season.

Save for a semi final appearance where we were beaten over two legs by Canvey Island under Dave Anderson’s stewardship our track record in the competition is pretty bleak. It’s the one competition where we are routinely knocked out by lower division sides or, as the case may well be this evening and has been for 2 of the last 3 seasons, Harrow Borough. Now, I can fully understand the league’s reasons for regionalising the draw, but continually being drawn against the same side(s) does nothing to draw the fans in. Nor does charging full price entry. Admittedly, doing away with extra time is a sensible move, but it’s not going to suddenly attract swathes of bodies through the gates. Perhaps playing the first couple of rounds before the beginning of the season (yes, I realise this might cause problems in terms of budgeting / contracts) but it might help managers in terms of pre-season preparations and would be more likely to attract fans through the gate than another friendly against Dullard Albion from the Piddle Pants League Central Division.

This season the competition is being sponsored by Boon Electricals, and will be named the Alan Boon Cup. Many readers may recognise the name, and with good reason. Alan Boon was until his untimely death earlier this year, the chairman at Staines Town and had been on the Isthmian League management committee for a number of years as well. He was a Non-League man through and through who had a passion for Staines in particular but Non-League football as a whole. I was lucky enough to spend 10 minutes talking to him at a League Cup tie at Claremont Road about five or six years ago and not only was he extremely knowledgable, but a real gentleman as well. You don’t get enough of them at any level of football these days, and as a result, when one passes on the game, particularly at a local level like ours, feels the loss even more keenly. His help in staging a home Hendon match against Canvey Island during our nomadic period 3 years ago will not be forgotten.

Much Missed: Gentleman & Football Man

As I said, for the 3^rd time in 4 seasons the draw has paired us with Harrow Borough, whom under Dave Anderson’s stewardship have steadied the ship somewhat since we played them at Vale Farm on Bank Holiday Monday in August. Team selection has settled down somewhat and ignoring a 5-0 FA Cup defeat at Dartford, they’re unbeaten in their last six league matches. Anderson has made some impressive signings, none more so than midfielder Rob Wolleaston who has plenty of experience with Oxford United, Cambridge United and Weymouth, and the return of Evandro Delgado has added extra spark to the side going forward.

I would imagine, with important FA Trophy ties coming at the weekend that both managers will use the opportunity to have a look at a few different faces in their XIs tonight. Certainly Gary Mac has a number of players who played in last week’s friendly at Tring Athletic who are knocking on the door and need game time, so I expect we might see a change in goalkeeper and starts for Craig CarboVargs, Belal Aite-ouakrim, Isaiah Rankin, Michael Lewis and Brad Fraser amongst others. That we have players of this quality scratching around for game time shows just what a good job Macca has done in getting together a squad with so much depth to it.

Prospects then. It’s a tough one to call. Were this a league match, in spite of Harrow’s improved form, I would still fancy us to triumph. It depends very much on the two XIs that do take the field, but I wouldn’t be enormously surprised if the tie was settled by penalty kicks, which I hasten to add, would not be a lottery, but a simple test of which players can and can’t beat a goalkeeper from 12 yards out. If it comes to that, always fear the worst.