13th Dec 2005 - BCI Cup Night

All characters and locations are genuine. All perceptions are suspect. Some events are completely inaccurate
but make a good story. Timings should be adjusted if you have a Fan Assisted oven.

All rights reserved. Now, let’s have a bit of Bully ….

Chapter 1

 It just wasn’t meant to be like this. Surely this can’t be it?

 Looking around, Gaz can see that three of them have been hurt and one is missing. How can he have just disappeared?

 They need to re-group. Accept it’s over, at least for now, and concentrate on getting the hell out of there. While there’s still time. 

Still, he couldn’t help but reflect on the evening …. 

Chapter 2

 Tuesday 13^th December. It’s freezing. The dark winter’s night sends a chill down Gaz’s spine as he gets out of Biggsio’s car. He glances towards the lights in the distance and pulls his collar up, catches Neil’s eye and lights a cigarette. Neil shrugs and they set off towards the bar.

 At roughly the same time, a few miles across town, Rolfie fires the engine in his car. It’s just gone 7 o’clock, plenty of time yet. No worries.

 Sean, Ben and Ritchie A. are already waiting. Always first. Always ready. They glance at the clock, none of them speaking, although when the conversation does come, stuttering

and low, it’s not uncomfortable. They’ve been here too many times. 

Mossy arrives a few moments later, having made the trip up the motorway alone. It’s difficult to read any emotion as he moves to take his seat. He’s handed a sheet of paper as he passes the table, the details of which he was fully expecting. There are no surprises, not yet anyway, but then it’s still early and the events haven’t even begun to unfold.

 Stuart next. It’s nearly time and soon they’ll all be here. Just as he starts to question how it will work, Danny and ‘Mrs. Danny’ come in. A few nods and they settle down, slightly apart from the rest. A small but perhaps significant gap.  He’s new to the group and still a little hesitant.

 The Rogers boys arrive, separately. Young Matt with a woman in tow. It’s always about the women with Matt. Mark has his face hidden with a scarf. Tonight, he’ll be watching, learning, waiting. 

And finally, Russ. Seems relaxed enough but he can be a bit of a loose cannon. It never takes much to make it too much with Russ. 

A little apprehension now around the table but at least they’re all here. All ready and accounted for. Whatever happens from now on, they’re together again. 

Chapter 3 

On reflection, although not pretty, it could have been worse. They’ve faced some difficult times before but this was more than manageable.

 The draw a few minutes earlier had placed Bunky’s and Athletico in Group 1, alongside Argash and Debenhams. Things didn’t start well, however, and the opening game of Group 1 saw Athletico beat Debenhams 2-0.  

Hope had prevailed, at least for a while as Shenley struggled - but they ran out 2-0 winners and BC1 were next up, facing Argash.

 The usual suspects took the field. It was nervous, it was sombre and nothing quite went to plan. Without much incident, the game was tied at 0-0. 

The pressure mounted for the next match. A result against Athletico was crucial. Bunky’s played well, much better - and certainly edged the game. The opposition was restricted to long range efforts and BC1 had two clear opportunities thwarted by their ‘keeper. 

Rolfie looked to be struggling, however, and when he left the field for Danny, no-one could have seen that he would play no further part that evening as his back flared up. 

Again, 0-0, and with the Argash and Debenhams also finishing level, it meant a win against Debenhams would guarantee qualification to the semi’s. It was still within reach, despite a poor league performance against them few weeks back. 

Just before kick-off, as Rolfie resigned himself to the fact he couldn’t continue, Rogers disappeared. With Ben having now knocked a couple of beers back, Matty started - but looked out of place as Bunky’s struggled to get their shape. 

Two poor performances in and Bunky’s looked dishevelled, .. yet why? The defence was solid and they had kept two clean sheets. Confidence began to return and some neat interchanges eventually saw Sean steer a first time pass out to Rich who ran on and put the ball under the ‘keeper. Bunky’s had finally scored and it was just a short while later that Sean made it two. 

With the player’s more relaxed now, some great passing and movement created further chances but none were converted and a momentary lapse saw Debenhams attack and pull one back. 

Too little, too late, however, and the whistle went. BC1 had made the semi’s with a tie against MK United, who they had recently hammered 6-0 in the league, standing between them and the final. 

Athletico topped the group on goal difference following a draw against Argash. How costly was that late Debenhams strike going to prove? 

Chapter 4 

Danny started against MK United, the only change from the team that finished the group match.

 Bunky’s had the majority of possession but a clumsy challenge on Russ momentarily held the BC1 teams’ concentration and, as he lay writhing and screaming on the floor, MK United took advantage and simply placed the ball into the net. 

The goal stood and Russ was helped from the pitch, replaced by Danny. 

As if with a renewed resolution, following such unsportsmanlike conduct, BC1 attacked time and time again, until Matty finally grabbed the equaliser, running onto a ball from Sean to hit a low shot into the back of the net.

 It was to be short -lived, though as Matty then went down himself under another brutal challenge.  

With Bunky’s becoming more and more incensed a rare United attack saw the ball put wide of the post but they reacted quicker to the rebound…. 2-1 and BC were staring defeat in the face. 

Despite some golden opportunities to pull the game back, BC1 were unable to capitalise on their superiority and the final whistle went  ….

Chapter 5

 And so, yes, this was the end. At least, it was for another year.

 It was cold and they were hurting but, sat here in the bar, it was nothing a few beers and some pork scratchings couldn’t fix.

 As the evening wore on, the mood lifted. Rogers had won the money from the sweepstake (which Gaz and Biggsio would spend on kebabs later), Athletico had won the cup on penalties, Brentford had won in the FA Cup and Anne-Marie had won Matty’s heart.

 They were together and when it was right, they would return. Stronger (as that weakling Russ would probably have moved by then).

The End