Now thirty-five

years old, Steve

Nobby Wootten
had pretty much
seen it all during his
time as Melchester
Rovers right-back.
The club captain
now stood alongside
his manager, the
great Roy Race, on
what remained of
the old Mel Park
pitch.
Just think, boss, this
patch of grass is all
thats left of the old
ground, this and that bit
of the grandstand that
theyre not allowed to knock down! Nobby had never been a great speaker and
struggled with his words unless they were of the unprintable kind. Its called a
faade, Steve and its Grade II listed, the new apartment complex will make use
of the unique architecture. The flats will be highly sought after, Ive got mine
reserved already of course. Where were standing will be communal gardens,
replicated rainforests and koi carp ponds. It will be amazing. Not as amazing as
the old place, but the spirit will remain.
You dont really believe that do you, boss? asked Wootten. Roy sighed, Nope,
but I have to, so do you. Were the living embodiment of the spirit of Melchester
Rovers, if we dont believe in the club now, who will?
The 2000/01 season had ended on a sour note. Majority shareholders, the Vinter
Brothers, had withdrawn funding for the new stadium leaving the Rovers in
limbo, without a home. Melchester had failed to qualify for Europe, leaving a
perceived shortfall in revenue that the Vinters were relying on to support their
main investment. A losing side, a side in decline, was not a sound investment. No
new backers had been found, Roy himself had even sold his large shareholding to
the Vinters to try and prevent the inevitable. However the casino owning
brothers had gone underground, in the financial sense, work on the new
apartments had stopped, allowing Roy and Wootten the opportunity to survey
what remained of Mel Park.
As the diggers stood still, less than a the week before the new season,
Melchester Rovers, the most decorated club in English football, were going
backwards; without a ground, without new signings, on the verge of financial

oblivion. Home matches will continue to be played at Mel Valley Rugby Club,
with a reduced capacity of just over 21,000. Every match would be sold out, but
the club was running on a shoe-string. Roys daughter Mel, had been managing
director, but had to resign. Without her resignation the club would have been
placed in administration with debts mounting and their only assets players who
are vital to future income. She had overseen the financial meltdown, her lack of
qualifications and business acumen seen by outsiders as a major contributing
factor to the current dire financial situation.
In the close season, offers had been made for Declan McKaffree and Rocky Race,
record transfer fees, but nowhere near the amounts needed to fend off the debt
collectors. So no sales were made, Melchester Rovers were worth more with
Rocky and the young Irishman than without. So Roy Race had the same thin
squad to work with that struggled the previous season, but at least he had his
two stars. In fact only Gary Bracken was missing from the team that had won the
title back in 1999/2000.
The backroom staff, however, had been trimmed significantly; Wootten was new
player-coach and took control of defensive drills. Jeff Cooper and Paul Marshall
had to do without a dedicated goalkeeping coach, although former keeper
Charlie Carter volunteered two days a week. A National Lottery funded
physiotherapist had replaced the high earning Debbie Foster. So the Rovers
coaching staff numbered just five, Race, his assistant Geoff Giles, Wootten,
Carter and Andy MacLaren who combined his duties as youth team coordinator
with a new role as attacking coach. In short, Melchester Rovers were being run
like a non-league team. And with the new season just five days away,
expectations had rarely been lower.
Weve a first-team squad of just sixteen, that fills the bench at least! Roy
dismayed. Geoff Giles had joined his manager and the team captain as they left
the building site, This is beyond a joke, Roy. Weston Villa, Tynecaster, Portdean,
even Castlemere, have strengthened. Were not in their league, well we are, but
we cant compete with them now. Were in a fight with Redstoke, Gatesfield and
North Vale; were in a relegation scrap this year! Giles was a fiery character and
prone to exaggeration, but this time Roy thought he was spot on, To think weve
turned down good offers for first-team players from Eastgate and Oldfield, while
Im not even bothering to look at Premiership players. Even clubs of that stature
have overtaken us financially!
Wootten, however, was looking for positives, But weve got a few things they
can never have! Roy Race, Geoff Giles, experience and knowhow! Weve got
Rocky Race, Declan McKaffree, Ritchie Lawrence, Dino Marcello, Jamie Nash and
weve got me! Theres no way we are just fighting with Gatesfield, were fighting
with everyone!
Plans for Saturday needed to be confirmed, so the three vastly experienced
football men sat on plastic garden furniture sipping coffee from polystyrene cups
in the car park of a DIY store. Melchester Rovers did not even have their own
cafeteria, things were that tight. Portdean away, couldnt be a more difficult
game to kick off what will be a difficult season. The team picks itself really, thats
another problem, were now so predictable! Pre-season we stuck with the 5-3-2
and weve no time to work on a new shape now, but we all agree that we work
towards a 4-5-1, Christmas tree formation for the big games, thats fluid and can
switch to our old 4-3-3 favourite when were in possession.

Giles and Wootten did agree, but the captain was concerned for his place in a
back four. He was the perfect right sided centre-back, but Marcello or Anton
Gronvold were more suited to the attacking expectations held of the modern fullback, while Nash and David Gates would be the preferred pairing if only two
centre-backs were chosen. This time he chose not to voice his personal concerns.
As Roy had said earlier in the day, he needed to believe in the club, put the club
before himself; they all did.
But Wootten was right to have worries for his first-team place, for as the Rovers
ran out at Portdean that Saturday, their longest serving player was wearing a
tracksuit and heading for a seat on the bench alongside his manager.
The Melchester Rovers line-up read (5-3-2): Cooper; Gronvold, Marcello, Gates,
Nash, Lawrence; Enqvist, Durham , McKaffree; Race, Templeton.
Their opponents, Portdean, featured two former Rovers, Terry Spring and Gary
Gunn (4-4-2): Thorensen; Forde, Ciderman, Hayes, Aberdeen; Hughes, Spring ,
Sherry, Gunn; Ricaro, Church.
The worries of the Rovers management team were soon justified as Portdean,
runners-up in the League the previous season, dominated possession and
territory. Terry Spring, now in his veteran years, controlled the midfield from his
position at the base of Portdeans midfield diamond. Time and time again he fed
Gary Gunn on the Portdean left. Gunn loved to cut in, which caused great
confusion in the Rovers defence. When Gronvold followed the left-back
overlapped into space. If Marcello tried to tackle Gunn fed the ball into the space
vacated in the inside-left channel. Sometimes both Gronvold and Marcello
chased Gunn, on other occasions they left him for one another.
By half-time, Rovers were three down, Gunn had scored a brace and set up
Portuguese striker Ricaro for the third. In the dressing room, Wootten was
fuming, he knew how to handle the likes of Gary Gunn. If he had been playing
Gunn would have been neutralised early on and Portdeans tactics diluted. The
dropped defender tried desperately to catch his managers eye, to try and force
his way on without undermining the greatest manager in the game.
Roy finished his teamtalk and gave Wootten a nod, Steve, youre on, Dino take a
break! Get close to Gunn, weve got to tighten up at the back, we need clear
decision making. Stabilise and then we can think about getting back in the
game.
Wootten stripped immediately and let out a roar, Come on Rovers! Remember
who we are, we are Melchester Rovers! He stamped his feet and led his team
out. The Portdean players were already on the field, Terry Spring stood in the
centre-circle with his foot on the ball. It was a Rovers kick-off, but Spring waited
patiently for Wootten. Nobby! Good to see you, mate! Here have the ball! he
rolled it slowly to the Rovers skipper, Thats the last time youll touch it!
Spring was playing the game, he knew Wootten would be pumped up, his little
stunt would really rile him. Get the ball to Gary, same tactics, lads! Wootten
wont be able to keep up! Easy today boys!

Rocky and Templeton kicked-off, Dion playing a simple ball back towards Keith
Durham. But Wootten wanted some early action and stormed up from the back,
taking possession. He charged forward, long auburn locks flowing behind as the
veteran slipped past a lame Tony Sherry tackle. Declan McKaffree had made a
darting run on the inside of the right back. Nobby nudged the ball through,
splitting the defence, McKaffree controlled in an instant and chipped the
advancing goalkeeper. Yes! yelled the Rovers skipper as he grabbed the ball
from the net and charged back, placing the ball on the centre-spot. What do you
think of that, Springo?
To Woottens horror, the Portdean captain was in fits of laughter, I think its
offside, mate! And he was right, the referee stood arm raised indicating the
indirect free kick. Portdean restarted with a patient game, retaining the ball.
They were three up, so there was no need for risky attacking play. But still Gary
Gunn, wanted to show-off and dropped deep to receive a ball from his left-back.
The England international turned and set off up the wing, Gronvold closed, but
was nutmegged and Gunn raced round him. Wootten converged. Incensed by
Gunns cockiness and the ease at which Portdean were controlling the game, the
veteran defender launched himself into the air and down with juggernaut force; a
two footed lunge over the top of the ball and through both Gunns legs. The
winger let out the cry of a snared animal; forty thousand spectators had
witnessed the assault, which if not for the strength of the sock would have left
his left leg in two.
Wootten was walking from the field before the referee had a chance to remove
the red card from his back pocket. Terry Spring gave chase, but was intercepted
by his friend Rocky Race, who held him back. Coins and bottles rained down on
the expelled Melchester skipper, but he did not feel their force. The red mist had
descended and Steve Wootten knew he had kicked his last ball (or opponent) as
a Melchester Rovers player.
***
A dozen plastic drinks bottles scattered across the dressing room, luminous
green liquid splattered over the tiled walls; Steve Wootten was in a rage. A bench
snapped, clothes ripped from pegs and torn off hangers, footballs blasted into
the showers. The Melchester Rovers captain had never been one to take failure
well, this time, as was becoming more common late in his career, it was entirely
his own doing.
Dressing rooms during matches were eerily quiet, but high pitched screams
punctured the sterile atmosphere. Gary Gunn was on a stretcher waiting for an
ambulance, his left tibia and fibia splintered, painkilling injections proving
useless. With every audible scream, Wootten lashed out. Eventually he stripped
and changed into his club suit. He did not bother to shower, he had only been on
the field for fifteen minutes of torment. With roughly five minutes of the ninety
remaining the captain walked out.
From counting the cheers it was obvious that Rovers were five down. He could
not face the team-mates that he had let down. He did not want to explain himself
to Roy Race. He wanted to blame the manager for not trusting him with a
starting place, but that seemed ridiculous now, after such an abject display. Roy
was right not to pick him and he would be right if he never picked him again.

As Wootten stepped out a voice called out, Steve, where are you off to! It was
Geoff Giles, the assistant manager, You stay and face the music, you owe us
that! You walk out now and thats it, youre finished!
Giles had never been one to mince his words, what he said he meant. So
Wootten did not even turn around, off he went, barging past a steward and
through the maze of the main stand until he found himself in the car park. In the
early evening summer sunshine, the captain of Melchester Rovers, began a long
walk to oblivion.
Hes lost the plot! Giles said to the doorman, Gets himself sent-off and then
behaves like a spoiled brat! Hes our most experienced player, a former England
international and he still cant control himself. When he was a kid, he didnt have
these problems.
Andy MacLaren, the former Scotland striker, once the most expensive footballer
in Britain, had joined the assistant manager, Its nae easy when you know
youre nae as good as you once were. I know it, mon, injuries wrecked my career,
when I quit I couldnae even run. You dont get it, Geoff, you went out at the top.
You finished at the World Cup, mon, in a great England team. Nobby thinks hes
finished now, wi a red card and five-naught thrashing! Gi him some time,
perhaps he can come back. But right now Nobbys nuts!
Hes been a great servant to the club, we can at least give him the chance, I
suppose. But its down to the boss. That was the last thing we needed. He broke
Gary Gunns leg, for cripes sake!
Giles and MacLaren returned to the away dressing room, the Rovers players
milled around in a daze. No-one said anything meaningful or made any reference
to their absent skipper. Roy Race was a firm believer in the power of silence,
right now words would achieve nothing positive.
Rocky Race spoke quietly to his father, Do you know how Gary is? Roy shook
his head, Not good, double fracture. To be honest, son, its the worst leg break
Ive ever seen. I just hope he plays again. Rockys face whitened, he had
suffered more than his fair share of injuries, but none were considered career
threatening. The young forward looked around, his team-mates mostly sat heads
bowed in a state of shock.
The solemn atmosphere was broken suddenly as the dressing room door crashed
open. Ted Rosier, former Portdean captain and hard man was screaming
expletives. Wheres Wootten? Wheres Wootten? he yelled between Fs and Cs.
Richie Gunn, the Portdean manager and Garys father, struggled to hold back his
first-team coach. Other Portdean players were piling in, Andy Kerrigan, the
veteran Rovers defender formed a one-man barricade, shoving the raging ginger
back. Cameras flashed, the familiar voice of an Orbital Sports could be heard
shouting random questions in hysterical excitement. A melee of red and yellow
and white and blue shirts and tracksuits thrashed and squabbled. Punches were
thrown, most by Rosier, some by Kerrigan. Jeff Cooper flattened Thorensen, the
Portdean keeper with a straight right. The green shirted Norwegian was then
trampled under the weight of the brawl.

The battle fizzled out as quickly as it had started, as Kerrigan and Cooper
slammed the door shut. Rocky Race rubbed bruised knuckles, Declan McKaffree
dabbed at a bloody nose. Ritchie Lawrence and Keith Durham found the whole
scene hilarious. Roy Race looked disgusted, then broke into a smile, You know
what, chums? That little fight has done my team talk for me. I dont think I need
to add anything. But, remember we are Melchester Rovers, we will fight and we
will come out on top! Forget today, we start again tomorrow!
NEXT How will the thrashing at Portdean affect Melchester Rovers
start to the season?