Boreham Wood make it to Wembley

We never expected this kind of excitement. When in May 2015 I asked my 8-year-old son if he wanted to go to the Conference South play-off final between Boreham Wood and Whitehawk, little did we know that we would end up here. Just three years later, the Wood are going to Wembley.

Being Arsenal supporters, we have managed to make it to Ashburton Grove on a few occasions. But with money often too tight to mention, regularly attending matches just wasn’t an option. As a man who has been to over 400 Arsenal matches, I wanted my son to feel the same enjoyment, and often disappointment that goes with being a football supporter. Which is why I suggested that play-off final.

If he didn’t like it, then fine. We could move on, and we hadn’t wasted a fortune in the process. Yet as soon as we walked into Meadow Park, things slotted into place. A cup of chips, and an exciting Boreham Wood win left us wanting more. We went back on a number of occasions during the Great Escape season of 2015/16, and I found myself at Welling for the final part of that celebration.

More matches followed in 2016/17, as the Wood finished in a solid 11th place, and at the end of that campaign we made a big decision. The fantastic early bird offers saw me purchase an adult season ticket for just £100, with my son’s under-12 version a mere £30. For those people who feel they are priced out of football at the higher level, I implore you to investigate a non-league club near you. You could be pleasantly surprised.

We didn’t choose a bad season to commit to more matches. After a number of shrewd signings by manager Luke Garrard, aided by chairman Danny Hunter, hopes were high that the team could maybe threaten the new play-off system. With the likes of Tom Champion, Kane Smith, Jamie Turley, Dean Wells, Keiran Murtagh, and Paul Benson joining in a busy summer, could we all dare to dream?

At first results were a little inconsistent. Good wins over Solihull Moors, Torquay, and Aldershot, were sandwiched between two losses against Dagenham and Redbridge, and Wrexham. September was up and down again, with a whopping crowd of 1,920 witnessing a fine win over Leyton Orient, but towards the end of the month defeats at the hands of Maidenhead United and Ebbsfleet checked progress.

The Ebbsfleet loss would prove a turning point. Undefeated in the next 12 league matches, the excitement surrounding the progression of the team was palpable amongst the many familiar faces in the crowd at Meadow Park. With Bruno Andrade finding the net on a consistent basis, it seemed that the team was going places. But in this fine team unit, Andrade was not the only key figure.

Grant Smith was superb in goal; Kane Smith proved a revelation at wing back after joining from Hitchin Town; Wells, Champion, Turley, Dave Stephens and Danny Woodards were solid at the back; if there is a finer midfielder in the league than Murtagh then I haven’t seen him; skipper Mark Ricketts is the rock in midfield, ably supported by the likes of Angelo Balanta and Ricky Shakes.

During this time we lapped up the matches. A trip to local rivals St Albans set up a historical first FA Cup win over league opposition on an unforgettable day in November. Coming from behind to beat Blackpool, goals from Blair Turgott and loanee Dan Holman gave the Wood a breathtaking victory. I got so caught up in the moment that I ended up crawling around on my hands and knees, literally knocked off my feet whilst celebrating Holman’s strike.

A strong Wood Army made their way to Coventry for the next round, but it wasn’t meant to be; Premier League Stoke City would find out that this particular away day was not easy. After going to both Dartford matches we had hopes that an FA Trophy run was on the cards. Sadly, that particular hope vanished on a freezing cold night in Hertfordshire, as I sat amongst the 302 fans that saw Gateshead come from behind to send the Wood out.

The players and supporters had no time to feel sorry for themselves, though, as thoughts turned towards pushing for a play-off spot. This particular goal was boosted with news in February that former striker Morgan Ferrier was returning to the club. Scoring on his first match back at Eastleigh, Ferrier would form an impressive partnership with Andrade, as the season reached squeaky bum time.

An eight-match unbeaten league run at one point looked like pushing the Wood towards a second or third placed finish, and the prospect of a one-off game at home for a trip to Wembley. But then came Bromley away; the Wood were 2-0 up early on, but the FA Trophy finalists were assisted by what you might politely call an iffy refereeing performance. Somehow losing in stoppage time, you wondered psychologically how that would affect the players and supporters.

We didn’t need to worry. A reasonably comfortable 3-1 over relegated Guiseley confirmed a play-off spot, with the fantastic fourth-placed finish setting up a home match against Fylde for the right to go to Sutton three days later. If we thought trying to get into the play-offs was tense, then we hadn’t seen anything yet.

The play-offs really are great for neutrals; and I can now confirm that they are thrilling for fans, if the results go your way. Taking an early two-goal lead against Fylde, the visitors halved the deficit before half-time. The second half was excruciating – seven minutes of stoppage time hardly helped – with every glance at the clock becoming more and more frequent. When the final whistle went, the relief was palpable.

A trip to play Sutton on their 3G pitch awaited. But the injuries began to mount for the Wood; Kane Smith was stretchered off against Fylde; Turley played 70 minutes with a broken jaw; Ferrier had failed a fitness test before the Fylde match and would not play in the semi-final. As we drove down to Gander Green Lane, secretly I was anxious that the season was beginning to take its toll.

This team fight to the end, though. On an unbearably hot day, they went to the well once more, driven on by on the Wood Army who were melting in the Collingwood Road stand. Michael Folivi stepped in for Ferrier, setting up Balanta for the opener, and scoring the crucial third. The team were out on their feet at the end, and everyone associated with the club could have kissed Smith after his brilliant late save prevented another 30 minutes of torture.

The party on and off the pitch was something to behold. Fans, players, management, chairman, all joining together to announce to the world that the Wood were going to Wembley. Me, my son, and my mum, bouncing up and down in the away end. Unbelievably, this small club, with an average home attendance of just over 600, had achieved the unthinkable.

I know the Wood are not popular amongst followers of other teams; a quick analysis of Twitter confirms that most weeks. Yet look beyond any personal grievances and you have to admit that Boreham Wood getting to Wembley is a stunning accomplishment. The club really shouldn’t be competing with the likes of Tranmere Rovers; on Saturday May 12 a win over the comparatively massive club would see Boreham Wood reach the Football League.

Boreham Wood in the Football League. That sentence alone leaves me shaking my head. But win or lose, the club have already given me and my son enough. The opportunity to bond together, to watch football at affordable prices, has been priceless since that first trip in 2015.

At a time of a great amount of work-related stress for me, going to Boreham Wood matches has given me an escape, and never underestimate the power of sport to provide relief when you feel weighed down with anxiety. The team have given us a spring in our step and walking down Wembley Way on Saturday is the icing on the cake. Win or lose, they have provided us with memories that will last forever.