FA Cup, Round 1, Cressing Road,* 13/11/12

Since I lived in Braintree for two years Braintree Town is the English club nearest to what I could claim as a “local team.” While I lived there, though, the club was deep down in the English football pyramid and I never actually went to watch them. Somehow Saturdays were always spent going to Colchester or somewhere else to go round shops. I have continued to look out for their results in the intervening years and noted their climb to the Conference South and finally the Premier.

Last night was surely the biggest in their history what with a home First Round FA Cup tie against Tranmere Rovers and a live TV appearance thanks to ITV 4. My first time watching them in action. It was also my first time watching Tranmere for 90 mins.

The history I found on Wikipedia was interesting to me as they were for a long time associated with (as Manor Works and Critall Athletic the works team of) Critall Windows from where their nickname The Iron is derived.

They were playing in distinctive colours; shirts which were a shade of red that was close to orange (on Wiki it is orange) and light blue shorts. It was nice to see clips of their manager Alan Devonshire in his West Ham pomp before the game.

There was no doubt that Tranmere were the more accomplished side, stronger on the ball, quicker to it and generally more comfortable with it but Braintree had their moments and with some composure in front of goal might have scored. They were a bit unlucky with the first goal as the keeper made a great stop only for it to fall kindly for the attacker. Tranmere’s second and third were well worked and created though, the last coming in stoppage time and perhaps flattering the away team a touch. Braintree played some nice stuff, attempting to pass, spreading it wide but the gap in Divisions was obvious.

Comparisons are odious they say but as to how my beloved Dumbarton would match up I think that, presently, Braintree would come out on top.

*Sponsored as the Amlin Stadium.

Coggeshall is a village on the road between Braintree and Colchester. We used to pass through it a lot on the bus to Colchester (and back) when we went of a Saturday to the big metropolis from the wilds of Braintree. At least it was on the main A 120 road then; like Braintree it too has been bypassed now.

Coggeshall had a reputation in Braintree as being inhabited by yokels – they told tales of “Coggies” in the same way others would of the Irish (or the Irish do of Kerrymen.) It’s barely three miles away!

We went on there after Silver End to see how much it had changed. Answer: not a lot. Mind you the minor road from Silver End to Coggeshall Hamlet (just south of Coggeshall proper) is the windiest thing I’ve ever driven on – like a sideways roller coaster. The road is called Cut Hedge Lane and skirts the edges of a farmer’s fields and there are no fences – nor hedges come to that – the fields start where the road’s edge is.

Coggeshall is still quaint, with Tudor style wooden framed houses of which this was the example most lopsided in appearance.

It’s not without some modern references, though. Someone had obviously been watching The Two Ronnies.