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We got a draw that day. My memory is more than good, but it must have been a dire affair, because not a single mental image of the encounter comes to mind. But it didn’t take long for a trip to Boothferry Park to leave an indelible mark

A decade later my time travelling to County with Jeff Lawrenson started. We’ve seen almost countless games away from the environs of Edgeley Park. Travelling through thick and thin, to watch games at levels from the Championship to the Conference North we have always had a single inviolable rule. On grim days, if the score gets to six, (for the opposition of course!), then is the time to go, if we are more than an hour away from the warmth and succour of home. There’s been a fair few of those.

At Deepdale, when Tim Flowers belied any reputation he had as a decent keeper: Up at Brunton Park, as a truly desperate display from Carl Ikeme saw Carlisle put their sixth in with plenty of time before the final whistle; an evening at Blundell Park when the players inherited by Gannon had drawn the epithet of “social loafers” a couple of days previously and promptly went on strike in a spineless display that brought shame upon them; Alfreton when referee Stockbridge had a nightmare and most latterly an FA Trophy replay at Wrexham. Definitely an inviolable rule.

I don’t know how it really arose but it’s always been the case. Well, no more than 10 months after my first visit to Boothferry Park I clearly had a trial run at this. I travelled solo in those days. A reasonable vehicle meant that I had sufficient trust and faith to venture out a bit more. So on January 29th 1983 I headed along the M62 again. This time there was no taking in the area. A quick park-up in the street outside the ground; into the West Stand and a look forward to the game.

Hull looked to be on the up, standing top of the table before the days proceedings. (They were to go to get promoted finishing runners-up to Wimbledon). Things had obviously changed on the field and maybe that had awoken some of the slumbering support. The crowd at just under 6,000 was vastly improved from that visit only a few months previously, but it still felt like marbles rolling round in a tin can in the spacious stadium.

As the proceedings unfolded it was men and boys. At 5 down shortly after half time my thoughts turned to the trip home. A late January evening; cold; and as ever the drag over Saddleworth on the M62 always at risk of the weather up on the tops. Don’t go yet was the thought, maybe we can get a consolation or two. It was a fond thought, but realistically more of a delusion … on a grand scale. The sixth went in and my mind was made up.

Gathering my goods and chattels I made my way up the stand to the exit at the rear, only to turn around and see number seven flash past Brian Lloyd. Enough was more than enough. By 4.25 the lights of Hull were receding into the rear view mirror. It was with trepidation that I turned on Sports Report at 5 o’clock to see whether the carnage had reached double figures. Fortunately not – in true cricketing spirit the Tigers had declared at seven! It was with some surprise to my brothers that they saw me walking back through the front door well before the six o’clock news started.

So started a tradition, and one that Jeff and I have always kept. Madness I know. Spending hours on the road decent money on petrol; entrance; pies and programmes it seems foolish not to exact full value. But there again I’m not certain that humiliation is a real component of value. Strangely that nadir of a performance was the only time I ever saw County lose at Boothferry. The other seven visits brought three wins and four draws.

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Memories of trips to Boothferry Park Memories of a single trip to the KC Stadium

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THE GAMES

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Where the date is in bold click for highlights of the game

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	Date	Venue	Ground	Competition		F	A	Att:
Mon	12/04/82	h	Edgeley Park	Football League Division 4 (Tier 4)	L	1	2	2,450
Tues	20/04/82	a	Boothferry Park	Football League Division 4 (Tier 4)	D	0	0	3,526
Fri	10/09/82	h	Edgeley Park	Football League Division 4 (Tier 4)	D	1	1	2,252
Sat	29/01/83	a	Boothferry Park	Football League Division 4 (Tier 4)	L	0	7	5,901
Sat	11/01/92	a	Boothferry Park	Barclays League Division 3 (Tier 3)	W	2	0	3,982
Sat	22/02/92	h	Edgeley Park	Barclays League Division 3 (Tier 3)	D	1	1	4,490
Sat	12/09/92	h	Edgeley Park	Barclays League Division 2 (Tier 3)	W	5	3	4,216
Tues	27/04/93	a	Boothferry Park	Barclays League Division 2 (Tier 3)	W	2	0	4,079
Sat	27/11/93	a	Boothferry Park	Endsleigh League Division 2 (Tier 3)	W	1	0	7,119
Sat	07/05/94	h	Edgeley Park	Endsleigh League Division 2 (Tier 3)	D	0	0	7,666
Sat	14/01/95	h	Edgeley Park	Endsleigh League Division 2 (Tier 3)	W	4	0	4,516
Sat	18/02/95	a	Boothferry Park	Endsleigh League Division 2 (Tier 3)	D	0	0	4,576
Sat	21/10/95	a	Boothferry Park	Endsleigh League Division 2 (Tier 3)	D	1	1	3,496
Mon	08/04/96	h	Edgeley Park	Endsleigh League Division 2 (Tier 3)	D	0	0	5,043
Tue	11/08/98	h	Edgeley Park	Worthington Cup (Round 1 (1st Leg))	D	2	2	3,134
Tues	18/08/98	a	Boothferry Park	Worthington Cup (Round 1 – 2nd leg)	D	0	0	3,480
Sat	25/09/04	a	KC Stadium	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1 (Tier 3)	D	0	0	16,182
Mon	03/01/05	h	Edgeley Park	Coca-Cola Football League – League 1 (Tier 3)	L	1	3	6,670

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