Last
updated: 05/03/08
Birmingham season overview
One year ago the University of Birmingham Men’s 1st XI
footballers were celebrating promotion to the BUSA Northern Premier
League. Twelve months later they were crowned champions.
This is a particularly impressive achievement considering the strength
of the league with the likes of Loughborough, Leeds Metropolitan and
Northumbria challenging for supremacy.
They began the season
with an emphatic 5-1 victory over Edge Hill and along with the score-line
the manner of the team’s performance showed that they were capable
of achieving big things. The skilful, efficient and professional manner
by which they defeated their opponents was to prove a prominent feature
in the teams climb to the summit of the league. After another big win,
4-1 away in Leeds, the team faced their toughest challenge, a home match-up
with Loughborough.
The encounter proved
to be something of a reality check for Birmingham and the 3-0 defeat
they suffered dampened the euphoria which had come with such an impressive
start. Many within the university and the league itself were entitled
to believe that the mighty Loughborough had put Birmingham well and
truly in their place, highlighting themselves as the team to beat.
However, Birmingham
have proved their resilience time and time again during this season
and rather than crushing spirits the beating they received off Loughborough
proved the catalyst for the rest of a remarkable season.
Following this first
defeat, the men from the midlands went on to win four games on the bounce,
scoring 10 goals and conceding just one. Throughout the season the tough,
committed and composed displays of Marcell Simpson, team Captain Chris
Godwin and Tom Champion were vital in creating a solid platform which
made it difficult for opponents to break the team down.
That is not to say
that the team were all about defence and clean sheets. At times they
played some brilliant, fast-paced, passing football thanks to the likes
of Cam Holt, Craig Connor and John Cullen controlling the games in midfield
and James Coulman providing the skill and class to create, and sometimes
score, many of the team’s goals.
This excellent run
of form coincided with some stuttering performances from league leaders
Loughborough and when Birmingham travelled to face their arch rivals
in January it was a match which would prove crucial in deciding who
would be crowned champions. It was a predictably tight contest and either
team could have triumphed but in the end a goalless draw was the outcome.
This result meant
that Birmingham’s men were just one point behind the leaders with
a game in hand. Two wins were all that was required for the premier
league new boys to take the title. A home game with the University of
Lincoln and away trip to Northumbria were all that stood in Birmingham’s
way.
Birmingham stormed
into a 3-0 lead and looked to have set up a win or bust clash against
Northumbria. Then some apparently spontaneous cheers came from the touchline
and news filtered through that Loughborough had drawn their final game
with Leeds Metropolitan meaning that Birmingham were Champions. They
went onto win this title clinching game 4-0 and the celebrations began
after what was a remarkable achievement.
At times
throughout the season it wasn’t all big victories and beautiful
football, the defeat to Loughborough being a prime example. There was
however a constant display of commitment and desire to prove to themselves
and others that they could play excellent football and achieve something
that seemed impossible at the season’s start.
by Tom Clarke
