UNKNOWN KETTERING DEFENDER (v Kettering (a) 3-1, F.A. Cup 4/11/78)
Firstly our apologies for forgetting the name of this defender, but at times I have got a memory like Kurt Waldheim.
Just as you were about to accuse own goals as being entirely synonymous with Boston’s defensive abilities, we feel it is time to detail a fine net swishing effort from an opposing side. It remains probably the only own goal where the defender has made a point of deliberately rounding the goalkeeper before slotting home the ball into the inviting, empty net.
To recreate the context, this occurred during a particularly nasty atmosphere in an F. A. Cup tie (i.e. it was at Kettering). Travelling on one of the official supporters coaches, we were somewhat taken aback to be bombarded with lager cans. Unfortunately this experience was quickly proved to be a mere appetizer before the home fans served up their main course of indigestible behaviour.
Herded from the coach park to the ground, through the low sunlight of a late November afternoon, some Poppies “supporters” decided to take a break from their evidently traditional pursuits of drawing pictures of the animals they hunt on the side of cave walls, and instantly stoned us with pieces of wood from a nearby bonfire pile, obviously erected for Guy Fawkes but doubling, with remarkable success, as a makeshift arsenal.
Fortunately once inside the ground, footballing matters were permitted to dominate. In between two spells with Derby County, Kevin Hector was playing out the season with United, and thus provided the enviable, if slightly bemusing, prospect to view the England striker playing his heart out in a Boston shirt Soon Hector had put Boston into a deserved lead with a 20 yard scorcher which left the Kettering defence dumbstruck, argumentative and adopting the hands on hips posture.
Only a few more minutes were permitted to elapse before the score was 2-0. The unknown Kettering defender received a throw from his goalkeeper, only to dribble it back towards his keeper, side-step him, and then look up to pick his spot before side-footing the ball into the corner, whilst the rest of the Kettering team merely stood scratching their heads in staggered bewilderment.
We strongly suspect the presence of hypnotism.
