Play-Offs 2001/2002
Well.... where does one begin ?? For a side that kicked off the 1996/97 season in the Dr Martens League to be commencing season 2002/03 in the Nationwide Division 2 is unthinkable. Each season that has gone by since then has been a magic carpet ride to success. Each achievement seemed hard to take at the time of happening and yet has always been eclipsed. It is hard however to imagine that the events of 2001/02 will ever be bettered. To make the play-off final and win with such style is a fantastic ahievement in itself, but it was done amidst an FA Cup run that saw the club reach the 5th round.
The FA Cup run has been documented elsewhere on the site, but even after the elation from that had died down the serious business of keeping up with the leading pack could re-commence. The FA Cup had been a welcome distraction but together with a hard long winter that had seen many postponements and re-arrangements had left the Robins with an awesome run-in not only in terms of quantity of games but the quality of the opposition. The games came thick and fast, but slowly and surely the Robins were making their games in hand count, and by mid April they were in with a shout of the 3rd automatic spot. But a draw at Carlisle, defeat at Mansfield and on the final day at Plymouth put the Robins in 4th place, and the play-off's......
Div 3 Play-off semi-final 1st Leg - Hartlepool United 27/4/2002 (a) 1-1 (7,135)
The Robins were stunned deep into first half injury time with a goal from welshman Eifion Williams who headed home a cross by Barron to put the home side 1-0 to the good. It was a hard fought game, and the Robins got their reward with only a few minutes of normal time left when veteran striker Neil Grayson scored what was to be his last goal for the club (apart from in the penalty shoot out in the 2nd leg), and one could argue the most important. On loan midfielder Martyn Lee intercepted the ball on the half way line and threaded a neat ball beyond the 'Pool defence and cool as you like Grayson allowed the ball to roll across him onto his trusty left foot and the ball was despatched into the net beyond Williams. And so to Whaddon Road for the second leg.....
Div 3 Play-off semi-final 2nd Leg - Hartlepool United 30/4/2002 (H) 1-1 (7,165)
As was the case in the first leg it was Hartlepool who drew first blood when Arnison drove home a delected shot after a free kick from Stephenson was only half cleared. Cheltenham hit back with a stunning strike from Lee Williams who cut in from his right flank and let fly with a left foot shot from 30 yards that flew into the top corner. Both sides had chances to settle the tie, but even after 30 minutes of added time there was still nothing between the sides. And so to penalties. Grayson, Lee, Yates & Finnagan all netted for Cheltenham whilst Duff slashed his shot wide of the right hand post, to equal Hartlepool's four from their five spot kicks. In sudden death Alsop netted for Cheltenham , and was to be the winner. Humphrey's spot kick hit the bar, Book and post in that order and settled on top of the prone keepers leg to signal wild scenes of jubilation. We were on our way to Wembley (oops sorry Cardiff!), where we would meet our old adversaries Rushden & Diamonds.
DIV 3 Play-off Final - Rushden & Diamonds - 06/05/02 (Millenium Stadium, Cardiff) (24,368)
Cheltenham 3 Rushden & Diamonds 1 - Cheltenham promoted to Division 2
Anyone who had experienced Wembley (FA Trophy Final) would have remembered that the day before Arsenal had won the FA Cup final and the road to the home of English football was stilled decked out in the red of Arsenal. The omens were good because two days before Cheltenham's first appearance at the Millenium Arsenal again had won the FA Cup. We had also won the right to use the 'lucky' North Changing Room, but lost the right to play in our usual red & white stripes shirts, instead the team played in their change strip of Yellow & Black whilst a veritable army of red & white clad supporters filled the north end of the stadium. A 'poll' on the web-site has put this match as the 'favourite moment' of the last 5-6 years, and who would disagree. With all that there was at stake, this was still a family day out, and as at Wembley a few years early the sun shone on Cheltenham Town.
The game started nervously with both sides feeling each other out, but Cheltenham took the inititative after 27 minutes when Devaney got to the bye line after a good run down the left. He pulled the ball back for a Cheltenham front player, but Butterworth intercepted by his touch took the ball back to Devaney who deftly prodded home from close range. The joy was short lived, very short lived, straight from the resultant kick off Rushden's Paul Hall a constant threat to the Cheltenham back four picked the ball up and ran and ran at a defence that backed off until it was too late as the Diamond's winger slotted home barely as Cheltenham fans had finished their celebrations. 1-1 - and so it stayed until half time.
Only four minutes into the second period Cheltenham were back in front. Griffin made good progress down the right and he layed the ball back intelligently for Williams, who floated a ball toward the arial threat of Alsop whose header looped toward goal. Naylor tussled with Peters and the ball ran free back towards Alsop and the big fella made no mistake tapping home one of his trademark "30 yarders". 2-1, and this time there was to be repeat of the swift counter from Rushden as Cheltenham slipped into their steady trademark rhythm. There were stll a few tentative moments but even old Cheltenham 'boy' Brett Angell on as a substitute failed to make any headway. Cheltenham made the game safe when once again Neil Grayson was to play a key part in Cheltenham's destiny. On as a substitute for man of the match Martin Devaney he headed down a crossfield pass from Naylor and slammed a superb left foot volley against the angle of crossbar and far post. The ball rebounded to Finnegan who cooly controlled the ball, pretended to shoot, and cooly rolled the ball to his right before bending a right foot shot past Turley to send the 16,000 or so Cheltenham fans wild. 3-1 to Cheltenham, and the scenes that followed the full time whistle were remeniscent of Wembley. The event was tinged with sadness however as, as most people had probably predicted it was to be Steve Cotterill's last match in charge of the Robins.
Well.... where does one begin ?? For a side that kicked off the 1996/97 season in the Dr Martens League to be commencing season 2002/03 in the Nationwide Division 2 is unthinkable. Each season that has gone by since then has been a magic carpet ride to success. Each achievement seemed hard to take at the time of happening and yet has always been eclipsed. It is hard however to imagine that the events of 2001/02 will ever be bettered. To make the play-off final and win with such style is a fantastic ahievement in itself, but it was done amidst an FA Cup run that saw the club reach the 5th round.
The FA Cup run has been documented elsewhere on the site, but even after the elation from that had died down the serious business of keeping up with the leading pack could re-commence. The FA Cup had been a welcome distraction but together with a hard long winter that had seen many postponements and re-arrangements had left the Robins with an awesome run-in not only in terms of quantity of games but the quality of the opposition. The games came thick and fast, but slowly and surely the Robins were making their games in hand count, and by mid April they were in with a shout of the 3rd automatic spot. But a draw at Carlisle, defeat at Mansfield and on the final day at Plymouth put the Robins in 4th place, and the play-off's......
Div 3 Play-off semi-final 1st Leg - Hartlepool United 27/4/2002 (a) 1-1 (7,135)
The Robins were stunned deep into first half injury time with a goal from welshman Eifion Williams who headed home a cross by Barron to put the home side 1-0 to the good. It was a hard fought game, and the Robins got their reward with only a few minutes of normal time left when veteran striker Neil Grayson scored what was to be his last goal for the club (apart from in the penalty shoot out in the 2nd leg), and one could argue the most important. On loan midfielder Martyn Lee intercepted the ball on the half way line and threaded a neat ball beyond the 'Pool defence and cool as you like Grayson allowed the ball to roll across him onto his trusty left foot and the ball was despatched into the net beyond Williams. And so to Whaddon Road for the second leg.....
Div 3 Play-off semi-final 2nd Leg - Hartlepool United 30/4/2002 (H) 1-1 (7,165)
As was the case in the first leg it was Hartlepool who drew first blood when Arnison drove home a delected shot after a free kick from Stephenson was only half cleared. Cheltenham hit back with a stunning strike from Lee Williams who cut in from his right flank and let fly with a left foot shot from 30 yards that flew into the top corner. Both sides had chances to settle the tie, but even after 30 minutes of added time there was still nothing between the sides. And so to penalties. Grayson, Lee, Yates & Finnagan all netted for Cheltenham whilst Duff slashed his shot wide of the right hand post, to equal Hartlepool's four from their five spot kicks. In sudden death Alsop netted for Cheltenham , and was to be the winner. Humphrey's spot kick hit the bar, Book and post in that order and settled on top of the prone keepers leg to signal wild scenes of jubilation. We were on our way to Wembley (oops sorry Cardiff!), where we would meet our old adversaries Rushden & Diamonds.
DIV 3 Play-off Final - Rushden & Diamonds - 06/05/02 (Millenium Stadium, Cardiff) (24,368)
Cheltenham 3 Rushden & Diamonds 1 - Cheltenham promoted to Division 2
Anyone who had experienced Wembley (FA Trophy Final) would have remembered that the day before Arsenal had won the FA Cup final and the road to the home of English football was stilled decked out in the red of Arsenal. The omens were good because two days before Cheltenham's first appearance at the Millenium Arsenal again had won the FA Cup. We had also won the right to use the 'lucky' North Changing Room, but lost the right to play in our usual red & white stripes shirts, instead the team played in their change strip of Yellow & Black whilst a veritable army of red & white clad supporters filled the north end of the stadium. A 'poll' on the web-site has put this match as the 'favourite moment' of the last 5-6 years, and who would disagree. With all that there was at stake, this was still a family day out, and as at Wembley a few years early the sun shone on Cheltenham Town.
The game started nervously with both sides feeling each other out, but Cheltenham took the inititative after 27 minutes when Devaney got to the bye line after a good run down the left. He pulled the ball back for a Cheltenham front player, but Butterworth intercepted by his touch took the ball back to Devaney who deftly prodded home from close range. The joy was short lived, very short lived, straight from the resultant kick off Rushden's Paul Hall a constant threat to the Cheltenham back four picked the ball up and ran and ran at a defence that backed off until it was too late as the Diamond's winger slotted home barely as Cheltenham fans had finished their celebrations. 1-1 - and so it stayed until half time.
Only four minutes into the second period Cheltenham were back in front. Griffin made good progress down the right and he layed the ball back intelligently for Williams, who floated a ball toward the arial threat of Alsop whose header looped toward goal. Naylor tussled with Peters and the ball ran free back towards Alsop and the big fella made no mistake tapping home one of his trademark "30 yarders". 2-1, and this time there was to be repeat of the swift counter from Rushden as Cheltenham slipped into their steady trademark rhythm. There were stll a few tentative moments but even old Cheltenham 'boy' Brett Angell on as a substitute failed to make any headway. Cheltenham made the game safe when once again Neil Grayson was to play a key part in Cheltenham's destiny. On as a substitute for man of the match Martin Devaney he headed down a crossfield pass from Naylor and slammed a superb left foot volley against the angle of crossbar and far post. The ball rebounded to Finnegan who cooly controlled the ball, pretended to shoot, and cooly rolled the ball to his right before bending a right foot shot past Turley to send the 16,000 or so Cheltenham fans wild. 3-1 to Cheltenham, and the scenes that followed the full time whistle were remeniscent of Wembley. The event was tinged with sadness however as, as most people had probably predicted it was to be Steve Cotterill's last match in charge of the Robins.