Tunbridge Wells 4 Sporting Bengal 0

Match 17/08/701 - Tuesday, 7th October 2008 - Kent League

Tunbridge Wells (2) 4 Cable 3, Tate
Sporting Bengal (0) 0
Att. 82

Entrance: £6
Programme: £1.50
Mileage: 26/2,440

A evening’s football at Culverden Stadium is a very civilised affair. The half-time tea is still served in a china mug and the people you are among in an 82 attendance are genuine football people.

In the past, it could be argued, that this polite approach has failed to pay dividends in terms of success on and off the field. But could the times be a changing. Mike Robbins has put together a side that has started the season with just the one defeat in the league and progress being made in the Vase.

Tonight’s game saw one of his signings, Ross Cable hit a hat-trick in a one-sided match against EastEnders Sporting Bengal. Cable is a proven goalscorer at this level and this trio took his total to 11 for the season from 14 starts. I’m reliably informed that the Wells are a good footballing side and are going to produce plenty of chances for Cable to accumulate a mighty haul come May.

This was the first time that I’ve seen Sporting Bengal. The club were formed by the Bangladesh Football Association in 1996. In 2003 they were elected into the Kent League and speculation was that they would be a major force, supposedly backed by wealthy people and having a supporter base in the local community that could amount to thousands. The reality has been that they have struggled to establish themselves at senior level and their support is virtually non-existant. This season they have now lost seven out of seven, shipping 29 goals in the process. Tunbridge Wells certainly missed an opportunity to enhance their goal difference.

Sporting had a goalkeeper that, while agile and made several good stops, was the smallest I’ve ever seen at senior level and (this is not racist in any way), given their background I was surprised to see a couple of white lads in the side.Their approach is all-inclusive within the community so I should not be surprised.

A very pleasant evening washed down with a mug of tea, what more can you ask.