Tunbridge Wells 6 Fisher 1

Match 43/11/930 - Saturday, 28 January 2012 - Kent League

Tunbridge Wells (3) 6 McMath 4,48 Harris 25, Rook 33,66, Clarke 87
Fisher (1) 1 Wadmore 38
Att. 157

Entrance: £3 Senior
Programme: £1.50
Mileage: 26/3,576

Match Report

Fisher goalkeeper, Joe Hagan, doesn’t know me from Adam, which is probably a good thing because had he, I’m sure he would see me as a vision of the Grim Reaper. To my knowledge I’ve only seen Joe play once before, standing in for Lee Worgan in Tonbridge’s pre-season friendly with Brentford which resulted in him picking the ball out of the net eleven times. Today, it was kept to a mere six, but with a couple of hit posts, a penalty miss and a couple of striking howlers, eleven might well have been reached again. Not that Joe was in any way to blame as his Fisher team mates in front of him defended like drains.

This was the game after the game before for Tunbridge Wells. Last week’s FA Vase elimination at the hands of St Ives, Cambridge was a disappointment for the club on the field, but off it was considered a great success. 404 people paid at the gate with upwards of 170 visiting supporters making the most of the bar facilities providing much needed revenue. An attendance for today’s Kent League match was a long way down at 157 but still constitutes a better than average turn-out.

Fisher are a club reborn from the ashes of Fisher Athletic, who back in 1987 were playing their football in the Conference and did so until 1991. From 2004, under the ambitious chairmanship of Sami Muduroglu, they were seen as the “money team” of non-league football and won promotion back to Conference South, finishing fourth in 2008. I have a fond memory of this period when in 2005, Tonbridge won an FA Cup tie at Champion Hill as underdogs. However, as with too many non-league clubs, the success was founded on debt and the club sank in May 2009 when they were wound up in the High Court. Fisher were reformed by a supporters trust following the winding-up.

Their old home at Surrey Docks, Rotherhithe still exists but football is no longer played there and in their new existence they continue to play at Dulwich Hamlet’s Champion Hill.

Today’s game was very much one-way traffic following an early goal by Andy McMath converting Jon Pilbeam’s cross. By the half-hour mark, the unfortunate Hagan had seen the ball bounce of his posts twice and two more goals from Jack Harris and Ryan Rook as the Wells threatened to run riot. Fisher pulled a goal back before half time when a clear hand ball was missed by the referee, allowing Adam Wadmore to offer the Fish hope.

Fisher’s defence frailties were completely exposed in the second half as McMath and Rook completed doubles and Gary Clarke added a sixth.

For Tunbridge Wells, there is life after the FA Vase, as they continue their unlikely pursuit of Herne Bay but for Fisher, mere existence is something to cherish and one day a return to Bermondsey might be a reality, and may I say to Joe Hagan, best of luck if I’m in attendance at one of your games in the future!