Matches

Season 2004-5 in focus

"STUNNING, ABSOLUTELY STUNNING" - A BRIEF REVIEW

Photo: tgsphoto.co.uk

"Season 2004-5 promises to be another of high drama and - we hope - a further step up the non-league ladder"

This is a quote from the Club's review of season 2003-4 written just about a year ago. How prophetic were those few words?

On 4 June 2004, the odds for the inaugural season of the Nationwide South League were Weymouth and Hornchurch joint favourites at 3-1, with Grays Athletic and Thurrock locked at 14-1.

A number of developments during the season saw the Rec's old-fashioned facilities upgraded to Conference standard. Photo: Graham Bacon

With the Rec undergoing significant redevelopment, the pre-season got underway on 15 July amongst more bricks and mortar than terracing. Wins against Leyton Orient, Swindon and Dagenham & Redbridge, a draw with Southend and a narrow defeat against Colchester with a number of trialists playing their part gave us a taste of things to come. We signed former loanee, John Nutter from Aldershot, Carl Emberson from Colchester, Dean Brennan from Stevenage, Vill Powell from Retford, Mitchell Cole from West Ham and Liam George from York and set about the business of tackling a number of new sides in the first season of the regionalised Conference "Second Division".

By the end of September, we had played 12 League games, winning seven, drawing three and losing two, scoring 28 goals and conceding only nine. 24 points had put us in second place, nestled in behind big-spending Hornchurch who were creating quite a stir. Following a disappointing defeat against old rivals, Wealdstone, in the FA Cup on 3 October, Manager Mark Stimson embarked on a player cull which resulted in five players leaving the Club and some more young ex-pros joining the ranks.

Grays' top striker Freddy Eastwood moved to Southend, where he scored within seconds of his debut

Star striker, Freddy Eastwood, a little out of favour at the Rec, went to Southend on loan and scored within seven seconds of his debut, which turned into a hatrick by the end of the game against promotion rivals, Swansea. His subsequent sale gave a big boost to our bank balance and he ultimately helped the Shrimpers to promotion to League 1 via the play-offs scoring 24 goals.

Between 5 October and 7 December we won 11 games consecutively, seven in the League, including a seven goal thrashing of Dorchester on their patch and a six nil drubbing of fancied Bognor Regis at the Rec, two F A Trophy wins and two wins in the (then!) Carthium Cup. Skipper, Stuart Thurgood became the first Blues player to be selected for the National Game X1 and he made an impressive debut in a 1-0 victory in Italy.

Central defender Jamie Stuart emerged as one of five important signings for Blues after title rivals Hornchurch became beset by financial problems. Photo: tgsphoto.co.uk

But there was another significant event during this period. Hornchurch were beset by financial problems and we acquired five experienced, quality players from their squad. This saw some of our recent new recruits move on and the squad now had a real look of Champions about it. We had only been four points behind the Urchins with a game in hand when their financial meltdown took place, and people were beginning to feel the League might be a two horse race. But when we went to Bridge Avenue and beat them 2-1 just two weeks after the "Hornchurch five" had joined us it was becoming apparent this just could be our year.

The second half of the League season began with a 2-1 defeat at home to Cambridge City on 18 December in a pulsating game that was a tremendous advert for the game at our level. Cambridge showed a determination we were having to get used to as the new favourites to win the League. The Christmas and New Year games paired us with the "Auld Enemy" - Thurrock. A comprehensive 4-2 victory at Ship Lane was followed by a much more closely fought 2-1 success at home in front of our biggest League gate for many, many years.

Gary Hooper celebrates his late goal on New Year's Day which sealed Blues' 'double' over local rivals Thurrock. Photo: tgsphoto.co.uk

The 1,256 fans who witnessed the game were seeing something special - the two senior sides in the Borough serving up a feast of good football not witnessed since the old derbies between Grays and Tilbury/Aveley some 40 years ago.

2005 progressed with an unbeaten run stretching to 25 League and F A Trophy games, excluding one rather insignificant GLS Cup defeat at Stevenage and even that went to extra-time and penalties.

A fantastic 4-1 home FA Trophy victory against Conference side Exeter City gave Grays plenty to celebrate. Photo: tgsphoto.co.uk

The highlights during this spell were a 6-0 away win at Sutton, a masterful 4-2 Trophy success at Altrincham and a 4-1 drubbing of fancied Exeter City at the Rec soon after they had held Manchester United to a goalless draw in the FA Cup. The League title was won with seven games still to go in March. But the real drama was still to come.

Lee Matthews' goal put Grays 5 up against Burton and booked Blues' place in the FA Trophy final. Photo: tgsphoto.co.uk

A two legged semi-final against Nigel Clough's Burton Albion in the FA Trophy had everybody reaching for the record books. A 5-0 home win and 2-0 away success had really put Grays on the footballing map.

A first time for everything - Trophy winners and League Champions - what a season! Photo: tgsphoto.co.uk

A slightly disappointing performance in the F A Trophy final at Villa Park against a tough workmanlike Hucknall Town side couldn't hide the sheer delight of clinching the massive trophy at the end of an epic penalty shoot out, with Club skipper, Martin Carthy, appropriately putting away the seventh penalty and "Mental Ashley" saving Hucknall's seventh spot kick.

We had become the first side outside the top flight of non-league football to win both the League and FA Trophy. The League was won by a massive 23 point margin. Our goal difference of 87 was 69 better than anyone else and 10 goals more than any other side in the Division actually scored! Most importantly it was done with a flair not seen before at the Rec - now re-christened the "New Rec" following the completion of the first major phase of redevelopment.

So now we look forward to promotion to the National Conference - the pinnacle of non-league football. We await to see how our generally young squad copes with the rigours of a most competitive League. What we can say without fear of contradiction is that the Club goes into the new adventure on the back of a truly stunning season.

League Table - Conference South 2004-5