Report by Paul Soper

WorldNET, Leeds. The mere mention is enough to send chills of anticipation down the spine of any IFA member. In July 2010, Raging Fever FC's veteran players made the trip north to compete in their first WorldNET Big Tam Veteran's Bowl.

Friday saw the squad assemble in Leeds. Using all the wisdom that marks true veterans, and knowing that an early start beckoned, the players headed out to the Three Horseshoes with the under-30s squad. After a few refreshments had been taken on board, the squad soon settled into a polite conversation concerning the pace of various squad members. This culminated in the scheduling of a race to be held at the close of the group stages on Saturday. Confident predictions were bandied about, with wagers being offered and taken by all and sundry on various finishers. More will follow on this triumph of athletic ability…

On Saturday morning Fever Snr. were handed an early morning reprieve as Fulham dropped out of the competition. This meant that the first game would be against the tricky Halifax outfit. This proved a tough encounter. Fever started poorly and should have been a goal down after a matter of seconds but, as the cobwebs cleared, Fever took control of the first half and deserved to take the lead through a Paul Lucas effort. However, the second half saw Halifax gain increasing periods of control. The turning point of the game came with only minutes to go; Tommy Wehmeier burst down the right wing and crossed for Lucas again to finish superbly, but with Fever starting to celebrate John Matthews was quick to point out to the ref that the ball had actually been out of play before the cross. The Linesman had missed the decision and the goal was given, but full credit goes to the Fever gaffer for this fantastic example of sportsmanship. He has quite rightly been widely praised for this.

It may be that some players were not convinced by the idea of fair play at the time, but whatever the cause, several players switched off. This allowed Halifax to score two quick goals, heading one in from a corner at the back post and striking another home after defensive mistakes on the Fever right. The team were rightly upset by the capitulation but determined to put matters right.

The second match saw Fever Snr. take on Arsenal. With a few well-thought tactical changes paying dividends, Fever took the lead through Thom Airs (the squad's registered under-30 player) who had been pushed into a more advanced role. A piece of good control and quick footwork was enough to glide past the Arsenal defence and slot coolly home. A further goal came from a Matthews penalty after James Simpson had been brought down following a marauding run into the box. Fever were never troubled and could (and should) have scored more.

The final group match against Rangers saw Fever only requiring a draw to qualify for the knock-out phase. With Tommy Wehmeier running the midfield and Paul Soper sitting deeper to protect the defence, Fever never looked troubled. Fever took the lead when Robb Milne played a good ball out of defence down the line to Simpson. His deft turn and through-ball saw Matthews clean through and his lobbed finish was judged to perfection. With Andy Kelly, Andy Clyde, Geoff Carter, and Nick Holloway ever vigilant, Fever kept a second clean sheet in a row. New keeper Russ looked smart when called upon, but in truth he could afford to relax a little for this.

With the conclusion of the game, it was clear that the excited atmosphere wasn't just because of the qualification for the knock-out competition. The inaugural Fever “Donkey Derby” would now take place. The footage and results can be found elsewhere, but the highlight was clearly Matthews showing his superior pace and fitness by winning, while Soper must be wondering whether it's time to head to the knacker's yard after finishing last. In the battle that started the whole debate, Robb Milne's extra “b” must have held him back as he was pipped by a clearly delighted Rob Muskett. Who knows what might have happened if Pat Wehmeier hadn't been raising his arms in celebration before he crossed the line? Maybe he was still appealing to a bemused linesman. A most notable mention must go to Geoff Carter, Fever's 50-year-old full back. He more than held his own and must now be rethinking any plans to hang up the old boots!

The conclusion of the race provided plenty of banter material as the squad headed off for the evening. A hotly contested bill (as usual) didn't dampen the spirits and the majority of the squad headed towards the Cockpit. Would this hard-rocking, hard-drinking lifestyle harm Fever's chances?

Despite looking fairly fresh in the morning, Fever started their knock-out game against Grimsby in a very sluggish fashion. They soon warmed to the task, though, and dominated the game. However, the second half saw missed chance after missed chance for Fever; Matthews with a shot deflecting onto a post somehow, before seeing another effort cleared off the line. Grimsby grew in confidence and took advantage of a mix up between left-back Holloway and left-midfielder Soper to cross for a scuffed shot to trickle into the corner. With Fever pushing increasingly further forward, another defensive mix-up on the right saw Grimsby score again. There was no recovering for Fever, and despite the Grimsby players wondering aloud how they had won, it would be the men from Oxford who would be heading home.

A disappointing way to end the tournament, but no doubt Fever Snr. will be back next year to compete.

Fever Snr Squad: Russell Wainwright, Nick Holloway, Andy Clyde, Geoff Carter, Andy Kelly, Robb Milne, Paul Soper, Paul Lucas, James Simpson, Tommy Wehmeier, Pat Wehmeier, Rob Muskett, Thom Airs, John Matthews