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It was being billed as the biggest game in the history of Old Wulfrunians football. The reality was it was far more important than that. Respective managers Danny Tipton and Paul Tudor had spent weeks securing the services of some of the finest players to have been connected with the club in recent years. Gupta S, Brabazon A, Carter USM, Thompson A, Lawton J and Nutting J were just a few of the high profile names on offer as the reputations of two of the country's finest young managerial talents were put on the line.
After weeks of meticulous preparation, things took a turn for the worse for the Tudor XI when the Manager's car failed to start and he had to be jump started by one of his players meaning he arrived very late (the things Zico will do to get a place in the team). This meant that there was no time for an inspiration pre match chat and the team was literally thrown on to the pitch.
A further setback for Tudor came when it was revealed that Club Captain and New Cross Hospital's favourite friend David Thompson was in the starting line up for the Tipton XI. Fifteen seconds in to the game and the chance to exact revenge arose. The ball was played out to Tomo Snr wide on the left on the halfway line with Tomo Jnr bearing down on him. The Manager demanded a lunging two footed challenge around the knee area. The ambulance was already being ordered but Tomo Jnr bottled it, instead allowing his bro to turn him before walking off the pitch to rapturous applause.
This game wasn't going to plan and things were about to get a lot worse for Tudor's men. Matty Carter picked up the ball on the left before slotting neatly through James Skedgel's legs to bring about rapturous applause from all and sundry at the ground including Carter himself.
There were also some meaty challenges on offer, the best of which saw Zico nail team mate SHG Tranter.
Despite so many setbacks, the Tudor XI were starting to force their way back into the game with Skelly Thompson particularly influential, and took the lead when a ball cut back from the left was forced home by penalty area predator Ian Perry.
It was now pipe and slippers time for the boys representing the royal team with Zico, Chip and Skedge giving an exhibition in the art of defending and Morrison, Rich and Perry causing havoc at the other end.
What Tudor forgot is that Danny Tipton is a wily old fox and several substitutions and positional changes meant that his boys were very much still in the game and they netted a deserved equaliser shortly before half time after Darren Sangha had flattened an opponent at a corner. The resulting penalty was clinically despatched by Manager Danny Tipton to send the teams in level at the break.
Mass positional changes at half time saw the Tipton XI come out the brighter in the second half. Jim Lawton was now bossing the midfield and Nathan Watkins was wreaking havoc up front, but this was tempered by the fact that Joey 'Boom Boom' Williams had left his scoring boots at birth as two good chances were spurned in quick succession.
This looked crucial when the royal team regained the lead thanks to the goal of the century. A harmless looking ball was floated in to the back edge of the penalty area but from an impossible angle James Skedgel volleyed home in true Van Basten style.
This goal should have knocked the stuffing out of the Gypo's but, to their credit, they came roaring back. Darius Evans lost possession in midfield, the defence hesitated and man-of-the-match Matty Carter burst through to fire past arch nemesis Darren Sangha.
There was no resting on a 2 - 2 score line for the Gypo's and they hit the front for the first time shortly after when Ashley Postance pounced on a loose ball to ram the ball home.
With the legendary C.K.C. now in full cry on the sidelines, there was to be no way back for the royal team and the replica World Cup trophy, and the bragging rights, went to Danny Tipton's brave hearts - and deservedly so. They were the better team on the day.
The planning for next years game begins now!
Final score: Danny Tipton XI 3 Paul Tudor XI 2.
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