Wimbledon v Franchise MK

The FA Cup tie that should never have been if the FA had done its job in 2002. The soul of a South London community ripped away and relocated 70 miles north in Milton Keynes, twinned with Middle Earth. A disgusting and unfeasible idea that somehow came true. An appalling excuse for a football club, taking the heritage and history of Wimbledon FC to get their place in the Football League, and then throw it away once established. Merton Council became the proud owners of replica FA Cups and the like and they kindly passed them on to the breakaway club - AFC Wimbledon.

AFC have since become everyone's second favourite team. A football club run like what a football club should be run like, by the fans for the fans. They've been used as a template for other supporters fed up with their lot (FC United) or fans who's clubs require rising from the ashes of going bust (Halifax, Chester etc.). Starting out at the lowest level they've fought their way back into the Football League within the decade since formed.

 And yesterday the two entities that were once Wimbledon FC came together in the FA Cup second round. Myself, like countless others, tuned in to ITV as an honoury Womble for the day. Many actual Wimbledon fans boycotted the event, unable to face the scene of the crime. Many did make the journey and were in superb voice - no mean feat given many were wearing smog masks to protect them from toxic MK. The AFC directors themselves refused their seats in the directors box and took up residence behind the goal with the other real dons fans - all in it together. The disgusting Franchise MK fans, many of whom were no doubt 'loyal' Spurs/Arsenal/Man U fans before the 'club' formed in 2004, adopted the Millwall chant 'No One Likes Us'. True. And no one likes Millwall. But, unlike you lot, no one wishes their families dead.

It was a decent game. AFC the plucky underdogs had the spirit of the crazy gang on their side. The veteran goalkeeper Sullivan calm and assured, the defence strong and resolute, the wingers nippy and dangerous and the forwards brave and daring. MK making me feel sick with their ex semi pro Scouse James Corden lookalike boss Karl Robinson (bet he's a hit with the ladies) and well organised team. They scored first and grudgingly it was a beauty. In a game that was 50-50, a 25 yarder from Gleeson curled past the keeper and knocked the wind out of AFC just before half time. ''You're getting beat by a Franchise'' chanted the MK parasites.

They were still reeling after the break and looked short of confidence as Franchise turned the screw and looked to go on to win. 42 year old Neil Sullivan, who's career has come full circle after being an original Wimbledon player, made a string of decent saves to keep MK away. Things looked bleak. And then AFC broke away and scored. A cross in from the lively right winger was met by a diving head from Jack Midson. Cue a mini pitch invasion from the Wombles who'd spent the best part of ten years waiting for that goal.

Unfortunately for them, The club, fans everywhere and football in general, the celebrations were short lived. MK Dons scored a winner in the 89th minute. The underhand club scored in the most underhand way. A deflected backheel found its away past the keeper and crashed into the net. Cue delirium from a bunch of soulless wankers and cry's of anguish from every decent football supporter worldwide...

Now that the tie is over, all the best to AFC Wimbledon in whatever competition they're in and let's go on ignoring MK Dons until they go under. Don't acknowledge them.

Hartlepool v Darlington

Hartlepool are now effectively without rivals after the original Darlington FC were wound up following relegation from the Conference. The new club, forced to play in the Northern League (a full seven divisions below Pools League One), and their fans no doubt harbour the same kind of animosity towards us. But if they don't make a swift return to the Football League then it'll be one of those forgotten rivalries, as the younger generation come through unknowing - I mean how many kids at Stoke City realise Port Vale are supposed to be their rivals, not West Brom or Wolves?

Its mad to think that when I started supporting Pools in the 90s, Darlo always seemed to have the upper hand. Not so much in results against us, we seemed to do better there as form went out of the window, but in league standing - they could have relegated us in the derby at Feethams in 1997 had it not been for a fortuitous and priceless 2-1 winner by Pools legend Joe Allon  They seemed to attract better players too, as in 1997/98 I remember grudgingly looking at their fancy dan international players in their line up - Austrians Duo Mario Dorner and Franz Resch and Canadian Jason De Vos, all capped by their nation. How were capped players allowed to join Darlo in the old division three? I couldn't get my head round it.

Then a few years later Darlo were going places with the squad most division two teams would have been envious of. Led by Premiership loanee Craig Russell and poacher Marco Gabbiadini the Quakers shot up the league and were much fancied when they made the playoff final (beating Pools in the semis). Their fans at Wembley singing 'Are you watching Hartlepool?'. Yes we were. And were having a good chuckle when Peterborough won.

The wheels fell off after that. That squad was disbanded as chairman Reynolds put his money into the new stadium, not players wages. I strongly believe if his policy was the opposite then Darlo would probably be an established Championship team now, such was the momentum behind that squad. The stadium should have come then and could have filled it with new fans from the large catchment area of south Co Durham and North Yorkshire. But they wouldn't come to watch Third Division football. And they didn't.

In later years it was Pools who were going places. Either in League One above Darlo or top of League Two while they struggled. The last league meeting at Darlo in 2007 resulted in a thumping 3-0 rout for Pools, including the best goal ever seen by Eifion Williams. Bar a League cup clash the following year at the Vic (3-1 to United) that's it for meetings between the two clubs.

Darlo went out of the league and had to do all they could to stay afloat - I remember reading an offer where if you bought an executive box for a season, your company name was put into a hat to become the shirt sponsors. I thought at the time is it worth my life savings to watch my rivals play with my company name of 'Darlo R Shit' plastered on their shirts?

New owners came and went, but with constant trouble on and off the field, with one common denominator - a vast money sapping half empty stadium. Except the highlight of the FA Trophy win in 2011 the club hit the ultimate low when it folded a year later, being forced to set up as new club, thus condemning themselves to being relegated further down the pyramid. They reformed as Darlo 1883 and sensibly elected to move away from Darlington, groundsharing at Bishop Auckland for now, but with a target of trying to move back to Feethams.

It's a strange feeling I have. Used to have a seething hatred of Darlo, but now it's impossible to summon up that kind of bile for both a new club and a non league one at that. They're enjoying life again - playing good football with a decent squad of ex pros for that level, getting a good gate every game and are currently unbeaten this season. I actually want my ex rivals, whom I once had such an irrational hatred of, to do well. And the painful thing is it doesn't pain me to say it.

One Spring Day...

JFT96