The Scarborough Warning By Patrick Henry

Scarborough F.C. are at home to mighty Chelsea in the 4th round of the FA. Cup on Saturday, January 24th. Before anybody laughs at the idea of these minnows reaching victory, it should be remembered that we knocked out Chelsea from the League Cup on our ground in 1989.

Then Chelsea had stood top of the whole League, before the Premiership existed, and Scarborough played in Division Four a brief period. The Pensioners underestimated the Seadogs and reached two goals ahead at halftime, but Scarborough then struck three goals within seven minutes to topple the giants.

But as a non-League club, Scarborough has also a mercurial if patchy record in cup matches. In the F.A Cup of 1976, the Boro had already dismissed League teams Oldham and Preston by a hatful of goals, and then met brilliant Crystal Palace, being managed by the charismatic duo of Malcolm Allison and Terry Venables. I happened to be in a local hotel bar the night before and overheard this talented management team listening to a sports journalist relating of Boro's recent crushing victories.

The Londoners twitched nervously but in tight-lipped corner-of-the -mouth Cockney replied "No problem".

When I was a scriptwriter living in Chelsea I would go to Stamford Bridge in order to support Northern teams visiting. When Leeds United scored I stood up and cheered until aware of a draughty silence all around me as the home fans stared with grim menace in my direction.

The Palace match at 'Boro saw a record crowd, nearly ten thousand. Allison was banned from touchlines for life following his controversial management career at Manchester City. He sat near me in the main stand, wearing an Al Capone style hat to suit his Soccer Supremo image. If you can't fight, wear a big hat, they say. No-one in this town ever dressed that way, but that day our team not only fought, but played very fine football, and so did Palace. 'Boro made it one-all with about fifteen minutes left and we had hopes of a replay., The Visitors' lightning-fast winger, Taylor, set up their winner, and 'Boro were out, but not forgotten.

We played in the non-League Trophy Final at Wembley four times in that 1970s period, winning three times and losing one to Matlock. In the 1980s the brilliant manager Neil Warnock took us into the Fourth Division and to that victory over Chelsea and a draw with Southampton which was a game of genius.

Now back to a non-League club again, Boro remain the mavericks who can suddenly strike out of stretches of obscurity to cause shocks and upsets. The Seadogs have a motto on their seaside-crest badge: "No Battle. No Victory", meaning that the scrap is as good as the result. We make nothing easy, even for ourselves.

Another more ancient saying is "The Scarborough Warning", thought to originate in the 1600s Civil War siege at the castle here. "First the blow, then the warning." In other words, none at all. So Chelsea, you should have been warned, but that comes afterwards around here.

See you on Saturday at the Seamer Road ground, now The MCCain Stadium, named for the frozen-chip factory sponsors, if you can get a ticket, like finding gold-dust, for this peak-televised game.

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