SATURDAY will be a day like no other ever experienced at St George’s Lane.
Worcester City have hosted important games in the past and they have attracted huge crowds.
But nothing in their 108 years at the ground will be quite like this.
For, once the final whistle blows at the end of the Blue Square Bet North match against Chester, that will be it.
City will never play at their cherished home again.
Whereas famous FA Cup matches against Liverpool, Sheffield United, Plymouth Argyle, Accrington Stanley and Huddersfield Town were joyous occasions, this will certainly be one of mixed emotions.
A combination of celebrating one of the last such grounds of its kind, while also knowing that City are not yet leaving it for a new permanent home.
There has been plenty said and written in anger among fans about why City find themselves at this juncture. Fingers have been pointed, not all without justification.
But, on Saturday at least, that will serve little purpose.
This is one last opportunity to enjoy everything that is great about the Lane.
Its unique make-up of main stand with wooden seats, vast open terracing, ramshackle structures and the clock over the cage that doesn’t work.
Listening to walk-on music Time is Tight played over the speaker system, queuing for a half-time pie on the forecourt or discussing the game over a pint in the social club will be consigned to history.
It is strange, almost surreal, to think that watching football at the ground will become a thing fans used to do.
Even for me, walking in front of the main stand and heading up to the press box has become a thing of ritual.
But leaving the Lane was a point in time everyone knew we were going to arrive at, it has been on the cards ever since it was sold for housing to Careys New Homes in 2009.
Yet that won’t make the actual act any easier for the supporters who have grown up watching City.
There will be some for whom attending Saturday’s match will be an emotional experience. Similarly, there are some who won’t go because they can’t face it.
Such a stance should not be mocked. To the casual observer, it is just a football ground. But for many, going to the Lane is something they have done since childhood. They have spent hundreds of hours on the terraces.
Some went with their fathers and now take their sons, the baton passed from one generation to the next.
Like the house you grew up in, there is an emotional attachment that cannot be ignored.
Moreover, those same fans that have mingled together down the years are now life-long friends.
They shared the same experiences at the Lane — cheered the victories, felt the defeats and had a good time along the way.
When Worcester move to Kidderminster Harriers, it will be very different. Aggborough might be 20 minutes up the road but for some it will feel a million miles away.
The Lane is City’s home but on Saturday it is time to bid farewell.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel