Racing to Get There

Racing Club Warwick offers the Warwickshire equivalent of the Rickshaw

It's probably a shorter journey today to get to Racing Club Warwick's ground than it is to Leamington's ground at Harbury Lane which is in rural Whitnash. For those who don't know Warwickshire, Leamington and Warwick form one urban area. Half a mile from my house I cross the River Avon and I am in Warwick. I drive past the street where Deano's parents live, round by Warwick Castle and head for the racecourse.

Racing Club are notorious for their poor pitch which is reputedly grazed by horses, but Leamington fans have been out with heavy rollers to make sure it is ready for today's derby.

Racing's Portuguese coach Jose Ascersao was pipped to the post for a job at Sporting Lisbon by Jose Mourinho but perhaps they made the right call as the Gee Gees are currently languishing near the bottom of the Polymac Services Midland Alliance. Hopefully, the lads did not eat too many mince pies yesterday and will have been fired up after it all went off in the tunnel following the Romulus match.

What annoys a lot of Brakes fans is the amount of money poured into Racing by the authorities at a time when there is a prolonged struggle to get planning permission to expand the New Windmill Ground. Government, local authorities and football trust bodies are clubbing together to build a double decker stand for the eighty or so regulars.

Racing have also got money out of the Countryside Agency to set up a 'Racing to Get There' service which ferries supporters to matches. Apparently they qualify for this money because they are addressing the needs of those who experience 'a degree of social exclusion by virtue of geographical remoteness'. In other words, if you live in Hampton Lucy and are crazy enough to support the Gee Gees you will get chauffeured to the match. Our plan is to use the vehicles to start a Warwickshire Rickshaw.

Remember we will be the only Charlton blog carrying a report on the match.