MY YORK STREET: Ken Fox remembers streets packed with fans heading to matches where he, as a young boy, was ushered to the front for a better view - and explains why Chris Withe is his favourite player

My first game: I’m not actually sure – it was a long time ago! It was in August 1969 and probably a pre-season friendly just before my 11th birthday. My mum and dad were from Boston but in 1961 my dad had got a job down in Maidstone, Kent so we’d all moved down there. In the school summer holidays me and my sister would be taken back to Boston and dropped off with our Granny Barrand for the duration while our parents kept working back in Maidstone. My granny’s neighbour in Fydell Crescent – Mrs Salter - had a couple of teenage grandchildren - Nigel and Ivan - who were both Boston United fans and I was asked whether I’d like to go along to a game with them. So I got taken to my first game. Nigel told me that the club had just got a new player manager – Jim Smith - from Lincoln who was worth watching, as was striker Mike Alexander. Boston won – as they seemed to do every time I went in those early days - and I was hooked. I can’t remember much about the game itself, except it was longer than I was used to, having only seen edited highlights of football matches on TV before. I also remember being let to the front to get to see the game as it was pretty full and children were allowed to stand in front of the adults. Also the streets were full of people going to the match. The gate for the first league game that season – a 3-0 win on Saturday 9th August against Great Harwood - was 2,868 and most people walked to the ground. So the streets were filled with fans walking towards the ground on matchdays.

My favourite game: Boston United 3 Lincoln City 1, Lincs Senior Cup final, September 22, 1976. In the early days I didn’t get to see many games in late September as I was back in Maidstone, but in 1976 I was about to leave home to go to University in London, so I had a slightly extended summer break in Boston as the university term didn’t start until the end of September and I was able to squeeze in a trip to York Street to see the Lincs Senior Cup final. The competition had been re-organised for the 1976-77 season. All the matches leading up to the final were played pre-season and for the first time the competition had been split into two groups, with the county's three League sides in one group and the top three non-league sides in the other. Lincoln City progressed to the final by winning 2-1 away at Grimsby and 2-1 away at Scunthorpe. Boston had beaten Grantham away 1-0 and Gainsborough at home 5-1. The final gave Boston a chance to gain revenge for a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Imps in the previous season's FA Cup. The Boston side had a few new faces since that FA Cup game. Most notably the midfield was now graced by the presence of two outstanding youngsters in Lawrie Madden and Steve Thompson, both of whom would later play at a much higher level. Boston were a goal down after just six minutes when Boston keeper Gerry Stewart dropped a half-hit shot from Dave Smith and John Ward pounced to slot home. Three minutes later Peter Wilkey equalised for Boston with a stunning 18-yard shot through a crowded defence. On 20 minutes Boston took the lead when Jim Kabia dispossessed former Charlton midfielder Dennis Booth and took the ball forward before planting a low shot between the keeper and the post. On 60 minutes Boston made sure of the result when Steve Thompson took a long throw in from the left, which was headed across the face of the goal by Dave Poplar allowing Bobby Brown to nod home. A nice bit of trivia from this match is that both managers, Howard Wilkinson for Boston and Graham Taylor for Lincoln, would go on to manage the England team later in their careers.

My least favourite game: Boston United 0 Brigg Town 1 FA Cup fourth qualifying round, October 27, 2001. This is one of those games that doesn’t seem that significant at the time but turns out to be a major turning point in the club’s history in a very bad way. Boston had been splashing the cash to bring in players in an attempt to win the Nationwide Conference and get promoted to the Football League. They were given what looked like a very easy draw in the FA Cup and it seemed it would be a formality to beat lowly Brigg Town at York Street and pick up the money and gain an even more lucrative match in the next round. However, they managed to lose it 1-0. Everything was looking rosy until this defeat. From then on in everything went wrong for Boston. The finances unravelled, the club faced the FA charges for contractual irregularities, serious tax evasion charges then followed. After a few seasons in the Football League all the chickens came home to roost. The club’s plans to relocate to a new out-of-town stadium were scuppered. Financial ruin and multiple relegations took the club to the brink of extinction.

My strangest game: Boston United 3 Barrow 5, Unibond League, February 1, 1997. This is from a season when Boston were in the Unibond League Premier Division and were trying yet again to finish in that one promotion slot to get back into the Conference. One of their main rivals that season were Barrow, so it was crucial that Boston did well against them when they came to York Street. Boston hadn’t lost at home for over a year so it was rather unexpected when they got beaten 5-3. It was only 1-1 at half time, but it all went a bit crazy in the second half with Barrow striker Neil Morton getting a hat-trick, Andrew Stanhope scoring his first goal for Boston after coming on as a substitute and Paul Bastock getting sent off with five minutes remaining after getting into a fight with the Barrow front-line. Chris Withe finished the game as the emergency goalkeeper.

My happiest memory: When David Newton came out on to the pitch in the last game of the season at York Street on April 26, 2008 to announce the settlement of the CVA had in principle been resolved so the club could continue to exist. It had been touch and go as to whether this would be the end of Boston United so it was fantastic to hear that it wasn’t and that the club had a wonderful, honest chairman. Boston even capped off the day with a fine 2-1 win against Hyde United.

My worst memory: Every game with Steve Evans in charge after he was re-appointed as manager after being found guilty by the FA of having a hand in irregularities in players’ contracts; trying to bribe witnesses to mislead and hinder the subsequent FA inquiry and also convicted at Southwark Crown Court of defrauding the public revenue.

My favourite goal: Lee Power’s goal against Burton Albion in a 3-1 win on December 4, 1999. After many seasons as also-rans Boston finally won a crucial game against their promotion rivals and went on to win the title and gain that promotion. It all looked like it would go wrong when Burton took the lead after 23 minutes through Darren Stride. But then Boston scored one of the best goals I’ve seen at York Street to level the scores. It was a piece of magic from forgotten striker Andy Kiwomya, who was making his first appearance for the club after a long layoff. The movement started when Paul Bastock threw the ball out to Kiwomya on the left wing. First he beat one defender then moved inside to beat another. A burst of pace saw him break clear. He drew the keeper out, then shot goalwards but the keeper could only parry the ball out to Lee Power to tap in. The momentum was now all with Boston and in the second half Boston got two more goals via Mickey Nuttell and Kevin Noteman to record a 3-1 win. I recorded the match goals and have uploaded them to YouTube. You can see it here. Don’t forget to turn the sound on to hear the York Street roar.

My favourite player: Most people will choose a top striker or a long-serving goalkeeper as their favourite player. I have a soft spot for fast, attacking defenders and Chris Withe fits that bill nicely. As well as being a pretty good player he also had great banter with the fans. Was voted Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year in 1996-97.

My favourite manager: Greg Fee. Not the very best Boston manager I’ve seen but a clear favourite of mine, who I think deserved much better treatment than he got from the club. He took over as player-manager after Mel Sterland departed, having spent two lengthy spells with the club as a player. In his first season he got Boston playing attacking entertaining football and they had a great run in the FA Cup that saw Boston thrash Sudbury Wanderers 10-1 and knock out Morecambe 3-0 at York Street before going out by the narrowest of margins at Chester City. In his next season Boston finished as runners up to Barrow. A switch to the Dr Martens League followed and after failing to get any financial backing from the club to strengthen his squad Greg resigned after a few games and left to join Telford United as a player. For many years I was puzzled as to why there was no money for Greg, but plenty for the man who was appointed to replace him – Steve Evans. Then I read John Blackwell’s biography – Sponge Man to President where he says that Steve Evans was bombarding the club from before the start of the season saying that he wanted the Boston manager’s job. Could that have influenced the club’s subsequent decisions on spending?

Best opposition player: Jon Stead of Huddersfield Town. When Huddersfield Town came to Boston in August 2003 for their Nationwide League Division Three match, their main striker was Jon Stead and he proved to be a bit of a handful for the Boston defence, scoring Huddersfield’s opening goal in an entertaining 2-2 draw. Later that season he was snapped up by Premier League side Blackburn Rovers. Went on to play for Sunderland and Sheffield United.

Best away side: Rushden & Diamonds, Nationwide Conference, March 10, 2001. In Boston’s first season back in the Conference in 2000-01 the leading Conference side were Rushden & Diamonds – not surprising as they had spent over £1 million in putting their squad together. It all paid off as they got the promotion they were seeking. The match at York Street ended all square at 1-1 with Ken Charley equalising after Justin Jackson had given the Diamonds the lead. The Minister of Sport; Kate Hoey chose to get a taste of Conference football by visiting York Street for this match.

I'll miss York Street because: It’s the place where I’ve always watched Boston United play their home games. Lots of happy memories; lots of great games; lots of funny fan quips and banter. The new ground is already looking fantastic though so no doubt it will eventually accumulate its own set of happy memories. Just a shame it’s not been possible to keep the same convenient location.

Previous My York Street contributors: Andy Butler, Roger Smith. Christian James.

If you'd like to take part in My York Street, email [email protected]