SIMPLY THE BEST !
SIMPLY THE BEST !SPORT> CNC's footballers have been crowned champions of England by winning the sixth-form equivalent of the FA Cup.
The final took place on 28th April at the Hawthorns, the home of West Bromwich Albion FC. Around 300 CNC staff, students and friends of the college made the 100-mile trip for the match. Several special buses were laid on. The teams had travelled down on the previous day and enjoyed a night in a local hotel. Preston firm Moss Bros kitted out the squad with morning suits for the evening. The hotel stay was paid for by the tournament organisers, the English Schools Football Association (ESFA).
Newman's run to the final saw them beat local rivals Preston College, who won the same cup two years ago. That victory gave them a place in the finals. In total they played eight matches to reach the final, where they met Colchester College.
Even though the ground was relatively empty, there was a tremendous atmosphere for the historic match. Banners included one which read "Cup Final Magic" and the memorable "Do it for the Cardinal". CNC trumpeter Peter Fletcher was there, and was accompanied by drummers.
CNC settled early in the first half and looked comfortably the better side in the early stages. A goal proved elusive, however, despite Newmans superior possession. The breakthrough came in the 38th minute, when Rob Haworth was brought down on the edge of the box. David McCann drove the free-kick through the wall and into the net to put CNC ahead.
Colchester had been suffering from a lack of support, but during half-time a bus arrived carrying extra supporters. It clearly motivated the team and Newman struggled to control them in the first few minutes. The game looked safe when Chris Whittingham completed Paul Cairns' excellent run from midfield by putting the ball in the back of the net six minutes after the break. The ‘goal' was disallowed for offside. From then on, CNC defended the slim lead with near misses at both ends. Michael Swarbrick cleared from the CNC goalline just three minutes from time, preventing what could have been a dramatic equaliser. The tense and scrappy match finally drew to a close when the final whistle blew after over five minutes of injury time.
After the match the CNC crowd gathered on the touchline as the Principal, Kevin C Quigley danced on the pitch. Kevin, dressed in a suit and bow tie, spoke to the press after the match. "To go there and become national champions was a huge achievement when you consider we're really only a small college," he said. "I know when we won the Lancs Cup, Sean [Haselgrave] said that this team would win the national cup within two years and he has been proved right".
The match received substantial coverage in the press. The Times described the final as ‘pulsating', and heaped praise on Rob Haworth, who it described as ‘the most skilful boy on display'. Rob plays part-time for Morecambe. The final also made the back page of the Lancashire Evening Post, and was featured in other newspapers, including The Express, The Daily Telegraph, andCatholic Weekly The Universe.
