It is the most pivotal and nerve wrenching time of the season for football fans up and down the country whether it be winning championships, promotion, play-offs or surviving the dredged drop, it is a time for a whole club to unite as one towards one common goal.
At Havant and Waterlooville this seems very much the way. Attracting a 16 year Ryman League crowd of 3,455 to Westleigh Park on Monday for the victory over Bognor Regis Town, supporters have come together to head up two supporters coaches to their pivotal game away to Kingstonian on Saturday, the last game of the season with the championship on the line.
This is not the first time in recent weeks this has been the case, the Hawks supplied a supporters coach for the 0-0 away draw to Needham Market a month ago. This time around, hawks fan Andy Stonebridge has laid off a 32 seater and a 59 seater luxury coaches to Kingsmeadow for the decider with early estimations showing that one coach has already been booked up.
This type of unity is shown right through the spine of the football club, following the aforementioned 1-0 win against Bognor a mini pitch invasion took place. Unlike that of the big leagues where the stewards would push fans away like Lambs to the slaughter, the players would stop and sign autographs, shake hands and even take selfies with supporters, further highlighting the united Hawks camp. Speaking to Wes Fogden following the game he commented on how “a great feeling it is seeing everyone together, from the start of the season I and the rest of the squad always gave our best for the Football Club.”
It has been a rollercoaster 18 months for the Hawks, from facing Preston in the FA Cup and the Vanarama Conference South play-offs to the heartbreak of relegation and a famous Hampshire Senior Cup win. This season the club has rebuilt and with it at the forefront has been the passion of everyone within the club, be it players, coaches, board and fans combining together and that togetherness sees the Hawks just 90 minutes away from an immediate return to the National League South and from there, with the sprit within the club, the World is its oyster.
Henry Deacon
Henry Deacon Media 