"Sing if you're Haringey, sing if you're happy that way!"

“This is the biggest match in our history- for now.”

Speaking shortly after the draw for the First Round of the FA Trophy had been made, pairing Bostik North Division Haringey Borough with National League Leyton Orient, Borough manager Tom Loizou managed to sum up the club’s excitement and ambition in one sentence. From the Essex Senior League to the Bostik North playoffs to the First Round of the FA Trophy in three years, with crowds up by 169% this season, the recent achievements of Tom and his side, led by a chairman- Aki Achillea- who is more likely to be found on the terraces than in the boardroom, were unprecedented in this part of North London. This match with the O’s was special- but it was another step on the journey, not the end of it, and Tom wasn’t going to have anyone thinking that the club had reached the pinnacle of its ambition.

Not that he was underplaying the importance of today’s game. “I think this club can go an awful lot further than Bostik North, and a match like this will help enormously. Any money we make will go straight back into the infrastructure- we’d like to add to our youth setup for the benefit of the children in the area, we’d like extra changing rooms...and I’m very lucky in that the chairman allows me to put every penny we make straight back into the club. Actually, I’m very lucky in having such a good chairman, full stop; he trusts me entirely and leaves me to get on with the job.” At this point football managers the world over are undoubtedly turning green with jealousy.

Arriving at Coles Park- as Tom would volunteer, whether you wanted him to or not (he’s an Arsenal fan), “the only club actually on White Hart Lane”- ninety minutes from kick off, supporters from both sides were beginning to gather. The last remnants of the morning’s car boot sale had been cleared from the car park, extra programmes had been printed, an additional refreshment kiosk had been erected at the far side of the ground to cater for the away fans, and a couple of elderly home supporters worried about whether they’d get their usual seats. You could tell a home fan from an away supporter not only by their choice of colour but the fact that O’s fans had a world-weary look about them; unsurprising after their travails of last season and the progress of their first season in Non-League so far. As one of their number had explained on the walk from Wood Green Tube Station, “when the draw was made we groaned. If we win, everyone will expect it, if we lose it will be an enormous upset- and yet we’ve been awful this season. Mind you, last weekend was much better. Perhaps we might have turned a corner.”

Last Saturday saw the O’s trounce league leaders Sutton United 4-1 at Brisbane Road, whilst at the same time Borough were beating AFC Sudbury. On paper this shouldn’t even be a contest. Only six miles separates the two clubs yet so do almost one hundred years of history. Orient were once in the top flight of English football, Borough were only formed as Cliff Richard was serenading Eurovision with Power to All Our Friends and Sunderland were defeating the mighty Leeds United to win the FA Cup. Fifty-seven places separate the two clubs in the pyramid, and whilst that gap is narrower than it has ever been, it is still a significant margin.

There was another element to this game for both sides, and once more Tom was in the centre of it. A former Reserve and youth manager for the O’s- and indeed, one-time caretaker manager of the first team- this was the first time he’d faced his former club from the other dugout. He’d spoken of his affection for the club and its supporters, and how heartbroken he was at their recent predicament, but added, “That said, it’s my job to make matters worse for them, and I’m determined to do it.”

Just outside the players entrance the manager was bemoaning the fact that he was on his fourth keeper of the season, whilst being his usual charming and ebullient self, without a sign of nerves. Aki was trying to be in seventeen places at once and worrying about the fact that a number of Orient supporters had to collect tickets sold by their club- tickets which hadn’t yet arrived. Luckily they turned up a few minutes later courtesy of the O’s official coach, so he was able to breath a sigh of relief and then wander off to worry about a missing extension lead and to ensure that all of the stewards- many of who had come from the away club- were fed. Hopefully he later got time to enjoy the day.

Some people who were determined to enjoy the day were Liam and the mainstays of the Borough male voice choir. Laughing off suggestions made by the Sittingbourne contingent in an earlier round that they only had one song (“we have at least two!”) each and every one stated that they were confident of a home victory. Optimism was most definitely the order of the day, as was the telling of huge whoppers. “Orient will struggle to cope with the intimidating atmosphere here…we’ve had Galatasaray supporters here who said that Coles Park was far more frightening that their version of hell…Ralston (Gabriel) will score a hat trick (he was sadly suspended)”- each tale seemed to get taller. Back in the world of reality, however, they couldn’t fail to be content with the way that the season had gone so far.

“It’s been fabulous - although we’ve struggled a bit since Valery (Pajetet) was injured. He’s been out for six weeks so far and we’re on keeper number four- the fact that we were unbeaten before his injury demonstrates how important he is. But we’ll still give a good account of ourselves today, and enjoy it whatever happens.” They headed off to the clubhouse, waving a flag with Aki’s face printed in its centre, about to fill the parts that weren’t filled with optimism with another type of stimulant, this time artificial.

The teams emerged into the weak sunshine and it was the away side, in their traditional red, who got the game underway, whilst the home fans used up both of their songs in welcoming their team and then remarkably found another. The stand was full, the perimeter of the pitch ringed with supporters, and it was apparent that whatever happened on the pitch, off it Borough were about to celebrate the biggest gate in their history. Before long the home contingent of that gate had something magnificent to sing about.

Five minutes were on the clock when an Orient attack ended with Borough breaking away. Michael Ademiluyi still had much to do when he received the ball thirty yards from goal, but he charged towards the corner of the box leaving a defender trailing in his wake before finishing beautifully across the keeper into the bottom corner. “Sing if you’re Haringey, sing if you’re happy that way,” celebrated the home fans, and everyone in yellow had much to be happy about, although Tom Robinson might have been less enamoured with how they’d reinterpreted his classic. The O’s tried to respond, and Macauley Bonne perhaps should have done better with a shot which cleared the bar, but their supporters were already sounding frustrated, and Borough looked the most threatening; Christopher Benjamin holding the ball up well whilst Ademiluyi and Anthony McDonald tormented the full backs. Bonne cleared the bar once more with his next chance, then headed over with the next one, threatening the vehicles in the car park rather more than Ashley Harris’s goal, and then Bonne’s strike partner David Mooney also got into the act, heading wide.

Orient should perhaps have equalised in the 22nd minute. A fabulous cross from James Dayton managed to evade the keeper, the defence and both Bonne and Mooney, when a slight touch would undoubtedly have taken it into the net. Borough breathed again, and with centre back partnership Scott Mitchell and Quba Gordon outstanding looked to break once more. McDonald was particularly threatening, and indeed he created the next chance, skinning Myles Judd before shooting just wide of the far post as Orient fans held their breath.

Harris was then called into action, and Borough fans were glad of his quick reactions. First he saved at full stretch from James Dayton, and seven minutes later it was the turn of Bonne to finally get an effort on target, Harris holding to his right. Half time arrived after an inexplicable three added minutes and it was Borough who held the lead- and they were good value for it.

Orient appeared for the second half a full five minutes earlier than Haringey, and warmed up energetically before taking the game by the scruff of the neck. First Bonne headed over once more and then, with Craig Clay increasingly influential, the O’s got their breakthrough. A cross found Josh Coulson at the back post and his volley left Harris with no chance as it thundered into the net, Coulson charging to the touchline to celebrate with the bench just prior to finding himself sitting on it, replaced by Dan Happe. The away fans came to life for the first time, whilst those in yellow serenaded them with a chorus of “you only sing when you’re drawing.” Orient had almost total control, Bonne having a shot blocked before Clay had an effort touched around the post. A rare Haringey break was wasted when Harrison Georgiou couldn’t decide whether to cross or shot and as such simply walloped the ball against a wall of red before it was cleared, and then back at the other end Clay once more threatened the goal, curling a shot which bounced back off the post. “We’ve got the best chairman, in the land,” sang the Borough choir as Aki wandered past, still working.

Eleven minutes from time and with Haringey still holding out, Justin Edinburgh made a change just as his side were about to take a corner, former Bristol Rovers and Crawley Town striker Matt Harrold coming on. It was almost inevitable that twenty seconds later the ball sat in the Borough net, Harrold rising above the defence to head home at the far post. “We’ve got one, we’ll get two,” came a shout from the home support, and indeed his side redoubled their efforts, perhaps inspired by a chorus of “we love you Borough, we do.”

As full time approached a long throw in was headed goalward by Borough substitute Jordan Edwards, forcing O’s keeper Dean Brill to touch the ball over the bar, before a similar throw found Gordon on the edge of the six yard box but this time Brill was able to hold. Two corners in added time provided further goalmouth action, but when Lauran Luke fired wide in the 95th minute we all knew it was over- well, all apart from the away supporters who had left ten minutes earlier after the announcement that the car park would be closed for twenty minutes after the game. These professional glory hunters, eh? The final whistle blew, the O’s fans celebrated, and the rush for the exit began whilst the home fans cheered their side off the field. The Trophy run was over, but the performance was worth the appreciation.

Earlier this month Tom Loizou had expressed his confidence that his side could cause an upset.

“That’s not me being disrespectful,” he’d explained, “and I promise you that I haven’t taken leave of my senses! I’m quite aware that we won’t be the favourites. But if we can put out our strongest side then we have players easily good enough to play at their level, and they’ll know that they’ve been in a match.”

After ninety-eight minutes of football today he was proved almost right. An upset hadn’t been caused, admittedly, but although he hadn’t put out his strongest side there was absolutely no doubt that Orient left knowing they’d been in a match- and a number of his players had caught the eye. But despite the result, in many ways Borough were the winners today.

Prior to this match, the club’s record attendance had been 400. One thousand and thirty three spectators had arrived to watch the game today, and although a fair proportion belonged to the away side there were a significant number of home fans- far, far more than the number who usually pass through the turnstiles at Coles Park for a league match. What those new arrivals will have found was a well-run club, friendly regulars, volunteers who were not only experts in their roles but lovely folk too, a fabulous clubhouse, excellent burgers and a team who set out to entertain from the first minute to the last. If they were locals- and the fact that many seemed to be walking home after the match would suggest that they were- then they had just been royally entertained for a price around eight times cheaper than that they might be asked to pay by the Premier League teams in the area.

If there is any justice in the world then many of those first time spectators or irregulars will be back as Borough attempt to earn promotion from the Bostik North. An attendance rise of 169% is already phenomenal, but this team- this club- deserves better. But the final mention should go to the “best chairman in the land”- and his manager.

When Aki and Tom took on their roles at Coles Park early in the last decade Haringey Borough was down on its luck. The crowds were negligible, the facilities awful, the club going nowhere. Now you find a club firmly cemented at the centre of its local community- a club who turned down the BBC a few months ago because coverage from the national broadcaster would have interfered with the car boot sale which is a lifeline to many in the area; a club which has been transformed by the work of a number of volunteers, but particularly by the efforts of chairman and manager.

From Coles Park you can almost see the new stadium being constructed by Tottenham Hotspur a mile and a half away, a stadium which it is hoped will herald a new, successful future for Spurs.

But perhaps the future of football on White Hart Lane might not just be white. Perhaps it might also be yellow. Although as Tom would remind you, White Hart Lane isn’t actually on White Hart Lane, anyhow!