Boots Athletic 1XV, Wednesday 20th February, Away, no score
NLD Vase
Royces were tasked with the mission of crossing over the border to take on Boots Athletic in the quarter final of the NLD Vase. With the usual TD planning that most match days entail watches were synchronised and Operation Lady Bay began.
Knowing that the area would be busy with local and commuting traffic it was going to relatively easy to blend in but had the added problem of maintaining line of sight. The main plan was to bring in solo manned road crafts from several outlying areas (Hucknall, Ashbourne, Capital One, Borrowash) to make sure there was minimal activity from locals and call in the main thrust of the party on a more direct route from Moor Lane.
The time to the RP (rendezvous point) was 6.05pm- we figured this would give us an element of surprise, the opportunity to acquaint ourselves with the area before final preparations. Move out 5.03pm. All was going to plan, even the 2 man craft that went out to check Holmepierrepoint made it back in good time.
We met no resistance to enter the visitors camp, dropped our kit and made final preparations. They was an increasing sense of nervousness as the area started to get busy with parents with kids (around the age of 12) wandering around, this distraction could not take away our focus.
The time was checked as the KO approached, there was yet to be an area offered with floodlights, it was now or never, we needed to get started or minds would wander, talk of loved ones left behind in the office, guilty feelings at downing tools early for colleagues to pick up the slack, the fictitious dental appointment. Things needed a new sense of purpose but we were trapped with only the light from the changing rooms.
We retrieved comm’s from the lead vehicle and eventually made contact with a representative of Boots, he advised communication had been left on an answerphone at 5.10pm that the mission had been cancelled due to the condition of the pitch.
Having come so far and prepared so thoroughly the team was totally deflated and let down. Only thing left to do was have a training session on the pitch allocated for the mission conclusion.
The team now stand down awaiting further instructions.