Stevenage in fine form
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Non-League notebook
RUPERT METCALF
The strongest challenge to Macclesfield Town, the leaders and defending champions of the GM Vauxhall Conference, is currently coming not from the expected sources, Woking and Kidderminster Harriers, but from Stevenage Borough, who travel to meet the leaders at Moss Rose tomorrow in one of the season's most eagerly awaited non-League encounters.
A run of six matches without defeat has taken Stevenage, in their second season in the Conference after finishing fifth last term, to second place in the table, five points behind Sammy McIlroy's Macclesfield but with three games in hand and a vastly superior goal difference. "It's a monumental game on Saturday," Paul Fairclough, the Hertfordshire club's manager, said yesterday, "but it may not have much relevance at the end of the season. We lost to Enfield twice when we won the Diadora League."
The Hertfordshire outfit have done well to compete with the GMVC elite, as they have hardly been big spenders compared to their rivals. "We're a selling club," Fairclough said. Since last season, he has lost Leo Fortune- West (to Gillingham), Phil Simpson (to Barnet) and Richard Nugent (to Yeovil) - so this season's form is all the more creditable. "We've just been swept along by a tide of well-being," Fairclough added.
If they do win the title, they will not be promoted to the Endsleigh League, however. "Our ground is council-owned," Fairclough explained, "and while Stevenage Borough Council have done well to get us this far, they cannot afford to improve the ground further this year."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments