Semi-Protest Marks End of League Stay

County bowed out of the Football League with a 1-1 draw with Cheltenham and an abandoned match after a pitch invasion by about 30 fans.

A strange atmosphere at Edgeley Park all afternoon was finally followed by an 84th minute on-the-pitch protest by approx 30 hardy souls, who unveiled a ‘Love County Hate Kennedy’ banner, cheered on by the Cheadle End with chants of ‘We want Sale Out!’ and ‘Sack the Board!’

The players were ushered off the pitch with the scoreline at 1-0 to the visitors, before the invaders were removed and play was resumed.

There were talks of trouble all afternoon, and pre-match a prominent County fan was apprehended by police for ‘inciting violence’, and therefore banned from attending. Hmmm.

As the game kicked off, a few hundred red cards were lifted against Sale Sharks owner Brian Kennedy, and the chanting of We want Sale out was pretty loud for the first five minutes.

It was pretty tense, almost like people were waiting for other people to do something. Literally everyone in the ground expected some kind of trouble, and a lot of police were drafted in to prevent.

With half-time come and gone, The Hatters falling behind to a wonder-strike by Cheltenham, there seemed to be no trouble. That was it, and the police looked to be calm.

As County attacked the Cheadle End and the fans were up on their feet, a few hundred from the top of the Cheadle End descended down to the front of the stand and all gathered behind the goal. A handful of chairs were ripped out, and everyone seemed to be waiting for the inevitable CHARGE onto the pitch.

After ten minutes of waiting, a group took it upon themselves to charge and off they went. The players were escorted down the tunnel, and chants against Kennedy and the 2015 Consortium followed.

The game was soon resumed, and Greg Tansey netted a 90th minute penalty after a trip on James Wallace to even the game.

The full-time whistle soon went and we’re now officially in the Conference.

You can’t blame the fans. We’ve been screwed for a good few years, and if you keep prodding and prodding, eventually they’ll lash out.

I think all concerned go the message.