In the end, it wasn’t about the game, the fans flocked to Borough Park to lay the Old Lady to rest.
After 89 years she was worn out, deeply loved in the process, and ready for a new look, a new life and hopefully a new dawn for sports lovers in the Workington area.
As a football match it didn’t excite – an end of season exercise after the tension had been taken out of it seven days earlier.
The records will show that Leek won 1-0 with a 26th minute goal by Hayden Campbell. The league table will record an eighth place finish for Leek after six consecutive wins to end the season.
But the fact that Reds finished fourth bottom won’t tell half the tale – of the epic fight to evade the clutches of the drop zone; of the inspiration provided by the appointment of Billy Barr as manager or the collective response from a group of players who were short of belief back in November.
What it will show is a crowd of 2,387 who enjoyed the celebrations, despite the result, basked in the glorious sunshine and joy of survival, and remembered the ups and downs that Borough Park had seen since 1937.
Nearly 60 players from Workington’s past were there to swap stories, often to ignite gales of laughter, or even at times to wipe away a tear or two.
But the occasion was also about what the future will bring in the shape of a transformed Borough Park into a vibrant community base, the Cumberland Sports Village project.
Workington Town officials and fans were out in force, keen to plant the seeds of partnership in this adventure which will be built around the new stadium.
Perhaps, most of all, it will bring an added sense of belonging and opportunities, to the likes of Reds little drummer boy and his pals who have created a youthful and vibrant atmosphere on the town end terraces.
Borough Park has served its purpose, will never be forgotten as her place in Workington history is secure, but now is an opportunity for the town and surrounding area to embrace a new, modern arena that can bring so many benefits for generations to come.
A bumper crowd of 2,387 said farewell to Borough Park and looking round it was hard to imagine how 21,000 could have possibly packed the ground for its biggest day in 1958 when the champions of England paid a visit.
It wasn’t the send-off most would have hoped for but the pressure had been taken off the Cumbrians with a safety-clinching win at Warrington Town last week.
The game, in many ways, was end-of-season style and was not a full-blooded encounter it might have been had Workington’s points-tally been less.
The goal that settled it came on 26 minutes when Hayden Campbell, picking up the ball from deep, lifted the ball from 25 yards over keeper Alex Mitchell and watch it bounce into the net.
Otherwise Mitchell was never extended and the only two saves worthy of the name were made by Leek’s Dini Visser – one in each half.
The first came early in the game at 0-0 when he got down sharply to turn behind a free kick from Isaac Whitehavell.
The second came 15 minutes from the end when substitute Dan Hopper leathered in a shot from just outside the area and again Visser was across to made a very good stop.
Alex Hurst was Leek’s liveliest forward and Louis Potts a hard-working centre-forward while defensively the visitors showed why they have been secure in this strong late charge up the table.
End of season awards
For Workington it had been job done a week earlier at Warrington and they were able to have their own celebrations two hours after the game with the end-of-season presentations in the Tony Hopper Bar.
Defender Jordan Little won the Supporters Player of the Year award after some fine performances, when Reds were struggling and when getting into shape under Billy Barr.
Along with goalkeeper Alex Mitchell he also picked up an award from the Reds Independent Supporters Club.
Ciaran Casson won the coveted Players’ Player of the Season; Holker Old Boys recruit Luke Ellis was young player of the season.
Josh Galloway’s strike at Hyde United was voted Goal of the Season and manager Billy Barr earned the Outstanding Achievement Award.
Hear Billy Barr’s thoughts ahead of the game yesterday below:
