NATIONAL League winners York City are heading to Victoria Park this summer to top off a season with a fairy tale finish and a Channel Islands sub-plot.
York City are owned by the Uggla family, owners of the Blonde Hedgehog Hotel in Alderney. Needing just a point to secure promotion back to the Football League after 10 years away, they were holding closest league rivals Rochdale at 0-0 as the final league match of the season entered six minutes of stoppage time.
Rochdale scored in the fifth of those minutes to spark a frenzied pitch invasion from their supporters. After the pitch was cleared the match restarted, and York threw everyone forward and managed to bundle home an equaliser in the 103rd minute to spark even more scenes.
Julie-Anne Uggla, the woman behind the Blonde Hedgehog, who owns the club with her son Matt, said Saturday was the most bizarre day of her life.
‘I’ve never been so low or so high in such a short period of time,’ she said.
‘When they scored, I was devastated. When we scored, I was absolutely elated.
‘I’m so incredibly proud of our club. My true belief that both of us should be going up made it even more emotional, because it was really unfair that we weren’t both already promoted. You don’t go in at 107 and 105 points and not get promoted – it’s just ridiculous.’
She said she got involved in York in a 'moment of madness’.
‘My son Matthew and I thought it would be fun to be involved in a football club. We looked at about 10, and York just stood out miles above everybody else. It was a sleeping giant, and had an incredible opportunity for growth. It’s just a huge relief and huge pride, because I know how hard we’ve worked to get here.’
Mrs Uggla said she only found out about Rochdale’s Channel Islands connection a few weeks ago and met the Ogden family for the first time at the match.
Rochdale AFC is owned by the Ogden family, who have roots in the town. Peter Ogden made his fortune through the multinational technology company Computacenter and the family has leased the island of Jethou from the States since 1991.
‘You have two clubs whose owners have fallen in love with the Channel Islands, both going head to head against each other. I was lucky enough to meet Peter Ogden, and he’s a delightful man, as is his family. They’ve given us a run for our money this season, and been an incredibly great team to play against.’
Success for York and its connections with the Bailiwick will not end with this promotion.
‘We’re going to do back to back promotions, that’s the goal,’ said Mrs Uggla.
‘The National League is the hardest league to get out of. Matthew and I have massive fire in our belly, and we have an incredible opportunity in front of us,’ she said.
A year ago Mrs Uggla who has a background in charity, philanthropy and business, and is committed to both Alderney and York City, was in the crowd at Victoria Park for the Muratti Vase final. In a few weeks' time her team should visit.
‘We’re planning to come to play against GFC pre-season and we’d love to take some of the developing players from Guernsey, and bring them over and have them training with our first team, or within our academy,’ she said.
Play-offs now await Rochdale owners with Jethou links
WHILE it was ecstasy for the supporters of York City, agony befell the owners of Rochdale on Saturday afternoon.
‘There were two great sides going for it,’ said Rochdale co-chairman Cameron Ogden.
‘We tried to give it a go and we kept pushing towards the end. When that goal went in, you’re one minute away, and it was elation, and you think you have the fairy tale ending. York are an absolute juggernaut – a great team, great players. Based upon last season, them coming second then, they seem to be very worthy champions.’
Looking back he said it had probably been the pitch invasion that had cost his club victory.
‘The pitch invasion happened as a result of everyone’s joy, but the delay has given them six or even minutes to get their heads back into gear.
‘At the moment we scored, their bodies just sank. If they just turned around, put the ball down and started the game again...’
The Ogden family have their roots in Rochdale and got involved with the club after it fell into financial difficulty two years ago.
‘Both my parents were born in the town, and with all the great work the club were doing in the community we really felt like we needed to do something to keep the institution alive and make sure that on a Saturday there was a football club for the people of Rochdale to go to,’ Mr Ogden said.
‘When we pitched in we had a budget of fifth to seventh-place range, so to have competed at the level we have for so long and be on the 106 points for the season, it’s phenomenal.’
But at least all hope of a York-Rochdale Channel Islands rematch next season in the Football League is not over, as Rochdale could still be promoted through the play-offs.
‘We obviously have to dust ourselves down and be ready for the for the next game,’ Mr Ogden said.
‘It’s either Southend or Scunthorpe this coming Sunday, but we won’t know the opponents until the end of Tuesday evening.’