SEASON 2019/20
The Old Boys Team win TFFC's
first knockout cup!
TFFC won the MMFL Jack Morgan Memorial Cup (Masters Plate competition) – left over from the 2019/20 season – on Thursday 20th May 2021 after beating St John's Wood Tigers 2–1 in the Masters Plate competition at Rowley Lane.

Super sub Robert Botkai came on in the second half and scored twice to overcome a 0–1 deficit. This is the Club's first ever 11-a-side knock-out success! The victory was all the more amazing given the Old Boys Team's dreadful record in the 2020/21 Maccabi Masters League season – nine consecutive defeats and rock bottom with zero points! Their only other win all season came on Sunday 13th September in the Masters Plate semi-final against Marshside, by 3–1.

In the Final, which had been delayed from season 2019/20 due to the pandemic, the Old Boys played St John's Wood Tigers, a team that had beaten Fortune 4–1 in December. Bizarrely striker Bokai, with 300 goals for the Club to his name, did not start and midfielder Graham Meyer started upfront and looked out of position. The first half was a poor scrappy affair played in windy conditions with few chances. St John's Wood had most of the early play but Fortune goalkeeper Serge Weinberger was largely untroubled as the Old Boys defended really well.

However, the best chances fell to Fortune – Meyer broke into the penalty area after a rare forage forward but his shot was well saved by Andy Selby low to his right. Then Dean Ingram was through on goal only to fire straight at Selby. The Tigers created a couple of opportunities themselves but spurned promising attacks. Serge Weinberger had a few half chances to keep out but did not make one serious save during the opening period.

In the second half, Fortune were caught on the break within a minute of the restart. A long punt upfield allowed the Tigers number 36 to take the ball in his stride, round Weinberger and fire home despite a lunging slide by a Fortune defender. Finally, Phil Silver who looked injured and was hobbling for the whole game, put the much-needed Botkai on and before long the whole game was turned on its head. On 68 minutes Robert Botkai gathered the ball just outside the penalty area, poked it past the defender and around the onrushing Selby. BOTKAI kept his cool to fire home from a slight angle to make the score one-all.

Now, with Fortune looking much more dangerous with the wind at their backs, the Tigers were under the cosh and after 75 minutes the decisive goal arrived. After some good play down the right side, a Fortune player slid the ball across the goal area and in ran ROBERT BOTKAI to tap home at the far post, his jubilant team-mates celebrating Fortune's surprise 2-1 lead.



The Yellows and Reds had to survive some late pressure as the Tigers tried to hit back. They struck the post on 85 minutes after an incredible goalmouth scramble. Then in the last minute, Weinberger slipped as the ball sped past him and it looked like an opponent simply had to tap home. But the angle proved to be too much and a Fortune defender rushed back to block the ball on the line and clear.

With the rain and wind swirling around Rowley Lane, the full time whistle sounded soon afterwards and the Fortune camp elatedly celebrated a marvellous victory.

Result: Temple Fortune Old Boys 2 (0), St John's Wood Tigers 1 (0). Team: Serge Weinberger, Daniel Isaacs, Alan Harounoff, Jonathan Abrams, Gary Rowland, Gideon Wetrin, Gil Ashkenazy, Dean Ingram, Philip Silver, Simon Black, Graham Meyer. Subs: Robert Botkai, Michael Lee. Unused: Andy Montlake.


After the players had collected their winners' statuettes, Fortune captain Simon Black, a trophy winner with Maccabi London Lions in the past, lifted the Jack Morgan Memorial Cup to the cheers of his team-mates. It was a richly deserved success for all the team's efforts during a very difficult season.

Although most of the players put in a great hard-working shift, especially the defence who did a great job, star man in the first half was Jon Abrams who was very strong on the ball, whilst Dean Ingram grew into the game after the interval as Fortune started to look the stronger team. But you have to take your hat off to striker Robert Botkai for turning the game Fortune's way. With Phil Silver well out of sorts due to his injury, it would have benefitted the team much sooner had Meyer taken his place in midfield with Botkai leading the line upfront. Once Robert came on and posed a threat to the Tigers defence, the Old Boys looked a much better offensive unit.

The trophy win finally ended a sequence of losing cup finals played out by the Club, success coming at the sixth attempt. The Old Boys Team themselves had lost in four semi-finals of the Masters Nathan Horwitz Division 2 Cup in previous seasons.

Said Club Chairmain Nigel Kyte afterwards: "To say I am delighted is an under-statement! I'm very grateful for the kind words so many TFFC players and personnel have passed on to me, saying it's all richly deserved for me personally. But I maintain that this has been a team effort over many years and it is a tribute to the never-say-die attitude of many Old Boys players of seasons gone by. Some of the team have been playing for TFFC for years – including Robert Botkai, Gary Burns, Dean Ingram, Graham Meyer, Andy Montlake, Serge Weinberger and Gideon Wetrin – enduring more defeats and disappointment in the Old Boys team than they care to remember – they are the ones who deserve this success the most."

"If you persist and keep trying, sooner or later you succeed. Fortune favours the brave and tonight, the lads kept going and thoroughly deserved this amazing success. Well done to everyone involved!"

"If we had to lose I'd rather lose to Temple Fortune," said St John's Wood manager John Perloff, very gracious in defeat. "Such a nice bunch of lads. Congratulations on your victory."



CUP WINNERS... AT LONG LAST! From left to right, back row: Jon Abrams, Dan Isaacs, Gideon Wetrin, Simon Black, Serge Weinberger, Alan Harounoff, Dean Ingram, Phil Silver and Gil Ashkenazy. Front row: Graham Meyer, Gary Rowland, Michael Lee, Robert Botkai and Andy Montlake.

THE OLD BOYS TEAM'S ROUTE TO THEIR CUP WIN
GROUP B QUALIFIER
V HENDON HARRIERS
WON 4 – 3
GROUP B QUALIFIER
V MACCABI LONDON LIONS
LOST 1 – 8
GROUP B QUALIFIER
V GLENTHORNE UNITED
LOST 0 – 3
JMMC SEMI-FINAL
V MARSHSIDE
WON 3 – 1
JMMC FINAL
V ST JOHN'S WOOD TIGERS
WON 2 – 1






Above: More action from the Cup Final. Below: The match winner, Robert Botkai, who came on as a second half substitute, about to collect his richly-deserved winner's statuette. Images by Hilton Teper.