Sunday I'm in Love (Final Special)

The St Andrews Sunday League final saw star-studded Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) beat over-achievers Sheffield Tuesday 7-0, as Wynderers bow out of the top flight.

BMC 7 — 0 Sheffield Tuesday

A late kick-off attended by a moderate crowd set the stage for a fixture that would hand either club their first Sunday League title.

BMC entered the final following an unbeaten season and an unprecedented +26 goal difference.

A season littered with dominant victories left even the most nervous of BMC fans confident of their spot in the final from early on.

For Tuesday supporters, it was an altogether different story. Game Week 1’s desperate 10-0 defeat to BMC may have signalled another season in which success would be simply ‘staying up’. However, a host of shock victories and major slip-ups by other sides meant the Tuesday were having their best season in the club's history.

Eight points clear and thirty-four goals better off, BMC were overwhelming favourites.

The first fifteen minutes were that edgy, system-reliant football we have become accustomed to in major finals. But it wasn’t long before BMC’s class prevailed, and a training ground move broke the deadlock. A driven low strike doubled the lead going into half-time.

The floodgates had opened, with Tuesday keeper Eddie Maglione beaten twice more within five minutes of the restart.

Two major chances fell to Tuesday utility substitute, Joe Kleiner-Mann. The first, sent into the St Andrews night, over the bar and wide, and the second, a penalty, saved by BMC keeper, Jack Ferry.   

Speaking after the game, Chris Nicholson, BMC Captain, described the game as “a bit anti-climactic. We were looking for something competitive, but after the 4th goal went in, we realised that it would be plain sailing.”

Speaking of the achievement, Nicholson added, “We were all buzzing to win our first title since we were founded, and are hoping to continue in the same vein moving forward.”

Jacob Medlicott, Captain of Sheffield Tuesday, paid tribute to everyone at his club and thanked the fans for their support throughout the season.

Earlier in the afternoon, the relegation/promotion play-off was held between long-time first-division side, Butts Wynderers, and a strong BPM team. The game was unresolved in normal time, with BPM promoted to the top flight after penalties.

Cian O’Regan, a product of Wynderers’ academy and stalwart centre-back, said, “The future of the club remains uncertain, with a scouting mission to the depths of South America in the works.”

Upon hearing of their relegation, a passing Tuesday fan noted, “It’s sad to see a big club like Wynderers go down, but it’s probably the wake-up call they needed — they’ve consistently failed to bring young players through the door, and it has finally caught up with them.”

Many of the League’s top performers have headed to North America for a summer of national duties.

Meanwhile, for Beavers, Strokers, and Spartans, subpar seasons have raised questions of the leadership from the press and fans alike, and changes at the top will be expected.

Whilst coverage of the league resumes in September, this columnist recommends Fabrizio Romano for the league’s summer transfer and management news.  

Graphic by Luana van Oranje