MY YORK STREET: Two huge FA Cup ties saw Mick Spillane fall in love with the pinstripes and introduce his future wife to Boston United on a day he’ll never forget

My first game: I was introduced to the delights of Boston United January 6, 1968. My dad, bless him, took me to see United play mighty Orient in the FA cup. I was hooked. A total of 7,110 fans packed the ground and I had a pitch-side view. Two things stuck in my mind; the smell of the rubs and liniments of the players as they entered the pitch and the resplendent kit our team wore. It was an amber shirt with black pinstripe. How colourful it all was. I was used to watching football on our old black and white TV. Two silly goals did not do the game justice. I also remember the crowd giving Orient's Vic Halom stick for wearing gloves during the match. I remember my old dad calling him a ‘bloody sissy.’

Favourite match: Portsmouth, FA Cup, 1972. I know we got beaten, but for the whole experience this was special; hair cut in the morning at Malc Fletcher's and we had made the back page of The Daily Mirror, a good read whilst waiting for Malc to finish the lad in front. The headlines read NO TEA PARTY FOR POMPEY, the sports writer predicting a very tough match ahead for the league team. I had my first date with the girl I later married (46 years and counting ) and I introduced her to the York Street end. We finished the day off at the Gliderdrome watching T.Rex. Thank you Mr Malkinson. The game was a cracker, which we bossed for long periods. In my opinion the best team we had ever at York Street. We got beaten 1-0 but came out the game with credit.

Least favourite match: It’s got to be the heartbreak of losing on penalties to Chorley in the play-offs in 2015.

Strangest game: I have two games that stick in my mind for different reasons. North Ferriby second leg play-offs, 2016. To this day I do not know what happened. We bossed the first leg and was unlucky to only take a two-goal lead into the second leg. It was as if a completely different team turned out. We lacked conviction and knowhow. We were totally outplayed. The ref gave us nothing and the day was like a damp squib. The other match was a friendly against Stamford. It was our first match after being relegated from the Football League. The team was full of trialists and journeymen. We were a shadow of the great teams that wore the amber and black. We were convincingly beaten. I remember going home with a heavy heart.

Happiest memory: Easy, when hearing our club had been saved. Thank you.

Worst Memory: Wrexham away 2007. The day we lost our Football League status.

Favourite goal: Unusually, not a Boston Goal. Adam Roscoe's overhead kick for Chorley in added time in the 2015 play-offs. A cracking goal which broke our hearts.

Favourite player: Laurie Madden. Seemed to have all the time in the world, sign of a top player.

Favourite Manager: The late, the great Jim Smith. Mind you, the fella we have now is not too bad.

Best opposing player: Hate them all when they play against us. But older players will remember John King of Altrincham. He looked like Brutus from Popeye. Hated him with a passion, but always a good scrap on the pitch when he played.

Best away side: Derby County, FA Cup replay, 1974. Showed why they were league champions, beating us 6-1 after we held them to 0-0 at the Baseball ground.

I'll miss York Street because: Memories, memories and more memories. It was a proper football ground. Teams hated coming to this tight ground with the closeness of the fans. I remember Bertie Wilson running around the pitch for beer money. I remember Alex Gibson scoring a cracking goal, and then running to an old guy in the stand. He grabbed his cap and threw it away. He had been giving Alex stick all match. I remember 8,300 fans piling into York Street for the Derby County replay. The old wooden players tunnel bowing under the weight of the fans, two burly coppers putting their shoulders to it, to stop it collapsing. The brilliant night against Rochdale. I could go on. The ground had soul. The new ground has a lot to live up to.

Previous My York Street contributions: Andy Butler, Roger Smith, Christian James, Ken Fox, Jonathan Van Tam, Richard O. Smith, Pete Brooksbank, Josh Butler, Adam Upsall.If you'd like to take part in My York Street, email [email protected].