In ’s last season at the helm, Logica’s Championship challenge was ultimately unsuccessful, but the outgoing gaffer could take some consolation from a respectable third place, and from the fact that the only games Logica lost all season were to a team called Woodvale.

The usual pre-season cannon fodder was lined up and dispatched with appropriate nonchalance, with two Johns being sunk by Big John. No-nonsense centre half had only spent one season in the white of Logica, but had established himself as a firm favourite with the fans through his courageous defending, aerial dominance and partiality for a quiet pint. Now sadly, he was moving back to his native Yorkshire, but he certainly went out with a bang. First John Lewis were sold short as two strikes set up a 5-1 Logica win. And then St. Johns almost needed an ambulance after no less than four farewell goals from the big man delivered an 8-1 thrashing. It was left to Barron Casuals to bring Logica back down to earth, holding the Battersea Astrodome stars to a 2-2 draw one week before the big kick-off.

Whilst the pundits considered Logica to have a better than outside chance of winning the league, the team itself started off in slightly uncertain manner. After a nervous opening day victory over Ferndale courtesy of a rare goal, Logica went on to draw three of their next five league games. Of these, two 2-2 results were against teams in Lokomotiv Knightsbridge and Greenford Rovers who would ultimately finish in the bottom three, and a narrow 2-1 win over bottom club Washington was also less than convincing.

Two games at the end of October provided a strange contrast. Logica finally clicked into gear with a 7-1 Cup drubbing of second division Bajau, with legendary striker stealing the headlines with five of the goals – the fourth consecutive match he’d scored in. The Astrodome fans suspected they might be in for something special when the cameras turned up to video the match. And, never one to shy away from the spotlight, put on a show of the goalscoring arts. Remarkably this individual goalscoring feat was neither a personal nor a club record – both the Legend himself and had scored six in a game before, and would also notch six times seven years later.

Full of confidence, Logica inexplicably crashed 8-1 to Woodvale Associates the following Sunday. It was a strange game in which the visitors did not feel themselves to be completely outplayed. Yet their opponents were clinical in front of goal, and Woodvale proved this was no freak result when they later dumped Logica out of the Cup in the second round by the equally convincing margin of 6-0. Logica realised they had met a quality team, and it surprised nobody that the Associates would go on to lift the Championship with a perfect record: they won every league game they played.

It was to the players' credit then that they bounced back with some style. After a hat-trick from the ever-brilliant had earned an exciting 4-4 draw against good opponents in Paddington Stop, Logica went on a run that saw them win their next five matches. That they scored twenty-six goals in these six games is a testament to the exhilarating football they were playing. was at his sublime best, notching six times in this run and creating countless goals for colleagues.

And was leading from the front, or rather the middle, scoring eight goals himself in these matches, including a hat-trick at home to Ferndale. With the attacking quality of , and at his disposal, unselfishly opted to play himself in central midfield. Thus his seasonal haul of nine goals was a good return, as the striker fully exploited the new-found opportunity to arrive late in the box that his new position offered.

This was fine form to take into the crucial month of February, and with Woodvale Associates still unbeaten, Logica badly needed maximum points from back-to-back matches against the only other Championship challengers, Woodvale Rovers, if they were to have any chance of pinching the title. Both matches against the Rovers (who, like Logica, had only lost once all season) were close affairs. However, Logica’s air of optimism had been somewhat deflated by their Cup exit the previous week, and they lost the first game 2-0 to a strike in each half. Battle was rejoined the next Sunday, but despite a wonderous strike from new boy that was voted Goal of the Season, Logica again conceded twice to end up pointless from these two crunch encounters.

All realistic hope of the Championship title disappeared with these two defeats, but Logica once again showed their character by bouncing back to win their last four matches. The frustrations of the previous games were vented in an emphatic 6-2 win over fourth placed Paddington Stop, with Daves and onion-bagging a pair each. And still had something to play for, scoring a goal in each of the last three games – double-header victories over Churchill Arms and an entertaining 4-3 win over Shamrock Celtic - to claim the Golden Boot.

That final game of the season also saw a first goal in Logica colours for new signing , a skilful midfielder who showed great promise for the future. Indeed, had been careful to maintain the all-round quality of the squad in his last season in charge. Defender , signed at the start of the campaign, also proved a shrewd purchase, the wily Scot appearing in all bar two of Logica’s matches and contributing significantly to a tight back-line that only conceded 38 goals, 14 of which had come in two games against Woodvale Associates. And successor would also be grateful in the years to come for another raw defensive talent, , signed at the back-end of this season.

Logica were back in Europe as well, following a gap of three years since their ill-fated touah of Ostend. The visit to Paris proved far more successful, as the self-proclaimed Ambassadors of the British Software Industry led by experienced Dutch international Graham van Driver came away with the plaudits, a large consignment of Tier One champagne, and a sizeable proportion of furniture. and were the scorers as Logica struck back from a goal down to win a remarkable game of three thirds. And there was almost a miracle of another sort, when the irrepressible almost succeeded in getting a blind Parisian girl to come and see Logica play football.

At the end of it all, there was still time for a tear or two to be shed as the era concluded in grand style at a veritable Tier One Awards Dinner held at the fashionable West End Quo Vadis restaurant where Karl Marx had once lived. Speakers paid tribute to the truly legendary who had played his last game for the club. The brilliant striker had graced the Logica jersey for three seasons, in which time he had scored a remarkable 44 goals in just 41 games, a fairly accurate measure of the players talent. It is a pity that assists hadn’t been invented at this point in history, for the number of goals created by almost certainly surpassed the number he tucked away himself. A modest and unassuming character, he would be greatly missed in the seasons to come.

symbolically handed the reins over to new Supremo , and spoke with sincere nostalgia of his time at the helm. His record as gaffer was impressive: the Division Two Championship in 1990 was followed by second and third place spots in the premier Division of the West End League, as the team consistently competed for honours at the highest level. The fact that he remains to this day the last Logica Supremo to lift a piece of silverware is a measure of both his tactical acumen and the quality of player he brought to the club. However, I’m sure also that it’s a tag he would dearly love to lose.

SEASON AT A GLANCE:
Most Appearances: (19 out of 19 games max)
Golden Boot: (13 goals in 15+1 games)
Players' Player of the Year: Joint Winners: and
Goal of the Season: v Woodvale Rovers (a)
Biggest Victory: 7-1 v Bajau (Trophy1) (h)
Heaviest Defeat: 1-8 v Woodvale Associates (a)
Number of Players used: 24
Goals Scored: 52 goals in 19 games (average 2.74 per game)
Goals Conceded: 38 goals in 19 games (average 2.00 per game)
Clean Sheets: Five in 19 games (average one every 3.80 games)