Season 2000/01 couldn't have started better for the Rebels. Three
wins and a draw from our first four games saw Slough sit at the top of
the table at the end of August.
But the Rebels were brought back down
the earth in September, as it all started to go downhill. Six league
games, three defeats, two draws and only the one win saw Slough
dramatically slip down the table into 13th place by the beginning of
October. Slough's already terrible September got worse as they were
dumped out of the FA Cup at Tonbridge Angels by two goals to nil.
More embarrassment in the league followed in October with three more
defeats, the only real high point being Slough's 4-3 win over Aldershot
Town in the Full Members Cup.
November was overall a better month for the Rebels, although no
change in league fortunes, Slough did manage to progress in two cup
competitions. The Rebels convincingly surged past Bishops Stortford at
Wexham Park by a 5-0 scoreline, and although some people argued that it
was because we were playing a team from the division below us (Stortford
were in the Ryman 1st Division at the time), it really was a good Slough
performance.
Having already beaten Flackwell Heath in the last round, Slough
travelled to Marlow where they won 2-0 in the 2nd round of the Ryman
League Cup, but they were thrown out of the competition for fielding an
ineligible player on the night, and it was Marlow who went through to
round 3 to play St. Albans.
Slough lost all their games in December, during which time they went
out of the FA Trophy at Newport County (Wales) and the Full Members Cup
to Bromley.
Already out of all but one cup competition by the New Year, Slough
had only the league to concentrate on, so there was no excuse for many
bad performances. But that didn't stop Slough from performing badly, and
their first win of the year came on 30th January at fellow strugglers
Carshalton Athletic, thanks to a last minute goal from Paul Holsgrove.
It was their first league win since September 23rd, when they beat
Croydon 1-0 at home, a gap of 13 league
games.
Slough showed what one win could do for a teams confidence and morale
as, having struggled to record one victory in 13 attempts, they won two in a
row as the Rebels beat Enfield 3-1 at home, with the goals coming from
Chris Allen, James Lambert and Mark Hall. but yet more disappointment
was to follow in the form of the Berks & Bucks Cup, as the Rebels lost
out to Maidenhead United by 2 goals to nil at York road, leaving only
the league to look forward to for the rest of the season.
Just one defeat in four games in March, but unfortunately no
victories either as the Rebels recorded three draws and a defeat. Slough
must have thought their were home and dry in their home league game
against Sutton United, but they threw away a 4-1 lead to draw 4-4. One
point wasn't really good enough as that result left Slough just five
points above the drop zone. Following a 0-0 draw at Billericay, Slough
dropped into the bottom three and their home game against Hitchin Town
was a must win. Unfortunately, Slough lost the game 3-0.
A real relegation dogfight was now on the cards, and the Rebels
travelled to Croydon who had spent most of the season in the bottom
three looking for a win. Rebels fans who travelled to the game that day
made the journey home bitterly disappointed as Slough put in a terrible
performance and were stuffed 4-1. But Slough had the chance to make
amends on 7th April when bottom of the table Dulwich Hamlet visited
Wexham Park, a game which the Rebels really should have won, but only
drew 1-1.
Slough went into their home game with Billericay Town on 10th April
with a mere 29 points from 34 league games, but another two points and
they would have been out of the drop zone. Slough lost the game 3-2, but things
were looking encouraging judging by the way the team performed on the
pitch. If they had performed like that for the remainder of the season,
they would have avoided relegation easily.
A 1-1 draw at Farnborough left Slough with a fighting chance of
avoiding the drop, and things were really starting to go Slough's way
with a 1-0 home win over local rivals Maidenhead United. But they
weren't home and dry yet, there was still five league games left to
play, from which they picked up two wins and three defeats.
Our relegation was all but confirmed after Slough lost 1-0 at fellow
relegation candidates Harrow Borough, but a 2-0 win at home to Gravesend
& Northfleet and a 3-1 home win against Carshalton Athletic left Slough
going into their final game of the season at Chesham with everything to
play for.
But Slough lost the match 2-0. The Rebels were relegated in a really
poor performance which left the loyal Slough fans screaming for manager
Steve Browne's blood.
Final League Position: 20th (relegated).
League Record:
Ply |
Won |
Drew |
Lost |
GF |
GA |
GD |
Pts |
42 |
10 |
9 |
23 |
40 |
62 |
-22 |
39 |
See the matchday programme from the 2000/01 season:

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