JJ's decision to reject the professional contract was a seismic event, a moment that sent shockwaves through our small and close-knit footballing world.
It was an act of loyalty so profound, so unexpected, and so deeply counter-cultural that it transformed the very fabric of our team.
The crisis, the slump, the infighting… it all just melted away, replaced by a new, and incredibly powerful, sense of collective purpose. We were no longer just a team fighting for promotion; we were a team fighting for a cause.
The final stretch of the season was a brutal and relentless war of attrition. We had six games left to play. Six games to go.
We were in second place, three points behind Salford City Amateurs, who had recovered from their derby defeat to us and had gone on another relentless winning run. There was only one promotion spot. The maths was simple. We had to win all our remaining games. And we had to hope that Salford would slip up.
