Whitstable Town were brilliant for 89 minutes. And then…

At halftime in the first round playoff game between Whitstable Town and Fisher FC, I texted a friend.

Is it possible that Whitstable Town have done so well this year by simply hoofing the ball forward whenever it lands at their feet? Is that possible? Is it?

At step 5 – definitely yes.

Six minutes into the second half they were ahead 1-0.

Good hoofing.

It’s easy to watch direct teams and think route one is football at its most basic. And sometimes it is.

But there’s more to it than that, as I was beginning to realize.

Whitstable Town is in the FA Vase final. And in the league, they had ended the season with a run of 21 games unbeaten. This was more than hoof-ball. 

But how exactly? 

The mastermind behind it is manager Jamie Coyle, who also happens to be their right-sided center back. His approach is a pragmatic one. 

His approach is pragmatic with an emphasis on verticality. Or to put it more bluntly: hit everything forward. I know… that sounds a lot like Route One football. But bear with me…

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