Completist

Garforth Rangers  0  Altofts  6

West Yorkshire League – Division 2

I first encountered the West Yorkshire League towards the latter end of the 2007-08 season, I was cajoled into going to watch Ossett Common Rovers play, I quite liked it, so I thought when the chance arose I’d go and watch a few more games in the league.

I got to the odd few but didn’t really start to focus on it properly until 2014, and since then I’ve worked my way through all three divisions, to a point where just one more ground was needed to complete the full set, and that was today’s destination, Garforth Rangers.

Playing just outside Garforth in the village of Micklefield, they are quite a young club and only recently celebrated their 20 year anniversary, and while the club has a thriving junior section, the senior section hasn’t always been the most successful of outfits.

They finished bottom of the bottom division last season, not winning a game, in fact the three points they gained from draws all ended up being deducted, yes, it was very much a case of ‘nil point’! However, this season it’s looking a bit better, fourth from bottom, which is as good as mid-table in a division of its size.

A target for local artists - the stand at Micklefield Rec

Their opponents, Altofts, are pushing for promotion, in fact for a club of their stature and with the facilities they have, they shouldn’t be in this division in the first place. The ground is floodlit and as good as any in the league, and having first seen them ply their trade in the top flight, it does look like they are on the way back at last. How far they can go is I guess up to them, but the infrastructure is top drawer.

Pre-match snifters were taken at the Blands Arms, a Samuel Smiths pub, and I have to confess to not being too sure about these hostelries. Don’t get me wrong, nice enough venues, but as a lager drinker, I’m not sure about the Taddy Lager, and the Alpine Lager they have on offer. Call me narrow minded if you like, but I’m much happier with a Fosters or a Carling. Would you trust a pint that costs 2.20?

The ground at Micklefield Recreation Ground both surprised and impressed me. Parking on the roundabout at the end of Pit Lane, you have to cross over the busy railway line (it is a proper crossing, don’t panic!), and then walk down the field to the pitch, with the dressing rooms looking as though they are in an old house adjacent to the tracks on the right hand side.

Once at pitch side, the ground is fully railed, but on a day where the rain was pouring pre-match it was nice to see a sizable area of cover raised up from the pitch. You don’t find too many grounds with cover in this league, certainly not in the bottom division. Having said that, the rain eased just before kick off so the cover wasn’t required.

Free Kick............

Onto the game, it was pretty one sided. Altofts certainly had the better players and demonstrated a degree of confidence that was somewhat lacking in the home ranks. An early goal set the scene and by half time it was 3-0 to the visitors.

Garforth battled away but never looked like scoring, in fact the captain and centre-half bemoaned the fact that his strikers were putting too much pressure on the back four by falling to hold the ball up for any length of time to give them a breather. It didn’t get any better in the second half, and as Garforth tired more chances came and went, so in the end the 6-0 outcome was as inevitable as it was comprehensive. Altofts march on, Garforth can console themselves with the fact that they will certainly finish this season in a better position that previously.

And that was it, a champagne job as they say, but to be fair I think I’ll stick to lager, and it won’t be from Samuel Smiths!  

I had to run like buggery to get the same free kick from the other side!