The First Time

Matlock Town  0  Shaw Lane  1

Northern Premier League – Premier Division

I won’t say that it lives long in the memory, because I was only five at the time, but my first ever football game was at Matlock Town’s Causeway Lane ground.

It was the Gladiators against Barrow on a Sunday in April 1978, and I know from the records Matlock won it 3-2. My Dad took me to the game, and I only have one recollection, sitting on the floor digging in some sand that made up part of the pitch surround.

Not for one minute could I tell you which part of the ground I was in, because I cannot recall any stands or terraces, in fact I cannot picture it at all. I’ve tried to look at old photographs of Causeway Lane but nothing is jogging the memory.

For many years I’d been trying to locate the programme for the game, and by chance I managed to get a copy off of eBay about a year ago. From reading it, it turned out the game was played  on a Sunday because Barrow had played an away game at Scarborough the day before, and wanted to cut down on late season travelling by playing on the way back to the North West.

The Smart New Bit

Causeway Lane is a ground I’ve visited on countless occasions over the years, notable games include seeing a late Belper Town winner one Boxing Day, and a famous night when the Gladiators beat Mansfield Town in the FA Trophy, the very same Mansfield that went on to win the Conference.

Of all of the non-league clubs in Derbyshire, Matlock, along with Alfreton, probably have the most illustrious history.

Cyril Harrison - From A Distance

A Midland League side in the Sixties, they won the title in 1968-69 and joined the Northern Premier League in only its second season since forming. It wasn’t until the mid-Seventies though that Matlock started to make noises. The 1974-75 season was a particularly memorable season, a First Round FA Cup appearance lead to a 4-1 home defeat by Blackburn Rovers, but the highlight of clubs history came in the May when they beat Scarborough 4-0 in the FA Trophy Final at Wembley. This after beating local rivals Burton Albion over two legs in the semi-final.

Matlock Town became synonymous with the Fenoughty family, Mick, Tom and Nick, and their involvement with the club started in the Seventies and carried on for over a decade, as players and managers.

They couldn’t quite win the NPL Championship though, but another fantastic FA Cup run 1976-77 saw them beat  Wigan Athletic, Mansfield Town famously at Field Mill by five goals to two, before 

finally succumbing to Carlisle United in the Third Round.

If You Look Closely - You Can't See Riber Castle

The cut was made at the end of the 1978-79 season for the membership of the newly formed national Alliance Premier League, and Matlock didn’t make that cut, not because of the team, it finished in third position, it came down to the facilities and the infrastructure.

Surely it would only be a matter of time though before they made it to the non-league football top table? Alas, it never happened, a runners up spot in 1983-84 was as good as it got, and then by the mid-Nineties they found themselves in the First Division of the NPL following relegation.

A spell in the doldrums for eight long seasons was finally broken when Ernie Moss took the club to runners up and a return to the top flight, where they have remained ever since. A club like Matlock could almost certainly sustain Conference North football with their facilities and also their support base.

Looking Towards The Terraces

Crowds of other a thousand were commonplace right up to the late Seventies, and while nowhere near that level nowadays, they are one of the best supported clubs in the area. The ground has seen significant re-development over recent years and is more than adequate for the step up, it just remains for them to get it right on the field, on what year on year seems to become an ever tougher league to get out of.

The game tonight against Shaw Lane is a real case in point. Shaw Lane, from Barnsley, formed not that long ago, have risen from the Sheffield County League right up to the third tier of non-league football. It’s no secret that they are very well backed financially and going into the game they sat top of the league. They have moved grounds this season, and crowds you would argue are modest. They have a plan and no doubt that plan is not designed to see them consolidate in the NPL, it will be about further progress. That’s great, but that’s what Matlock, a club with modest resources, but a fantastic history and supporter base, are up against. That isn’t a criticism of Shaw Lane by the way, I have huge respect for them and what they’ve achieved, and clearly they are a fantastically well run football club.

So, Causeway Lane, it would more often than not make your typical non-league fans top ten list of favourite grounds. Ask them why, and they will point to the view of Riber Castle on the top of the hill, yes, it’s a stunning sight looking from behind the goal over the cricket field and into the distance, but to cite that alone is not really doing Matlock justice.

The beautiful Peak District town is a haven for tourists, and a very short walk from the town centre you find Causeway Lane on you left hand side. On entry you see the covered terrace to your left, while in front of you is the new main stand and the equally new clubhouse. The remaining part of the ground that retains its structures from the halcyon days of the Seventies is on the Causeway Lane side of the ground in the form of the Cyril Harrison Stand. I guess the only slight blot on the grounds copybook is that it remains, and probably always will remain a three sided ground due to the cricket field behind the top goal. That said though, you won’t find many better venues for watching football.

Always guaranteed a warm welcome at Matlock, from club stalwarts like Keith Brown and Ian Richardson, I chatted to both before retiring to the clubhouse for a pint. A decent crowd had assembled on what was a Champions League night (320 announced), to see if the Gladiators could topple the might of Shaw Lane.

A Close Up Of Cyril

The first half was tight and Matlock gave as good as they got, but a well organised visiting defence kept them at bay. A ball in from the left early in the second period was headed powerfully home by Spencer Harris to give Shaw Lane the lead, and that was how it remained.

Shaw Lane adopted a very ‘professional’ approach in the closing stages as Matlock went long to find an equaliser. Their tactics of slowing the game down frustrated the home crowd, and it proved to be successful.

Shaw Lane looked strong, organised and experienced, without playing brilliantly, a sign of a league champion perhaps? Matlock on the other hand showed enough to suggest that if they can find some consistency, the play offs are not out of the question.

Another enjoyable night at Causeway Lane though, the only thing missing was some sand for me to play in.

The Derry Raconteur

Bonagee United  3  Finn Harps Reserves  2

Ulster Senior League – League Cup

“Hugh Kelly knows half of the town, and then the other half know him!”

Those were the words said to me at the Altnagelvin Hopsital bus stop from the gentleman that had just been accosted by Derry’s finest raconteur, via his car passenger window.

Hugh Kelly and I met over ten years ago, on the railway station platform at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Derry City were playing Paris St Germain in the UEFA Cup and I was stood on my own wearing a City shirt. Hugh, who was wearing a Brentford shirt (I know), was with his family, they were curious and started to talk to me, from that day onwards we have all become good friends. I try to get to Derry twice a year and catch up with them, and when Hugh is around, life is far from dull.

You can’t walk more than a few yards without Hugh stopping to talk to someone, you can’t drive far without him suddenly stopping and winding down the window to someone. Mostly, those on the receiving end know him, but at times, they look at him blankly wondering who it is.

In fairness though, he does know an awful lot of people, and that comes from many years of refereeing, working at one of the City’s major employers, and also being pretty active on the social scene.

We’ve had some bizarre moments though, the best was without doubt when we were in a pub and having a conversation with a local that had been jumped upon by Hugh and introduced to myself. We got talking about football and that lead to a conversation about the ex Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and Northern Ireland full back, Gary Fleming.

I though no more of it until he was taking me to my bed and breakfast, only for him turn down completely the wrong road and pull up outside a house. He told me to wait in the car, then suddenly I got a shout to join him. Two minutes later I was sat in Gary Fleming’s parents front room drinking tea. I still to this day don’t know if Hugh actually knew them, or just turned up by chance and invited the both of us in, either way, it was different.

He’s an absolute diamond though, and as soon as I told him I fancied going to the game at Bonagee United, he was arranging to pick me up. This is what Hugh’s like, he can’t do enough for you….

The Stand At Dry Arch Park

I’d had confirmation via a message on the clubs Facebook page that the game was taking place, I was mindful it may not as I saw a game at Cockhill Celtic had been called off, but all was ok. The drive over the border into the Republic gave me the opportunity to once again see some fantastic scenery, notably the Drongawn Lough which sources from Letterkenny.

Bonagee United play at Dry Arch Park which is a couple of miles outside Letterkenny on the East side of the town. It’s a really nice ground, fully enclosed with a covered terrace on one side which tucks in to the corner of the pitch. It’s also floodlit, while the pitch looked in fantastic condition.

As you would expect, Hugh was soon in conversation with a club official, whereas I was itching to get a quick pint over at the Dry Arch pub. I got my way. We re-appeared just before kick off and paid the five Euro entry fee taking up a position in the stand, and once again Hugh found a couple of people he knew, a goalkeeping coach from Sligo Rovers and a millionaire bookmaker from Derry!

Bonagee Score From The Spot

The game was a very entertaining spectacle. Gareth Doherty gave visiting Finn Harps Reserves the lead from the penalty spot. Jamie Lynagh levelled for the hosts but Harps re-took the lead again, also from the penalty spot via JD Alawiye.

Bonagee produced a tremendous fightback though when Mickey Funton scored with a header before the winning goal came from Dean Larkin. It had been a great game to end the Irish tour, but the day wasn’t finished.

After some food in Letterkenny we made our way to the Iona in Derry where the bulk of the inhabitants had clearly been on the pop for some time. Hugh’s arrival created something of a stir, you see, when a former local referee enters a pub, and the locals have all had the pleasure of his decisions in years gone by, the welcome is sure to be warm!

The Sun Came Out

That night we ended up at a quiz, where I was introduced to a former Finn Harps player. Before I explain, a couple of years ago Hugh introduced me to two footballers, who were something of legends.

Firstly, Tony O’Doherty, a Derry City and Finn Harps star from the Seventies and Eighties, who also won caps for Northern Ireland. Secondly, Charlie Ferry, a goalscoring hero who also played for the Harps. It was interesting talking to two former Harps players, especially as a Derby County supporter who’s side beat Harps 12-0 at the Baseball Ground in 1976 in the UEFA Cup. O’Doherty played in the game, Ferry was conveniently injured and took no responsibility!

Anyway, the player in question this particular evening was Terry Leake, who Hugh explained to me had appeared on Question Of Sport, twice!

There was a bit of banter and then I was told to put the words ‘Terry Leake Own Goal’ into YouTube on my phone. What I found was one of the greatest own goals of all time, but not only that, a Derryman, playing for local rivals Finn Harps, at Derry’s ground against Derry, lobbing his own goalkeeper in spectacular fashion. It made the ‘What Happened Next’ section on the TV programme.

Watch it here   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYhBDrPydnc

Apparently, nearly thirty years later, Terry can just about walk the streets without being ridiculed, but clearly Hugh’s arrival in the pub that night re-opened some old wounds!

The 11am bus back to Belfast saw the end of the long weekend on Monday morning, but not before Hugh turned up at the door with some breakfast for me, the diamond that he is. Clearly he had to give me a short lift to the bus stop, and I knew it would never be a brief farewell. He found someone from the one half of the Derry population that he knew, whereas the rest of the folks at the bus stop, without actually knowing him, had certainly heard of him!

Londonderry Air

Limavady United  2  PSNI  1

Northern Ireland Championship

“Danny Boy”, the song that’s often heard in the bars of Ireland, and also at certain events, particularly funerals, is considered by many of the Irish population as an unofficial signature tune. Indeed it's very well known to everyone of a certain age.

But not everyone is aware that the melody itself is known as “Londonderry Air”. A woman called Jane Ross recorded this and indeed a plaque sits on the wall of the house she formerly lived at, in the town of Limavady.

Disembarking the 212 Maiden City Flyer on Saturday morning I took in a gulp of that fine Londonderry air and perused the bus timetable for the next stage of my Irish tour, it was time to head East to the aforementioned town to visit a football club that’s been on my radar for some time now.

When I first started to get interested in football across the water, it was both the North and the South that captivated me, and it worked well because I devised a series of plans whereby I would get to a Southern based game on a Friday, and then a Northern game on the Saturday. At the time the top flight in the North was bigger than it is now, it contained 16 teams, whereas nowadays that number is just 12.

The Main Stand

Limavady United, located between Derry and Coleraine, joined the then Irish Premier League in 2003 where they remained until 2008 when a second bottom finish saw them drop into what became known as the Irish Championship. In the 2004-05 season they recorded a best ever finish with a hugely impressive fifth place.

In all fairness though, when the 2008-09 season came around, Licencing had come into play and Limavady in all probability were going to struggle to get through the process, mainly due to the facilities at the Showgrounds.

The club actually fell to its lowest level in modern times a few years ago when they dropped into the third tier of Irish football, but after they were denied promotion when winning the league in 2015-16 courtesy of failing to apply, they did eventually repeat the feat again last season and were accepted back into the second tier.

The journey to Limavady takes around fifty minutes from Derry, passing through Eglinton and Ballykelly, while from the top deck of the bus the views to the North over Lough Foyle towards Quigleys Point are spectacular.

Clubhouse & Dressing Rooms

Limavady is a very nice town, extremely well kept, award winning in fact in the ‘Best Kept Town’ category for Northern Ireland. I firstly hunted down Jane Ross’s plaque, but then quickly found my way into the excellent Granny Annie’s bar. If you ever get a chance, the toilets are simply stunning!

After spending far too long admiring the toilets, I felt it best to make my escape and that took me to the Corner Bar, the Rangers v Celtic game was showing, the locals were far from happy. Limavady is a Loyalist town.

The Showgrounds are a modest walk to the East of the centre of the town, and I made it in quick time, but hopes of a pre-match snifter were scuppered somewhat as a celebration lunch was taking place in the bar, to remember a man called Thomas St George McCarthy who was one of the founding Fathers of the Gaelic Athletic Association, a Royal Irish Constabulary Officer and indeed a former Limavady resident.

"I Either Book You - Or He Arrests You?"

It was a well attended and also carefully thought out strategy by the club to host it on the day when the opponents were Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI). An esteemed guest in the form of Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin gave a speech at the dinner and watched the game from the stand.

The ground at the Showgrounds is neat and tidy, but quite simplistic. A large car park with the function rooms and the dressing rooms sitting adjacent stands behind the goal. The turnstiles are to the left, and once inside you find a walled pitch surround with hard standing, while a seated stand for approximately 300 straddles the half way line. It is a big area though, with large grass expanses on all sides, so plenty of room for development if funds and desire allow.

Limavady took the lead after just 21 seconds when Joel Bradley found the net, but gradually the visitors came back into the game and equalised after 19 minutes via an Alan Wright header from six yards.

View From The Comfy Chairs

The points went the Roesiders way courtesy of a 72^nd minute penalty that was despatched by Robbie Hume, and despite late pressure and what seemed like an age of added on time, it was the hosts who managed to hang on.

I made the bus connection back to Derry with a couple of minutes to spare, and later that night I stepped out into the ‘Derry Air’ (got to get the balance right!) to meet friends for a meal and a few drinks.

The following morning as I wandered back into the City I came across the PSNI again, this time in uniform. Around the time I had been walking back through the Bogside to my lodgings, a 19 year old boy had been killed on William Street following an altercation.

Another funeral, another tragic waste of life, quite possibly another desperately sad and poignant rendition of Danny Boy will take place. The Londonderry Air felt very sombre and heavy that morning. 

Oriel Nights

Dundalk  3  Drogheda United  0

League of Ireland – Premier Division

It was May 2006 and I was getting brave.

I’d had two trips to Northern Ireland in the previous twelve months, but now it was time to go properly foreign, where the currency is different, to the Republic Of Ireland.

My passion for Irish football was growing rapidly, ever since the day I set foot in Derry City’s Brandywell, I started to soak it all in, to research it, to read about the history, to plan some trips….

It was to be a relatively simple trip, Derry were playing at St Patrick’s Athletic on the Friday night, so Dublin was to be the destination, but I couldn’t find a game on the Saturday to combine with it. But, I did find a game on the Thursday night, Dundalk at home to Shamrock Rovers.

So that was the plan, a flight over on Thursday morning, and then a train up the East coast through Drogheda and into the town nicknamed El Paso. Dundalk were a big club who had fallen upon hard times, and bizarrely we had a game between two of the biggest names in Irish football, playing in the second tier.

I’d read about Dundalk, the great sides of Jim McLaughlin, European games against the likes of Liverpool, Celtic and Spurs. I’d also read about the infamous European Cup tie against Linfield which from a timing perspective in terms of The Troubles couldn’t have been worse.

Main Stand

That Thursday night saw a confident Rovers side arrive in Dundalk, and eventually they left with a 2-0 victory. Rovers bought a large support with them and I can remember the aftermath of the game as trouble broke out in the road, leading to Gardai wading in with batons.

That season ended controversially as well. Dundalk won a two legged promotion play off game with Waterford United, only to not be admitted to the Premier Division. Galway United who finished below them, and didn’t compete in the play off got the nod instead. It kicked off, it all came down to the interpretation of what the play off was designed to achieve (long story – won’t dwell on it right now). However, the whole event will be remembered for Dundalk fan Mark ‘Maxi’ Kavanagh turning up at FAI headquarters, dousing the reception with petrol and threatening to set it alight as a protest.

Dundalk did eventually get promoted in 2008, but it all started to change in 2012 when Stephen Kenny was appointed Manager. I watched Kenny’s Derry sides over two spells, whereas he’d also had spells at Dunfermline Athletic and Shamrock Rovers. Dundalk and Kenny ended up being a match made in heaven.

Three League of Ireland titles in a row, an FAI Cup, two League Cup’s, the groups stages of the Europa League, financial security, and a surge in attendances. They won’t win the league this year, that’s Cork’s to lose, but they do have a chance of winning another FAI Cup. Some would argue that the side that won the league in 2016 was the greatest club side Ireland had ever produced, Rovers might dispute that though.

With a weekend in Ireland planned for some time, the fixture between Dundalk and County Louth rivals Drogheda United was too good an occasion to miss as far as I was concerned. Logistically it was easy enough to get to being based in Belfast, the last train being almost perfectly timed for after the game.

Jimmy's Shrine

I arrived in Dundalk mid afternoon, collected a match ticket that had very kindly been reserved for me and then had a wander into town, retracing my steps of eleven years ago by calling for sustenance at the Jockeys pub.

It was Jimmy’s Bar that impressed me the most though, the walls were plastered with Dundalk FC memorabilia, with posters, match reports and programmes from some of the great games and occasions. European nights in Dundalk were clearly special events and Jimmy’s quite rightly celebrated the fact, as they did the three in a row achievement.

Pre-match their was time for a quick one in the clubhouse, which was exactly as I remembered it, before taking a seat in the impressive main stand at Oriel Park.

Drogheda, despite the fact they are odds on to be relegated, started brightly and could have taken an early lead had it not been for some quick thinking by Brian Gartland to clear the ball off of the goal line.

The hosts gradually started to get a grip on the game and took the lead almost on the stroke of half time when Steven Kinsella smashed the ball home after good work by Gartland and Stephen McGuinness.

Looking Across To The Ultras

The game was effectively over just after the break when David McMillan floated a header back across goal and into the Drogs net. By this stage I had opted to stand behind the goal and take in the game from a different viewpoint. It also gave me the opportunity to observe the size of the crowd, around 2300, which was three times as many as that day in 2006. What was also surprising was the lack of travelling support, less than a hundred I would suggest, when historically Drogs would pack the away end out.

The third and final goal came in injury time when Michael Duffy skipped into the penalty area and curled a low shot into the bottom of the net. It was a comfortable victory in the end for Dundalk and not unexpected either. They will finish runners up, but given Cork’s end of season form, I would make the men from Oriel Park favourites to regain the crown in 2018.

Grass Banking - But Not In Europe!

Oriel Park hasn’t changed an awful lot over the years, other than some extra seating has been installed on the terracing to comply with UEFA regulations. The more vociferous followers stand under the cover opposite the main stand (getting them to sit would be like herding cats!).

All was going swimmingly well on the train back until we got to Newry and were told an earlier train had hit some cattle. That meant a long delay while buses were organised, and we finally arrived back in Belfast well over an hour after the scheduled time.

A minor setback on what was otherwise a fantastic day out at a fantastic football club.  

   

The Radford Effect

Radford  0  Belper United  0

East Midlands Counties League

I’ve only ever been to Radford’s ground twice in fourteen years, and for someone who watches around 120 games a season, that’s pretty dismal.

To put that into perspective, it’s around 1700 games I’ve seen in that period, and one of the visits I made was simply because I’d never been before. So, I’ve made the conscious decision to make a revisit just once, and I remember it well, it was between Christmas and New Year, and nothing else was on!

The Radford Road End

Radford’s Selhurst Street Ground takes me around half an hour to get to, so why have I not been more often?

I only started to ask myself that question when I’d been at the ground for half an hour or so on Tuesday evening, and it was prompted by the fact that the people that run the club are amongst the friendliest you will ever meet. Always a smile, always a word or two, and nothing is too much trouble for them.

The ground is tidy, they have a bar, they have a club shop, they have pretty much everything you could want, and it’s Step 6 football. In fact, the excellent playing surface is one that is renowned locally as a very good port in a storm due to its drainage qualities and the fact that it doesn’t suffer the freezing conditions like other grounds in the vicinity.

Terrace & Tea Bar

I really did begin to wonder just why I’d swerved it so often, and I couldn’t come up with a particularly justifiable reason, other than I’d been missing out and I needed to do something about it.

Radford play in the Hyson Green area of West Nottingham. It’s an area that for decades has been the home to the Black community in the City, and for a period, unfortunately, it gained something of a reputation as a ‘no go’ area as Nottingham became blighted with gangland gun culture and the inevitable tragedy that goes with it. That said, on the very few occasions I’ve been to Hyson Green I’ve never found it anything other than vibrant or welcoming, very much like the football club situated in the middle of it.

Radford were playing Belper United, a club I have some attachment to being from the town, and over the years since they won promotion to the Central Midlands League and then the East Midlands Counties League, I’ve followed them from a distance and got to a handful of games each season. The fact it was Belper United was one of the reasons I chose to go to Radford to be fair.

Executive Boxes......

Radford as a club were known as Radford Olympic in the eighties when they plied their trade in the Central Midlands League, before dropping the Olympic in 1987. They remained in the CML until 2008 when they were invited to join the newly formed EMCL, where they have remained ever since. That said though, a couple of years they won promotion very briefly after finishing runners-up to St Andrews who had been declined the move up, but, on appeal the Leicestershire based side had the decision overturned and Radford had to remain where they were. So near yet so far!

The ground at Selhurst Street is tucked just off the main Radford Road and is hemmed in by the urban nature of the area. They have little room for growth, but have made a very good job with what they have.

Covered standing areas adorn both sides of the pitch while a small seated stand is located behind the Radford Road goal. The clubhouse and dressing rooms are adjacent to this, as is the turnstile block that is accessed from a small car park that soon gets packed. Spectators are better off parking in the shoppers car park next to the ground, but it is poorly lit and various signs warn of the importance of not leaving anything on display inside your vehicle.

Pristine Pitch

As I said earlier, from the moment you arrive, they are a great crowd. Little things like bringing your programme into the bar because they hadn’t arrived when you turned up. Opening up the club shop specially despite the lack of staff available, and then leaving you to browse at your leisure. It’s these little things that create the great impression of a football club, and at Radford they do just that.

As for the game, I’ll keep it simple. United hit the post twice in the first minute, but gradually Radford worked their way back into the game, and in the second period it was the hosts that dominated proceedings.

However, United seemed quite happy to go home with a point, Radford didn’t have the cutting edge to make the breakthrough. The goalless scoreline was almost inevitable.

It wasn’t a game that will live long in the memory, but Radford are a club that will. And that's why I'm going to make a real effort to become a more regular visitor.

'The Radford Effect' - the principle of not knowing what you are missing out on, and no logical explanation why!

The Business End

Upwardly Mobile

Basford United  2  Cleethorpes Town  2

Northern Premier League – First Division South

In terms of stand-out fixtures for the coming midweek, this one shone like a beacon.

Cleethorpes Town had played seven and won seven whereas Basford United had played seven won six and drawn one.

They sat first and second in the league, it promised much, but would it deliver?

Firstly though, the history of these two clubs is pretty staggering.

Basford United were an ailing Nottinghamshire Senior League side until 2011 when they made the move into the Central Midlands League, where they won the Southern Division at the first attempt.

The following season they joined the East Midlands Counties League and won that with a record 95 points. This lead to promotion to the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, where they finished fifth, but they were moved sideways for the following season to the Midland Football League that they in turn won.

The move was then made to the Northern Premier League First Division South, an incredible sixth different league in six seasons, which has to be some sort of record.

So how has this happened?

Basford Attack

Chris Munroe, the man behind the Inspirepac company in Chesterfield took over the club and has gone on the create something that is indeed very special. The ground has been developed beyond all recognition from the time I first went in the Notts Senior League, with a 4G pitch, stands on three sides, a new clubhouse and dressing rooms, plus classrooms for the thriving academy that is already reaping rewards.

Chris has also been patient, now in their third season at this level, he has not demanded further progress, rather a period of consolidation after their rapid rise, but you do sense that this season under the stewardship of Martin Carruthers, promotion will be the target.

I guess the only downside to Basford’s remarkable rise has been the fact that the locals have not got behind it as you would have hoped. Crowds are ok, but not fantastic, which is a real shame as the facilities are good, car parking is plentiful and a tram stop sits nearby. You can’t criticise the promotion or marketing of the club, they just seem to be dealing with apathy on the West side of Nottingham City Centre.

Cleethorpes Town is another special tale. The old LSS Lucarlys side was re-named in 2008 and in their first season under the new guise, they had a pretty average mid-table finish in the Humber Premier League. The future didn’t look so special the following year when they resigned from the league mid-season, but they re-appeared again in the Lincolnshire League at the start of the 2010-11 season. A third placed finish, followed by a Championship saw them take promotion to the Northern Counties East League.

Stand / Dressing Room / Clubhouse / Academy

By now the club had moved from their traditional base at Linden Homes Club and were sharing the Bradley Community Stadium with Grimsby Borough. The first season saw a fourth placed finish but the following season saw another Championship, and with it promotion to Step 5.

Playing great attacking football under Marcus Newell, they finished 4^th, 3^rd and then finally the Championship was won last season and a promotion to the Northern Premier League. But, on top of that they also reached Wembley in the FA Vase Final, only to lose to a rampant South Shields outfit.

The one thing Cleethorpes have which Basford would surely like is great support. The crowds do turn up at the out of town stadium in Bradley, and with plans to move back to a redeveloped Linden Homes Club, you would think the spiritual home would engender more support?

The kick off at a wet Greenwich Avenue was delayed by five minutes due to the late arrival of Cleethorpes, but after a tight opening it was Basford who took the lead via a Lewis Carr header in the 15^th minute.

Two minutes later the scores were level when a deep cross found an unmarked Matty Coleman just six yards out and he steered the ball beyond Saul Deeney. Basford then missed some great opportunities to regain the lead but a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping kept the scores level.

Cleethorpes took the lead early in the second period when a foul by Ash Grayson lead to a penalty, which Peter Winn duly despatched.

It was all Basford after that and they got the deserved equaliser when Luke Mascall’s foul on Corey Grantham saw a second yellow, a red and also a penalty. Ben Hutchinson stepped up to score and decided to celebrate in front of both sets of fans behind the goal. This led to a confrontation and some ‘handbags’ between the fans which then meant a thin yellow line of stewards had to be deployed to keep them apart.

The Thin Yellow Line 

Basford continued to pour forward but couldn’t find the winning goal, and they too had a nervous moment very late in time added on when Carr’s second yellow also lead to a red card, but from the resultant free kick the shot from distance was wide of the target.

I suspect on reflection, Cleethorpes will probably be the happier of the two sides, they were on the back foot for large parts of the game, and after a less than ideal start due to their late arrival, they probably would have taken a point if offered it. The game was a real credit to the Northern Premier League though, always engaging and with it intriuging.

Basford will be cheered by the fact 200 spectators turned up to watch it, and it’s the least they deserve given the efforts Munroe, Carruthers and all of those behind the scenes have put in to make the club the success it is today.

If I was a betting man, both of these sides will be gracing the Premier Division next season, and I don’t think anyone will begrudge either club that achievement.

Gimme Shelter

A Question Of Sporting

GNP Sports  2  Coventrians  1

Midland Football League – Division Three

I was recently looking back at some of Belper Town’s results in FA competitions via the brilliant Football Club History Database website, and one fixture jumped out at me.

It was the 1979-80 season and it was a Preliminary Round tie away at Coventry Sporting, the Nailers lost the game 1-0, and at the time Sporting were a West Midlands League side.

I did a bit more digging around the history of Coventry Sporting, and found out that they once hit the headlines, 1975-76 to be precise, when they reached the First Round of the F.A. Cup, and went on to beat Tranmere Rovers 2-0 in a game played at Coventry City’s then Highfield Road. It was a hugely significant result given the gulf in leagues.

The Second Round also produced a home tie, which was again shifted but City’s ground, only this time Peterborough United were to have too much for Sporting, coming out 4-0 winners.

Sporting appeared on the map in 1974, when Coventry Amateurs changed their name and the club took up a place in the West Midlands League. Promotion was gained in 1983 to the Southern League, where they remained until the end of the 1988-89 season, and then they disappeared from the map completely.

I’ve tried to research the club, but very little seems to be out there. I can’t find out what happened to them, and other than an address of the ground, I can’t seem to find any pictures as to what it may have looked like. I did ask my Dad who was at the game in 1979, and his memory was that it lashed it down for the entire game, and he spent it sat in a small wooden stand!

Out Of The Blue

The address of the ground I did find, it was Kirby Corner Road, so I did what everyone would do, I checked Google Maps, and it’s now the site of the University Sports Complex. I did the historical thing via Google Earth, but it leaps from 1999 back to 1945, therefore it doesn’t help.

The area around Kirby Corner Road I know fairly well though. Going back a few seasons now I did watch the re-formed Coventry Amateurs play a game on Westwood Heath Road, at the David Sinclair Sports Ground, while almost opposite is the Westwood Heath Sports Ground that I saw Coventry Spartans play at.

At the start of the season I noticed a new team had been admitted to the Midland Football League, and the ground address was the Coventry Athletics Track, on Kirby Corner Road. The team was GNP Sports.

So, that begged a question. If I was to watch a game at GNP Sports, would I technically be on the old footprint of the Coventry Sporting ground?

Blue Moon

The journey was a simple one, until I got to Kirby Corner Road, both ends of it that is, as the road was closed! After a brief detour around the University complex, I found my way to the Varsity pub, where I was reliably informed I could leave my car and walk to the Athletics Track.

Once arriving at the ground a mere ten minutes before kick off, it became apparent that what I should have done is ignored the road closures, driven down anyway, and parked in the car park like everyone else, local knowledge and all that!

Coventry United had played at 12 noon today, so that meant a good number of the travelling community had decided to do a double and pick up this game afterwards, so the crowd was probably larger than normal for the Coventry derby,

Mr Blue Sky

GNP were top with a 100% record, Coventrians sat in mid-table. The first half wasn’t particularly thrilling, but the balance of power moved very much in the way of the hosts when the visitors had a player sent off for kicking out.

GNP got a grip of the game and scored twice before a hail storm hit us. From the limited shelter of the trees, we saw Coventrians come back into the game and pull a goal back late on. This set up an interesting finish but the boys from GNP hung on to make it five wins from five.

Blue Eyes

The ground is pretty much what you would expect. A slightly unusual blue athletics track surrounded the pitch, otherwise you were standing at pitch side. The facilities were at one end where vending machines provided refreshment. Otherwise, not an awful lot else to say about it. The officials were friendly though, and I have to praise the way they use social media, just a tweet on the morning of the game to say something like ‘Matchday – Game On’ is hugely helpful and saves an awful lot of time ringing around checking fixtures. GNP are a progressive and well run club, but praise too for Coventrians. A couple of years ago now I took a trip to their ground via the train and bus, and got some great help from Secretary Jane Connolly, who today was taking photographs from the dugout. 

My question remains unanswered though, was I on the site of the former Coventry Sporting ground?  Maybe someone can shed some light on it and even point me in the direction where I can find out a bit more about them.

Until then, curiosity will continue to get the better of me…

Green Door

The Resurrection

South Normanton Athletic  0  Loughborough University  1

Midland Football League – Premier Division

The history of South Normanton Athletic Football Club is a short, yet eventful story.

They joined the Central Midlands League in 1990 and worked their way through the divisions until 2003 when they were eventually promoted to the Northern Counties East League.

Upon my return from University in 1994, I started to make the odd trip down to Lees Lane to watch ‘The Shiners’, and part of that was due to the clubs excellent media coverage courtesy of then press officer Kev Miles.

Kev worked at the local newspaper as sports editor and his ‘influence’ meant Athletic were always well represented, but not only that, he took immense pride in producing the clubs matchday programme which was an excellent piece of work. The impression you always got was that they were a well run and progressive club, and on top of that they did used to get a fair few watching them.

They spent four seasons in the First Division of the NCE before winning promotion to the Premier Division, and that level of football was quite an achievement for a club that had only been playing in senior football for just over fifteen years.

It went wrong though.

After just one season at Step 5, the club resigned from the league, a combination of factors meant the dream was over, or was it?

The Business End At Lees Lane

A season was spent in abeyance until a new committee came along and re-started the club back in the Central Midlands League. They remained there for five seasons, pretty successfully, and as a result they won promotion to the East Midlands Counties League in 2014. For three successive seasons they improved their league positon, to a point where they finished runners up last year to West Bridgford.

The Nottinghamshire side initially took up their place in the Premier Division of the Midland League, but an internal implosion down by Trent saw them decline promotion, thus opening the door for South Normanton to return to Step 5, nine years after their last season at this level.

Throughout the last few years I have tried to make a couple of visits a season to the club, and one thing that always impressed me, and others for that matter, was the importance they placed upon improving their facilities and indeed the customer experience.

Cover

Lees Lane is a very tidy football ground. A large car park leads to the turnstiles which nestle in the corner of the ground, usually Chairman Phil Bailey can be spied collecting the admission. Up to the left is the tea bar and the clubhouse, while straight in front of you is the seated stand that’s positioned behind the goal. Built into the stand is the Club Shop.

There is a smaller stand placed at an angle by the far corner flag, and then another area of cover runs two thirds of the length of the touchline. The rest of the ground is open, and behind the North goal you have views right across the valley towards Tibshelf.

Normanton have had a poor start to the season but a couple of recent good results have seen them start to climb the table, visitors Loughborough University sat bottom of the table with no wins, but, I suspect some of that will be due to the fact that a number of players didn’t arrive at the University until September so they’d been playing a weakened team?

A sparse crowd turned up on a chilly night, Lees Lane is quite exposed so even on the nicest of days it can be coat weather! When I say sparse, I would estimate around 75 spectators, and that’s a shame for those who run the club because they deserve better than that, crowds when they were playing at a significantly lower level in the nineties were almost double that. In fact, as myself and Mark from Alfreton observed, of the crowd in attendance, a number were neutrals just looking for a game.

It was a very open game and Loughborough belied the fact that they were yet to win a game. They missed a first half penalty, but made amends early in the second half when they took the lead from a scrambled effort.

Wide Expanses

Normanton gaffer Tommy Leighton did his best to rally the troops but they simply couldn’t find an equaliser, despite creating numerous opportunities to have taken something from the game. A draw would probably have been a fair result, but it was not to be.

I really hope that Normanton not only survive in this league, but thrive, but they need the backing of the local community to do that. The locals of South Normanton have a great little football club within their midst, they just need to get behind it.

Resurrecting a football club is hard enough to do just the once, to have to do it all again a second time is nigh on impossible, so please don't let that happen to South Normanton Athletic, those that have stood by the club through thick and thin deserve more than that.

South Normanton By Night

A Mutual Respect

Alfreton Town  1  Brackley Town  1

National League North

It was during Miss Uppadine’s Maths lessons that the stick was at its most merciless.

Going to school in Alfreton was an interesting experience, but that experience took on another aspect when it came to the attention of a group of Alfreton Town supporters that they had a Belper Town fan sat in the same classroom.

Curiosity initially that this ‘alien’ had landed on their territory, lead to some banter, but then as we got to know each other a little bit better, the banter became more intense, to the point where, especially during the build up to games between each other, it was never ending. Of course, I was on my own and in a no win situation, I got it from all angles. I was eleven years old, a simple kid from a quiet village and the ‘townies’ had sniffed blood!

In all fairness though, after Belper won the Northern Counties East League in 1984-85, a season during which the Nailers beat Alfreton 2-0 very late in the campaign to virtually seal the championship, we didn’t have much to shout about, apart from a very famous 5-0 victory during the year Alfreton won the title themselves and with it promotion to the Northern Premier League.

I didn’t really know the Alfreton contingent in our Championship year, but I certainly knew them thereafter, and barring the 5-0, it was pretty much one way traffic. Don’t get me wrong, when we weren’t squabbling about the rivalry, we got on brilliantly because deep down we were mates, but I have to say when they did get promoted I breathed a sigh of relief that I wouldn’t have to put up with another two games against them.

"You Walk Into The Tin End....."

I was wrong, I couldn’t get away from it. We then had a habit of meeting in the Derbyshire Senior Cup, where clearly we would get beaten pretty heavily, and as usual, my name would be chanted from the terraces, and it was far from complimentary. Being honest, I used to dread the games, not the game itself, that was an inevitable defeat, it was the grief I was going to cop for.

Something changed though, you could argue that we grew up, but those who know us all today would argue that has never really happened. What we did do was get a little bit older, a couple of us went into Sixth Form, a couple left school, and we drifted a little bit. I went away to University, but when I returned, I was stuck with a bit of a dilemma.

I’d had a Derby County season ticket in the couple of years prior to Uni, but chose not to persist with it when I got back. I watched Belper a bit, but I also used to go to Alfreton, mainly to catch up with the lads who I’d kept in touch with. Alfreton were a fine side at the time, vying for promotion, and to be fair I went through a spell of watching them home and away, but the family ties with Belper coupled with the fact we were on a great FA Vase run to the semi-finals, ultimately saw me migrate home.

The Tom McCroy Stand

That said, watching the fantastic Alfreton side, which contained great players like John McFadzean, Matt Walsh, Steve Johnson, Phil Stafford and Paul Eshelby, along with the superb atmosphere that the fans created, stuck with me. I was to go back whenever the opportunity allowed me.

Since those days back in the mid-nineties, I get along to the Impact Arena a few times a season, and during the last twenty years or so, I’ve seen some incredible things happen at Alfreton Town.

I saw Belper ultimately have a spell where they were the dominant side of the two, as Alfreton slipped down the pyramid and back into the Northern Counties East League, but then along came a man called Wayne Bradley.

The rest is history, Chris Wilder who is now managing Sheffield United took them to the treble, and then a second promotion was gained into the top flight of the Northern Premier League. During that second promotion season they dicked us, and we were also a fancied side at the time, 5-1 at home, but we did manage to win the return somehow! I did cop for a little bit of flack after the 5-1 game as you would expect!

Billiard Table Playing Surface

Restructuring lead to Alfreton becoming founder members of the Conference North, and I remember fondly being invited to spend the day with the Reds fans on the afternoon they won the league to seal a historic promotion to the Conference National. It felt special to just witness that moment.

Alfreton are also an accomplished Cup side, myself and my Dad travelled with the massed away fans to watch them lose an FA Cup replay unluckily at then League Two outfit Macclesfield Town, while for my fortieth birthday, the lads (Mark, Lee and Ste) bought myself and my Dad tickets for the FA Cup tie with Leyton Orient, we had a superb afternoon with them.

But what has also happened over the years is that both sets of fans have developed a fondness for each other. When Alfreton don’t have a game, a few of their fans come to watch us, and quite often when Belper don’t have a game, it’s not just myself that travels up the A38 to watch the Reds.

The Modern Impact Arena - Wayne's Legacy 

We’re well into our forties now, we’ve matured with age, we love our football and we like a pint, but what we have that is most important of all is a mutual respect for each other as mates, football fans and lovers of the non-league game. It didn’t matter that we beat them in a Derbyshire Senior Cup Final a few years back, and they went on to beat us on penalties in another final two years ago. In fact when we met last season at Belper and they won 4-0 in the Cup, we spent the entire game stood together, I just wouldn’t have dare do that back in the Eighties!

Tonight I went along for the first time this season, really looking forward to seeing a revitalised Reds side under John McDermott taking on one of the early pace setters and fancied sides in the shape of Brackley Town. I wasn’t disappointed, it was a fantastic game on what must be the best pitch anywhere around for miles. Brackley took the lead but a deft touch by Craig Westcarr onto an in swinging free kick saw Alfreton equalise.

Brackley played some superb football in the second half but Alfreton defended like warriors and dug deep to earn a deserved point.  The Reds have a lot to feel optimistic about this season, new investment, backed with the superb vocal support they receive home and away, could lead to a possible Play Off push, but this is such a strong league, far tougher than the one they won in 2012.

The heavy rain didn’t put a dampener on proceedings, and most importantly it was a chance to catch up with the lads, and have some great banter and share some memories. I have stolen a saying that I once heard Johnny Vaughan use on 5Live, it’s “Never Let The Football Ruin The Football”, that never happens when I go to Alfreton.

I could go on and talk about the time we came back from Hyde and wrapped a car door round a lamp post, I could talk about our first teenage holiday in Ingoldmells, I could talk about trips to Ireland together and missed flights, I could talk about birthdays, weddings, college parties, fancy dress costumes, run ins with the law on the way back from Congleton, beer festivals, and any number of scrapes we got into along the way. 

But, it was over thirty years ago now that we used to sit in Miss Uppadine’s Maths lessons, never let anyone tell you that school’s a waste of time, all that pain has been worth it in the long run.

"The Often...."