Tales From A Riverbank

Southwell City Development  2  Bridgford United  3

Nottinghamshire Senior League – Division Two

Google Maps is a truly wonderful thing, unless of course you are the chap who owns the A-Z Map company, in which case it’s probably ruined your life!

In all seriousness, it does come in incredibly handy, not just in terms of a directional tool, but also as a reference point to find out pretty much all you need to know about a specific destination.

Take today, I knew Southwell City Football Club had a ground just outside of the City (still can’t get my head round calling it that), but what I didn’t know until I had a closer peek that it was incredibly close to the village of Fiskerton and the banks of the River Trent.

So, at 10am I’m thinking about what pubs in Southwell I could grace with my presence pre-match, but by 11am my plans had changed completely, I was off to the river!

An hour before kick off I was sat outside the Bromley Arms in the bright sunshine staring at the sereneness of the Trent, two barges were moored just in front of the pub, I had a pint of the finest in my hand, and all in the World was looking good. Thank you Google, now what can you tell me about South Normanton that could potentially change my life next Wednesday night?

The Sun Threatens....

The bright sunshine very quickly disappeared, almost at the moment I chose to leave my car a mere five minutes before kick off at the Brinkley home of the junior sides of the Minstermen. The game was being played on the furthest away of three pitches that adorn the complex, and by the time I’d found some strategically placed trees on the very far side, it was a bit too late to stay dry, the damage had been done.

Southwell City Development, as you would expect, are a very young team, whereas today’s opponents Bridgford United were somewhat more experienced. Both sides are new to the Notts Senior League this season, and have been placed in the bottom division, and that isn’t always the case when new sides join the league, take Beeston Rylands for example who started in the middle division of the three.

The Loneliness Of The Linesman

Both sides had got solid starts to the season under their belts, and it was the visitors who took the lead mid-way through the first half, this after I thought Southwell had looked slightly the better team. A second goal arrived from a super free kick from all of 25 yards, and at that stage you felt there was only going to be one winner.

Southwell pulled a goal back after half time but Bridgford came back and made it 3-1, however, in the 88^th minute Southwell scored again to set up a tense finish, although in fairness Bridgford I felt, had the game under control.

I guess for Southwell’s players, this season could be a real learning experience, a young set of lads playing in a man’s league. I suspect not every side will be as sporting and as fair as Bridgford United were, who I thought were a really well disciplined and honest outfit. Interestingly enough as well, the game was refereed by Jevon Swinscoe, who is also a fellow Kempster Forum member, he did a good job, although it wasn't the most challenging of games to deal with. 

Summer's Back!

Not much to report at the ground in terms of furniture to be honest, a changing room block sits in the corner of the large car park, and if you are on the farthest pitch, it’s a decent walk, so thankfully both sides chose not to return to the dressing rooms at half time.

But that didn’t matter to me, I’d found my oasis of calm a mile or so down the road, it served me well, and all thanks to a little bit of pre-match research. Next week I’m off to Coventry and I’m not sure that it’s got a river running through it, it might have a canal, but if I look closely enough I’ll find a suitable watering hole in the proximity of GNP Sports FC's home at the University. Either that or a Student Union bar, which reminds me of a time I was at another Notts Senior League game at Trent University, but that’s a story for another day……….. 

In-Direct Free Kick