Mrs Hatt & The Executive Box

Brixham  4  Newton Abbot Spurs  2

South West Peninsula League – Division One East

As I was trotting towards the tea bar to fetch Mrs Hatt a cup of coffee during the first half of the game at Brixham, it occurred to me that it was the first time we’d attended a game together since the infamous day back in May when we finished up on the pitch at Forest.

When I first met Mrs H, I knew she was a football fan, she was a regular at Belper Town and did make the occasional trip to see Forest. It felt to me as if it were my duty to expand her horizons.

Mostly, it’s been successful, we’ve had some great days out at places like Conwy Borough, Barry Town United, Llangefni Town and Penrhyncoch (we like Wales), plus overseas trips to the likes of Derry City, Bangor, Waterford United and Cork City.

However, it’s not always gone quite to plan.

We were at Cobh Ramblers on a suitably cold evening where she never left the bar, but probably my crowning glory came in the very early days when I suggested an Anglesey League game.  What I’d failed to mention at the pre-match stage of proceedings, is that it was probably at a significantly lower level than she’d been used to. In short, it was a field, and to access it we had to walk about a quarter of a mile from the dressing rooms, in a force whatever gale, through scrubland to a venue that offered fine views of the ferry terminal at Holyhead.

The volume button was set to mute, she sat on an adjacent swing as the players warmed up (had a piss and a fag), and it was only going to be a matter of time before I was beckoned.

I never saw the game kick off, we were back in the car and heading back to our base to watch the Play-Off Final on telly, my lesson had been learned.

But, whenever we go to the South West, be it Devon or Cornwall, we do make every effort to get to matches together, because for me, there is no better part of the World to be watching football. We’ve been to Plymouth Argyle, Totnes & Dartington, Perranporth, Weymouth (ok, it’s Dorset), Stoke Gabriel and Newton Abbot Spurs, all of which were great trips out, not least because of the company.

It’s all about managing expectations though. If it’s not an Executive Box at the Emirates, don’t try and paint a day out at a South West Peninsula League ground as like being in an Executive Box at the Emirates!

The Executive Boxes - Mrs Hatt Would Approve

That said, research is all important. Things like food, drink, shelter and seats make a difference, do your homework, explain your findings and the day should run smoothly, and it invariably does, except perhaps for a time when we were at Whitehawk and I miscalculated the walk from Brighton Marina!

We like Brixham, and of all the games on offer today it ticked the boxes. I did think about Teignmouth but felt that given the harbour and the attractions the Torbay town has to offer, it was the better option. It also had a Wetherspoons, and let’s be honest, if you don’t like a Spoons then clearly you need some form of frontal lobotomy.

Brixham From A Bench

The ground at Wall Park is close to the centre of the town, but it’s probably also at its highest point, so on a dry Autumnal day it was somewhat blustery, and the wind was helping carry the noise from nearby Brixham Rugby Club who were beating Hornets in the South West Premier League.

A friendly welcome at the gate lead to a small car park, adjacent to which all of the facilities at Wall Park are contained. A clubhouse with adjoining dressing rooms have what is effectively a conservatory built in front of it, so you can watch the game in warmth and comfort, a bit like an Executive Box at the Emirates maybe?

A row of bench seats extends from the far side of the clubhouse towards the corner flag, and it was on these benches that we took our seats to watch the game. The rest of the ground is just open standing, with a rail but no floodlights, and given the fact it’s located in a residential area, I’m not sure how easy it will be to get permission?

I liked it, it was well cared for, it was neat and tidy, and the facilities were very good, as you would expect in a league that sets and demands such high standards.

Visiting Newton Abbot Spurs sat second in the league before kick off, Brixham were below half way, but as often happens, the game didn’t reflect the standings.

From The Same Bench

Brixham got a grip on the game early on and found themselves with a 2-0 lead, but Spurs battled back to reduce the arrears.

Just after half time the hosts got a third, only for Spurs to restore the one goal deficit with a well taken diving header. Undeterred though, Brixham continued to push forward, when the temptation may have been to drop deeper and protect what they had. It was through this positive approach that a fourth goal finally arrived, it was to be the last goal of the game, and it was a much deserved three points for a Brixham outfit that inflicted only the third defeat on Spurs this season.

It had been a very enjoyable day out in the town of Brixham and at Brixham AFC, but most importantly, Mrs Hatt had equally enjoyed the experience.

Now then, I’ve got a 4G lined up in a cage in Bradford on the 11^th November, what are the chances of…..in fact, no, quit while you’re ahead Bob, remember Anglesey?

Stood By The Corner Flag - Ready For A Getaway

    

Caravans, Pods and Pilgrims

Plymouth Argyle Reserves  1  Ivybridge Town  2

South West Peninsula League – Premier Division

Caravans and me, not did I ever think that combination would ever come to fruition.

I had a very simple philosophy, if you are going on holiday, your accommodation should be as good as, if not better than where you ordinarily rest your head. Otherwise, how can it be a holiday?

Mrs Hatt came along and managed to change that view, in fact over the years I’ve come to look forward to emptying out the chemical toilet in a morning. What better place to form a queue and talk about how bloody cold it had been the night before?

In all seriousness though, I did grow to like it, and thanks to having the van down on the outskirts of Dawlish Warren, it has somewhat selfishly provided a great opportunity to watch football at venues that ordinarily I would never set foot in.

In fact, one Easter Weekend, I was given the pass out to beat all pass out’s when I managed Buckland Athletic on the Thursday, Plymstock United and Plymouth Argyle on the Friday, Torquay United on the Saturday and then a further double on the Monday at St Martins and Totnes & Dartington. I had some making up to do!

With another weekend to Devon booked with the extended family, and the prospect of sleeping in a ‘pod’, which is effectively a tent attached to an awning attached to a caravan, I was looking forward to testing out two of my ailments, a bad back and claustrophobia, plus the fact I’m six foot two and don’t actually fit very well into a tent!

That aside, I’d got footy on the radar and that started with a trip on the Friday night to the Devon 

County Football Association Ground in Newton Abbot, the home of Plymouth Argyle Reserves.

So That's Where The Money From The Fines Goes......

I have a huge amount of time and respect for the South West Peninsula League, it’s brilliantly ran by Phil Hiscox, and prides itself on its social media, and the importance of keeping the fans updated with all things that matter. Not only that, it publishes it’s fixtures for the full season, rarely moves them, and tries to cater for the neutral by setting up opportunities to watch multiple games in short spaces of time, weekend and Bank Holidays in particular.

The arrival of Plymouth Argyle Reserves was a touch contentious though. Members of the Western League for a number of years until 1993, they joined the SWPL in its First Division (Step 7) in 2015, finishing runners up at the first attempt. They then took a place in the Premier Division and finished sixth in the table, whereas this season they sat in second place prior to tonight’s game.

A Healthy Sprinkling Of Punters

So what’s the problem?

Well, reserve teams in the football pyramid always creates a bit of controversy, but a reserve team of a professional outfit from the Football League? This was a bit unusual in this day and age.

The problem arises because in terms of the opposition, you simply don’t know what you are going to be playing against. One week it could be an entire youth team, another week a number of first teamers may end up on the team sheet, and the question that raises is not so much about the relative merits of Plymouth Argyle's chances of winning the league, but the issue of fielding wholly different sides week in and week out. How fair is that on the teams they are playing? For example, a team needing to win against Argyle to win the league, may find themselves up against a team of eighteen year olds, whereas the following week a side needing points to avoid relegation may come up against a number of players who had played in front of 20,000 against Portsmouth the week before?

The Tree Lined Outskirts Of Newton Abbot

I don’t have a view either way to be honest, and interestingly the Chairman of Plymouth Parkway, who incidentally lead the league, wrote in the local media that he had no issue with Argyle and their methods, but for every Parkway Chairman, there are others that share a different view.

The league are not to blame for this, if anyone is to be held accountable it is the FA, they accepted Argyle’s application to join the football pyramid and it was they who allocated them to the SWPL.

The Devon County FA Ground is a super facility, located to the West of Newton Abbot down a long lane, it is set in something of a dip and upon parking the car you enter via the corner, with the FA 

Headquarters to the left and a clubhouse, called ‘The Corner Flag’ to the right.

View Atop The Bank

Just the one stand sits on the halfway line with around 300 seats in it, but with a raised view it provides an excellent viewing platform for the spectator. The rest of the ground is hard standing, but at the far end the pitch looks like it’s been leveled and as a result the standing areas give another superb elevated view.

Ivybridge were sat in one of the relegation places pre-match, and were managed by former Blackburn Rovers centre half Nicky Marker. Managing the Argyle lads was Kevin Nancekivell, one of the best non-league footballers of his era I saw, when he pulled the strings and scored bucket loads of goals for the all-conquering Tiverton Town side.

Ivybridge took the lead in front of a healthy crowd on a chilly night via Joe Truelove who scored in the 22^nd minute, but less than a minute later it was 1-1 thanks to a really well finished effort from Alex Battle following a fine flowing move. Argyle were playing some nice stuff but Ivybridge were sticking to their task, defending stoutly but not trying to be too clever in possession.  

Ivybridge took the lead on the hour mark thanks to a fantastic strike from Reece Shanley, and in all fairness, despite Argyle’s possession, the chances they created were at a premium, and in the end, despite having their backs to the wall for significant periods, Ivybridge’s endeavour and commitment saw them deservedly take the points, and boy did they celebrate at the final whistle.

So what of Argyle’s Reserves? If they win the league, do they go into the Western League? I guess they do, but that would involve more travelling, but I suppose that doesn’t matter when you are full time.

The Loneliness Of The Ivybridge Goalkeeper

My own observations on the night were that the side they put out were young, but they were very fit and skillful, however, they lost to a side in the relegation zone, at home. I don’t know whether any players with first team experience played, maybe they did, maybe they didn’t, either way, they are not trouncing all and sundry so the balance can’t be that bad can it?

As for the tent, well, after a few lagers I backed myself into it, the feet hung out the front and the cold night air meant a double sleeping bag situation arose.

But it’s a small price to pay to watch football in what I consider to be the best semi-professional league in the Country, bar none.

Rumbled

Dinnington Town  2  Collingham  3

Central Midlands League – Floodlit Cup

I’d never had to work Saturday’s before, but when I landed a job that involved doing my duty on the day God created for footballing purposes, I had to start to be a bit creative with my thinking.

It was a challenge at times, but having a keen eye for ‘active diary management’, I could fairly easily turn the Saturday working hours from 9am until 4pm to 9am until 2pm. Suddenly through that simple but effective adjustment, my life had changed in one fell swoop.

With the 2003-04 season upon us, on a red hot August Saturday afternoon I had concluded that your average customer would rather be out in the sun as opposed to being penned into an office with me waffling on about Trackers and Fixed Rates, so I quickly did a ‘flyer’ and made my way over to the Resource Centre in Dinnington, to watch Dinnington Town play Graham Street Prims.

It was a boiling afternoon, the jacket and tie were jettisoned, but I still looked a bit out of place in a shirt and trousers when all around me were in shorts and t-shirts. I arrived a good fifteen minutes before kick off and was downing a pint pitch side when I felt a tap on the shoulder.

I span round only to find our Financial Director and her husband, and guess what, they were ever so curious as to why I was at a football match in partial business dress, on a day when the business was operating until at least, err, half time? I managed to blag it up to a point, but it turned out we were both a little non-plussed as to why each of us was watching a Central Midlands League game at Dinnington?

My response was quite a simple one, I explained I liked local football and I’d never been to Dinno before, the response I got back from the FD took me by surprise, it turned out she was on the league’s management committee and her husband took charge of the representative side. To cut a long story short, I inadvertently ended up on the selection committee for the representative team, albeit unofficially!

My appearance at Dinno did not go unmentioned at work, but not in the sense that I had any explaining to do. I got an email from our Accounts Manager the following week who it turned out ran the unofficial website for Sheffield FC. He asked if I would write a few articles about the games I attended, which I did, and Mr X was born, which I guess was what started the writing bug, and why Bobbles Blog exists today!

The Controversial Linesman

Visits to Dinno over the years have been sporadic, which is strange really because they have a pitch that seems to survive any weather conditions, I’ve turned up for games in the middle of monsoons and the pitch has been perfectly playable. The ground is also pretty tidy, and has seen quite a bit of development over the years, to a point now where it’s got three areas of cover, floodlights, and if you look very carefully, a bar, but you do have to look hard for it!

The season I first visited, they finished runners up in the Supreme Division, which they did for three consecutive seasons before finally gaining admission to the Northern Counties East League. They won the First Division at the second attempt and then found themselves in the Premier Division. 

During that period they had a Dinno legend playing upfront, a lad called Liam Cartledge who scored goals for fun, but remained completely loyal to his home town club despite having the ability to play at a higher level.

They finished eighth in the top flight in their first season but two years later they were to suffer relegation. Three more seasons were spent in Division One, before the club withdrew from the league, re-formed as Dinnington Town 2014 and entered the Central Midlands League North Division.

Spion Kop

This is where we find them, and it’s not been easy, in the three years in the CML they have finished in the bottom three each time, conceding over 100 goals each time, but hopes are high that the club have now got some stability both on and off the pitch and are looking to move forward.  I understand former Belper Town goalkeeper and manager Andy Carney now owns the club but I could not see any evidence of that either at the ground or in the programme for the game against Collingham.

There was a little sub-plot to this game. I took a call when I was en-route from a fellow blogger who had been at the Gedling Miners Welfare v Dunkirk game the previous Saturday. He had seen who was refereeing, and knew I was going to the game, so he decided to tell me what had taken place at Gedling. Turns out it had been somewhat controversial, and Scott Spering’s performance had come in for some heavy criticism, notably on the Gedling website.

So not only was I watching a game tonight, I was also keeping an eye on the referee, he was not to disappoint!

Collingham took the lead, and then grabbed a second just before half, which looked like being enough to take them into the next round. But then Dinno gained confidence and found their way back into the game in the 77^th minute when Jacob France fired home from the edge of the box.

The Place To Be In A Monsoon

Dinno Assistant Manager Adam Pilgrim received his marching orders following an incident where the Collingham full back was alleged to have been a bit naughty, and with the clock moving into the 87^th minute, France scored with a tap in and looked to have taken the game to extra-time.

Then came the real controversy. Dinno were pressing forward, but a long ball caught them square, we were in something like the 95th minute. The striker raced forward on goal and lobbed the goalkeeper who had charged from his line. From where I was stood it looked as though the ball was going to just trickle the right side of the far goalpost, but then bizarrely a Collingham striker who was clearly offside and chasing the ball towards the goal, made the inexplicable decision to whack the ball into the net from a yard out. My heart sank, why? Extra time avoidance was in the bag and he does that, the flag was inevitable, or was it………?

The linesman trotted back to the half way line, Mr Spering’s had little choice but to award the goal, Dinno went apoplectic, Manager Matt Jenkinson was dismissed from the dugout, Collingham chose to keep very quiet!

The final whistle blew moments later, I made a getaway, clearly something the officials would also have been keen to do. Dinno were furious and indeed gutted, but on a positive, they certainly don’t look like a bottom three side this season.

Talking of getaways, it was my propensity to manage those that got me to Dinnington Town in the first place, but they weren’t alone I must admit, try knocking off at 2pm for a 2pm kick off, in Wolverhampton.........

The Resource Centre

Nice Badger

Retford United  0  Knaresborough Town  1

Northern Counties East League – First Division

When I was a youngster I had a bit of trouble distinguishing between a badger and a beaver.

It wasn’t helped by the fact that in the space of a couple weeks in the hugely memorable 1984-85 season, Belper Town played both Eastwood Town and Rhyl. Why did this not help I hear you say? 

Well, Eastwood are nicknamed the Badgers, but Rhyl, at the time, were nicknamed the Beavers, and in fact turned up at Belper for an FA Cup tie in their own bus, with a sign on it proclaiming it to be the ‘Beaver Bus’.

Of course, also as a youngster I saw the iconic clip from Airplane when Priscilla Presley is stood on the step ladder and Steve Martin makes his famous comment from below. Any confusion was quickly banished at that point, I knew my badgers from my beavers!

Rhyl changed their named to the Lilywhites pretty soon after, can’t think why, maybe the Beaver Bus died a death and it just didn’t seem right any more, or maybe they were just tired of the comments.

From a footballing perspective, I’ve never come across a beaver since, but I have encountered a few badgers, and in recent years one of the more prominent ones has been Retford United.

My first badger related incident took place in the pre-season of 2003-04, the club had just finished fourth in the Supreme Division of the Central Midlands League, this after having won the Premier Division of the aforementioned league and the Notts Senior League before it. They had developed a ground on the outskirts of the town and the noises being made were audible.

Food & Drink - In Equal Measures

Retford United were seemingly a club on the up and they had no plans to stop in a hurry. I remember going to watch them play Blidworth Welfare in a pre-season friendly, they smashed them, and some of the players were clearly far too good for the league in which they were competing, with all due respect of course.

Mark Shaw was pulling the strings in midfield and no one could seemingly touch him, Michael Hennesey on the wing was unplayable at times, and then upfront they had the jewel in the crown, the goal machine that was Vill Powell. I went to see them a few times early on in the season, taking Mr Hatt Senior at one point to a game, and we both said that Retford United were not long for this league.

Crowds were 200+, the supporters web forum was buzzing, life must have been great for the fans of the club that were being backed by a gentleman called Dean Vivian. But, if someone had told a Retford United fan at that time, what the future was going to look like, then I would love to have seen their reaction. Life was going to get very turbulent indeed.

A Bit Of Cover

Promotion naturally followed, but the first season in the Northern Counties East League was more of a consolidatory one, they finished eighth, but the following season a runners up spot took them into the Premier Division.

Season 2006-07 saw them win the Premier Division, and suddenly Northern Premier League football beckoned for the town that had got something of a chequered history when it comes to football.

Retford Town were always the biggest club, playing in the Midland Counties League in the seventies and early eighties at their River Lane ground, but the club went by the wayside and the ground was eventually swallowed up by a large Morrisons, which was a shame as some development had taken place and an impressive two story club house built on the ground.

BRSA Retford and Retford Rail were the lesser of the clubs, playing at Babworth Road, but again, both disappeared from the map, although the recently formed Retford FC are now playing on the ground adjacent to the railway line.

Some Seats

A new incarnation of Retford Town did appear, playing in the Doncaster Senior League, but again that entity fell off the radar, but now, United, they were THE team in Retford, playing at a level the town had never previously experienced.

Ex Sheffield United front man Peter Duffield took charge, and the expensively assembled team cantered to the league title with a massive 99 points. But, controversy followed, Cannon Park failed the grading for the Premier Division, and that created a stink, it was unfair, the club had been singled out, victimised, it was a conspiracy.

However, undeterred, Duffield went again and won the league the following season, this time the ground passed the grading, just. But, rumours abounded, and I will state just that, there were rumours that players had not been paid for large parts of the season, and Duffield had allegedly had to battle to keep the side together in very difficult circumstances.

The rumours continued in the clubs first season in the Premier Division, and a sixth placed finish saw them just miss out on the play offs. It was a tremendous effort, but the wheels were about to well and truly come off.

The club finished bottom the following season and ultimately resigned from the league, opting to drop a further division back to the NCEL. But, it all got somewhat bizarre again as Brett Marshall steered the Badgers to the championship at the first attempt, but promotion was not forthcoming, Marshall moved on, and the club remained in the Premier Division for six full seasons before finishing bottom last season and finding themselves in the First Division.

The Car Park End

And this is where we pick up the story, prior to the game against Knaresborough, the Badgers sat next to bottom in the league, the goal for them surely must be avoiding a return to Step 7. The visitors though are flying high at the top of the league, and many have already suggested the top spot is all but in the bag.

An intriguing game was in prospect, but sadly it was not to be anything other than unremarkable as a spectacle. The first half was pretty even but creativity and goalscoring chances were at an absolute premium. If a game ever had 0-0 written all over it at half time, then this was indeed it.

The second half was little better, although Knaresborough did manage to grab the all-important winning goal in the 73^rd minute from Will Lenehan who steered home a lovely header. We also had time for a bit of a flare up in the closing ten minutes which resulted in a red card for each side. The points headed back to Mother Shipton’s Cave, and what I would say, if a side can win away from home, keep a clean sheet, and not play especially well, yet dig in all the same, then you can sort of see the credentials of a side that could go on to win things.

I suspect Knaresborough can play an awful lot better, but, credit must go to Retford who battled extremely hard, and with that kind of effort week in week out, then staying up should not be an issue.

142 turned up to watch it, which is pretty impressive for a Tuesday night, the support in Retford has remained very loyal through both thick and thin. What the next chapter for the Badgers holds is anyone’s guess, if history is anything to go by.

But, it's better to be a badger than a beaver I guess? 

The Seats Again

Return Of The Mack

FC Darlaston  0  Oldbury United  3

Birmingham County FA Vase – First Round

When the jungle drums started beating following a reportedly stormy West Midlands Regional League AGM, I had a strong hunch.

And once the list of newly admitted clubs began to appear, one name jumped out at me, and that was FC Darlaston. A little shufty on the web and my hunch started to look like it was on the right lines, FC Darlaston had all the hallmarks of having the involvement of Mark McIntyre.

I’ve known Mark over ten years, we first met at Wolverhampton United one Bank Holiday and his connections with Bradford Park Avenue resonated with me as at the time I was involved with fellow Northern Premier League club Belper Town.

Since re-locating to his native West Midlands/Salop, Mark has had involvement with various clubs and leagues. Dudley Town, Bridgnorth Town, Ellesmere Rangers and Darlaston Town 1874 are some of the clubs I’ve known Mark involved with, while he has served on the management committee of both the Shropshire County League and indeed the aforementioned West Midlands League.

It was worthy of an email to make a few enquiries, and as I suspected FC Darlaston were indeed a club that Mark had been heavily involved in the formation of. Why though? He had been involved in the formation of Darlaston Town 1874 only a couple of years earlier, so why another club in Darlaston?

The answer was quite simple, 1874 were based outside of Darlaston in Bentley, and Mark, like others, believed the club should be located in the town itself, which the facilities on Hall Street would allow them to be.

Remnants Of The Old

So that was it, simple, at some point I was going to be making the trip along the Black Country Way, and that time had now come.

I must admit to being in two minds on the morning of the game. Storm Brian was sweeping across the South and the edges of it, according to our pals at the Met Office, were going to be going straight over the West Midlands, around kick off time. High winds and heavy rain were forecast, so I made the cursory call to Mark, with a Plan B up North tucked inside my sleeve.

Mark spoke with confidence, the pitch was fine, the match referee had already arrived, and any rain had drained away with no problems, so as far as I was concerned it was worth a gamble. Darlaston, on a good run is only an hour away for me, being so close to the edge of the M6, and I had that good run, arriving at the ground for 2pm.

Big Pink Thing Sticking Up.........

The pitch looked in great nick, the rains had not yet materialised and Mark was busy with the team sheets. I had a quick chat and then had a wander down the road to find a suitable establishment for some of the Lord’s finest fizz, and a packet Dry Roasted Peanuts (KP).

Upon returning to the ground I handed over the £2 admission to the Chairman, picked up a programme (Mark specialises in programmes) and took a look at the facilities. The Darlaston Community Association Sports Ground is a tidy enclosure, with a large car park and smart function room doing a variety of warm and cold snacks. The ground has been used in the past by both Moxley Rangers and Wednesbury Town, and the striking feature of its past that still remains is a steep bank of partially overgrown terracing down one side. Three sides of the ground are railed, with the dugout side open. It is also tree lined giving it an enclosed feel, despite the proximity to the urban sprawl that is the Black Country.

Mark and I watched the game together, it wasn’t the greatest spectacle to be fair, in fact both Darlaston and the re-formed Oldbury United (no connection to the old club) by half time had barely mustered a shot on goal between them, so our thoughts that a 0-0 followed by penalties was looming didn’t appear to be a bad shout.

Corner Ball

The second half was a much better spectacle, Oldbury scored with a header almost straight from the kick off, but then looked to be in bother when they were reduced to ten men. It didn’t seem to affect them though, they scored a well taken second goal, and then got a third late in the game via a penalty, after the home goalkeeper was sent off after bringing an attacker down.

Where's Brian?

Mark told me as the game drew to a close that this was likely to be his final port of call in terms of involvement with a club. He’s done it for forty years and the time is coming whereby he would like to have more freedom to do as he chooses, rather than feel the pressure and the frustrations of running an organisation. He’s also a very principled man, so one thing he won’t accept, and indeed can’t accept given his role with the league is things not being done right or according to the rules. I got the feeling, he was somewhat frustrated by those in the non-league game who had their own agendas and sought to contravene regulation.

But, that said, one thing about ‘Macky’ that I do know, is he does struggle to say ‘no’ when someone asks for his help or expertise, so even if he does begin to wind down his club involvement in the short to medium term, I wouldn’t rule out the return of the Mack at some stage in the future!

You Can Actually See The Wind Blowing....

The Dronx

Dronfield Town  1  Shirebrook Town  2

Northern Counties East League – First Division

I can remember the first day I started work in Dronfield very vividly.

I walked into my new office, with eyes burning into my back from the renowned manager, a small yet powerful woman who had the capacity to reduce mere mortals to dust with a lash of her tongue.

She followed me down stairs, and I fell into the trap that had been carefully laid.

“Would you like a cup of coffee Neil?”

“Yes Please”, was my response, she didn’t seem too bad after all….

The coffee cup hit the desk with a force that caused the contents to fly in all directions, she sat down slowly, folded her arms, and with a quiet yet assured voice, it was made it very clear what the landscape was going to look like going forward. With a gulp and a nod I accepted the terms, it was without doubt 1-0, and an equaliser was nowhere to be seen…

“Oh, and that cup of coffee, it’s the first and last you are going to get, understood?” was her parting shot.

Yes, welcome to Dronfield. Now as you can imagine, as is often the case, as we got to know each other we ended up getting on like a house on fire. In fact on the day she retired, I was asked to re-tell the coffee story to the audience, who were in hysterics. Tears were shed, hugs all around, she wasn’t that bad really, and I suspect over time she concluded I wasn’t so bad either.

Dronfield was my place of work for over ten years, I got to know it well, and I got to know it’s people, but I never could quite get it’s football?

Yes, like most places with an S postcode, it was split United and Wednesday, but it was also a big town, 21,000 inhabitants, so why was it off the radar?

Historically, the football ground in Dronfield was the Coach & Horses which sat on the North side of the town, and for many years the team that played there was Norton Woodseats. A Yorkshire League side who ultimately formed part of the Northern Counties East League when it was created. Both Norton and Woodseats are areas of Sheffield, so in 1983 the decision was taken to rename the club Dronfield United, no doubt to encourage local support and indeed sponsorship.

Fruits Of Their Labours

They kept the Dronfield name until 1991 until deciding to revert back to the former name (the change obviously didn't make a difference), and by now the club were in the Central Midlands League. That lasted for three seasons, and then after a spell in the Sheffield County Senior League, they disappeared from the map in 1999.

The Coach & Horses sat empty until April 2001, when accompanied by a huge fanfare, Sheffield Football Club, the somewhat nomadic Oldest Football Club In The World, finally found a place they could call home, in Derbyshire!

Ok, it was senior football at last, but, it wasn’t Dronfield, this was a Sheffield club, followed by Sheffield people. I won’t dwell on the Sheffield FC story since, but in all fairness, they have harnessed a decent support base from Dronfield, and that is something that is probably a little bit frustrating for the indigenous clubs such as AFC Dronfield, and of course, Dronfield Town.

So, Dronfield Town FC, this is quite a story. After a couple of name changes and incarnations, the current club was formed in 1998 and played at the Pioneer Ground. They moved into the Hope Valley League, breezed through that and found themselves in the Midlands Regional Alliance. Further success in terms of promotions and championships followed, which meant in 2009 they were elected to the Central Midlands League.

Dronfield after all of the years since Dronfield United (who arguably were a Sheffield club anyway), finally had a team of their own playing senior football.

Now That Is A Fence!

It didn’t stop their either, a Premier Division runners-up spot saw them elevated to the Supreme Division, and following restructuring they were placed in the Northern Division, which they won in 2012-13. That meant promotion to the Northern Counties East League where they remain.

Life has not been easy at Step 6, a best finish of 14^th, but also two fourth from bottom finishes have probably been a little too close for comfort. However, what the club have done while trying to maintain their status, is develop the Stonelow Road Ground into a neat and tidy arena.

Adjacent to Coal Aston Cricket Club, they used to share the facilities but over recent years they have developed their own clubhouse and refreshment area forming part of the changing facility. Floodlights have been installed and seats have been put in the small stand. The pitch has been a problem over recent seasons with waterlogging, but money has been spent on that and now it looks fantastic, and I guess when the rains do come, it will tell us whether that investment has been worthwhile.

Crowds are averaging 73 this season, with a high of 157 and low of just 38, however for tonight’s game against Derbyshire rivals Shirebrook Town, a healthy away following saw 110 pay their admission fee.

Dronfield started the game strongly and took a deserved lead from a well worked goal in the 25^th minute from Daniel Wood. However, the fancied visitors under the leadership of Cliff Richard Thomas (I refer you to the FC Bolsover blog from last year), came back strongly in the second period and scored two cracking goals in the space of space of a minute from Tom Cooke and Kieran Watson.

Not A Puddle In Sight

The goals certainly settled down the vocal Shirebrook supporters who up to that point had decided anything in an officials kit or indeed a Dronfield shirt was to blame for their own teams shortcomings. Shirebrook and political correctness are not bedfellows!

A red card for a Dronfield player late in the game didn’t help the cause much and in the end as much as they toiled, an equaliser didn’t look likely. They sit in 18^th place in the league, and ironically the bottom two are Brigg Town and Retford United, two former champions and Northern Premier League clubs in recent seasons.

So what does the future hold? Part of me wonders whether Sheffield FC could have a say in that. They do have plans to move to a ground in Sheffield, and that would potentially do two things, it would leave the Coach & Horses empty, and it would also possibly put off some of the Dronfield based support who simply don’t fancy the travelling. Could that be to Town’s advantage?

Anyway, an enjoyable night, spent in the company of fellow blogger Martin Roberts and also the Webster’s (Ben & Pat), who are ironically Sheffield FC Fans. I did manage a quick pint in the bar before the game as well, and guess what, it wasn’t slammed onto the bar in front of me, and neither was it followed by a tongue lashing!

I promise you, the welcome in Dronfield is absolutely nothing like the one I got all those years ago, and that’s why I would love to see the football club get better support than they do, come on residents of ‘The Dronx’, there’s more to life than Owls, Blades and Club…… 

The Bit That ALWAYS Waterlogs!

Charterhouse

Shepshed Dynamo  4  St Andrews  0

Leicestershire Senior Cup – First Round

They arrived in the Midland Counties League with a big reputation.

It was 1981 and three times Leicestershire Senior League Champions Shepshed Charterhouse were elevated into the relatively closed shop of the semi-professional ranks. This was the club who had previously been known as Shepshed Albion, but following a name change courtesy of a sponsorship deal, they rose from a being a struggling Second Division Senior League side, into quite a force, a force that also reached the semi-final of the FA Vase.

They won the Midland Counties League at the first attempt, and then when the non-league Pyramid was formed at the end of the 81-82 season, they went on to win the Northern Counties East League to become inaugural champions. Throw in an FA Cup First Round appearance at Preston North End, and you had a club that were seriously upwardly mobile.

So how did this all come about?

Maurice Clayton and his company, Charterhouse Textiles, effectively took over the club. Maurice did two things, clearly he funded the running of the club, certainly in terms of the playing budget, but not only that he was extremely well connected in the local area and had some great footballing contacts.

The likes of Frank Wignall, Ian Storey-Moore and Alan Hill became involved with the club in varying capacities, and what that allowed was an influx of the top talent in the area. By the time they were ripping the Northern Counties East up in 1982-83 they had the likes of Mark Cox, Dennis Jenas (Jermaine’s Dad) and Jeff Lissaman playing for the club, players who could easily have played at a higher level.

The Clubhouse - Where Throwing Of Beer Mats Is Forbidden!

Crowds were up, the media were all over it, in fact I can remember Central Television running a feature on them.  Shepshed Charterhouse were the IT club of the Midlands, but just how far could it go?

They moved into the Southern League Midland Division and finished runners up to Willenhall Town, thus earning another promotion, this time to the Premier Division. By now Evan Sutherland was managing the club, a vastly experienced and firebrand Scot who was extremely skilled at bringing together top quality players and blending them into great sides.

After a flying start to life in the Premier Division, they ended up finishing tenth, and then with seventh and eleventh placed finishes in subsequent seasons, it did look as though Charterhouse had found their level.

In 1988 the club were switched to the Northern Premier League and this appeared to do them no favours.  Finishing bottom twice, and in the bottom four on two other occasions, they were eventually relegated to the First Division of the NPL in 1992, at which point the club reverted back to their original name of Shepshed Albion. The Charterhouse days were over in every sense.

They went down again, to the Midland Combination, after which followed another name change to Shepshed Dynamo, and this is where we pick it up today.

Where Charterhouse Used To Reign

They did become founder members of the Midland Football Alliance, and in 1996 they went on to win it, under the stewardship of Mark O’Kane. The following season, back in the Southern League this time, they reached the First Round of the FA Cup for the second time, losing at Carlisle United.

The Southern League was to be the clubs home for eight seasons, and in the final season despite finishing bottom they managed to retain their status, but with it came a move back North again.

The NPL was also a struggle, a best placed finish of eight, was countered by the fact the club finished next to bottom and then bottom in successive seasons. They were going back down again.

The United Counties League beckoned for a season, before ending up back in the Midland Football League where they remain, and promotion back to Step 4 has not to date looked realistic.

I first went to Shepshed in 1984, to watch Belper’s reserves play in a Cup Final. My only memory of it was a telling off from a barmaid for throwing beer mats in the social club, not me I might add, the players were the culprits!

Over the years I’ve been to the Dovecote on numerous occasions, in various leagues as you would expect, and I’ve always found them to be a very friendly and welcoming club. They also hold the record for the ground I’ve turned up at the most times only to find the match referee has called the game off at short notice following an earlier passed pitch inspection! Three visits at the last count that saw me turn around upon arrival.

Dynamo Dominate

I do like the ground, it’s a mixture of structures and it has quite some character. The clubhouse sits to one side just beyond the turnstiles, with an area in front of it providing shelter. A quirky small stand sits beyond the clubhouse and despite its elevation it contains just a handful of seats, while beyond this running up the goal line is another area of covered shelter. On the opposite side is a low slung seated stand, while behind the goal is a larger but shallow seated stand, with the club shop and media areas to the side of it.

Talking of the club shop, Steve Straw and Alan Gibson who run it are Shepshed lads through and through, and always have time for some football chat when you pay them a visit, as I make a point of doing each time I go to the ground.

Shepshed were playing Leicester based St Andrews in the County Cup, with the visitors competing in the United Counties League, who’s boundaries over recent years have started to swallow up Leicestershire. Shepshed are indeed right on that border and probably suspect that a return to the UCL could easily happen one day.

It was a pretty comfortable night for Shepshed, after scoring midway through the first half the result was never in doubt, and the 4-0 final scoreline was reflective of the hosts domination.

It may not be the heady days of Charterhouse, but Shepshed still have a healthy following. It’s a pretty sizable town, and with the ground being very central and easily accessible, the locals do turn out for the club in good numbers, which is great to see. Could they sustain a club at Step 4, absolutely, but the trick of course is getting out of the Midland Football League, and with likes of Bromsgrove Sporting, Worcester City and Coventry United in the mix, it’s going to be very tough indeed. 

So that's Shepshed blogged, and not a single mention of liking it up the Butt Hole, and not many scribes have avoided the temptation to comment on that over the years. But if I'm being honest, a couple of times a season, there's no other place I'd rather be!

The Butt Hole End

The Home Of Good Football

Belper Town  5  Basford United 5  (4-5 penalties)

Northern Premier League Cup – First Round

I was a bit bored in the Summer so I decided to count up how many times I’ve seen Belper Town take the field at Christchurch Meadow.

It came to just over 600 visits, so that’s over 600 times I’ve either walked, driven, crawled, been pushed, carried or fallen down the pot-holed driveway that leads to the entrance to the home of good football.

327 Of The Games Were Watched From This Vantage Point

The home of good football, that was how former Finance Director Rex Barker used to answer the phone, “Belper Town, Home of Good Football.”

Through family, I’ve got a history when it comes to the Nailers. My Dad became Treasurer in 1979, and since then has held a variety of roles, most notably as Club Secretary. Inevitably I tagged along from an early age and also filled a number of roles myself, Programme Seller, Junior Supporters Club Organiser, Committee Member, Club Shop Manager, Programme Editor, Press Officer and finally the heady heights of Director.

It was when I became a Director that I realised, arguably selfishly, that I didn’t want to be actively involved with the running of a football club, it was no fun, meetings could be argumentative, personalities often clashed, agendas were both overt and covert, and boardrooms on a cold Monday night were, well, cold!

Ordinarily, This Is Where I Would Stand To Eat A Pie

It wasn’t for me, I resigned. I didn’t feel like I was making any form of useful contribution. I had no money to put it, I had no time to devote, and I didn’t know how to mend a fence or mow a pitch.

I chose to choose freedom, I didn’t want to go to Goole Town away on a Tuesday with the kit bag in my boot and the team sheet book under my arm, I wanted to have a pint in a stress free environment, somewhere completely different.

Ultimately, you can get too close, to a point where it ceases to be enjoyable. You know too much, and it came to a head for me on a couple of occasions. After a particularly unfortunate defeat to Shepshed Dynamo I went for a pint after the game only to be rounded on by a group of supporters demanding answers to questions and change at the top. I can also remember getting in from a rather disappointing Derbyshire Senior Cup tie at Gresley Rovers only to find an expletive message left on my landline about the performance!

Don’t get me wrong, I still went to games, not a huge amount, but I went, in fact one season not that long ago I purchased a season ticket and didn’t miss a home game. I still considered it to be ‘home’ and the Nailers were ‘my ‘club.

Standing On The Balls End

Things changed again in the Summer, while I was counting my visits, my Dad reeled in his involvement with the club, and as we approach the end of October he’s only been to one game. I’ve not been all season, in fact I’ve not been since last February. But, a rare Monday night League Cup game at the Meadow, and a very last minute decision to go, meant it was time to make a re-appearance at the home of good football.

It was a very empty Meadow, less than a hundred spectators were present, and that was a shame because what we witnessed was one of the most spectacular games of football I’ve ever seen!

Both Belper and high flying Basford United chose to field fringe and Academy players, but that in itself made the game more interesting.

Basford took the lead through Harry Wakefield in the 5^th minute, and then Aidan Austin added a second in the 13^th minute. At this stage of proceedings Basford were rampant and could easily have doubled their lead with better finishing, it looked like being a very long night for the Nailers.

Basford Corner

But the dynamic of the game changed completely in the 20^th minute when one of a number of somewhat strange decisions from the eccentric referee saw him choose to send of Austen Symons from Basford after a 50/50 challenge that saw a Belper player come off worse. Was it a foul? Possibly, was it more than that? Not a chance, so much so the Belper Manager turned to supporters behind the dugout and said it was never a red card.

Basford were suddenly on the back foot so it came as no surprise when Kyle Clarke reduced the arrears on the 24^th minute, and then Leandro Browne equalised just seven minutes before the break.

Joe Harrison put Basford back into the lead just after half time, but within two minutes Haydn Goddard had made it 3-3 from the penalty spot, courtesy of another odd decision.

Samuel Birks put Belper into the lead with a cracking finish, but the experienced Rob Duffy was then on hand to make it 4-4! Josh Barr-Rostron made it 5-4 but within seconds Basford won a penalty and Duffy was on hand to make it 5-5, and we still had fourteen minutes to go, plus time added on!

Defences were on top for the remainder of the game, so the tie went straight to penalties. Belper missed their second spot kick, Basford didn’t miss any and it was former Nailer Kieran Wells who scored the winning goal to make it 5-4.

Strangely enough, because the game had been so entertaining, you didn’t feel that disappointed that the Nailers ultimately lost it, you were just pleased you’d been in attendance and seen it happen, and to the best of my knowledge, it’s the first time I’ve ever known a game at Christchurch Meadow finish 5-5, certainly on the 600 plus occasions I’ve been!

Ordinarily I would always go and have a pint after the game, with my Dad usually, but I chose not to on this occasion, he wasn't at the game anyway. It would always historically be a good chance to find out what was going on at the club, but I’m so far detached these days it hardly seems relevant.

Perhaps best to keep it that way, not knowing is sometimes the best way, going forward it can just simply be, the home of good football, every once in a while at least.....

Season Ticket Holder - This Was The View - Every Game