Dorothy & The Working Wonders

Working Wonders  0  New Bohemians  1

Sheffield County Senior League – Division Two

Working Wonders Football Club are a remarkable organisation.

They were formed in August 2014 by Stefan Chapman, who had seen two of his Grandparents die through cancer. Stefan was incredibly close to his football loving Grandmother, and when she passed away he was determined to raise funds to help fight the disease.

Vera, Stefan’s Grandmother, was a season ticket holder at Sheffield Wednesday, so he decided to host a charity game at Hillsborough, and it was on the back of this that the idea of Working Wonders came to the fore.

In the clubs first season they raised over three thousand pounds for the charity, surpassing the target they had set themselves, then the following season that figure was increased to over ten thousand pounds. The organisation continues to grow, Charter Standard status was achieved and the club were admitted to the Sheffield County Senior League. The charity efforts continue at a pace, with regular events happening in the local community, it is quite a story. 

The Impressive Dorothy Hyman Stadium

At the start of this season they secured use of the impressive facilities at the Dorothy Hyman Stadium in Cudworth, which is on the East side of Barnsley, a venue that in the past has been used recently by Euroglaze, and going back further in time, by AFC Barnsley when they were in their infancy.

Last season had been a struggle on the pitch for Wonders, but this season has been far more fruitful, and prior to the game they sat third in the table. With the weather set fair, it was time to go and have a look at two sides I’d never encountered before. Visitors New Bohemians have also had a decent start, and thanks to a very informative Twitter account, it’s quite clear to see that they are an expanding club looking to cater for a variety of teams.

The Away End Filling Up

All looked in good order an hour before the scheduled 1.30pm kick off so I had a little wander down to the Pinfold pub, a Samuel Smith’s establishment, serving a choice of Alpine, or the slightly stronger Taddy Lager. As I was in the vehicle I went for the weaker variety, which combined with a packet of dry roasted, set me back a tumultuous £2.40! The prices may be good, but if I’m being brutally honest, it’s good, but it’s not quite Carling!

Barely able to stand up after a pint of 2.8% Alpine, I staggered back to the stadium to take in the facilities. It’s smart, and doubles up as a Sports Centre, run by Barnsley Metropolitan Council. A large stand backs onto the dressing rooms and sports facilities which then lead onto the main road. A good sized car park is off to the left, and to be fair it does get busy with the numbers of people using the complex.

Hot drinks were available from a machine, and on a chilly but sunny day a cup of soup was just what the Doctor ordered after the Alpine had done it’s job. You could get snacks from reception but I was still feeling the effects of the Dry Roasted, so I gave that a swerve.

The pitch was in excellent nick, a credit to the staff at the Dorothy Hyman Stadium, which reminds me, I’d better explain who Dorothy Hyman is.

I Bet Dorothy Has Done A Lap Or Two? 

Dorothy is an iconic sportswoman who originated from the village of Cudworth and still resides locally at the ripe old age of 76. She was a sprinter who competed and won medals at both the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games. In fact, in 1963 she was BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

In 1965 she retired and wrote her autobiography, but because that was something she was paid for, she was subsequently not allowed to return and compete in Amateur Athletics, so she took up coaching before taking a job working in the offices at the National Coal Board.

In 2011 she was inducted into the British Athletics Hall of Fame, and of course had a stadium named after her, which is where we found ourselves today.

It was a tight game, chances were few and far between in the early stages but each side side managed to hit the woodwork. Both sides missed a great chance in the second half, Bohs from a point blank header when it looked impossible to miss the target, whereas the Wonders capitalised on a mix up between the visitors goalkeeper and a defender, but with what seemed an empty net to aim at, indecision saw a Working Wonder get back to clear the goal bound effort.

It Is November, Honest.....

The winning goal came in the 80^th minute when Rob Gibson hit a shot from the edge of the box that took a deflection off a home player and squirmed past the goalkeeper. On the balance of play a draw would probably have been a fair outcome, but I guess it was going to take something like a deflected effort to decide the game.

Disappointment for Working Wonders, and while the football for them is clearly taken very seriously, they are about much more than that, which kind of makes you realise that Bill Shankly was so very wrong  in saying what he did all of those years ago.

Stefan, and his Working Wonders, are an inspiration to us all. What they do contributes hugely towards making a difference, making a difference to all of us who at some stage will be impacted by this dreadful illness at some time in our lives.  

At The Going Down Of The Sun, And In The Morning