The Balance

Carlton Town  5  Gresley  0

Northern Premier League – Division One East

The balance of power in Nottinghamshire non-league football has swung significantly over the past decade.

The top non-league club in the county is Basford United, followed by Carlton Town and then AFC Mansfield. To put that into some kind of perspective, it wasn’t too long ago that Basford were a Nottinghamshire Senior League side, Carlton, while under the previous name of Sneinton were also in that competition, while AFC Mansfield haven’t been formed that long!

The previous big players, namely Worksop Town, Eastwood Town, Arnold Town and Hucknall Town, are at Step’s 5, 6 and 7, their demise due to a variety of factors, cash being a significant one.

But let’s focus on Carlton Town, a club I first saw play back in 2003 at their old ground, which sat right next to where the current ground sits on Stoke Lane. It was a pre-season friendly against Holbrook Miners Welfare, and at the time plans were in place to run the new Colwick Loop Road right through the ground, which would mean the club would have to move slightly to the West at a virtual right angle to where they played. They already owned the land and had a pitch in place, so it was deemed to be one of the simpler ground moves in the grand scheme of things.

The move took place in the 2006-07 and I saw what I think was the first home game under lights when they lost 1-0 to Hallam. Much debate amongst the travelling fraternity concerned pitch overlaps, you see that’s quite a big thing as any slight overlap of pitches means it isn’t a new ground.

Spurs are currently featuring in such debate, but you only have to go on the Google Earth timeline to work it out, and besides, how anyone can suggest the Tottenham ground is not a new stadium is talking cobblers .

Digression aside, the new home was indeed a new ground, and it coincided with the rise of a club that as I have said, were once called Sneinton and competed in the lower division of the Notts Senior League. They moved up to the top flight of the NSL and then made the jump into the Central Midlands League, winning the Supreme Division in 2002-03 season.

It only took two seasons of Northern Counties East League football before the First Division title was won, and then the following season a third place in the Premier Division meant promotion to the Northern Premier League thanks to some restructuring.

All of this took place under the Chairmanship of Mick Garton and the shrewd management of Tommy Brookbanks, two men who have been fundamental to the rise of a club that still to this day struggles to draw larger crowds to Stoke Lane despite the significant progress that has been made.

The club achieved a best place of runners up in Division One South in 2011-12, losing to Leek Town on penalties in the play-offs, this of course came after a play-off defeat to a Jamie Vardy inspired Stocksbridge Park Steel in the 2008-09. An era that was undoubtedly the best in the clubs history, with the County Senior Cup finding its way into the trophy cabinet on more than one occasion.

Recent years have been a little lean on the pitch, Brookbanks moved on, and further managers have come and gone, but the club remains at Step 4 despite the last four years finishing in the bottom four consistently.

On a night when Nottingham Forest were at home to Stoke City, it perhaps wasn’t the smartest move to drive right past the City Ground en route to Stoke Lane, but anyway, it was achieved without too much discomfort and soon the A612 was negotiated and the car park found with ease.

The ground hasn’t changed much over the years, once through the turnstiles, the tea bar and dressing rooms are to the left, with an area of covering overhanging at the front. To the right is the clubhouse, with a further building beyond it that looks like its being converted into possibly an academic facility.

The only other area of cover at the ground sits behind the South goal and that is a small block of Atcost style seats, behind which is a floodlit all weather court.

As for the game, it was something of a procession. In front of 106 spectators, Luke Smithson gave the hosts a tenth minute lead, while Ben Hutchinson doubled it in the 24^th minute. It was 3-0 by half time when Riece Bartram found the net in the 36^th minute.

Oliver Clark made it 4-0 ten minutes into the second period and then as the game moved into the final five minutes, the same player made it 5-0. It was a comprehensive victory and a very good performance from Carlton who’s pace and trickery was just too much for a very lacklustre Gresley outfit.

It was Carlton’s first home win of the season and moved them towards the mid-table places, while Gresley’s poor away form continues. I’m sure Carlton would accept mid-table from this season, it would give them something to build on, and with some impressive looking youngsters in the side, they’ve certainly got the makings of a good side.

The balance of power will undoubtedly shift again in Nottinghamshire at some point in the future, Carlton Town will be hoping that they can remain a consistent in what seems to be a very changing football World.

Pussy

Waltham Abbey  3  Hanwell Town  2

Isthmian League Division One (South Central)

I’ve never come across a football club that’s had a pet before!

I do remember Goldenhill Wanderers in the Staffordshire County Senior League having a fox that used to visit the pitch pre-match and do a spot of sun bathing in the goalmouth, but other than that, I don’t recall any domestic animals forming part of the fabric of a football club.

The Pussy

Until now that is, you see I was minding my own business while waiting to be served in Waltham Abbey’s clubhouse when a cat leapt up onto the bar next to me, and seemed quite happy to watch my pint being pulled. No one in the vicinity of the bar seemed to bat an eyelid, so I asked the obvious, and probably quite stupid, question.

“Is the cat yours?”

The reply was pretty succinct.

“It’s a stray, but it lives here, so we’ve adopted it, so yes, I suppose it is ours.”

And that was kind of it, I enquired as to how it got fed, only to find it was pretty much crisps and mini-cheddars, while it did prefer lager to bitter, so clearly it was a cat of very good taste.

A few minutes after sitting down, the cat, who’s name I failed to enquire about, decided it liked me, so over it trotted and up onto my coat it leapt. I had a friend, but it wasn’t overly talkative, it fell asleep.

WAFC

So how did I end up at Waltham Abbey on a Tuesday night? It was another work related manoeuvre, and being based in Milton Keynes again for a couple of days meant I was within striking distance of the M25, so lots of options were available. Waltham Abbey quite simply was the nearest unvisited venue, so, I decided to pay them a visit.

Situated right at the side of the M25, not far to the East of the A1 is the Essex town of Waltham Abbey. The ground, known as Capershotts, is accessed from the exit farthest from the town heading clockwise, and then back alongside the motorway before crossing it. Just as you pass the sign to say you are in the town, the ground appears on the right hand side.

Located down a driveway, a large car park opens out in front of you, with the social club set on the farthest edge away from the ground itself. After acquainting myself with the cat, it was soon time to go and have a look at the facilities, and I must say I liked what I found.

Capershotts

Entering through the turnstiles in the corner, a tea bar sits to the left, while to the right is a seated stand that straddles the half way line. The stand is of a more traditional construction than many we see nowadays, and painted to the rear in the club colours of green and white, the letters WAFC can be picked out on the wall.

The only other cover sits behind the car park goal, with two areas of terracing sitting side by side. One a sturdy brick built variety, while the other was somewhat more reliant on scaffolding poles.

The rest of the ground is open standing, and while the pitch was in fine nick, it did seem that it once had a sideways slope on it judging  by the angles of the fences and the perimeter. All in all, a very tidy facility, and on the night, 101 paid to watch the game.

Green Baize

Waltham Abbey’s more recent history starts with a spell in the old London Spartan League in the late seventies, right through to the early noughties when their record was expunged prior to the season finishing.

They regrouped and joined the London Intermediate League the following season, but after just one season they joined the Essex Senior League.  They remained in Essex until 2006 when a second place finish saw them promoted to the Isthmian League, where they have remained at Step 4, bar one season in 2009-10 when they were in the Premier Division, only to be relegated again.

They haven’t won a championship since the Spartan League in 1979-80, but, this could be the year? Before the game they sat in second place, having won five and lost just one of their opening six games. Visitors Hanwell Town sat in mid-table, so it promised to be an intriguing game.

Where Scaffold Meets Brick

What a game it was too, a real bobby dazzler, one that swung one way and another, and then finished with a bit of argy bargy!

Harvey Killeen gave Hanwell the lead after a series of corners on the half hour mark, having looked much the stronger side in the opening stages. But within eight minutes Ellis Brown had found an equaliser for the hosts when he poked the ball into an empty net from a cross. Just after the break though, it was the visitors who restored the lead when Tom Collins rifled the ball home.

This was the catalyst for Waltham Abbey to go up another gear, they equalised when Dan Aristidou slotted home from a through ball just before the hour mark. And then only five minutes later and it was turned on its head when Ronnie Winn shot low from the edge of the box to make it 3-2.

Abbey tried to play out the closing stages in the corner flag only for frustrations to boil over when a Hanwell player decided to go down the bag of an opponents leg, which in turn left him in considerable pain. This caused the obligatory handbags, but after much consultation between the three officials, nothing was done, and the final whistle was blown almost instantly when the free kick was taken.

Seats From Maine Road Apparently

It was a hard fought but deserved victory for Abbey who look a very good side to me. Can they keep it up? I hope so, because they do give you the impression of a well run club with some hard working officials, in a part of the Country where football fans have a lot of options, so support is limited and always will be.

The getaway was quick, and that meant last orders was made in Milton Keynes with considerable ease. It was an especially comfortable and enjoyable journey back given that it was accompanied by the commentary of Derby’s fantastic penalty shoot-out victory at Old Trafford.

I bet the cat enjoyed watching that in the bar at Capershotts…..

The Gift

Knockbreda  3  Loughgall  2

Northern Ireland Championship

As the sun broke through the gap in the curtains of the Mourne Country Hotel in Newry, and I gradually came to my senses, the realisation that another Northern Irish venture was upon me hastened the desire to make a move.

But not before a few minutes of reflection on the day before, a superb day that took in so much of the history of this fantastic place. A few minutes was enough though, I could smell bacon!

The bus from Newry to Belfast was quiet, or at least it was until the latest incarnation of nineties girl band B’Witched got on board and the peace was shattered. I had picked the seat next to the back row, purely because the emergency door meant more leg room, but when they decided to take up the back seat, my peaceful dozing came to an abrupt end. Hollister deals for all at TK Maxx apparently?

Primark - Gorn!

Once in Belfast I took a steady walk past the superb City Hall, took a look at the burned out Primark building, before heading into the Cathedral Quarter, mainly because I had a specific destination in mind, the Duke of York.

Now then, there are boozers, and then there’s this place. If you like sports memorabilia, football in particular, then trust me, you’ll be in porn heaven. Almost every square inch of the walls and the ceilings is taken up by remnants, artefacts, programmes, posters, the lot. To see old Belfast Celtic programmes alongside Distillery programmes from European ties is fantastic, just as it is to see a greyhound racing card from West Ham Stadium dating back to the thirties. You could spend an age snooping around a pub that features on the Belfast tourist trail, but at some point it’s courteous to buy a drink.

The Grand Old Duke

After a wee drink it was time to head to another iconic tavern, Bittles, which is just a few minutes away. This place is much smaller, however it’s equally decorated, but more in a socio-political sense. The artwork is fantastic, with Messrs Adams, McGuinness and Paisley heavily featured, but also sitting alongside the likes of Georgie Best and Alex Higgins. A wonderful little place.

The drinking and gazing couldn’t last forever as the Laganside Bus Station beckoned for the wagon that would take me out into the Country to the general proximity of Breda Park, the home of Knockbreda Football Club.

Belfast

The bus travels through the Republican Short Strand area before crossing the interface onto the edges of the Newtownards Road territory. It then heads in a South Easterly direction through Castlereagh, before climbing up the hill into what is effectively countryside. I got off the bus at the junction of Braniel Road, and made my way along the narrow road with no pavements for about a quarter of a mile before I found Breda Park. At this stage you are quite high up, and the views to the North across Belfast and the docks are very impressive indeed.

Cranes

Knockbreda FC have been around since 1947, playing for over forty years in the Churches League, but then in 1989 they joined the Northern Amateur League. Twenty years later, having located to and developed the current ground, they were admitted to the Northern Irish Championship Two, where they lasted for four seasons before promotion to Championship One, where they remain.

Life hasn’t exactly been a struggle either in the second tier of Irish football, they’ve flirted on the edges of the promotion race, and have been one of the stringer teams in the competition on a consistent basis.  They also play in yellow and black, the very same colours as NAC Breda from the Netherlands, is there a connection, I have no idea?

Not NAC Breda

The ground at Breda Park has been developed over the years, and despite its isolated location, it does have a feeling of being something of a community hub. A very large car park slopes down from the main road, and to the right is a floodlit 4G playing surface in a cage. Directly in front is a two story clubhouse and dressing room complex, with the turnstiles to its right hand side.

The main pitch is down a slope from the clubhouse, and from a furniture point of view the only spectator accommodation is a modern seated stand that straddles the halfway line on the East side of the ground. Hard standing is available for the large part, but the ground has no floodlights. To get promotion to the top flight would be a huge ask at the current ground, I suspect.

Action

Visiting Loughgall, who I paid a visit to back in April, sat next to bottom in the table while the hosts were just above the half way mark. After a couple more pints in the clubhouse, where the locals were very friendly I must add, it was time to go and have a look at proceedings.

Eight pounds will see you in, assuming you don’t want to watch it from the seats by the windows in the clubhouse that overlooks the pitch, but I suspect you need to arrive early for those prime spots. I was too late an hour before kick off!

So what about the game? After a pretty even first half in front of a crowd of maybe 100, it was the visitors who took the lead just after the half hour mark  when Andrew Hoey fired low into the net.

Fields & Stuff

It looked in the bag for Loughgall ten minutes into the second period when a penalty was awarded and up stepped Hoey to make it 2-0, but the game was about to be turned on it’s head.

Jordan Baker tapped the ball home in the 67^th minute, and then within five minutes the substitute had found the net for the equaliser. It wasn’t over yet though.

With just under fifteen minutes remaining, fellow substitute David Fearon finished well following a flick from Baker to make the comeback complete. It had been a tremendous turnaround and the lads in the viewing gallery were banging on the glass in appreciation.

Buildings

The tricky road was successfully navigated after the game and a bus was caught back into the centre of Belfast. A quiet evening was enjoyed on the back of a good old Spoons meal deal, with plenty of time to reflect on what had gone before over the two days.

The next trip will be in the Spring, the planning and thought process will start long before that, so much to see and so much to do, the land that just keeps on giving.

  

XMG & The Mourne Ultimatum

Newry City  1  Warrenpoint Town  1

Northern Ireland Premiership

Crossmaglen was the posting that filled every British soldier with dread.

During the Troubles, the small border town and unofficial capital of South Armagh was a base for the military, chosen largely due to the fact that the South Armagh Brigade of the IRA was the most fearsome of them all, reportedly at the centre of every major plot and campaign, they needed to be both watched and ideally eliminated.

It was far from simple though, this was a highly skilled, technologically advanced and motivated organisation. A Captain within the Parachute Regiment said of South Armagh in a memoir…

“I got the feeling of being one of those shooting gallery targets that go round on a conveyor belt, endlessly waiting for someone to knock you down. South Armagh, still light years away from civilisation, still living in the dark ages, where barbarity and cruelty are the prime factors of a successful life. Where stealing and killing are as natural a part of living as breathing is to most of us.”

The Square - Iconic Place Names From A Troubled Era

Crossmaglen, or XMG as it is known, was a place of severe hostility, isolation and a constant threat of death. Soldiers on patrol were briefed on the fact that every milk churn, gorse bush, stone wall or bale of hay could contain a bomb, while the threat of the sniper was very real.

It was all very real indeed, South Armagh or ‘Bandit Country’ as it became referred to following comments made by then Northern Ireland Secretary Merlyn Rees, from 1971 saw the deaths of 123 soldiers, 42 Police Officers and 75 civilians. It is also reported that South Armagh saw 1255 bomb attacks and 1158 shooting incidents during the period of the Troubles.

Road travel became too dangerous so movement could only be made via helicopter. Watchtowers were erected, while part of the Crossmaglen Rangers Gaelic Football ground was occupied by the army base. Soldiers who patrolled ‘Cross’ did so in fear of the Armalite and the bomb.

A Tribute 

My fascination with Ulster and the Troubles started when I made my first visit to Derry in 2005. I began to read, I began to watch archive footage, I also began to wonder whether it would be possible to pay South Armagh a visit.

As the years went by, bearing in mind most of my trips centred around football, I was of the view that I’d probably struggle to do it. To be fair, part of me as well was a little bit nervous. I’ve had zero problems in Republican areas of the North in all the times I’ve been, but South Armagh and XMG in particular, well that for me was another level.

The IRA Volunteers

A plan came together quickly though. I was all set to travel up to Derry on the Friday night for the game against Shamrock Rovers, but as is sometimes the case, the game got moved and I had to find an alternative. That alternative was the Mourne Derby between Newry City and Warrenpoint Town, and to be honest I was quite happy with that because I really liked Newry when I made my one and only previous visit, around the time of the ash cloud crisis because I recall it being touch and go as to whether I made it or not.

However, I would be in Newry at 10am, and as much as I like the City, I was going to struggle to find too much to do to fill the time, and that was when the cogs started to turn and I started to do a bit of research. The number 42 bus from Newry gets into Crossmaglen in just short of an hour, and if I caught the 11am, I would get a couple of hours in the town before the return. It was on, it was a reality, it was time to do a bit more research.

Crossmaglen Rangers

I’m not sure how many people have ever typed into Google ‘Is Crossmaglen safe for a British person’ but I did it, and to be fair, it all seemed pretty positive on the whole. Clearly don’t go around waving a Union Jack or singing God Save The Queen, but otherwise if I kept myself to myself all would be fine.

The 11am bus wasn’t especially busy as it weaved its way through the stunning countryside, with views of Slieve Gullion and the surrounding mountains dominating the landscape. We travelled through Mullaghbawn, Forkhill and Silverbridge, while at one point due to a closed road, we crossed the Irish border briefly and were in the Republic.

Crossmaglen was reached in good time, and it was pretty quiet in the famous Cardinal O’Fiaich Square where a British Military Sangar used to be located (and set on fire when a tanker sprayed paraffin over it having been moved into place by a tractor). I made my way across the Square and went to the Crossmaglen Rangers gaelic grounds, the home of one of the most successful club sides the island has ever produced. After a look at the impressive facilities, I then made my way across the top of the Square and took a walk down to the PSNI Station, which is as fortified as you will see with huge metal walls and high security features.

A Small Piece Of Great Britain Sits Behind

I did want to visit a few pubs, but not before checking out the memorials and statue in and around the Square. Republicanism is celebrated, and key players are remembered. Crossmaglen may be Northern Ireland on the map, but this is the Republic in realty.

The Cross Square Hotel was doing a decent trade with lunches, and perhaps is testimony to the times that visitors choose to stay in the town, while the Clarnagh Maid was your typical Irish pub, with plenty of craic to be had. But it was while in Murtagh’s that I got talking to the owner, and he was inquisitive as to my presence in Crossmaglen. It seems that anyone who isn’t a local is treated with an element of suspicion, for one principal reason right now, Brexit.

Journalists from all across Europe have been flooding to border towns like Cross to get soundbites, to get the real story of what a change to the border status may mean to them. Aidan Murtagh doesn’t do interviews, but as he said to me,

“We didn’t want to leave as a nation (Northern Ireland), but we have no choice. You have to remember, almost every road from this town leads to a border, and I honestly don’t know how this is going to end up.”

Aidan grew up during the Troubles and remembered it well,

“It was just how life was, you didn’t know any different. The good thing is though, many of our children have no idea what it was like, they might read about it in history books, but that time was a World away. They simply cannot comprehend Crossmaglen being as it was, they only see the now.”

With a sense of fulfillment, it was back to Newry and time to check in to my base before the big game. It was to be the first time the two clubs had met in the top flight of Irish football, and dubbed the ‘Mourne Ultimatum’, it was time to see who would get the ‘Mourne Supremacy’. The local papers were loving it with headlines as such, this was big news in the locality.

Pre-match latch lifters were taken before the walk through the centre of the City and down by the side of the River to the Showgrounds, which sits within an industrial estate that’s just off the main road to Warrenpoint itself.

Newry Showgrounds

Next to the Showgrounds is the fantastic Parc Eisler, the home of Newry Shamrocks GAA club, and also the base for Down GAA, the floodlights were on and a smattering of spectators were entering for what looked like an underage game taking place.

Newry’s story is an interesting one.  Formed as Newry Town in 1918, the club changed its name to Newry City in 2004 thanks to City status being awarded.  The club joined the Northern Irish League 

in 1983, having a successful period that culminated in European football in the late nineties, but beyond that the club suffered a decline in fortunes. Finally relegated in 2011, the club dropped into the First Division, and then following an expensive court case brought about by a former Manager, the club were issued with a winding up petition on the eve of the 2012-13 season, found themselves suspended and then ultimately, dissolved.

Away End

The majority of the players found a new club, somewhat ironically in the shape of Warrenpoint Town, hence one of the reasons how they have managed to move up four divisions in double quick time, but while the players were going down the road, Newry City AFC was being formed. Starting in the Mid-Ulster League in 2013-14, they quickly moved up the pyramid and last season they won promotion to the Premiership, a fourth promotion in five years!

So it was show time in the Showgrounds, and I would estimate a crowd of over 1,000 were present to watch it take place, possibly pushing towards 1,500. It’s a cracking ground as well, on entering the car park from the road, the clubhouse is to the right and on the night did a very brisk trade, with the Dundalk v Cork City LOI game on the television as a bonus. Dundalk is only twelve miles away.

Once through the turnstiles, to the right is an area of covered terrace that sits next to a building with a viewing gallery at the top (corporate hospitality?). The building is directly behind the goal, and then an open area leads round the far corner before some terracing runs the entire length of the pitch. A disused stand sits in the middle of it, and is something of a relic of a bygone era.

Behind the top goal is a smart new stand, with seats at the front and some flat standing to the rear, this is the designated away end which was occupied by the Warrenpoint fans, numbering a couple of hundred I would guess.

Relics Of Bygone Times - With The Lights Of Parc Eisler Behind

Moving onto the South side of the ground is a steep seated stand picking out NCFC in the blue and white seats, while next to it is a further area of quite shallow covered terracing set quite a way back from the pitch, The refreshment kiosk and a club shop then take us back to the turnstiles again.

So what about the game? To be honest it certainly didn’t live up to the hype and chances were few and far between in a tight and cagey first period, but moments after the break it was the hosts that made the breakthrough when Jimmy Walker despatched a penalty that was awarded for a clear foul.

The Kop

Newry had chances to make the game safe, but, as the game moved towards its conclusion, Warrenpoint with nothing to lose threw men forward. Corners were won as Newry dug deep but then as the game moved into stoppage time, Phillip Donnelly got his head onto a cross and tucked the ball into the bottom corner. It was pandemonium in front of the visiting fans, but silence engulfed the previously noisy home support, indeed, the constant drumming came to an abrupt halt!

So that was it, and at the final whistle we all meandered off in our own directions, I chose to make the 45 minute walk from the very South of the City to the very North where my Hotel was located. I made it well in time for a couple more beverages and a chance to reflect on a fantastic day in Newry and indeed in the notorious South Armagh.

Casual Culture

Closing In

Reading  1  Norwich City  2

English Football League – Championship

The end is definitely in sight, it’s just a case of deciding when and where.

We’re talking about the 92 Football League grounds here, and with only six remaining (one of which is Spurs and that’s anyone’s guess), it’s now about picking the right opportunity to knock them off one by one.

A chance arose with an overnight work related stay in Milton Keynes, and with Reading being around seventy miles away, playing at home to Norwich City in a relatively low profile game, it seemed like an ideal opportunity to get another in the bag.

My only previous visits to the town have been solely restricted to the railway station. Back in my distant youth as a train enthusiast, if you were sneaky enough you could get away with extending a West Midlands Rover past the allowable limit of Oxford, and this was great because it took you into Class 33 and the fantastic Class 59 territory (there were only four 59’s at the time!), both of which could be spied from Reading Station.

Once that challenging period of my life was over, it was more to do with football and drinking, and on a couple of occasions the pub on the station has proved a handy stop off point for connections elsewhere, in my case Thatcham Town, and of course last season when the Golden Ticket took me to Maidenhead United.

I never went to the old Elm Park, but I do remember both Reading and Derby County both being promoted from the then Third Division in 1986. Reading, if I recall, had a stunning start, winning game after game, and they were ultimately crowned champions, Derby just scraped over the line with a game to spare and got third spot behind a Plymouth Argyle side that came with a late run.

Never considered a big club, from the time I started following football they tended to flit between the bottom two divisions, until of course the aforementioned season above when they reached the second tier. That didn’t last long (two years), but the clubs halcyon years arrived in the mid-2000’s when after moving to the impressive Madejski Stadium in 1998 they won the Championship in 2006 and took a place in the Premier League for the first time ever.

In their debut season they finished in a remarkable eighth place, exceeding all expectations, but it all came down to earth with a bump the following season when relegation hit them.  Four seasons later though and they won the Championship for the second time in seven years and again were back in the big time. This time it only lasted one season and they were relegated. They also made it to an FA Cup semi-final, losing to Arsenal, but with the second relegation has come a period of five seasons now in the Championship, albeit punctuated by a Play Off Final defeat to Huddersfield Town on penalties.

Last season they only just managed to stay up, finishing in twentieth place, while this season so far has been a struggle, consequently I wasn’t expecting too many problems getting a ticket for the game.

The journey from MK to Reading was surprisingly straightforward for a Wednesday tea time. The M1 behaved, as did the M25, while despite some roadworks on the M4 slowing us down to the obligatory 50mph, I was pulling up on a housing estate a fifteen minute walk from the stadium just ten minutes after the original sat nav scheduled arrival time.

The Madejski Stadium is very close to the M4 on the South side of the City, and is now sat adjacent to a retail park that managed to keep me occupied in the build up to entering the stadium. The stadium entrance is flanked by the imposing sight of the Millennium Madejski Hotel that adjoins the ground, but having found the Jazz Café that sits at the top of the East Stand was available for all to use pre-match, I gave the hotel a miss and decided that was the place for me.

As expected, no issues at all getting a ticket, in fact once in the ground you could take your pick from pretty much any seat in your allocated area. The ground was effectively half full according to the official figures, but I also suspect it was slightly lower than that with some season ticket holders choosing not to bother.

The ground is impressive, reminding me of the King Power Stadium in Leicester, albeit slightly smaller seating just over 24,000. I was sat behind the North goal and took a place on the back row, I could have quite easily have had a sleep, such was the complete lack of atmosphere.

When I say lack of atmosphere, that would be harsh on the Norwich fans who mustered several renditions on ‘On The Ball City’ which I’m sure is the only song they know! The home fans were incredibly muted though, and to be fair given what was served up on the pitch I can’t blame them.

In the first half Reading were awful and were deservedly a goal down by the interval thanks to an effort from Teemu Pukki, but Paul Clement’s men showed a bit more spirit at the start of the second period and managed to equalise through Jon Dadi Bodvarsson. This created something of a ripple in the stadium, as home fans woke from their slumber, but it was soon back to normal again because straight from the kick off Norwich went forward and re-took the lead through Mario Vrancic.

And that was how it ended, a deserved win for the visitors, while Reading for me are going to find this season a real struggle.

My car parking space turned out to be a smart move because within five minutes of getting back in the car I was on the M4, however, that was where the good fortune ended. Two sections of the M4 were down to one lane, then on the M25 we had to leave at the Watford junction only to get straight back on again at the other side of the roundabout, before finally the slip road to get back on the M1 was closed so we had a wonderful detour via St Albans. Thank you very much!

So, aside from Spurs, it’s just Charlton, Fulham, Southampton and Portsmouth to complete the 92. Two of those trips (have a guess!) are not filling me with a lot of enthusiasm in terms of the distance, if only the fixture Gods could be kind for once, but I won’t be holding my breath…..

Down Regatta Way

West Bridgford  3  Eastwood Community  1

East Midlands Counties League

For a number of years West Bridgford Colts were mooted as possible entrants to the Central Midlands League. I didn’t try and find a bookmaker who’d give me odds on it, but if I had, they probably would have been quite short.

As a very successful junior club, with good facilities on Regatta Way, they were clearly well placed to make the step up to senior football, and when they put a side in the Under 19’s league along with some of the more senior local non-league clubs, you felt it was just a matter of time.

But, they took a slightly different route from the one we all expected, they made the move into the Nottinghamshire Senior League, worked their way through the divisions and then having made some great strides in terms of developing the ground, they found themselves at Step 6 for the first time in 2016 when they were promoted to the East Midlands Counties League.

Clearly on a roll, they were crowned Champions in their debut season, scoring 115 goals and amassing 94 points in the process. Promotion to the Midland Football League and Step 5 had been achieved, or so we thought.

Without knowing the full in’s and out’s of what actually then happened, it did look from out the outside that the club imploded. I might be wrong, but the management team and the players suddenly either had a change of heart, or, wanted rewarding accordingly, and as a result the club found themselves parting company with many who had taken them to glory.

Promotion was declined and at one point it did look like the senior section would cease to exist, but they rallied round and were able to carry on in the league they had just won. They managed to secure a fifteenth placed finish last season, and it does look as though some stability has been restored.

When I first went to Regatta Way back in 2013, it had a smart changing room complex with clubroom, and was set in a huge complex of sports pitches, very close to the National Watersports Centre at Holme Pierrepont. The football club shared the facility with Gedling & Sherwood Cricket Club, who had two pitches, while from a footballing perspective there were three pitches.

The ground has transformed hugely over the past five years. Now with floodlights, the main pitch is fully enclosed, and has a small Atcost on one side. The two other football pitches are fully railed and infilled, and also have dugouts. It looks very smart, while the club building is always tidy, and the car park spacious.

Access wise it’s a doddle, straight round the Nottingham Ring Road, and once you reach the roundabout at Gamston, rather than turning right towards six-fingerville (Grantham), turn left and then do a right at the lights. The ground is a couple of hundred yards on the right hand side.

I took Derek with me tonight. I only met Derek a few weeks back through my old pal Dave Garrow. He’s a real football enthusiast, and living in Nottingham I suggested I pick him up and we head over to the game together. Derek is a smashing fella, very knowledgeable, well-travelled, and we have a common interest in football programmes and memorabilia, hence how we got introduced.  It’s not every day you get to go to a game with the Guildford City and Aldershot Reserves coach driver from the early Seventies!

So what about the game? Well West Bridgford were rock bottom of the table with seven defeats from seven league games, while newly promoted Eastwood were in a mid-table position. Myself, perhaps like many neutral observers in the crowd of exactly 100, were probably thinking this would be an easy away win, and when they took a sixth minute lead it certainly didn’t change my opinion.

However, I’d not bargained for the spirit the hosts were going to show, and when the equalised four minutes later from a clear penalty, it seemed to raise their confidence and energy levels.

The scores remained level at half time but then in the second period West Bridgford capitalised on a mistake to score their second goal just short of the hour mark, and then twenty minutes later they sealed the victory with a very well taken goal. In the end, no one could argue with the outcome, West Bridgford thoroughly deserved the three points that took them away from the foot of the table.

An enjoyable game, especially the second period at a ground I visit infrequently, but then again, you know what they say about us Rams doing our business on the Red side of the Trent………

By Invitation

Ardsley Athletico  1  United Worksop   1

Sheffield County Senior League – Division Two

I owe United Worksop, because after I visited them in pre-season and posted my blog, the response from them has been tremendous. In terms of page views it’s in the top half dozen I’ve ever written, but not only that, the feedback I got from the club was fantastic.

We’ve been in contact ever since and one thing I did promise was that I’d go and watch them again. The game I had in mind was an away game at Wombwell based Ardsley Athletico, and after advising United of that, they didn’t forget, and I got a message in the week from Adrian (a player I think?) reminding me of the fixture, and offering me a warm welcome to go and watch them.

More on United Worksop later, but let’s focus on the hosts for the time being.

Ardsley Athletico were a new name to the County Senior League when the constitutions were first pitched in late June. I could see that Ardsley was a village just to the East of Barnsley, but apart from a very sizable junior footballing side, I couldn’t find any references to a senior team. But, before today’s game it was the last ground I needed to visit in the league, so something of a milestone.

So, in the early days it was a bit of a mystery, but not being one to sit and wait, I dropped the club a message to enquire as where they would be playing, only to get a very prompt reply, advising that it would be the Netherwood College which is based on the outskirts of Wombwell, in fact a mere stones throw from the Station Road ground of Wombwell Town.

I was a bit unsure of kick off time in the run up to the game, with the league website claiming it to be 1.30pm, while the visitors put it out on social media that it would be 2pm. Turns out it was 2pm and the only reason the hosts game are listed at that time is to do with the fact the colleges sports facilities close at a specific time, and if a cup tie takes place that needs extra time, then they would need an early start. Anyway, as a result, the league have made the decision to list all games at 1.30pm, irrespective, but if you are planning on going, don’t take that as gospel!

I was well in time for a possible 1.30pm anyway, so it gave me the chance to have a wander up into downtown Wombwell, which was a fifteen minute walk away from the college, down the long drive, over a footbridge and into the main street that serves the town. Like any former mining town, it’s had to regenerate and rebuild, but its working class roots shine through, none more so than in the large Wetherpoons, where you can get a pint for less than two quid. Wombwell is a salt of the earth town as generation after generation grows into its way of life, a life outside of Wombwell would be alien to many.

I must admit, I was fully expecting to watch a game on an artificial pitch, but I was wrong. The college has three full sized grass pitches along with a 4G surface, and Ardsley were playing on one of the aforementioned surfaces. Clearly no furniture available nor any sign of refreshments, but then I didn’t make my way into the college building so I could be mistaken. But what about the game?

Firstly, on the basis I thought Ardsley might be an extension of the junior set up, I had it in my head that they would be a young side making their first venture into adult football (a bit like South Normanton Colts the other week), but I was wrong, this was no Under 18’s outfit making the next step!

United Worksop on the other hand went through their usual pre-match ritual of the huddle, ending it with some kind of battle cry (in Polish) much to the annoyance of the match official who on three occasions had tried to summon them to the centre circle for the pleasantries and the toss.

Ardsley had played just the one game this season, winning that, while the visitors had won one and lost one.  I was intrigued as to how this was going to pan out.

The first half was a tight affair, but the difference being a well taken goal in the 23rd minute from 

Przemek Madrawski who calmly slotted home when clean through on the goalkeeper.

Worksop are a physically strong outfit and they seemed to be well in control of pretty much everything Ardley threw at them, but you did feel that they really needed a second goal to make the game safe.

However, what they couldn’t legislate for was one of the softest penalties I’ve seen given in a long time. An Ardsley player collected the ball just inside the area and was quickly surrounded by Worksop defenders. As he tried to control the ball when under pressure he looked to tread on it and fell to the ground. Ok, challenges were coming in, but ultimately in my opinion he hit the deck of his own accord. That wasn’t what the referee felt though, pointing to the spot.

The Worksop bench went crackers, but it mattered not because up stepped Liam Egan to calmly slot the penalty away. The last ten minutes saw Worksop push forward for but they couldn’t make any further inroads and the game finished with a point each. Worksop will feel aggrieved though, and probably rightly so.

So, for the first time, I’ve managed to ‘complete’ the County Senior League, ordinarily that would be described in circles as a ‘Champagne Job’, but given where we are, and where it was completed, I would call it a ‘Carling Top Job’, much more appropriate!

Spiders

Queens Park Reserves  3  Ayr United Reserves  2

Scottish Premier League – Reserve Division Two

I hadn’t realised until this season, just how much akin to rocking horse shit midweek football is in Scotland.

Once you get out of the light night period (end of August), the Juniors calls it a day, and midweek games in the lower divisions of the Scottish League simply don’t happen. You might get the odd League Cup tie, or indeed European tie in the case of the Gweegie Brothers, but otherwise the landscape is pretty desolate.

I had minimal choices tonight, I could go to Cyprus to watch a Ladies European Cup tie involving Rangers, or I could head in the general region of Aberdeen (which probably from a time perspective is not much different to Cyprus) and watch a County Cup tie, or, I could do something else, and as that ‘something else’ was pretty much Hobsons Choice, I decided to go with that!

The brilliant Scottish Football Fixtures website has become something of a bible to me, and when it popped up that Queens Park Reserves were playing Ayr United Reserves in the Scottish Premier League Reserve game, it seemed an obvious one to attend.

It was timely as well, because twenty four hours before the game, the Scottish FA announced that they had bought Hampden Park from Queens Park Football Club, primarily as a base for the national teams. Queens Park have always owned Hampden, but for their purposes it was more of a cash cow than an ideal home. Given the crowds they got it was wholly inappropriate as a venue, but it served a purpose.

The deal meant that Queens Park would no longer be playing games at the main Hampden Park, instead they would be moving next door to Lesser Hampden, which ironically was where tonight’s game was being played.

From base camp at Glasgow Central Station it was a mere three stops down to Mount Florida Station, so from a logistics perspective it was a piece of. The Mount Florida area of Glasgow sits just to the South of the City Centre and is a traditional residential area. The ground is no more than a five minute walk away, but with an hour to kill I made my way to the brilliant Clockwork Beer pub, which is renowned in Real Ale circles and clearly not appropriate for a lager swilling lout like myself.

Lesser Hampden is owned by Queens Park FC, and has been in use for many years. It sits behind the ‘Rangers End’ to the West of the main Hampden Park and over the past few years it’s been through a refurbishment programme.

The pitch is artificial, and from a spectator perspective it’s a one sided ground. You enter past the hugely impressive club building which houses offices, executive boxes, a gymnasium, a restaurant and a cafeteria area (and that was just the bits I could find). It also has a plethora of history and memorabilia on the walls, for this is a club with a serious history.

In front of the building is a balcony from where the game can be viewed, while to the left of this are the old dressing rooms with the sloped covered roof that covers an area in front of it. Several rows of new and uncovered seats sit in front of the dressing rooms and run along the pitch side up towards the North West corner flag. The spectator facilities are minimal, but adequate, for now…

You see, as part of the deal to sell Hampden Park, Queens Park are going to relocate the first team to Lesser Hampden, and for that to happen I suspect improvements will need to be carried out, notably more seats and more cover. Otherwise, the rest of what is likely to be required, they have in place already.

So what about the game? Well after a bright start by visiting Ayr United, it was the hosts who scored twice in relative quick succession, but then the tables turned and the visitors then also scored twice in quick succession to leave the score 2-2 at half time. It had been a cracking game and one that certainly held the attention.

The second half was nowhere near as entertaining but with not too long left on the clock, a catalogue of defensive cock-ups saw a Queens Park player win the ball virtually on the by-line and walk it into the net uncontested.

And that was it, a short walk back to the station and within fifteen minutes I was back into the centre of Glasgow. I must admit, before the game I wasn’t massively overwhelmed about watching a game between two reserve sides on what was effectively a training ground / sports complex, but given the quality of what I saw, and the fact that very soon it will be hosting Scottish League football, by the end of it I was well pleased I’d made the effort.

Up the Spiders, and long may you continue playing on Wednesday nights, I think I may need you in the months to come!