Rowsley League Revisited

South Normanton Colts  2  Willington Reserves  1

Midlands Regional Alliance – Division One

The name South Normanton Colts was like a real blast from the past when I saw them listed in the Midlands Regional Alliance constitution for the current season.

From the ages of twelve to sixteen I played junior football for a team called RJN Juniors who were based at the Richard Johnson Wireworks in Ambergate, I wasn’t very good and neither were the team. We were perennial strugglers in the Rowsley & District League, and from memory we were only ever capable of beating two sides, Somersall Rangers and Clay Cross Rangers, hence why we managed to avoid finishing bottom every season.

That said, there were some pretty good sides, Northwood from Darley Dale were pretty good and a number of their players could be found in the Central Midlands League in future years, while ADASC, an Alfreton based side, had some very good lads, one of whom that went on to have a brief professional career at Derby County. Others from ADASC went on to play Northern Counties East and Northern Premier League football.

The other top side were indeed South Normanton Colts, and at the time they had a player called Jason Burnham. He went on to play for Northampton Town and Chester City, and playing against him was one of the very few games I actually remember with any sort of clarity. We got battered, double figures if I recall, and also from memory, I seemed to think it was played on the Recreation Ground that the MRA side had listed as their home venue.

Santiago Normabeu

Having had confirmation from both club secretaries that the game would definitely be on (always wise to check at this time of year due to holidays etc), I made the short journey along the A38 to South Normanton, a village that now boasts four Saturday football teams. Athletic in the Midland League, and now Colts have joined United in the MRA, plus you've got ASHA who share with Athletic and compete in the Midland Amateur Alliance.

The ground is located at the end of Landsbury Drive, which in is a right turn off Market Street which in itself links the main Alfreton Road with the centre of the village. The Recreation Ground is accessed down a short and narrow drive, with a modest sized car park at the end. To the right, upon entering the car park, is the pavilion, and this contains both dressing rooms combined with a communal entrance area. I got the sense that the building was very much belonging to Colts, as opposed to being a council provided municipal building, but I could be wrong.

Picked The Ball Out Of That Net A Few Times

The pitch runs length ways at the bottom of a grass bank which drops from the car park to the pitch side. It is roped down one side, and despite having clear public access, the pitch was absolutely immaculate. The remainder of the Recreation Ground is quite undulating, with a children’s play area and also a skate park where an event was taking place throughout the afternoon.

Having parked the car and established that this was indeed the scene of one of my many junior football debacles, it was time to head for refreshment. A short walk along Landsbury Drive leads you back onto Market Street where the Clock public house is located. With the pub having been listed in the Good Beer Guide, I did the decent thing and sank a pint of Fosters, which to my mind is absolutely the right thing to do in such establishments, I mean, would you drink something that someone has potentially brewed in a garden shed?

Colts went into the game having lost their opening two fixtures, while for the reserve team of Willington, this was to be the opening game of the season. It was clear as the two teams lined up on a glorious afternoon that Colts were a very young outfit, and I suspect one that was making the step up from youth’s football to men’s football for the first time.

Blue Skies Over South Normanton

In the opening exchanges it was quite an even encounter, and while Colts had good shape and passed the ball, they were struggling to find a killer pass or composure in the final third of the field. Willington on the other hand posed more of a threat going forward and it came as no surprise when they went in at half time with a goal lead.

The second half saw a real shift in terms of the game. Willington, in search of a second goal got frustrated and tensions developed between certain players and the management. They seemed to lose concentration and switch off at the back, and although Colts were down to ten men for a period due to an injury, they started to grow in confidence.

Chances went begging for Colts as again they struggled to find any composure, but then when the equaliser did arrive, it gave them added confidence and you felt at that stage there would only be one winner, assuming of course they could find the net.

The Willington goalkeeper pulled off numerous saves as Colts managed to go one on one on several occasions with the defence absent without leave. But, the pressure told and finally a second goal came, and it was now a case of Colts concentrating and holding their nerve.

The Pavillion

By this stage Willington looked a mess to be honest, all shape had gone and heads had dropped. Colts on the other hand did the right things and at the final whistle the cheers on and off the pitch were audible as they recorded their first ever victory as a senior Saturday side.

Overall, Colts are a well established club and look to be very well run, so I see no reason why they can’t make a real fist of it in senior football, I wish them well in their new adventure.

Some of those lads will have come right through the ranks at the club, and I’ve always felt it important that thriving junior clubs can offer a senior route when players are ready to make the step up. Too many junior organisations don’t always do that, allowing players to simply find their own way elsewhere, and that’s a shame.

As for my own playing career, it went Juniors, College, Pub, Injury, Retirement. The Rowsley League clearly set me up nicely, but to be fair, I won’t be in the minority when it comes to following a similar path, Jason Burnham I absolutely wasn’t!