Brighton Rocks

Haywards Heath Town  2  Whitehawk  2

Isthmian Football League – Division One South East

We do like a trip away between Christmas and New Year do Mrs H and I.

Last year we ended up in Southampton, but over the years we’ve been to Canterbury, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Brighton to name but a few.

It gets a little bit harder each year though as we do like to combine it around football and as I’ve managed to tick off a vast number of grounds over the last few years, finding a location that is both a decent place to have a break, and carries with it a bit of new ground action, is a challenge.

I did initially look at Edinburgh again this year as games were staggered over the Saturday and Sunday, but Mrs H was not happy with that as she felt the drive was too long. Consequently we took a punt on Brighton again, and if the weather was obliging, then we could get to a game in Sussex on the Saturday, and then head up to London on the Sunday for either the one and only game in non-league football in Dartford, or a professional game somewhere in the capital.

As it turned out, the weather was the best it had been for several weeks, so as we made the 7am departure from Belper on the Saturday morning, I had no major concerns about our first choice game at Haywards Heath Town taking place.

Brighton was reached by 10.30am and that gave us time to have a wander round the Lanes and get some lunch. An incident occurred as we left the car park and a small child bolted out in front of us from between stationery vehicles. Thankfully the child was pushed out of the way by his alert Father, but it was to be Dad who took the brunt of the front of my car. Fortunately, other than being somewhat shaken and distressed, everyone was in one piece, so a relatively lucky escape all round.

We took the back route to Haywards Heath and pulled into the car park around twenty past two. The game in question was to be against Brighton based neighbours Whitehawk, a club we have visited in the past, and indeed a club who have supporters who are connected to yourleague.tv, an online TV channel that interviewed me last season when I was at Billericay Town.

Haywards Heath Town have historically been a Sussex County League side (until it was re-named the Southern Combination), and looked to have been promoted at the end of the 2016-17 season, but they were deducted nine points for fielding an ineligible player and that meant Shoreham took the promotion place instead.

No such problems in 2017-18 though, they came through as champions and were in the Isthmian League for the first time. Last season almost saw them promoted again, but they lost a play-off semi final to neighbours Horsham.

They have a very nice ground when it comes to the Hanbury Park Stadium. Located to the East of the town centre, it sits on the back of a residential area, and as you drive in behind the goal and turn left a car park extends all the way down one side of the ground and half way behind the opposite goal.

At the end where you enter in your car are the turnstiles plus a small area of sheltered standing running from the side of the goal down to the corner flag. The business side of the ground is where it’s all at though. A superb old stand with a tall pitched roof is the focal point, and while showing it’s age in many ways, it does have some new blue seats bolted onto the benches. The clubhouse and dressing rooms are underneath the stand, and only when you walk down the steps to the clubhouse do you realise the scale of the structure, it really is an iconic non-league stand and one I hope remains for many more years.

The pitch was a bit heavy but certainly playable, and in front of a crowd of 337, which included a good number from East Brighton who it appeared had got the noon train, a very entertaining game unfolded.

HHT were the better team in the first half and the unfortunate Trevor McCreadie (no relation to Edie from Balamory) will want to forget the moment he rounded the Whitehawk goalkeeper and then with an open net in front of him and less than six yards out, he somehow managed to sky the ball over the bar! The less said about that the better, for Trevor’s sake at least!

HHT could count themselves unfortunate not to be in the lead at half time having created chances and had the bulk of possession, but as often happens, on the hour mark the visitors took the lead through Ahmed Abdulla who netted from close range with a neat flick.

However, within ten minutes of Whitehawk taking the lead, HHT were level when Ryan Warwick found the roof of the net, also from close range.

Whitehawk were soon back in front when Henry Muggeridge found the net, from guess what, close range, only for the hosts to score the leveller and the final goal of the game just three minutes later when Callum Saunders slotted home.

HHT did look the most likely to score as the game moved towards its closing stages, but in all fairness, on balance, the draw was perhaps the right result. HHT sit just below half way in the table while Whitehawk remain in play-off contention.

We made an easy escape from the ground and indeed Haywards Heath, and that gave us the chance to enjoy a night of drinkies and food in the Lanes back in Brighton. It was busy, it always is, but then Brighton is such a fabulous place I wouldn’t expect it any other way.

The peace was shattered when at 3.45am our neighbours decided to return from their night out with a noisy and musical announcement. Revenge was ours though, as we left at 10am, the ‘Please Clean Our Room’ sign was removed from our door and placed on there’s as they slept, I’m sure when the cleaner burst into the room they got a nice shock!

It was time to head to Dartford……..

The Clanging Chimes Of Doom

Coleshill Town  1  Halesowen Town  1

Southern Football League – Division One Central

I’m not a fan of the festive period, not one little bit.

In fact, if it wasn't for the fact it offers such a plethora of football options, I genuinely think I’d look to go away somewhere remote and return home around New Years Eve time, such is my dislike of the ‘clanging chimes of doom’.

Boxing Day is the first moment of respite from the awfulness, this year I’ve had to wait five days between matches, with the last game I went to being at Burton Albion on the 21^st of December. So when St Stephens Day (to give it it’s proper name) finally came around, I could get in my car safe in the knowledge that the Radio had finally ceased playing those awful Christmas songs.

I toyed with a few options, a couple of Football League and National League game looked tempting, but with the overnight weather being a bit on the wet side and a few clubs showing signs of apprehension about pitch conditions, I chose to play it very safe.

Coleshill Town’s plastic pitch was as safe as it was going to get, and with high flying Halesowen Town in town with their large army of noisy fans in tow, it looked as go a bet as any for some footballing action.

I first went to Coleshill in 2004, it was a midweek game against Coventry Sphinx, which almost didn’t take place due to an issue with one of the floodlights. I didn’t go again until a couple of days before Christmas in 2015 when I took our old and sadly departed mate Paul to watch them play Quorn.

Life has been pretty good to Coleshill in recent seasons, they’ve obviously had a plastic pitch put down, they’ve also reached the semi-finals of the FA Vase, only to lose to a very good South Shields, while in the league they’ve earned promotion from the Midland Football League to Step 4.

That promotion finally came in 2018 when they finished runners-up of the aforementioned Midland League for the second year on the bounce, and in their first campaign in the Southern League, last season, they finished a very creditable ninth position.

Prior to the recent successes, they were a Midland Combination side from 1972, right through to winning the top flight in 2008 and eventually with it gaining promotion to the Midland Alliance, which of course merged with the Combination to create what is now the Midland League.

Coleshill is a dead easy place to get to, sitting right alongside the M42, just to the North of Birmingham Airport. It takes about an hour from home to get to it, and the first thing that strikes you as you enter the town is how nice a place it looks to live in, and to socialise in, with it’s large choice of pubs.

The ground sits a decent way out of the town to the South side, out in the sticks somewhat along Packington Lane. As long as you arrive early enough the car park is big enough to cater for most crowds, but otherwise, you can park on the road outside.

Since it’s had the artificial surface down, the club have erected a small but tall stand behind the dugouts on the West side of the ground, while opposite the old cover has had some new seats put in it, while from memory based  on my first visit, it does look like it’s been extended further down the touchline.

It’s open flat standing behind both goals whereas a modest sized clubhouse sits in the corner of the ground, while new dressing rooms have been built / dropped in at pitch side to the North of the old stand. It’s a tidy facility and it’s well used, with Chelmsley Town of the Midland League also using the ground.

A seasons best crowd of 411 were in attendance, and I would have estimated a good two thirds of them were Yeltz supporters. The game started well for the visitors and they took a seventh minute lead through Montel Gibson, and to be fair, by the time it got to half time, they should have been out of sight, but somehow failed to find the target despite the lions share of possession.

The second half followed a similar pattern largely, but chance after chance continued to go begging, mainly due to the Yeltz’s inability to get efforts on target, so on a rare breakaway when Coleshill were awarded a clear penalty for a foul, you did wonder whether Halesowen were going to be made to pay.

Liam Molesworth put his 78^th minute spot kick away, and once again Halesowen camped in the hosts half of the field, but again, it was the same old story of missed chances. On another day, Yeltz would have won the game handsomely, but football is a bit like that, and I’m sure Coleshill manager Cameron Stuart will have been delighted with the point in the final analysis.

Football’s back, Christmas is over, normal service will soon be resuming. It started to rain as I drove home, if anything is a sign of normal service resuming, then the wet stuff is as good as any.

Happy Christmas your arse, I pray God it's our last.....

Moonlight Shadow

New Mills  2  Derby County U23  1

Derbyshire Senior Cup – Quarter Final

There are many misconceptions in the World, a good example would be that Mike Oldfield’s song “Moonlight Shadow” was written about the death of John Lennon.

Oldfield admits himself that it wasn’t the case, but not only that, the song contains some factual differences. For example, the line ‘shot six times by a man on the run’ is incorrect, Lennon was shot four times, and Mark Chapman, who pulled the trigger, was certainly not on the run.

Also, ‘4am in the morning, carried away by a moonlight shadow’, two problems with that, Lennon was shot just before 11pm, and meteorological evidence demonstrates that indeed the night of his death was not in fact a moonlit one!

Another common misconception that us Southern Derbyshire types have is that if you draw New Mills, or Glossop North End, away in the Derbyshire Senior Cup, the chances of the game being played between November and February are pretty much non-existent as the place stays permanently three feet under snow and largely inaccessible.

Of course, that’s tripe, it might be a touch colder in the High Peak, but it isn’t markedly different to anywhere else in the Shire weather wise. So that was why I was confident to make the trip across from my work base in Sheffield to watch the Millers game against a Derby County side that was supposedly Under 23’s.

Friends and colleagues may have questioned my sanity, suggesting I take a blanket and a shovel to survive the night, but those ignorant types who have little or no knowledge of the playing surface at Church Lane, were to eat their words, and despite solid rain from 5.30pm, right through to around 9pm, all was good in the World. Stick to Mike Oldfield and John Lennon references……..

I first went to watch a game at New Mills in 2004, the club had just gained promotion to the North West Counties League after finishing next to bottom in the Manchester League (yep – not sure either!), and had a home game at the excellently appointed Church Lane ground against Oldham Town.

I didn’t go again until around December time in 2010 to watch Belper Town win 4-1 in a Derbyshire Senior Cup tie, the season when New Mills won the top flight of the NWCL and made it to the Northern Premier League.

We now need a potted history lesson.

There was a New Mills side that joined the Cheshire County League in 1974, competing in the top flight until 1978 when they dropped to the second tier. They were part of the newly formed North West Counties League in 1982, competing in the second tier, but after finishing bottom, they disappeared from the league completely due to financial pressures.

A new incarnation of New Mills re-appeared, competing in the Manchester League, where they stayed until the ‘promotion’ back to the NWCL in 2004. Crowds were always good at Church Lane and in 2007-08 they were crowned champions of the Second Division and with it came promotion to the top flight. 

They finished runners-up in consecutive seasons (2008-09 / 2009-10) before the title winning campaign I referred to earlier. The 2008-09 campaign was a notable one as the club set the record for the most consecutive wins in the league with 21, and they ended up losing the title to AFC Fylde who beat them on the final day, 5-0, to win the title on goal difference.

They were placed in the First Division South of the NPL (which I seem to recall was not their preferred option) finishing ninth, before a lateral switch to the North section the following season saw them finish third and enter the Play-Offs. They lost to Trafford in the semi-final.

Two seasons of struggle followed before they found themselves back in the NWCL, only to be relegated again to the second tier, where they remain today. It seems the heady days of the NPL took their toll financially, and the club is having to re-build again.

What they haven’t got to rebuild is the ground at Church Lane, which is a great facility, and the eagle eyed will spot that it was the setting for Sky’s comedy programme ‘Rovers’, whihc was about a fictional non-league football club and the characters that surrounded it.

When I first went they had a stand on each side of the pitch, but nowadays, the side opposite Church Lane is no longer accessible for spectators, largely due to a floodlit five-a-side court having been built towards the clubhouse end of the ground.

The Church Lane side has a covered standing area up to the half way line, and then stretching down beyond the half way line is a more modern seated stand. Behind the East goal is the clubhouse and the dressing rooms, with hard standing in front, elevated up above the pitch level. It’s flat standing behind the West goal, while the ground is floodlit, and has been for a good number of years.

It’s a really nice ground, and does evoke memories of the days of the Cheshire League when the likes of Marine, Chorley, Stalybridge Celtic, Rhyl, Hyde United and Witton Albion were regular visitors.

The weather was rubbish, and as a result it did impact on the attendance. The club were clearly hoping for more than the 92 that paid to get in, with a fair few of the hard core Rams fans having made the journey up, including the legendary Mick Derby, the DCFC mad taxi driver who barely misses a game at any level.

The game was very good to watch, the Rams took the lead in the 12^th minute through Josh Shonibare, but the hosts pressed, tackled and harried, and on balance of play at half time could feel a touch unfortunate not to be level.

That all changed in the second period when I thought New Mills were quite superb. Two goals in a minute from Darren McKnight and Shelton Payne turned the game on it’s head and the onus was on Derby to find the equaliser. Granted, they had plenty of possession in the closing stages but New Mills were well marshalled at the back and defended superbly to keep the Rams at bay.

The final whistle was greeted with joy, and the Millers make the semi-finals of a competition they’ve never won. It will be a hard trophy to win with the likes of Belper Town, Matlock Town, Alfreton Town and Glossop North End still in the mix, but they’ve already won at Ilkeston Town this season, and one thing they won’t be short on is effort and indeed confidence.

It took an hour to get back home, no road closures, no snow drifts, no need to get the flask out. The High Peak, I am pleased to say, is functioning quite normally under the current climatic circumstances, and Mike Oldfield is still trying to convince the World that John Lennon was not in his thoughts the day he penned those lyrics….

The Etwall Adventure

Sherwin  1  Sleetmoor United  4

Midlands Regional Alliance – First Division  

I wasn’t really in the mood for heading any great distance, so when a chance look at the Midlands Regional Alliance fixtures showed that Sherwin’s game at Sleetmoor United had been reversed to the plastic at Etwall Leisure Centre, my mind was made up.

I’d only spotted a week or so earlier that Sherwin had indeed moved onto the plastic, which would be the fourth different venue I’ve seen them play at, the others being Chellaston Park, Darley Park and Alvaston Park. I did a double check with Dan Bishop from the MRA and he confirmed that the move was in place for at least the remainder of the season.

Now then, Etwall is a village South West of Derby, very close to Mickleover, and despite being the place where my Dad was schooled and my niece is now also schooled (John Port), I’d never set foot in the place, ever, so this was going to be something of an adventure. As far as adventures go, granted, it’s hardly a trip up the Khyber Pass, but when excitement in your life is finding a pub that sells KP Dry Roasted Peanuts, you start to get my drift?

My old pal Dave phoned up just as I was leaving Belper, and by the time our conversation about mad Irishmen running football clubs in the general area of Leamington had finished, I was pulling into the car park of the said Leisure Centre.

There was of course time for a swift pint at one of the two pubs on the main road in the village, that sit opposite John Port School, and my choice was the Spread Eagle, which didn’t sell KP Nuts, the bastards! Otherwise, it was a fine establishment which was full of cheery Derby County fans taking their sedatives prior to travelling to Pride Park to watch the dirge being served up by the Dutch comedian that claims to be a football manager.

It was while sat in the said pub that my mind wandered, in the direction of the infamous and indeed ill-fated Evans Halshaw Floodlit Cup. A midweek competition that Belper Town, amongst various others, played in for a number of years during the late Eighties and early Nineties. I think the train of thought came about due to the proximity of the A50 and indeed Rocester who were a regular opponent in the prestigious competition, but anyway, it resulted in me plotting some research into it’s history.

So in a future blog you can read about all the un-played games, that usually involved Leek Town who got invited into it year after year despite seemingly having no intention of ever playing in it!

Digression aside, what about Etwall Leisure Centre, the new home of Sherwin Football Club? Well. It’s a 3G caged pitch with a viewing area down one side, although to be fair you could stand pretty much wherever you liked to watch the game. The changing rooms were behind one of the goals inside the centre itself, which sits adjacent to the school buildings.  

Visiting Sleetmoor United have had a decent season, their first in Saturday football, having won five and drawn one of their games so far. Sherwin on the other hand have had an indifferent season, having won two and drawn one of their ten games.

The game followed the formbook. Sleetmoor scored twice in each half, with Michael Chapman netting a hat-trick and Connor Mogford getting the other goal. Sherwin’s reply came from Sulayman Cham in the second half, but they never looked likely to pose the visitors too many problems.

I must give a shout out to the Secretary’s / Manager’s of both clubs though. Stewart Worthington of Sherwin and Roger Kerry of Sleetmoor were both quick to confirm the game being on in the morning, and indeed it was good to have a chat to Roger before the game about the progress Sleetmoor are making, and their future plans.

Of course, it would also be remiss of me not to give Dan Bishop of the MRA another mention, so there you are Dan, you’ve got another mention! In all seriousness, he does some sterling work for the league, despite little in the way of help from the authorities.

So, home for just after 4pm, while the Spread Eagle locals were still suffering at Pride Park, could be worse though, they could have been travelling to an Evans Halshaw Floodlit Cup game, that was only going to be postponed anyway, at Leek!

An Unlikely Rivallry

Armthorpe Welfare  0  Selby Town  4

Northern Counties East League – First Division  

It was the most unlikely of rivalries.

We are going back to the mid-Nineties and Belper Town were vying to get out of the Northern Counties League and into the promised land of the Northern Premier League.

The 95-96 season was to prove a real roller coaster of a campaign for the Nailers, and ultimately, despite battling on many fronts, promotion was denied on the final day of the season by Ossett Town, which in turn allowed Stocksbridge Park Steels to be promoted.

One team though proved to be a real nemesis, and that was Armthorpe Welfare, not only were they a tough team to beat, it just seemed to bring the worst out in the supporters. I can remember getting stuffed 5-3 at the Welfare Ground, with home players goading the Belper fans and vice-versa, and that lead to some unpleasant scenes when punches were being thrown through the back of the net between supporters and players after Belper had scored.

The return game at Belper finished 1-1, and that caused even more controversy. This time, a shocking refereeing display by Paul Pawson, combined with more goading and baiting, saw a Belper Town fan (Alan Grace) receive a twelve month ban from the ground due to his alleged behaviour, which included ducking under the players barrier to confront the referee at the final whistle.

His ban was a serious cause of debate, I was on the committee at the time and stood up for him. You see, I know for a fact that several Belper fans behaved far worse than he did on a regular basis, myself included, but because Alan was loud, he stood out, and at that stage the club, I felt, were just waiting for the chance to jump on him.  An administration mix up meant he was unable to present his case, and consequently, once banned, he never set foot in the ground ever again, to this day. He remains the only supporter to ever be banned from Christchurch Meadow.

The following year, the season Belper finally got promotion, the game at Armthorpe finished 1-1, but when we won 1-0 at Belper, that victory felt like we’d won the league there and then, it was massive.

So why did it flare up like it did? I think it was two fold, firstly, Armthorpe were a decent side, and they were incredibly streetwise, so on the pitch Belper found them a tough nut to crack and also somewhat intimidating. Couple that with the fact that the Welfare players knew exactly how to wind the fans up, you had the perfect storm.

What I would say is that the rivalry definitely got to Belper far more than it did Armthorpe, I don’t think Armthorpe gave it much of a second thought other than on match day, whereas at Belper we’d be talking about it weeks before it took place! Put it another way, when we did get promoted, guess who were the first club to invite us to visit in pre-season for a friendly, yep, you’ve guessed it!

So, it was August 1997 and Armthorpe Welfare beat Belper Town 5-2 in a friendly (we still couldn’t beat them at the Welfare Ground!), and that was the last time I set foot in the place, over twenty two years ago, a re-visit was long overdue.

Armthorpe Welfare came out of the Doncaster Senior League in 1983 and within a couple of seasons they’d gained two promotion and found themselves in the top flight of the NCEL. They stayed in that division from 1985 right through to 2017, an incredible run in all fairness, and in terms of success, the nearest they came to a win and promotion was in 2010 when they finished third, after leading the league for a considerable spell of the season.

Relegation came in 2017, and for the last couple of seasons they’ve struggled a little in the First Division, but this time around they are sitting in a healthy position, and will clearly be looking to return to Step 5 football.

Armthorpe is a village to the East of Doncaster, just off the M18. The old Markham Main Colliery was a huge employer in the village but in 1996 the mine closed and the area fell into depression economically. Nowadays it’s considered one of the more affluent areas of Doncaster and with new industry and services moving into the area (taking advantage of the land that surrounds the village), it’s seen as an up and coming place. It was noticeable as I drove into the village just how busy it was along with main Church Street, not just with cars, but with shops and amenities.

One thing hasn’t changed though, parking isn’t easy! The Welfare Ground sits behind Morrison’s on the main road, and with minimal car parking at the ground you have to find space on the road, or as I did, take advantage of the shopper only free parking at the B & M Store!

The ground hasn’t changed an awful lot either, from memory. The Philip Mitchell Stand still sits just inside the turnstiles with it’s bench style seats, while behind the West goal (where the infamous altercation took place!) is an area of cover. The rest of the ground is hard standing, while the players change in a brick built building that sits at an angle to the corner flag.

The old floodlight pylons, that came straight from the pit yard, are a throwback to yesteryear, while the pitch was in very good condition considering the recent bad weather. What was new was the club house that sat behind the stand, I don’t remember that from my last visit.

It was a bloody freezing night, and in fairness, the loyal locals were hardly warmed up by the display from the home side. Visiting Selby Town were by far the better team, they were much quicker while the passing and movement was way ahead of what Armthorpe could produce on the night.

Charlie Clamp gave the well supported visitors the lead in the first half, while goals in the second half from Liam Flanagan, Jon Vass and Casey Stewart rounded off a comprehensive 4-0 victory, that saw Selby move just behind Armthorpe in the table into sixth place.

So, after twenty two years, no arguments with the home players, no punches thrown in the back of the net, and no being chased out of town by the angry locals. Armthorpe was welcoming, it was hospitable and it was a very enjoyable evening.

Maybe the problem was us after all!!

A Welcome Homecoming

Wortley  1  Leeds Medics & Dentists  2

Yorkshire Amateur League – Supreme Division  

It’s hard to imagine that you could be into December and not yet played a home game this season.

Well, this is the case with West Leeds based Wortley FC, the side newly promoted to the Supreme Division of the Yorkshire Amateur League at the start of the season. They won the Championship at a canter last time around and no doubt had high hopes of creating an impression this time around.

I’d originally got them pencilled in for a visit on a midweek night in August, until it transpired that all of their initial home games were postponed, and it turns out that was to do with the ongoing construction of new dressing rooms at their ground.

Beyond that, I did try and make a visit back in November, but the weather put paid to that plan, and to be honest, it has done ever since. Prior to Saturday they had only played four league games all season, and to put that into perspective, Athletico from the same division have played fourteen!

So, with an affirmative from the helpful club secretary on the Friday afternoon (subject to biblical weather in the interim period), the game against the wonderfully titled Leeds Medics & Dentists was on, and Wortley were homeward bound.

Of course, biblical weather did not arrive, in fact Saturday was one of the most beautiful days of the year, perfect for football, and once again a prompt service from Hon Sec confirmed all was ok. I was subsequently pointed in the right direction of the ground, otherwise thanks to my shoddy research and presumptive nature I would have ended up in the wrong place! The first two places I thought they played at turned out to be wrong!

Wortley then, the easiest way to get to it is to take the M1 onto the M621 and then head to the exit just after Elland Road. A right at the roundabout takes you onto the main road that runs parallel to the Blue Hill Lane where West Leeds Rugby Club is located.

Why West Leeds Rugby Club? Well, in the league directory this is detailed as the clubs headquarters, and the ground is stated as being on the same road, but, the ground is actually just off Blue Hill Lane round the back of some houses, while the Rugby Club is indeed the football clubs eating and drinking space.  

I arrived as the footballers were milling in the car park, which gave me confidence to have a pint safe in the knowledge that all was present and correct. I would have had some dry roasted peanuts, but they didn’t stock the correct variety, as readers of my blog will now be well aware of. #KPnutsonly

Suitably refreshed, I headed down to behind the rugby pitch, out of the gate and down to the cul-de-sac where the pitch is located, right at the end, across a muddy track and upon something of a plateau.

With a smart brick built clubhouse of the new variety behind the goal, the pitch is railed on three sides. On one side is a huge bank which provides a good view of the game, as long as you stick to one end of it as some trees block the view otherwise. The pitch looked in good nick, but talking to referee Damian Edge before the game, he did say the area in front of the dugouts was a touch on the sticky side.

It was good to talk to Damian to be fair, a former rugby union man turned football, he has spent the last few weeks calling games off and going shopping on a Saturday so this was welcome for him to actually have a game to officiate.

The visitors, who are made up of medical students (as you would expect) came into the game without a win to their name yet this season, having finished runner-up last time around. However, in the first period they were comfortably the better side. Goals from Alex Diaz and Colm Hicks gave them a 2-0 lead and they were certainly good value for that.

The second period was a different ball game. Wortley got into their rhythm and spent much of the half on top, pulling a goal back through substitute Callum Bell, but despite plenty of late pressure they couldn’t find the equaliser that they deserved on the second forty five minute showing.

It had been a good game, at a tidy venue, but for Wortley, the defeat will no doubt have hurt, but the relief of finally being back home after all this time is perhaps for them the highlight of the afternoon. They’ve got some serious catching up to do though, lets hope the weather Gods are smiling on them.

Northern Lights

Stockton Town  2  Sunderland RCA  0

Northern League – Division One

It is without doubt, to my own detriment, that I haven’t watched enough football in the North East.

Yes, the league clubs have all been done, the new and the old at Middlesbrough and Sunderland, the Step 1-4 stuff (minus Dunston but that’s another story), but I have to be honest, the Northern League has been relatively uncharted territory.

When you look at it pragmatically though, there is no reason why I haven’t ventured up more often. 

Firstly, it’s not as far away as you might think, secondly, the top tier is comfortably the best Step 5 league on the isle bar none, the Vase results confirm that, thirdly, the grounds are great and the support excellent, and finally, the welcome is so very friendly.

This season though, circumstance has forced my hand a little, for the better. You see, an extra division is dropping in at Step 4, so all three of the Northern Step 5 leagues are promoting three clubs each. So, by definition, I’ve got my eye on the Northern League to see who might be moving into the Northern Premier League next season.

Hebburn Town are splashing the cash and were pre-season favourites, while also in the mix as we stand are Consett, Shildon and Newton Aycliffe. However, the best record of the lot, and victors over Hebburn only a week earlier are Stockton Town, the FA Vase finalists from two seasons ago, a club very much on the up, and with a midweek game on the plastic, it was from my own point of view, a no brainer!

I did a quick Google Map exercise when I saw the fixture and noted  I could get home in just less than two hours, so that made my mind up, it was happening and it was happening very soon.

The journey to Stockton is dead easy, take the A1 and the A19, and then depending on the traffic you can either carry straight on to the A66 Darlington Road and enter Stockton that way, or, as I did, turn off a bit earlier and travel up through the pretty town that is Yarm. Those of us of a certain age will remember listening to Dance Anthems on Radio One and hearing about the nights at ‘Tall Trees’ in Yarm, when the likes of Judge Jules, Pete Tong and Tall Paul would be on the decks.

I timed my journey North to perfection, but without prior knowledge, the home of Stockton Town is not that easy to locate. I mean, you can see it, it sits on the junction of two roads, but access is via a Sixth Form Centre, and unless you know that, then like me, you run the danger of sailing straight past it!

You park in the large educational establishment car park, and it’s in front of you that you spot the clubhouse, which looks very much like a room in the school sports centre that has been converted for that purpose. But, it was a good idea, because it’s large, spacious and comfortable, and pre-match it got busy, crowds are up at Stockton, they average around the 400 mark.

Stockton Town as a club are not that old. They are only around thirty years in existence, and found senior football when they joined the Wearside League from the Teeside League in 2010. They won it four seasons on the bounce from 2013 to 2017 and made the move to the Northern League.

The Second Division of the Northern League was won at the first attempt, but the clubs start to their First Division campaign in the 2017-18 season was a disaster with nine straight defeats. That said, they did finally finish sixth and get to Wembley, only to lose to Thatcham Town in the Vase Final.

This season it’s looking very good, a win against tonight's visitors Sunderland RCA would take them top.

Football in Stockton isn’t all about Stockton Town though. Stockton FC were a huge name in North East football, with FA Amateur Cup glory, FA Cup runs, and a Northern League side from 1985 after the club re-formed, they were massive in their day. However, in 1999 they became the club that is now Thornaby and re-located to the town. It was time for someone else to pick up the mantle.

The ground is very easy to describe. Located in the confines of the college, it’s surrounded by a tall caged fence, with access to all four sides of the pitch. On the West side is a seated stand with a small covered terrace next to it. The dressing rooms and a the tea bar form part of a portakabin style building that also sits towards the bottom end of this side of the ground. Otherwise it’s hard standing all the way round, and of course, the reason I had no fears  going up on a December night, an artificial pitch.

I have to say the club were incredibly friendly. From the moment I walked in the club officials were happy to chat, and talk about what this season may bring in Northern League circles. Let’s get this very clear, doubts have arisen in the past about Northern League sides actually wanting promotion, well trust me, Stockton Town absolutely definitely want to go up!

The crowd on a cold night was just over 300, but looking in the programme it was incredible to see some of the average crowds of the teams. The divisional average would be way over every Step 4 league in the Country. Stockton and Consett get over 400, Whitley Bay, Bishop Auckland, North Shields, Guisborough and Hebburn get over 300, while very few get under 200 through the gates. It’s incredible really, but a real testament to the strength and the quality of the Northern League.

The football, well I have to say at the top end, from what I’ve seen, the standard is easily Step 4, and this was very much the case tonight. Stockton have, and will play better this season, but a goal in each half was enough to give them the three points and leapfrog Hebburn.

Nathan Mulligan opened the scoring from the penalty spot and Jordan Robinson netted with a header against a resolute and well organised outfit from Wearside, but it was the clubs fifth straight win, and as we stand, no one would bet against them getting one of the three promotion spots.

What a great club though, it just felt right from where I was looking in at them. They appear organised, efficient, well supported, tight and welcoming. I genuinely liked what I saw and enjoyed what I experienced. I wish them well for the future and I hope they get a Northern League / Vase double this season! In some ways they reminded me a little of South Shields, on a much smaller scale I might add, and look what’s happening with them?

The Northern League and clubs like Stockton Town, it really sums up what non-league football is all about.   

When The Circus Is Postponed.....

Grays Athletic  2  Hullbridge Sports  0

Isthmian League – Division One North

“It’s a tenner mate, but we’ll give it you back if the game gets called off…….”

That really wasn’t what I wanted to be hearing as I paid my admission at the Brentwood Leisure Centre home of Romford FC, who were due to be playing neighbouring Tilbury in a high octane Essex Derby.

You see, I’d got a few games on the radar, so did my tried and trusted trick of pulling up at Toddington Services and then surveying the options. I’d got a few on plastic heading anti-clockwise round the M25, namely Dorking, Walton Casuals and Bracknell Town, but going clockwise, on grass, was Romford at the home they share with Brentwood Town.

Nothing was showing as 'off' on the Isthmian League website, in fact not a single pitch inspection had been called across the entire four divisions. Surely it was a safe bet to go and watch the next instalment of the Glenn Tamplin Travelling Circus?

After a diversion around the edges of the High Street in Brentwood due to a Christmas Fair, I was sat in the car park at 1.30pm, and made a steady and somewhat unconcerned move in the general direction of the turnstiles, where players were trickling through. It was then that the gate man gave me the news.

Ten minutes later and the referee had called it off, and to be honest it was a joke, an area of around four yards square in the middle of one of the penalty areas was sludgy. Not waterlogged, not dangerous, just sludgy, but, this is the modern day match official for you, frigging snowflakes!

So, back in the car at a quarter to two and I had to make a decision. I was certain a game would be taking place at Aveley’s Parskide ground, purely on the principal that three teams use it! I was right, Grays Athletic were playing Hullbridge Sports, and according to my trusty in car navigation system, it was doable in about twenty minutes, assuming I could weave my way back through Brentwood again.

I was coming off the M25 at the Aveley / Thurrock turn at around ten past two, the centre of Brentwood had not been entirely helpful, and once up past the Ship Lane former home of Thurrock FC I was reaching the spot where the sat-nav told me Aveley’s ground was located……

Schoolboy error, in haste, I’d programmed in the postcode of the old ground that they vacated, which was now a shiny new housing estate. Luckily though, the new ground was less than a mile away, down a dual carriageway, and within a couple of minutes I was parked up.

Parkside is a lovely stadium, sat on the very edges of the Essex town that is seeing a fair bit of new housing shooting up, such is it’s popularity as a commuter hotspot for London. The car park is sizeable and more than big enough for the crowds both Aveley and Grays get, while the frontage of the main stand and club buildings is impressive with the clubs name (Aveley) picked out in a blue neon sign.

The building houses the dressing rooms, a fantastic clubhouse, various other rooms shooting off, and an upstairs viewing area of the pitch. The seats are located in front of the clubhouse but raised just high enough at the back to deter folk from watching the game from behind the closed glass doors.

Behind each goal are two small covered standing areas, one each side of the net, while opposite the main stand is a smaller seated stand but with a decent enough rake to provide a good view of the game. The pitch is clearly artificial, and gets a fair bit of usage it seems.

The move to Parkside has benefited Aveley in the sense that gates and indeed revenue are up, and clearly a club like Grays Athletic, who have been homeless since their old ground fell under the bulldozers, will be one of many who would be more than happy to contribute to the coffers to take advantage of it.

So lets talk about Grays Athletic then.

An Athenian League outfit and then an Isthmian League club, they shot to prominence in the mid-noughties when local businessman Mick Woodward took over the club. They finished high enough to qualify for the newly formed Conference South in 2004, and within a year of that they’d won the league and the FA Trophy along with it thanks to a victory over Hucknall Town on penalties at Villa Park (I was there!). This after beating Burton Albion 7-0 on aggregate in the semi-final.

They won the Trophy again the following year, beating Woking 2-0 at West Ham United, while in the Conference National they finished  an impressive third, losing to Halifax Town in the play offs.

They got to the semi-final stage of the Trophy the year after, losing to Stevenage Borough, but with funds drying up and Woodward resigning in 2009, after three seasons of struggle they finished bottom of the league in 2009-10 and elected to drop right down to the Isthmian League North at Step 4. This after appealing at being placed by the FA in the Essex Senior League.

They got promotion to the Premier Division in 2013, but by 2017 they were back in the North Division, where they remain.

The club played at Bridge Road, which Woodwards’s funds revamped significantly during his tenure, until 2010 when it was sold to developers, presumably to clear debts / repay Woodward. The club moved in with Thurrock, then East Thurrock United, before a spell at West Ham’s Rush Green training ground. This came to an end and henceforth the club find themselves at Aveley, firstly at the old ground, and now of course the new.

Right now, the club sit in the play off zone, and with gates holding up over the 200 mark, they will consider themselves well within a shout of making the move up to the Premier Division.

The game wasn’t completely one sided, but it was a relatively comfortable afternoon for Grays. The opening goal came in the fifteenth minute when the long serving, and impressive, Joao Carlos drilled the ball home from just inside the penalty area.

Grays, while in control, let the visitors have time in the ball in the second period but knowing that their goal threat was minimal. This tactic bore fruit in the 82^nd minute when George Purcell cracked a free kick into the bottom corner of the net. It was a very comfortable and straightforward three points for the hosts.

Grays are a fan owned club nowadays, and they make no secret of the fact that they want a home of their own. The club have campaigned for a community stadium in Grays, but, a recent story has emerged that the disused Ship Lane ground, only a mile or so from Aveley, may end up becoming their home, although whether that would be a short or a long term option, I don’t know.

So, what started out as a trip to the Circus, ended up with a trip to Grays / Aveley, but, based on a very enjoyable afternoon out, I’m not going to complain about that.

And by the way, I did get my tenner back!

Dry Roasted Peanuts

Coalville Town  3  Kings Langley  0

Southern League – Premier Division Central

It was a deeply wounding accusation, apparently, I am a dry roasted peanut snob…..

I was sat in the car on the way to Coalville, with Derek alongside me and Mrs H on the phone, when the subject matter arose, and it started with Mrs H said she would have some tea ready for me when I get home later that night.

Anyway, based on the fact I had a very nice frittata waiting for me back at Casa Hatt, I was under instructions not to ‘spoil it’ by having any chips, burgers or the like at the footy. I asked the question about a bag of dry roasted peanuts with my pint, and then it kind of escalated.

You see, I’ve got a bit of a thing about dry roasted peanuts, I will ONLY eat them if they are KP. Nobbys offends me, it’s the style of the packet to be honest, whereas Lichfields taste awful, you may as well eat polystyrene pellets. I’d never really paid any great attention to my strange habits around nuts, until I went to Kibworth last Saturday.

I walked into the Coach & Horses and asked what brand they had, I was sadly disappointed as it was Nobbys, I declined to buy any, and the barman was actually on my side…

“I don’t blame you mate, I’m with you, they have to be KP, but we have no choice, it’s the brewery.”

So, as we trundled down the M1, I found myself getting quite passionate about the subject matter, firstly to Mrs H, and then I repeated the whole rant again to Derek. I got the feeling, certainly with Derek, he wasn’t arsed about peanut brands like me.

So, I did it again. Got to the bar at Coalville, ordered some drinks, and enquired about the peanut brand, and I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Not only were they KP, but I had an ally in the barman.

“It’s got to be KP, nothing else comes close mate.”

Yes, I’m not a snob you see, it’s quite normal to be particular, you can all do one!!

So, Coalville Town, it’s been a while, 2014 to be precise when I saw them lose a Play-Off Semi-Final to Mickleover Sports, the very same Mickleover Sports that we at Belper Town went on to beat in the final a couple of days later.

I do like a visit to Coalville though, I first went in 2003 and saw them play Boldmere St Michaels, before inadvertently going again the following season against Stratford Town when I had a wasted trip to Coventry only to find out the Massey Ferguson game I was planning to watch had been called off.

I had a boozy session with Mrs H down at Owen Street one Saturday in March 2012 when we took advantage of the Belper Town supporters coach (which ended with a BTFC player in an inebriated state, drinking out of a dog bowl at Castle Donington Services). I can also recall a much hyped game against Kings Lynn Town in 2013 which ended 0-0, and when I say much hyped, they were neck and neck for the title and the previous games, including a Vase Semi-Final,  had been marred with crowd disturbances.

The history of the Ravens is an interesting one. They started out life known as Ravenstone, then became simple Coalville FC in 1995, before becoming Coalville Town in the latter part of the Nineties.

They were a Leicestershire Senior League side until 2003 and having won the title for two consecutive seasons they were promoted to the Midland Alliance League. In years 2009, 2010, 2011, they finished third, second and finally first, which was enough to see them elevated to Step 4 and the Northern Premier League.

The NPL journey was not a dull one. They finished second in successive seasons, losing to Chasetown and Mickleover respectively in the Play-Offs, the first time was a real blow as they were odds on to win the league until a late implosion saw Kings Lynn pip them as I alluded to earlier.

Finally they won promotion in 2016 when big spending Basford United and equally big spending Shaw Lane Aquaforce were beaten in the Play-Offs, they had finally, and deservedly got to Step 3, where they remain.

Two years in the NPL Premier were tough, but at the start of last season they were moved laterally to the Southern League, where they just missed out on the Play-Offs, whereas this time around they sat in third spot and are well in with a shout of the end of season mix up.

The national cups have been good to the Ravens. The year they won the Midland Alliance they got to Wembley in the FA Vase Final, only to lose to Whitley Bay, while in 2004 they got to the First Round Proper of the FA Cup as a Step 5 side, only to lose 1-0 at Wycombe Wanderers.

The ground at Owen Street has improved steadily over the years. Located close to the centre of the town, you drive down a track to the car park behind the goal where the turnstiles bring you out adjacent to the two storey building that used to be the dressing rooms and the clubhouse, but now it just serves as a clubhouse. To the side of this is a small seated stand, while beyond it, straddling the half way line is the impressive new changing room block and club offices, complete with hospitality facilities.

Behind the far goal some covered terracing stretches the width of the pitch, while the shallow main stand runs along the side opposite the dressing rooms. Behind the car park goal is another area of covered terracing, albeit somewhat smaller in comparison to it’s mate at the opposite end.

Other bits and pieces of buildings are dotted around the ground such as the tea bar, the club shop and a small café area, but all in all it’s tidy, it’s welcoming and it’s homely.

They are also a good bunch at Coalville. Chairman Glyn Rennocks has been a player and a manager previously and is always happy to have a chat, while the fella in the club shop was superb, taking us into a hospitality area to have a look at the superb club history journals that’s he’s been involved in putting together.

The game was against Kings Langley, and this is one of the foibles of the Southern League Premier Central. You’ve got the Midlands based sides, but also some from the top side of the M25 (like Kings Langley) and also the trio over in East Anglia, namely Lowestoft, Needham Market and Leiston, that are a couple of changes of clothes away!

It proved to be a comfortable win for the Ravens, with Thomas McGlinchey giving them the lead ten minutes before the break. Matters were not helped for the visitors early in the second period when Kyle Connolly got his second yellow card of the game, and then shortly afterwards Kalern Thomas smashed in a second for the hosts.

Coalville wrapped up the victory inside the final ten minutes when substitute Kairo Mitchell found the target. The victory took them to third in the table.

The attendance was 172 on a chilly night in North Leicestershire, which to be fair is at the lower end of what they’ve been getting through the gate this season. They’ve been averaging a healthy 282 having only played six league games at Owen Street.

An enjoyable night at a welcoming club, and one that sells KP Dry Roasted Peanuts, and I would urge you to pay them a visit, for that very reason alone!