Eastenders

Barking  0  Margate  0

FA Trophy – First Qualifying Round

Sometimes, even the big things slip gently under the radar.

Today was a massive case in point, my plan was never to go to Barking, and not only that, it wasn’t until I got home that I realised just where I’d been.

The rain was biblical and with a band sweeping South West to North East across the Country, it put paid to a ridiculous number of games taking place on grass pitches. I had three choices on my ‘A-List’, all on grass, all off, so I had to look on the ‘B-List’, which typically involves a 150 mile plus journey to somewhere in the South of England.

The weather forecast suggested that my safest bet would be the South East, and from Friday night through to Saturday breakfast time, I couldn’t make my mind up. I started with Brentwood Town early on Friday evening, but the more I thought about the more I was thinking I was going to play it safe and go 3G, so by bedtime I was going to AFC Sudbury.

Then when Saturday morning came, I looked again and began to think I might not need a 3G, so I looked at Barking, working on the principle that if the worst happened and it did get called off late in the day, I was only fifteen minutes from the plastic at Aveley. So that was it, Barking it was to be.

It was the worst journey of the season by some distance, I set off from home at 10.30am, to be held up on three separate occasions alone on the M1, twice in the Milton Keynes roadworks and then just before getting on the M25. The heavy rain wasn’t helping matters to be fair but as I got nearer to the smoke it had started to ease somewhat.

The M11 was a ball ache but largely because of the traffic heading to the West Ham United v Sheffield United game, whereas the last couple of miles was far from unbridled joy. Aveley in fifteen minutes, I really don’t think so! I finally pulled into the car park at 2.15pm, just shy of a four hour journey, thank you very much!

I’ll talk about the ground and the game first, and leave the club until last, simply because the history of Barking FC is perhaps the salient point here.

The Mayesbrook Park ground was first occupied by Barking in 1973 after departing their old Vicarage Field ground. It’s located to the East of Barking itself, half way to Dagenham, in a typical built up East end residential area.

The car park sits behind the goal just off of Lodge Avenue, and once through the turnstiles the small clubhouse is to the right hand side. Behind the East goal is very much the business end of the ground, with various portakabin and container type buildings housing the dressing rooms, offices, hospitality areas and such like. It does look like since being built in the early Seventies, little has changed, except for an area of terracing that spreads the width of the pitch, with a tall area of cover bang in the middle.

Behind the opposite goal is a small area of cover that stretches over the walkway, with a low roof, while the main stand sits on the South side of the ground, running from one end to just beyond the half way line. It’s split between one end seated, and one end terraced. The North side of the ground is just open standing.

The pitch was in superb nick, and I was hoping for an entertaining encounter between visiting Margate who sat half way up the Premier Division of the Isthmian League, and the hosts who were also mid-table in the South Central Division. Geographically they are more suited to the North Division, but as I always say, you have to draw the line somewhere, and arguably Barking got the short straw this time around. From reading the programme I was surprised to see this was the first time the two clubs had ever met which I found odd. But then again Margate are historically Southern League, and Barking Isthmian, so I suppose it does make sense.

To be truthful, the game wasn’t great, and I’m not just saying that because it finished goalless. The first half was pretty much bereft of any goal mouth action, although to be fair the second half was better with both sides creating a couple of decent chances, but poor finishing and good goalkeeping was the order of the day. The two will go again on the Kent coast on Tuesday night. 110 paid to watch it with a good number having travelled from Margate, including a woman with a drum who spent the ninety minutes singing on her own!

So, Barking Football Club, when I did my research I was somewhat taken aback.

They were an Athenian League club before the War up until the early Fifties when they joined the Isthmian League, where they had a lengthy spell in the top flight barring a four season period in the mid-Seventies when they dropped to the First Division. The crowning moment came in 1978-79 when they were Champions of the Premier Division, the season before the formation of the Alliance Premier League, it was an incredible achievement given the calibre of some of the clubs they were competing against.

Had it been a couple of years later, Barking would have found themselves in the top tier of non-league football, but at the time of the formation of the APL, the Isthmian League clubs were not considered for membership, despite the league being theoretically on a par with both the Southern and Northern Premier League’s. It wasn’t until the 1981-82 season that neighbouring Dagenham became the first club to make the move.

By 1991 they’d been relegated to the First Division, and then by 1997 they were in the Second Division. In 2001 they merged with East Ham United and became known as Barking & East Ham United. This lasted five seasons, and after a fifth placed finish in the Southern League South Eastern Division, the club tragically folded.

A phoenix club re-appeared the following season, in the Essex Senior League, and by 2017 they’d won the title and were back into the Isthmian League, once again, where they remain today.

However, the league championship aside, the other thing that struck me was the clubs pedigree in the FA Cup. In the championship season of 78-79 they reached the Second Round, losing to Aldershot, while the following year that beat Oxford United in the First Round before losing to Reading.

In 1981-82 they reached the Second Round again, losing a replay against Gillingham, while in 1983-84 they lost once again in the Second Round, this time to Plymouth Argyle, who famously went on to reach the Semi Final that year. I remember that Plymouth run well, I was at the Baseball Ground that night for the Sixth Round Replay against Derby County when Andy Rodgers scored direct from a corner!

So, quite a history, and as I looked back through my records, what also came to light was the fact that I’d never ever seen Barking play, I’d seem the Barking & East Ham variation back in 2004 at Leighton Town, but never good old, plain and simple Barking.

Game aside, I was well pleased I’d chosen Barking above others on offer, otherwise it might have been some time before I got to know a little bit more of the history of one of East London’s most famous football clubs.

The Briggers

Worsbrough Bridge Athletic  4  Rossington Main  2

Northern Counties East League – Division One

I’ve only ever been to Worsbrough Bridge once before, it was a pre-season friendly back in July 2003 and it was to watch Gary Marrow’s Belper Town win 1-0.

Given the fact I work in Sheffield, its somewhat surprising that I’ve never been to the ground since, especially given that the Northern Counties East league is hardly sparing when it comes to scheduling midweek fixtures.

I have tried to go, but on many an occasion my best made plans fell apart due to weather conditions and a slightly suspect pitch that doesn’t take much to reduce it to a waterlogged swamp!

In fact, it’s that long since I went, the club has changed it’s name in the interim period, they are now an Athletic whereas before they were a Miners Welfare. I assume with the decline of the Miners Welfare in recent years, it was the natural an obvious thing to do.

I was determined to make it this season for a number of reasons, firstly because it is such a long time and I wanted to have another look, plus, I know they’ve done some work on the ground since so I wanted to check that out. Finally, I wanted to get to it before the bad weather sets in, which will undoubtedly make it doubly difficult later in the campaign.

Worsbrough Bridge Miners Welfare joined the old Yorkshire League back in 1971, and successive promotions saw them reach the top flight in double quick time. However, by 1982 when the Northern Counties East League had been formed, they’d dropped back to the bottom tier and consequently had to start in Division Two South of the newly created competition.

By 1991 they’d reached the First Division of the NCEL, and since then, that is precisely where they’ve remained. In most recent seasons, barring last time out, it’s been something of a struggle for the club, who dropped the Miners Welfare and took up the Athletic moniker in 2006.

The ‘Briggers’ play at Park Road, which saw its best attendance of 1,603 in 1971 when Blyth Spartans came to town in the old FA Amateur Cup. Park Road is shared with cricket, and sits on the main A61 road that runs from the M1 at Birdwell into Barnsley.

Parking is tight, but I was early enough to get in the car park. You walk down past the Sports & Development club to get through the turnstiles, and this brings you in behind the goal. Round to the left is open standing, and a small area of covered terracing on the half way line. You can’t get much beyond this as it leads to the cricket ground area which is out of bounds to spectators.

Going round to the right from the turnstiles the path takes you high up above the pitch which sits below a bank, while on the half way line sits the iconic old main stand which is like many in the area that have, and in some cases, still do adorn football ground with links to Miners Welfare’s.

Beyond the stand is a relatively new building that houses the dressing rooms and a small clubroom area that serves food and drinks, including very welcoming cans of Carling. Talking of welcoming, I found the home officials very friendly, in fact we spent some time, along with one of the match officials, talking about Belper’s recent game at Notts County in the FA Cup.

A crowd of 108 paid to watch the game against Doncaster based Rossington Main, and I have to say that the Briggers, managed by former Belper player Lee Morris, looked superb in the first half.

Ashley Emmett gave them an eighteenth minute lead, before Kieran Hirst got the second from the penalty spot on the half hour mark. Sam Race then scored a third just before half time in a game that had been very one way.    

I was expecting a deluge of goals from the Briggers in the second half but the game didn’t follow a similar pattern. Niall Doran pulled a goal back before Hirst restored the three goal advantage almost instantly. Main continued to battle and got a second goal in the final tem minutes from Tyla Bell.

It had been a very good game to be fair, and while the hosts were the better side, I was surprised to see them in the bottom half of the table on that showing.

I’ll try not to leave it sixteen years before I go again, but judging by the rain we’ve had over the weekend, it might not be before Christmas!

Joeys

Rocester  4  NKF Burbage  0

Midland Football League – Division One

I don’t suppose when Joseph Bamford founded his company in 1945, did he expect that his product would go on to inspire a song?

Ok, so he was Luke, he was five and his Dad was Bruce Lee, and he drove around in a JCB, holding up the bypass (the A38 between Ripley and the M1 typically). Nizlopi released the JCB song in 2004, by which time, the company formed by Mr Bamford, and now in the hands of Sir Anthony, employed over 11,000 people and had a £3 billion turnover.

Located between Ashbourne and Uttoxeter, the vast site where the JCB factory sits is on the edges of the village of Rocester, a village, who’s history and economy is so interwoven with ‘Joeys’.

Right on the edges of the opposite end of the village, on the Staffordshire / Derbyshire border is the home of Rocester Football Club, a club with a rich and long history, but in terms of senior football, relatively young at the same time.

Plying their trade in local football for donkey’s years, they became founder members of the Staffordshire Senior League in 1984, where after much success in a three year spell, they moved into the West Midlands Regional League, which saw a rise in the clubs profile.

They proved to be a relatively successful club in the WMRL before being invited to become founder members of the Midland Football Alliance in 1994, and within five years they had been crowned champions and with it came a promotion to the heady heights of the Southern League.

They had four seasons in the Southern before relegation back to the MFA, but they bounced back immediately as champions and became members of the Northern Premier League. Their one and only season in the NPL was an unmitigated disaster, they finished bottom without winning a single game.

Since that season in 2005-05, they’ve competed back in the MFA, which then re-branded as the Midland Football League following a merger with the Midland Combination, although by the start of last season they’d been relegated to the First Division, where they remain.

The national competitions show a best FA Cup of the 3^rd Qualifying Round, while the Vase has a best run of the 5^th Round in the 1986-87, the clubs first in the competition. That campaign was unique in the sense that of the six games they played, five were at home, but none of them were actually played at the Mill Lane ground. Four were hosted by Leek Town, and two by Eastwood Hanley. I can only assume ground grading was an issue.

I first went to Rocester in the 1994-95 season and saw them lose 4-0 at home to a strong Leek Town side in the FA Cup. I’ve seen Belper play a couple of friendlies at the ground while I also saw them play Yate Town in one of their early Southern League games.

Since then, I’ve had some interesting experiences with trips to Rocester. Firstly, the day after my daughter was born I made the popular decision to go and watch a Bank Holiday Monday game against Hinckley United that the visitors won 9-1. I also went to watch an end of season game against Oldbury United, only for the game to be postponed an hour before kick off as the visitors were unable to make it to the ground. Nothing remarkable about that, apart from the fact that they’d boarded a coach only to be well on their way when it came to light that the driver was drunk! The journey was quickly aborted!

My last visit came back in 2011 when I was courting the present Mrs H, being the old romantic that I am, I chose to take her on a cold and wet Tuesday night to watch them play Heath Hayes. The restaurant was fully booked up that night, and as she was driving, I felt we had very little alternative options…..

The ground at Mill Lane doesn’t change very much, but it is very well kept and is a tidy and well equipped venue. A relatively new car park has been built, with an entrance road along the edges of the JCB Academy, an educational establishment that occupies a vast old mill (hence Mill Lane). The clubhouse welcomes you, while to the side of the clubhouse and dressing rooms is a seated stand that was built by the club but incorporates seats that were rescued from Walsall's old Fellows Park.

Both ends are open, while on the opposite side of the pitch is some low cover straddling the half way line (also from Walsall). The pitch was in superb condition, while the four cornered floodlight pylons offer a very good level of illumination (check my next blog for an example of a ground where it’s quite the opposite).

Of course, dotted around the ground are various advertising hoardings supplied by Joeys, it’s good to see that despite their size and vast multi-national operations, they are still very much in touch with the local community, and of course their roots.

Rocester have had a modest season so far, and were up against Barwell based NKF Burbage who’ve had some indifferent results of late since the loss of their manager.

Luke Smith gave the Romans a very early lead, but after that the visitors had their best spell of the game without being able to take advantage. Jordan Dodd then made it 2-0 just before half time and that was the goal that seemed to knock the stuffing out of Burbage.

Elisio Francisco then scored a quick fire double just before the hour mark to make the game more than safe, and in the end the impressive hosts could have gone on to net more.

A good night for Rocester, and enjoyable one for me, with a very quick and easy journey back over the border. I went the back way, avoiding the bypass, only, given where we were, I had visions of being held up by a JCB………….

Once In A Lifetime

Notts County  2  Belper Town  1

FA Challenge Cup – Fourth Qualifying Round

Let’s get the elephant in the room dealt with first and foremost.

I don’t go to many Belper Town games, maybe half a dozen a season, and the reason for that is simply because I prefer to do what I do, and that’s travel.

That doesn’t mean to say that they aren’t my team though. It’s the first result I look for, and on the basis that Mrs H is a season ticket holder and Mr H Senior is the Managing Director of the club, it would be impossible not to feel a connection.

So when I sat in the toilet at one of our offices, listening to the draw on Talksport for the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup, and out came Notts County away, I instantly knew I was going to cop for some earache.

I’d said the day before that the dream draw for Belper would be Notts County away, and I was met with a few comments, most of them along the lines of “And I suppose you might even turn up for that one?”

To be fair, I wasn’t going to miss that, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, and of course when I announced that I’d be going to the game, the floodgates opened. In fact, one night at the dinner table it was decidedly uncomfortable, so much so, Mrs H actually stated that she hoped I wouldn’t get a ticket!

I simply had to accept that I would be viewed as something of a bandwagon jumper, a glory hunter, and whatever other uncomplimentary, but probably deserved, terms you can think of for those who only turn up for the big games.

Moving on. After the initial verbal and psychological exchanges, what then happened between the draw being made, and the final whistle sounding at Meadow Lane, is something that will live forever in the memory, and for me, perhaps even surpasses the FA Vase run of 1995.

Tickets went on sale, and the clamour was immense. Estimations of how many the Nailers would sell ranged from 1000 to 1500, and in the end it turned out to be a quite incredible 1718 who took up their places in the Jimmy Sirrel Stand at Meadow Lane.

Notts County, by all accounts were absolutely superb once the draw had been made. The management and the directors of the club were invited to the next home game against Dagenham & Redbridge, and were royally looked after in the process. In many ways, the away draw worked much better for the club because other than flog tickets and sort out match day logistics, from a planning perspective the pressure was off.

The club travelled by luxury coach to the game, but the supporters had to make their own arrangements. The hourly trains to Nottingham were kindly doubled in size by East Midlands Trains to accommodate the expected support. The talk in the town was about which train you were catching, and for us, that was going to be the 11am. Ideally with Master H part of the travelling party, we needed seats, so we took the view of getting on the train one step further back at Ambergate to be sure. That plan worked a treat as once the train pulled into Belper, it was clear given the volume of human mass present, that had it been the original two car service, we would have had a problem.

With the local media all over matters, the players and management found themselves under a spotlight like never before, and they handled it brilliantly. The club was well and truly on the map, and as you got off the train in Nottingham, and the songs started as we walked up the platform, you just knew this was big time. This was what professional football was all about, this was little Belper Town travelling to a club that was in the top flight of English football as recently as 1992.  Notts County may be a non-league club right now, but trust me, this is a big football club with a ground that seats 20,000 spectators. It really does not, and probably will not, get any bigger in our lifetimes.

Pre-match we went for a meal in ‘Hooters’ with many a fellow Nailer, I’ve never been in the infamous establishment before but to be fair it was very good and the food was excellent value. With the youngster in tow, we thought it perhaps best not to try the local pubs, especially considering some of the DCFC Stone Island Danny Dyer types had managed to get a pub closed in the City Centre with their pyrotechnic related antics.

We got in the ground nice and early, and very soon the concourse was filling up, and of course the singing started. It was clear we had two camps, the loyal BTFC regulars, and then the young Rams fans (albeit from Belper) who were having a day out. To be fair, you half expect that, but Belper fans don’t do the bounce, and they don’t hate Forest (much). They do like singing about beer and Matlock Town though!

The atmosphere at kick off was electric, the Nailers fans had been kept all together as opposed to being allowed to spread themselves across the entire length of the stand, which in turn meant the noise levels were at an impressive level. 

County had elected to open three sides of the ground, the Jimmy Sirrel Stand where the BTFC contingent were homed, the main Derek Pavis Stand opposite and the Spion Kop to the right of the away fans where the vocal Magpies element were sat. A total crowd of 5,729, the largest of the day in the competition pitched up, and from a coffers perspective, taking price money and gate receipts into account from the whole FA Cup experience, Belper were set to make around £50,000.

In terms of visiting Meadow Lane, it was the first Football League ground when I was a kid that I was allowed to go to and stand on the terraces, as opposed to sitting down. I was never allowed to stand on the Popside at Derby County and always had to go in one of the stands. But when we went to see Notts take on then Gola League outfit Scarborough in the FA Cup (incidentally) in 1985, it was a standing spot on the County Road side, which (incidentally), is now known as the Jimmy Sirrel Stand.

Visits since then have been sparse, with the most recent being over 25 years ago when a sorry Derby side were slammed 4-1, with Gary McSwegan netting a hat-trick for the Magpies. A visit, I suppose, was long overdue, but never did I think I’d be going to Meadow Lane to see the hosts as a non-league club, playing the Nailers?

So, the game.

Well it’s been shown, shown again, commented upon, and then shown again over the past few days so I’ll keep it brief. Danny Gordon scored a ‘Worldie’ that will forever have it’s place in the BTFC hall of fame to give the Nailers the lead, but after a sustained period of pressure, County equalised. County got a second and the subsequent winning goal in the second half, but Belper got a second wind and threw everything at the Magpies in the closing stages, with only some desperate defending and fine goalkeeping denying them an equaliser and a replay back at Christchurch Meadow.

Anyone who was at the game will not forget the scenes at the final whistle when the players and the management came over to salute the travelling masses. It was a memorable, and an emotional moment for everyone.

And that was it, we were still buzzing as we waited to board the trains, it had been a superb day, and a defeat that actually felt like a victory. Will we ever see the like of it again?

I honestly don’t know as it’s impossible to say, but just in case we don’t, that’s why I made absolutely sure I was there, along with the 1717 others.

Finally, tribute has to be paid to the manager Grant Black, his backroom team, the players and of course the Directors of BTFC who have worked bloody hard over the years to make occasions like Notts County possible.  Take a bow Belper Town Football Club and all of those either involved or supporting them, you were an absolute credit to the town, and to Non-League football.    

Pictures - Tim Harrison / Mike Smith / Neil Laughlin

Kebabs & Discos

Scotland Under 19s  1  Germany Under 19s  0

UEFA Under 19 Championship

I’ve seen some sights before on my trips to Glasgow, but only minutes after seeing a chap walking down the street wearing just one trainer, I walked into a pub to be greeted by a barmaid eating a kebab behind the bar, while at the same time, trance music was blaring out from the jukebox.

It was 6pm on a Tuesday night.

I must admit, as I took my seat in Munns Bar with a pint of Tennants, the kebab did smell good (it was probably an advertising ploy), and I’d almost forgotten just how good ‘Set You Free’ by N-Trance is, although I prefer the remix on the CD single version, which is currently sat in our garage somewhere.  

Welcome to Maryhill on an October evening, and welcome to the home of Partick Thistle Football Club, the club supported by Billy Connolly.

Scotland was upon me again, and this time it happened to coincide with an international break, which wasn’t a bad thing to be fair as it gave me two match choices. I could have watched Andorra play Belarus with a man and his dog at Dumbarton, or I could have watched the home nation take on the Germans at Firhill. It wasn’t a difficult choice in the end.

To be fair to the Scottish FA, they offered free admission to the games and with the kick offs being scheduled for 7.05pm, it was perfect for getting back into the centre for something to eat and a couple of snifters in the local Spoons.

I’d travelled up on the Monday, but Monday was a barren day for football so I sat in my room and watched the disgrace that was the Bulgaria v England game. The solution is simple, kick them out of Europe, at national and club level. They did it to British clubs remember in the Eighties because of hooliganism, so do it now, an example needs to be made and sadly, these Eastern European countries simply do not get it.

Anyway, that aside, it was a working day down in Clarkston followed by a train back to Central, a quick drop of the bag in the hotel, before jumping on the old ‘Clockwork Orange’. The Glasgow Subway is something I’ve only ever been on once before and that was back in the late Nineties when myself and my mate Tim went to my brother-in-laws folks place in Largs. We had a day in Glasgow and decided to go to Partick (which is not where Thistle play) for a curry and some beers. It’s like the London Undeground, but it’s essentially two lines, an ‘Inner’ that goes anti-clockwise and an ‘Outer’ that goes clockwise. As you’ve perhaps worked out, it’s a circle, and from a football perspective it’s great if you want to go to Thistle, or to Rangers, but not much use for anywhere else!

So, I got on at St Enoch which is less than a minutes walk from the underpass at Central, and within six minutes I was departing at St Georges Cross. Firhill is a ten minute walk up Maryhill Road, and having arrived in the vicinity of the ground a good hour before kick off, I opted for the nearest pub to the ground, which also happens to be something of a home for the Thistle support.

With kebab smell in my nostrils and the desire to go in search of some disco biscuits getting all too much after a couple of pints, I felt it was time to have a walk to the stadium which was no more than three minutes away.

The façade of the main stand at Firhill is superb, a tall brick and part rendered wall is straight out of the Fifties, and on an October evening, it’s an evocative venue that smells of history. Once through the turnstiles you were up the steps and into the seats, which were fastened to wooden floorboards. The view was obstructed slightly by the struts at the front, but otherwise it was a tight old stand with a seemingly unused paddock terracing in front of it.

Opposite was a more modern stand that’s split between home and away support, while behind the goal to the left is the John Lambie Stand where the passionate Thistle support congregates. The flags adorning the back of the stand, erected by supporters, looked impressive in the clubs colours of yellow and red.

Behind the goal to the right it’s a grass bank, and it’s out of bound for spectators, Firhill is a three sided ground.

626 spectators took advantage of the free admission, and they witnessed the hosts record a 1-0 victory over their illustrious opponents, who, if we apply the law of averages, have probably got a future World Cup winner in their side. Scotland on the other hand, I can pretty much guarantee, don’t!

The goal came just before half time courtesy of Josh McPake, a Rangers player who is currently on loan at Dundee, and to be fair it was a deserved victory for Billy Stark’s side who also hit the post.

The result sees Scotland leapfrog Germany at the top of the group table, and as a result they qualify for the Elite Round of qualifiers for the Championships  which take place in Northern Ireland next Summer.

At the final whistle it was quick exit down Maryhill Road to the subway, and with an efficient service I was soon back in the pub tucking into a pizza, although I do think Wetherspoons are really missing a trick by not offering Donner Kebabs on the menu. Imagine it, how good would that be, ordering a pint and a kebab on the app from your seat?

Anyway, another great night at the ‘Fitba’ in Scotland, and I must have a dig around in the garage for the Ministry of Sound Trance CD’s, I think I’ve re-discovered a new genre!

The Horse Has Bolted

Grey Horse  4  Cudworth Star  2

Barnsley & District Sunday League – Division One

It was a calculated gamble on my part if I’m being brutally honest.

The scenario was a relatively simple one, I have three new grounds to conquer in the Sheffield County Senior League, one of which is the Barnsley Academy home of Bank End, and another is the Kendray Recreation Ground home of Ardsley Athletico.

The two grounds are basically next door to each other, and it came to my notice that on this particular Sunday, both were in use, simultaneously, for Grey Horse and Mount respectively, in the Barnsley Sunday League. I worked out that if I was to travel, I could take my pick, and if the weather wasn’t great then I was increasing my chances of finding a game on.

It banged it down with rain overnight, and into the morning, and if I’m being completely truthful, as much as I would contact a club secretary over a Saturday game irrespective of the level, I would not set about contacting a Sunday league secretary to see if a game were on. That would just open a can of worms so vast it doesn’t bear thinking about, and of course, a likely arrest!

No, I decided to take a punt at it, and with it being 11am kick offs at both venues, I wasn’t planning  on arriving in the general vicinity much earlier than the scheduled kick offs.

My hopes on seeing a game did start to dwindle as I made my way up the M1, it was torrential, but to be fair, once off the motorway and down through Birdwell and Worsbrough Bridge, from a weather perspective things were looking up.

I did have a favourite game though, I wanted to go to Grey Horse, largely because Mount were at home again in a couple of weeks time. So, when the sat nav eventually took me to the entrance of the large Barnsley Academy, I drove around the site and found nothing. I did spot some cars in a car park, and some goal nets up on an adjacent pitch, but from looking at Google Maps, that was the venue next door. The Plan B was on, but what about Plan A?

As luck would have it, I saw a car pull into the entrance and the driver was wearing a referee’s kit, so I did the sensible thing and elected to follow him. This turned out to be a smart move as he took a sharp right through a gate that I’d not previously noticed, and before you could cry ‘pub football’, we were in a car park and in the distance up a steep bank was a football pitch with players warming up on it.

It was raining again, but undeterred I made my way up the bank to the pitch, which pre-match looked like a decent surface that drained well, especially when you consider that Bank End had played on it the day before.

From a description point of view, lets not try and dress it up, it was a school playing field, but it was on something of a plateau. From one end you could see the Mount game taking place, but it was way too far away to pull a stunt like the one Jamesie and I pulled many years back at Stone Dominoes. A stunt that we received tremendous ridicule for from the purists, and indeed those who believe it isn’t possible to watch two games at the same time!

I elected to take a perch at the top of a bank behind one of the goals, with umbrella in hand, it was certainly not showing any signs of abating.

I guess I’d better talk about the game hadn’t I?

Ok, not that simple, firstly I’m on a train back from Scotland as I write this and my brain is not just fried, it’s deep fried after two days of Assessments, Accreditations and Role Plays. But also, to be brutally honest, as much as I know the game ended 4-2 to the hosts, I’m really struggling to recall how the scoring went!

I do remember the hosts scored twice late in the second period to take the lead and give themselves some breathing space, but how the game got to 2-2, nope, not a clue! I do recall it was something of an end to end encounter and the pitch got progressively more boggy as the game went on. I was quite engaged by the action, but at the same time, it was wet and it was muddy and I was stood in a field in the middle of Barnsley on a Sunday lunchtime.

Anyway, it now transpires that the game I was looking to go to on the pitch over the way in a couple of weeks time has now been postponed, so it might be November now before I get to see Mount play at Kendray Rec. Next time, I’ll either take a notepad or pay more attention, but, maybe this is telling me that Sunday football, from my perspective, is running it’s course?

Zoom

Horsforth St Margaret’s Reserves  3  Golcar United Reserves  1

Yorkshire Amateur League - Championship

The rainy season is upon us, and while we are certainly not in Japanese typhoon territory, it is starting to cause a few issues from a football perspective.

I’d got Wortley v Lower Hopton on the radar, but after swapping texts with the club it soon came to light that it was going to be dependant upon a pitch inspection. It failed, and with Kibworth Town being off as well I did start to wonder about 3G options, especially in the North which seemed harder hit than elsewhere.

As luck would have it, Horsforth St Margaret’s Reserves were down as playing at home, so having once again swapped texts with Ryan (a player / secretary) who was incredibly helpful, and having also established that they were on a 3G, my mind was made up, it was time to head to Leeds Trinity University.

I do like the North side of Leeds, especially the corridor that runs up past Kirkstall Abbey and out towards the airport, it makes for a pleasant journey, and you always know that the venues for the football will typically be good ones, and the choices of pubs indeed plentiful.

Horsforth St Margaret’s first team play in the Supreme Division of the Yorkshire Amateur League, while the ressies play in the Championship (third tier). As you go through Horsforth and out along Brownberrie Lane, the clubs ground appears on the left, but this is just used by the junior sides and the third and fourth teams. A little further along the lane is the University, where the firsts and seconds play, presumably because of grading requirements and pitch availability.

Once parked up and safe in the knowledge that car parking charges don’t apply at weekends, it was time to give the student union bar a try, and with it take a trip back in time!

I went to University at Keele, in Staffordshire, and they were blessed with bars. You had Union Square, you had BJ’s, you had the Main Union and then each halls of residence had it’s own bar, which in my case was Lindsay Bar. My favourite was BJ’s, myself Craig and Suzy always went in on a Monday night, they had a deal on whereby Kronenbourg was just £1 a pint (it was 1991). It was never very busy and the jukebox was ours, with favourites being REM, Guns N Roses and of course who could ever forget ‘Zoom’ by Fat Larry’s Band!

I tend to think Student Union’s have changed a bit since my day, not least the pricing. A pint of lager was £3.50 which certainly didn’t smack of student subsidies, whereas the food was very reasonable, I had a very edible warm ham, cheese and chicken wrap for just £2.90. They didn’t take cash though, it was cards only, what is the World coming to?

Just across the way was the 3G pitch where today’s action was going to take place. Visiting Golcar, who’s first team have just been promoted to the North West Counties League, and with it they are getting some unreal attendances, sat top of the table with three wins from three. The ‘Maggies’ on the other hand had two wins and a defeat from their opening three games.

The first half was pretty much one way traffic, with the hosts racing into a three goal lead thanks to some very clinical football in the final third which saw them get behind the opposition back four seemingly at will.

Golcar pulled a goal back in the second period and looked a better outfit after the break. They could count themselves somewhat fortunate to still have eleven players on the pitch when the referee failed to see a head butt on a Maggies player following an altercation, but despite finishing the game strongly, the hosts hung on and on the first half display alone, deserved the three points.

The journey back to blighty was a straightforward one, with another of the YAL top flight venues in the bag, so just Wortley to go now, and they themselves have still not played a home game yet this season.

I’m not sure when I’ll next get the opportunity to sample another student union bar, but when I do, I’ll remember to take my credit card, because apparently, this is the 21^st century?

“Zoom, just one look and then my heart went boom………”

Lock Out

Wantage Town  1  Windsor  3

Berkshire & Buckinghamshire Senior Cup – First Round

It’s a long drive from Wantage back to Belper on a Tuesday night.

So when I pulled on to my drive at 11.45pm, I was looking forward to a nightcap and my cradle, however, when it became clear that I was locked out of the house thanks to a key being left in on the other side, it was really was not what I needed.

I decided to send a couple of texts to Mrs H, pleading for her to come down from bed and let me in, but it transpired they wouldn’t send due to network errors. I found out about the network error when I then tried to call and it wouldn’t connect. I then decided to switch my phone off and on again, but as it was only at 5% battery when I did it, by the time it booted back up again, the battery was flat!

Oh happy days! So I gave the Ring doorbell a couple of blasts, but within a few minutes it was clear it wasn’t waking her up, it subsequently transpired that Mrs H turns it onto silent mode at night….

I was at this stage genuinely fearing spending the night in my car, which was far from ideal given that I needed to be up at 6am to pick up some senior executives from my company at 8am from a Hotel in Sheffield. But, knowing that my in car USB port was broken, I happened to find in the glove compartment an adaptor that plugged into the lighter socket, and bingo, the green light came on, we had a USB port after all, which was great. At least it would have been great had I got a cable to attach it to my phone, I hadn’t, I’d left it in the house!

Next idea, my laptop, take it to the window downstairs and hope it picks up the WiFi, which it did, and that meant I could send a Facebook message to Mrs H. That didn’t work, so I sent one to the Mother In Law to ask her to ring her, assuming she was still up bearing in mind it was half past midnight, and guess what, that failed.

So, with options running out, I tried knocking on the door and the window, that once again failed, so with a limited supply of objects to throw at the bedroom window, I opted for the one and only small coin in my pocket.  It hit the window perfectly, but then it landed on the window ledge (I couldn’t do it again if I tried), so with the first effort failing to rouse her, I was now well and truly stuffed.

A flash on inspiration came over me, find a phone box! Now I’ve not set foot in a phone box for 25 years, and even then it wasn’t to make a call, so actually having any recollection where they were located in Belper was going to be a trial and error job. I did eventually find one in a car park half way between home and town, but it was out of order and it smelled of piss. So, with the time now past 1am, I drive into town and found a working box near the bus stops.

Next problem, could I remember the good lady’s number, and also, how did you work the bloody thing! I got the number right and the call connected, but it rang to answer machine upon which I left a quite fraught and uncomplimentary message. My only hope now would be, if I was to drive home, would she have heard the phone and got the message?

Wantage Town were on my radar a couple of years ago, but they got relegated from the Southern League back to the Hellenic League, so they kind of dropped off if it until promotion at the end of last season following a championship campaign, which saw them return.

The Alfredian Park ground of ‘The Freds’ is the nearest ground to my house (if I could get in it) in Steps 1-4 of the non-league pyramid that I’d not been to, so I worked out it was just about realistic to travel for a midweek game. When I set off from Sheffield I was still in two minds somewhat, but with the M1, the A43 and the M40 behaving despite it being rush hour, I felt much happier about the journey even with the trials and tribulations of the Oxford Ring Road still to ambush me.

I got to the ground, which is on the road out of the pretty and well to do Oxfordshire town, in good time for kick off, and with a parking space found inside the ground, it was an opportunity to survey the scene.

A narrow track leads from the main road and takes you through the gates and the turnstiles into a car park which sits behind the goal. Also set in the car park are the dressing rooms and the sizeable clubhouse which looked to be doing a decent trade despite a small crowd being in attendance for a Berkshire and Buckinghamshire County Cup tie. I know what you are now thinking, well Wantage used to be part of Berkshire, so their participation is presumably based on historical matters.

The only cover at the ground is on the side furthest away from the road, and this comprises of some terracing, some bench seating and some ‘proper’ seating. It looks quite modern so maybe it’s replaced what was once in place?

Both ends and the other side are hard standing, but overall it’s a tidy and well kept ground, with a lovely playing surface, and also in a very pleasant residential area. Quite how the locals view the club is anyone’s guess, but they’ve been allowed what they have so complaints about lights and cars and stands can’t have been too vocal.

So, on the field, what’s been happening?

I’ll admit to not knowing what’s happened at Wantage, but after winning the Hellenic last season, I can only assume that they’ve had a complete change of playing staff. Because so far in the league they’ve played nine and lost all of them scoring  just two goals and letting in 43.  Thame United have put nine past them whereas AFC Dunstable and Berkhamsted have both found the net seven times.

Windsor (the former Windsor & Eton), who turned out in a kit in the style of a Union Jack, with the red replaced with pink, sat half way up the Combined Counties League. They had beaten Wantage 7-0 early in a pre-season friendly, so that in itself didn’t bode well for the hosts.

The game went to the form book with the visitors winning 3-1, but to be fair, despite a noticeable gap in quality, Wantage showed some fantastic batting qualities and never once looked like throwing the towel in. Look, they’ll finish bottom and will probably be relegated, that sounds harsh I know, but they aren’t a Step 4 football team in all fairness. Whatever has happened, has happened, and they need to go down again to find their feet.

The journey back had one annoying traffic related element when it transpired that that entrance onto the Oxford Ring at Botley was closed, so I had to go all the way round the other way, past the ground of Oxford City, before heading back out to the M40. Otherwise, all was fine.

So, did Mrs H get the message just after 1am?

Thankfully she did, but, have a guess who got the blame? Yep, you don’t need me to tell you, but I really must get my in car USB port fixed if I want to avoid a repeat.

I’ll never forget my trip to Wantage, for so many reasons……..

The Hedge

Sporting Markfield  2  Rothley Imperial  0

Leicestershire & Rutland FA Intermediate Cup – First Round

I’ve never been to Brechin City, but I’m told they have an absolute dogs bollocks of a hedge!

Yes, that’s right, down one side of the ground is a fantastic hedge, and for many that alone justifies a several hundred mile round trip. This hedge has got to be something special, because whenever you ask someone who’s ever been what it’s like to visit, you always get one response…

“Oh yes, that hedge”

To be brutally honest, I don’t really care much for hedges, I much prefer a nicely creosoted wooden fence. Hedges are prickly, they need trimming, things that can bite you live in them, and it’s very hard to retrieve objects from a hedge.

Why am I banging on about hedges you might ask?

Well, I wasn’t intending to go to Sporting Markfield on Saturday, I was going to go to Brighouse Sports Old Boys, but then when I found out they were not playing at their normal ground, I had to pick a Plan B.

Plan B was just down the M1 to the Leicester North and Coalville exit, to one of the two remaining Leicestershire Senior League grounds I’ve yet to visit, the Jubilee Playing Fields on Altar Stones Lane.

So, arriving an hour or so before kick off I had a spin up to the ground first of all to check everything was ok with the game, it clearly was, but the first thing that struck me was the impressive nature of the facilities.

A good sized car park, a pitch railed on three sides, and a changing room / clubhouse building. But, the crowning glory was on the fourth un-railed side of the pitch, a massive hedge. Well, not strictly a hedge, more of a tightly packed in row of conifer trees, but from a distance it would pass as a hedge. I suddenly realised I had found my Brechin, and didn’t have to spend twelve hours on the road to get to it!

Hedges aside, once I’d discovered the game was on it was down to the local pub, the Queens Head on Ashby Road, where Landlord Les was entertaining the locals. Suitably refreshed and it was back up the road to watch the First Round tie in the Leicestershire & Rutland Intermediate Cup, which matched up table topping Markfield against fourth placed neighbours Rothley Imperial, in the Second Division that is.

Markfield finished third in the North Leicestershire League last season and have continued their excellent form into the current campaign, winning six and losing two of their eight games.

The game was a tight affair in the first period with both sides having plenty of possession but that much needed class and composure in the final third at both ends of the pitch was lacking a touch, and that was largely why we were goalless at the interval.

The game swung in the hosts favour in the second period when goals from Niall Smith and Karl King saw them clinch victory, and on balance of play it was probably the right outcome in the end.

I must say though, even without the added attraction of the hedge, I really enjoyed my afternoon out. A very nice little ground in a somewhat rural location, a decent game of football and a handy little boozer to kick start the afternoon.

Home by twenty past four as well, in time to see that Brechin City had been held to a 1-1 draw by Stirling Albion. Maybe one day…..