ELR

 

East Leake Robins  4  South Notts   2

Friendly

The tribulations of the new season continued at a pace, as petitions were being drawn up to lobby the authorities to allows spectators back into non-league football grounds, I was busy trying to find myself an option for what was forecast to be one of the warmest days of the year.

To be honest, I’d got East Leake Robins on the agenda for the previous Saturday, but after initially contacting the club and being told I was fine to go and watch them, they sent me a further message on the Saturday morning saying spectators would not be allowed. On the basis the game was at a sports centre I completely understood that and moved on to look at other games.

However, I then spotted that they played at home again in midweek and with it put out a message saying that spectators would be welcome as long as they wore full nuclear incident clean up suits etc etc. So, with that in mind, I dropped them a note again on Saturday morning and got the thumbs up, happy days, I could put the step ladder and binoculars back in the garage, no peering in over fences for me today!

Given the fact East Leake is less than twenty miles from my humblest of abodes, I’ve never once set foot in the place. I got to it via Kegworth before turning left through Zouch and into the village from the South, however, it’s probably quicker heading up to Ratcliffe Power Station and then doing a right down through Gotham City and approaching from the North.

Either way, it’s a straightforward run and doesn’t take long, and to be fair, once in East Leake it was noticeable what a pleasant place it was, with it’s attractive looking pubs and selection of shops. It also looked like a considerable amount of new housing has been built on the South side, and I guess with it being kind of betwixt Nottingham and Leicester, it’s a handy little commuter village if you have the right money!

SDS (Socially Distanced Steve) went to watch ELR (East Leake Robins) a couple of years ago and that time they were playing at a different venue on Costock Road, plying their trade in the North Leicestershire League. However this time around they have moved into the Notts Senior League and it looks like they upped sticks and relocated to the Sports Centre, a move they made in the early part of last season.

Arriving just before kick off, the Sports Centre is located just to the North of the centre of the village, and is conjoined with a school / academy. The 4G caged pitch sits on the far East edge of the complex, with fields and trees beyond it, while the whole site is secured by the standard green fence.

Visitors South Notts were something of a mystery until this week, it seems they are a late addition to the Notts Senior League themselves, having been known as Tingeham last season and members of the Midland & Notts Amateur Alliance.

I have an old adage, it is that you never see a poor game on a plastic pitch. The same was true of today, the visitors took the lead early in the game but a three goal burst from the hosts gave them a healthy lead, before the visitors pulled goal back. A fourth goal did arrive for the hosts and that crowned a deserved victory.

ELR looked a decent side with some good young players, so no reason why they can’t make a mark in the new campaign after being placed in Division Two South. Consequently, not too much in the way of travelling, the furthest journey looking to be South of Grantham and a trip to Colsterworth. Otherwise derbies against the likes of Rushcliffe, Keyworth Ressies and Ruddington Ressies are all handy enough. The NSL have also created a Foundation Division below Division Two, incidentally where South Notts have been placed.

Various spectators came and went during the course of the game, but no issues as distancing was respected. The campaign to let us back in gathers pace, and with leagues scheduled to start in September, I have a feeling that it might have to be below Step 7 for me a little while longer.

Clubs like ELR, South Notts and the plethora of other new names that have appeared in the NSL constitution might be getting a visit early doors, because I think trips to the like of Brentford, York, Isle of Man etc are some way off at this stage.

So, anyone know where AFC Ballers play?