Christopher Columbus

Rainworth Seniors  1 Blidworth Welfare Red  1

Friendly

I’d got it all worked out, the first competitive game of the season, an FA Cup tie at Long Eaton United, all the usual gubbins, arrive early, limited attendance, one way system in the clubhouse, don’t touch anyone, wear gloves and a welding mask etc etc.

But then, as I was passing some idle time perusing Twitter, it came to my attention that a game was taking place at Joseph Whitaker School in Rainworth, where Rainworth Seniors were taking on Blidworth Welfare Reds in a pre-season kick each other about!

I’ve got a squillion or more new grounds in the Notts Senior League this season, and Rainworth Seniors was one of them, so, why not chalk one off and put the welding mask away for another a week at least?

It looked quite interesting as well, El Classico if you like, with both teams having been members of the Midland & Notts Alliance top flight last season, whereas this time around Blidworth have been placed in a higher division than Rainworth. Add in of course the proximity, and I suspect rivalry between the two villages, and you had all the makings.

I had absolutely no idea where the school was in Rainworth. In fact my only knowledge of Joseph Whitaker was the fact that our dearly departed old friend Paul Earnshaw was a hugely respected teacher at the establishment, and on our many journeys to football together he regaled us with funny stories about some of the antics that often went on. Most notably when he was marking a pupils history essay, and opening line was “Christopher Columbus was a bit of a twat!”.

Turns out it’s easy to find, rather than go left at the lights to Rainworth Miners Welfare, you go straight on, take the first right and the ground / school is just up Warsop Road. The trouble is though with these teams that play at schools, you can find the school easily enough, in fact you can often see the pitch, but getting to it is a different story altogether!

Once in the car park at the side of the school, as the crow flies it’s probably about 200 metres to the 4G floodlit playing surface in a cage, but the security fencing, gates and pathways make it feel a lot longer than that. But, having zig-zagged my way to the cage, the best viewing position was indeed at the top of a steep grass back which effectively allowed you to look down into the cage.

The sports facilities at Joseph Whitaker do indeed look very good. At the top of the bank is a grassed area with a football pitch on it, while below the cage are further pitches that look to be used for both football and rugby. It looks like the kind of facility that is heavily used outside of school hours, and it’s clearly a huge benefit to the local community.

Socially Distanced Steve joined me at the game, having too spotted the game on social media, and as the darkness drew in well in advance of the 8pm kick off, the views to the West of Rainworth were impressive with Harlow Wood in the distance. But, we hadn’t come to look at trees, we’d come to watch a football match.

I have to say it was very keenly contested but at times scrappy encounter. Blidworth took the lead in the first half, but Rainworth got an equaliser in the second period from the penalty spot. Both sides wanted to win the game and both ‘benches’ became more animated as the game moved towards it’s conclusion, but on a night when chances were at a premium, no more goals came our way.

And that was it really, a quick escape at the end and back through the front door twenty five minutes later, just as social media was filing up with reports, images and news of sell out crowds at various FA Cup ties across the country. With all due respect, I’m not expecting too many sell outs in the lower echelons of the Notts Senior League this season, I like things nice and simple, turn up, watch game, go home again.

Not like that Christopher Columbus fella……..