Hope Or Expectation?

Todwick Villa   2   Shireoaks Welfare Sports & Social   6 

Worksop Sunday League – First Division

It is more in hope than expectation that I travel to these Sunday games.

Quite understandably, very few clubs have any form of social media that’s kept up to date, so you are literally on a wing and a prayer when it comes to knowing if a game is on, or indeed, if it’s being played at the venue it’s purported to be at!

So, the turn into the car park, or that walk around the corner comes with a sense of anticipation, will there be a collection of hairy arsed pub footballers getting changed at pitch side, or will it be the old bloke scooping up his dogs latest deposit on the local recreation ground?

It’s the Worksop Sunday League again, the gift that continues to give, and feeling fresh as a daisy covered in doggy do-do, courtesy of an early night thanks to Mrs H being out on the town, I trundled up the M1 to junction 31, before the very short journey into the attractive and desirable village of Todwick.

A sense of pride came over me as I drove through the village, for my company has more ‘For Sale’ boards on display than any competitor, the housing market remains buoyant, lockdown has made many realise it’s time to move, for a variety of reasons, not least an irretrievable breakdown of relations with the other half!

Todwick Villa play on Goosecarr Lane, a road leading away from the village in a Westerly direction back towards the A57 and Sheffield. It was as I turned through the narrow gate the glorious sight was awaiting me, yes, it was Socially Distanced Steve stood at the side of his Peugeot, itching to tell me about the maiming and brutality that took place at the previous days encounter between Derby United and FC Sunnyhill.

The game was on, we had two teams and a referee (of sorts). I do like Sunday League refs, baffling but hilarious in equal measures, it’s as if they work to a different set of rules, one of which being the rule whereby the referee must not leave the centre circle under any circumstances.

So why are two grown men of questionable tastes and pastimes stood at the side of a field in Todwick?

Right, so Sheffield County Senior League, and it appears the team that was formally known as Thurcroft Miners Institute, have both disassociated themselves with the Miners Institute, and for good measure, fallen out with Thurcroft Sports Hub. So, they needed a new name (Thurcroft FC), and a new home (Goosecarr Lane).

This all came to light when the first fixture list was published, and as we do, we scoured the local Sunday leagues to see if Thurcroft’s new home, like many others at this time of the season, was in use on the Sabbath, hence giving us a chance for two / three games at a weekend while the weather is chipper.

Bingo, Todwick Villa, get in, bosh!

Anyroadup, on a well known football forum, a chap called Lee who’s involved with Kiveton Park, picked up on this Thurcroft move, and proclaimed that the pitch was barely big enough to host men’s football. In fact, only the day previously he’d seen Thurcroft’s opening game of the season against Stocksbridge Park Steels Development, proclaiming after a 7-4 score line that the size of the pitch would lead to some interesting results this season!

To be fair, it’s a nice place, as I guess you would expect in a well to do village. Cars park in clearly marked spaces down the entrance road, with the pitch running lengthways to the side, and yes, it is a tad on the small side. Behind the road end goal is a smart kids play park, with benches and a small garden, while at the top end of the facility is a changing block and beyond that and the adjacent cricket square is what looks like a floodlit bowls club.

So how did the game go?

Well, as far as Todwick were concerned, not very well. They were well beaten on the day by a stronger Shireoaks side who had one player, who played wide on the left, who simply ran them ragged. At one point they had three men on him to try and stop him, but despite his signature move being to cut inside on his right foot, no one seemed to know how to stop him, he was just too quick on his feet.

The visitors ran out deserved 6-2 winners, Todwick could have no complaints.

It was to be a busy Sunday for both myself and SDS, he had an afternoon game in Pinxton, mine was to be in Riddings, we travelled in more hope, than indeed expectation, once again……