A trip to Rossington, South East of Doncaster, would have been a trek at one time to what was a solid mining town. Now a new feeder road off of junction 3 of the M18 takes you straight there. Well that would be the case if Google maps was up to date and hadn’t taken me on a tour of the new I Port and the mega shed and other buildings that is an Amazon Distribution Centre.
Amazon Distribution Centres are like the Norman Motte-and-Bailey castles or the castles of Edward 1st in that they are there to dominate the populous and ensure that their deeds are done. Most empires fail in the end, I wander who will be the barbarians who topple it.
It is not only these distribution sheds that have helped to transform this area but also the growth of nearby Robin Hood Airport and the Yorkshire Wildlife Park as major local employers. The new housing along the new road is testament to the immense change.
The trip on the cold and misty January night was to see Rossington Main play Brigg Town in The Northern Counties East League Cup 3rd round. The ground is tucked away behind an older housing estate and I was able to squeeze the car into the last space in the good sized car park.
A few weeks ago I wrote about Briggs long history so I will not repeat it here. Brigg played well on that day and their strength as a main challenger for the League title looked to be enough to see off their mid table rivals.
Rossington were formed in 1919 as Rossington Main Colliery. They played in local South Yorkshire leagues initially changing their name to Rossington Miners Welfare in 1948. They entered the Yorkshire League in 1975 and the Central Midlands League in 1983 changing their name to the current Rossington Main. After some successful years they joined the Northern Counties East League in 1991. In 1998, the club amalgamated with another local club, Rossington F.C. They have remained in Division 1 since joining just over 20 years ago.
Rossington Main FC 1 Brigg Town CIC 3
Tuesday January 25th 7.45 Kick off.
Oxford Street, Rossington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN110TE
Bluebirds v Zebras
NECL Division 1 6th v 3rd
It was cold outside, 2 degrees, but really warm in a compact, comfortable, friendly club house with the TV turned on for football.
There were no chips on the menu but there were five varieties of pie and I chose a scalding hot chicken and mushroom pie with mushy peas and gravy. Good for the soul but another blow to the diet.
The club house was getting louder and louder with laughing and banter and it turned out that all the noise and songs were from Brigg Town supporters.
The pitch was flat with good grass cover, cut short and it looked like it had been rolled.
The cold mist cleared before the game started although the air was still and the temperature slowly rose.
Rossington edged the first 15 minutes and created more chances but did not come near to converting their opportunities. The inevitable happened when on 28 minutes a wayward back pass was met by Owen Vincent who coolly lobbed the advancing goalkeeper. Kian Johnson the Rossington keeper managed to stretch to stop the shot but it was parried into the path of Brigg’s Scott Phillips who made no mistake to make it one nil.
With half time beckoning Brigg made it two nil when Reece Newell broke through and from the edge of the box he hit a shot across Johnson who although getting his fingers to the ball couldn’t stop it from nestling in the left hand corner of the net.
So Rossington went in at half time losing two nil but having had more of the play but no cutting edge.
Within 8 minutes Josh Batty was put clean through for Brigg and on the edge of the goal was flattened by Kian Johnson who had rushed out of his goal. Somehow Batty had directed the ball towards the goal and it slowly beat the defenders attempts to stop it crossing the goal line. Batty needed some attention and Johnson was lucky to get away with only a yellow card.
Both sides now made a series of substitutions and Rossington looked more direct.
With 3 minutes left Rossington scored a consolation goal when substitute Dec Slater curled a shot into the net from right centre of the goal.
An enjoyable Tuesday evening that cut through the cold of the night.
As a postscript to this game Toolstation Northern Counties East League Management issued the following statement.
31st January, 2022
A league disciplinary panel has ruled that Brigg Town should be removed from this season’s Toolstation NCEL League Cup having fielded an ineligible player in their Third Round win at Rossington Main.
It was alleged that Brigg had played Lawrence McKay in their 3-1 victory on Tuesday 25th January, 2022, while he was unregistered as a player for the club.
The panel found the case proven and decided that Brigg should be fined and removed from the competition in accordance with the FA’s National League System and the NCEL’s Cup Regulations.
As a result, Rossington Main will be reinstated into the League Cup.
Payonthegate 