With frozen grounds stopping me from visiting my 3 chosen games of the day, I decided to go to Ilkeston, whose game was on because of their artificial pitch.

An interesting approach to the stadium here, with traffic lights guarding single file access over the canal before you turn right into the large car park, £3.

It was still 4 degrees with a light wind before the forecast change from the last 7 days of freezing weather to an expected balmy 7 degrees but high winds of storm ‘Isha’.

There was a constant stream of fans entering the ground and it was no surprise that there was the highest home gate of the season, at 1360, for Ilkeston. This was just over three hundred more than the previous high.

Ilkeston should be applauded for this as they had been rewarded for their efforts.

Their social media had made a lot of noise over Derby County playing away along with Notts Forrest whose game at Brentford didn’t kick off until 17.30. Time then to get home and watch that on TV or stay and watch it in the clubhouse. As the day unfolded, more and more local games were called off, Notts County, Matlock, Heanor and othets all of which were reported on Ilkeston’s social media with calls to ‘come on down’.

There was a final reason for a larger than normal crowd and that was it was a local derby. According to Google Maps it is only 5.9 miles between Ilkeston Town FC, along the A610 and Basford (Pronounced Baseford).

The stadium is soon recognised by its clock tower in one corner  where there is a large seated stand that extends at a lower level down one side broken by home and away dugouts that have seating that looks like it has come out of a luxury yacht. The opposite side is open low level standing with a large club house behind with two of the three food outlets in the ground, only one of which serves chips.

The two ends are covered standing, one with higher terracing than the other.

The all-weather artificial pitch seems to slope slightly from end to end and slopes away a few feet from the in play lines. This always looks a little worrying to me and last time I was here a player slid off the pitch into the perimeter fence. Its purpose though is to allow good drainage.

lkeston Town F.C. have only been in existence since 2017 taking up the local mantle from Ilkeston F.C. who had only been reformed in 2010. The current team having been elected to the Midland Football League won back to back promotions before results were expunged due to covid. The Non League reorganisation found them in the Northern Premier League – Division One Midlands Division which they won gaining the team automatic promotion but were reallocated for the 2022/23 to the Southern Football League Premier Division Central, now back in the Northern Premier.

Basford started life in 1900 as The Old Pear Tree Inn playing in local Notts football Leagues until they resigned in the 2005/06 season only to restart the following year. They changed course in 2010 joining the East Midland Counties League and in 2012 were promoted to the Northern Counties East league which they rose through only to be transferred to the Midland League in 2014. They immediately won that being promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One South and in 2018 were promoted as champions to the Premier Division. 2022 saw them transferred to the Southern League Premier Central Division and a year later back to the Northern Leagues’ Premier Division. So after a long period of Notts football they have changed leagues continually due to promotions and league re-organisations making great upward progress.

Ilkeston Town FC 4 Basford United FC 1

Saturday 20th January 2024, Kick Off 15.00 pm. Northern Premier League, Premier Division.

12th v 18th Robins v The Lions New Manor Ground, Awsworth Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire, DE7 8JF

Ilkeston, Red shirts with white stripe down side and white shorts; Basford, Yellow shirts and shorts.

Basford had a good sprinkling of ex Ilkeston players but within only 2 minutes they may have wished they hadn’t returned with the home team scoring through James Walker. His shot was deflected by a defender past the despairing, diving, goalkeeper.

Basford then had a period of more possession but their laboured build up from the back often broke down in midfield and did not trouble the Robins. Ilkeston threatened through long throws and corners and James Walker put them further ahead with a great header at the far post after a brilliantly delivered ball after 31 minutes.

To add to the away sides gloomy afternoon, six minutes later, Declan Eratt-Thompson looked to scoop the ball with his hand near the half way line, on the blind side of the referee and ran forward. Some of the Basford players stopped but Declan continued onward and hit a fine shot into the back of the net from 20 yards. The three goal advantage at half time was well deserved as despite a lot of Basford possession they never managed a clear scoring opportunity.

Immediately from the restart Ilkeston scored again but after the linesman intervened it was ruled out for offside. Basford tried to get into the game and made substitutes but their firepower was blunted continually.

Ilkeston made it 4 with 10 minutes to go when Walker completed his hattrick taping the ball in past the goalkeeper after receiving a defence splitting pass.

Basford scored a consolation goal as time ran out. Jack Lewis, who had hit a free kick from the same spot well over the bar 2 minutes earlier, this time hit the cross bar and the ball fell down onto the goal line and bounced out but Tyson’s follow up shot that was hooked out was adjudged to have crossed the line.

More sorrow for Basford when Owen Betts was sent off for a second bookable offence in the dying embers of the game.

Not a classic for a local derby but Ilkeston were happy to gain the three points, an improvement to their goal difference and their largest crowd of the season.

I expected a lot of the chips as Ilkeston have been a previous winner of my Chip League. There are three kiosks selling food at the ground with only one selling chips. I joined a long queue and eagerly received my quest. they were hot, golden, crispy, not greasy, tasty on the outside but bland and dull in the centre. I’m having a bad chip season and they only scored 63.

N.B. In my last post I talked wrote about Hamworthy and Marske having to resign during the league season. Unfortunately Nuneaton have sadly joined them.