I ventured to the 12th level of English football to the University of Sheffield (Norton Playing Fields) to so see their team, Sheffield Union play Athersley Recreation Development team in the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1.
It was a sunny afternoon with multicoloured grey and white clouds in the sky as I drove to the match on the last day before the clocks were put back from British Summer Time. I joined a queue off the Bochum Parkway which I realised wasn’t for the match but to park for Graves Park, a popular venue for families.
The University of Sheffield, Norton Playing Fields, is some complex, but I only needed the first car park to find my match. It is built on the side of a hill, like most of Sheffield, and I could see cricket, football and rugby pitches cut into the hill, sloping down to floodlight pitches and a large new building.
The pitch was of grass which was undulating and sloped slightly from end to end. A strong breeze added to the autumn conditions highlighted by the browns, yellows and orange of nearby trees.
Sheffield Union joined the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League from the Sheffield and District Fair Play League in the 2018/19 season and immediately gained promotion to Division One. Sheffield Union’s reserve team still play in the Fair Play League in Division Three
Athersley Recreation Development are the reserve team of the team that plays in the Northern Counties East League and are based just north of Barnsley. I have given information about their history in a previous blog.
Sheffield Union 2 Athersley Recreation Development 2
Saturday 26th October 14.00 pm kick off.  Norton Sports Park, Warminster Road, S8 8PS. Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1.  Both teams in the bottom 4.
Shef Union: Black and white vertical stripes on the front of shirts with white backs and black shorts.
Athersley Development : Full fluorescent orange strip.
Sheffield Students started the match strongly but Athersley soon countered. Unions number 11 had a series of shots one of which drew a great save from the Athersley goalkeeper. With half-time just minutes away, Bailey Wright burst through against the run of play and his two shots hit either post. The let off was rewarded for the home team when their number 4 picked up the ball in the centre circle, strode forward and unleashed a fierce shot straight down the middle of the goal beating the diving keeper.
The Students half time lead only lasted 4 minutes when a cross from Bailey Wright was turned into the net by a defender.
Sheffield regained their lead on 62 minutes when their number 9 cut in from left to the centre of the D and his shot was deflected over the goalkeeper for 2.1.
Athersley’s keeper denied the number 11 again with two great saves to the disappointment of the approximately 40 fans.
The Students dominance was to no avail when a long kick up field was not dealt with by their number 4, who in my opinion had been the class player all afternoon, and Bailey Wright seized on the ball, rushed forward to round the keeper to level at 2.2.
Right at the end Union’s number 11 had another chance but it just went wide of the left hand post.
A great game for this level of football and there were some players on show who could undoubtedly play at a higher one.
Thank you.
No food or drink although there may have been something at the otherblevel of the sports ground.
N.B. The Sheffield & District Fair Play League (SDFPL) was set up in 1998.
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