A local evening event being cancelled meant I could journey further, so I decided to try to visit Appleby Frodingham again. I have three time s tried to visit this club but have ended up at Brigg Town, Scunthorpe United, and home due to cancelled fixtures for one reason or another.
Success at last, although as I passed the fans going to Scunthorpe United’s home game, I wandered if I may have ended up there or Winterton Rangers. As I approached the ground to the North of Scunthorpe, set in a park, you pass a university campus building and three domes, which turn out to be a leisure centre. There were cars in the car park and the entrance was open so I knew I was in luck. I was met by two helpers who were very friendly and, after paying, directed me to the food cabin in a corner of the ground to get a coffee.
The journey had been wet but I was lucky that the rain had stopped although it remained very grey with full cloud cover which wasn’t helping to raise the temperature of only 3 degrees. The pitch was flat made up of grass and mud, with the goal areas particularly denuded of grass. One end of the pitch was fenced off from the fans, behind which was a cricket pitch. The other end and one side have a flat tarmacked path, leaving the main side, which has the entrance, food kiosk a small covered seated stand, changing rooms and a tiered standing area that is under an overhang from a storied building.
Football Histories
Appleby Frodingham were formed as a works team for Appleby Frodingham Steel Company in the 1940’s and started life in the Lincolnshire League where they stayed until 1978 when they joined the Midland League. When that league morphed into the Northern Counties East league 4 years later they were founder members of the Premier Division. Problems followed and after folding in 1986 they reformed playing in local leagues as they made their way back to the Lincolnshire League in 1990 and switched again in 2002 to the Central Midland League and by 2008 were back in the Northern Counties East League. They find themselves back in that league for this season after a relegation and time spent again in the Central Midlands League and Lincolnshire County League.
Maltby Main FC was started in 1916 and all team members were employed by the local pit. The club lasted until 1965 and was reformed five years later as Maltby Miners Welfare FC. The new team started in the local Sheffield Senior League for two years before joining the Yorkshire League that merged with the Midland League to form the Northern Counties East League in 1982. They have spent every season since up and down the two divisions and were relegated to Division 1 last season after 20 years in the top division.
Appleby Frodingham FC 3 Maltby Main FC 1
Saturday 15th February 2025 15.00 pm kick off Northern Counties East, League Division One.
Brumby Hall, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 1 AA The Steelmen v The Miners 22nd {and last} v 10th
Appleby Frodingham; Red shirts with some faint black vertical stripes at the front and black shorts, goal keeper florescent yellow top and black shorts. Maltby; Yellow shirts with black vertical stripes on the front and black shorts, goalkeeper all blue.
The lights were on from the start and Maltby started the game with the most possession with the home side holding there own with some attacking play down their left. After 20 minutes one of these attacks resulted in a cross that was headed down to wards the goal and as the ball rose on the bounce number Joel Chapman headed the ball into the top right hand corner of the net.
The game continued in that vein until half time as the players trudged off in the mud.
Appleby Frodingham came out in the second half with renewed confidence and it was no surprise that they went two nil up after 66 minutes. Ryan Bonser Collected the ball in the middle of the away half, drifted to the right, and and hit the ball across the diving goalkeeper into the the left hand corner of the goal.
Maltby with the introduction of substitutes started to apply pressure particularly on the right and as the game was drifting away Ashly Flynn was fouled in the penalty area and he quickly stepped forward to make it 2.1.
Maltby sensed that a draw was possible with more and more attacks but leaving themselves exposed at the back with their goalkeeper helping maintain the pressure a long Appleby Frodingham clearance allowed Nathan Jarman to control the ball and run forward from the half way line and expertly lob the retreating Maltby keeper for their third goal. With just added time left Maltby’s efforts were easily rebuffed and the home team managed to gain the three points that lifted them off the bottom of the table.
Appleby Frodingham, battled, battled and battled all game looking like they really wanted to win. They still have ten points to make up to get out of the relegation zone but with this fighting spirit they may just do it.
I was glad that I had finally made it to this ground and was happy to see a small club hanging on in there.
Football Food
No chips again, but there was a special offer which the two ladies in the food kiosk sold me, a double cheese burger with bacon and a coffee in a Christmas mug. Not a great fan of burgers yet this was delicious. Thank you.
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