After the morning game in Baslow I headed south to Ashby de la Zouch via Loughborough to watch my second game of Non-League-Day. I have tried to see a game at Ashby Ivanhoe at least three times before but have always been thwarted by the weather and the resulting postponement.
It was still cold in Ashby made worse by the biting wind. The ground is out of town and id bordered by the A42 a major cross midlands road route. There was a large car park and it was filling and in the ground 242 fans had turned up, Ashby’s second largest gate of the season. This was their third game of the week as they catch up on their backlog of fixtures and try to move away from the relegation places which at the moment they are just avoiding.
The pitch was of grass, mainly flat, with a slight side to side slope, and with some areas being worn and heavily sanded. Walking through the entrance you soon notice that everything is compact at one end of the ground. There is a clubhouse with an outside awning for extra seating and a food shack that faces it. In front of these is a seated stand right behind the goal where we sat and found it an unusual view being so close to the goalkeeper. Next to this stand is a covered standing area. One end and side is open, the side onto some training and junior pitches. The other side has the two dugouts and another compact covered seated stand that looked as if it was for officials only.
Ashby Ivanhoe were formed in 1948 playing initially in local leagues and moved up to the East Midlands Counties League in 2018 and a year later to the Midland League. League reorganisations and on field performances moved them further up the league ladder in 2023.
There was an original Newark FC in 1886 but by the second world war they had disbanded . Briefly resurrected in the 1970’s it’s current form dates to 1991. Since joining the Nottinghamshire Alliance in 1997 they have progressed through the Central Midlands League and up to the Premier Division, North, of the United Counties League. It is a community owned club and now plays in very modern community facilities.
Ashby Ivanhoe FC 1 Newark Town FC 3
Saturday 28th March 2026, United Counties Football League League, Premier Division North.
Ashby Ivanhoe FC, Lower Packington Road, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, LE65 1TS
16th v 14th, The Knights v The Blue Army
Ashby Ivanhoe, Light and dark blue vertical striped shirts with two white stripes in the middle of the front with a red stripe in between and dark blue shorts. Goalkeeper in black shorts with a green and black vertical striped top.
Newark; Pink shirts with black shorts, the goalkeeper in all orange.
The first 30 minutes of the game had no pattern and neither side dominated and the crowd seemed more interested in chatting to each other.
It came alive though on 33 minutes when William Robson was set up by a pass along the ground ground pass from the left. He gave the home side the lead with his left foot stroking the ball across the goalkeeper into the right hand corner of the net.
Both teams came alive with Ashby looking comfortable. However right on half-time, from out of a group of players on the edge of the box Tristan Drummond smashed the ball into top left hand corner of the net for the equaliser.
Ivanhoe came out in the second half with renewed vigour but after 16 minutes they fell behind,for the first time, when Harry Allcock, against run of play, on the edge of the box, and his back to goal, turned, swivelled his left foot and put the ball to the left of the keeper.
Only seven minutes later a corner from the left was headed on to centre of the goal where Harry Allcock, again, unopposed, headed the ball home, to the right.
Ashby now looked a beaten team as Newark controlled the game to the end, which felt like it was never coming, with the referee adding on many minutes that didn’t appear to have been needed.
Ashby should survive this season but their end of season glut of games does not help their cause. Talking of end of season, it’s always amazing that once we reach the New Year, a few postponements, and the season is almost over. Where has it gone.
The chips were a large portion, hot, crispy, perhaps too crispy, a bit greasy gaining a good score of 63. Mine were quite thin but later others were walking by with much fatter chips, must have been a different bag. You can see that I forgot to take a picture of the chips before I ate them!
payonthegate 