A football blog for the curious.
A human touch in a digital world, living at the speed of life.
Watching Non-League and other football since 1955 when as a 5 year old I was bitten by the bug at St Albans City.
Because I was passing and being an Aston Villa fan, I couldn’t resist popping in to see Real Union’s ground in Irun.
Real Union were bought by the magician, Unai Emery, in June 2021.
Formed in 1915 through the merger of two teams, one of which was started in 1902.
Real Union have a long history being one of the initial clubs that founded the Spanish National League Championship in 1929 but have not returned to those heights since being relegated in 1932. They currently play in the third level of Spanish football.
Real UniĂ³n were one of the most successful teams 100 years ago, winning the Copa del Rey in 1918, 1924 and 1927, and runners-up in 1922.
Unai Emery’s father and grandfather used to play for the team although Unai Emery never did.
The Emery family are now running the club that had been beset with financial problems for some time.
Unfortunately they have yet to advance up the league system and currently sit 6th having taken 13 points from eight games.
On a beautiful Autumnal Saturday I travelled to Bugbrooke to watch two grandsons win at football, 11-4 (under 7’s) and 13-1 (under 9’s). It was a lovely blue sky day with a few cotton wool clouds drifting across the many pitches that surround the main stadium. The pitches were buzzing with different aged teams playing and training. To credit the club the main clubhouse was open for toilet facilities and and refreshments which some parents were using.
After the game I headed north up the M1 to Basford just north of Nottingham to see Basford United play Hanley Town in the F.A. Trophy. I had been to this ground before to watch their under 18’s play in the F.A. Youth Cup but never seen the senior team.
I arrived at a large carpark that had plenty of space, the ease to park was reflected by the poor attendance of only 132, despite Nottingham Forest playing away on the next day. The ground has an all weather pitch and two small covered seated stands, one at an end and one on the same side as the clubhouse. The other side has some covered standing area and it is open at the remaining end. The weather had not changed from the morning and the 16 degrees felt pleasant.
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.
There was an original Hanley Town FC formed in 1882 but it lasted only until 1912. The current Hanley Town FC came into existence in the Mid Sixties as a Sunday League team and soon decided to try their luck playing Saturdays. They progressed in local leagues being promoted to the Staffordshire County League and by 1976 joined the Mid Cheshire league but by 1994 after some poor seasons they went down to Junior football. They were soon back and promotions and league mergers meant they were asked to join the North West Counties League Division One, a goal that they had coveted for some time. They won that Division in 2016 and after their good performances in the reduced covid seasons, in then the Midland league, they were placed in the re-organised Northern Premier League Division One West where they play today. Quite a journey in a short time.
Basford United 2 Hanley Town 2
Basford 4 Hanley 1 Penalties.
FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round, Saturday 5th October 2024, 15.00 pm kick off.
Mill Street Playing Field, Greenwich Avenue, Basford, Nottingham, NG6 0LD
9th in the Northern Premier League (Premier Division) v 20th in Northern Premier League (West Division).
Basford; Yellow and black vertical striped shirts with yellow shorts that have a black wavy bottom edge on their back: Hanley; all royal blue strip.
You would not have thought that Hanley were a league below Basford and in the relegation zone as the game unfolded. They took an early lead within 4 minute when a pin point cross from the right was headed into the centre of the goal by Tom Pope.
The home side responded with some fast forward running and were rewarded on 13 minutes when a concerted attack meant the ball dropped to Rev James who hit the ball with his outstep into the right hand corner of the net. Just 6 minutes later and another through ball was foiled by the Hanley keeper’s legs only to rebound to Basford who after some inter-passing, scored, when Tyrell Waite tapped in a Joe Uveges cut back.
Basford continued their forward advances but Hanley were never out of the game and drew level on 36 minutes when Pope netted from the penalty spot after being brough down when in on goal. No more goals were added before half time and as they left the field I thought Hanley had the better of the 45 minutes with more dangerous attacking.
A wind seemed to get up across the pitch to start the second half but despite this and Basford’s domination of play neither side was able to break the deadlock. So it went to the dreaded penalties and after good saves by Basford’s keeper and pinpoint accuracy from their penalty takers they went through 4.1.
Basford were through to the next round but Hanley must have been cheered by their performance which should bode well for a rise up their league.
Basford have a separate food cabin in one corner of the ground and the one girl coped well with the queue and the cooking of fresh food. Although I had more than chips I tried some on their own first which were freshly cooked, hot, crispy but had a background greasy taste. Overall a score of 62.
With a fascinating cup tie on my doorstep, at the highest placed non-league team nearest to me, it was a quick hop to Worksop. Worksop Town were playing King’s Lynn in the F.A. Cup, who play in one League above them.
The sun was shining as white clouds scuttled across the sky. A cool breeze kept the temperature down to 13 degrees, so I made my way to the covered seated stand that runs down one side of the ground.
Worksop are having a good season, second in the Northern Premier League just behind the seasons favourites, Macclesfield. King’s Lynn are lying 9th, in The National League North, a much better showing than last season. The last time these two teams met was in 2013 when Worksop won 1.3.
I have written previously about the history of both of these clubs and extensively about Worksop Town’s stadium, which has been developed to a high standard for their level of football over the past few years.
Worksop Town 1 King’s Lynn 1
Saturday 28th September 2024. 15.00 kick off
F.A. Cup. Qualifying Round
Worksop Town; All grey strip with one black half to the front of the shirt. King”s Lynn; line green/yellow shirts with black shorts.
Tigers V Linnets
The cup tie started at a furious pace with both sides looking to take an early advantage. Worksop managed to take control with more and more attacks which unfortunately for them led to nothing. They were helped by King’s Lynn getting used to the artificial pitch and the substitution of one of their back line, Kyle Callan-
Mc Fadden, after only 10 minutes with what looked like a nasty knee injury.
Having weathered the first 20 minute onslaught, the away team started to gain in stature and took the lead with 27 minutes gone.
Having worked the ball across the field from the left, Finlay Barnes put a measured ball into the path of Josh Hamani who whipped it across the goal, along the ground, into the left hand corner of the net. Having taken the lead, King’s Lynn dominated for the next 10 minutes. Worksop regained the initiative before half-time, but their pressure created no chances. Despite Worksop’s good showing, the away team deserved the half-time lead.
Moving out of the covered stand in the second half meant I immediately felt the cold from the increasing wind and darkening skies. Worksop continued their endeavours, though it was King’s Lynn who should have added to their score.
Three times, they were through one on one with the Worksop goal keeper, Tommy Taylor, twice standing his ground to save and once leaping, cat like, to his right, to push the ball away for a corner.
The game should have been out of site for the visitors with 10 minutes left but they let Worksop come on to them in the final minutes. With 7 minutes of added time signalled, it was all one-way and with virtually the last kick of the game Worksop were awarded a freekick on the edge of the goal keepers area. The ball went straight into the wall of players and it was the cool head of Luke Hall who latched onto it with a side volley which glanced off the top left corner of the cross bar into the net to force a replay on the 1st October.
Worksop were pleased that their tenacity paid off but King’s Lynn will have rued their chances.
The crowd of 759 was to me disappointing, yet it was jubilant at the end drawing at such a late stage. King’s Lynn complained after that some of their fans had been abused by home fans and players and questioned why their was no fan segregation. They have restricted travelling Worksop fans to ticket only for the replay. I nipped out quickly at the end so saw none of the problem.
The chips were very hot, some crispy but some were limp. There was little taste but it was not greasy and left no after taste. It was a very good portion for £3. Not as good as my last visit for a score of 60.
I ventured north up the M1 on a Friday night surprised at how light the traffic was.
I was heading for the John Charles Centre for Sport and the next door South Leeds Stadium. This multi sport complex is know for the home of Hunslet Rugby League Club but mote recently as the home of South Leeds F.C.
The game I was to see was between two relatively new teams to the Northern Counties East League. It was a dry evening after a lovely warm autumn week but the temperature at 14 degrees with a clear sky was dropping and was made colder by a strong breeze
This modern sports complex boasts a lot of easy parking spaces and you approach the stadium with a little awe at its exterior. After climbing some spiral concrete steps you come out into a large modern all seated covered stand which dominates one side from which you could see the twinkling high rise centre of the City.
The other three sides are open with no spectator access. The modern grass weave playing surface is flat and is surrounded by a running track. A great view of the pitch but it is a long way away.
The playing surface was very flat and consisted of a modern grass weave configuration.
South Leeds F.C. were previously known as Middleton F.C. forming only in 2017. They raced through the Yorkshire Amateur Leagues winning the Supreme Division in 2024 to be promoted to the Northern Counties East League this season.
Shelley by contrast started life around 1903 and played most of their football in the Huddersfield and District leagues until they folded in 1972. They were reformed in 1980 and moved to their current home in 2011 which underwent redevelopment to become fully open in 2015. That was a catalyst to herald promotions in the Huddersfield and District league, the West Yorkshire Association League and final promotion to the North West Counties which they resigned from due to the fall out from the Covid Pandemic. They returned to the West Yorkshire Association League when after only two seasons they were re-elected back to the North West Counties League. This though only lasted for one season as they have now been transferred to the Northern Counties East Division 1 following an F.A. Re-organisation of teams in the Yorkshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire areas.
South Leeds F.C. 2 Shelley F.C. 2
Friday 20th September 2024 Kick off 19,45 pm
Northern Counties East Football League Division 1 17th V 11th
John Charles Centre for Sport, South Leeds Stadium, Belle Isle, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS11 5DJ
South Leeds; Green shirts with a yellow and white sash across the front, green shorts with white edging around the legs. Shelley; Red and black vertical striped shirts with black shorts.
The game was very fast helped by the numerous ball boys handing back balls to quicken play. The ball boys then rushing off to retrieve the ball disappearing over the running track.
The away team soon took the lead when on 7 minutes Klein Gwerno received a pass at the back post and buried it into the net in the opposite corner. Both teams kept up the pace and South Leeds equalised on 21 minutes when a long ball out of their defence went over the Shelley back line for Benjamin Agu to run on to. He won the race to the ball and expertly chipped it over the advancing goalkeeper into the middle of the goal.
Shelley came closest to breaking the deadlock before half time but the home sides goalkeeper made two fine stops.
1.1 at the restart and with no other tempo than hurried and with most final passes going astray, Shelley retook the lead on 55 minutes when a mishap by a Leeds defender let in James Bootland to run through and slide the ball under the home keeper. However within 2 minutes South Leeds were back level when from a corner the ball was headed twice against the cross bar before James Law finally headed it home.
Both teams tried to get a winner with Shelley pushing the hardest but in injury time South Leeds came closest when hitting the crossbar.
South Leeds will have been happy to end a series of recent poor results whereas Shelley may have been disappointed in not winning and moving further up the table. The home side might consider more Friday night matches as the attendance of 167 was 50 up on their last home league game that was played on a Saturday.
The chips were a high priced £4 but the large full tray was hot, crispy, tasty, no greasy after taste, were cooked fresh and scored a very good 72.
I ventured over the border to watch a Lowland League game between Gretna 2008 and Tranent FC from near Edinburgh.
I arrived at Gretna’s huge car park with 5 minutes till kick off and took some time negotiating the haphazard parking. Although it had been a glorious day the temperature had dropped to 14 degrees and with clear skies was expected to drop further.
The stadium has an all weather synthetic pitch which is very flat. There was a large seated covered stand at one end, a clubhouse for drink and food , changing room and a small covered seated stand down a side with fencing and no standing on the other side. The other end was open with just some flat standing.
The suffix 2008 gives a clue here to one of the most fascinating football stories of the 21st century. I first remember noticing Gretna, a team in Scotland, playing in the English Northern Premier League and at the same time Berwick Ranger, a team in England, playing in the Scottish League system.
But Gretna’s situation was to change and propel them on a roller coaster journey with some amazing ups and downs. They decided to apply to join the Scottish Football league and successfully started in the Scottish third division for the 2002/03 season replacing Airdrieonians who had folded. Brooks Mileson who had made a lot of money in insurance and had invested in football teams decided that there could be an opportunity at Gretna having just failed to invest heavily in his adopted home of Carlisle.
There has been much writing about how with the injection of money they managed to gain three straight promotions to the Scottish Premiership, and appeared in a Scottish F.A. cup final on the way. Their appearance in the top tier of Scottish football shocked the game, they even qualified for Europe, but it had some drawbacks in that home games had to be played at Motherwell’s ground due to their own stadium not meeting grading regulations. A round trip of over 150 miles for home supporters from a town of around 3000 didn’t generate the money to pay for the team which had to be heavily subsidised by Brook Mileson and other board members. It couldn’t last and when Mileson became ill and the money stream dried up they were placed in administration in March 2008. By August 2008 the club was liquidated and in November Brook Mileson had died.
But local football fans did not want to see the club gone forever and formed Gretna 2008, initially playing in the East Of Scotland League but gaining entry to the Lowland league in 2013, where they sit today.
Tranent by contrast were formed in 1911 and were a continual force in Scottish Junior Football joining the Scottish Pyramid System in 2018;. After winning the premier league of the East of Scotland League they were promoted to the Lowland League where last season they won the Lowland League Cup.
Gretna 2008 F.C. 2 Tranent F.C. 2
Tuesday 17th September 2024 19.45 kick off. Scottish Lowland league.
Raydale Park, Dominion Road, Gretna, Dumfriesshire, DG16 5AP
Anvils v The Belters, 12th v 6th
Gretna; Black and white horizontal hooped shirts with black shorts: Tranent; All Royal Blue strip.
The game was fast and furious from the off with both teams going for a result. Gretna had the best of the early play forcing corners and using the full width of the pitch. I was impressed by the speed and skill of the teams and the engrossing play meant that the first half was over in a flash. Although Gretna had had the best of the play neither team had looked like scoring.
Within a minute of the restart some cross passing in front of goal led to Tranent taking the lead with a curling shot from Gray into the top right hand corner. Gretna were stunned and within 5 minutes it was 2 nil as Tranent’s midfield play moved the ball Mc Gowan who drilled the ball along the ground into the net. Tranent looked the most likely to score again as the half progressed although Gretna were still competing. With 10 minutes left the game turned when Gretna attacked down the right and the waist high cross was not cleared by a Tranent defensive mix up that allowed a Gretna player, Dean Brotherson, to sneak in to score. It was now game on and Gretna piled on the pressure and a few silly fouls and pushing by both teams only raised the temperature.
As some in the crowd made their way to the exit a brilliant cross from the right touch line was met by a Gretna forward unopposed at the back post to head the ball down into the net for two all. Although well into injury time there was still time for the referee to give a yellow card to a Gretna defender for dissent after a coming together of their goalkeeper and a Tranent forward. As this was his second yellow he was ordered off.
A great exciting half that shows real depth in Lowland football and makes a mockery of the very difficult entry opportunities into the SFL. Scottish football should restructure and open up their pyramid system. I really enjoyed the experience.
Unfortunately there were no chips so I had to partake of a Scotch pie. Not a fan of these I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed it.
I set out to see Stapleford Town, play at home, so following Google maps I reached their ground with 25 minutes to spare. But driving round all I could find was the building of a new sports and community centre. So having circled where I expected the ground to be I checked the Internet to find that they are playing home games at Radfords facility. I knew that luckily Sandiacre Town were at home and that was only 2.2 miles away. So a quick readjustment and I found myself parked in the road and entering the clubhouse with 10 minutes to spare.
The clubhouse is outside the ground so I ordered chips and a coffee and walked towards the entrance. I didn’t realise I was in the players and officials way onto the ground, so I passed the 3 officials with the referee asking for a chip. Luckily a barrier was moved for me and it was back to normality and standing with chips in hand to watch the players walk out.
This ground is in a housing area on the way out of the centre. There is a small car park but plenty of on street parking
It was a beautiful autumn day at 17 degrees, blue skies with a few white clouds, with a light breeze. Three sides of the stadium are lined with trees and the fourth has the clubhouse in the corner with a children’s play area and basketball hoop. The clubhouse is to a good spec, sells drink and snacks and the players changing room. The toilets were outside the clubhouse in a container/portakabin.
Sandiacre town was only started in 1978 as youth teams with a senior team starting in the Central Alliance League the following year. A clubhouse was added to the pitch in 1984 with railings and seated stand before floodlights in 1995. Today there are 39 all ages and sexes teams, run by the club, some games being played at Friesland School’s 4G pitch that they have jointly developed.
Sandiacre Town progressed as inaugural members of the Central Midlands League in 1983 but ground grading saw them drop back. They were back in the Central Midlands League in 1992 after the merger with Lace Web United. They joined the United Counties League Division One in 2023.
Southwell City were formed in 1893 but early records are sketchy with the club believed to have played in the Newark area. The team was devastated through casualties in the Great War and although football was played in Southwell it wasn’t until its reformation in 1955 that the current club truly emerged. They joined the Notts Football Alliance in 1957 where they stayed until the end of the 2002/03 season, when a move to the Central Midlands League was completed. On their journey the football club merged with Southwell United Youth Football and Southwell Amateurs and have created a Community Charter club that caters for all grades of the game. This has been achieved through developing their old and new grounds. Winning the Notts Senior League in 2022/23 gained them promotion to the United Counties Division One.
Sandiacre Town 2 Southwell City FC 3
United Counties League Division One, Saturday 14th September 2024, kick off 15.00 pm.
St Giles Park, Station Road, Sandiacre, Nottingham, Derbyshire, NG10 5DD.
19th (Last) v 10th Saints v Bramleys City
Sandiacre, Red Shirts, light navy shorts; Southwell, Black and white vertical striped shirts, black shorts:
The teams walked out onto a thick carpet of grass, the pitch sloping down to each end from the centre.
Neither team looked settled in the early play but it was the home side who took the lead on 6 minutes when Tom Slade received the ball on the edge of the goal area, turned, and hit it with his right foot into the roof of the net. Sandiacre now dominated being more physical, bigger and stronger, yet it was Southwell who hit the bar with 32 minutes gone. The game continued in this fashion until half time and as they walked off I thought what a poor game.
Within 5 minutes of the restart Southwell were down to 10 men as Haiba Soueyeh was sent off for two yellow cards that looked like persistent arguing with the referee. Southwell now had it all to do.
The introduction of Akand Gangotra was however a turning point as his speed and ability to lose players started to create chances and they equalised through him on 67 minutes when his cut back shot went into the net. Chaos reigned as the home sides centre back argued and pushed a Southwell player on the ground and then walked over and pushed another player in the back who fell to the ground. Sandiacre players now restrained him and the referee gave two yellow cards and a red, why not a straight red I couldn’t understand. The player refused to walk to the club house and after some arguing and encouragement he finally left the field.
So now back to equal, with 10 men each the game became open with gaps everywhere and it was Southwell who took advantage taking the lead on 77 minutes when Akrand Gangotra scored again. He tapped the ball in at the near post after a precise cut back along the ground from the right.
With the 90 minutes up there was more drama when a Sandiacre shot was spilled by Southwell’s goalkeeper and Darnell Smith charged through to score. That should have been it but with 5 minutes of added time on the clock Sandiacre were attacking for the winner. This was not to be as a long clearance was not dealt with by the home defender and Joe Aitkin received a pass that enabled him to loop it over the keeper for Southwell to take the win.
That was it and although this was an interesting and exciting second 45 minutes my reflection was that I had watched two poor teams on the day.
Sandiacre should have won this game but for mistakes and madness and they remain bottom of the table with no points out of 8 games.
The chips, served on a plastic returnable plate, were hot, limp, freshly cooked, tasty with a greasy taste that lingered, a score of 56.
As a footnote, Sandiacre Town’s 1st Team Manager, Nick Labbate resigned shortly after the match.
Champagne Football; written by Mark Tighe and Paul Rowan. Published by Penguin Random House UK 2020.
At a coffee morning I looked through the book stall but couldn’t find anything. I was asked what I was looking for and answered a book on football. A little while later when munching a sausage sandwich the lady running the stall brought me ‘Champagne Football’. I was not sure about the book but smiled and said thank you.Little did I know that I would become engrossed in the inner workings of the Football Association of Ireland and its charismatic John Delaney.
Mark Tighe and Paul Rowan present a brilliant investigation into John Delaney’s 15 year unchallenged control of the Association. Whether those around him had a strong loyalty to him, a naievity, a lack of compliance knowledge, or felt unable to confront is a mystery. It shows from the book that there were many instances when the FAI paid for high salaries and personal excess.
There are those who would say John Delaney did a good job as his largesse benefitted some clubs in Ireland. But what was clear was that the FAI at the end of his tenure had gone backwards in FIFA rankings and had a financial mess to clear up and a group of ex players and officials alienated from the cause.
The writing style presents a good read and slowly unfolds as things unravel and reach an end.
A book I wasn’t sure about reading turned out to be riveting.
I have visited this ground before and the ground staff had won my chip league in the past.
My last visit 2 years ago was to see Sheffield Town F.C. play their first game as a ground share at the home of Kiveton Miners Welfare F.C. who played at the Miners Welfare ground which is also home to the cricket club next door.
Then in June 2023 it was announced that Kiveton Miners Welfare F.C. had been taken over and would partner with Sheffield Town F.C. An end of season visit in May 2024 I noticed that The Miners Welfare Team seemed to have a smattering of ex Sheffield Town players, which had seemed to have disappeared.
This season, no Sheffield Town playing in the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League and Kiveton Miners Welfare ( traditionally a Rotherham team) are playing at the Olympic Legacy Park in Sheffield.
Now however Kiveton Park F.C. have taken up residence at Hard Lane. They are the oldest football club in the borough of Rotherham, formed in 1881. They are returning some of their teams after 7 years away. The club will be using three pitches which had previously been their home for over a century. Kiveton Park have been based at Wales High School, where they have developed a partnership with the school, creating new facilities to include a new 3G pitch at the Chapman Fields site. This has meant there are now over 500, men’s, Womens, girls and boys affiliated to the club, some of which will stay playing at Chapman Fields.
So returning to Hard Lane to see the third resident in three years it was great to find that everywhere has been tidied up, mended and painted. The plastic seating in the large seated stand had been rigorously cleaned and mended. The sloping pitch, from end to end, was yellowing and a slight breeze was keeping the temperature at 14 degrees with a light drizzle.
Kiveton Park F.C. 1 Hepworth United Development F.C. 3
Saturday 7th September 2024; 14.00 pm kick off. Hard Lane, Kiveton, Rotherham.
Sheffield and Hallamshire County Football League Division 1.
Kiveton; Red shirts with black sleeves and front and back with faint black stripes down front and back, black shorts. Hepworth; Deep navy blue shirt and shorts with colour graduation on front from white to blue.
Hepworth United started the game on top but it was Kiveton who had the best chance in the first 15 minutes. As the game progressed with Hepworth playing up the slope they took the lead after 25 minutes when their number 4 saw the keeper off his line and his shot from the edge of the box took a slight deflection and looped over the goalkeeper for the away team to take the lead. 10 minutes later and it was 2 nil as Hepworth number 3 took the ball to by line on left and with a beautiful left foot cross to the far post found a tall forward, with no number on back, who headed it down into the net. Kiveton had the most chances of the half but didn’t put any away.
With less than 5 minutes gone of the second half Joseph Holmes, in middle of goal, hit it with his left foot into top left hand corner of the goal to get Kiveton back in the game. As the mist came down, Kiveton pressed for an equaliser and hit the bar with 78 minutes gone. But within a few minutes a corner for Hepworth from the right was headed by the home number 5, not clear, but over everyone into the far corner of the net. There was no way back from this and the 50 odd people watching were surprised that Kiveton had not managed to fashion at least a draw from the match.
The referee had a good game, keeping everything going and it was noticeable that there was a lot of talking but no swearing from the players.
The old iconic wood food wagon had gone and a new portacabin had replaced it to serve just hot drinks and snacks. Hopefully this will develop in the future.
I’m sure that Kiveton Park F.C. will develop their new home and look forward to chart their progress.
It’s always a pleasure to go to Causeway Lane in Matlock and when I saw that there was an intriguing F.A. Cup replay, I was there.
Matlock Town who had started the season poorly being 22nd and bottom of the Northern Premier League, Premier Division, with 2 points, and Manager less, having recently parted company with Nicky Laws, were playing Spalding United who were 21st, with 3 points, in the Southern League Premier Division Central, after both teams played out a goal less draw on Saturday. Both teams have an interesting F.A. Cup pedigree with Spalding having beaten Boston United 14.0 in 1964 and Matlock getting to the Third Round in the 1976/77 season, but those days are long ago for both teams.
Matlock’s ground is one of the most iconic in the country, next to where the town centre shops end and overlooked by the green and wooded Derbyshire hills. You can see the 19th century Riber Castle on the hill top behind one goal, which is now exclusive dwellings, and behind the other goal are some just finished flats, apartments, some of which have tremendous views of each game. Behind one side is Hall Leys Park and the river Derwent, backed by stunning green hills.
The pitch was lush green of well manicured grass. Down one side of the ground is a large seated covered stand, the other side has lower height seating and standing. Behind the apartment end goal is a covered standing area and behind the other goal an open cricket pitch. This felt like a real autumn evening with the floodlights on at the start to beat the setting sun, with dark clouds forming in what had been blue skies. With there being no wind the 15 degrees felt warm, but a jacket was needed.
There was no program, due to the short time available since the first match, but a team sheet was available in the club shop for 20p, although the lady was encouraging people to pay more to help club funds, well done. One point to note were the toilets which were the best I have been in anywhere for ages. Bright lights, spotlessly clean and with faux marble floors and walls.
I have written about the history of these two teams previously so down to the match.
Matlock Town 0 Spalding United 0
Matlock Town 0 Spalding United 1 After Extra Time
F.A. Cup 1st Qualifying Round Replay. Tuesday 3rd September 19.45 pm kick off
Gladiators v Tulips.
Matlock; Royal Blue shirts, white shorts; Spalding , all red strip with black band on chest for sponsors name:
From the start there was no tippy tappy football but full blooded go for it down the wings with crosses into the centre. The home team looked the most promising from the start but Spalding came into it after that and had the best chances although a Matlock player headed just over on 24 minutes. Two minutes later the referee waved away a Matlock shout for a penalty.
Continual long recovery times by ‘fouled’ Spalding players led to all players wandering off the pitch on 34 minutes for a break.
With half time approaching Spalding’s goalkeeper, Josh Ezewele, made two fine saves to deny a goal and leave it at 0.0.
The second half became more frantic and both goalkeepers earned men of the match nominations with point blank saves. Spalding looked to be hanging on at the end of the game and with no one scoring the teams lined up for extra time.
Spalding’s changes made a difference and created spaces that hadn’t been there in the tight preceding 90 minutes. With 5 minutes gone Tyler Winters ran through on his own and Rogan Ravenhill diving at his feet could only upend him to concede a penalty. Tyler Winters stepped forward and hit the penalty to the left but Rogan Ravenhill, my man of the match, saved the shot but his parry was knocked into the net by Tyler Winter who was following up, for Spalding to take the lead after over 185 minutes of play between the two sides.
At ten o’clock the bells of a local churched tolled, it looked like they they were for Matlock when a few minutes later Tyler Winter hit a long shot which curled past the defence but hit the post and rebounded out.
In the second half of extra time Matlock pressed hard but didn’t create a clear chance. Spalding saw out the game and the 423 fans certainly had their moneys worth but the wrong result for the majority. Spalding were the happier as the game ended but on the nights performance Matlock have the basis to put up a fight to get off the bottom of the league and have players that a newly appointed manager can work with.
The chips were hot and tasty, golden, large, tasty, a big portion and were not oily. A good score of 70.
Whilst waiting for a Wolves pre-season friendly to start, I received an email asking me whether I would review a book. I bought it that night and read it very quickly only recently.
The book ‘when falcons fly’ is about an under 18 team who play in the Hampshire area. It describes all of their games last season, which ends up being their last.
The game’s descriptions are accompanied by pictures of a team member who gave exemplar performance. As the book progresses, humour is often added, referring to Star Wars.
The book could have explained more about how the group of lads started, why some drifted away and why it was their last season.
Quick to read, an interesting insight, good to see a different style of writing and vocabulary used, I may use some in the future.
Great start by jon in writing, should help perhaps to get sponsored for another book in the future. Perhaps a budding Harry Pearson.
payonthegate 