After such a long wait for the new football season, I started my  pre- season training at one of my favourite venues.

On Tuesday, 22nd of July, I was lucky enough to see the final of the Crammond Cup at ‘The Stanks’ just next to the walls of Berwick Castle. The Crammond Cup is for those teams knocked out in the early rounds of the Berwick Charities Cup, a competition held for over 100 years to raise money for local good works.

The final should have been played on the previous Saturday, but the constant down poor made it unplayable. Both teams, Prior Wolfs and Murder on Zidancefloor were without players who could have made the Satuday match but this didn’t matter to them two teams on the pitch and the well over 150 fans who turned up to watch. A rough count had it at 16 on the ramparts, 24 at the Ice Cream Van end with the rest on the road and wall side. There were behind one end with 16 young boys having their own final. Great noise and celebrations after each goal.

This is a family fun competition run by a small band of dedicated people who epitomises grass roots, football, and community. I have been proud to have supported it for the last 3 years.

This years pitch had been prepared to a lush green grass cover that was pot marked by some bald patches made by mole hills that had been dealt with earlier.

There were grey building clouds, getting darker, which made it seem more like autumn than the outstanding summer we have had so far. The wind was blowing right to left and kept the temperature down, and prompted the need for a jumper.

Berwick Castle Wall Tuesday 22nd July 2025.   7 pm kick off.

Murder on Zidancefloor.  White shorts, white shirts that graduated down to blue at the waist. Goal keeper, lime green top, black shorts.

Prior Wolfs, red tops with short navy sleeves, with blue shorts. Goal keeper in an orange top and black shorts.

Prior put on most of the pressure in the first 10 minutes and after a further 10 minutes a  quick break from defence to the left saw the ball crossed to the head of number 9 in centre of goal, his attempt looped over the goalkeeper to give them the lead.

Murder on Zidancefloor responded  with some attacking zeal. They were the better team right up until half time with their diminutive number 12, the stand-out player of the first half.

After a quick five minute turn round at half time ‘Murder’ continued to be on top for the first 15 minutes of the second half.

Their efforts, though, were in vain when with 17 minutes of the half gone, Prior Wolfs swung in a corner from the right that was headed home, like a bullet, by their unmarked number 7.
Just a few minutes later it was all over when a frree kick from the  left was not dealt with by the  defence and the goalkeeper managed to palm a  shot onto the  upright for after a  further blocked shot it was rifflef in for 3 nil.

There was no coming back now, although Murder on Zidancefloor did not give up.

On 19 minutes, another inswinger, this time from the right, was met by 9 who headed down and in.
On 21 minutes, it was 5 nil after a tap  in to left of goal. The 6th, perhaps the best of the night,  when  from outside box number 7 controlled a pass swivelled and smashed it into net. As the game concluded, a corner from the right was  met by a stooping header that squeezed  into the  inside of the pot.

A well-deserved wi for Prior Wolfs, but their opponents provided a good test which served up a great final. The winners were also the organisers and the community of fans that enjoyed their night out.

From the Nutmeg tree seed, a spice is produced, and from its shell, a spice named mace is made.

Both these spices are used for flavouring both sweet and savoury dishes. Used in excess quantities, you can experience hallucinations.

These feelings I am getting now as I dream of a new football season. Unfortunately, there is yet any normality as we still await the Non-League fixtures of 2025/26 to be published. The upper leagues have already published theirs for maximum exposure, and we are enduring the FIFA, Club World Cup, but surely some reality is needed.

For this, I have turned to the latest quarterly Scottish football magazine ‘NUTMEG’, which, as usual with its exemplary, engrossing written style, is sustaining me and lifting my spirits.

Thank you Nutmeg.

I have also been sustaining myself in readiness for the new seasons ‘Chip League’ and recently was lucky to have some chips that, if served up at a football ground, would have been winners. Great chips at ‘The Daffodil Tea Rooms ‘ in Eakring.

This Is How It Feels, An English Football Miracle

Written by Mike Keegan, Published by Reach Sport 2021

I don’t usually read autobiographies or biographies but I picked this book up and found that it was not either of these, but a brilliantly written book by Mike Keegan, a long term fan of Oldham Athletic about the arrival of Joe Royale at the club on a lorry and the fairy tale journey of a team that was down and out financially and on the pitch, to slowly rise to the top division in England and appearances at Wembley.

It is not just a football book but a social commentary of the despair of northern towns/cities fighting against the industrial ravages of the 80s and 90s. The town had lost much of its faith in the football club too, but Joe Royale, his team and the overall management team ignite their passion in the club and lift the spirits of the town in general.

I had forgotten this story with other personal things taking over my world at the time. Joe Royale, who was an exceptional player, put his whole heart and soul into this journey despite lucrative offers to move elsewhere. If you want a warm feel-good book, this is it.

I have been to Oldham Athletic for a meal cooked by MasterChef winner Simon Wood but never to see a football match, this I will remedy in the new season.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a lift, whether a football fan or not.

N.B.  On 1st June 2025, Oldham won the National League Playoff final at Wembley and will play in League 2 of the EFL in the new season.

Back in January 2019, I wrote about the passing of Hugh McIlvanney, one of the greatest sports writers of his time and an inspiration to me to read and write on football. The last few days have seen the passing of Brian Glanville, another colossus of writing on football. He was a prolific writer who didn’t hold back on his views and criticisms of players, officials, administrators, the game, and more. He had earned this rite and admiration of fellow soccer alumni through a career that included writing for Corriere Dello Sport, living in Italy, and most notably for the Sunday Times. A prolific writer of books, he also wrote the screenplay GOAL! the official film of the 1966 World Cup that won a BAFTA.

With McILvanney, he was at the pinnacle of his profession, and his passing perhaps represents the passing of the last greats of the written word on football. Now replaced by YouTube and Pod Casts, which I am sure he would have stood astride of those media if they would have been available in his era.

Another season of sheer joy watching all levels of football, seeing one of the best games I have ever seen, an abandoned game, promotions, pitch invasions, nostalgia, re-birth, disappointment and a little boredom and much more.

It all started at Fakenham, one holiday evening in July when the football was relaxed and the burger cooked on a barbeque outside was the highlight. 38 games later at my penultimate game I would be there to see Bradford City fans, players and officials joy in gaining promotion, 40 years after the fire at the ground that claimed the lives of 56 people.

On the way, I saw Hallam reel in Selsden’s huge points advantage but just failed to pip them in the quest for automatic promotion. They managed it via the playoffs.

A visit to St Albans, 70 years on, saw them win, although they still suffered relegation from the National League South. Ian Culverhouse, Paul Bastock, and the rest of the team have agreed to stay on for next season. They were hired too late for St Albans to avoid the drop, in the end, by only 1 point after at one time looking completely doomed at Christmas.

I always enjoy an evening of  football at Matlock, but a poor showing in their FA Cup replay was only a portent to their relegation at the end of the season.

Wakefield failed again in the playoffs to get out of NCEL Division One, and I watched them play at home, this time at Fatherstone Rovers ground. Last year, it was at Wakefield Trinity’s.  This nomadic romp may soon be over as they try to secure a permanent home at Brook Farm. In the Dearne Valley, there continues to be a resurgence, and it is Wombwell Town that has developed an impressive ground and gained promotion.

From visiting Premier grounds at Wolves and Villa to watching Sheffield Students in the 12th tier, I have been impressed at the quality of football. Talking of Students I again visited Loughborough Students, one of my favourite haunts, but this was soured by a £70 parking fine over a £1 parking fee. This was eventually squashed after the usual battle.

A stop off at Hackney Marshes to reminisce and nearby ‘The Old Spotted Dog’ to see the oldest ground in London was a happy event. Not so happy was the trip to North Leicester to see an abandoned game at Ansty Nomads, I still haven’t dried out.

European football was provided by TNS at Shrewsbury, and I later visited their true home ground near Oswestry. This is a very well run club that deserves its status as the best Welsh team. Competition in the Cymru leagues will be fierce in the coming season with a new structure looming and being based on this seasons placings.

I finally made it to Appleby Froddingham in Scunthorpe after a few re-routed journeys due to bad weather. The friendliness made up for the average facilities, and I am pleased to see that they have been reprieved relegation and remain allocated in the 10th tier. The facilities were not extensive at Keswick, but, ‘Oh’, what a scenic ground in the park, with the Lake District Hills as a backdrop.

Great to have seen a Bury victory as they make their slow but sure come back through the leagues. What marvellous support they have both home and away. A mention of support brings me back to St Albans, where despite relegation, they still hosted the 5th highest average attendance in the National League South.

County cups are often forgotten by clubs, yet on a cold evening I saw Ashbourne nearly upset Clay Cross, a team who won the United Counties Division One, in my view one of the hardest leagues to get out of anywhere in the country due to its competitiveness. The oldest derby in the world drew a crowd well over 1500 at Hallam to see them beat Sheffield Fc in ‘The Sheffield and Hallamshire County Cup’. The final of the cup where Worksop just beat Hallam was my final game of the season.

I have saved the highlights and lowlights to last. Visiting Gretna and watching some surprisingly skilful football and some skilful parking and a tasty scotch pie. A visit to Wembley to see Aston Villa not turn up and be humiliated by Crystal Palace and experience the worst football food of the season, the FA should do better. Biggleswade were down and out at half time at Coleshill in the cup, but turned it round, eventually winning 4,5, especially pleasing for their Chairman whom I went to school with. Another 4.5, this time on penalties after 4.4 after extra time, saw Gainsborough Trinity beating Hednesford after also looking to have no way back. This game was one of the most exciting I have ever seen in my long history of watching football.

For sheer emotion, the joy of the fans of Bradford City, when their 95th minute winner and promotion clincher went in, was my highlight of the season. To have been their and experience it was tingling.

Another season awaits.