Category: Uncategorized

Appleby Frodingham F.C. at last!

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.

The Mavericks

The Mavericks.


Written by Rob Steen
Pulished by Mainstream Publishing Company (Edinburgh) Ltd, 7 Albany Syreet, Edinburgh, EH1 3 HG, in 1994. 1997 reprint read.


This was another charity shop find. I had seen the book on a few shelves over recent years but always left it thinking it was too long ago to be of interest. Was I wrong. This is a fascinating book about a group of players whose skills were brilliant but their own persoalities meant that they didn’t fit in with the National team hierarchy of the time, which restricted their involvement  and Englands potential in my view.
The book tells the stories of Stan Bowles, Tony
Currie, Charlie George, Alan Hudson, Rodney Marsh, Peter Osgood
and Frank Worthington.
I must apologise to Charlie George, who I always thought was arrogant, but reading this, he was far from that, sorry! I saw most of these players following Watford and Luton, and what they did was to make space and time for themselves and then ghost past defences or spray passes all over the park. You didn’t  have crab like football passing with any of these.
They were all non conformist individuals. One example of this was one evening game under lights at Watford where Rodney Marsh went off the pitch for an injury, sat down leaning against advertising hoardings, chatted to some fans, got up, returned to the pitch and ensured that QPR won. I was disappointed for Watford losing, but what a memory it has given me.
The book is written, so it is entertaining and informative about not only the players but also the culture of the time in which they played, which is far apart from today.
After I read the book, I could not understand why I hadn’t read it earlier. I try not to keep looking back, sawing sawdust, but the nostalgia in this book made me smile and realise how lucky I was to live through it.

Worth a read.

Loughborough Students second best to Long Eaton.

After picking my daughter up we crossed the M1 at junction 23 on our way to see Ashby Ivanhoe FC. I luckily stopped at the layby to check if the game was on to find that it had just been called off when the opposition team had just arrived. I had previous with Ashby, having watched them last year at Quorn because their pitch was not available. They like Appleby Frodingham seem to somehow defeat my efforts to visit them, perhaps a visit to both at the end or start of a season will let me achieve my aim.

We decided to head to nearby Loughborough Students, a ground that I like to visit once a year anyway. You have to go to the gate house to get the bar lifted to enter the campus and drive to the far end where there is ample car parking, though you are bizarrely charged £1.

Walking to the ground I have written before that you pass the javelin training area, but now in front of it is a new Beach Volleyball training ground. perhaps some new Olympians are training here.

The ground has an immaculate flat grass pitch and is open on three sides with hard standing. The third side is the large main stand with changing and training rooms underneath. The long bar area is glass fronted and you could watch the game from inside if you wished. A good idea on this drizzly, wet, damp, grey, cool day. Although we sat outside on some damp seats.

Loughborough Students have found life in their new higher league level surroundings tougher than their recent years in the United Counties League. Having stated the season poorly they are now mid table and look as if they will retain their status for next season. The playing of football is not the only university activity going on, there were students with lap tops analysing the match and players as it unfolded. Good research for a sports science degree?

Football Histories

Loughborough students trace their history back to 1919 under the name of Loughborough Technical Institute later to become a Technical College and then a University. They have won many University competitions but it was in 2007 that they moved into the Non-league sphere. The University Stadium was opened in 2012 and they were moved into the United Counties League in 2019, part of a major league re organisation. They were promoted in 2024 after beating Skegness in the Play Off final 7-0 and now play in the Northern Premier Midlands Division.

A team called Long Eaton St Helens played in the Derbyshire Alliance in 1907 and played in local leagues for around 20 years before disbanding. Long Eaton Town were established in July 1949 and spent many years in the Central Alliance, before moving to the Midland League in 1961.

In 1982 they were founder members of the Northern Counties East League, with the merger of two leagues. They stayed there for 7 years before opting to move to the Central Midlands League, but by 2002 they were back in the Northern Counties East League. They moved up to the Premier Division before changing leagues again in 2014 to the newly formed Midland League. Their nomadic days continued when reorganisations moved them to the Premier Division North of the United Counties League in 2021 which they won and were promoted to The Northern Premier League East and latterly moved to the Midland Division.

Loughborough Students 0 Long Eaton 4

Saturday 8th February 2025 15.00 kick off. Northern Premier League, Midland Division. 12th V 6th. The Scholars v The Blues

Attendance 192

Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU

Loughborough; All purple kit with pink band on the front of the shirts with a white V across it. Goalkeeper all green: Long Eaton; Red Shorts with red shirts that had vertical black stripes on the front. Goalkeeper Light grey top black shorts.

Long Eaton started the game, stronger, organised and with an attacking intent, initially spearheaded by some very long throws into the heart of the home goal area. It was no surprise that they took the lead after just 7 minutes when a cross from the left was punched out by the keeper only into the path of Liam Loughlan who flashed it back into the net.

Loughborough made quick breaks but were caught offside by a well drilled away back line and the away team made it two nil with 20 minutes gone when James Shaw, unmarked, had all the time in the world to nod down a cross from the right past the goalkeeper.

Long Eaton left the field at half time in a commanding position. They made it three nil on 62 minutes when James Shaw, again, scored after the ball hit the bar and rebounded to him. He stroked the ball past the keeper who was partially deceived by the bounce. The goal came after intense pressure, Long Eaton having hit the bar only 5 minutes previous.

James Shaw completed his hat trick on 70 minutes adding Long Eatons’s fourth when the ball hit the post and he raced in to beat the defender who was peddling back, to squeeze it in.

Long Eaton won easily and moved up to the play off places, whilst the Students had a match to forget. I enjoyed another visit here and will return again in the future. Hopefully Loughborough will regain some of their recent form and comfortably stay in this league.

Football Food

Unfortunately no chips here only the choice between a hot pie or sausage roll. I seemed to have made the wrong choice as the sausage roll was dry and Luke warm.

From Hackney Marshes to The Old Spotted Dog.

On a trip to South of the Thames that included no football match, I sneaked in a visit to Hackney Marshes and the Old Spotted Dog. I’ll start with the Old Spotted Dog the oldest senior football ground in London. Having been to the oldest in the world on Tuesday I couldn’t resist the opportunity, even though it was a slight detour.

The Old Spotted Dog

What a welcome, it was difficult to get in with the footpath in the area being upgraded to high spec block work, but by chance one of the committee, they all have equally votes here, let us in and showed us round. What enthusiasm and pride in what they have achieved, it was infectious.

I remember Clapton playing in the Isthmian League against St Albans many moons ago but that team is no more with the last owner falling out with the fan base. A new team was formed, Clapton Community Football Club, and they were able to buy the Old Spotted Dog Ground from Heineken and start to reclaim it from a sorry state. One of their main income sources was from the sale of their away shirts, the design of which resembled the republican movement in Spain and led to 5500 shirts being sold there. The sale of the shirts allowed the club to purchase the ground from Heineken who once owned the building next door which was a brewery.

The Clapton Community club was formed on 27 January 2018 by the disgruntled fans and they have progressed through playing on Hackney Marshes and other venues, through the Middlesex County League and now play in the Southern Counties East Football League Division 1.

The club now run men’s, women’s, youth and development teams all of which are fully inclusive to reflect the ethos of the club and community. The club is run by it’s members, anyone can join, on a democratic basis, where there is equity between women and men. Financial issues are dealt with full transparency by issuing their accounts monthly. The clubs ‘Community’ in the name is matched by their local involvement having for example a hardship fund for those in distress. They also have a philosophy of ‘not pricing anyone out of football’ by allowing you to pay what you can afford, zero if necessary.

I could write for hours about this club but instead have challenged myself to return and watch a game and further write then. I have also joined as a member.

Such is the inclusivity that entering the ground there was an urban fox sat in front of the dugout looking at the pitch. I think he was planning the tactics for the afternoon match which they won. We were told that often the youngsters who play on the pitch can be distracted by the foxes and that the members have to clear fox poo off the pitch before games.

Hackney Marshes

Before I went to Clapton I visited nearby Hackney Marshes, where there are over 80 football pitches and has been a spiritual home to grass roots football in London for many years. It is thought that football has been played on the marshes since the 1880’s but its biggest expansion and use was after 1946 when rubble from the destruction by the Blitz were deposited there and used as the substrate to layout approximately 110 football pitches. Today there are also cricket and rugby pitches, some with artificial surfaces and modern changing rooms. The Marshes are considered the birth place of Sunday League football which has its rivals in other parts of the country but it certainly was at the forefront of this part of the game.

With so many pitches it has a unique atmosphere where many teams and players have come together over a century, where players had a space to belong and achieve at their level.

I myself played here in 1966/67 when I played for Luton Nomads in a South East England Jewish Sunday League. Not being of the faith I was made an honorary member and played in many parts of London but my best memories are from ‘The Marshes’ on a wet windy Sunday afternoon, racing over three pitches to retrieve the ball with the teams on those pitches totally ignoring you as they were concentrating on their own match. It was fantastic on Saturday morning to see people of all ages using the pitches to their best advantages and having the same enjoyment that I had so many years ago.

Football continues to be threaded in our culture at all levels of the game.

The Old Spotted Dog Inn, reputed to be an Hunting Lodge of Henry the eight net door to the football ground which the local community are also attempting to revive.

This picture was displayed on the walls and was photographed by the son of the man who showed us round. It has recently been displayed in the West End of London and will soon be displayed at an exhibition in Paris. Football can join us all together.

Personal farewell to Denis Law

It was sad to see that Denis Law left us a week ago at the age of 84. He was undoubtedly one of Britain’s greatest forwards, proving this in a career across Scotland, England and Italy.

He was a forward who was able to show balletic skills on rubbish surfaces as well as on major stages as he won all of the honours in the English game. He was blessed with the skill to beat defenders, overhead kicks, back heels and an ability to be there at the right time.

I was there to see him score six goals at Kenilworth Road in the infamous abandoned F.A. Cup game of 1961.

Being treated for my 11th birthday, my Dad and I caught the 321 London Country Bus from the Ancient Briton, in St Albans, to the top of Cutenhoe Road in Luton, where a Luton Corporation ‘Special’ bus was waiting to take us to the ground. We stood at the Kenilworth Road End and watched a sensation, Denis Law, totally overrun the home side. It didn’t matter that we were drenched we were watching a master. Some of the crowd around us were complaining about the conditions at half time, and wanted the game abandoned so that they could get their money back and I also suspect that they didn’t like to see Luton thrashed. The teams did come out for 24 more minutes and no money was refunded or tickets given to the rearranged game.

I didn’t care, what a birthday treat to see Dennis Law tiptoe through atrocious conditions and score 6 goals, against Luton’s 2. Denis even scored in the rearranged game but Luton came out winners of that 3.1.

I only ever saw Denis Law on the TV after that, what a player, what a career.

2024/2025 season, interim Chip League

At the half way stage of many of the leagues, I thought it prudent to issue an interim league table for my chip league. After 25 matches and 15 portions of chips there is a clear leader in Hednesford Town, and by a co-incidence it was by far the most exciting game I have seen so far this season and for many seasons.

As I always state this is subjective and could change at a subsequent visit, sometimes dependent on whether you are first in the queue for a newly cooked batch of chips. After 7 years of chips I do wonder if I am getting a bit jaded in my appreciation of chips but the smell and anticipation, often on a cold evening, overcome those thoughts.

I will in anticipation look forward to the end of the season to see if anyone can knock Hednesford off their top billing.

 payonthegate 2024/25 chip league
ClubScoreComments
Hednesford82Really good taste.
Coleshill74Tasty under the gazebo.
Hallam72Hot and Tasty
South Leeds72Freshly cooked, good Friday night out.
Clay Cross72Good taste. Very thick Bovril.
Matlock70Big portion
Clifton All Whites67Enjoyable
Sheffield FC67Good texture
Basford62Greasy background taste, good food hut.
Worksop60Gone backwards since last times improvement
Mansfield58Only ate half, greasy, why chips in away end not main stand.
Sandiacre 56Lingering, greasy taste, served on a reuseable plate
Albion Sports55Lasting greasy taste
Brigg54Too greasy, friendly club house.
Wombwell52Taste of burnt fat.
Fakenham Town0No Chips
Club Thorne Colliery 0No Chips
Wolverhampton Wanderers0No Chips
Kiveton Park0No Chips
Gretna0No Cips but the Scotch pie was great.
SJR Worksop0No chips, packet of Quavers instead.
Sheffield Union0No Chips, didn’t go to the club house.
Chesterfield0No Chips
Aston Villa0Couldn’t get to the food kiosks, too busy
Shrewsbury/TNS0No Chips

You have to deal with disappointments following the Villa, Part 4 !!!!!!!

Friday saw me take a drive to Villa Park to see their 150th Anniversary Game, which had been deemed to be the Third Rond FA Cup game at home to West Ham. Tickets were reduced to £25 and less for children so another grandson was able to come along and see his first ever game at Aston Villa.

Other celebratory actions were the use of an Anniversary kit of black shirts, to pay homage to the original shirts that also had no sponsorship or player names on them. There were also items for sale in the club shop,  which had lengthy queues, for £1.50, as well as a souvenir programme for the same price. Unfortunately only a few had been printed and although we entered the North Stand an hour early, there were none left, although they were for sale on eBay the next day at a very inflated price. Subsequent to this a new batch have been re-printed for sale to fans.

It was a cold clear night with the car temperature registering minus 4 degrees as we parked, and we were soon chilled on the way to the stadium, but inside, where there was a full house, it was warmer. There had been rumblings about Villa making this their anniversary match  yet I felt the full house was a vindication considering the weather , a Friday night and the game being on TV. It also gave the chance for younger fans to attend and get their first taste of the Villa bug.

Villa fans were in good voice as too were the 6000 from West Ham who helped to create a good atmosphere.

Aston Villa 2 West Ham 1

Friday 10th February 2025 20.00 pm kick off F.A. Cup 3rd Round

Villa Park, Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham, B6 6HE, Villains v Hammers

Villa; Black shirts, white shorts West Ham; White Shirts, claret shorts.

The noise ramped up as the game started with both sides looking to take control. A mistake trying to head clear a challenge in the centre of the pitch was swept out to the West Ham right and the ball was quickly moved forward to be centred which allowed Luca Paqueta to shoot low to the left of Olsen, in goal for Villa, maybe for the last time, into the corner of the net to take the lead with 9 minutes gone.

Villa looked sluggish at this point and continual sideways passes with no result were greeted with derision by the home fans. The continual probing didn’t lead to anything and their flow was disrupted on 23 minutes when Barkley was substituted for Onana after a leg injury, not long after Fullkrug had been replaced for West Ham by ex villain Danny Ings. The probing pattern of play continued for Villa, with West Ham occasionally making a quick break but neither side looked like adding to the score as the clock wound down to half time. A group of past players were warmly applauded when they walked around the pitch at the break.

The second half started without West Ham’s Summerville who had been influential in the visitors play.

Villa took more control yet still didn’t score even though they forced a series of corners. One corner from the right was swung in to be headed on by Tyrone Mings to Ezri Konsa at the back post who headed it down into the ground where it was spilled by Fabianski, the West Ham keeper, after an intervention by a defender. The ball was pounced on by the imposing Onana who poked it over the line. Should the Hammers goal Hero, Paqueta, not have fallen over next to Konsa, he would have been able to challenge his goalward header.

The goal signalled a resurgent Villa which was also helped by the immediate introduction of three substitutes. Five minutes after the goal, Yuri Tielemans released a long ground pass from deep in his own half to Emi Buendia, who had started with a positive go forward attitude, who swept the ball out to the left where Ollie Watkins raced into the Hammers penalty area and flashed the ball along the ground to Morgan Rogers who with one strike buried it into the net. A typical Villa goal under Unai Emery. The onslaught continued and only the left hand post stopped Jacob Ramsey’s beautiful curling shot from making it three.

Villa relaxed a little and it was their other substitute, Nedeljkovic who raced back at impressive speed to block a goalward bound shot. Villa fans were now in full flow and were relieved and pleased at their teams second half play. For 70 minutes I though that I would need to write ‘ You have to deal with disappointments following the Villa part 4’ but my influence had changed which I put down to wearing my claret and blue scarf, knitted by my mother 30 years ago, to keep me warm.

UP THE VILLA, even though I couldn’t get any chips with the huge queue, because all food and drink was £1.50 and the crowd was 40898.

Wimborne Town FC v Poole FC postponed

Last week, Appleby Frodingham and this week, as I arrived at Wimborne’s modern ground with an artificial pitch that is postponed too, waterlogged I pressure, although I had checked social media half an hour previous.
Journeying from Derbyshire, I don’t think I will be taking them up on using my pre paid ticket for the re-arranged match.
Unfortunately I have previous with Dorset in that I had travelled,  again in January, to see Poole play St Albans City, only to find it was postponed due to a frozen pitch, something rare in these southerly parts.
After a pasty and a coffee, I felt refreshed and ready for the year ahead.

Match postponed
Unfortunately, the following fixture has been postponed:
Wimborne Town FC vs Poole Town01/01/2025 at 15:00Wimborne Town Football Club
Your tickets will remain valid for the rescheduled fixture. Please keep an eye on communications from Wimborne Town FC on the new date.

10 men Zebras beat the fog and the The Penguins .

I decided to get one more game in 2024 and headed for North Lincolnshire to see Appleby Frodingham but first checked their social media and the league site to make sure the match was on. I have previous with Appleby Frodingham with games cancelled through a frozen and waterlogged pitch. Luckily, in the past, I had been able to switch games. The last few days had been miserable foggy and grey, and they were again as I pulled off the drive, but the sun was out as I whizzed along a quiet M18. The mood changed as the fog returned along the M180, and it thickened through Scunthorpe. It was to get worse when Google Maps took me to a local rugby club. Not deterred, the Northern Counties East web site gave me a different post code and 3 minutes later I was there along with a couple of other people in cars looking at a very closed ground. Social media now told me that the match was postponed, but again, not givingup, I knew that Brigg Town were at home and that was 8 miles away and I had 30 minutes to get there. Pulling into the large car park at 14.51 with the game on, my luck had changed. There was a large lined out car park all part of more sports facilities. I stopped and chatted to a man collecting for James Hitchcock, the Barton Rovers goalkeeper who lost his life on a night out, and walked to the turnstile. Now I was confronted by a queue! Evidently, another helper had not turned up so I managed to get in at 15.04, unluckily they were sold out of programs but luckily no one had scored.

Brigg Town can trace a history back to 1864, one of the earlier teams in the country. Playing for a long time in Lincolnshire Leagues, they moved up to the Midland League in 1976, and in 1982, when League mergers created the Northern Counties East League they were founder members.
Their highest league status was reached in 2004 when they were promoted to the Northern Premier League, but 11 years later, they were back in the NCEL. 2017 saw a further fall back into the Lincolnshire League, which they bounced back from the following year and have stayed since. Briggs Cup exploits have been amazing winning the FA Vase on two occasions in 1996 and 2003.

Athersley Recreatin FC has a much shorter history, only being formed in 1979 as Athersley North Juniors and took their current name in 1986. They played initially in the local Barnsley Leagues until 1997 when they were promoted to the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League. Promotion to the Northern Counties East League in 2012 they have played in both the Premier Division and Division one. After a few poor seasons, this year has proved more successful.

It was foggy here too but you could see from end to end. The miserable conditions made everything else look sad, with the undulating grass pitch having as much mud as grass. The good news being that at the end of the season the pitch is to be dug up and a new alweather one installed with six changing rooms for multi use and increased income. A reason to return in the future to see how it looks.

It was grey, damp and only 4 degrees giving a miserable feel.

The two ends of the ground are open with low level covered seating dow almost the length of one side. The other side houses the changing rooms, club house, other rooms, with covered standing in front.

Brigg Town FC CIC 1 Athersley Recreation FC 0

Saturday 28th December 2024. 

The EC Surfacing Stadium, Wrawby Rd, Brigg DN20 8DT

15.00 pm kick off. Northern Counties East League Division One.

4th v 10th, The Zebras v The Penguins or ‘The Rec’


Although Brigg were more dominant in the first 30 minutes, Athersley made dangerous quick attacks mainly down the left. With just 5 minutes before the break a second yellow card for Prince Hayward of Brigg meant an early bath and some reorganisation at half time for the home side.

The second half started with the fog thickening but on the field despite being one man down the home side kept pressing with Athersley still breaking fast. Athersley despite their attacks only forced the Brigg keeper to make one great save when he managed to launch himself and tip the shot over the bar.

There was plenty of passion and endeavour on and off the field as every tackle, foul or clash of heads was greeted with cries to reduce Athersley to 10 men. The referee kept his nerve and the game moved on to the final few minutes with not only the fog but the cold increasing.

With on my watch, time up and added time being played Brigg fought harder and harder and they were awarded a corner from the left. Harrison Coley curled it in and up rose Josh Jordan unmarked to head the ball with some strength into the back of the net. Fans and players of Brigg went wild, while the Athersley team trudged back to the centre circle knowing that they had missed a golden opportunity to get three points. The crowd of 302 was one of the best at this level for the day.

Considering the weather conditions and the cloying , muddy pitch, heavy legs, both teams had served up a fascinating, hard fought match to remember.

The club house was warm and friendly with many photos of old endeavours. TV screens were showing the World Darts Championship which a few chose to watch rather than the game. The chips although hot were tasty but too greasy for my liking, scoring only 54.

Little Christmas Cheer at Mansfield

I decided on a short trip for football to Mansfield on this busy travel weekend before the festive season. There was also an interesting local Derby between Mansfield and Rotherham and on this usually lean day for football crowds, with shopping being a priority in many families, a good crowd could be expected. It would also be the return of Steve Evans ‘the Marmite character’ to a club he left mid season and not on the home fans Christmas card list. Steve Evans had a football career in Scotland and then fell into management of Non-League and lower English clubs and usually creates a buzz and some excitement on and off the field where ever he has gone. My last brush with him was when he plotted knocking Aston Villa out of the F.A. cup when at Stevenage.

The traffic was bumper to bumper in Mansfield , especially around the ground, which is ringed by ‘Retail Sheds’. I couldn’t believe my luck at parking on the road, only a short walk to the match. My ticket was in the Rotherham end having not been able to get a ticket from Mansfield. A large contingent of the away fans had arrived by coach and on queuing up saw six ‘Father Christmases’ joining. For some reason the stewards were asking everyone to remove their hats to check if anything was concealed but no strip search? For some reason they did not ask me! To my great surprise the food stand was offering chips, some thing that has not been on the menu at the home main stand on previous visits, more of that later. It was also noticeable that this three sided ground had a fourth side as the Bishop Street side has been relieved of its hoardings and remedial work is going on to find a solution to making this a safe seating or standing area to increase capacity. This side of the ground has not been in use for nearly 20years and with crowds nearing capacity for popular games good income is being missed.

It was a grey dry day but with some strong gusty winds that sent darker clouds scurrying across the sky. The grass pitch looked immaculate and was watered heavily before the kick off.

Mansfield Town F.C. 1 Rotherham United 0

Saturday 21st December 2024, English Football League Division One, Kick off 15.00 pm

Field Mill Ground, Quarry Lane, Mansfield. NG18 5DA

Stags v Millers, 11th v 17th

Rotherham started the match with the greater possession but the swirling wind meant that their high balls were difficult to control. Their fans were the most noisy and were enjoying a holiday atmosphere. However as often is the case out of a rare Mansfield attack poor clearances meant the ball fell behind their defence for Deji Oshilaja to run through on his own and plant the ball in the net to the keepers right.

The Rotherham fans silenced and the Mansfield ones more vociferous to the point that Steve Evans complained afterwards about the vitriolic verbal treatment he received.

There is not much more I can say about the rest of the game. The wind totally spoilt it, but my mind drifted back to Hallam’s FA Vase win, when the part timers, in similar windy conditions, hit three goals in the second half by playing football along the ground.

The Rotherham fans turned on their own teams lack of attacks and mistakes.

Mansfield’s win meant that they went up one position in the League and Rotherham dropped down one after their recent form revival. Certainly no Christmas cheer here and perhaps the shops had the better offer for the 8401 who had made the effort.

The chips were a good quantity, crispy, hot, but greasy, and as I eat more the greasiness seemed to overwhelm the taste, to a point where I stopped half way through. A poor score of 58.