On a cold afternoon I made the short journey to see SJR Worksop F.C. play Harworth Colliery F.C. in the Central Midlands Black Dragon Premier Division North League.

The ground is adjacent to Sandy Lane in Worksop just a quarter of a mile down the lane from Worksop Town’s ground.

It was a cold windy afternoon interrupted by a few sleet and rain flurries decending from the dark grey sky. The car temperature gauge had shown 3.5 degrees as I entered the ample car park. I had no idea that the game would up the temperature and boil over later.

The pitch is set apart from the clubhouse and changing rooms, another pitch being in between. I had a coffee to warm up but there were no chips here for my chip league.

The pitch is surrounded by a white fence and the playing surface sloped slightly end to end with a good thick grass cover.

I would normally write a few paragraphs abut the clubs but this was all about the game.

St Josephs Rockware Worksop 1 Harworth Colliery F.C. O

Central Midlands Black Dragon Premier Division North: Kick off 3.00 pm

Glassworks Pitches, Sandy Lane Worksop.

This local derby, 10 miles apart by car and less as the crow flies started with SJR playing down hill and the grey skies had cleared and now bright blue skies meant you could see planes making their decent into Doncaster Sheffield airport. Harworth took complete control and had most success attacking down the right, they even clipped the post after 7 minutes with the ball rebounding into the keepers arms. For all of Harworth’s pressure it was SJR who took the lead on 15 minutes when from a corner the ball was worked back to no.22 who from just over 20 yards out took down the ball with his right and curled it with his left into the top right hand corner of the net.

Worksop now took control but were pegged back to 10 men when one of their players was sin binned five minutes later for continual arguing with the referee’s decisions. Harworth did not take advantage of this but had a further chance to take the upper hand when the referee sent off Worksop’s number 4 for a second yellow card received for two strong fouls just 5 minutes from half time.

At this point I was thinking of another coffee or even a hot OXO came to mind as I could see an OXO factory in the distance.

A few minutes after the dismissal the referee approached the SJR bench to get them all to vacate the touchline and some ensuing verbal’s resulted with a yellow card for one of their management team which turned red when further words were exchanged. The referee then blew his whistle and shouted that the game was abandoned as he had been threatened by the home team.

The referee gathered the other officials and walked back to the changing room leaving the players bemused on the pitch. The crowd of circa 70 were stunned too and one of them said that someone had threatened the referee to sort him out in the carpark later! The players eventually trooped off and as it was just on half time the crowd stayed hoping that the game would resume for the second half. However the players started to come out of the club house having changed and the crowd drifted back to their cars. I overheard one of the Worksop players say, that was an easy win and an early finish too. Unfortunately I think it will be the Central Midland League’s committee that decide the result of this one in the future.

England U 19’s 2 Portugal U 19’s 0

Chesterfield Technique Stadium kick off 7.30 p.m.

UEFA Under 19’s Qualifier

6005 turned up for this England qualifier and filled two sides of the 12000 all seater stadium.

After a few glorious days fans were pleased to have dressed for a wind that was quickly reducing the temperature. Chesterfield’s pitch is perfectly flat and against local reports I was pleased to find that only the immediate goal areas were sanded on what looked a green thick turf.

A win for England would ensure them a place in the finals in Slovakia from the 18th June to 1st July.

The game started fast with Portugal pressing with two quick forewords in Diago Trevasson and Joleson testing the England back line. It was England however who took an early lead when Brooke Norton Cuffey of Arsenal made a great overlap on the right to cut the ball back for Dave Scarlett to place the ball along the ground between a defenders legs.

The pace kept up and just before half time on 40 minutes Devine was brought down by the Portugal goalkeeper and Dave Scarlett stepped forward to take the penalty. Scarlett placed the ball to the keepers right to give England a comfortable lead at the break.

England only had one scare in the second half when a Portugal defender was free at the far post after a great cross from the left. How he ballooned the ball over the bar when almost on the goal line baffled everyone in the stadium. Portugal made numerous changes to try and gain a foothold in the game and were shown 6 yellow cards to England’s 1 mainly due to their frustration at the home sides controlled play. England ran our competent winners to progress to the summer finals. In a fast and furious game the two Aston Villa players of Charney Chuckwuemeka and Tim Iroegbunam stood out as they were effective but seemed to have time on the ball that appeared almost casual.

There are no pictures of the match as UEFA asked that there should be no autographs, selfies or pictures taken of the players.

On a mission to see Keele University play I checked on the journey to find the game postponed, so looking at other games locally I found that Newcastle Town were playing Glossop North End in the Northern Premier league West.

Parking in the centre of Newcastle under Lyme I decided to take the 18 minute walk to the game because the weather although hazy was a beautiful 19 degrees with no wind. With 50 minutes to kick off it seemed a cinch looking at Google maps. I decided to take a short cut through the cemetery but as I entered the cool I lost signal. It was peaceful walking through in the tree lined paths but totally disorientating. After being sent the wrong way by a helpful passer by my signal returned and I found that I had gone totally off piste. After finding my way back to where I started I was running out of time so I quickened my pace and eventually walked through the gate to the ground with a minute to spare.

There was however a ceremony taking place on the pitch which I found out was unfortunately a tribute to Newcastle’s late Chairman, Paul Ratcliffe who had recently passed.

The ground is in a very large park with other sports pitches and facilities and it is unusual because it has a velodrome all around the perimeter and therefore feels spacious but I did not feel that this made it a bit removed from the pitch. The pitch was very flat and green and all around there is hard standing at different heights depending on the curve of the cycling track. In the middle of one side behind the dugouts is a covered standing area and there is a seating area on the other side.

The Newcastle club is believed to have been started in 1964 in the local Sunday League but its present incarnation started in 1986 with the merger with another local club, Parkway Clayton. Initially playing in local Cheshire Leagues they soon progressed the the North West Counties League and as Champions in 2010 were promoted to the Northern Premier League. Newcastle have developed a very strong youth set up and have even been able to create their own multi pitch facility in the area.

You would need a book to describe the history of Glossop North End who were founded in 1886 as an amateur club but turned professional just a few years later and soon climbed the Leagues to be invited to join the English Second Division in 1898 and a season later played for one season in England’s most senior league. Some poor seasons meant that in 1915 they were not re-elected to the League and have since spent many seasons in Non-league football. There have been ups and downs but their most recent success was when they reached the F.A. Vase final in 2015 only to lose to North Shields 2-1 and also win the North West Counties League and gain promotion to the Northern Premier League where the realignment of the Non League structure now finds them in the Northern Premier League West Division.

Newcastle Town F. C. 0 Glossop North End A.F.C. 0

Saturday 26th March 2022 3.00pm kick off: Attendance 211

Northern Premier League West Division: 17th v 13th: The Castle v The Hillmen

Blue shirts with white stripe across the chest and sides, blue shorts v Orange shirts, black shorts.

After 15 minutes I was wandering why the ball had spent so much time in the air with little effect. Newcastle did force 3 corners in a row exerting some pressure but the game soon reverted to kick and rush. Glossop did have the ball in the net on 34 minutes but is was ruled offside and they again came close 3 minutes later with a header.

Both sides remained level at the break and a walk round the pitch to see the rugby match on an adjoining pitch raised the tempo. However the football did drag on with both teams cancelling themselves out. Glossop did up their tempo in the last 15 minutes and Jordon Scott hit the base of the right hand post from 30 yards with 10 minutes to go. Glossop pressure nearly paid off with another shot that grazed the corner of the upright and crossbar just at the end. The referee’s whistle was a relief to the crowd who had enjoyed the sunshine.

Newcastle’s point keeps them just one place outside the play off relegation zone.

A small bar and adjoining food area served up a very large portion of chips ( I asked for small ). They were hot, not greasy, with a little crunch and a good texture earning a score of 73.

Mid-week I made the journey to see a team whose name has intrigued me for some time. Leaving the M1 at the A38 junction No. 28 you drive through the large industrial estate, Huthwaite and a housing estate to the carpark for Mansfield Hosiery Mills FC. for a Central Midlands League, South Division, game against Long Eaton United Community. A game that pitted the third placed team against the bottom club Mansfield Hosiery Mills. You would have to win 11 leagues to play in the Premier League yet that in no way diminished this competition. The football club is part of a larger sports and social club and the cricket clubs bar facilities shone out as I crossed the car park.

The evening was still, dark, dry and warm for the time of year. The pitch slopes from side to side and there is a steep slope from end to end which has a good grass covering with some wear in the goal mouths. The ground was compact with a barge board fence around the ground, a small seated area to one side of the goal, a club house on one side and hard standing fully around the pitch. Considering this is one of the smaller clubs I have visited I have to say they are some of the cleanest toilets I have ever been in.

Mansfield Hosiery Mills FC were formerly known as North Notts FC but have been playing under their current name in 2002. They reached the Northern Counties East League Premier Division before dropping back down the League structure and disbanding for ground problems before re-forming in the Nottingham Leagues and rejoining the Central Midlands League only three years ago.

Long Eaton United Community are an off shot of Long Eaton United who play in the United Counties League.

Mansfield Hosiery Mills FC 2 Long Eaton United Community 1

Wednesday 23rd March 2022 7.45 pm. 17th (Bottom) v 3rd, The Millers v The Blues

M.H.M. payed in change kit, yellow shirts and black shorts: L.E.U.C. red and black vertical shirts and red shorts.

With the clocks changing this weekend it was great to get in one of the last games fully under the floodlights which always seem more exciting. This game re enforced this as Long Eaton took immediate control with their number 11 proving a handful. It was on one of his fast tricky runs that the home sides right back brought him down in the goal area for the referee to have no doubts about awarding a penalty. The away teams number eight placed the ball well along the ground into the left hand corner of the net to give Long Eaton the lead.

With the away team continuing the pressure it was a surprise when Mansfield equalised only 3 minutes later. A long ball in from the left was totally misjudged by the goalkeeper and Liam Walker accepted the dropped ball, swiveled round and tapped it home.

Long Eaton should have retaken the lead on 21 minutes when the goalkeeper ventured out of his goal to stop an attack leaving an open goal that was missed as the ball sailed over the cross bar. Long Eaton dominated play for 35 minutes of the game but let Mansfield gain their composure and start to take control. With only 2 minutes to half time Mansfield were awarded a free kick for a high tackle and the ball was swung in from the left which again caused havoc in he air. Liam Walker was there again to give the home fans some cheer at half time.

Mansfield Hosiery played down hill in the second half and played with more composure. Their right back who was under pressure in the first half took control of that dual and even ventured forward at times. For me their man of the match was their number 5 who played with some maturity considering what looked like a young age.

I noticed that the Mansfield goalkeeper placed a camera behind his goal to record his game, good dedication this to review his strengths and weaknesses.

Mansfield’s win moved them off the bottom of the League and up two places. Two wins out of three now must surely mean they are finding the right blend in their team although too late this season to progress much higher.

No Chips here so I went for a hot chocolate served by very friendly helpers.

I made the journey back to Belper for the second time this season to The Raygar Stadium in Christchurch Meadows but not to see Belper Town but Belper United who rent the ground off their neighbours. United moved here in the 2013/14 season but moved away to return in 2018.

I must go to Belper sometime to visit Strutt’s Mill that gained UNESCO World Heritage Status over 20 years ago and was a major cotton spinning Mill in the Derwent Valley. I also need to go if I am to go back to watch football again to work out the best parking places as I have on both occasions ended up walking a long way (good for me in reality).

It was a pleasant evening of 12 degrees with a stillness in the air and very black skies that made the floodlights shine brightly. I was greeted by a friendly team at a table selling tickets and programs and there was a crowd of 168. Belper United’s biggest league crowd of the season.

The pitch here slopes slightly and the grass cover is very good considering two teams are playing on this ground regularly. There was a very good programme (The Green Army Review) and one of the support staff walked round the ground handing out team sheets.

There is photographic evidence that Belper United came into existence around the early 1920’s and were active for around 20 years. A merger in 1969 between Milford Sports and Belper Park Rangers created the current club. They have played in the Midland Regional Alliance, the Central Midlands League, East Midlands Counties League and in the reorganisation of the Non-League structure now find themselves in The United Counties League.

Like Belper there are two teams in Hinkley, Hinkley LRFC who play in the United Counties Premier Division South and Hinkley AFC who are one division lower, both were formed with the demise of Hinkley Town. Hinkley AFC are a community club playing in Barwell just to the north of Hinkley. They initially played in the Midland League and were place in the current League this season,

Belper United 2 Hinkley AFC 0

Tuesday March 15th 2022, 7.45 p.m. kick off.

United Counties league Division One – Division Position: Third v Top.

Kit – Belper United, Green and Black vertical stripe shirts and shorts v Hinkley AFC away kit Purple shirts, shorts and socks.

Hinkley were on a thirteen game unbeaten run and top of the table with Belper third and seven points behind. The game started immediately in a competitive. combinative tone which continued all match. The home team playing against the slight slope had the best of the first 15 minutes but it was Hinkley on 28 minutes who had the best chance to take the lead from a corner when Curtis Hall made a stunning save low down. Hinkley again looked dangerous when awarded a free kick on the left edge of the area for a foul on the dangerous Isa Abraham who had an intriguing tussle with Belper’s Jake Dodds all night. The free kick was wasted and half time came with Belper still looking the strongest team.

Belper kept up the pressure and as the bells tolled nine from the next door Christ Church it seemed that an exciting goal less draw was on the cards. Six minutes later the energetic Kieran O’Conell was sin binned for decent and what looked like arguing with the referee.

Hinkley should have made the extra man count but it was O’Connell’s return 2 minutes earlier that made the difference when with ten minutes remaining he was put through on the left by substitute Ben Ollett and after drawing the goalkeeper curled the ball across him into the right hand corner of the net to take the lead.

With Hinkley pushing for the equaliser Belper broke away leaving Ben Ollett on his own to beat the keeper, Mathew Hill, to put the game out of sight for Hinkley. The referee blew the final whistle one minute after the re-start and Hinkley’s run was over.

One of the best games I have seen all season and my man of the match was Belper’s whole back four who were steadfast all game.

The chips looked great and were real chips, red hot, just cooked, crispy on the outside but hard in the middle. What started as potentially the best chips of the season ended up a disappointment and a score of only 45.

N.B. I have always considered the United Counties League a bit of a Cinderella League but the recent restructure has ended up with a better quality of football across a wider region. This shows up in that a team from each of their Premier Leagues have made it to the semi finals of the F.A. Vase. Loughborough Students and Newport Pagnell. The games in the League this year have all showcased some very good talent.

A morning ground inspection put paid to my planned game so looking back to the previous weeks game at the incredible Loughborough. University I had read that their opponents Eastwood Community had an all weather pitch and good facilities.

So it was a change of plan and Google Maps to get me there. The lady on Google maps I call Betty, a long story, often she confuses me and this was no exception. Being told my destination was on my left but all that was there was a fire station belied the fact it was hidden by this building. Turning off google and driving around the block I eventually found a large sign directing me in.

Easy parking, although it was nearly full, led to a short walk past a large park to the ground. As I expected this is a good facility for this level of football.

An artificial pitch that when laid there was an attempt made to even the end to end slope which has resulted in a slope from one end to the centre and the other half being flat which initially looks a little odd. One side has a very large and well appointed club house, a steep comfortable seating area and a food bar. There is hard standing on all of the three other sides with cover at both ends and a very small covered seating area on the far side where some of the seats are smashed.

The view from near the top of the stand is really good as I looked out on the grey clouds that were building on this relatively cold, still day.

Eastwood Community FC have only been in existence since 2014 when they took on the mantle of football in the town after Eastwood Town folded. Eastwood Town had reached as high as the Northern Premier League. Community play at Haltbrooke Stadium, a modern facility with a 3g pitch. The Stadium also has great hospitality rooms to allow for a good income stream from off pitch activities. They have risen through the Central Midland League and are now placed in the United Counties League. They look certain to be contenders in this league in the future.

Newark FC have had a chequered career starting life as A. J. Simpson in 1901 in the Ironmonger’s League and the next mention of the club is as Worthington Simpson in 1935 in the Nottingham Spartan League. After fourteen years they moved to the Notts Alliance where they had some success and further name changes to IDP Newark and then Newark Flowserve in 2001. By 2004 Newark Flowserve joined the Central Midland League but lased only 5 years before joining the Notts Senior League. The senior team was reformed in 2013 and successive promotions saw them playing in the East Midlands Counties League where they soon achieved promotion to the Midland League. They had to drop the Flowserve name in 2020 at the request of the F.A. due to their sponsorship rules and with the Leagues restructure now play in the United Counties Football League. The team play at Basford United’s ground after their leased Lowfields ground in Balderton was subject to a plan to build housing. Long term this ground sharing 25 miles from their base will be difficult to sustain and efforts are being made to try to move back nearer to their roots.

Eastwood Community 1 Newark FC 2

Saturday 5th March 2022 Kick Off 3 pm

United Counties North Premier Division

Badgers v Highwaymen : League Position 14th v 15th

Attendance 197

Eastwood, red shirts and white shorts – Newark, royal blue shirts and shorts.

Eastwood initially looked as if they would take charge of the game but on 12 minutes the Newark forward, Josh Mundell, who had been a hand full, passed the defenders to the byline and cut back the ball where the striker, James Berrett was checked and the referee had no choice but to award a penalty. Mason Rowley stepped forward and hit the ball into the centre of the goal with the goalkeeper diving to his right. Both teams created chances but the defences were well up to it and the score remained at 0.1 at Half Time.

Eastwood did not seem to have the same confidence of the previous week but that appeared to be because the opposition were not letting them play.

Eastwood pressed at the start of the second half but on the hour a long ball forward was chased by Newark’s Richemone Sylla who controlled the ball and took the defender and goalkeper to the right of the goal and then crossed the ball for Nyle Blake to simply tap in.

As the game neared the end the heavens opened and a biblical deluge that had threatened all afternoon lasted for only five minutes.

Eastwood now took control and forced successive corners but could not beat the resolute Newark defence until on 80 minutes when Ben Henderson received the ball on the left, strode forward past lunging defenders and hit a powerful shot past Sam Andrew from range. Eastwood pushed for an equaliser but had no clear chances and Newark went home happy. My man of the match was Dean Freeman Newark’s centre back who marshalled his line and never missed a tackle or header.

The chips were crispy, fluffy inside, golden, tasty, an amazing amount for £1.50 but disappointedly a little cool but a good score of 81.

There has been a beacon for University Football this season and that has been Loughborough Students who have reached the quarter finals of the F.A.Vase and play Wythenshawe Town at home on the 12th March. They are only two wins away from Wembley when if they get there they say they will paint it purple. I decided to go and see them play at home to Eastwood Community FC on Saturday in the United Counties Premier Division North to see what was going on.

First you have to get past one of two campus gates to see an amazing University with indoor and outdoor sports facilities to die for. It is around a one square mile area and has always been known to me as the best sporting University in the country. But these days there are around 20000 students that not only excel at sport but many other degrees of which Business Studies is one of their prime offerings.

We parked in a very leafy car park walking past the beach volleyball area and in the distance the Steve Beckley javelin building that looks like a modern train station where you can launch your javelin under cover, Wow.

The University Stadium was opened in 2012 but still looks like it was last week. This is Non-league heaven with a beautiful stand down one side incorporating changing rooms, and a plush hospitality area for all up stairs where you enter the seats or look out on the pitch while having a drink or eating your pie. There is standing on three other side and to cater for the Quarter Final they are going to install a fans zone on the hard standing pitch behind the open side. There is an electronic score board and a perfectly flat pitch that is grass and looked after by a Wizard who has presented a lawn that would not be out of place for a bowls team.

There are records of a team called Loughborough Technical Institute as far back as 1919 and a year later they became a College of Technology and a University in 1966. They have won University Trophy’s on many occasions in their history.

In recent years they have re-entered the non-league football world in the Midlands. Initially in the Midland Combination in 2007 and then the Midland Alliance and as founder members of the Midland Football League in 2014. With recent seasons being curtailed and with the team being highly placed the restructure of the leagues has seen them placed in the United Counties Premier Division North. At the start of this new era they have changed their name from Loughborough University to Loughborough Students a name they now use across all of their team sports for both Men and Women.

Eastwood Community FC have only been in existence since 2014 when they took on the mantle of football in the town after Eastwood Town folded. Eastwood Town had reached as high as the Northern Premier League. Community play at Haltbrooke Stadium, a modern facility with a 3g pitch. The Stadium also has great hospitality rooms to allow for a good income stream from off pitch activities. They have risen through the Central Midland League and are now placed in the United Counties League. They look certain to be contenders in this league in the future.

Loughborough Students 2 Eastwood Community 0

26th February 2022 3pm Loughborough University

United Counties Premier Division North

The Scholars v The Red Badgers

Purple shirts and shorts with pink shoulder stripe v Red shirts and white shorts

The first quarter of the game was very equal as it had been when the teams fought out a draw in an early round of this season’s F.A. Vase that had to be decided on penalties.

Just as Eastwood were beginning to get on top the Students hit the post and cross bar in a flurry of activity on 18 minutes. The game continued to see saw and Ben Whiting in the Loughborough goal (later to be named man of the match) flipped a header that had been powered down by Kyle Stovell of Eastwood up onto the bar and away.

At half time it was all square with a talented home team matched by a well disciplined and organised Eastwood.

Loughborough came out in the second half with all guns blazing but Eastwood kept their cool until the 66th minute when Dylan Edwards placed the ball along the ground into the left hand corner of the net from a position in the centre of the goal.

With Loughborough one goal up they continued pressure to make it 2 nil in the 82nd minute when Tope Fadahunsi’s pass was controlled by Cam More who spun and hit a bullet shot across the diving Warren Squires the Eastwood goal keeper.

The 162 fans left happy after a good competative game in fantastic facilities.

No chips unfortunately but a tasty Chicken Pie.