With games being called off again through Covid and the feeling that we have been here before I chose to watch the highest level of football in Northamptonshire on Saturday. Hopefully this will not be the last for a while.

It was grey, wet, still, cold and foggy as I walked across the large car park to Steel Park to watch Corby Town play Bedworth United in the Midlands Division of the Northern Premier League. Steel Park is a modern arena opened in 2011 with great facilities including a large seated area and good banked covered terracing behind one goal. The playing surface is flat but the grass is beginning to wear and there are some muddy areas.

Contiuous Christmas songs sung out to lift the gloom but the fog was thickening.

Corby have been struggling recently and have parted company with 5 of their players in the last 7 days.

Corby Town were founded in 1948 and have developed well since moving from local Leagues through the United Counties, Midland League. Southern League and now Northern Premier League (Midland Division) through promotions, relegations and F.A. reorganisations. Floodlights were added to their Rockingham Triangle ground in 1958 when they stepped up to the Southern League and their current modern stadium was opened in 2011.

Bedworth United are based in Bedworth, between Nuneaton and Coventry and were formed in 1968 due to the demise of Bedworth Town. They joined the Southern League in 1972 and have switched between the Southern and Northern Leagues on numerous occasions partly due to their location on the border of League territories and on going Non League reorganisations..

Corby Town 0 Bedworth United 2

Steelmen v Greenbacks Saturday 18th December 2021 3.00pm

Bedworth Town were off the blocks quickly and caused problems for the Steelmen.

It was no surprise that they took the lead when a very long throw in from the right was headed out to only fall at the foot of Bedworth’s No9 Brian Nesbitt who hit it into the top corner of the goal for the lead. Bedworth pressed on and Brian Nesbitt was on hand to meet a very good cross from the right with his head and the ball rocketed into the top left hand corner of the net.

Bedworth continued to cause Corby problems with long balls beyond the Corby defence but the home team settled and stemmed the tide but had little in the way of an attacking edge.

By half time the fog was getting thicker and colder and after 15 minutes of the half it was nigh impossible to see end to end. The local crowd were calling for an abandonment and there were two chants for the Manager to resign but after 20 minutes more the fog cleared a little. The fact that you could only just make out what was going on did not disguise the fact that I cannot remember one near miss for Corby in the whole game.

Everyone was pleased when the referee blew for time and the 389 fans could make their way to some warmth.

Perhaps it was the weather but the chips from the Steelmen Refreshment Bar were the worst I have tasted since AFC Mansfield a few seasons ago. They were cold, limp and soggy and even a covering of tomato sauce could not induce me to finish them. By contrast the very hot coffee and free mince pie from Baxters at half time certainly helped to revive me.

I shouldn’t have said that it was amazing how mild it had been at recent football matches this autumn. My trip to Burnley was wet but Saturday’s visit to Mansfield Woodhouse to see Sherwood Colliery play Knaresborough Town was almost monsoon like. Getting out of the car to avoid puddles was the first hurdle and I made my way through the club house to the ground behind in gloomy light at only just before three in the afternoon. The 50 brave souls were able to take cover under the two covered areas on opposite sides of the pitch.

Sherwood Colliery were reformed in 2008 and they moved into Debdale Park at the same time. Fate took a turn for the better for the club when in 2012 local ex builder Gareth Bull won on Euro millions and he has helped guide the club through successive promotions to now play in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division. However they are developing sustainably and money is not being thrown around for the sake of it. The pitch has been dug out of a hill and is quite flat with a few undulations. The grass is beginning to cut up and there were some mud patches on the sides. The rain just kept falling and the 3.5 degrees felt colder in the breeze.

The opponents Knaresborough Town FC have a long history going back to 1902 and although they have played local Yorkshire Leagues football they are enjoying their highest level of competition having been promoted to The Northern Counties East League Division One in 2012 and to the Premier Division in 2017.

Sherwood Colliery FC 5 Knaresborough Town FC 3

Wood v The Boro Saturday 4th December 2021 Kickoff 3.00 pm

Sherwood dominated the start of the game taking complete control and it was no surprise that they scored first on 20 minutes when Gareth Curtis steadied himself after a blocked shot and shot home from close range. Eight minutes later Ryan Ingram ran onto a through ball and when he reached the penalty spot side footed the ball into the net to the right of the advancing keeper. Another 8 minutes and it was three nil when Will Norcross, who was a skilful dynamo all game, sold the Knaresborough defender a dummy to pass him and pass the ball across the goal for Kiernan Wells to side foot home.

A walk out of the ground to the clubhouse in the pouring rain was greeted by an enormous function room with as many people watching the two TV’s as watching the game. The deccor was plush with a good bar and I ordered my coffee and Chips from a friendly bar staff.

As I sat down for the second half I wandered how many Sherwood would score but Knaresborough seemed to have found some fight and they scored on 57 minutes when Jack Carr scored a classy goal when from the right he turned and kicked the ball across the goalkeeper into the top left hand corner.

Sherwood’s domination was resumed when Charlie Taylor came forward for a corner and dominated the ball to head it into the net. Only three minutes later with the rain still lashing down Carter Widdowson was awarded with a goal after a goalmouth melee which I thought had been helped in by a Knaresborough defender.

Knaresborough had made some substitutions and the rain stopped as they suddenly took control and scored two goals in the last 4 minutes. in fact I felt that if there would have been another 10 minutes they may well have drawn the game. Both goals were scored by Mitchel Hamilton the first following a mistake by the Sherwood keeper and the second right at the end of play.

It was great that there were eight goals as it kept you well entertained in the miserable conditions.

The chips were a good quantity, hot, large, crispy and tasty with a score of 69.

A foray back into the Central Midland Premier North Division this week found me at Kiveton Miners Welfare to see them play Collingham.

The ground is reached through a modern housing estate and a gate leads to a very large car park with the ground and other pitches beyond.It was a grey overcast day with very little wind but still mild for mid November. The scarf and had to be dispenced with as the game began. The pitch here slopes from goal to goal and slightly side to side with the pitch looking really good and as if a lot )of nitrogen had been put on it because of its vibrant green colour. The Worksop to Sheffield railway line runs down the end of the pitch.

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Kiveton Miners Welfare are a recently formed team not to be confused with the very long established Kiveton Park. They are trying hard to develop their new ground with water ground works underway and planned floodlights as a future goal. The seated stand is very good for this level of football and if friendlyness and enthusiasm is anything to go by then they will surely suceed.

Collingham are from near Newark and were formed over 100 years ago (1887) but concentrated mainly on Youth and Sunday football until forming a senior Saturday team in 1994. They have since then played their football in the Central Midlands League.

Kiveton Miners Welfare 2 Collingham 2

Saturday 12th November 2021 kick off 14.00

A two minutes silence was observed before the start of the game.

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Kiveton were steadily gaining confidence when against the run of play Collinham forced a corner and some continuing attacking football led to the ball falling to Gary Clarke on 21 minutes who cooly rpolled the ball along the floor, bouncing over the goalkeepers outstretchd arm to end up in the bottom left hand corner of the net. Kiverton continued their pressure but were unable to equalise before half time as their aerial assaults were amply dealt with by the Cottinham defence.

Kiverton must have had a talking to at half time because they started keeping the ball on the ground and after 10 minutes some good work on the right was rewarded when the resulting low cross was headed into the net with some force by Dan Neath. The home side playing up hill in the second half deservedly took the lead 15 minutes later when some good work on the left was rewarded when the ball fell to Elliot Fox to place home.

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Collingham didn’t give up and fortune helped when a misplaced back pass was picked up by Olly Presley who took the ball wide to the right of the goalkeper to then find the net from an accute angle.

This equalising goal seemed to invigorate Collingham and when the Kiveton stand in goalkeeper rushed out of his area to upend the on rushing forward there was no other outcome but a sending off. Collingham failed to trouble the new keeper and it was Kiverton’s 10 men who finished the game the strongest. In the dying minutes of the game in the increasing gloom the away teams goalkeeper picked up a back pass and a free kick was awarded on the penalty spot. With their team lined up on the goal line Collingham faced down the freekick and the game was ended a minute later.

Great end to end football and a good advertisment for this improving league in terms of football and facilities.

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Finally to the chips which I was not expecting. A food stall was available but the generator was getting up to speed to fire up the deep fryer. I paid my money for chips and a coffee and took my place in the stand and when I saw people with coffees I went back but still the fryer was not up to power. Sitting in the stand watching the start of the game the chips and coffee were delivered to me. You wouldn’t even get that at Tottenham in their new mega bucks emporium. The chips were hot, golden long, delicious, no oily taste and served in a cardboard carton that could be recycled. I have to score them an 85.

It was thrilling to make our way over the pedestrian railway bridge to enter Clarence Park via the York Road entrance to see St Albans City FC, second in the National League South, take on Forest Green Rovers FC, clear leaders of the English League two in the first round of the FA Cup. Although over an hour before kick off the ground was more than half full in anticipation of the game and to join in the carnival atmosphere that the club has worked so had on with the brightly lit food and drink kiosks. The light at ‘The Park’ seemed brighter than usual and it was soon evident that a giant mobile temporary flood light has been installed to bathe the ground and ensure that the cameras who were there from BBC 2 can catch the whole game in clear quality. This is the first time that St Albans had appeared on prime time TV sports coverage and there was a tingle of excitement that you could tangibaly feel.

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St Albans have never beaten a professional League team in the FA Cup so a win against Forest Green would be an exceptional achievement. There was more at stake in the encounter though as older fans rememember the FA Trophy semi final of the 1998/99 season. St albans having drawn the first leg at home 1-1 were two nil up in the away fixture at Forest Green and went in at half time leading 2-1. Forest Green eventually won 3-2 and went to the final after referee Andy D’urso disallowed St Albans a third on 72 minutes, those that played and were there are still mistyfied today and footage on You Tube will increase the confusion. That goal would have put St Albans ahead before the home side scored on 82 minutes. St Albans then threw everything at it and were pessing confidently when full time was blown which seemed not to have been the right amount of added time. This was another semi final St Albans had not won having been previously involved in dissapointment in the old Amateur Cup at the same stage.

Since that semi final Forest Green have strived on with the backing of Dale Vince OBE (Ecotricity) and are now world leaders in running a football club to the least detriment to the environment and climate. St Albans have remained at around the same level and are pushing via their energetic Chairman, Lawrence Levy, to relocate the club to enable it to expand its fan base, profile, ameneties , communituy involvement and youth football development.

Forest Green Rovers will further their green credentials when they move to a new wooden stadium near to the M5 which now has planning permission. St Albans though have their own wooden stand that will celebrate its 100 years next year in 2022 and some of the ground features have been recycled form elsewhere, one turnstile at the York Road End came from Old Trafford, seats in the wooden stand have previously watched games at Rochdale as did the segregation barriers and the crush barriers are from the Old Plough Lane, Wimbledon.

St Albans City 3 Forest Green Rovers 2

A small band of Forest Green Rovers made the trip having returned some of their allocation but theses were soon snapped up to give a full house of 4150. The tension before the start was hightened by the playing of the last post before kick off with rememberence day the following week.

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Forest Green started strongly playing down hill and their speed and witdth of play caused the home team trouble. An example of this was that John Goddard the St Albans wide right player was unable to get forward as he had to hold back to defend. City did have an early chance when Jeffers shot was blocked and cleared away. On 17 minutes though Stevens put the visitors into the lead as he swept home Nicky Caddens cross. Forest Green continued in the same vein and St Albans did well to clear numerous chances and hold on.

John Goddard had switched to try his luck on the left and his cross found Mitchell Weiss whose slight headed touch was enough to guide it into the net at the far post. The Clarence Park crowd could not believe it and their emotions were hightened when long serving Zane Banton received the ball on the left and skipped past three defenders before hitting a perfect shot under the goalkeeper. Scenes of delirium on and off the pitch ensued but Forest Geen came back and created good chances that on another day may well have gone in.

As added time ticked away Ebou Adams placed a beatifull ball through the St Albans defence and Aitchison swept it into the net at an angle across Johnson.

A half time score of 2-2 was good for St Albans athough they had conceded just at the break passing the momentum back to the visitors.

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St Albans were now playing down hill for the second half and if you have stood at the corner post at the York Road end by the turnstile and looked diagonally down the pitch you will know that it is a slope.

The frenetic pace of the game seemed to subside and although Forest Green had more possesion they were matched for chances. Johnson saved an effort and quickly unleashed a lonfg kick to the left where Mitchel Weiss controlled the ball and left the full back on the ground after slipping on the now dewy surface. Weiss cooly passed to Shaun Jeffers who chipped the ball into the net for St Albans to take the lead on 78 minutes.

Although Forest Green made strong efforts to level some brilliant tackles, blocking and saves kept them out and I didn’t feel any tension until the board for 5 minutes added time was shown. St Albans though saw out that time comfortably and finally defeated a proffesional League team and put to bed that Trophy semi-final horror of the past.

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The chips were large, cooked in a deep fryer. hot, tasty, not oily and scoring a good 80. The speed of service though was very slow.

The ELF Trophy may have a bad name as a nonsence competition but for those players and fans that get to Wembley it will be very special. It also gives young members of Premiership teams, their under 21’s, the opportunity to play against senior professionals who have points to prove. There is also the very young fan who gets the chance to visit his first large stadium game at a reasonable price. It was the latter that brought the three of us, grandson, father and me, grandad, to the Stadium MK to see MK Dons take on Aston Villa’s under 21 team.

Much has been written about how Milton Keynes Dons F.C. came about and how the old Wimbledon club ended up in this New Town, created in 1967. Changes of ownership, ground sharing and ground sale, clashes with the F.A. and an independent panel majority decission to allow the movement of a football team from one community to another was ended by Peter Winkleman helping to finace the administration and moving the club to play in the National Hockey Stadium in 2003. He then bought out the club from administration and with a backing group used the property company Inter MK to buy and develop the land where Stadium MK now stands.

What has been achieved struck me as very impressive as I drove up to the stadium on a dark Tuesday night in October, the hotel built into the ground with some rooms overlooking the pitch, the retail stores, national food outlets and people buzzing around. Rather than pay for parking I left the car at an ajoining Industrial Estate.

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The ground was extended to 30500 spectators in 2015 which can be raised to 45000 in the future. Views are excellent and the padded seats were a joy. The movement into, out of and around the ground is first class. This is definately a modern well thoughtout experience that needs to attract more fans, an average around 9000 a game so far this season is disapointing. With Milton Keynes being central to the spiders web conurbation developing between Oxford and Cambridge there is the potential. Unfortunately their is little history which needs to come in time. My view is that it is time to drop the Dons from the name and truly proclaim that this club is specifically Milton Keynes. This might also finally end the sore that is the link to Wimbledon who have themselves built a fine new stadium and risen locally from the past problems.

Evening games always seem more dramatic and the lights seem to give off a magical atmosphere. It was another mild evening with little wind with a billiard table pitch.

MK Dons 2 Aston Villa U21’s 4

No programme at this game but the excellent screens have good team details. Villa were allowed two over 21’s but chose to use only one, Keinan Davis who is recovering from long term injury.

It was Keinan Davis who turned and outpaced the MK Dons defence to easilly slot home a one nil advantage for the visitors. Troy Parrot a loanee from Tottenham Hotspur levelled soon after and the Dons ability to get beyond the Villa defence and provide disruption meant the home side went 2.1 up when Troy Parrot turned provider with a back heel to Max Watters to fire home. Davis though continued to harrass and a played a perfect cross for in form Cameron Archer to head home to level the scores just before half time.

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Villa’s at time lack lustre defence must have had a good talking to at the interval as they looked much more resolute and dealt with any threat until the tide changed when that man Keinan Davis again fired in a lethath long range shot that bounced off the cross bar for Aaron Ramsey to score from the rebound. Davis went off having been denied the chance to add to his tally and looked dejected as he walked round the pitch. It was finally seaed by Cameron Archer who flashed in a fourth near full time. Villa have won all three of their away games in some style and this crop of young tallent looks good for the future.

The important news was that my five year old son stayed engaged with the game for 80 minutes after which he became restless.

No chips at the food kiosk so my evening meal was a a very hot deep filled Pukka pie.

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