Substitute game comes up trumps.

On Friday night I checked on watching the FA Vase game between Quorn AFC and Nirvana where I was to meet my daughter but I found that they had played the game the night before (Thursday) for some reason! Quorn going through 2-1.

Change of plan, I noticed a Northern Counties East Division 2 game between Rainworth Miners Welfare FC. and Hallam F.C. having both been knocked out of the F.A. Vase in an earlier round.

This was a rearanged match after a previous encountr had been abandoned on 14 August at half time with the score at 1-1. It was abandoned due to one of the Assistant Referees falling ill on the touchline as the players and officials resumed the field. As the players realised the gravity of the situationte the Hallam physio and other trained people took control and with the help of the Defrillator, a first responder, an ambulance crew and the Air Ambulance, Andrew Jarvis was flown to Derby Hospital where he was operated on. His recovery meant that he was again back at Kirklington Road and able to start the match from the touchline.

My journey to the ground was held up twice as I queued to pass queues for fuel as the UK supply chain for many goods and services seems to be tuning upside down and increasing in price

The game was at the unusual kick off time of 2pm due to floodlight maintenance which will not be completed for a few weeks.

The temperature was 20 degrees the same as last Saturdays game, crazy for late September, the air felt sticky and the sky was very grey with fluffy clouds.
The pich was undulating and sloping slightly end to end but giving no great advantage to either side and to emphasise the unusual climatic conditions the pitch was yellowing badly due to lack of rain.

Rainworth is South East of Mansfield, an ex mining village like many in the area. The club was formed in 1922 and spent most of its life in the Nottinghamshire Alliance League, sometimes known as Rufford Colliery F.C. Their greatest achievement in the last century was reaching the FA Vase final in 1982 where they lost to Forest Green Rovers who were at the start of their major climb from almost obscurity to the Football League.

Being accepted to the Central Midlands League in 2003 was the start of a swift promotion succession to the Supreme Division, The Northern Counties East Division One and Premier before reaching their peak with entry to the Northern Premier League Division One South in 2010. This elevated level was not to last and they find themselvesm two steps lower today.

I have written about Hallam before being one of the oldest teams in the worl and playing on the oldest, still in use, football pitch in the world. I was interested to see them play as after a shaky start to the season they seem to now be knocking goals in for fun and atracting big crowds that would grace a much higher level. Whether it was the fuel problems, the early kick of, or something else the attendance of 80 was very disapointing.

Rainworth Miners Welfare F.C. 0 Hallam 4

The Wrens v The Countrymen

Hallam immediately showed their recent form and dominated play. It was no surprise that they took the lead on 7 minutes when Chris Salt’s downward header found the net after a beautifully delivered free kick from the right. Chris wood then put the game out of reach of the Wrens with a simple tap in to make it 2 nil on 11 minutes and a minute later made it three guiding a left foot shot into the right hand side of the goal after some pretty interpassing by his team mates.

The game though was held up on 15 minutes when Carl Fielding in goal for Hallam jumped to catch a cross but fell badly on his knee. After a long period of treatment he was unable to continue and was carried off and the substitute goal keeper Daubney-Hughes took over.

This seemed to unsettle Hallam and they let Rainworth more into the game and no other goals were added by half time.

Hallam settled in the second half and took control but did not look like adding to their tally and it was Rainworth who came closest hitting the bar on 53 minutes. However Hallam’s continual pressure paid off when Josh Scully curled a sublime free kick round the Rainworth wall from outside the penalty area. The ball curved seriously to end up in the top right hand corner of the net.

Two minutes later there was an injury this time to the Rainworth goalkeeper who was replaced by an outfield player for the rest of the game.

Hallam’s stand in goalkeper looked very sound and could be in for a long spell in the first team with the injury to Carl Fielding looking serious.

As I said the crowd of only 80 was disapointing even more so whe I overheard two fans talking about the record crowd for an FA Vase semi final having been at Kirklington Road.

Unfortunately there were no chips at Rainworth so a sausage roll with mushy peas and mint sauce was a great substitute. Mint sauce on mushy peas seems to be a Nottinghamshire delicacy.

Football is everywhere again.

If you visit Weston Park Museum in Sheffield you will be confronted by the biggest exhibit a 10 metre x 2 metre mural depicting Sheffield between 1946 and 2006, when it was finished, by famous local artist Joe Scarborough.

This is Sheffield in Joe Scarborough’s style that captures the locals in an almost cartoon like fashion.

Centre stage is a section depicting the local Sheffield derby between United and Wednesday.

It’s well worth the visit.

5th time lucky at Tow Law

Snow, ice, a waterlogged pitch and Covid have beaten me before so this time a visit in September to the Iron Works ground to see Tow Law Town play seemed sensible.

I wanted to go for different reasons, I had heard it to be one of the most picturesque grounds in the country, which I knew through driving along the A68 in the past, some say it is the second highest ground to Buxton in the UK and I enjoy the competitiveness of Northern League games.

Whether this competitive spirit is because there is still fierce rivalry between what is often very local ex pit villages/town’s, that the Northern League is cocooned in a distinct area, the fan base is pasionate, the players are local and not mercenaries looking for the highest payment, I’m not sure, but I know that there is a difference.

Tow Law set up high in the Durham hills is named from the Old English ‘tot hlaw’ which was the name of a house meaning ‘lookout mound’ and you can soon get the reasoning behind this by taking in the view. The clubs Ironworks Road ground is named after the the works that was important in the area until the mid 1800’s which was replaced as the main employer by coal with the mine finally closing in the 1960’s. Today the population is about 2000 but the club took double that to Wembley in1995 for their unsuccessful appearance in the final of the FA Vase.

Tow Law Town FC were founded in 1890 and played in local football until joining the Northern League in 1920. Their most famous ex player is Chris Waddle who played as a teenager before being prized away to the professional game. The club has gone through ups and downs in its history with miners originally fashioning the club and then again during a Miners strike in 1923 were instrumental in creating the grounds contours that we know today. There have also been some financial problems and the generosity of Sir Bobby Robson (born in a near by village) was needed at one point to keep the club afloat. More recently in April 2020 the club was threatened with folding due to a large sink hole appearing on the side of the pitch and terracing along which an old railway line used to run. A football foundation grant , donations and the help of a YouTuber in the south of England all meant that they were able to raise the money for repairs.

There has been a team in Birtley since a year before the formation of Tow Law but a few reformings in the early years has led to the current team that was established in the early 1990’s. They progressed to the Northern League in 2007 were relegated back to the Northern Alliance in 2016 and were promoted back to the Northern League in 2018.

The day itself was dry, the sky was grey and the car said 20 degrees as I was dropped off. As you walk through the turnstile the lush green grass hits you and there is the whirring sound of a small wind turbine sited in the car park. The pitch unusually slopes end to end and side to side and you soon spot the view over the hills.

Tow Law Town 3 Birtley Town 1

The lawyers v The Hoops

This was a battle between two mid table teams and Birtley chose to play down hill which immediately proved a good move scoring in the first minute when Ben Garrity made space on the right and crossed for James Norton to tap home at the far post.

This was soon countered 4 minutes later when Drew Lake made room to squeeze a strong shot past everyone to go in off the left post. The Tow Law pressure continued and they were ahead a few minutes later, this time through Lewis Teasdale.

The game continued at a competitive furious pace and Tow Law were awarded a penalty for what seemed a very soft challenge and it seemed justice that Birtley’s goalkeeper Isaac Robinson saved it diving to his left. Birtley continued to be in the game particularly due to crosses from the right but a fight back grew harder as a second penalty was awarded to the home side. This time there was no dispute to the penalty awarded for a reckless tackle with the resulting spot kick dispatched to the centre of the goal by Lewis Teasdale for his second of the game.

The first half ended with Tow Law well on top and after such a breathless first 45 minutes it was anyone’s guess how many goals would be added in the next. But there were no more goals from either side despite Tow Laws continual pressure. Birtley did hit the apex of the crossbar and upright but they were well out fought by a stronger more committed team.

A great advert for the League that was spoilt in the first half by some obscure decisions by the referee who was influential in the result. The crowd of only 80 should have been higher considering the skill and value for money of the game.

A really good day out and well worth the wait. The whole set up was much better than expected with the stand and terracing in fine condition. The club house was spacious and comfortable with a large TV at one end showing the Liverpool v Crystal Palace game and another at the other end showing the horse racing. The only disappointment was the chips, at £1.50 they were only warm, squashy and a bit greasy, a score of only 50, I’m sorry to say.

Dinnington Town keep 100% record.

It’s a Tuesday night in mid September and at 7pm but it feels like November with dark skies and constant drizzle. Manchester United are on TV with Chelsea to follow in the Champions League and Sheffield United at home nearby so it’s not surprising that with ten minutes to go to kick off there are only 10 brave souls in the ground. Perhaps there will be a late rush.

The pitch is pretty level but very wet and greasy as recently installed new floodlights light up the gloom. There is a pristine bowling green behind one goal and where you enter the ground there is a Sports Hall and good car park. However I shouldn’t be surprised at the turn in the weather as the Autumn equinox is only a week away and a slide into winter beckons. Mid week winter games under the lights do seem more exciting with a crackle in the air and by my reckoning the crowd has swelled to 35 by the start.

This is a good chance to see the ground before the builders move in to install a new all weather pitch for community use. I overheard a conversation in the seats in front of me that fund raising is on going for a new small stand and a club house.

Dinnington are unbeaten in the league and are playing against St Joseph’s Rockware of Worksop who are mid table in the Black Dragon Premier Division North (Central Midlands League).

St Joseph’s Rockware of Worksop were established in 1984 and the following is taken from the Dinnington programme.

St Joseph’s Rockware of Worksop were a Worksop Sunday League team for 35 years enjoying many succesful seasons. In 2019 it was decided to move to Saturday football and join the Central Midlands League with the aim to provide local Worksop players an opportunity to play football at this level. We won the Central Midlands Division 1 in our first season and were promoted to the Premier Division.

Dinnington town have been going in different guises since 1908, the name progression being Dinnington Main. Dinnington Colliery, Dinnington Main Colliery, Dinnington Colliery and Dinninton Town since 2000. There have been a few reformings on the way and the highest they have reached is the top Division of The Northern Counties East League. With their current developments it looks like better times are ahead.

Dinnington Town 3 St Joseph’s Rockware of Worksop 0

Play was even for the first half but neither goalkeeper looked troubled. Dinnington’s keeper had a strong kick that put them firmly in their opponents half. St Joseph’s number 2 was a throw in specialist and put the home team under pressure from some distance. Half time came and although the play had been busy and competitive neither side was on top.

The second half took on a new urgency and after hitting the cross bar and drawing a great low diving one handed save to the goalkeepers right Dinnington went ahead. 14 minutes after the break Jordan Turner took down a through ball with his foot, ran on and hit it from left to right across the keeper to nestle in the right hand corner of the net.

Worksop did not give up and at the other end a glancing header nearly drew them level but 8 minutes later it was 2 nil after Liam Bryan had stretched the defence to be able to knock back a ball from the by line which in the melee deflected into the net.

It was now all over and there was no surprise that athird was added before the end when number 7 ran down the left side to make a perfect cross which was tapped in by Danny Cain for his first touch of the game after just coming on as a substitute. After this Dinnington dominated the last 10 minutes as momentum, superior strength and fitness took over. Dinnington still undefeated but this is going to be a very competitive League this year with a long way to go.

Where were the officials? They were in comand the whole game with instant direct decisions, well done.

I look forward to visiting here again in a couple of years when the changes have all been made. No chips at the moment but perhaps with the new facilities in the future.

Talk to local people to get a real feel of the place you are in.

On holiday in Scotland we were passing Glasgow and had to just visit the old ground of Third Lanark who suddenly went out of business in the 1960’s. Unfortunately I am old enough to remember them as the results came through on the teleprinter.

Third Lanark AC founded in 1872 were one of the founder members of the Scottish F.A. in the same year. They were formed out of the 3rd Lanarkshire Riffle Volunteers and had a successful start to life winning the League in 1890 and the Scottish Cup in 1889 and 1905. Their great achievement was staying in the top flight for most of their existance but it all started to go wrong in the 1960’s. They were relegated in 1965 but found it hard going in the second tier as much influenced by off field problems. The biggest story to hit the local press was that they were going to sell their famous Cathkin Park Ground for housing and move to East Kilbride. Both on and off field performances led to their attendances falling to a tenth of previous seasons. The board now offered the ground to Glasgow Corporation and announced that they were moving to Bishopbriggs north of Glasgow. No satdium was ever built and after finishing second from bottom of the league they played their last game in April 1967. A judge reviwing their financial plight put in place a winding up order on the club and a subsequent Board of Trade enquiry found irregularities regarding the finnances of the club. Although the board were heavilly critisised for their running of Third Lanark no formal charges were ever brought against anyone.

This is only a fraction of the tale and it is Cathkin Park that is the story here. Having read in the past of this ghost ground I wanted to see it myself. We parked in a residential street which at the end of this cul-de-sac was an entrance into a woody park. You initially walk down a path through the woods and through the trees you can see a bright green field shining in the summer sun. Walk further and some old terracing appears with the metal barriers still in position. This is the home of Third Lanark but more is to be revealed by a couple walking their dog. They were not surprised to see people taking it all in but were soon chatting and saying they were not football fans. However they had a pride in the area where they lived and in the park. They told us that when Third Lanark folded the local council took it over with the view to build houses but in the interim sections of the terracimg were dug up by the Parks Department and were used as a tree nursery. The trees were never moved and today their leafy full grown state add to the charm, intriege and myth of the place.

The couple then explained that Cathkin Park with its 50000 capacity was the second Hampden, home to the Scotland national team and the place where the first one stood was at the bowling green just outside the park over the railway bridge.

First however they told me the ground is used by a youth team of the Jimmy Johnston Accademy. They said the grass had been cut 3 times recently and now lined out for its first match post Covid. Standing in the middle of the pitch I felt good to think that a youth team would be playing here amongst the ghosts of football’s past. What an inspiration for them. But there was more, a plaque on the ground I was told I must see but taking a photo I had no idea of the relevance and still don’t.

Being mid morning I asked for the nearest cafe and they directed us to Salamagundi on the Cathcart Road via the first Hampden.

We walked out of the park past the Youth teams club house and out onto the railway bridge. Now we were lost with roadworks disorienting us.

Help was at hand as a man in t shirt, shorts and Celtic socks and carrying a pair of trainers exited a car and walked across the road towards us. Realising he must be a Football fan I asked where the first Hampden was, which turned out to be just down the road. He explained the scoreline of the first International and I countered that I was at Wembley for the 9-3 game, good football banter. However his recollection was listening to it on the radio and his the hero, goalkeeper Frank Haffey having a night mare. At the end of church the next day he said he used some colourful language about his hero in front of the priest and was dragged off by the ear to be chastised later.

To have remembered the game I realised he must be about my age so I asked if he had been playing walking football. He indignantly replied no proper football and immediately put me to shame and made me feel very inferior. I put my foot in it there. He explained that the first Hampden now a bowling green had been built by Queens Park F.C . My new found friend said that recently an archaeological group had been excavating around parts of the Bowling Green.

We walked on and found the site of the first Hampden where a painted memorial facing the railway line tells of Scotlands 5-1 win over England and the involvement of Andrew Watson the first black footballer to play for Scotland.

Queens Park had to move because a railway company wanted to build a line right through Hampden. Hence the move to Cathkin Park which suited their needs until they again they moved to the current Hampden Park as we know it today. But it does not stop there as as recently as 2020 Queens Park F.C . decided to end their amateur status which they had kept since 1875 and agreed a sale of Hampden Park to the Scottish FA. Queens Park are now getting Little Hampden which is next door up to League standard and hope to get it licenced and move there in the next 12 months. If I had known this on the day of my visit I would have gone there too. Oh well a future adventure beckons.

Again Mary Queen of Scots seems to come into view of everything, it is understood that her army passed through Cathkin Park in South Glasgow on the way to the Battle of Langside where she was defeated and effectively ended any hope of regaining her rule over the country

How much of this is urban myth and how much reality I don’t mind. I just find it fascinating, enjoyable and amazing the impact that football has on people and the pride people having in talking about their space.

Of Course we did make it to the cafe, Salmagundi (a mixture, an assortment) and it lived up to its name and reputation. Described by the local people I met as a bit Boho the menu would be able to cater for all. I had vegetarian haggis with portobello mushrooms and an egg based pattie in a brioche bun with brown sauce. Delicious and obviously a well used place with a constant stream of sit ins and take aways. Thanks for the recomendation.

FA Cup disappoints

Lancster City 1 1874 Northwich 0

I would not usually start with the match but I decided to get this one out of the way. The match was an FA Cup First Rouind qualifier between Lancaster City of the Northern Premier League, Premier Division and 1874 Northwich one level below playing in the Northern Premier league, Division One West. My expectation of a very competitive, pasionate game did not materialise and the noisy Northwhich travelling fans felt so too.

Some games just do not get going and there was little to enthuse as the two defences blunted any attacks. Lancaster slightly edged the first half with some wide play that gave them more option.

The day was warm, 18 degrees, with a light breeze that helped to move the cloud revealing some sunny patches. The pitch is pretty level and the grass very thick but yellowing where it has been cut in stripes.

Lancaster put on more pressure in the second half through three long throws into the penalty area and their pressure paid off after 20 minutes when Paul Dawson picked up the ball on the halfway line and ran straight through the middle of the Northwhich defence to shoot. The goalkeper could only parry the shot and it fell to Tom Kilifin to tap home.

Lancaster made a half time change bringing on Christian Sloane who tidied up midfield and made some good probing balls. I was also impressed by Liam Brockbank at left back who overlapped on numerous occaisions and seemed to be marauding all over the pitch at the end.

After the goal there seemed little interest and it was not necessary for Lancaster to take the ball into the corner flag area to waste time three times in the last ten minutes, I’m sure if they would have pressed harder they would have added to their one goal..

The real enjoyment

Lancaster is a great club if the volunteers are anything to go by. I arrived from Scotland on my way home with very little cash. This was a problem to the gateman but he sent me to the office for help. Unfortunately they coudn’t get through on their phones to take a payment. Why is it that you just can’t get mobile telephone service in so many places in the UK including major motorways, some levelling up here would be a help. However help was at hand and Jan said no problem if you come round to the bar they have access there. So Jan saved the day and then spent the whole of the first half walking round the ground selling raffle tickets and having banter with home and away fans. Every club has or needs a Jan.

1874 Northwhich have done amazingly well since their first game in July 2013 having been formed following the demise of Northwhich Victoria. Not being able to use the old name, which has also since been restarted, they chose to add the date of the formation of the original team to ‘Northwhich’. They have progressed from the North West Counties League despited the Covid disruptions in such a short time.

Lancaster City in contrast have been in existance since 1911 although there were teams in the city before that. THEY played their football in the Lancashire Combination for 60 years and were unsucessful in applying for Football League status. Lancaster City now joined the Northern Premier League but ten years later were relegated to the North West Counties League but bounced back in 1987 and rose to playing in the Conference North. A return to the Northern Premier mainly due to financial problems has seen them consolidate life at that level.

Their ground the Giant Axe is just behind the railway station and you can train spot comings and goings in the station. It is a large ground with good terraced covering behind both goals and a large seated stand down one side. There is an ample carpark just outside the ground.

Lancaster City and Jan deserve success for the future but an away draw in the next round at Morpeth Town will be a hard game to win. Although the crowd of 347 must not have thought the game was a cracker I’m sure like me they enjoyed themselves.

The Chips

Jan explained to me that there were new caterers at the ground this year and when I asked for chips before the game I was disappointed to be told they had none. Meat pie, mushy peas and gravy had to sufice but at half time I noticed people with trays of chips. They had now managed to get some and were frying, so I had to try them and although they were hot, golden. a good quantity, they had little taste and a greasy after taste. I apologise to Dollys Diner for only being able to award 55 points. It also makes the diet harder having eaten the pie.

Was Mary Queen of Scots a Football fan

If you live in the North of England you will most probably come across a plaque on a building that says Mary Queen of Scots slept here.

This is because she exiled herself in England hoping her half sister Elizabeth would welcome her. Elizabeth did not want her at court in London because she could be seen as a rival to the throne and kept her very much in the North of England and for much of the time under the control of Bess of Hardwick also one of the most powerful women of the time. Bess too was kept out of court with her new arduous task and had to use some of her wealth to achieve her goal

Bess was reputed to be one of the richest women in England only second to the queen herself and had amassed a large property portfolio in which to keep Mary.

Mary was continually moved to wear her down and reduce the chances of her plotting against the state. However she never met her sister and met an untimely end.

On a recent holiday to Scotland we visited Linlithgow Palace the birth place of Mary. Unfortunately the now ruins were closed but this is still an imposing building on a site that makes it even more majestic.

You must be wandering why this is on a Football site for the curious. Well Mary Queen of Scots was a sports woman and sports fan and at 5 feet 10 inches tall (1.8 mtrs) an imposing figure for the age.

Recent research into old records has thrown up some interesting new ideas. There are mentions in official doccuments, up to 350 years ago, that a game using a small ball was played in royal castles and when Stirling Castle was restored in the 1970’s a leather ball with a pigs bladder was found behind a false wall in Mary’s living quarters.

Recent research found old diaries of Sir Francis Knollis who was keeping Mary under suveilance at Carlisle Castle and in them he wrote of a game played for Mary using a ball in which the players only used their feet.

So when we sing ‘Football’s Coming Home’s we may have to wait for Scotland to win the world cup for this to be true. We may also need to acknowledge Mary Queen of Scots as an early patron of the game, a true fan.

Rotherham has two football grounds!

I recently had some time to kill in Sheffield and decided to drive to Rothetham. When you travel through the road system in Rotherham centre you drive along Centenary Way over the river Don bridge and your eye is immediately drawn to the Millers home, The New York Stadium which dominates the view as much for its modernism and brightness in an industrial landscape that has served the employment prospects of locals for a long time. New York because of the area’s name not because it is homage to a far larger Trans Atlantic metropolis. This is one of the new concrete homes to many football clubs that are slowly replacing outdated stadia originally implemented with the rightfull move to safety and more or all seater grounds. In my view Rotherham is one of the most successfulI Community Stadia, I always feel at home there and get a good view and feel for the game. Yes we have lost some of the history and the atmosphere but when we look back was steep terracing, tobacco smoke and urine where we want to be.

Rotherham though stands out for another reason in that if you look left insteasd you see another football Stadium, Millmoor, the home to Rotherham United FC until 2008 when the new owners of the club fell out with Ken Booth of C F Booth the owners of Millmoor. The Millers then became nomads before they moved into the New York Stadium in 2012 playing for a time at the now also defunct Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield. At least the Don Valley Stadium and surrounding area have become a Millenium Park with Hallam Universities nationally renouned sports science facility, an ice rink, school and soon to be the new home of Sheffield Eagles Rugby League club a very fitting replacement for the previous sports facilities.

Millmoor was used by a youth team playing Sunday football for a time but now sits an eerie empty place with the new main stand never completed. The grass looked cut and very green from a distance but the advertised redevelopment seems stalled. Millmoor was an Athletics Stadium and I believe I have read that there is a long standing covenant on the ground that prevents it from being anything else for some time to come.

My last recollection of Millmoor was with my son when we stopped on the way back from a Harrogate show to see their last match of the season in 1990. Although we stood out of the way of the bulk of fans their exhuberance or end of season fun almost knockef us over. I also remember the disgusting toilets that you had to toptoe around in or wade through the liquid on the floor.

The old ground is now well protected by razor wire, a dense undergrowth in places and a security company whose van was parked within the confines. Very sad to see but the progress that has been made at the new ground was worth it. Walking down one side of the old ground you can smell that oilly metal smell of engineering and you can hear the sound of scrap metal being processed.

An interesting two hours to see this odesey of the old v new that seems will not be resolved or removed any time soon.

I love the FA Cup

Being on holiday for the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup meant I joined the fun at Belper for a Preliminary Round game. This year is the 150th anniversary of the first ever FA Cup game and I am dreaming of a smaller Non League club having a miraculous run this season.

Belper Town’s ground is on the very edge of town near the river Derwent and close to Strutt’s Mill one of the industrial icons that make up the World Heritage listing of the Derwent Valley to mark it’s importance to the birth of the Industrial Revolution.

Not knowing the area I had difficulty parking and a 5 minute walk down hill from where I parked looked like a bad idea when I realised it would be 10 minutes up the steep incline at the end of the match. The rain, grey skies and clammy warm weather did not help the mood but WOW what a fantastic ground greeted me. A long covered seating area down one side, cover for standing fans behind one goal and two refreshment bars. The floodlights are state of the art and the pitch was flat with thick very green grass. I asked if I could get a program and was directed to the woman in red on the corner although it turned out it was the woman in black next to the woman in red who was selling them. I was lucky there were only two left and I’m not surprised, 20 glossy, coloured pages packed with info. The program would grace many a National League side.

Belper Town are nicknamed the ‘nailer’ very obviously because nails are manufactured locally. They have played in local and Midlands Leagues and the highest they have reached was the Northern Premier, Premier Division but lasted only one season and returned to the level they currently play at in 2016.

Belper started back in 1883 and reached the first round of the FA Cup in 1887 narrowly losing to ‘The Wednesday’ so their involvement in today’s competition goes back over 130 years.

Whitchurch Alport situated west of Stoke and east of Wrexham play in the Midland Football League Premier Division. This border country club have punched above their weight for some years considering the size of the local population. Formed in 1946 they have played in many local leagues progressing to the North West Counties League and now the Midland League with the recent restructure.

Belper Town F.C 3 Whitchurch Alport 1

Belper started the day as favourites, playing at home and at a higher level of football but it was Whitchurch who scored first in the slippery conditions as the rain became a constant. A corner from the left by Joe Minishall was pounced on by No.6 Alex Hughes who smashed it in the net for a very early lead in the 3rd minute. Whitchurch were close to adding a second but on 7 minutes the Belper No.6 equalised after the Whitchurch defenders failed to clear a cross from the right.

Within a further 3 minutes Belper were now in front when No.6 again (Tom Wilson) scored this time with his head. Whitchurch pressed hard to get back in the game but we’re left with a lot to do when Belper scored their 3rd minutes before half time through Johnathan Margetts.

The second half started with the local church, which backs onto the ground, sounding its bells at 16.00 which also signalled the rain to stop. Belper should have taken this as an omen and put the match out of Whitchurch’s reach when awarded a penalty on 53 minutes. Margetts gamely stroked the ball to Mason Springthorpes left and he comfortably saved.

Whitchurch didn’t give up and pressed hard but never looked like overcoming a robust Belper defence.

Belper’s good win has been rewarded with an away tie in the next round to local rivals Matlock which is just 10 miles away, a true Derwent Valley derby.

Not only did I enjoy the football and the facilities but the chips were fantastic,hot, tasty, golden, firm, no fatty after taste and a score of 85. Best this season so far.

Tulips blossom at the start of a new season.

A stop on the way back from a holiday found me at Spalding to see local team Spalding United (The Tulips) play Loughborough Dynamo in the first matches of the Northern Premier League. Midlands Division which had seen Dynamo and Spalding moved to as part of the Non League Pyramid reorganisation.

This is a very good ground not far from the town centre with plenty of room and a good seating area, club house and food stall. The pitch looked very flat but the good grass cover was begining to yellow in a few patches due to the lack of rain. The temperature at 22 degrees with a light wind and an overcast grey sky made it perfect conditions for playing and watching.

There has been a football club in Spalding since 1905 and they initially played locally until joining the Peterborough & District league in 1930. Since that date with promotions, relegatiions and League re-organisations they have played in the Northamptonshire League, the United Counties League, the EasternCounties League, the Central Alliance, the, Midland League, the Northern Counties East League, the Midland Division of the Southern Leaguè and most recently the Northern Premier League. True wanderers of the Non League football system because of their geography being on the perimeter of many leagues. Throughout this time if they fell on hard times financially or football wise it was the United Counties League that welcomed them back and gave them stability. They should change their name to Spalding Nomads.

I visited Loughborough Dynamo last season and was impressed by their set up and play. I have written about their history in a previous blog but just to say that they were formed in 1955 and can also be called the nomads due to their frequent change of grounds but are now firmly at home at the ADT Stadium in Watermead Lane.

Spalding United 2 Loughborough Dynamo 1

It was a sad start to the game as we all took part in a minutes applause to comemorate the three back room staff at the club who had passed away since the last league game.

The football seemed to be suffering from a hangover as neither team seemed to make any progress in the first 15 minutes but Loughborough were begining to make a mark. Perhaps neither team wanted to make mistakes on this season opener but on 22 minutes Curtis Burrows stepped forward to take a free kick to the right of the D. He struck the ball brilliantly around the wall and into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

Loughborough now had more chances to further their lead but a through ball to Marcus Smetherson to Marcus Maddison enabled him to show his EFL credentials with a well slotted ball past the goalkeeper. Both sides now had chances but it was Loughborough who must have left the field at halftime feeling that thet should have made more of their chances.

The ground staff need some ball maintenance training as the referee discarded some of those on offer for poor inflation.

The second half was again evenly matched although the referees intervention in booking the lively No9 for Loughborough, for backing on, pointing to various points of the field to denote he felt it had been ongoing was somewhat harsh. This did take the sting out of their forward play and they did not threaten as often. This was a particularly poignant booking when the opposite No 9 Greg Smith continually questioned the referees decisions all game along with swearing that could be heard from the stand.

It was left to a piece of footballing skill to win the game for Spalding when Scott Floydd overlapping on the right took a pass that looked well covered but he feigned right went left and passing his marker was able to score on 82 minutes from an acute angle.

A good win for Spalding with Loughborough happy with their first outing of the league saeson but disapointed at not getting a point.

The attendance of 189 was a dissapointment considering that 1400 had been in the game for a pre season friendly with Peterborough in mid week.

The chips were hot, large, thick, no taste of grease but with a squashy mess inside. Unfortunately I scored a lowly 50 when in this town in the fenland with much food growing, processing and distribution I expected more.