On the first day of September (the weather forecasters start of Autumn) I visited Worksop Town’s Sandy lane ground to see them entertain Grimsby Borough in the 1st qualifying round of the FA Vase. The sun was out and the temperature reached 26 as these two North East Counties East Football League clubs competitively entertained a good crowd of 374 supporters.

Although Worksop play in a league above Grimsby they were evenly matched and it was understandable why Grimsby are fancied for promotion this year.

Worksop claim to be the fourth oldest team in England starting in 1861 but research has shown no records of them until 1873, ref: ‘A History of Sheffield Football 1857-1889 – Martin Westby’. This however still makes them one of the first clubs in England with a proud tradition. They have played at a higher level and done well in the FA Cup in the past but financial problems have brought them to where they are today, They  have returned to Sandy Lane, sharing it  with league rivals Handsworth Parramore whose owner purchased the Sandy Lane lease in 2011 and agreed a deal to allow Worksop to return after a nomadic period of ground sharing. Things are looking up again for Worksop Town.  

Grimsby Borough by contrast joined the Supreme Division of the Central Midlands League in 1987 then under the name Grimsby Ross. They finished bottom of the division in 1988–89, and were renamed Grimsby Borough at the end of the season. After disapointing results in the early 1990’s the club was re-established in 2003, in the Lincolnshire League. Since then they have been working their way through the pyramid system.

They play at Bradley Football Development Centre, Grimsby Rd, Laceby, Grimsby DN33 1RS which is significant in that they are the premier team in Grimsby. As many pub quiz goers will know , Grisby Town’s ground,  who play in the EFL League Two is in Cleethorpes, leading to the quiz question’ which EFL team plays all of their games away’.

Worksop Town 2 Grimsby Borough 1

The pitch was in great condition with a slight slope from end to end and it only took Worksop 3 minutes to take the lead when Mathew Sykes controlled the ball in the penalty area and drilled it past the outstretched right hand of Scott Drury.  Worksop Town continued to dominate throughout the first half and went in at half time 1 nil up. Grimsby Borough’s defensive composure had been dented when  their number 17 had to have attention to a very bloody nose after what looked like a clash of heads.

Worksop continued the pressure after the break and made it 2-0  when Steven Wooley scored on 55 minutes. They always say that 2 nil is the hardest lead to defend and that proved right as Grimsby came right back into it on 65 minutes when a through ball found Adam Drury and he calmly slotted home. Only some stout defending with bodies being  peppered with shots enabled Worksop to hang on for the win. On this showing both of these two teams can look forward to a good season.

The chips are strong contenders in the league with a score of 70. They were hot, golden in colour, served quickly’ tasty and cost £1.80. The container and fork were plastic but I did not mark them down like Forest Green as they do not espouse their green credentials.

The future is here as you walk up Another Way.

As you turn the corner into Another Way you arrive at Forest Green Rovers Stadium and into another way of doing things with practices that will become main stream very soon.

Formed in 1889 Forest Green have been at the forefront of Gloucestershire Non League foot until 2017 when they gained promotion to the English Football League for the first time and survived at that level in their first season.

But they are known worldwide for something completely different :

‘FIFA recently described us as the greenest football club in the world. We’re the first and only vegan football club in the world. And we’re the only club on the planet to have Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) accreditation, the gold standard of environmental management. This allows us to measure our impact on the environment and target the reduction of our carbon emissions.’                                  Extract taken from Forest Green Rovers Web site         https://www.fgr.co.uk/

Forest Green Rovers were the first Vegan football club in the world, vegan food is served to all players, officials and fans at the club. They also play on an organic pitch where no pesticides or herbicides are used and the weeding is all done by hand. The pitch is cut by a solar powered lawn mower that is nicknamed Mowbot and is watered by rainwater to ensure no mains water is used. As you walk along Another Way to ‘The Lawns’ ground you pass the electric vehicle charging points.

The club is supplied by 100% green energy, some from their own solar panels at the stadium and the rest from Ecotricity . Ecotricity was founded by Dale Vince who is also the Chairman of the football club. It is his drive and vision that has put them where they are, but it may not stop there as they have lodged planning permission to build a 5000 seat stadium all made from wood.

The whole experience was different, the Q Pie, Q for Quorn, was good, the atmosphere was friendly, family, happy and everywhere was spotlessly clean. The vegan credentials add to the experience, organic beer and milk for your tea or coffee was soya or oat milk. Never a fan of soya milk I was surprised to find oat milk a real tasty alternative to cows milk.

The beer mug was eco too and had printed on it’s side: ‘I am not a plastic cup. 100% compostable. 100% biodegradable. This tumbler is made from plant starch and can be turned into compost to help grow more crops.’ http://www.biopac.co.uk

The 52 page program is very colourful, informative and worth the £3, if there was any criticism it was that the details of the opponents players was very limited.

Sitting in the main stand had a good view of the pitch and there was no wall or fencing lining the pitch.

Forest Green Rovers 0 Stevenage 0

Of the football I have to say it was the most boring match that I have seen for years and the 0-0 draw seemed to suit Stevenage who defended well but rarely looked like scoring. My man of the match was the Forest Green number 2 Liam Shephard whose speed on and off the ball was good and he was unlucky not to hit the net after some surging runs. The crowd was only 1800, very disappointing considering the effort that is being made by the club.

The score for the chip league was a disappointing 56. They came in a paper tray but with a plastic fork. The chips were tasty but only warm and a bit soggy. Sorry Forest Green you are an outstanding, progressive club with amazing ideas that we will all have to look to in the future let down by the chips and fork.

Finding Dronfield Town’s ground on the Coal Aston side of town proved not easy and I ended up walking round the cricket pitch with a game in full flight. I passed two others going to the game and caught up a familiar figure who asked the cricketers the way. Going through a leaf covered gate we were straight at the entrance and the man in front of me just walked straight through although I had to pay. He was greeted inside and then I realised it was Chris Waddle one of the all time great footballers. I looked up later to find he did make one appearance for Hallam in his illustrious career.

The game we had both come to watch was Dronfield Town FC v Hallam FC in the North East Counties League Division One. Dronfields pitch slopes slightly from side to side, the pitch was magnificent and the ground very very tidy gleaming from a fresh coat of paint. The club house although small had a bar and served food both inside and out.

The game watched by 154 was competitive but Hallam bossed the first half with their numbers 10 and 11 always a handful. It was no surprise that Hallam took the lead on 33 minutes through Benjamin Thornton and they should have added more. It was here that the woman next to me spoke to Chris Waddle and the Chairman of Hallam as she was the mother of the scorer. When the mother of the scorer is only as old as your daughter you realise you have been watching football for a long time.

The second half changed immediately and Dronfield took advantage of the wind and sun by kicking long high balls for Hallam to deal with. It was no surprise that Mathew Ord scored for Dronfield after 55 minutes after a mix up in the Hallam defence. From then on it was one way traffic and Dronfield scored twice more through Connor Chappel and Mark Fereday. Both teams look useful at times and should gain good results as the season progresses.

Dronfield Town FC 3 Hallam FC 1

In my chip league I was pleased to have them served in a paper tray with a wooden fork. They were a golden brown and very hot but were a bit dry and tasteless meaning they only scored 56.

The start of my new season was today at Staveley Miners Welfare F.C. who were playing Boston Town in an Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup.

A good way to start at the outset of the FA Cup and at a ground I have wanted to visit for some time.

I drove straight into the car park on a beautiful sunny day at the front of the ground at no cost and paid my £3 concessionary entrance. Staveley play in the Northern Counties East League and their facilities could be of a team higher up the pyramid.

The club house is large, clean, good seating and tables with a well run bar and food serving point. The toilets were also spotless and two large screens were showing Sky Sports Saturday. Everyone was friendly and I didn’t get the stares as to who is he. It was also well used and 30 minutes prior to the game the whole crowd of about 100 were in there and there with very few late comers. The Club House facilities must generate good income for the club on a regular basis and  I’m sure it’s also down to a strong band of enthusiasts who seemed to be making sure all was well.

The 8 page program was free and the pitch looked good but lots of dust was thrown up during the game and you wander with such little rain has the grass grown only superficially and come the winter weather there will be a lot of poor pitches this season.

Staveley Miners Welfare F.C. were formed in 1962 as a Sunday team, then as the Nags Head playing in Barrow Hill and started playing on Saturdays in 1989. It has since risen to  its current step 5 level and despite difficult times in 2007 a new Chairman in Terry Damms has with his team made it into a successful community club with feeder teams of all ages.

The opponents Boston Town started playing in 1962 after their local rivals Boston United ran into difficulties. United have recovered and play at a higher level but Town play in the United Counties Premier Division Step 5 level. Their nickname is the Poachers. Both teams have reached the semifinal of the FA Vase in the past and should have been evenly matched.

Staveley Miners Welfare 4 Boston Town 2

Forgive the headline but I couldn’t resist with Staveley scoring first (although their nickname is the Trojans) second, third and fourth. 3 nil up at half time and adding a fourth just after the restart of the second half all should have been plain sailing. Boston came back with 2 goals to reduce the deficit but Staveley should have added a few more but for poor finishing.

Davies, Greenfield, Bell and Baskerville, scored for the home team and Johnson and Holland for the visitors sending Staveley through to a next round home tie against Lutterworth Town on the 25th August.

Post Script

Everyone is always on about pies at football grounds, so this year I,m going to have a chip league. The chips at Staveley were hot, well cooked, served quickly,tasty but slightly soggy. They were only £1.20 a tray and therefore start the season in first place with a score of 67 out of 100.

It’s taken a few days to sink in, Aston Villa will play another season in the Championship after their one nil defeat to Fulham in the Championship play off final.

The omens were not great, Fulham had finished higher than Villa and their end of season form had been very very strong. Hope is eternal as they say and the game being played on the same day as Villa’s only European Cup win in 1982 increased expectation.

The crowds gathered in good humour and the songs were sung on a sunlit Wembley that was a great setting for this most important game worth more than £100 M to the winner. Again Villa did not turn up in the first half after their magnificent and emotional two leg win in the play off semi-final against Middlesbrough. This same lethargic response had happened after their 4-1 comprehensive beating of Wolves and the subsequent 3-1 home defeat at the hands of QPR which had put paid to their automatic promotion hopes.

Villa defended  allowing Fulham to have more possession and it was no surprise that  their Captain Tom Cairney scored first on 26 minutes when he fired the ball past  Villa goalkeeper Sam Johnstone after latching onto Ryan Sessegnon’s pass that split Alan Hutton and John Terry.

The game stayed very sterile till half time with Fulham going in 1-0 ahead and considerably in control.

Villa came out in a more attacking mood in the second half but still looked lacking in ideas to prise open the Fulham defence. Jack Grealish tried to run at them and create the magic to get Villa back in the game and was fouled countless times. Frederick’s stamp on Grealish in the first half should have seen red which was shown to Odi midway through the second half totting up his two yellow cards for fouls both on Grealish

Villa bought on Kodja, Odomah and Hogan after this to stir a spirited resurgence and a search for the elusive equaliser. Hope was not fulfilled and Fulham will be playing in the Premiership next year.

Villa meanwhile will see a summer of major transformation with loanees and senior players returning to their clubs or ending their contracts. Gloom hangs over this part of the West Midlands as it all sinks in.

Talking of disappointments my home town team, St Albans City did not fare much better. Having been in the play off positions for virtually the whole season a defensive collapse in the final few games left them agonisingly one place short. St Albans have also announced another attempt to build a new ground away from their picturesque Clarence Park ground. Although this is needed for the long term future of the club it will be a sad day when it will eventually happen. http://www.stalbanscityfc.com

Another link to my St Albans City past ended this year with the demise of the Kleeneze company. Kleeneze was a door to door catalogue sales company offering home-ware goods in the same style as Avon do with cosmetics etc. In the late 40’s and 50’s my father, a committed St Albans fan used to travel to away matches in a box attached to a three wheeled motorbike instead of a side car. During the week the box carried Kleeneze samples and goods door to door in St Albans and at the weekend it was an escape to the football world of community, passion, highs and lows and friendship.

The season however ended on an amazing high for one of the greatest players in the English game. Paul Bastock retired after 1277 appearances in goal for English clubs in league and cup games. His career started in 1988 and 30 years later he played his last game, this was for Wisbech Town and it was a fairy tale ending with them gaining promotion to The Evo-Stick Northern Premier League Division One East. Paul played for many teams but he played a staggering 501 for Boston United and 274 for St Albans City. Well done Paul, you will be missed.

Image from The Non-League Football Paper

Even with the disappointments, bring on the new season.

The Championship play off semi-final second leg is always a tense moment in a clubs history. Only one game away from the culmination of a long season the Wembley shoot out and the riches and fame the Premiership might bring.

A sell out of the Aston Villa fans ticket allocation meant an anticipated passionate atmosphere which was there from entering the ground 15 minutes before kick off. Parking and access to the ground as always was manic but one hopes that the removal of most of the old industry on the roads from the M6 and the building of new sheds will bring some new road schemes and the removal of some horrific fly tipping.

Giant musically synchronised flares surrounded the pitch as the two teams walked onto the stage. The sound was as good if not better than those European nights of what now seem long past. Time to recollect and show respect by a minutes applause in tribute to former player Jlloyd Smuel was accompanied by the Holte End singing “there’s only one Jlloyd Samuel” at first seemed unusual but as its intensity grew it seemed a very appropriate response. Further chants for him, Ugo Ehiogu and Dalian Atkinson were a reminder of all three ex players losing their lives so young within the past two years.

The game was tense as Aston Villa defended comfortably, not being phased by Middlesbrough having the majority of possession. The first half ticked by so fast as two teams cancelled each other out with no goals to add to Villas 1-0 advantage from the first leg.

The Middlesbrough’s tactic of channelling the majority of their attack through ex Villa man Adama Traore lacked any penetration, with Alan Hutton, the comeback kid, having the best of their battles.

Villa had the scoring opportunities with Lewis Grabban testing Dimi Kostantopoulos twice and Jack Grealish’s attempt bringing out the keepers best save. Adoma and Snodgrass kept tirelesly continuous probing down the wings and Villa seemed to be in command.

Finally chaos in the 87th minute as Traore gained control in the centre of the pitch just short of the goal area. Sam Johnstone rushed off his line to palm away his attempted lob only to have been adjudged to have been outside his area. A yellow card for Johnstone’s misdemeanour and a free kick within easy striking distance. Stewart Downing, another ex Villa player, stepped up to place the ball over the wall and clip the top of the bar. This signalled the end of Middlesbrough and Villa played out the remaining four minutes of added time.

Aston Villa 0 Middlesbrough 0

Aston Villa won 1-0 on agregate

Fans rushed onto the pitch and celebrated with the team with good humour. The Holte End wanting to see their team gain their adulation booed the transgressors and made pointed chants to how they felt.

Everyone left in an excited mood, looking forward to the Wembley trip but knowing that the 90 minute shoot out is anyone’s on the day.

So Villa Park rocked to the continuous noise of the crowed and their team was a rock in defence. Middlesbrough did not have a shot on goal from outfield play, Jedinak, Chester and Terry were rock slid in their performances.

To be continued……………

The Rain in Spain is supposed to stay mainly on the plain but on Monday night 7th May it was definitely in Granada which is on the edge of the Sierra Nevada mountainsj.

The match was at the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes where in Laliga second division Granada C.F. hosted Rayo Vallecano. Both teams were recently relegated from Laliga, Rayo in 2015/16 and Granada in 2016/17.

Rayo is the other team of Madrid after Real and Athletico and a book called ‘Working Class Heroes’ was published in 2017 byPitch Publishing Ltd, written by Robbie Dunne about the team and it’s working class neighbourhood. This is on my future reading list.

Rayo are riding high at the top of the league and look firm favourites to be promoted whilst Granada have established mid table respectability as they re-group.

Straight away you could see even in the warm up that Rayo were eager to start and went through a very disciplined drill.

The first half saw good control by both sides and some skilful play especially some cross field balls hit with pace and precision but no one gained an advantage. Javi Varas the Granada keeper was the busiest and pulled off two fine saves.

The fan sat next to me consumed a bag of salted sunflower seeds and all that was left was a pile of kernels on the floor in front of him. It reminded me of the days of roasted peanuts at Highbury when the terraces were covered in the shells.

Rayo took control from the start of the second half as also did the rain. Light and with some warmth at first but on cue with Bebe opening the score on 62 minutes for Rayo the heavens opened.  Bebe took his goal well beating Varas’s diving right hand into the corner of the net from the middle of the goal.

Now came the down poor with rumbling thunder and with cover on only one side of the ground everyone looked for shelter under the stand. This totally surprised me as fans watched from stairwells, nooks and crannies everywhere hoping for an equaliser. Where people stood would not have been allowed in Britain for safety reasons.

The rain did not stop and a muted cheer from the few Rayo fans who had stayed out in the rain on 68 minutes heralded Trejo’s goal and Rayos second. A few fans left but many stayed to see Granada spark to life for the last ten minutes that also saw the rain stop. No fairy story though as Rayo marched on.