My Football Year 2023, looking forward to 2024.

Looking back at 2023 made me realise how lucky I am and what a year. I ended up going to 50 games.

It started at Melbourne just off the flight plan of East Midlands Airport to see Derby Singh Brothers win in the cup. Both teams ended up being promoted but Singh Brothers had off field problems in looking for a new ground.

Seeing Aston Villa lose to Stevenage in the FA Cup was no surprise when you have watched many of their games in the last 35 years. Can you believe the turn round of 2023 which they ended second in the Premiership, the Unai Emerey effect, amazing.

Walking off with the car keys at Southwell caused me to miss the first goal, increase my heart rate and get a flea in my ear.

Bishop Aukland didn’t disappoint and nor did the Totty Cup. The Totty Cup final for youngsters was not just good football on a poor day but real family happiness.

Then in between some ex miners teams my first island hopping trip. The first to Guernsey to see a long term friend which gave me the chance to see the trend setting Guernsey FC. Jersey and the Isle of Man have followed them and our football is better for it. Perhaps in the future an island team may get to Wembley in the FA Vase final, let’s all hope.

The other islands I visited were Eriksay to stand on one of FIFA’s most iconic football grounds in the world. Harris to enjoy the Jock Stein Cup Final, Anglesey to see Llangefni prepare for a new season and sneaking away from the hotel on Madeira in the heat to the stadium where Ronaldo first played.

In July I finally made it to ‘The Stanks’ the Berwick Charities Cup and watched football by the ramparts of the first Elizabethan era with the sea as a further back drop. Where else in the world. It was all I had hoped for, I’ll be back some day.

Kings Lynn on the way back from holiday was disappointing both in the game and the cost, a bit of an illusion shattered, however positivity was restored when visiting Wombwell Town. This new club to the Northern Counties East League were table toppers to start the season, although drifting down a little since, with a developing set up that looks good for the future. It is also unusually a ground with a Go Kart track at one end.

I love some of the names in football and on a dry Saturday afternoon where else could you relax better than at Oughtibridge War Memorial Sports Club FC.

A Friday night at Dearne and District, where the Totty Cup final was played, saw the strides this club are making to not only to gain promotion through their football but their facilities too. Next season in the NECL will be an early season visit.

Breaking from Non League I attended a trilogy of game at Mansfield FC in the League Cup and EFL Trophy. I thoroughly enjoyed the games and found everyone welcoming which by reputation I didn’t expect.

The end of the year found me visiting the two teams in Newark and seeing Retford United score 4 on Boxing day. I saw United play on three occasions and in total they sored 13 goals, including the most exciting game of the season the 4-4 draw at Beverley.

As always I should thank all the players, officials, fans and helpers that made my year so enjoyable.

I also learnt in 2023 to let go of some of my fixed view on football grounds. I have never been sure of synthetic pitches always favouring grass. I now realise their true worth in that there are few postponements, the ball reacts consistently, players seem to try more skilful play, the facilities around the pitch are upgraded at the same time as the new surface is laid and mostly of all that they are a true resource for the community at large and the development of football for all ages. To counter this I have decided to re-visit Gresley Rovers one of those iconic patched together grounds with a real sense of history.

2023 fizzles out.

After some exciting journeys and games I ended the year on a damp Saturday drifting down the A1 to Collingham. I made the journey to see Newark and Sherwood United FC play Skegness Town FC in the United Counties Premier Division North. N&S are ground sharing with Collingham this year. Collingham is a village to the East of Newark and East of the A1 where the football ground is in the village behind the COOP and surrounded by houses and a school.

It was a grey overcast day with the car telling me it was 10 degrees but my body saying it was a lot colder than that with a biting wind cutting right through me.

As you enter the ground through a proper turnstile down the left hand side is a combined club house and changing rooms with executive viewing and other rooms above. The clubhouse was busy but only sold drinks, limited food being served from half time at a shed that doubles for a club shop. Beyond the clubhouse down the rest of the side is a covered seated stand. 181 brave souls were there, none of which seemed to be supporting the visitors who had made the 56 mile journey.There is a perimeter walk way around the other two sides and none behind 1 of the goals.

Chairman, Steff Wright in the programme notes dreamed of the future “We have been working hard with our partners on our longer term aims to create an ambitious community stadium which will inspire a generation of boys and girls from the town and district to dream big and work hard to achieve those dreams”.

Newark and Sherwood United set out in 1901 as A. J. Simpson an Co and at sometime prior to 1935 were renamed Worthington Simpson. From 1949 onwards they played in the Notts Alliance League and were a strong team in the league and local cups. Another name change to IDP Newark in 1998, they changed again to Newark Flowserve in 2001 and 3 years later joined the Central Midlands League. They were promoted to the East Midlands Counties League in 2018, changed their name again, this time to Newark in 2020 and were transferred to the United Counties Premier Division North in 20221 within the F.A.’s Non League reorganisation.

Their last name change came in May 2022 to Newark and Sherwood Unite FC and a groundshare with Collingham FC arranged having lost their ground to re-development.

Skegness Town AFC were formed in 1947 after the demise of Skegness United and Skegness Blue Rovers. After playing local football they joined the Midland Counties League in 1958 where they played until being founder members of the Northern Counties East League in 1982 where they stayed for just one season. A move back to Lincolnshire football saw them dominate the Lincolnshire League for many seasons and returned to The NCE League again for a short while in 2018 before being moved to the United Counties in 2021 due to the re-organisation.

Newark and Sherwood United FC 1 Skegness Town FC 3

Saturday 30th December 2023 15.00 pm Kick Off.

Collingham FC ground, Station Road, Collingham, Newark, NG23 7RA

Highwaymen v Lilywhites 16th v 5th

Newark and Sherwood, Travis Perkins green shirts, navy blue shorts; Skegness, White shirts, Red shorts.

Skegness started like greyhounds after the hare on this very grey day that needed the floodlights on from the start. They went ahead after just 7 minutes when a great cross from the left along the ground was met by Declan Johnson to tap in.

As the sky became darker and darker it boded ill for the home team when Declan Johnson, again, ran past Newark’s high line from near the halfway line and drew the goalkeeper to narrow his angle on the goal mouth to be able to just roll the ball in for a second.

After not looking at all like scoring the home side pegged one backl on 34 minutes when after some neat inter-passing on the right Kian Sketchey fought of a challenge to score. After their goal Newark knocked Skegness out of their rhythm even though the away side were much stronger.

Gary King made it 3 .1 for the Lilywhites just before half time when his shot was deflected past the goalkeeper.

There were no goals added in the second half as Skegness kept pressing and if it hadn’t been for Arun Mitchel Jones in the home sides goal making some quite outstanding saves it would have been many more for Skegness. The wind was getting stronger and colder as the game went on and I was pleased when the referee blew for full time.

Not the best game to end an exciting year but it will be interesting to see where theses two clubs go in the future.

Unfortunately no chips just two coffees which was most probably good, keeping the calories count down at this festive time.

Staveley set up a Happy Christmas.

Being Christmas I decided to stay local and went to Staveley Miners Welfare to see them play Selby.

What you get at Staveley is a warm feeling in the clubhouse that had a few decorations but most of all community.

The clubhouse is large, bright (painted in blue and white club colours), warm, 5 large TV screens, good bar, large food counter but most of all friendly. There were tables taken by Selby fans, a couple with tins of sweets on and a lot of noise that was the chatter of people catching up and anticipating the game.

This is a club that has taken league demotion in recent years to get the club rooted firmly in the community with many teams and a facility that they are proud of. The ground is spotless and tidy like your house when you are expecting visitors. They have also revealed plans for class rooms on the site for pupils to study at an Academy and announced that they have reduced their debt in two years from £240 000 to £160 000, everything is moving forward.

The program had a Christmas theme and an updated team sheet was available in the clubhouse.

Staveley Miners Welfare F.C’s. current incarnation was formed in 1962 as a Sunday team, known as the Nags Head playing in Barrow Hill and started playing on Saturdays in 1989. There have been previous clubs playing at the ground since 1919. They have since risen to their 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.

Selby Town have also been in existence since 1919 although a team of the same name and nickname has been dissolved nearly 10 years before. They were once in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division but have spent most of their time at their current level.

It was a dry, bright, windy day at 10 degrees making the synthetic pitch shine out and ready for action.

Staveley Miners Welfare v Selby Town

Saturday 24th December 2023, Inkersall Road, Staveley Chesterfield Derbyshire S43 3JL

15.00 pm kick off; Trojans v Robins; 11th v 15th; Northern Counties East League Division 1

Staveley, Royal Blue and white vertical striped shirts with royal blue shorts: Selby, All white strip with red short sleeves to the shirts.

The game started with each team getting used to the windy conditions when controlling the ball. Staveley were gaining the upper hand and went ahead after 18 minutes when a free kick was defended, the ball going back to the freekick taker who lobbed it back in the goal where Kian Tansley rose to glance head the ball over Alfie Burnett, Selby’s keeper, to nestle in the far corner of the net.

Selby reacted with more attacking but were again beaten by a freekick on 31 minutes when Kian Tansley bent the ball round the left of a small wall into a gaping opening. At two nil Selby must have been thinking that half time could not come soon enough, however their plight was worsened when just on half time Kyle Fish was dismissed for a reckless tackle on Jack Deakin’s shin whose cry could be heard everywhere in the ground. The resulting mele led to two Staveley players being booked although the referee could have booked even more of both teams players.

The second half gave no respite for Selby who went 3 nil down on 58 minutes when from a corner Dustyn Grierson was unmarked to send a bullet header into a bulging net. Just after half time Daniel Davison for Selby was sin binned for arguing with the referee, playing against 9 men Staveley used up all of their substitutes to rest player for the Boxing Day fixture.

Back to 10 players Selby did have a last hoorah and forced two good saves in the last five minutes by Zac Walker in the Staveley goal.

A very competent win for Staveley and a game for Selby to forget.

An amazing sunset at Staveley, 40 years ago the sky would have been this colour from the Chemical works and heavy industry.

Chips are always on the menu at Staveley and at £2.50 they were a good quantity, hot, great texture but unfortunately greasy, that didn’t stop me eating them though, a score of 64. At half time in the Christmas spirit I had a mince pie with my coffee from a cake stall that had been set up just inside the club house entrance, it was delicious.

Santa at Newark Town but it’s ‘Ho Ho Ho’ for Dunkirk.

Having missed football for a few weeks I journeyed to Newark-on-Trent to enjoy all that is good with the game.

It didn’t start well as Google maps took me to ‘Valley Prospect’, research had prepared me though, this had been their ground and teams still play there with the Senior men’s team now playing at the YMCA Community and activity Village.

The YMCA Community and Activity Village is an amazing new facility with a wide range of sports, education, training, hospitality, childcare and social gathering space. There is ample tarmacked parking with a specific area for football, cricket and Athletics. The entrance to the football via a gate and past the wooden hut is not auspicious but you enter a new ultra flat synthetic pitch area that has been developed for Newark Town to play at their current level and above, with scope to go further if necessary. There is hard standing all round the pitch with a covered seated stand on one side and a smaller one on the other just offset from the dugouts. A small shelter near one corner of an end would keep you dry in a down poor but you may also catch a bus as it looks like a bus stop.

The catering facilities are ‘POSH’ as they are part of a central hub for other activities. No chips here so I settled down to read my programme with an Almond Croissant and a coffee, I told you it was posh. The facilities were well used before the game and at half time.

Also just inside the ground was ‘Santa’ and I wandered which team had been naughty or nice to get his help once the game started. Santa gave out presents to some of the junior team and at half time there was a hit the cross bar competition for juniors. There is certainly an all inclusive feel to the club.

The ‘Bring a Mate to Double the Gate’ promotion had only produced 148 fans which Is at Newark’s average gate. Disappointing perhaps but with all of the competing family activities at this time of year I thought it was a result. The weather was also kind with clear blue skies with the occasional wispy white and grey cloud, no wind and a temperature of 10 degrees.

I sat in the stand near what turned out to be the local ‘Ultra’s’, a group of about 15, mainly teenagers who chanted, shouted through a megaphone and beat a drum.

Saturday 16th December 2023; Kick off 15.00 pm. United Counties League Division One; 3rd v 10th

YMCA Community and Activity Village, Lord Hawke Way, Newark-on-Trent, NG24 4FH

Newark, Sky blue shirts with black shorts. Dunkirk, All red.

Newark Town FC 2 Dunkirk FC 5

No one gained the initiative in the first 15 minutes with the pattern of play mainly long balls and lots of verbal comment. This was broken only a minute later when the away team slotted a through ball to Jack Thatcher on the left of goal who drew the keeper and despatched it into the right side of the net. Newark did not give up and equalised on 23 minutes when Ryan Smith who was unmarked took the ball forward for most of half the pitch and just riffled it into the far corner.

Dunkirk responded positively and took control of the game and it was no surprise that on 41 minutes, a minute after the floodlights came on, that after some neat inter-passing on the right the ball found its way to Jack Thatcher whose shot deflected upwards and into the goal despite despairing attempts to keep it out by defenders. It didn’t stop there as within 2 minutes that man Jack Thatcher completed his hattrick when his pace defeated the defence and he was able to slide the ball along the ground into the back of the net.

HT Newark 1 Dunkirk 3

Newark came out for the second half fired up and competed at some pace but were denied three good chances by Dunkirk’s goalkeeper.

Dunkirk’s right back, Andrew Tsolakis, had been receiving some verbal’s from the crowd, singing ” No2 we’re taller than you”, went forward after 60 minutes and from the centre of the goal just outside the goalkeeping area thumped the ball home for a 4.1 lead for the visitors. At this time of year I’m sure he was thinking ‘Ho Ho Ho’ as he ran to the abusing fans with his hand cupped to his ears.

With 68 minutes substitute Elliot King reduced the arrears with a tap in after some very neat play all the way from the back. Newark now exerted some real pressure and should have been awarded a penalty for a foul that appeared to be in the penalty area but which both officials deemed to have been minutely outside.

As time ran out and with no reward for their efforts Newark were caught out again with Declan Brown racing through, his fierce shot gave the goalkeeper no chance to stop Dunkirk’s fifth.

A great game and venue which lived up to my hope of seeing football at its best, thank you everyone. Perhaps you can help the home team next time Santa.

Football is alive and well in the Outer Hebrides.

My trip to the Outer Hebrides found that football is alive and well in this outpost.
I wrote about the iconic pitch in Eriksay and the Jock Stein Cup Final in Stornaway and on my travels saw some really good community football grounds.
Scotland like England are developing a good pyramid system although both in my view need to make it easier for more clubs to go up into the professional ranks each year.
The Hebrides are served by two Leagues the Uist and Barra Amateur Football League with 6 teams and the Lewis and Harris Football League with 9 teams. They all come together for the Coop Cup and compete in the Highland Amateur Cup. For a group of islands with a population of just less than 30000 this is some feat when you consider the logistics and distance (130 miles from the Southern to Northern point including two ferries).
The competition is healthy amongst the community clubs with the facilities often reflecting a community hub.

The football I saw would grace Step 5 in England and apart from no floodlights, which are not needed for a summer league the facilities would be up there too.

The grounds I saw were:

Eriksay FC

Goathill Stornaway home to Stornaway Athletic and Stornaway United.

Back FC

Back is roughly 5 miles north of Stornaway and have a very neat pitch along with other community sporting facilities.

Ness FC

Ness is right at the top of the Island of Lewis only a literal stones throw from the lighthouse of The Butt of Lewis. A fan I spoke to at the Jock Stein Cup final said that they have a lively vibrant social club that supports the football team.

Point FC

Points ground is to the East of Stornaway just beyond the airport. The facilities look good but there was no one there to talk to.

A visit to Lews House and Museum there was strong reference to football in the Island life exhibits.

Peterborough are in Heaven.

With most of the Non-league matches competed, apart from play offs and a few minor league games being caught up, I pre bought tickets to see Barnsley v Peterborough on the final League One games day of the season.

Barnsley is a hilly town and the Oakwell ground sits at the bottom of one below the town centre. An early arrival meant nearby parking in what turned out to be for Peterborough supporters. Parking near the entrance meant a prospective quick get away but also a steep walk down to the stadium.

Sitting high up in the East Stand you overlook the distant Town Hall and you could see many of the 14000 plus crowd streaming down the hill in time for the mid-day kick off. The 20 degrees shown on the car computer seemed believable as summer clothes were on show. The sunshine, blue and white skies and a beautiful green grass pitch made for a colourful tapestry.

Barnsley had already booked their place in the League One play offs but their opponents, Peterborough, needed to win and Derby away at local rivals Sheffield Wednesday needed to lose to book their place.

Barnsley are a long standing club having been formed in 1887 and located at their Oakwell home since a year later. They won the FA Cup in 1912 and been in two other Cup finals. They have reached the highest league in England but have spent most of their time going up and down the lower leagues.

In contrast Peterborough are juniors starting in 1934 and not being elected to the Football League until 1960. They too have spent most of their times since their elevation yo-yoing up and down the leagues with the Championship being their highest level achieved.

Barnsley 0 Peterborough 2

Sunday 7th May 2023 Midday kick off.

The Tykes v The Posh. 4th v 7th

Barnsley; Crimson red shirts, white shorts. Peterborough; Royal Blue shirts, black shorts.

Peterborough’s need to win showed from the off with a more direct approach and they scored on just 6 minutes when Harrison Burrows launched a curling left foot cross into the goal mouth which sailed over the Barnsley defence to the unmarked Jonson Clarke-Harris who chested it down and slammed it home.

Barnsley settled after this but made little impact on the visitors backline, they did score but it was ruled offside. Peterborough kept probing on the wings but neither side made a clear cut chance. The Peterborough fans erupted on 41 minutes as the news came through that Derby’s Curtis Davis had been sent off and a penalty awarded to the home team. A short while passed and ‘The Posh’ fans made more noise as Sheffield Wednesday scored. So with Peterborough on top at the break and Derby behind there was a buzz from the away end.

The second hand started with Peterborough needing to hold on and hope that Derby would not equalise. Barnsley did start in a more positive mood plying a much higher line and competing for the ball. They had more goal attempts in the first 20 minutes than the whole of the first half. As the game drifted on Peterborough forced a corner from the right and the right footed outswinger was met by Jack Taylor’s head as he glanced the ball into the left side of the net. Peterborough fans erupted knowing that they were going to win but were still nervous of the score from Hillsborough. Both ended about the same time and the Peterborough fans were ecstatic with the performance, the results and making the play offs. Their singing and chanting put a damper on the end of season parade for Barnsley fans. Both clubs are now in the play-offs so you would expect that if they meet again the match will be more competitive.

No chips just Pukka Pies and I chose a Pukka Sausage Roll which if I kept a table of scores for them rather than chips this version would surely be bottom.

Impressive Burton Albion.

A change from Non League football as I was treated by my daughter to a visit to Burton Albion a club that was on my long standing visit list.

A pub and food outlets on the way to the ground had been occupied by a large contingent of good humoured Sheffield Wednesday fans on a spring afternoon where the high grey cloud was under attack from some blue sky patches. The fans seemed to be in high spirits and treating the day as summer despite it only being 10 degrees. Outside the stadium was Burton Albion Community Football Centre and nearby artificial pitches in use by fans prior to the match.

Only started in 1950 Burton were major players in the Non-League game. They initially joined a local Birmingham League but soon spent most of their time alternating between the Southern and Northern Premier Leagues until in 1988 they were promoted to the Conference and joined the EFL in 2009. Their upward journey continued spending two seasons in the Championship, but have now become mainstays of League 1.

Burton moved to their Pirelli Stadium home in 2005 and it is a good example of a compact modern stadium with covered standing at both ends and down one side and with covered seating and hospitality boxes down the other. The ground capacity is over 6000 and on the day 4682 were there. The pitch as you would expect was an immaculate flat grass surface being watered before the start.

Sheffield Wednesday had been top of League One before kick off but had been knocked off of that perch by the result of an early kick off. They had sold their full allocation of away tickets despite a recent run of poorer results. Their fans crave to climb back up the league structure considering their history and attendances. They have previously won FA cups, the League Cup and four top league titles but their achievements have tailed away since the early 1990’s. They have also recently been in a long shadow from local rivals Sheffield United who look very likely to make it back to the Premier League.

Burton Albion 3 Sheffield Wednesday 2

Saturday 15th April 2023 15.00 pm kick off

English Football League Division 1 Brewers v Owls. 18th v 2nd.

Burton Albion, Yellow shirts and shorts: Sheffield Wednesday, Blue and white vertical striped shirts and black shorts.

Before the game wreaths were laid to remember the 34th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy and a minutes applause was observed.

Sheffield started the quickest but it was soon Burton who started to control the game with some dominant play down the right. It was however a corner from the left for Burton that ended the deadlock when John Brayford rose unmarked in a group of players to head the ball home for a one nil lead. Burton kept up the pressure but were undone by a perfect ball through from Barry Bannan to Callum Patterson on 28 minutes which he met with a strong shot across the goalkeepers right hand into the net to level.

The Wednesday supporters packed in their end came alive but were silenced only 7 minutes later when a complete mix up trying to clear with headers meant the ball fell to Mark Helm who accepted the gift and stroked it into the net. Within 2 minutes it was Mark Helm again, who was having an outstanding match, who latched onto another poor clearance to steady himself, move infield and from 30 yards out smash the ball into the bottom left hand corner of the net for a 3.1 lead for the home side. Burton fans were in heaven and made all the noise up to half time.

Wednesday fans stayed very quiet as the second half was started and even three changes early on didn’t help in fact they lost shape and their constant high balls into the Burton defence were dealt with easily. Burton fans continued to taunt the away contingent behind the goal and the away players as well.

With just less that ten minutes to go in the second half Burton right back tripped a player just entering the penalty area and the referee had no alternative but to point at the spot. Michael Smith composed himself after a long wait and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way to score. Despite the goal there was little chance of an away team comeback as they continued to play the long balls that had proved of no use all game. Burton ran out the time and were worthy winners with the youngster, Mark Helm, being deservedly named man of the match.

I was impressed by Burton’s beautiful, compact ground, their journey and their play on the day.

Unfortunately the chips at Burton were less than impressive. They came in a recyclable cardboard box and were a good quantity but they were just bland. I can say no more than I didn’t eat them all and must apologise for leaving the box on the terracing, I did mean to put it in the bin on the way out.

Totty Cup, the past and the future.

In South Yorkshire Sheffield has its oldest teams and grounds, in the Dearne Valley they have two cups with great histories. Last year I went to the 125th Anniversary of the Montagu Cup, the oldest football competition to be played continuously at its original venue, Mexborough. So when I read about the Totty cup I thought I would go and see what it’s all about.

100 years ago in 1923 a cup was presented to the winners of a schools football competition that had been donated by Russell Totty who was the proprietor of a Goldthorpe Picture House. Then it was competed for by “senior schools”, today it is a primary schools competition.

Russell Totty moved his family to Devon a few years later, but the organisers of this year’s anniversary had tracked down some of his decendents who travelled from Surrey to see the game.

What is heartening for the game and the community is the archive and memories that have been collected and grows with each year. The band of people who organise the administration of this cup and others in the area are amazing. The afternoon of finals, culminating with the Totty Cup attracted more than were at the Northern Premier League East game I was at last Saturday. They had produced a program, special 100 year pin badges and the clubhouse was open for drinks of all sorts and food.

To follow this there will be ‘The Totty Cup’ Anniversary Centenary book on sale by the end of the year. This follows the publishing, last year, of “The Mont” which chronicled the 125 years of the Montagu Cup.

The next Montagu Cup final, this year between last year’s beaten finalists, Dog Daisy United and Dearne & District FC, will as usual be on Easter Monday kick off 11.00 am at Mexborough Stadium. A great morning out but getting there early is always a good idea with an expected crowd of over 1000.

Like the Montagu Cup the crowd to see the Totty Cup was a real family affair with fans of all ages despite the overcast skies that had earlier turned the pitch and surrounding area into mud patches.

Goldthorpe Sacred Heart 1 Swinton Queen 1

With a Drone recording the game Swinton kicked down the hill in the first half in this 9 a side game. Sacred Heart were the only team who had a girl in their line up and it was them that went ahead after 10 minutes when a shot from outside the box sailed into the top corner of the goal. Individuals on both sides showed good skill on the muddy pitch.

The second half continued with end to end play and Swinton equalised when the ball was robbed from the Sacred Heart goalkeeper and hit into the net. Despite protests from the goal keeper the goal stood.

Sacred Heart now exerted more pressure but full time came and extra time of 5 minutes each way was started. The deadlock could not be broken so another two periods of 5 minute extra times were played. Neither side scored partially thanks to Swinton’s goalkeeper who was undoubtedly my man of the match. The two teams decided on a replay rather than penalties so this has been tentatively pencilled in for 30th March.

What a great community event which will be remembered by players, family, friends and fans for many years. An historic cup showcasing the future football talent.

An unexpected bonus was the chips that were hot, tasty, crispy, golden, fluffy centre and with no greasy after taste getting a chip league score of 68.

Football could be at your corner shop.

You may live in a neighbourhood where you have an RS McColl, McColls or Martin’s newsagent as a local shop. There are over 1100 of them, many with a post office within and more recently some have been changed to Morrisons Daily. More will now follow with last year’s takeover by Morrisons but they have also announced that 132 will be closing.

So what is this to do with football. Well it was all to do with a man from the St Rollox area of Glasgow named Robert Smyth McColl.

Robert was a promising footballer who started playing for a junior club called Benmore in 1892 at the age of 13. Two years later he moved to the amateur club Queens Park and success there led to a lucrative move to Newcastle United with a signing on fee of £300 of which he invested £100 into business with his brother Tom.

He stayed there until 1904 when he was transferred to Rangers, where he played for another 3 years before returning to Queens Park to see out his career. In that career he scored goals at almost one every two games. In one game near the end of his playing days, he scored 6 at Hampden Park, a record that still stands today. In fact he scored on average one a game for the 13 games he played for Scotland. He is still the only man to score three goals against all of the Home International teams.

Robert Smyth McColl finished his international career in a 4-1 victory over England at Celtic Park a year before he opened his first R S McColl store. He continued to increase the store portfolio until he retired in 1951, seven years before his death in 1958. A cup competition was named after him, the RS McColl cup junior football competition. – which is still played for today.

So if you are a football fan enjoy your McColls store until it is revamped and renamed.

You have to deal with disappointment following the Villa.

After my first game of the year with my daughter I followed it the next day by driving south in rain, again, to meet my son and one of my grandsons in Birmingham. My Grandson thought he was going to see me to give me a Birthday card for an impending Birthday. We met in a local car park and walked through redeveloped streets to Villa Park, where we told him he was going to see Aston Villa. His face beamed.

The rain had stopped luckily and even in the damp gloom of early evening the stadium looked magnificent. A walk around the ground lead us to the Villa shop where we joined a long queue to get in and another one to pay. Here I bought him his first scarf as I had his Dad at a similar age. This end of the ground will be re-developed next year along with a new shop. The shop had at least 10 pay stations and was doing brisk business. Villa like many Premiership clubs have upped their game over recent years and must now generate large incomes from merchandise. We showed him the statue of William McGregor regarded as the founder of the League systems in the UK and probably worldwide.

Tickets for the FA Cup third round game we had come to watch were £20 everywhere and we had chosen to sit high up in the Trinity Road Stand. Villa Park is now so different in that everything shines in its cleanliness, even the toilets. The last time I visited Villa they had no chips but this time they were there and with a Balti Chicken pie were today’s Sunday lunch as I would not be back home till 20.30. The large queue for food was soon dealt with and the pie was hot, full of filling and tasty and the chips were a delight too, hot, golden, thick, soft in the middle and tasty for a score in my chip league of 72. If the centre had been a little harder they would have been the best chips for years.

The grandson had previously been to Milton Keynes, Northampton and Sielby Rangers and complained about the seats at Villa that they were not padded like Milton Keynes, a stadium worth visiting if you get the chance.

Aston Villa have won the FA cup more than many but in recent years they never get beyond this early round. The 29000 Villa fans thought that this year the omens were good as they had been drawn against Stevenage who were second in their league, three divisions lower. They also had their new manager Uni Emery considered to be a cup specialist.and came into the game on the back of beating Spurs two nill only days before.

The game started with supporter enthusiasm but the side to side, crab like football by the home team soon dulled the fans excitement. The missed shots by Phillipe Courtinho, the balls last seen in Sutton Coldfield and the completely off form Leon Bailey were a portent of what was to come. Often Villa players had twenty to thirty yards in front of them that they could have easily run into but chose to knock it sideways to team mate who would knock it sideways again until it came all the way back to where the ball had started. The deadlock was broken on 33 minutes when Morgan Sanson received the ball on the right side of the penalty area and showed some class by coolly slotting the ball past the diving goalkeeper. Sansons goal was good to see as his time a Villa seems to be coming to an end having been overlooked by three managers and it gave Villa the half time lead.

The home side continued their domination of the ball but never came close to adding to their tally as the home crowd became more and more restless. It seemed that simple footballing skills had deserted Villa and this came to haunt them on 85 minutes when Dendonker dallied and failed to clear a ball in the centre of the penalty area and then grasped the shirt of Stevenage’s Campbell to stop him from shooting. After an age, 3 minutes of VAR review, Reid stepped forward to send the Villa goalkeeper the wrong way to level the score and Dendonker was sent off..

Worse was to come within 2 minutes when Stevenage were awarded a corner after the momentum had swung their way and Villa were still reorganising after Dendonker had left the field and their two full backs had been replaced due to injury. The corner on the right was quickly passed along the ground to the totally unmarked Campbell who had all the time in the world to run on and fire the ball past the Villa defenders and under a despairing Olsen. Stevenage lasted out the added time for a famous giant killing and deserved the win. The Villa Park faithful half-heartedly booed their team off but they didn’t have the energy to protest, worn down by a second rate performance.

Stevenage supporters rightfully stayed to savour every second of their magnificent win as the Villa fans streamed out. There was no grumbling as the fans walked away just a resignation as to their defeat brought on by an inept lacklustre performance by those on the pitch and perhaps Unai Emery’s first major mistake in fielding 8 changes from their previous game and not taking the FA Cup and lower positioned teams as serious as they should have been.

When my Grandson made it home he responded to his Mum’s “did you enjoy it” with “I don’t want to go to Villa again”. looks like that was a wasted scarf.

Sunday 8th January 2023 16.30 kick off AstonVilla 1 Stevenage 2