Grey day, grey match but Hallam warm their fans.

I made my way up the A57 in Sheffield to Sandygate Lane to watch Hallam FC play. I make sure I do this every year and I am usually lucky to find they have been drawn at home in at least one round of the F.A. Vase. In the last few years I have seen them go out to AFC Bury and Lincoln United.

This ground, as the oldest in the world, just exudes life. The birth of football to the boisterous knowledgeable large crowds of today. You can’t miss that this is a Cricket ground with a football pitch at one end which is how many original teams started well over 150 years ago.

I recently saw the following text about how history is important to football with context to when Aston Villa recently played Bayern Munich.

‘Football clubs are all about history – a club’s history is one of the main reasons why their fans care so much about it. Villa’s history weighs heavier than most. Specifically, for modern Villa players, there is 1982, an achievement that fills their supporters with pride, but sets a mighty yardstick by which their successors are matched.’
Matthew Howarth, BBC Sport journalist. Brilliant comment Mathew and so true with regards to Hallam.

There is much to write about Hallam FC’s history but here are a few highlights, they are officially the second oldest football club in the world, playing at the oldest ground and holders of the Youdan Cup presented to the winners of the first ever football competition. Hallam also played in the first ever match on Boxing Day 1860, against Sheffield FC a British football tradition still kept today. They played in local leagues with some interruptions when although not playing, kept up their affiliations to the local Football Association. In 1982 they were founder members of the Northern Counties East League where they still play today, now in the Premier Division.

Football has been played in New Mills since 1865 when the local team was an early adopter of the new FA rules. The club officially started in 1903 as New Mills St George after a near by church. Following several moves they ended up at Church Lane in 1922 where they still play today. Financial constraints meant they dropped out of their league in 1982 but two other local teams merged, Birch Vale and Thornsett FC, and continued the New Mills name. Having previously played in local and county football leagues they were in 1982 able to join and be founder members of the North West Counties League, their current home.

There are buildings down one side of the ground including a seated covered stand, changing facilities, club house, terraced standing, and food and drink bars. At one end is a covered standing area which stretches half of the distance and behind the other goal some flat standing and some cricket nets. The final side is completely open to the vast cricket pitch. The whole ground is surrounded by a leafy vista in this affluents side of Sheffield. The sloping pitch was not as muddy as usual and the grass was looking good after our mild, grey, autumn. It was another grey, grey day like so many recently with the temperature only reaching a cool 7.5 degrees.

Despite both teams being in existence for well over 100 years with only the peak district separating them, this was the first time they had ever met at Sandygate Lane. A two minutes silence was observed for ‘Remembrance Day.

Hallam FC 1 New Mills FC 0

Saturday 9th November 2024, FA Vase Second Round, 15.00 pm kick off. Countrymen v Millers

Hallam 6th Northern Counties East League, Premier Division v New Mills 7th North West Counties League, South, Division One.

Hallam: all royal blue kit. New Mills; All grey with small black edging.

Hallam kicked down hill in the first half and although neither side dominated it was Hallam who had the better chances. On 26 minutes New Mills put a shot just wide of the post after a rebound from a defenders clearance and New Mills ended the first half with 3 close shots. Reflecting on the half my only relevant thought was uneventful.

The second half saw Hallam exert a little more pressure and on 55 minutes, Leon Howarth, who had been tricky, switching to either wing, was brough down in the penalty area. Howarth collected the ball and sent it to the right of the keeper who dived to his left.

Hallam were now in charge and didn’t look like conceding until the last 5 minutes, they saw out the game though and went through to the next round.

A disappointing game that never really got going but as usual a big crowd of 701 enjoyed their afternoon at this famous stadium. Everything is well organised here, from the informative program to the handing out of coloured, sponsored, team sheets.

A pleasure that for the second week running I have been served good chips. These were tasty, crispy on the outside, good central texture, hot and not greasy, getting a score of 72.

Not all the football is at United or Wednesday.

I ventured to the 12th level of English football to the University of Sheffield (Norton Playing Fields) to so see their team, Sheffield Union play Athersley Recreation Development team in the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1.

It was a sunny afternoon with multicoloured grey and white clouds in the sky as I drove to the match on the last day before the clocks were put back from British Summer Time. I joined a queue off the Bochum Parkway which I realised wasn’t for the match but to park for Graves Park, a popular venue for families.

The University of Sheffield, Norton Playing Fields, is some complex, but I only needed the first car park to find my match. It is built on the side of a hill, like most of Sheffield, and I could see cricket, football and rugby pitches cut into the hill, sloping down to floodlight pitches and a large new building.

The pitch was of grass which was undulating and sloped slightly from end to end. A strong breeze added to the autumn conditions highlighted by the browns, yellows and orange of nearby trees.

Sheffield Union joined the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League from the Sheffield and District Fair Play League in the 2018/19 season and immediately gained promotion to Division One. Sheffield Union’s reserve team still play in the Fair Play League in Division Three

Athersley Recreation Development are the reserve team of the team that plays in the Northern Counties East League and are based just north of Barnsley. I have given information about their history in a previous blog.

Sheffield Union 2 Athersley Recreation Development 2

Saturday 26th October 14.00 pm kick off. Norton Sports Park, Warminster Road, S8 8PS. Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1. Both teams in the bottom 4.

Shef Union: Black and white vertical stripes on the front of shirts with white backs and black shorts.
Athersley Development : Full fluorescent orange strip.

Sheffield Students started the match strongly but Athersley soon countered. Unions number 11 had a series of shots one of which drew a great save from the Athersley goalkeeper. With half-time just minutes away, Bailey Wright burst through against the run of play and his two shots hit either post. The let off was rewarded for the home team when their number 4 picked up the ball in the centre circle, strode forward and unleashed a fierce shot straight down the middle of the goal beating the diving keeper.

The Students half time lead only lasted 4 minutes when a cross from Bailey Wright was turned into the net by a defender.

Sheffield regained their lead on 62 minutes when their number 9 cut in from left to the centre of the D and his shot was deflected over the goalkeeper for 2.1.
Athersley’s keeper denied the number 11 again with two great saves to the disappointment of the approximately 40 fans.
The Students dominance was to no avail when a long kick up field was not dealt with by their number 4, who in my opinion had been the class player all afternoon, and Bailey Wright seized on the ball, rushed forward to round the keeper to level at 2.2.

Right at the end Union’s number 11 had another chance but it just went wide of the left hand post.

A great game for this level of football and there were some players on show who could undoubtedly play at a higher one.

Thank you.

No food or drink although there may have been something at the otherblevel of the sports ground.

N.B. The Sheffield & District Fair Play League (SDFPL) was set up in 1998.

Played in Germany

Played in Germany – A Football Journey Through a Nation’s Soul

Written by Kit Holden Published by Duckworth 2024

This is an amazingly well researched book about football in Germany ahead of the 2024 UEFA European Championship as it takes you on a journey to the centres of football that will be hosting the9 many games.

What is marvellous is that the book is not just about football but about what makes up and has fashioned the German state that presents itself to the world today.

You are swept along in a learning fest about geography, history, economics, politics, industrial development but most importantly people and their culture.

Surprising to me was the revelation about local dialects, which can lead to peoples of some areas not being able to understand others and the fierce regional rivalry that exists. This regional patriotism feeds through to the football community culture that sticks closely to areas which are clinging on to these roots, propelled by a defence of their fan ownership model, under threat from capitalist forces.

The book describes the passion of the fans through interviews with those who live and breath their club’s traditions and customs in an ever-changing environment.

The growth and decline of different clubs is true in Germany as everywhere and this is well put near the end of the book, “But you cannot preserve everything in aspic, and even the most romantic traditionalists must at some point move with the times”.

Bring on the Euro’s.

If you are interested in reading this book then it can be pre-ordered from Stanchion Books (a cracking little football bookseller), where you can get 24% off with the code PROST24:

Played in Germany: A Footballing Journey Through a Nation's Soul – **PREORDER, SIGNED COPIES AVAILABLE**

It’s never over till It’s over.

Again the weather changed the game I watched because the FA Vase game between Hallam and Lincoln United was postponed as were others.

I stayed local and drove to Worksop whose synthetic pitch ensured a game.

Worksop Town 5th in the Northern Premier League, Premier Division were playing Radcliffe FC from North of Manchester, between Bolton and Bury, who were runaway leaders of the Division. They were 11 points clear of the second club with two games in hand looking ‘nailed on’ to be playing National League North football next season.

Since Pete Whitehead took over the reigns of Worksop everything is immaculate and a joy to visit. Talking to a Matlock supporter whose team were playing away, he was very impressed on his first visit.

A hint of blue sky was visible but the prevailing grey cloud still gave that depressing February feel. There was no wind and the temperature was a mild 10 degrees

The local streets were full of supporters cars which showed in the home sides highest league attendances of the season at 1057

Radcliffe had brought a good, noisy contingent with them.

Worksop Town FC claim to be the fourth oldest team in the world but that claim is disputed. They have had a very up and down existence but I feel their resurgence in 2020 when they were just days away from oblivion is the current starting point. They survived and have since gained promotion to the Premier League of the NPL and are pushing for a play off spot.

Radcliffe Borough FC were formed 75 years ago in 1949 playing in the South East Lancashire League, the club dropped the Borough name in 2018. By 1974 they had progressed to the Cheshire League that morphed into the North West Counties League in 1982. Within 3 years, promotions saw them in the Northern Premier League. Their success continued in 1997 winning promotion to the Premier League which unfortunately only lasted one season. By 2019 and after a few ups and downs they were back in the Premier Division where they sit today.

Worksop Town FC 1 Radcliffe FC 1

Saturday 10th February 2024 15.00 pm Kick Off

Windsor Food Service Stadium, Babbage Way, Sandy Ln, Worksop S80 1UJ

Northern Premier League, Premier Division. 5th v 1st. Tigers v Boro

Worksop; Yellow shirts with diagonal black stripes and black shorts: Radcliffe; Red shirts and shorts.

Radcliffe started the game as if they only had a few minutes to spare to impose themselves on Worksop and return home with the points. Within 3 minutes they had scored when Jude Obiyo burst down the left wing leaving a trail of Worksop defenders behind him, cut in and played the ball along the ground for Josh Hancock to run in and tap the ball into the net.

With no time to catch your breath they nearly scored a minute later but the Worksop keeper tipped the shot over the bar. Ten minutes later Radcliffe hit the post with a strong drive but from there they seemed to fade as Worksop’s smaller, compact, midfield and forwards’ pace, put the away side under constant pressure. Worksop were rewarded with an equaliser on 33 minutes when a free kick 30 yards out , on the left of the goal, was glanced on for Josh Rollins to squeeze home. Worksop by now had the initiative and it was their turn to be denied by the upright just 3 minutes before half time.

Worksop retained the upper hand in the second half as they continued to harry their opponents all over the field. Unfortunately they didn’t score, even when they brought on some bigger substitutes up front for the last 10 minutes. At the end Worksop were pleased with their efforts but Radcliffe must have sighed in the relief of holding on.

A great exciting game that was a marvellous advert for Non-League football. Radcliffe having run away with the league so far have in their last 3 games, lost one, won one, drawn one. That must give the chasing pack some hope, it’s never over till it’s over.

I was not looking forward to a portion of chips. On my previous visits the chips have always been almost inedible due to a stale fat taste. The chips this time were a revelation, they were, hot, golden not too crispy, not greasy, tasty, and a good quantity. A score of 70 put them equal top of this seasons ‘Chip League’. Windsor Food Service have not only improved the team, the ground but now the chips.

A really good programme too.