During Heritage week, I joined the end of a tour of Crosspool, the area of Sheffield where Hallam FC is situated. We then moved into the clubhouse to listen to some facts about ‘The Oldest Football Ground’ in the world.
Looking across the football pitch you see the cricket ground bordering the open side. The Sandygate Road cricket pitch dates back to 1804 a year before the ‘Battle of Trafalgar ‘ and like many emerging football teams Hallam FC were partly born from the cricket club in 1860.
The Sheffield Home of Football group are forging ahead to promote Sheffield’s football Heritage being the birth place of the oldest team in the world, the oldest ground, the first cup and competition, the publishers of many of the original rules and many more firsts.
I had arrived at Hallam via Sheffield Town Hall where three cabinets of items relating to the history of Sheffield were on display. ‘Home of Football Group’ now have enough to display many more cabinets as they move towards a permanent museum in the city. One item in a cabinet was one of their latest blue plaques that are being put up all over the city in conjunction with the council to identify football/social history places that pioneers, events or places frequented. There is now a trail of these shown on ‘Home of Football’ web site.
Interesting in the cabinet are two pictures of the women’s game in the early years of the sport.
Some unusual facts that came out of the Hallam talk were:-
Football shirts in the beginning were either in a block colour or hoops as a loom to make vertical stripes had not yet been invented.
Hallam’s famous pitch slope is 1 in 26 but FA rules will allow up to 1 in 40.
The Youdan Trophy, the first football cup in the world, was not a cup but a ‘Coffee Jug’ bought off the shelf, because the designed cup was not ready in time for the competition.
The football club and cricket club have only 67 years left on their lease.
The exhibition goes on at Sheffield Town Hall until the 2nd of October and pilgrims to see the Hallam ground are always welcome.
Look up sheffieldhomeoffootball.org for all of the many interesting programs and projects that are going on.
The first junction off the M180 brings you to the Isle of Axholme. It’s not an island now, but before the marshland was tamed and drained local flooding made it appear as one.
The destination was Crowle, a new member of the Northern Counties East League Division One, having been promoted from the Lincolnshire League.
Past peat cutting and the draining of the bogs have resulted in roads that are above field level and are undulating and uneven.
The road to Crowle I took has straight sections, sharp bends, a manned level crossing, through which trains bound for Drax Power Station carrying imported wood pellets from the Docks at Immingham pass, and a bridge over drainage canals.
Crowle’s football ground is in the outer South Western tip of the town. On entering the tarmacked car park, you can see a modern football set up surrounded by fencing. The clubhouse and changing rooms are large and run for half of one side of the pitch. Apart from a small covered standing area in the far corner, there are no other buildings. There is no seating and only a path round two sides of the ground. The pitch is basically flat but with undulating areas and some tussock grass that has been left due to the lack of rain and the yellowing of the rest of the playing area. This is a ground in progress as they upgrade the facilities to compete at this level since their elevation.
It was 22 degrees, blue skies with some white straight lined clouds. The sun faded fast, making watching difficult to see, but produced some good coloured skies. The floodlights were on from the start but didn’t make a difference until the sun went down on the big sky.
Crowle United Junior Colts was formed in 1997 after various teams had represented the village, joining the Scunthorpe League. They changed their name to the current one the following year.
They stayed in that league until 2018 apart from 3 seasons in the Gainsborough and District League. In that year they joined the Central Midlands league where they had immediate success and after competing in the premier Division for 3 years, they moved to the Lincolnshire League in 2022. After just 3 seasons by finishing second in the premier league in 2024/25 they moved up to the Northern Counties East league, Division One, for the first time.
Brigg Town can trace a history back to 1864, one of the earlier teams in the country. Playing for a long time in Lincolnshire Leagues, they moved up to the Midland League in 1976, and in 1982, when League mergers created the Northern Counties East League where they were founder members. Their highest league status was reached in 2004 when they were promoted to the Northern Premier League, but 11 years later, they were back in the NCEL. 2017 saw a further fall back into the Lincolnshire League, which they bounced back from the following year and have stayed there since. Briggs Cup exploits have been amazing winning the FA Vase on two occasions in 1996 and 2003.
Crowle Colts 3 Brigg Town 2
Northern Counties East League, Division One, Tuesday 26th August 2025, 19.45.pm kick off. 14th v 16th, The Colts v The Zebras. Windsor park, Godnow Road, Crowle, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, DN17 4EE
Crowle; Red shirts with white trim and black shirts, goalkeeper in all purple.
Brigg; All royal blue, goalkeeper in all yellow.
There is only 25 miles between these two teams along the M180 so the competitiveness in this feisty duel was not surprising. The good crowd of 241, many from Brigg, were stunned that within 13 minutes Crowle were two nil ahead. Crowle were far more at home with the uneven hard pitch and the uneven fast bounce it created along with a dust flurry with most kicks. It was lee Ridley who put them ahead after just 8 minutes when he rose to head home a curled free kick from the right with the away keeper stranded off his line. Only 5 minutes later a very low corner from the right was met at the near post by a Crowle player who flicked it on for Henry Cook to steer into the net. both sides now put in a lot of effort and intent as Brigg came more into the game. They were rewarded with just minutes left before half time when a Brigg corner was not properly cleared and after some attempts to score Joshua Jordon took control and guided it into the net.
With just seconds left before the referee blew for half time the Crowle keeper tipped a certain goal over the bar for the home team to go in leading at half time.
Brigg made two substitutes to start the second half and both teams continued their frantic hit and run football often slowed by some fierce tackles. Brigg managed to draw on 73 minutes when the referee awarded them a penalty for a contested hand ball decision. Harry Parr for Brigg converted it into the bottom left corner of the goal with the home keeper just getting his finger tips to it. It was now anyone’s game, but only five minutes later Crowle were awarded a free kick to the left of the ‘D’. Henry Cook restored their lead with a neat shot past the wall and into the top right hand corner. A very good strike which turned out to be the winner as the final 12 minutes became even more competitive with some daft antics on and off the ball by both sides. Crowle will build on this result to survive in their first season in the league and Brigg with their competitiveness should soon get the results to climb the league as well.
On my way back from visiting the impressive Locomotion, I called in to the Wetherby Road ground to see Harrogate Town play Chesterfield in the EFL Two.
Although there was high grey clouds cover it was dry and warm with the temperature hitting 22 degrees. This is a stadium shoe horned into a piece of land next to the main road and surrounded by houses. Because there isn’t a car park, the residents have to endure supporter parking outside their houses and slow moving traffic before and after the game. A move to an out of town site would most probably benefit everyone.
The stadium has 3 covered seated stands down one side, covered, half standing, half seating behind one goal with all covered standing at the other end. The other side of the ground is all covered too with a small seating area, the rest standing apart from some portacabins in one corner. A lot packed into the space.
The pitch was a brilliant green flat expanse of grass.
Having been impressed with what has been achieved here, I was shocked to find my seat was behind a floodlight pylon. This not only affected me but also others around me. I put up with it for the first half but moved to standing behind the goal for the second half.
In comparison to Chesterfield, Harrogate Town didn’t form until mid 1919 but only a year later they were one of the teams to start the Yorkshire League but remained in the West Riding League before moving that team to the Midland League and folding it soon after. concentrating on the Yorkshire League they became champions in 1927 but moved again to the Northern League but disbanded in 1935. The use of the Harrogate Town name was first used with a resumption of a team after the Second World War then playing in the West Yorkshire League and a move back to the Yorkshire League happened in 1957.
With the re-organisation of local Leagues in 1982 Harrogate town were inaugural members of the newly formed Northern Counties East and just five years later were founder members of a new League again, this time the Northern Premier League, First Division. In 2002 they were promoted to the Premier Division as league champions of Division 1 and continuing their innovations were founder members of the Conference North in 2004.
2011 was a transformative year for the club with the take over by Irving Weaver father of Simon Weaver, the manager. After the club changed to full time contracts in 2017 they went on to win the league play-offs. Covid now played a part in their rise when with the season curtailed and with an average points per game of 1.78 were put into the play-offs where at Wembley in 2020, they eventually overcame Notts County to claim a place in the English Football League. They have remained in the EFL League Two ever since, an amazing rise.
Chesterfield formed in 1866 claim to be the 4th oldest league club still in existence. A chequered history of league status and liquidation led to their reincarnation when they re-joined the football league in 1921. They have been up and down the leagues in their history but reached a low point in 2018 being relegated to the National League. Off the field problems were resolved by a take over in 2020 by a Community Trust who with great local support have steered the club to a new era of major ownership by local Paul and Ashley Kirk. Now back in the EFL they look to rise up the leagues again.
Harrogate Town 1 Chesterfield 2
Saturday 22nd August 2025, English Football League Two. Kick off 15.00 pm. 9th v 4th. Town/Sulphurites v Spireites.
Harrogate Town FC Wetherby Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, HG2 7SA
Chesterfield looked sharp from the off, playing long balls out wide for a speedy front 3 and overlapping full backs. It was the left back who swept forward after 5 minutes with the ball eventually being passed to Ronan D’Arcy who changed direction 5 times before slotting the ball along the ground into the right hand corner. Chesterfield’s three front runners continued to put pressure on the home defence and caused them continual problems. At the other end Harrogate came more into the game but apart from one shot that whizzed by the right hand post didn’t look like scoring. Duke-McKenna playing out wide on the left was Harrogate’s main threat and managed to whip in some good crosses, but no one was there to connect with them. The Chesterfield supporters, 1050 out of a crowd of 3276, continued to make the most noise as the teams left the field at half time.
Something in the waters in Harrogate they say, and Harrogate must have drunk some at the interval because they looked a different team. The back four started to tie up Chesterfields front runners after an early burst and push forwards themselves. The home crowd silenced the away fans when on 50 minutes Duke-McKenna collected a pass on the edge of the goal area and drilled it past Hemmings in the Chesterfield goal.
Harrogate kept up the pressure and gained the initiative which Chesterfield tried to stem with substitutes. On 80 minutes Harrogate substituted Bradbury, who looked like their tallest defender, and only two minutes later from a corner on the left the ball came to Dunkley, the tallest player on the pitch, who unopposed headed in from the centre of the goal to give the away side the lead for the second time. Chesterfield played out the game for a good win on the road to move them up to second in the league.
This was an enjoyable game and a friendly ground with good facilities apart from the floodlight post. One of Harrogate’s nick name is the Sulphurites and Chesterfield The Spireites but neither of their fans would chant that. However you could say that Chesterfield won the battle of the ‘rites’.
Unfortunately no chips but there was a really good food selection. I chose a free ice cream, an Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich. Not a fan of Orio’s although I know they are very popular and have not changed my mind after this.
At half time I had a coffee and a KitKat at the Hydration Station, a nice touch that.
The mascot was an alligator? I have since researched that they are Harri-gator, I should have guessed that.
The programme was £5 and was packed with 70 glossy pages, very informative. It was the same one for all Harrogate’s home games in August, a novel good idea, maybe stats a little out of date by the time of this game.
A4 size was great as a magazine but a little large to put in a pocket
Each season I like to watch an Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup, the start of the journey to the final at Wembley. Last year, I started with Albion Sports losing at home to Trafford FC. The game was played at Bradford Park Avenues ground whilst they’res at Myra Shay was being updated to League standards
I noticed this year that Albion had been drawn away to Sheffield FC at the same stage of the competition. I drove to Dronfield, Sheffield still playing in Derbyshire, with their plans to finally set up in Sheffield stalled yet again.
Over recent years, the grounds car park has been reduced and a charge has now been introduced. There have also been little done to upgrade the ground although t looked good in the sunshine with the blue skies dotted with white fluffy clouds. The flat grass pitch, heavily sanded, looked in perfect condition after its rest, emphasised by the end to end striping by the cutting. There is still seating behind one goal, an end that also has the club house, changing rooms and food kiosk. One side has terraced standing with half of it covered, and the rest of the ground just has a path around the perimeter.
These two teams play in the same league, Northern Counties East, Premier Division, having played just one league game of the new season. Sheffield started their campaign with an away draw whilst Albion lost.
Albion Sports in their 51st year, started off playing Sunday League football. Steady progress led them to be winners of The Asian Cup and Bradford Senior Cup and League in 2000. That same season and in 2005 they went all the way to the final of The FA Sunday Cup, but were runners up on both occasions. In 2007 Albion moved to playing on Saturdays where they were successful in local leagues and were elected to the Northern Counties East League in 2011 which they won 3 years later and gained promotion to the Premier Division where they play today. An impressive rise in their short History.
Sheffield FC’s history as the worlds oldest team is well documented and their web site provides a good description of their pioneering days and up to date.
Sheffield FC 1 Albion Sports 1
Saturday 2nd August 2025, 15.00 pm kick off, Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup.
The Club v The Lions
Sheffield FC: Red and black quartered shirts, black shorts, Goalkeeper in yellow.
Albion Sports: All white kit with goalkeeper in all Pink.
Before kick off Albion were in a long huddle but it was Sheffield who started the game with the greatest intensity. The Club attacked down both wings with their most success coming from down the right and it was from there that on 13 minutes a cross was met by Nathaniel Crofts, at the far post, who headed the ball into the net. Sheffield were the more composed team and dominated play. Sheffield looked as if their training for the new season was paying off appearing to understand where each other were and where to put the ball. Alex Hardwick was denied by a point blank save by James Aspinall 10 minutes before half time and just before half time his header from a corner tipped the top of the cross bar. As the teams came off at half time Sheffield had looked well in control and the better team.
What a change in the second half with Albion Sports now dominating play, that must have been some team talk at the break. With Sheffield’s goalkeeper screaming for his players to challenge the opponents, Albion executed some neat play around the box to give Nathan Cartman the opportunity to curl a shot across Jim Pollard’s outstretched left hand to nestle in the corner of the net to equalise.
After the goal the referee allowed a drinks break, on the warm day, and also to attend to an injured player. Sheffield needed to regroup, but Albion kept up the pressure playing through a blizzard of dandelion seeds swirling around the pitch. Albion didn’t manage to get the winner and both sides will replay in the week. Certainly a game of two halves and Sheffield must have rued their first half chances and should have gone in at half time well out of sight.
A very good program for £2. It had good info on the clubs, players, and stats.
After just two matches of the new season I have been lucky to have had two portions of good chips. These were golden, crisp, no greasy after taste but not quite as tasty as last weeks at Berwick, a score of 66.
Having watched Berwick Rangers play Cowdenbeath in the afternoon, I made my way to ‘The Stanks’, the area just outside the Elizabethan Castle walls. Berwick Rangers played some of their early games here.
This is the third year I have been to this competition, but the first final I have been able to attend.
Thanks to the community, this cup has been played for over 100 years, raising funds for local charities. Much needed today as it has been in all its years.
The match kicked off early, 18.56, after the teams had been led onto the pitch by a lone piper.
As normal, it was an amazing sight to see the pitch, restored every year for this competition, enclosed on two sides by castle ramparts, and lined by a narrow local road on the other two. Looking beyond, you can see a beach and the North Sea. A good crowd had gathered. Mainly sitting on the wall or standing pitch side or on the road. A collection was taken for the fund, and a table heaved with the donations for the raffle.
As usual, an ice cream van was in attendance behind the goal.
The evening had cooled from the 20 degrees of the day, except if you were playing. Evergreens were from Chirnside north of Berwick in Scotland and Hadda Mad Dogs from Amble in England. So it looked like the normal borders rivalry and skirmish.
Evergreens 4 Hadda Mad Dogs 2
Saturday 26th July 2025, 18.56 kick off. The Berwick Charities Cup Final, The Stanks, Berwick Castle, Berwick Upon Tweed.
Evergreens, all green with the goalkeeper in all pale blue.
Hadda Mad Dogs, black shirts with lime green shoulders and sleeves, lime green shorts, goalkeeper in yellow top black shorts.
The referee had a lime green shirt and socks with black shorts. There was a lot of confusing green everywhere.
The first 14 minutes were very even with the full backs playing nearest the road, making some fierce tackles.
On 15 minutes, a ball was hit down the left for Evergreens number 6 to run past all defenders and Cross for a forward to score unopposed.
Evergreens didn’t hold the lead for long when 6 minutes later, number 11 sored a similar goal for Hadda, receiving a pass from the left and clipping the ball past the goalkeeper. Just before half time, the Hadda goalkeeper made a crucial save at the foot of the post to keep it at 1.1 at half time.
Evergreens came out strongly in the second half, and within 25 minutes they had added three more goal to lead 4.1. First, a header through to 12 who coolly drew the keeper to score. A few minutes later, 11 received the ball on the centre spot and fired home. The fourth was a tap in by 9 who had been left on his own.
Madda did get one back on roughly 40 minutes when their number nine received the ball nearly 30 yards out, turned and smashed it into the top right-hand corner of the net. The best goal of the evening, but too late as Evergreens saw out the rest of the game with ease.
As usual, it is always a joy to watch football in this location, a community event, competitive to the end and in good humour. Please keep it going. We need more things like this.
My first League game of the 2026/26 season was a Scottish Lowland League game between Berwick Rangers and Cowdenbeath. It has not been long since both of these teams were playing in the SFL. Dropping out is a big disadvantage because it is so difficult to get back.
Although Berwick Rangers are based in England, they continue playing in the Scottish football system like their nearby neighbours Tweedmouth Rangers FC, who play in the East of Scotland League. Berwick don’t only play in Scottish football rather than English they also play in Tweedmouth rather than Berwick, the river Tweed separating the two. Cowdenbeath have the nickname of ‘The Blue Brazil’, a little irony, I believe. They do play in blue. I have, in previous years, reviewed a book about the fall of the ‘Blue Brazil’.
I started my afternoon with a Haggis and cheese backed potato at the Riverside Café with a short 10-minute walk from there to the ground. The café was also feeding a fan from Aberdeen who had travelled down for the game.
The ground is behind housing with a large area for parking and is shared with Berwick Bandits, the Speedway team. Once through the turnstiles, where they were collecting for new floodlights, the ground looks large with a main seated stand on one side and covered terracing on the other. The pitch was a lovely green looking to have been well prepared for the new season. It had been cut in circles around the centre spot for a pleasing pattern.
Although it was 20 degrees, it seemed chillier in the wind, which was making grey and white clouds scurry past. The big reveal of the match was that Berwick would be wearing their new third kit for the first time.
Berwick Rangers 2 Cowdenbeath 0
Saturday 26th July 2025 Lowland League, 15.00 pm kick off . Shielfield Park, Tweedmouth, Berwick Upon Tweed, TD15 2EF. The Gers v The Blue Brazil, Attendance 541
Berwick Rangers, All black kit with some yellow edging, goalkeeper in blue top and black shorts.
Cowdenbeath, Light blue shirts with white shorts, goalkeeper in all yellow.
The game kicked off, and the first 20 minutes were uneventful as both teams looked to find rhythm and pattern after the break from competitive football. Cowdenbeath scored after 23 minutes, but it was disallowed for off side. the game now stopped while an official walked round the ground to deal with a blue flare that had been thrown onto the edge of the pitch in celebration. Some players took advantage of the stoppage through an unofficial drinks brake.
The game continued in a dull fashion, but on 38 minutes, Berwick took the lead through Mikey Mbewe, who stroked the ball along the grass into the net after a corner from the left and two blocked shots. At half time, I felt that both teams were trying to blow away early season cobwebs.
The second half started much brighter with Cowdenbeath’s attacks coming from mainly down the left, and both teams had more chances in that period than the whole of the first half. The more competitive game was ended with 20 minutes left when Rangers, number 8, Stuart Mair, controlled a strong pass, turned and from 20 yards hit the ball sweetly into the top right hand corner of the net. With less than 10 minutes left a heavy tackle by a Cowdenbeath defender caused some reaction, and the resulting ruck was reviewed by the referee and his linesman with only one yellow card being issued.
Cowdenbeath scored with 2 minutes left but were again denied by the linesman’s offside ruling.
Berwick fans seemed happy with the result and felt that the team would do better than a relegation battle this season. They deserved to win, but Cowdenbeath need to go back to review how they can be more effective and proactive upfront.
The chips were a great start for this seasons chip league with a healthy score of 70. They were golden, crisp, tasty, no taste of fat, soft inside, if anything a bit dry. I decided against a Scotch Pie as I was not in Scotland but then foolishly bought a Bovril at half because, as I revealed in a recent blog, it was invented in Scotland. I made a mistake there.
Great to visit a friendly ground and hope that either of these teams can challenge this season to return to the SFL.
This time of year, I usually advertise the new seasons Non-League Club Directory. Unfortunately this year I have recieved the email below that gives the sad news that the 2024/25 edition was the last one and after 47 publications there will be no more. Thank you for those many seasons of joy when thumbing through the many pages of tables and results of teams I had never heard of and aspired to visit in the future. In the early years it was invaluable for addresses to grounds now so easily found via Google Maps.
I will cherish all 47 editions that sit on my shelves and once again thank you and wish you well in your continued support for the game at this level.
Email from The Non-League Club Directory
Thank You…
You may or may not have heard that unfortunately last year’s edition of the Directory was in fact the last one.
Between myself and James Wright we tried our best to keep it going, for another season at least, but for a number of reasons it has not been possible to continue.
As some of you will know the above was where it all started 47 editions ago. Football has changed for the better, and worse but the one thing that remained the same throughout, the passion of real non-League followers and your support of the Directory, as well as our other publications such as Team Talk magazine.
Whether you bought just one edition or have the complete set (you must have a very strong book case!) thank you so much.
Good luck to you and your club for the season ahead.
2416 fans turned up at Hillsborough to see the final of the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Cup final and no one was disappointed. It was a cold evening, only 11 degrees, yet it was a pleasant walk to the ground from parking the car just outside the ground, something you couldn’t do when ‘Wednesday’ are at home.
Fans of both teams mingled in the bars and food kiosks before taking their seats. I was able to get one of the padded seats, so I sat back waiting for the players of Worksop Town FC and Hallam FC. Both have had successful years coming second in their respective leagues and both gaining promotion by way of the playoffs. Worksop Town will be leaving the Northern Premier League and returning to the National League North after an 18 year absence. Hallam FC will be leaving the Northern Counties East League, Premier Division, next season, and moving up to The Northern Premier League, East Division a level they have never before played at. Despite these moves there will still be two level between the clubs, Worksop at the 6th level of English Football and Hallam at the 8th level.
Both teams entered the arena to some vocal fans and a drum beat by the Hallam contingent. The grass surface looked like it was starting to be prepared for the close season with patches of sand all over the pitch. After the customary introduction to the supporters and each other the teams stood in the centre of the centre circle with everyone standing and observing a minutes silence on this 80th Anniversary of VE Day.
The Sheffield and Hallamshire County FA Senior Cup is the 5th oldest in the world and next year it will be 150 years old, having been first played for in 1876.
Worksop Town 2 Hallam 1
Friday 8th May 2025, 19.30 kick off. Hillsborough Stadium.
Tigers v The Countrymen
Worksop; grey shorts and shirts the front of which had a vertical black panel on one side, the goalkeeper had an orange top and black shorts.
Hallam; All royal blue strip with the goalkeeper in a pink top and black shorts.
Worksop looked in control from the start but Hallam were letting them come to them and counter attacking with some quick breaks down the wings particularly down the right. Hallam were also controlling the tempo of the game with slow goal kicks, throw ins and set pieces, this was something they continued with all match.
It was Worksop who took the lead when with 16 minutes gone, a cross from the left was beaten out by the Hallam keeper but only onto the head of Aleks Starcenco who directed it down and into the bottom right corner of the net. The game now ebbed and flowed and despite the difference in League levels Hallam held their own to only trail by the one goal at half time.
The floodlights were turned on at half time with it coming over gloomy, and Worksop should have made it two with only 4 minutes gone from the re-start when the ball was blasted over the bar from very close range. A few minutes later, Warhurst in the Hallam goal kept them in the game with a reflex point blank save.
The Worksop dominance continued with the Hallam break aways, and one of these lead to an equaliser when a cross in from the left found Rio Allan, unmarked, and he cleverly dinked it over the goalkeeper into the net. Que celebrations by the players just in front of their fans. Rio Allen had played some skilful football all night and deserved the goal.
This set up a nerve wracking 20 minutes for both fans with the pattern of play resuming as before. Both sides made numerous substitutions, and it seemed destined for penalties to decide the tie, when with a minute to go Worksop struck again, when after a higher tempo attack the ball was received by Aleks Starcenco on the right corner of the Hallam goal area and he blasted it into the top right hand corner of the net. Hallam could not come back in the final 4 minutes of added time but all of their team gave their all. Worksop will have known that they had been in a hard won game, just deserving to edge it on the night.
Football Food
Great to have chips again, they were a good portion, tasty, golden, firm to soft inside, and but for the fact that they were only warm they could have been the chips of the year, score 73.
An early start to head south to watch a grandson’s under 6 game in Northampton and then on to Wembley.
A Wembley trip is an occasion as well as a football match, and for me to go with two grandsons made me reflect on my first visit. Then there were twin towers, and England lost 2.3 to Sweden in 1959. This was only England’s second loss to a team other than a Home Nation on the hallowed turf. Just six years after the thrashing by Hungary and only 7 years before England’s World Cup triumph. Bobby Moore’s statue, with reference to the rest of the team, stands proud outside the entrance.
There have been other changes, too, even since a visit to see Aston Villa lose in a Championship Playoff final in 2018. On my first visit, my father showed me the decaying buildings left over from the British Empire Exhibition of 1924/25, and I showed what was left to my son in 1994 when Villa beat Manchester United. None of that now , the area has been transformed into a modern high-rise city of its own with the tiered walkway that was Wembley Way replaced by a flat pathed area to complement the new living style.
The organisation was fantastic, with the turnstiles and security opened, all of the queuing fans were whisked into the stadium. Inside the concourse offers food and drink and toilets to befit a national stadium.
The vastness of the red seats hit you as you walk into your seating area brought smiles to the grandsons. The immaculate pitch gleamed a bright green despite the grey overhead cloud, and there was no wind or breeze in this bowl.
Strangely, the Villa fans, so vociferous at home and away, seemed subdued, but a ripple of applause broke out as Stan Collymore was spotted standing above a ‘Villa Cannock’ flag.
Crystal Palace 3 Aston Villa 0
Saturday 26th April 2025, FA Cup Semi-final, 17.15 kick off.
Eagles v Villians.
There was little intensity to the start of the game, and Villa looked as if they were playing walking football out from the back as Palace didn’t press them but crowded out the mid field and defence. Palace fans were in ascendancy when 31 minutes Pau Torres made a mistake to let Ismail Sarr cross the ball for Ebrechi Eze to hit a fierce shot into the roof of the net past Martinez’s right hand.
Villa tried to get into the game and, with much of the possession, didn’t create a worthwhile chance despite some hard work by John McGinn.
Villa briefly looked a little sharper at the start of the second half but conceded a penalty . Jean-Paul Mateta stepped forward and placed the ball to the diving Martinez’s left, but with it clipping the outside of the post and going wide Villa fans thought this could be a sign of a come back.
However, Villa players looked like they had tired legs and were often picked off by some strong defending in mid field by Daichi Kamada and Adam Wharton. The Londoners doubled their lead on 58 minutes when Sarr dispossessed Tielemans and surged forward to power a drive along the ground into the left hand corner of the net. Villa made changes and could have reduced the lead but for their own player, Torres, blocking a powerful shot that looked destined to score.
With the minutes ticking away and the Villa fans drifting out, Sarr raced clear of the Villa defence and made it 3 nil, game well and truly over.
Although Villa had over 70 per cent of possession, it was Palace who outplayed them again this season, their defensive tack ticks and fast breaks, capitalising on Villa mistakes.
Palace had a game plan to disrupt Villa’s flow, they made the referee and Villa wait at the start as they held a long huddle, they made very long celebrations for each goal, Eze strutted back to the half way line after his goal celebrations at a crawl, Place came out in dribs and drabs to start the second half with a pause to wait for their 11th player and Henderson , who had a great game in goal should have been penalised by the referee for his time wasting. But despite this, you could not take it away from Crystal Palalce, who very much deserved to win and make Villa look second best.
Hopefully, the long season has not proved too much for Aston Villa and they can win the remainder of their games.
Football Food
The food at our magnificent football stadium was less than magnificent.
I was told I couldn’t just have chips to review for my annual chip league unless I had it as a meal deal with a burger. However, the chips were priced separately. Why not sell them separately then. The burger in what I think was supposed to be a Brioche Bun was awful. It was limp tasteless, just warm and made a McDonalds basic burger seem like a gourmet meal.
The chips were the worst I have had all season and sit bottom of my chip league, a score of 40 was generous. They were cold, dry limp, with no taste, and unfortunately, I left most of them under my seat for someone to clear up, sorry. I won’t ever buy anything inside this stadium again.
N.B. The heading to this post has been used before in my blog. However, it doesn’t reflect the enjoyment fun and smiles that Aston Villa have given me.
A trip to beautiful Wharfedale, nearing the end of another enjoyable football season.
A stop off on the way at Five Rise Locks at Bingley to see the steepness of the canal boat locks, and a coffee in the café where a new to me, Bakewell tart flapjack, had to be tried. Then on to Ilkley Moor and pass the Cow and Calf, rocks of millstone grit, before dropping down to Ilkley itself. The self-indulgence continued with a Yorkshire Cream Tea at Betty’s, well you have to don’t you. Finally, on to Ilkley Town F.C. where they luckily for my waist didn’t have any chips. The problem being that the insurance to fry chips would be too high. Oven chips, maybe?
Ilkley’s ground is part of a modern sports complex on the Eastern edge of town. It is very modern with an artificial pitch and the facilities to pass the ground grading for the league they play in
It is beautifully flat with fencing all around. There is a small seated stand offset to one goal and a small covered standing area in the middle of one side. There is a path way around 85% of the perimeter. The pitch and facilities allow the club to run various youth and senior teams and generate income from pitch hire.
The character of the stadium is enhanced by Ilkley Moor as a backdrop and the Cow and Calf Rocks.
The game I had come to watch was between Ilkley and Yorkshire Amateur. Ilkley needing a win to ensure a playoff place, and Yorkshire Amateur already condemned to bottom position and awaiting the end of season league review to see if they are relegated.
Football Histories
Ilkley Town was formed in the 1960s but disbanded in the early 90s. Reformed in 1994 as Ilkley AFC they played locally and renamed that Club back to Ilkley Town after previously joining the West Yorkshire League. They were elected in 2021 to the North West Counties League and transferred to the Northern Counties East League for this season.
Yorkshire Amateur ẁere founded in 1918, and two years later, we’re founder members of the Yorkshire League, only staying for a few years. They were reunited in 1930. Just two years later, they were losing semi-finalists in the F.A. Amateur Cup.
Skipping to 1952, they were relegated to the second division starting an amazing yoyo period, promoted the next season, relegated in 1956, promoted 1959, Relegated 1962, promoted 1972, Relegated 1975. In 1977, they reached a low point, being relegated to Division 3. In 1978, back to div 2 and with a League reorganisation in 1982, they were founder members of the Northern Counties East League Division Two. 1984 promoted, relegated 1986, 1991 promotion due to league reorganisations, 2018 promoted to the Premier Division, 2021 promoted to the Northern Premier but demoted back to the NECL the following year due to ground grading problems. In 2023, they were relegated to Division I, and this year, they have finished bottom and await their fate. Some journey I for their fans, I apologise if I have made any errors.
Ilkley Town 4 Yorkshire Amateur 1
Saturday 5th April 2025, 15.00 pm kick off Northern Counties East League Division 1
Ben Rydding Sports Club, Leeds Road, Ilkley West Yorkshire, LS298AW
5th v 22nd The Baht’atters v Ammers
Ilkley; Faded Yellow shirts with black shoulders and sleeves, dark blue shorts, goalkeeper all green. Yorkshire Amateur; All red kit with goalkeeper in all orange.
The game started in beautiful sunshine with clear skies although a wind whipping across the pitch made it feel colder than the 11 degrees. It was both teams penultimate game of the season and Ilkley’s last home game.
In the first minute, the referee seemed to bottle it when he put his whistle to his mouth over a hand ball in the away teams penalty area but didn’t blow . threatening with some quick breaks.
Ilkley looked the more assured team with some neat passing moves, but the Ammers looked solid at the back as they competed with passion and energy. By 26 minutes, the game had become scrappy, and my attention was drawn by the planes on their flight path to land at Leeds Bradford Airport and the circling overhead of a Kite. Ilkley looked half the team I had seen recently at Wakefield, and Yorkshire Amateurs looked occasionally threatening with quick breaks. The teams left the field at half time with neither side having left an imprint on the match.
All changed within 4 minutes of the restart when after a home side attack the ball was cleared to Harry Abson who from 20 yards out hit a curling shot with his right foot that broke the back of the left hand side of the goal net with the goalkeeper motionless.
The joy lasted only 10 minutes when from an Ilkley corner from right that was overhit one of their players chased the ball and crossed it from other side for Joshua Parker to run in and head it across goal onto post and in.
Ilkley now upped the tempo but Yorkshire Amateurs doggedly held on for another 10 minutes when a ball along the ground from the left was placed into the right-hand corner by Eliel Maville-Anku. This was a reward for Anku, who had harried all the game. The away side were now losing heart when, on 77 minutes Ilkley’s number 2 beat the defenders with a crossed ball for Kevin Gozales to run through and tap it home. Shouts for offside and some abuse to the linesman had no effect on the officials.
The game was over with 7 minutes left when an Ilkley player was fouled in the penalty area, and Alfie Dean stroked the ball into the left-hand corner, just evading the goalkeepers finger tips. Ilkley saw out the final few minutes on top and made their way to the play offs. It was very disappointing that only a crowd of 70 had turned up.
Football Food
As I stated earlier, there were no chips but a packet of Seabrooks Crisps (the best), and a coffee sufficed. The food wagon was good, and the lady serving was very helpful, she hid whilst I took the photo.
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