The Berwick Charities Cup Final 2025.

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.

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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.

A great start at Berwick Rangers.

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.

Non-League Club Directory

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.

All the best

Mike & Tony WilliamsCopyright © 2025 Mike Williams Publishing, All rights reserved.

There’s still value in County Cup football.

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.

You have to deal with disappointment to follow the Villa….5….

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.

Ilkley Town Bar Chips

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.

The rain in Anstey stays mainly on the pitch.

After a drive to Woodford in Northamptonshire to see my grandson lose 6 nil in a semi-final, I called in to Anstey, a village just north west of Leicester, to see a game on Non-League day.

Anstey Nomads play on the outskirts of the village and have in recent seasons seen them rise through the football pyramid. Arriving early I was able to park in the small club car park and walk into the village which had some good cafes and a friendly atmosphere.

Walking back to the ground the Sporting Khalsa team coach had arrived and I entered the ground at one of the corners right next to the food kiosk. Behind one goal is a covered seated stand, and there is further covered seating in a one tier stand down a portion of one side with one level of standing behind. The far end has just a single path with a grass area inside the perimeter where children were having their own game. The changing rooms, a large club house, and some administrative buildings take up the other side with one level of standing in front.

The 15 degrees made it a pleasant day, and the high grey clouds did not indicate the threatened rain. The pitch was in good condition for the end of the season, being flat and still with good grass cover. I chose to spend the first half in the stand behind the goal but soon moved to the other end of the stand when a large drum was left 4 seats away.

Football Histories

Anstey Nomads were started in 1946, born out of a merger of church teams, and adopted their current name a year later. They have mainly played in local Leicestershire Leagues moving up to the East Midlands Counties League in 2008 and the United Counties League in 2018 where they gained promotion to the Premier Division that was split into North and South in 2021. They were promoted from the North Division in 2023 as champions and now play in the Northern Premier League, Midland Division.

Sporting Khalsa’s rise has been more dramatic, having been established only 34 years ago, then playing in the Walsall and District Sunday League. This football club, founded by members of the local Sikh community, switched to Saturday football in 1995. It was the first Asian, semi professional football club, with its own ground, in the country, and at around the same time as purchasing the ground they were being successful in the West Midlands Regional League. They moved to a new, wholly owned ground in 2010 and moved up the pyramid in 2015 to the Midland League. In 2021, they were placed in the Northern Premier league after an FA reorganisation.

Anstey Nomads 0 Sporting Khalsa 1

Saturday 22nd March 2025, Northern Premier League, Midland Division, 15.00 pm kick off.

Cropston Road, Anstey, Leicestershire, LE7 7 BP 5th V 6th, The Nomads v Sporting or The Lions

Anstey Nomads; All red kit with a white stripe down the side of the shirts, the goalkeeper in dark blue. Sporting Khalsa, All royal blue kit with the goalkeeper in all grey.

The game started with the local fans chanting at the opposing keeper, Shepshed reject, and it was the home team who were the most lively. Speedy attacks down the left didn’t produce any end result. Although the Nomads had the majority of possession, it was Sporting who came closest to scoring in what could be described as an uneventful first half. An attacker put through with just the keeper to beat hit the ball wide of the goal to the right.

I decided to walk around the ground at half time but had to shelter in the small stand when the rain started. Sporting Khalsa came out renewed and took control of the game. However, the rain took on biblical proportions with the down pour getting worse. I now took shelter in the food hut as I made my way back to the shelter of the main stand. After ten minutes of the second half, the referee stopped the game and allowed the players to change their boots to suit the conditions.

The away team continued their dominance in the wet, and their player made it past the defence on the right, and his pass, slid along the ground, was fired into the goal but cleared off the line. The clearance, though, fell to Andre Landell, who controlled the rebound and blasted it into the roof of the net on 65 minutes.

Anstey Nomads responded, and a shot was parried by the Sporting goalkeeper, only for him to pounce on it after it laid motionless in a pool of water. The referee immediately walked over and consulted with his linesman and the opposing officials, and he ordered the teams off. After 5 minutes, he returned and seeing that the rain was continuing and conditions had not improved abandoned the game.

Anstey would have been the happier of the two sides as a defeat by the away team would have meant that they would have leapfrogged them in the chase for playoff places.

It was a disappointing outcome, but the British weather has no rhyme or reason.

Football Food

There were no chips, so I had a burger, which was tasteless and dry. A few onions may have helped, but none were available.

Disappointing that there was no program, no team sheet available or pinned up, and no raffle. There was even no announcement over the PA system to say that the game was abandoned. On non-league day, perhaps more effort could have been made.

Wakefield AFC progressing off the pitch but not on.

With warmer weather promised, I ventured North to Featherstone on a clear night, 2 degrees, made colder by a northerly wind. My destination was Featherstone Rovers Rugby League ground to see Wakefield AFC play. Yes, last season, I saw them play t home at Wakefield Trinity’s ground. The agreement to play there has ended, and they are now a season into a 2 year agreement with Featherstone.

The Programme however brought good news that the club is involved in a project at Brook Farm in Walton just in the southeast of Wakefield. Perhaps I will in the future see these nomads in a permanent home.

Arriving at the ground, there was a large parking area which could certainly do with a little more lighting.

I have watched Wakefield’s rise and saw they were again challenging for promotion. With three games in hand, and 5 points behind, they were closing in on local rivals Horbury Town hoping to gain outright promotion rather than the play offs where they lost in the final last year.

Featherstone Rovers’ ground holds roughly 10000, 271 had braved the elements and were housed in a section of the main stand. The stadium has good covered seating on three sides with open seating on the other. The flat grass pitch looked in very good condition with the grass slightly longer than usual.

Football Histories

The current Wakefield was only formed in 2019 by a group of local businessmen, but a controlling interest was bought out in 2021 by VO2 Capital. They have climbed through the Sheffield and Hallamshire County League and are now pushing for promotion from the Northern Counties East League Division 1.

Wakefield AFC 1 Ilkley Town 2

Tuesday 18th March 2025. 19.45 kick off. 2nd v 4th Falcons v Baht’atters

The Millennium Stadium, Post Office Road, Featherstone, WF7 5EN

Wakefield; White shirts with blue shorts, Goalkeeper Blue top with black shorts.

Ilkley; Pink shirts with purple shoulders, Goalkeeper all light orange.

Ilkley immediately went on the attack, being very successful down the right where Maxim Hague, with number 2 on his back, was quickly making it forward and releasing good crosses that were causing problems. Wakefield weathered the storm and their attacks were provided by long high balls and enormous long throws. The game was very competitive with a good level of skill. Ilkley looked the most promising with their mid-field duo getting the upper hand.

It was a quick run down the left on 21 minutes that provided a cross along the floor for Maxim Hague to pounce at the right post and place the ball high up into the net. Wakefield tried to respond. However, it was the away team who continued to look most likely to extend their lead. Both sides left the field at half time with Ilkley having been on top.

The second half continued in much the same way, and the evening was made worse for Wakefield when on 69 minutes, a misguided back pass was collected by Toby Marriot, who had just come on as a substitute. He had to move away from goal due to the advancing goalkeeper and, from a very difficult angle, squeezed the ball along the ground into the far corner of the net. Wakefield looked well defeated at this point but were back in the game with just over ten minutes left when Kelan Swales ran onto a speculative ball over the top of the Ilkley defence and he lobbed it over the advancing keeper.

Wakefield pushed forward to try and salvage something from the game but were thwarted by their own lack of chances and some deliberate time wasting by their opponents.

Wakefield still have a chance to win the league, although their progress was dented here, and Ilkley will be strong contenders in any play offs.

Football food

Unfortunately, there were no chips again, so a beef pie with gravy was a good substitute. Tasty, but could have been a little hotter.

Keswick, what a beautiful day for some.

On a bright sunny afternoon, with the temperature registering 17 degrees, I made my way to one of the most picturesque grounds in the country, Keswick FC. The sky was bright blue with a few white, thin clouds across the sky. Just over 30 others had turned up to watch, often swelled momentarily by passing walkers in the park.

The pitch in Fritz Park has the backdrop of Lake District hills on all four sides. Down one side is the river Derwent that flooded the park and much of the town in 2015, like Cockermouth, their opponents this afternoon. Cockermouth is only 14 miles away, and the game could be called the A66 derby.

The park was devastated, and a new club house has been built that is set up from the pitch and gives a good view from the veranda. The club house and changing room have been built to a good spec, and the facilities are complimented by a large nearby car park that does unfortunately get full very quickly with local park users and tourists.

Keswick FC 1 Cockermouth 5

Saturday 8th March 14.00 pm kick off. Cumberland County League, Premier Division
5th v 1st, The Cumbrians v The Cockers

Keswick; Red shirts with black shorts, goalkeeper in all luminous yellow.

Cockermouth; Yellow shirts with a series of black stripes vertically down the front with grey shorts, goalkeeper in Grey top with black sleeves and grey shorts.

Keswick began the match with only 2 substitutes to Suckermouths 6 and with a first game, 16 year old goalkeeper, between the sticks.

The game started evenly with each side having early chances. Cockermouth playing from right to left took the lead on 12 minutes when a ball was whipped out to the left, and a curling cross from their unmarked player was passed on to Robert Cox, who just had the keeper to beat.

The home side held their own against the league leaders, but disaster struck on
35 minutes when a ball crossed from the right was fumbled by the goalkeeper at left hand postand it was squeezed in from a difficult angle 2 by Luke Graham.

Cockermouth’s 2 nil lead at half time was a bit flattering and after the short interval Keswick were right back in the game. Within 5 minutes, they had reduced the deficit when a free kick from the right was met by Alfie West who stooped to head over the keeper into the centre of the net.
The game swung back in favour of the visitors when the referee gave a penalty, which caused consternation with the Keswick players who felt their man had won the ball fairly. The home sides number 7 received two yellows for what appeared to be arguing. The referee then checked with his linesman, and after a long discussion the penalty stood. The keeper dived to his right of Luke Grahams spot kick but the ball went into the left side of the net to restore the away teams two goal advantage.

Now playing with 10 men, things only became harder when on 65 minutes, a corner from the left by Kyren Bertram was knocked into the goal by the keeper.
Despite 10 men, being 1.4 down and substitutes refreshing their opponents, Keswick kept battling. A Fifth was added for Cockermouth at the death when a crossed ball from Lewis White deceived the home goalkeeper sailing over his head and into right hand corner of net.

Cockermouth stayed top of the division, and although Keswick let in five, they were not disgraced. The young keeper should not be disheartened by his performance, he will have better days for sure.

No chips here or food to discuss.

They call it the blues

I journeyed over the river Trent to visit Gainsborough to see the local team play. Researching the town it turned out to have been both the capital of England and Denmark for just 5 weeks in 1013, things seemed to change quicker then than they do today. Gainsborough Trinity’s ground is north of the centre just past the modern Marshals Yard a modern retail/food experience in the old Marshals factory. Marshals were a past major employer in the town when they manufactured Steam engines and rollers, agricultural equipment and later in their existence, tractors.
The ground is very easy to find and I couldn’t believe my luck when just six spaces from the turnstile there was a gap to park the car. Everything looks better when the sun is out and there were only a few grey clouds scuttling across a bright blue sky and I felt overdressed in such warm clothes that didn’t reflect the temperature of 14 degrees.

This is a well established stadium having been in use since 1850 when it housed a cricket pitch. Like other cricket grounds, football was introduced for winter sport and eventually took over the whole area. The ground is dominated by a high seated stand in the middle of one side, underneath which the players change. Not many people sat in the seats, which was soon evident in that the leg room was severely restricted. The rest of the ground has covered tiered, standing at one end and one side and tiered open standing at one end. There was a food kiosk in one corner as you go through the turnstile and a queue was building up already.
Gainsborough had recently been involved in good cup runs having beaten 4 teams in the F.A. Cup to finally go out away to a league side, Harrogate, by the only goal. One of their wins was the unbelievably exciting 4-5 win at Hednesford that I saw back in November. They had also beaten 4 teams in the F.A. Trophy before coming up against Woking of the National League. These cup game meant that their 13th position in the league could be improved to just off the play off spot if they won their games in hand. Their opponents Mickleover in contrast sat 21st and well entrenched in a relegation battle.

Football Histories

Gainsborough Trinity started life as Trinity Recreationists in 1873, a team set up by a vicar in the Holy Trinity parish. By 1889 they were founder members of the Midland League where they were successful and gained election to the Football league in 1896 where they stayed until they were not re-elected in 1912. Back to the Midland league they often beat league teams in the F.A. Cup but were never able to get re-elected to the Football League. They continued playing in the Midland league which they won on several occasions and regularly appeared in the draw for the round of the F.A. Cup that included League teams.

The Midland League was disbanded in 1960 but re-formed a year later and after winning the league in 1967 were founder members of the Northern Premier League in 1968. The club maintained its status when a Premier Division of the Northern Premier League was established in 1987 and moved up a level in 2004 with the formation of the Conference League North. They played at that level until suffering their first ever relegation in their history in 2018. They have stayed in the Northern Premier League, Premier Division ever since and this year resumed their historic exploits in the F.A. Cup.

Mickleover Sports F.C. was founded in 1948 as Mickleover Old Boys and played for 44 years in the Derby & District Senior League. In 1982 the Sports Club decided on a more ambitious regime joining the Central Midland League and planning the move to Station Road which they achieved in 1992.They rose through the Central Midlands League, Northern Counties East and eventually to the Northern Premier league for the 2010/11 season. But in 2011/12 they suffered their first ever relegation only to bounce back by 2015. In 2020 they were renamed Mickleover Football Club. Since then they have been transferred to the Southern League, Premier Division Central and were transferred back to the Premier Division of the Northern Premier League at the start of this season.

Gainsborough Trinity F.C. 0 Mickleover F.C. 0

Saturday 22nd February 2025 15.00 pm kick off. Northern Premier League, Premier Division.

Gainsborough Trinity Football Club Gainsborough Lincolnshire DN21 2QW

Holy Blues v The Sports, 13th v 21st. Attendance 532

Gainsborough; Kit all Royal Blue, goalkeeper all light Blue. Mickleover; All white kit with salmon pink stripe down the sides of shirts and shorts, goalkeeper in all yellow.

Gainsborough entered the pitch with an all blue dolphin mascot. Did they come as far up the Trent? No, the answer from the clubs launch info was ‘Known for intelligence, teamwork, and playfulness, dolphins perfectly represent the essence of our football programme. Trenton will attend matches …….He’ll remind us that whether we win or lose, the game and supporting each other is truly what matters….August 2024.’

The grass pitch sloped slightly side to side and to one corner was heavily sanded and despite heavy recent rain, and standing water in fields in the drive over, was hard. The surface created an unusual bounce that the players couldn’t get a grip of. These conditions could possibly explain what I would say was an underwhelming first half. A Gainsborough forward was booked for simulation when the home crowd thought he had been fouled in the penalty area and a shot that looked to be going well wide took an unusual bounce and turned in to hit the bottom of the post were the highlights.

The second half wasn’t much better although Gainsborough did manage to be more attack minded but never looked likely to bother a resolute Mickleover defence and goalkeeper.

Whether it was the ‘Holy Blues’ having the blues after their magnificent cup antics of the season or that for them they feel that their season has come to an end early I’m not sure. I certainly felt blue in the fact that a club I had looked forward to visiting perhaps served up the worst football of any level I have seen this season. For Mickleover it was a good away point gained in their relegation struggle.

Football Food

I was excited to see a bucket of real potatoes that had been chipped and ready for frying when I ordered my portion. The excitement didn’t last long, the skin on chips, were dry, warm and with little taste. The portion was large but in the end needed some red sauce to make them edible. Even the large portion was off putting. I scored them a 62 for my Chip League but on recollection this should have been in the 50’s but the fact they used fresh real potatoes rather that frozen chips perhaps influenced me.