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.

The scramble to finish the season.

With so many local leagues disrupted by our wet, wet, wet winter there are some games that need to be finished.

I was lucky to find one very local to me at Kiveton Park, so a 15 minute car ride and I was there.

I have been to Kiveton Miners Welfare before a couple of times and they were winners of my Chip League in the past. I also visited the ground when Sheffield Town ground shared a few seasons ago. Sheffield Town don’t seem to be in existence any more but I’m sure that the Kiveton team had more than a few faces from that team.

43 spectators had ambled along to see the game that was a dry but cool, breezy, early evening. There were some very sporadic spots of rain from a blue sky that was mixed with grey and white clouds. The recently mowed grass pitch was already looking good after some better weather.

This ground is reached via a housing estate and is bordered by houses on two sides, a practice pitch and cricket ground on another and the Worksop to Sheffield line at one end. The seated stand in the centre of one side is the only area that is not open.

Kiveton Miners Welfare FC 1 AFC Bentley 2

Wednesday 15th May 2024; 18.30 kick off. Stone Close, Kiveton Park, Rotherham, south Yorkshire, S26 6SQ: 14th v 7th.

Central Midlands Alliance League Premier Division North.

Kiveton M.W.; Red and white vertical shirts with black shorts; AFC Bentley; Navy blue shirt body with one sleeve a lighter blue and the other sleeve green, green shorts.

For some reason the home team were late in coming out of the distant changing rooms and then stopped for a discussion on the way. This meant that the game did not kick off until 18.37. The game was furious end to end football but misplaced passes abounded and meant that neither side was able to totally dominate. This all changed around 23 minutes when the away teams number 5 hit a pile driver of a shot from 30 yards that hit the cross bar and bounced down with the Kiveton goalkeeper struggling. His attempts to finally scoop the ball away were of no avail as the officials ruled the ball had crossed the line.

Approximately 5 minutes later Kiveton’s tricky number 7 exploded into the penalty area on the left hand side and was immediately floored, gaining a deserved penalty. Solly Limb stepped forward and easily levelled the score from the penalty spot.

There were some strong tackles from both sides but the referee kept the game flowing and it soon reached half time.

The second half continued in the same end to end fashion and with the game drifting to a stalemate, Bentley went ahead again when a corner kick sailed over everyone to be met by one of their team who, unmarked, clipped it into the net. There was a final burst by Kiveton in the added minutes as they came close to scoring when they hit the post, it was not to be their evening. Bentley returned to Doncaster with three lucky points that should have been shared and both teams only have one more game to complete this truncated season.

It was an impressive game in the fact that both teams went for it in what was to some degree a dead game as neither side had anything to play for.

No Chips tonight as the food van looks like it is in a state of refurbishment.

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**

My Football Year 2023, looking forward to 2024.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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