17/07/21 Review: Wednesfield vs Chasetown

Wednesfield 0-4 Chasetown (Pre-Season) Cottage Ground

A bit of a strange pre-season for me so far as I have been largely reintroducing myself to the teams that I follow (Macclesfield FC and Sporting Khalsa) rather than doing a load of proper groundhopping, however with a scorching Saturday afternoon on my hands I decided to put aside my allegiances for the day and check out somewhere brand new. I'm not sure if the heat dried up my brain juice or if I just felt lazy, but after leaving it too late to get across to Wales for a competitive game in the countryside and therefore my best options were local. Originally I'd intended to give Stone Old Alleynians a try at their new home, but with a COVID illness nullifying their opposition I looked south of Stafford and in the end my ride down the M6 would take me to within just a mile of Khalsa- yup, it's finally time for me to tick off the Cottage Ground in Wednesfield.

The first outing in my new wheels

It seems odd to think that we are almost upon another new football season, especially after the last two being curtailed in the majority of the non-league, although for the likes of Wednesfield and Chasetown a lot has changed for the 2021/22 campaign with a huge restructure taking place across the lower reaches of the pyramid. In the South-West of the country we've sat back and listened to fans of the Western League moaning about Mousehole being introduced to their division. Meanwhile up North there are promotions for teams such as my hometown club, Bridlington Town, and here in the Midlands we have the usual geographical debates about teams being allocated to the Northern league divisions whilst others more northerly crossover to the Southern tiers. Growing up I was always amazed that teams like Gloucester City are in the same regionalised division as clubs like Blyth Spartans, but I now realise that as per the traditional folklore tales of the great North/South divide, The Midlands can be a really tricky place to divvy up. In terms of the teams I was watching this time out, we now have a West Midlands team who have left the West Midlands league to join the Midland League and a South Staffordshire side, who last season played in the Northern Premier League Division One South East, preparing for a new season in the Norther Premier League Division One Midlands. Are you with me? Nope, thought not. Get a compass, try to work it all out and then we'll move on to the matchday action.

All we need to know right now is that it's game on at the Cottage Ground

By my reckoning, my 204th ground yesterday was also the 9th Midland League Division One ground I've been to and whilst many of the teams in this level groundshare with higher placed tenants, Wednesfield are the proud home team of the Cottage Ground and they have been since 1971. The only review I've seen online of the ground simply rates it as "Tatty" but I will do my best to guide readers through the pleasant afternoon I had. When I arrived at the ground ten minutes before kick-off I was met by a friendly old chap who approached me with a margarine tub lid. Great start. It turns out the lid had his QR Code stuck to it and was indeed a portable Test & Trace unit for me to scan. Despite the queue of cars building up behind me, the gent had a good chinwag with me and actually forgot to charge me an entry fee... thankfully I'm an honest guy and so I chucked him a fiver, parked up and headed straight over to the clubhouse at the corner of the ground to join the many fans and people of the community who were already there quenching their thirsts in what I was told was 25 degree heat.

Proper clubhouse, proper bar

In all fairness the clubhouse is in great nick on the inside and is clearly a real community asset. The lady on the bar explained how they had already hosted a birthday party that morning and there would be a presentation in the evening. Darts and cards tomorrow too, apparently! Great to know that after the year and a half we've all had that places like this, both the club and facilities, are still standing firm and ready to get back to business. To show my support, I grabbed myself a pint of Coors and headed back out to sweltering pitch side in anticipation of the 3pm kick-off.

And I wasn't the only one

It's now over five years since I visited the ground of today's visitors, but the most interesting thing about Chasetown's visit today was that they only brought half of their squad. Looking on their Twitter page, it seemed as though the Burntwood based club were also playing at the other side of Wolverhampton against AFC Wulfrunians and therefore it was hard to know what to expect from the team I was watching take on Wednesfield. Pre-season tends to be a bit "finger in the air" when it comes to predicting the score line, but I decided to guess at a 3-1 win for the visitors. Turns out on this occasion I'd guess the result and the right amount of goals, just not the exact score. Looking around the ground I saw plenty of character- and characters- with the sturdy main stand acting as the centrepiece, housing rows of long, bench style, seating. Red railing runs right the way around the pitch and behind the goals there is currently a jungle being grown. I took a quick snap of the overgrowth as I was going to reference it in this write-up as a job that probably hasn't been done since COVID, but as I did so the hosts goalie spotted me and made a joke about it having not been very well maintained. A nightmare for the keeper I suppose, especially when having to go and retrieve a wayward ball, so I suggested that with a squad of 20 players they could perhaps make it part of their pre-season training rather than relying on good old Mr or Mrs Groundsman. Wednesfield officials if you are reading this, get the lads on it as team building exercise...

They'll love it!

On to the match itself then and Chasetown began as the brighter spark, taking the lead around the 15th minute. Their number 8 was urged to "drive, drive, drive!" from central midfield and that's exactly what he did, before feeding the ball to the left-footed right-winger who cut inside his marker and then slammed the ball home. Wednesfield 0-1 Chasetown. The Cottagers didn't offer too much on the offensive front themselves and their best half-chances came through free-kicks, with the highlight coming as their captain headed towards goal from a tight angle. The visitors continued to search for a second goal and they got it just on the stroke of half-time through their left-back who found himself with time on the edge of the box to place a shot into the top corner with the outside of his boot. Wednesfield 0-2 Chasetown. The side playing in what looks like PSG's 2014/15 home strip were in control as the referee blew for the break.

Time to regroup for the Cottagers

There appeared to be a couple of changes at the start of the second-half and in particular it was noticeable that the Scholars had brought off their Dominic Calvert-Lewin impressionist up top. It didn't weaken the visitors though as they began the second 45 with a bang, earning an early penalty which was scored by their number 10. Wednesfield 0-3 Chasetown. With the result rather secure at this point, the remainder of the game would be all about surviving the heat, getting minutes under the belt and avoiding injuries. This was all going to plan until the hour-mark when the scorer of Chasetown's opener went down in a heap on the right-wing. The Ref halted play and shouted over to welcome a physio on. After an awkward pause, one played said "we aye got one" and this was followed up with someone else asking "what's he done?". A couple of lads looked at him before shouting out "rolled it" and with that, the medical assessment was complete and a substitute made. Guessing the Scholars physio went over to Wulfrunians!?

A good performance comes to an end for this lad

After this stoppage Wednesfield played some of their best football of the second-half and went close through a guy who I think was called Junior. The winger had a decent strike on target which required a deflection and a save to stay out of the goal. In truth though both sides looked knackered in the final knockings and the main difference towards the end was that Chasetown looked about 5% fitter. This proved to be the case right at the death as a mistake in midfield left the Scholars with a counter attacking situation and they fully capitalised. Two of the visiting subs found themselves in a two-on-two situation, with one setting up the other to bury the fourth and final goal. Wednesfield 0-4 Chasetown.

Not the result the fans in the main stand would have hoped for

Within seconds of the final whistle I was sat back in my car with the engine on and the air con blasting out. Knowing that Sporting Khalsa will faceoff against Chasetown in the league this season, there's a big chance that I'll get to see the Scholars full-strength team in action and I suspect it'll be a decent encounter. The team played some good football in the conditions and made sure the ball did more work than them. A good short passing game was clear to see with a patient build-up. I look forward to seeing how they get on this season and of course I also wish Wednesfield the best of luck for their campaign too. The Cottage Ground is well worth a visit and offers a proper experience of non-league football from start to finish... even if it is "tatty".

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03/07/21 Review: Non-League Diversity Football Tournament

Non-League Diversity Football Tournament, Elite Venue [The Steve Cook Stadium and Pitch Two]

Yesterday I had the honour of attending the inaugural "Non-League Diversity Football Tournament" in Gravesend- and whilst I hope they give it a more catchy name for future editions, the point of the football festival could not be clearer. Having supported events hosted by CONIFA over the years, as well as supporting Sporting Khalsa on their incredible journey, I am so pleased that diversity in non-league is not only recognised, but celebrated and supported by people from all over the country. Football is a global sport played everywhere from Greenland to Gibraltar, from Texas to Tuvalu and although the game was created here in England, the real beauty of it is that it can be played by anybody- regardless of race, religion or background. Punjab United, Leicester Nirvana, Sporting Bengal United and Sporting Khalsa would be proudly exhibiting all of the above in a round-robin tournament down in Kent where the teams lined-up with players who truly represented diversity within our great sport.

The Three P's

Those who followed my limited adventures of the interrupted and eventually cancelled 2020/21 season will know that I focussed my support on Khalsa of Willenhall, a club that I have been watching since 2016. It has been a pleasure to see the 1991 formed club go from strength to strength off the field and recently their efforts were finally rewarded with promotion during the restructure of the non-league pyramid. Sporting have huge plans for the future and whilst the short-term goal is to establish themselves as a Step Four non-league club, the eventual aim is surely for them to become the first ever "British Asian" club to join the football league. But in the meantime it was time for preparations for the 2021/22 campaign to begin with a long drive down to Kent to face their good friends Punjab United, as well as Essex side Sporting Bengal United and fellow Midlanders, Leicester Nirvana. Punjab and Khalsa have hosted annual friendlies between each other for a few years by now, so to add two new great clubs into the mix meant that it was a footballing phenomenon that I just could not miss.

Out of the house by 7am, ready to cheer on the lads

I'd had a message from the Khalsa gaffer a couple of weeks ago saying that I could have a seat on the coach down to Gravesend and the generous offer meant that I could continue my support of the club by travelling much further than I had for an away day in years. Last season I went as far and wide as Malvern and Selston but in terms of travelling the length of the country for the game the last time I'd got on a coach to a game was back in 2015 when I watched Macclesfield Town take on Portsmouth on the South coast. As a Silkmen fan, I have been all over the place by car and train, but there's just something extra special about getting on the team bus and experiencing the day with fellow fans, coaches, volunteers and players. Of course, there wasn't too much to experience at 8am when I arrived as one of the first people there. By 8:41 (only 11 minutes late) we were on the road and after one pitstop to pick up some of the lads, the bus was soon heading down the M6 towards the M25 in search of a full day of football. As mentioned earlier, we were due to watch a round robin tourney which would see each club play three one-hour long matches, with the winners being decided by an end of day league table. The Willenhall side may well have taken on the longest journey, but as the highest placed club in the pyramid with the largest tournament squad they would be considered favourites by many. To quote Khalsa Manager Ian Rowe, "if we're going all the way down there we wanna come back as winners", and it is this passion and spirit- even for a pre-season tournament- that has helped the club stay on the straight and narrow in its pursuit to rise up the leagues. The "marathon not a sprint" approach is something that I'm a huge admirer of with this club.

Quick break on the M25... next stop, Kent!

We arrived at the Elite Venue with a fair amount of time to spare before the first game, meaning that I had plenty of opportunity to have a nosy around the grounds being used for the tournament, as well as chatting with some friendly faces. Some of the Khalsa entourage had travelled by car, whilst a couple had stayed the previous night in London, meaning that there was a respectable amount of support for the team and of course the occasion. Punjab United members were constantly walking around the facility greeting people and you genuinely couldn't have felt more welcomed. The Punjabi music was blasting on the speakers, the kitchen was dishing out samosas and beer, so all that was missing was a ball...

My kind of lunchtime treat

Khalsa's first two games were on "Pitch Two", which I believe is usually used by Punjab United Reserves, so I actually had the bonus treat of being able to tick off not one but two new grounds- taking my tally to 202. Their final game would be against the hosts inside the main ground, aka "The Steve Cook Stadium", but before then there would be a Midlands derby on Pitch Two, followed by the battle of the Sporting's.

Sporting Khalsa 2-1 Leicester Nirvana, Elite Venue, Pitch Two [Match One of Three]

At 1:30pm we were treated to a pre-match drumming parade which was cheered on by all in attendance, before a quick group photo on the main pitch. By 1:45pm, it was game-on between Sporting Khalsa and Leicester Nirvana in this all Midlands encounter. Nirvana, based in the Hamilton area of Leicester, are a club who pride themselves on their excellent youth setup and play in the United Counties League. Last season, they were 17th out of 20 teams in the Premier Division before the season was curtailed, but for the new campaign they will be in the Premier Division North alongside teams such as Gresley Rovers, Heanor Town and Long Eaton United, who I saw beat Khalsa last season in the Midland Prem. The 30-minute halves meant that overall we'd see the teams put through their paces with a whopping 3 hours of football in an action packed afternoon and it took Khalsa only about 20 minutes to get the ball rolling with the first goal of the tournament. Josh McKenzie (Macca) set the tone after a fairly fractured opening to the game by timing a great strike to perfection to blast home inside the box and finish off a delightful Sporting attack. Khalsa 1-0 Nirvana. On the stroke of half-time the side in yellow and blue would double their lead somewhat against the run of play, thanks to Gaz Singh. The striker twizzled his way through the dazed defence before slotting home to ensure that Khalsa went into the five minute turnaround with a substantial lead. Khalsa 2-0 Nirvana. Both teams would probably argue they hadn't stretched their legs properly after the bus ride town by this point but thankfully there was still a lot more football to come and the standard, certainly for Khalsa, improved game-upon-game. This first match could have seen Nirvana score a few of their own had they been in the right frame of mind, whilst Sporting's set piece specialist- Jake Gosling- wasn't in the squad today and it definitely showed as I reckon the Gibraltar international would have popped at least one of those close-range free-kicks into Leicester's goal.

Still a long way to go, but a great start all things considered

Nirvana's manager had told his team to "chill out a bit" during the quick pep talk and it certainly seemed as though they listened when they began to play some good stuff in the second-half. I'm assuming that as it was a "friendly" pre-season tournament the officials didn't bring their cards with them, but it's safe to say that had this been an official game that there would have been a few yellows appearing throughout. Not that I'm complaining, it was great to see the teams taking it seriously and wanting to get their hands on that cup. In terms of action, it wasn't all fouls and there was to be another fancy finish too. Nirvana's comeback seemed possible when they scored halfway through the second-half thanks to a lofted touch over the keeper and they had a massive chance to equalise with ten minutes left. Khalsa 2-1 Nirvana. A penalty was given to Leicester for a handball, despite it seeming harsh, but Khalsa's goalkeeper was equal to his opponents strike and made a great save to ensure that the yellow and blue shirted side started things off with a slender win. I managed to find a perfect standing point during the second-half which allowed me to see the other game going on too and I just about saw a penalty go in for Punjab United meaning that they would snatch a 1-0 win over Sporting Bengal in front of the main pitch crowd.

Sporting Khalsa 1-0 Sporting Bengal United, Elite Venue, Pitch Two [Match Two of Three]

Match Two, which kicked-off at around 3:20pm and just half an hour after the first ended, would see Sporting Bengal approach Pitch Two with the aim of knocking Khalsa off their early perch at the top of the table. The battle of the two Sporting's was well and truly on. Bengal United, for those who don't know, are 25 years old in terms of being a football club and they are based in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. They play in the Essex Senior League and in their last complete season they got their best ever finish- 8th place. During the cancelled 2020/21 ESL they were 12th at the time of the league ending, but having played all of their games behind closed doors I suspect that like with many clubs they will do their best to comeback this season with a fresh and positive attitude to try and break back into the top-half this time around. To be honest, much like in the opening game, they more than held their own and although Khalsa took an early lead they weren't deterred at all. The favourites went ahead around the 8th minute after Ethan Jones powered his way through the Bengal wall of defenders. Khalsa 1-0 Bengal. Aside from the goal, there weren't many clear-cut chances in a cagey middle game and for me the highlight (if that's the word) was watching the rotund linesman make some staggering offside calls on the far side of the dugouts. Most of the game he stood with his arms folded looking like a spectator, but towards the end of the game I did actually work out that he genuinely was operating by a "one on, one off" system in which 50% of the time he gave an offside during an attack and the other half of the time he let play go on. I suppose nobody could argue he was biased, at least?

What a guy!

Over on the other pitch Nirvana beat Punjab 3-1 despite playing for the last 15 minutes with an outfielder in goal, meaning that with two games down Khalsa had 6 points, Nirvana and Punjab had 3, whilst Bengal sat on 0 despite only losing 0-1 both times. A point for Khalsa would secure the trophy heads back to Noose Lane.

Sporting Khalsa 3-1 Punjab United, The Steve Cook Stadium [Match Three of Three]

It seems weird to be so far into this Blog entry without actually talking about the ground, but as the first two games were over on the ressies pitch I thought I'd keep you all waiting. The Steve Cook Stadium is of course the main ground used by the tournament hosts and the best way I could describe the facility in one sentence is "well-loved, proudly run and full of character". Is it a fancy, newly developed ground? No. Does it have a great selection of seating or classic old concrete terracing? No. However, what it lacks in traditional non-league ground features that often leave us groundhoppers' mouths watering, it more than makes up for with its rustic charm and delightfully warm welcome. Everyone I spoke to from the club was wearing official club gear. All of the staff and volunteers were super easy to speak to. There was a distinct whiff of professionalism from the tannoy announcements throughout, and an even tastier whiff of the food on display at the red tin can style clubhouse. "Pride, Passion, Punjab" is the very bold mission statement of the club and whether it is the montage of pictures on the clubhouse wall, or the prominent club branding throughout the ground, you definitely know you are at Punjab United Football Club wherever you look around. The main stand on the right as you walk in to the stadium is "The Willy Miller Stand" and either side of that are a couple of other covered areas which thankfully didn't need to be used too much as the weather just about held off.

Reminds be a bit of Hullbridge Sports with its two side-by-side stands...

...100% does the job it needs to do!

I decided to try out the middle stand, which was a seated area of sorts. It had some large plastic rectangular panels tiering upwards to create an all-weather and easy to clean stand. The pictures I got don't particularly show it off very well, but it was absolutely fine to sit on and gave a decent view of the final game. Khalsa and Punjab got things underway at 5pm on the dot, knowing that the England vs Ukraine encounter was looming... and also celebratory pizza and beer!

Not that I need an excuse to celebrate... or have beer

For anybody not familiar with Punjab United, they are a Southern Counties East Premier Division side who finished 14th last season, albeit in a season that wasn't completed due to COVID-19. The Southern Counties is one of the few non-league divisions I don't know much about, and astonishingly this is only my second ground ticked off from this division. Fisher in the CONIFA World Cup in 2018 was my other. I suppose that as most of my trips to the South-East are to see family in Leigh-on-Sea, I don't get too many opportunities to cross the Dartford toll.

Note to self: Must do more Southern Counties grounds

Anyway the final game began and as with the second game, Khalsa didn't take long to take the lead and before even ten minutes had passed a strong Sporting side took the lead through James McGrady. Khalsa 1-0 Punjab. And with the Willenhall lads getting the "it's coming home" feeling they soon found themselves 2-0 up. Macca, who missed the second game, scored to keep up his 100% record in the tournament meaning that it would be almost impossible for Punjab to make a comeback and steal the title away. Khalsa 2-0 Punjab. By half-time it could have been double the score line that it was and the hosts were starting to seem very very tired. With the title seemingly in the bag, Khalsa rotated their players to try and keep things fresh and after a decent tournament it was one of the new lads, Cameron, who ran in from the right-wing, shrugged off a defender and then tucked home a great third goal. A great end for Khalsa, who managed six goals in their three hours of play. Khalsa 3-0 Punjab. Punjab didn't want to give up without a goal of their own though and they grabbed a consolation goal in the last ten minutes. In truth, they played their best stuff after this and could have even brought it back to within a goal. Khalsa 3-1 Punjab. On 'Pitch Two' the game ended all-square meaning that Leicester Nirvana would finish in second place, whilst Punjab United sat in third and Sporting Bengal fourth. Of course, with nine points from nine, Khalsa ended the game as champions and the scenes that followed were those that we all love in football. A trophy presentation, followed by lots of food and drink, then celebrations all the way back to the Midlands whilst watching England beat Ukraine 4-0 in the EURO semis.... all in a day's work for the mighty Sporting Khalsa Football Club.

Football really is coming home... to Willenhall!

As the trophy was presented, the Punjab United man on the mic rounded things off nicely by thanking all of the teams involved and the trophy seems destined to be contested again next year. All credit must go to the Punjab United people who ran the event flawlessly and I for one will be itching to get back over to Gravesend and see if Khalsa can retain their trophy in 2022. Well done to all clubs involved and best of luck to you all in your respective 2021/22 seasons. The real winner here was Non-League diversity.

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22/05/21 Review: Wakefield AFC vs Brighouse Town

Wakefield AFC 0-2 Brighouse Town (Yorkshire Trophy, Group A) The Millennium Stadium [Featherstone]

The long wait for my 200th ground finally came to an end last weekend as a trip to Featherstone in Yorkshire allowed me the chance to get to a match in a proper stadium. In pre-COVID days I had promised myself I'd do something really big for my 200th and had all sorts of ideas about where to go, but with all that has been going on in the world for the past year or so I was just grateful to be back out doing what I love for only the second time in 2021. Is the Featherstone Rovers rugby ground as exotic as a trip to Jamaica to watch Harbour View? Doubtful. Is West Yorkshire as beautiful as the Faroe Islands? Certainly not. But, with the restrictions currently in place I could not miss the opportunity to go to a proper stadium for my landmark outing and after weighing up a few National League options I decided that the Yorkshire Trophy had to be the best possible option. Wakefield versus Brighouse, let's be having it!

Oh yeah, the fair was also in town...

It's easy to forget what it's like to go to a busy match and as a result I almost forgot to buy a ticket, but after seeing on Wakey's Twitter that over 60% capacity had been reached I headed online to ensure that my two hour drive from Stafford wouldn't be for nothing. The last reasonably sized stadium I'd been to for a game was in February 2020 as I went to The Trico Stadium in Redditch and although Featherstone's Millennium Stadium is primarily a rugby stadium, it is also the home of Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League club Wakefield AFC. The club was formed in 2019 and although their usual league opponents would be more of the calibre of Dodworth Miners Welfare and Stocksbridge Park Steels Reserves, the Yorkshire Trophy has given the new club a chance to compete at the level they wish to soon aspire to be at as they took on Brighouse Town, who following the restructure are now three divisions higher in the pyramid. So far in the tournament, Wakey had lost 1-5 against Penistone Church of non-league's Step Five, whilst Brighouse had beat Church 1-0. This would mean that Wakefield needed an unexpected win by three goals or more against Brighouse to upset the odds and qualify for the Semi-Finals. My prediction was for a three goal victory, but not for the hosts- I went for a 4-1 prediction in favour of Brighouse.

Although ultimately it's not about the results, it's about footy being back

Recently I've found myself learning quite a bit about football in West Yorkshire and that has come from doing research for a podcast called 'Lost Clubs' which gave me and the other half of 'Pint of Football' (Tom) the chance to interview people involved in football in Ossett. Having spent the past couple of months learning about Ossett Albion, Ossett Town and how they merged to become Ossett United, I was now watching two teams that sit either side of them geographically.

Brighouse visitors had a 23 mile trip along the M62 for this game

As you can see from the picture, The Millennium Stadium is a beauty and offers a look at yet another great rugby stadium to add to my surprising collection of footy matches I've seen at rugby grounds. These range from a one-off game in Burton's Peel Croft all the way up to a French third-tier match at the beautiful Stade Raoul Barriére. Even the ground next door to my current place of work is a rugby ground, but it also gets used by Coventry United. For the record I'm not a fan of rugby, however I do admire a lot about the fan experience. I realise that football fans at the higher levels can't be trusted to stand-up or drink during a game because we're idiots and so to attend a game at a big ground and still have the perks of non-league football is a win-win for me. Plus, they were serving two-pinters and when you are in the mood to celebrate a landmark of grounds you have to take a moment to pat yourself on the back for picking a cracking place to watch the beautiful game.

Donning my Brid Town scarf too, just for good measure

The match started at 2pm meaning that I was on my way from Stafford by half 11. I arrived with twenty minutes or so to spare and with an attendance of almost 700 coming in to Featherstone I quickly ducked past the dodgems and entered ready for the game. Despite starting a few minutes later than advertised, I was grateful of the chance to grab myself a jumbo beer and find a good place to take the match in from and by the time I'd got settled we would be treated to an early goal which came after a really lively and end-to-end opening. I'm not sure if Wakefield were trying to deploy an offside trap or whether they were just slow to react, but their high-line was exposed as Jack Boyle raced into a one-on-one situation on the fifth minute and despite the best efforts of the home goalie the ball was deployed into his goal. Wakefield 0-1 Brighouse. Following the opener the game continued to be high-impact and I almost got an unwanted taste of the action myself as the ball bounced towards my big beer which was sat helpless on the seat next to me. Usually I wouldn't have been shy to attempt a header or a volley of the ball heading in my direction, but on this occasion I had to put my most prized possession first and I gave the crowd a great laugh as I jumped up, grabbed my beer and turned my back to the ball as it harmlessly bounced off an adjacent seat. I now finally understand how people who go to games with children feel.

That'll teach me for sitting down... over to the standing terrace for me!

An interesting fact about The Millennium Stadium that I was told by one of my friends who supports Featherstone Rovers is that one of the stands belonged to Scarborough FC's old McCain Stadium, which was the nearest Football League ground to me growing up in Flamborough Head. Something else that was interesting, depending on your definition, was when the fans started chanting "we all know the Ref wears a wig" during a long stoppage for a goalkeeper injury. The light-hearted official retaliated by giving a light tug on his head to prove them wrong. I'd like to think there is some history behind this bit of banter, but either way it certainly entertained me for a few moments whilst the injury was taken care of.

The only thing that could improve the situation would be a free face paint

As you'd expect after a long layoff due to COVID-19, the game was not only busy with fans and locals, but also with groundhoppers too. As I walked around the ground I noticed a guy wearing a Midland Football League jacket, a couple of lads discussing Cefn Druids football ground and the usual mishmash of football shirts from all reaches. I was wearing my Yorkshire CONIFA top to try and blend in with my fellow natives and I concluded my mooch about by stopping off at the food hut to see if I could pick up a delicious pie. Sadly, the pastries were all sold out and so I had to make do with a hot dog instead and in the meantime on the pitch Brighouse started to show their dominance. Right on the stroke of half-time Zephaniah Thomas showed a good turn of pace as he beat the on-rushing keeper to the ball, meaning that the Saint Kitts and Nevis international striker could give his team a bit of breathing space in time for the second-half. Always good to see an international player scoring and after looking at his career on Wiki page I was surprised to see how many clubs he'd played for. The highlight of course has to be Thunder Bay Chill! Wakefield 0-2 Brighouse.

Half-Time, meaning it's time to continue the tour of the ground

The second-half was pretty much more of the same with the majority of the big chances falling to Brighouse, but with the big difference in status between the two clubs I genuinely thought Wakefield gave it a right good go. The quality for the hosts up top wasn't great, but in terms of quality it didn't seem like a mismatch. Granted, Brighouse seemed to show greater fitness and could have grabbed a couple more in the second-half, but the same could be said for the hosts had their forwards been a bit more lethal. The best portion of the second-half for me was when both clubs brought on their respective number 16's, both left-wingers, and it added a whole new dynamic to the game. Brighouse's lad was exciting and pacey, cutting in on the right sometimes whilst taking it towards the corner flags at others. Meanwhile at the other end Wakefield's new introduction was a pure sprinter and he often outdid the Town right-back as he tried to inspire a comeback. In the end though it would remain 0-2 to the visitors in a result which sees the hosts of the Final give themselves a big chance to win the Yorkshire Trophy. Wakefield go out as the bottom team in the three team group, but rest assured they will be feeling proud at having taken on a team divisions higher than themselves and given them a close game. With football in West Yorkshire's non-league scene seemingly on the rise right now I think it's going to be an exciting time over there and I'll be keeping a close eye on how ambitious clubs like Ossett United and Wakefield AFC get on. Could we one day see a Wakefield based EFL club?

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03/04/21 Review: Wyrley Juniors Reserves vs Milton United Development

Wyrley Juniors Reserves 0-2 Milton United Development (Men Unite Division Two League Cup) Long Lane Park, Juniors

It's sad to think that we're a quarter of the way through 2021 and this is my first outing to a game this year, but in this sick and twisted COVID-19 world we live in you've gotta take any opportunity you can to see a game and with the return of the grassroots game my chance to get out of the house for a couple of hours was down at Great Wyrley's Long Lane Park. The big match on display was a County Cup game between Wyrley Juniors Reserves and Milton United's Development team. A proper Easter weekend treat and for me also a belated birthday celebration as I'd turned 30 the day before.

I wonder where the club get their players from... 

Although technically spectators aren't allowed to attend matches yet, I was grateful to be taking advantage of the fact the game today was being played in a public field and so I arrived at Long Lane Park ready to sit at a picnic bench and watch the football unfold next to me. All that was missing was a picnic, but thankfully I thought ahead and brought my own beer. For anyone who has been to watch a game on Long Lane, you may well have done what I did and find out the hard way that there are two grounds on the same road, separated only by a railway bridge and Mercia Way. When I first arrived at the ground I parked up in the busy looking car park and started walking towards the pitch. Despite the fact that there were plenty of people knocking about and the atmosphere felt very footbally, something didn't quite seem right. My suspicions were quickly confirmed as a player wearing a Sikh Hunters shirt approached me and asked who I was looking for. I just said "Wyrley" and was then told to head two-hundred yards down the road and turn right. Surely enough, the lad was right and I arrived in the right place. Considering I had an almost three hour journey by public transport to my last game at Malvern Town, a two hundred yard detour in a car was nothing to moan about in the slightest.

No complaints at all from me

The day's game would be the return of football for both sides and so when it came to making my usual pre-match prediction I really had no idea what to expect. Putting my finger into the windy Wyrley air, I decided to guess for a 2-1 home win between these two second-string sides. Before the Staffs Leagues were curtailed, Wyrley's ressies sat seventh in Division Two having won three and lost three from their 2020 campaign. Their Stoke-on-Trent opponents hadn't managed a win in the league season, gaining two draws and three defeats in their five games, but I suppose the morale of the story I'd learn from this outing is never underestimate a team who are based at the "Hardman Centre". Juniors lined-up with a very young looking squad and I expect that the club uses this branch to give some of their former youth team players the chance to play competitive football with the aim of eventually joining the first team. If that's the case I think it's a very good system for a village like Great Wyrley as many players between 16 and 21 in rural areas often end up giving up on the game or moving straight into pub leagues. Being from the tiny village of Flamborough Head in East Yorkshire I know all about the challenges of pub football and that's the route I went down, but had there been a Reserves/Development club in the village I may well have continued playing with similar aged players rather than being a substitute in a team littered with old alcoholics.

Game time!

As a resident of Stafford it saddens me to say that I haven't been to as many Staffs County League matches as I'd hoped, with Ashbourne FC in pre-season 2020 being my last groundhop in the SCL, but as previous readers will know I do enjoy a county level game as much as the higher reaches of non-league and I'm certainly not a snob about sitting in a cold field to get my football fix. As I've eluded to earlier in the write-up, the ground isn't much more than a fenced-off pitch with a couple of subs benches and seats dotted around one edge, whereas from what I could see of the ground I stumbled on before I think they had a bit more of a substantial stand. I suppose I'll have to give it a go another time, but for now I was here to make the most of the day. The clubhouse was closed, but at least they had decent bogs which was an absolute blessing.

What more could you ask for?

With around 30 other people from the clubs ready to see what the match action would bring, we all watched and observed the one minute silence before the match and shortly after half past two the ball got rolling. Both sides had decent spells in the first-half but without creating too many early chances, however I did remind myself why you never stand behind the goal at a game at this level because naturally you end up being the ballboy. I was happy to help out Wyrley's keeper for the first three or four wayward shots but it soon grew tiring and I decided to carry on walking around the outskirts of the pitch to a less demanding area. Although the football wasn't electrifying, it was at least end-to-end and for every well-worked Wyrley move there was a direct counter always waiting and ready to pounce from Milton. United's kit, it has to be said, is also worth a shout out as it is a truly stunning design. The blue socks and shirt are complemented by a navy set of shorts, but the highlight for me is the badge which is stylishly printed into the bottom part of the shirt, making it standout much like quite a few grassroots clubs have started to try and do these days.

A bit of pressure from Milton during the first-half

The game continued to be closely fought but just after the half-hour mark the hosts fell behind moments after making an early couple of substitutions, as Milton's number 15 opened the scoring. Their right-winger did well to keep the ball in after run down the side, before crossing it to his striker and he took a touch before firing home with a tidy, firm finish. My first goal of 2021, but definitely not the last. Wyrley 0-1 Milton. As half-time approached, there was a crazy end to proceedings as the referee found himself needing to make a very big decision. A Milton player was judged to have taken down his opponent as he ran through on goal and with that there were two things to think about. Was it a red card? And was it a penalty? Initially, the man in the middle looked to have given a spot kick, but he was shouted over by one of his linesmen who then instructed him to go and speak to the other linesman and confirm whether it was in or outside of the box! After a good couple of minutes he eventually called for a free-kick, but did decide that the foul was made by the last defender and therefore produced the red card. Milton's defender took his anger out on the Wyrley goal frame and then again on the dugout, but as well as the light destruction there was also a few rounds of verbals between a couple of the Wyrley folk and the dismissed defender. As with many abusive exchanges, it was quickly ruled out as banter and the game restarted, with Wyrley unable to make the most of their set piece. This meant that the visitors led at the break, but would have to dig deep to hold on with ten men.

A big second-half needed from Juniors

Much like the first-half, the second was fairly end-to-end despite Wyrley having an extra man. As you'd expect, most of the key chances fell to the hosts but unfortunately for them they just couldn't hit the target. Perhaps it would have been a much higher scoring affair had it not been for a lack of match sharpness, but it certainly felt as though Juniors should have at least been testing the keeper more. Credit where its due though and United played out their match plan to perfection. The Stokies sat back, kept calm and when the time was right they doubled their lead on the break and made sure that they would put all of the pressure on the home side. Wyrley 0-2 Milton. I had the pleasure of being joined by my friend Faye for the final half an hour of the game but sadly even the support from a local didn't make the difference and we drew to a close with Milton taking the win. I overheard the Milton gaffer giving his post-match team talk from the pitch and he summarised it perfectly by praising his side's ability to keep calm and disciplined due to being a man light. A good performance all-round, job done for Milton and disappointment on this occasion for Wyrley.

It's good to be back- cheers Long Lane Park!