20 November 2012 - Parkgate v Nostell Miners Welfare

"Women Of Parkgate"

Competition : NCEL Premier Division

Result : Parkgate 6 Nostell Miners Welfare 1

Attendance : 70

"Men Of Parkgate"

Ian Banks

Player at Barnsley, Leicester City, Huddersfield Town, Bradford City, West Bromwich Albion, Rotherham United, Darlington & Emley AFC.

"Parkgate Go Close .... "

"The Oldest BallBoy In The NCEL?"

Parkgate Go 5-1 Up....

"Bruce Bickerdyke"

Parkgate FC - Secretary

"Memorial Benches"

"Wire Mesh & Netting"

The wire-mesh is there to keep the tea-bar volunteers safe from wild clearances and missed opportunites.

The netting to save the ball boy from journeys retrieving the stray clearances and wasted chances!

"Eagles"

Parkgate v Nostell Miners Welfare

Match Day Programme

"Main Cover Photograph" .... from 'No Clash Of Colours' 

*****

Match Report

Parkgate 6 Nostell Miners Welfare 1 (Parkgate)

All Photography : ©fotografica137

Website Links To Both Clubs In The NCEL Panel At The Side

Click On Any Photograph To Open A Slideshow

25 November 2012 - My Hero, My Inspiration

ERIC TAYLOR

Penistone & District 

League Winner

1955 - 56

*****

Everyone in football, no matter what level, has someone they can say was their major influence in becoming a player, supporter, official, journalist, photographer etc etc ...

This is for our late uncle who passed away just over a decade ago. Today is his birthday, 25 November.

He is the reason why I and my brother, started off in this love affair with "The Beautiful Game".

He took me to my first ever match, encouraged me to become a goalkeeper, although I never played higher than the ranks of Sunday League, I knew he was as proud of me as he was on that first ever visit to Bramall Lane. We travelled with him up and down the football league, mainly down at first, but then up in the late 1980s and early 1990s. We shared the sweet victories, the bitter defeats, the anecdotes with him until his passing away.

It took me a few years to return to Bramall Lane, on my first visit back I made a point of sitting in the seat he had for years as a season ticket holder. Happiness and sadness all in ninety minutes, so much so that I can't recall who the match was against.

We miss his love, his gentle nature and his company.

The trophy he won back in 1956 sits proudly on a shelf at home, he was goalkeeper in the team that won the Penistone & District League in the 1955-56 season. I will be researching this season for a future feature in this blog.

Everyone who reads this, will have someone in their life who is an "Uncle Eric".

This is also dedicated to those people, that special person who influenced you as I was back in the late 70's.

For Uncle Eric ...

For mine, for ours, for yours ...

****************** 

18 November 2012 - Arundel ESC v Haynook Maltby

"Sunday League Football"

Competition : Sheffield & Hallamshire Sunday Senior Cup 4

Result : Arundel ESC 3 v Haynook Maltby 0

Attendance : 23

Venue : Frecheville CA : Silkstone Road, Frecheville, Sheffield.

"Ref ... No Liners"

A one man affair on Sunday mornings across the country...

Frecheville CA - Sports Ground

Cricket & Football Share the same facilities, the cricket ground is to the right.

"Where's Walley"

"Best View In The Ground"

"Taking Away The Goals"

"Arundel ESC players do their obligatory after-match routine of taking down the goalposts until the next match. You'll not see this at Old Trafford, Anfield, Goodison Park, Bramall Lane ....

 "Deterrent"

The goalposts, padlocked to the stand ... 

"The Long Walk Back"

It doesn't feel as tiring today for the players of Arundel ESC, as a 3-0 victory over Haybrook Maltby sees them easily through to the next round of the Sunday Senior Cup.

"Come In No.2"

Last Man in ... brings back the corner flags.

"The Dugouts"

Looking like a scene from a Prisoner of War Camp ... the high wire fencing is to keep the homes in the background safe from stray clearances, not criminals.

All over, the players have gone home, another week of solitude, to be battered by the wind and rain, padlocked to the stand... 

Key ring to the Official's Changing Room ... is it an "Old Key" or an "Old Official" ?

*****

No Match Reports

All Photography : ©fotografica137

No Club Links

Click On Any Photograph To Open A Slideshow

*****

Dedicated to the 1000s of Sunday League Players ... playing for the love, not the money.

17 November 2012 - Retford United v Scarborough Athletic

 Stuart...

Retford United supporter, turnstile operator, club volunteer and club flag designer (amongst other things) ... Stands proudly with the flag that he designed and paid for himself ...

Competition : Northern Counties East League - Premier Division

Result : Retford United 2 Scarborough Athletic 3

Attendance : 221

Cannon Park

Only the floodlights are visible from Leverton Road... in rural Nottinghamshire.

Cannon Park

"Home Of The Badgers"

"Today's Teams"

Teamsheet pinned onto The Badger's Sett (ClubShop)

Rudy Funk

Scarborough Athletic Manager

Jennifer & Teddy The Dog

The Home Dug Out

"The Back Pitch"

Ball Boys slip through a hole in the back of the terrace wall to retrieve any mishit shot or clearance.

The Back Pitch II

An autumnal golden sun lights up the training pitch at Cannon Park as storm clouds gather in the distance.

"0-2 down .... "

"Seadogs", that's the nickname of Scarborough Athletic, not a description of these Scarborough Athletic supporters I may add, have seen it all before. Their club, 0-2 down after just thirteen minutes.

"Half-Time Raffle"

Winning the meat raffle may console the Scarborough Athletic supporters after an abject first half performance. Little did they know what was to follow in the next forty-five minutes! 

"Half-Time"

Retford United players walk off 2-0 ahead, the Scarborough Athletic players knowing what's going to happen in the dressing room ... 

"Rudy... Roberto.."

Scarborough Athletic manager, Rudy Funk wearing the Seadogs colours, has a "word" at half time with the match officials. 

"A Reflective Sunset"

Movember with Jon Knight

Jon Knight

Retford United club photographer ... see link to the match photographs.

Golden Sunset Over Cannon Park

Migrating birds ... as The Seadogs tear into The Badgers and go level at 2-2

Golden Sunset Over Cannon Park II

"Food For Thought" ... 

For this Scarborough Athletic supporter ...

Home Shirt, Pie and NCEL Club Badges...

"Clank"

residing in Retford, follows The Badgers and The Blades.

Reminisced about the days of Len Badger, Tony Currie, Alan Woodward, fell out the Football League direction and now regularly attends Cannon Park and Retford United away games. 

Prophetic words ... "The reason why the Football League clubs don't publicise the local non-league scene is simply because of fear.  A fear that stems from the belief that once "their" supporters taste the non-league football scene, they'll stay there and won't return to highly inflated admission prices, pampered celebrity, front page tabloid footballers, because what they see at non league, is honest football, played for little or no financial rewards.  You can stand at Retford, have a drink in the clubhouse, smoke on the terraces, things that the working class supporter has done for years at football grounds up and down the country on a Saturday afternoon from 3.00pm onwards"  

Stuart & Peter

*****

Match Reports

Retford United 2 Scarborough Athletic 3 (Scarborough Athletic)

Retford United 2 Scarborough Athletic 3 (Retford United - Club News)

Retford United 2 v Scarborough Athletic 3 (Match Action Photography)

Photography from Jon Knight - Retford United FC - Official Photographer

Retford United 2 v Scarborough Athletic 3 (Scarborough Evening News)

Retford United 2 v Scarborough Athletic 3 (Worksop Guardian)

VIDEO : Ryan Blott (Scarborough Athletic) - Free Kick : 2-2

All Photography : ©fotografica137

Website Links To Both Clubs In The NCEL Panel At The Side

Click On Any Photograph To Open A Slideshow

15 November 2012 - Sheffield FC (U19) v Worksop Town (U19)

Competition : Baris North Midland Under-19 League

Result : Sheffield FC 1 v Worksop Town 3

Attendance : not given

"The Main Stand"

Pre Kick Off

"The Main Stand"

After The Final Whistle

"Members Board"

Members Board .... In Detail

"Spot the Blades Legend"

"No Electronic Scorebaord or TV"

A cry back to bygone days when scores were put up by young kids or overcoated men.

"Home 1 Away 3"

The end of the scoring for the scorer at The Coach & Horses

 "Snack Bar - Second Half"

Rarely seen at a Football League match, food available in the second half, right up until full time.

"Warm Down"

A victorious Worksop Town U19 team warm down after a convincing victory.

"The Remaining Few"

Consisting of parents, relations and officials, waiting to congratulate or commiserate.

"Closed"

When the match is over, the supporters all gone, time to board up the 

food kiosk window and go home.

Keep Off The Bank

"Behind The Dug-Outs"

"The Hanging Baskets"

The Best View In The Stadium?

From outside the turnstile at Sheffield FC

Note the admission prices and compare to Football League/Premier League.

"Our Next Home Game"

30 seconds before the lights went out!

*****

Match Statistics - (Sheffield FC)
Match Report - Worksop Town (Website)

All Photography : ©fotografica137

Website Links To Both Clubs In The Evo-Stik Panels At The Side

Click On Any Photograph To Open A Slideshow