Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup - SF (16/02/2016 19:45)

Tonight was my thirteenth Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup match of the season and it involved two teams that I saw in their respective quarter-final games, Gresley (tier 8) and Alfreton Town (tier 6). For which team would '13' be unlucky? And which team would be meeting Belper Town (my 'Road to the Final' team) in the final?
The Gresley player manager impressed when he came on against Pinxton in the quarter-final and we were lucky to see him play tonight. He was red-carded in Gresley's previous match for responding badly to some alleged racial abuse in Leek in which he climbed into the crowd to confront the alleged racist.
I took the trip to Gresley's Moat Ground in South Derbyshire with my Rams supporting father and Forest supporting family friend and we stood near the dugouts.
With the home advantage and a bobbly pitch Gresley didn't look like a team two tiers below the visitors. Gresley started more brightly and deserved to take the lead on 19 minutes. A lovely deep cross-field ball to the right found Smyth who went passed his defender and drilled his shot low passed the 'keeper's right hand and inside the far post.
Alfreton's equalised came against the run of play when Jackson's glancing header, from a corner, found its way through a crowd of players.
Gresley were unlucky to go into the break level but were lucky to still have 11 men on the pitch mid-way through the second-half after a dangerous challenge left an Alfreton player rolling on the ground. Shortly after, the Gresley 'keeper fumbled a pass back, allowing Leesley an easy tap in.
Gresley almost got a last gasp equaliser when the Alfreton 'keeper looked to have simply fumbled a routine 'up and under', under pressure. The referee, however, saw it as a foul.
So, Gresley were unlucky and Belper Town will take on Alfreton Town in the final.

Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup - SF (10/02/2016 19:45)

Tonight I found out which, of Heanor Town or Belper Town, became my 'Road to the Final' finalists. This match was the fifth in an unbroken chain of matches and I seem to have come full-circle with Belper being the common denominator. The five games being:

R1 Belper Utd. 3 - 0 Gamesley
R2 Belper Utd. 2 - 3 Heanor Town
R3 Heanor Town 4 - 0 New Mills
QF Heanor Town 2 - 1 Stapenhill
SF Heanor Town v Belper Town

The match also marked my twelfth game in this season's competition.
I met up with a fellow Ram to watch this game and inside the ground I bumped into Groundhopper Chris who questioned my choice in wearing my Belper Town scarf. I had to explain that in 2014 I watched all the Derbyshire teams that played in the top 8 tiers of English football, at home, in league action, buying a scarf from each. I did reassure him that should Heanor make it to the final I would buy a Heanor scarf... but sadly, it wasn't to be.
Although Belper play in a league one step up from Heanor, there wasn't a gulf in class at all. This very local derby was very tight throughout as well as being competitive and combative, as you would well expect. The bumper crowd of over 300 enjoyed it too, especially the visitors.
Things started brightly for Heanor. A ball from right to left was met sweetly on the half-volley and all the Belper 'keeper could do was to palm the ball onto the head of Demidh, in the middle of the 18 yard box, who nodded it back past the keeper.
Belper soon had the game level. A shot from 19 yards in a central position was cruelly deflected to the 'keeper's left.
Soon after the break Belper took the lead. Some good work on the left found Steadman who, from a 10 yard angle, calmly passed the ball into the far corner of the net.
And 2:1 to the Nailers it stayed.
I shall see Belper Town in the final but I am sure that I will see the Lions again at some point.

Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup - QF (02/02/2016 19:45)

This evening would include a first - the first time I had seen Pinxton FC.
Tier 11 Pinxton had done remarkably well in getting so far in this competition. Their trip to Buxton in the previous round saw them knock out the tier 7 'Bucks', with the reward, tonight, of playing tier 8 Gresley at the Moat Ground. A plum semi-final tie awaited the winner, the chance to entertain tier 6 Alfreton Town who I had seen demolish Long Eaton United in their quarter-final two weeks earlier.
I took the relatively short trip to a bitterly cold South Derbyshire with my pin-badge collecting companion to witness this quarter-final clash. Prior to kick off my companion added the Gresley FC pin badge to his collection, whereas I was more concerned with my stomach and pie and chips.
The first half hour was a rather dull and cagey affair but no sooner had I said to my companion "I think it is going to be a long night with extra time", Gresley scored. Number 9, Guy, weaved his way through the middle, rounded the keeper and slotted the ball home. Pinxton were back level shortly before half-time. Gresley were unable to defend a short corner and as the ball bounced around the box a Pinxton attacker was able to latch onto it to bury it from 18 inches out.
The second-half started a lot more brightly that the first and Gresley began to show their class. Smyth grabbed a brace. His first came from a cross from the right and a calm header in the centre of the goal and the second came from a left wing cross which he sweetly crashed home from 14 yards.
Ball completed the rout in the 79th minute when he met a left wing cross from 7 yards out.

Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup - QF (19/01/2016 19:45)

After our failed mission to see the third round between Alfreton Town and Whaley Bridge, myself and my pin badge collecting companion were back at the Impact Arena to witness Alfreton's quarter-final tie against Long Eaton United.
I had travelled to Long Eaton on the previous Saturday to watch United play a league game, only to find out, as soon as I had arrived, that the game had been postponed due to a frozen pitch.
Arriving at the game I met Chris the Groundhopper who informed me that Alfreton had put out a very strong team. It soon became apparent that tier 6 Alfreton were going to be too good for tier 9 Long Eaton.
United were limited to a few a long range attempts and the didn't really look like troubling the Town 'keeper. Alfreton on the other hand should have really threatened double figures but a 6:0 victory was a fair return on the night.
Smith completed his hat trick just after the break, each goal involving a lovely turn on the edge of the box and a sweet finish. Goal number four came from Robertson whose good control with his chest set himself up for a chance that he riffled home. The last two came from the nippy Jackson. The first, he latched on to a through ball down the centre and calmly slotted home, the second was via a good cross from the right to the far post and he was given a golden chance from the head of his colleague who nodded the ball into his path six yards out.
My pin badge collecting companion added the new Town 'King Alfred' pin badge to his collection and was amazed to see some pin badges from obscure Northwest outfits including Squires Gate and Wyre Villa.

Derbyshire FA Senior Challenge Cup - QF (12/01/2016 19:45)

The most prestigious game in Whaley Bridge's history lasted just 66 minutes on 12th December. Their 3rd round County Cup game against Alfreton Town was abandoned due to unplayable conditions and was then rescheduled for 22nd December. That re-match was postponed as a result of a waterlogged pitch, as was the subsequent rescheduled game on the 5th January (I actually drove their on the night to find the ground dark and closed).
The game was then re-scheduled for 12th January, the night when the quarter-finals were due to be played.
Alfreton Town v. Whaley Bridge was a 'road to the final' game, having seen Hilton beat Dronfield and then Whaley Bridge beat Hilton, but because of the fixture clash with another 'road to the final' game, Heanor's match against Stapenhill, a tough choice had to be made.
I chose to watch Heanor.
I had seen Belper Utd.'s win in the first round and then Heanor's victory over them in round two. I then travelled to the Town ground to see the Lions beat a very poor New Mills team in the third round. Tonight I travelled alone (as my usual companions were otherwise engaged watching Derby County and Nottingham Forest respectively) to see Heanor entertain Stapenhill.
Tier 10 Stapenhill put up a great performance against Tier 9 Heanor who, due to suspensions and experimentation, fielded a weaker team than normal. The Swans can consider themselves very unlucky to lose 2:1 as they very much looked like equals on this performance.
Although Heanor were up by two goals early on in the game (a mazy run by Cooper taking the ball to the left of the keeper and finishing calmly and a freekick converted by Debrouwer from the edge of the box) Stapenhill were always in the game. The Swans could have easily gone into the break 2:2 had it not been for the woodwork which was struck twice.
Stapenhill got a goal back shortly after half-time. A good ball was played through the middle and Ellerton took the ball on a few yards further before placing the ball passed the onrushing keeper.
Stapenhill's big chance to square the game came mid-way through the second-half. A cross from the right was timidly met at the far post and a soft header was put wide as the goal gaped. And 2:1 it finished.
"Are you Sinfinista?" a club Heanor club official asked me prior to half-time (it's always good to know that people read your Tweets). "Yes" I replied, and so began a conversation with him and his companion Chris, a fellow Groundhopper. Chris is actually '@GroundhopUK' a full-time sports fan / Groundhopping organiser / writer. I learnt that there is an organised trip to Serbia coming up. This interested me as that is one European country that I haven't yet seen a game in. I will be staying in touch.

For information Alfreton beat Whaley Bridge 3:1.

Old Games Revisited - A Special One

I thought it an idea to include in this blog, from time to time, some details of European matches that I had previously been to. Here is the first.
José Mário dos Santos Mourinho Félix, better known as José Mourinho, has previously described himself as 'the special one' due to his outstanding record as a manager for numerous world renowned football clubs but, at the time of writing, one can see that there is nothing 'special' about being sacked as manager of a team that is lying 16th in the English top flight.
Although José is more famous as a manager he did play the game professionally and one of the clubs he played for was Lisbon's Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses. Myself and my father paid a visit to Lisbon in late 2013 to watch two Portuguese Primeira Liga matches.
The story started on the Friday before the Sunday matches. Myself and my father dropped our bags at the hotel and made our way to Sporting Lisbon's ground to obtain tickets for our second game and then we headed to Belem via the Metro and local train on a reconnaissance mission for our first game. We took photos of both stadiums knowing we would have to leave our large cameras behind on match day.
Belenenses' ground, the Estádio do Restelo, afforded spectacular views over the Tagus River, 25th April Bridge, The National Sanctuary of Christ the King and Jerónimos Monastery. An elderly club official spotted us taking snaps and guided us inside the ground itself to take further photographs. 
On the match day itself we retraced our steps and had a look at the local flea market before heading up the hill to the ground. Getting there very early we were informed, at the ticket office we thought we could get our tickets from, that we could only get tickets there if we were members. We were told to get our tickets from the office at the top of the hill marked 'for away fans'. Thankfully we weren't placed with the away fans. I picked out a nice scarf from the table outside the ground and paid the old scarf seller's wife the 5 euro note required. Match and scarf together came to 18 Euros.  Belenenses matched Gil Vicente, the visitors, throughout, even after they were down to 10 men following Fredy's red carded for dangerous play (he left an opponent rolling on the floor holding his face). Matt Jones, the home team's 'keeper from Stoke on Trent, had a good game and made a world class save at one point.
A final result of 0:0 seemed a fair result between these teams of a tier 3 English standard.
After the match we strolled down the hill with the other 3,244 fans, got the train and then the Metro and headed toward the Estadio Jose Alvalade for our second game of the day, Sporting Lisbon vs. Pacos de Ferreira.

  

Manc' Rant

"Wouldn't it be great if Salford City beat Hartlepool and we get to play them in the FA Cup?" a fellow Ram asked me in rhetorical fashion. My response was not full of expletives but I am sure that you would have forgiven me if it were. My reaction was quite negative and I'll try to explain why. We'll start at the beginning.
Manchester is a fantastic city of culture and importance. My favourite musical acts hail from that great city, those being namely The Smiths, Joy Division and New Order. As such you will understand that I am not anti-Manchester. Neither am I anti-Manchester United per-se. It is great that football fans from Manchester and the immediate area have a fantastic club to support.
"As you are from Bristol and you are a football fan, are you Rovers or City?" I asked a colleague. "Neither, Manchester United" he replied. And here is the crux of the issue.
Some football 'fans' are supporting teams (usually by buying merchandise, rather than actually going to games) that contribute nothing to their place of abode or birth. Local clubs, whether they be small or large, are active in the local community, developing the football skills of youngsters and undertaking charitable works etc. So why would one give money to a club that does nothing for the place you call home?
I understand that one likes to watch good football, but to call oneself a 'fan' of a particular team that you have no connection with, just because they are successful, is beyond me. I am not a psychologist but people do seem to like being associated with success. This is playground mentality, "my dad is bigger than your dad" kids say in school. Some outgrow this, some never say this and some continue to have this mentality by being 'fans' of successful teams that they have no connection with.
Every year dozens, if not hundreds, of small local community based football clubs disappear because of lack of funds. The 'glory-hunter fans' don't care. As long as they have the new £80 shirt of 'their team' that's all that matters, as they can stroll around demonstrating to others that they are associated 'personally' with success. I would prefer to spend the £80 going to several non-league games, buying a pie and a programme, knowing that that money is going to a club that is working in the local community with kids and youth teams and the like. In any case, in many ways non-league matches are more enjoyable an experience than big Premier League games. Many people have written about this and so I will leave that there.
In this way football 'brands' have developed while the grassroots suffer. It is the issue of the Manchester United 'brand' which is troublesome in this case.
When the Glazer's took over Manchester United some of the team's followers protested and went to the extreme length of setting up a new football club, FC United of Manchester. In this way they were showing loyalty to the Manchester United 'brand' but not it's roots. It's roots lie in a team called Newton Heath. Newton Heath was one of two clubs founded at the locomotive-building works of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, the other team being Horwich Railway Mechanics Institute FC. Horwich RMI became Leigh RMI. Newton Heath became Manchester United. One can clearly see that Leigh RMI is (was) the true sister club of Manchester United.
Leigh RMI was struggling financially at the time of the Glazer's takeover of Manchester United but instead of the Manchester United 'fans' supporting their sister club they allowed it to struggle on and decline into the obscurity of the South Lancashire Counties Football League Premier Division as Leigh Genesis. Well, at least as they have two clubs with Manchester and United in their names to cheer for.
Another Manchester United 'brand' spin-off is the celebrity football club known as Salford City. A Singaporean businessman and investor and five former Manchester United players own the Northern Premier League club with the ambition of making it a Tier 2 team. Pumping in money and attracting the home grown players from other local teams is a way to do this.
One sees that they don't want to make it a Premier League team as that would mean they would actually have to compete in the league against the real Manchester United.
Because of the celebrity status of the owners of the club the BBC thought it fitting to do a TV documentary about it.
So, it won't be great if Salford City beat Hartlepool and we get to play them in the FA Cup.
1) I don't want my home town team associated with a Manchester United 'brand' spin-off;
2) I would hope that we get to play a good old fashioned real team; and
3) Derby County and Hartlepool(s) United share a common bond, the genius management duo of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor.