'Moorways' of watching football in Derby. Allenton United.

Two-thirds of the Moorways sports facilities in Derby lie redundant / mothballed.  The indoor sports complex and swimming pool regularly feature in the local newspaper as examples of the Labour council's ineptitude. Only the athletics stadium and the adjacent parks football pitches are currently being used. I watched the UK athletics championship at the stadium in the late 80s. The only thing I can recall from the day was the name of a Scottish sprinter, Elliot Bunney. Naturally, because of this, our pet rabbit was given the name Elliot.

A few weeks ago I bumped into the Allenton United coaching staff at Moorways as myself and my father were hunting for a local game to watch (like many matches on that particular day the game was called off for a waterlogged surface). The assistant coach told be how this was going to be the final season for the Allenton team as they were going to concentrate of the kids and youth set-ups. I thought it only fitting to try to get to a game before they were wound up.

Allenton play in the Midlands Regional Alliance (tier 12). It is a league for teams in the East Derbyshire, South Derbyshire, East Staffordshire and Northwest Leicestershire area and is a feeder league for the Central Midlands League. The league could be considered the 'premier standard' of parks football. Any attempt to become 'tier 11' requires demonstration of being a 'club' as opposed to being 'just a team'. Tier 11 requires a recognisable 'club' structure which includes dedicated facilities and pitch. Allenton have actually played in the higher league but the pressures of support and funding have not been kind to them and they have never been able to grow as they would have liked.

At the time of writing Allenton could be ranked as the 7th team (who play home matches) in Derby. They sit behind Derby County, Mickleover Sports, Borrowash Victoria, Belper United, Graham Street Prims and Mickleover RBL. This being the case, seeing today's game meant that I would have seen all seven top Derby teams play home football games.

Today (11/03/2017) Allenton (2nd) took on Shirebrook Rangers (7th) on an adjacent pitch to the Moorways Stadium. It was nice to see the stadium itself being used for a local under 16's footballing cup final.

The game itself was 'agricultural' (with 3 players having to limp off) but Allenton were deserving of their 3:1 win. Their standout players were the number 9 who started out up front and ended up on the left, the number 10 who held and played the ball off well, the number 7 who ran and ran and got stuck in and the little number 12 who came on as a substitute up front - one could tell that he had played at a higher standard at his pomp.

There were some dubious and lenient decisions made by the referee. Two of those were made at the score of 0:0 in the first-half. The first was when the Shirebrook striker was played through, and as he bore down on goal was clattered from behind, nineteen yards out. The decision? Yellow card. A sending of at any higher standard would be expected. Another dubious decision was when the referee assumed the Shirebrook 'keeper had handled outside the box. He actually ignored the better placed linesman who told him that the goalkeeper had not committed a foul.

The four goals (all in the second-half ) are described thus:

1:0 Allenton's number 9 picked up the ball on the left and, cutting inside and passing a defender, fired his shot from the corner of the 18 yard box across the 'keeper and into the bottom corner of the net.

2:0 The aging number 12 calmly slotted home from inside the 6 yard box, past the 'keepers left hand at the near post.

2:1 A simple ball over the top of the Allenton defence was chased down by the number 11, after beating the offside trap. The striker nicely clipped the ball past the onrushing 'keeper from the edge of the box.

3:1 A lovely through pass from number 10 into the box was met by the number 6, and 8 yards after beating a defender, slotted the ball home.

Today was an interesting experience. It was good to be able to compare tiers 11 and 12. Watching tier 12 games, however, is not something that I shall be pursuing as a matter of course.

Swanwick Pentrich Road 2, FC Bolsover 3 - AET (08/03/17 20:00) - Road to the Cup Final (QF Stage)

Tonight was the next step on the road to the Central Midlands Football League Challenge Cup (sponsored by Buckingham Insurance) Final. Having seen The Swans dispatch Askern in Round 1 and Holbrook in Round 2 a more difficult challenge awaited them, a game against league championship chasers', FC Bolsover, in the Quarter-Final.

This Black Dragon League South vs. North (and Derbyshire derby) clash was due to be played at The Swans' Highfield Road ground but inclement weather in February caused postponements. In order to complete the fixture the game was rearranged and switched to Shirebrook Town's Langwith Road ground, only for the original date to be scuppered by a faulty boiler. Thankfully, tonight, the match was eventually played, at its fifth time of asking; although there was a delay of 15 minutes because Swanwick forgot to bring their kit with them.

The rearranging of the fixture here also meant that I returned to the scene where I had completed my challenge of seeing all 37 Derbyshire football teams that feature in the top 11 tiers of English football.

Myself and my father were joined by forty or so other hardy souls (and later on a mouse scurrying around our feet in the stand) and we were all thoroughly entertained by this 120 minute spectacle. The forty or so fans included a photographer who snapped away at the Bolsover players throughout the game, his flash blinking like a strobe in a disco.

Swanwick's display could be considered as being gritty and determined whereas Bolsover had a little more class about them, especially the tricky numbers 7 and 8 who liked to take players on using nice dips of the shoulders and their skilful footwork. Bolsover's big number 9 again led the line well, and, in the end, it was his goals that decided the game.

Bolsover took the lead midway in the first half. The number 9 chased down a ball played up the right-hand channel and from the corner of the box thundered a shot which crashed of the crossbar, down, and into the net. I hope the photographer managed to capture the goal for posterity.

Swanwick got a deserved equaliser shortly afterwards as the persistent number 9 made use of a lucky bounce and some nice control, which took him past a defender in the Bolsover box, allowing him to tuck the ball past the 'keeper from 14 yards.

1:1 at half-time was a fair score line. During the interval four Bolsover substitutes practiced their shooting. Two balls were lost over the fence behind the goal, one of which got stuck in the top branches of a tree.

Swanwick made the brighter start to the second half and deservedly took the lead following a brilliantly whipped in cross from the right which was met in the 6 yard box by the number 11.

An injury to Swanwick's pugnacious and nippy number 11 caused the bench to reshuffle the front line. The influential number 9 was played out of his best position to make way for a target man substitute. The changes didn't work and the attacking prowess showed by Swanwick before, was lost. The incentive was handed back to Bolsover.

Bolsover chased their equaliser in the dying seconds of the 90 minutes (as myself and my father made our way slowly to the exit) and after creating a number of chances they finally took one of them. A ball through the middle was slotted away calmly by the striker from a central position, 13 yards out.

Bolsover dominated extra time and the winning goal came from a ball over the top for the big number 9 to chase. From the edge of the box he place the ball underneath the 'keeper.

As we left we were asked by a man at the adjacent social club "did Bowzer win?" Yes. Bolsover did win. Roll on the semi-final! I am still following a Derbyshire team.

Belper United 1, Graham Street Prims 1 (02/01/2017 13:45) - Anderson Electrical (Problems) Arena

I watched Belper United twice last season in the Derbyshire Senior Cup and I was impressed with the tier 11 outfit. They now play in the East Midland Counties League (tier 10) after their promotion from the Central Midlands League. United have struggled this season, in the higher division, but not as much as Graham Street Prims, today's opponents. The teams were 4th and 3rd from bottom respectively at the start of play.

United now call Borrowash Victoria's Anderson Electrical Arena home as their agreement with Belper Town over the use of the Christchurch Meadow Ground ended. As such, this game was a 'Spondon, Derby derby'. The derby game drew in a decent crowd of 70 or so fans.

The game was scheduled for an early kick-off as, apparently, there was some problem with the electricity for the floodlights - funny, bearing in mind the name of the ground.

The game started scrappily but settled down after Prims took the lead after 20 minutes. Following the build up play down the right, the ball found its way to the number 10 centrally in the United box, some 16 yards out. The left foot shot directed the ball to the 'keeper's left and just inside the upright. The goal sprung United into life and for the remainder of the game they looked the better side with their skillful number 11 pulling the attacking strings.

United got their deserved equaliser when the strong number 9 rounded the out-rushing 'keeper, at the right-hand angle of the box, and fired his shot past a defender into the far bottom corner of the goal.

Gresley FC 1, Stocksbridge Park Steels 0 (30/12/2016 19:45) - Where the Fog is Burton?

Over my Christmas holiday the weather had scuppered my chances of seeing all the football I had wanted to. Frozen pitches had been the order of week and freezing fog had made the travelling treacherous. It was a little foggy tonight as myself and my father made our way to the Moat Ground for this evening's tier 8, NPL South, match.

I have seen Gresley (Rovers) play many times and I really like their homely old fashioned stadium and their sloping pitch. Tonight they were entertaining a team from Sheffield who were 11th in the league. Gresley were 16th at the start of play.

20 years ago Gresley Rovers were on the brink of Conference (tier 5) football and they got to the FA Vase final. Their poor stadium and then financial problems cost them promotion and then caused them to go into administration. They had to reenter the footballing pyramid, as Gresley FC, in the East Midlands Counties League. In the glory days they played Burton Albion in derby games over the Christmas period. Where are Burton Albion now? Tier 2! 'The Ben Robinson Miracle'. Those derby days are long gone but Gresley is still a smashing little club.

As myself and my father and the other 227 fans arrived at the ground we were welcomed by the Tannoy blaring out some old 60s tunes. The Gresley sub's warmed up and after one of them had fired a ball into an adjacent garden he received a berating from the coach "Oy! we've lost 17 balls already this year! They're £28 each!" A 1 minute silence was observed for the passing of the youth teams' coach mother and then the game began.

Gresley started the game more brightly with the advantage of the slope and soon took the lead. Some fast and skillful play down the left produced a chance for the number 10. From the inside of the left hand angle of the box he rifled a shot into the bottom corner of the goal past the 'keeper's right hand.

Gresley had the better of the first-half although the Stocksbridge fast number 7 caused some problems from time to time. Gresley should have gone into the break two goals to the good. A striker was sandwiched by two defenders and a penalty was awarded. A weak right foot shot was easily saved by the 'keeper' falling to his right.

Three injuries to Gresley players upset the balance of the team in the second-half. But Gresley hung on.

Shirebrook Town 0, Rossington Main 3 (26/12/2016 15:00) - Derbyshire Done

With this game I completed my challenge of seeing all Derbyshire teams that currently compete in the top 11 tiers of English football. Today's game was a Northern Counties East League Division One (tier 10) clash between 13th placed Shirebrook Town and 19th placed Rossington Main at Shirebrook's Langwith Road ground.

Shirebrook is often in the news; or more accurately, the SportsDirect warehouse in the town is often in the news. I wanted to provide a balanced review of the impact of the warehouse on life in the town but I was only able to find a Mail Online link.

Rossington have, over the Christmas period, signed three new players to bolster their chances of avoiding relegation, whereas Shirebrook may be plunged back into a relegation fight depending on the outcome of disciplinary proceedings. In their previous match Shirebrook refused to return to the field of play for the second-half.

This was hardly a local derby for a Boxing Day match. The visitors had to make the 50 minute drive from their Doncaster homes. Myself and my father, incidentally, had to make a similar distanced trip from my Boxing Day dinner at my parent's house.

Myself and my father were impressed with the club's set up. Its stands and facilities could easily grace tier 8. The bobbly pitch though let the club down a little.

Rossington had the advantage of the slight slope and the wind on their backs in the first half and raced into a three goal lead, their dangerous wing play causing panic in the Shirebrook defence. Shirebrook looked a lot poorer than league position suggested. We found out the reason for this by overhearing a club official explaining the situation. Apparently a lot of the players picked up food poisoning at a Christmas party. They were lucky to get enough players to make up the team. There were no substitutes and only the manager and coach were on the bench.

Shirebrook looked more dangerous in the second half as Rossington sat back. The decent looking numbers 5 and 9 linked up well a number of times but were, between them, unable to pull a goal back.

Rossington's goals are described thus:

0:1 Good work and an overlap down the left resulted in the number 11 being found free on the edge of the box. He placed his shot to the corner of the goal past the right hand of the 'keeper.
0:2 A towering header downwards from the big number 9, from a corner, skidded past the 'keeper's feet.
0:3 The number 10, diagonally 7 yards out from the 'keeper's left hand post, drilled a shot through the 'keeper's hands.

An overview and list of the tier 9 Derbyshire teams that I have seen at home in league action can be found in the following link.
http://footytourist.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/football-in-derbyshire.html

A list of the tier 10 and 11 teams seen by the end of 2016 (in league or cup action, home or away) is shown below:

Shirebrook Town (T10 - Northern Counties East League Division One)
Dronfield Town (T10 - Northern Counties East League Division One)
Belper United (T10 - East Midlands Counties League) 
Graham Street Prims (T10 - East Midlands Counties League)
Borrowash Victoria (T10 - East Midlands Counties League)
South Normanton Athletic (T10 - East Midlands Counties League)
Stapenhill (T10 - East Midlands Counties League)
Holbrook Sports (T10 - East Midlands Counties League)
FC Bolsover (T11 - Central Midlands League North Division)
Clay Cross Town (T11 - Central Midlands League North Division)
Tideswell United (T11 - Central Midlands League North Division)
Mickleover RBL (T11 - Central Midlands League South Division)
Swanwick Pentrich Road (T11 - Central Midlands League South Division)
Pinxton (T11 - Central Midlands League South Division)
Holbrook St Michaels (T11 - Central Midlands League South Division)
Hilton Harriers (T11 - Staffordshire County Senior League Premier Division)
Ashbourne (T11 - Staffordshire County Senior League Premier Division)
Aston United (T11 - Nottinghamshire Senior League)
Sandiacre Town (T11 - Nottinghamshire Senior League)
Whaley Bridge (T11 - Cheshire Football League)

Gamesley (T11 - Cheshire Football League) club disbanded at end of 2015/16 season
South Normanton (Town) (T11 - Central Midlands League South Division) 2nd team of Athletic

The young and the old and a missed game in Germany (03/12/2016)

Hannover 96’s second string (u21’s, reserves, development squad - whatever you want to call them) play in the 4^th tier of German football, the Regionalliga Nord. They play their homes games at the Eilenriedestadion, the original home of Hannover 96. There H96 have established an excellent small modern stadium and academy set up.

The original art-deco main stand of the stadium, adjacent to the former finishing line of the athletics track that would have encompassed the pitch, is now behind a goal and two new stands have been built on the flanks of the realigned pitch.

We (myself and my mate I was visiting in Hannover) were due to see ‘ H96 II’ in league action at the Eilenriedestadion but due to some confusion we missed the game by a matter of 18 hours. We did get to watch some football though. On one of the academy’s artificial pitches the U15’s were entertaining the U15’s of VFL Osnabruck.

The game ended 0:0 but is it was not devoid of action and good skill. Both teams played some nice football but the best chance came the way of the Hannover youngsters. The big left sided midfielder whipped in a beautiful cross from the wing and found the number 9 in a central position 8 yards out with a ball that looked easier to convert than to miss, but miss he did.

The individual player that stood out was the Osnabruck midfielder, number 6. He looked comfortable on the ball and taking on players and pinging long passes accurately to the feet of his team mates.  

I was actually wishing Osnabruck would sneak a winner as Osnabruck is Derby’s twin city.

Holbrook St Michaels 1, Swanwick Pentrich Road 4 (19/11/16 13:30)

With a free Saturday afternoon I scanned the fixtures for a local game. Much to my delight I saw that a Central Midlands Football League Challenge Cup (sponsored by Buckingham Insurance) tie was to be played at Holbrook Park; with the Saints entertaining The Swans in a second round, tier 11 league, cup game.

I had seen mid-table Swanwick Pentrich Road win their first round game and as such this could become another 'road to the final' challenge. I had also seen The Saints this season as well, in a capitulation against Aston United.

The Swans had not progressed in the league since the time I saw them in September. There were a couple of obvious absentees from that team and they looked the weaker for it. They still had enough about them, however, to overcome a team with only one win under their belt this season.

Although The Saints started brightly, The Swans soon took control of the game with two goals. The Saints rallied and got a goal back to give them hope for the second-half. A good start to the second-half with some good work down the left could have resulted in an equaliser for the Saints but the 'keeper did well to maintain The Swans advantage. Two quick goals around the 70 minute mark killed the game and The Swans wound up rightful winners.

My man of the match was The Swans stocky forward, their number 10, who looked dangerous with the ball at his feet in and around the box.

The goals are summarised thus:

0:1 - a good though ball put the number 10 clear and from a central position on the edge of the box he fired his shot under the 'keeper. The 'keeper managed to get something on the ball but not enough to stop it trickling over the line.
0:2 - with the Saints' defence asleep a neat ball in from the left found the number 10 ten yards out and, with a neat turn, he shot past the 'keeper.
1:2 - good work down the right and a good pass into the centre of the box found a Saints player who got a shot away and past the 'keepers right hand.
1:3 - with the Saints unable to clear the ball from their box the ball broke to The Swans' number 8 who fired a shot from 18 yards to the 'keepers left.
1:4 - panic in The Saints defence and with the 'keeper out of position, number 10 fired in from 18 yards.