FC Chadd 2013 1, Arboretum 2 (09/04/17 16:30) - Derby Sunday League Cup Final

Having seen all the Derbyshire first teams that appear in the top 11 tiers of English football, and having seen a Derby team at tier 12 level this season, I though that I would lend my support to the Derby City Football League and have a look at the Sunday League Challenge Trophy Final at the Moorways Bowl. After all, it would be rude not to on a lovely warm spring afternoon.

Chadd and Arboretum are head and shoulders above the opposition this year and sit 1st and 2nd respectively in the league. Chadd have a 100% league record and Arboretum have only dropped points in two games. Arboretum have already bagged some silverware this season however by winning another Derby cup last weekend at the same venue. They also had a good run in the county Sunday cup having got as far as the semifinal before losing to north Derbyshire opposition.

Today's game attracted a good crowd (approx. 150), a good proportion of which were Chadd chavs that were fueled up on lunchtime booze. Throughout the game they chanted classics such as "In Your Normanton Slum" and "We're Chadd, We're Chadd, and that's the way I like it, I like it, I like it..."

The match was officiated by former Derby runner, Nicky Lees, the winner of the Derby Marathon several times in the 80s. I'm sure he could have easily made it through extras time if it were needed. Thankfully extra time was not required.

Arboretum, in blue, deserved their win. In addition to their goals they missed a clear cut sitter and struck the crossbar.  After their winning goal, mid-way through the second-half, Mr Lees had to send some of their bench to the stand for running onto the pitch, celebrating. There were also some shocking challenges in the second-half especially and we were lucky to see a full complement of players on the pitch after the 90 minutes.

The goals are described thus:

0:1 A run down the right flank, on 15 minutes, by the blues broke the Chadd back line resulting in a 3 on 1 scenario. The winger found number 9 in a central position and he fired home despite the 'keeper getting a hand on the ball.

1:1 Chadd, after coming out after half-time fired up, levelled following the second phase of a set piece. A ball clipped in the box was met by a striker in a central position who fired passed the 'keepers left hand.

1:2 With Chadd pressing up field, Arboretum broke and number 15, following a good through ball, bore down on goal with the ball at his feet. A defender managed to catch up with him but the attacker calmly went inside and struck home from 8 yards.

Towards the end of the game the April breeze picked up and blew blossom off the overlooking trees, like confetti, as if to join in Arboretum's celebrations.

FC Bolsover 0, Hucknall Town 4 (25/03/17 15:00) - Road to the Cup Final (SF Stage)

Askern, Holbrook St. Michaels and Swanwich Pentrich Road had fallen by the way side on my road to the Central Midland Football League Buckingham Insurance cup final. This had left me following FC Bolsover who, unfortunately for me, were the only remaining Derbyshire team in the competition. Yesterday's defeat of Bolsover by Hucknall has now left me with an all Nottinghamshire final to watch, but at least the final will be held in Alfreton, Derbyshire.

Yesterday's semi-final was held at the neutral venue of the Blidworth Welfare Social Club, the home of Blidworth Welfare FC. Blidworth were fitting hosts. The set-up of the club was very impressive and the playing surface more so on this lovely spring day.

Blidworth lies equidistance from Bolsover and Hucknall and, like the two teams playing at their ground yesterday, the club is also a member of the Central Midlands Football League. Blidworth has the unenviable record of losing all of its league games in the 1997/98 season. Apparently they were so bad they were invited to train with the England squad. Based on England's records in major tournaments since then, it looks as though the Three Lions learned quite a bit from Blidworth.

Hucknall Town are arguably the most illustrious team in the Central Midlands Football League. As recently as 2009 they where playing tier 6 football in the Conference North. Financial issues have caused their fall from grace and at the time are writing they sit in 4th position in the CMFL southern division. Hucknall Town has fallen back to the level it was at in the very early 90s, whereas FC Bolsover are a club on the up.

FC Bolsover were admitted to the league, as a brand new club, for the start of the 2016/17 season. One of the key determining factors for this allowance was the absence of a club in the immediate Bolsover area. The reason for the absence of clubs in the Bolsover area is primarily due to two clubs recently folding, these being  Bolsover Town (in 2008) and Glapwell FC (in 2016). Glapwell FC finished top of the CMFL North the season they folded. I guess it is not surprising to see FC Bolsover currently top of the CMFL North as the current Bolsover management team and playing squad are, in essence, Glapwell FC's.

The game attracted a decent crowd (100 or so) which was predominantly made up of Hucknall fans, many wearing club scarves. The action was preceded by a minute's silence for the victims of the recent London terror incident.

Hucknall, in their second kit of blue and white, kicked off up the slope in the first half and were quickly on the front foot. To be fair they were on the front foot for whole game. At two nil down Bolsover changed their formation to be more attacking but this only created more space in midfield and defence for Hucknall to exploit.

Bolsover struck the post and had a good shout for a penalty turned down in the second half and had a handful of half chances, but the day belonged to Hucknall. The goals are described thus:

0:1 Ball from the left, across goal, was met by a striker, 8 yards out on an angle, who was strong to hold off a defender and fired home.

0:2 Shortly after a good penalty shout for Hucknall was turned down, some sloppy defending by Bolsover allowed a Hucknall striker to fire a great shot home from the right-hand angle of the 18 yard box.

0:3 Ball from the left, across goal, was met 9 yards out on an angle. The striker struck the ball back across the 'keeper off the far post and cross bar. The Hucknall 'Yellow Army' behind the goal then let off a celebratory yellow smoke bomb.

0:4 Ball from the right was met 7 yards out in a central position by the Hucknall striker who, with turning back heal, got the ball past the 'keeper.

Football in Derbyshire 2016/2017

In 2014 I saw all Derbyshire teams, at Step 4/Tier 8 or higher, play in league action on their home grounds. By the end of 2016 I had seen all the Derbyshire teams (that were still competing then), at Steps 9-11, in some sort of competitive game. There are a number of second or reserves team that play at Tier 11 and I haven't bothered seeing or recording those here, similarly some Derbyshire clubs have disappeared in that time-frame (see later).

This is basically a list of all current (2016/17) Derbyshire (T1-T11) first teams. I have seen them all and I aim to continue catching any new ones that 'Step' up. With the restructuring of leagues, which is mooted, or if Rowsley '86 decide to take the plunge, there may be new teams to see in the very near future.

Derby County (T2 - Football League Championship)
Chesterfield (T3 - Football League, League 1)
Alfreton Town (T6 - National League, North)
Buxton (T7 - Northern Premier League, Premier Division)
Mickleover Sports (T7 - Northern Premier League, Premier Division)
Matlock Town (T7 - Northern Premier League, Premier Division)
Ilkeston (T7 - Northern Premier League, Premier Division)
Glossop North End  (T8 - Northern Premier League, First Division North)
Sheffield FC (T8 - Northern Premier League, First Division South)
Belper Town (T8 - Northern Premier League, First Division South)
Gresley (T8 - Northern Premier League, First Division South)
New Mills (T9 - North West Counties League, Premier Division)
Heanor Town (T9 - Midland Football League, Premier Division)
Long Eaton United (T9 - Midland Football League, Premier Division)
Staveley Miners Welfare (T9 - Northern Counties East League, Premier Division)
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)

Teams that have either fallen from Tier 11 or have disbanded since 2014 are:

Chapel Town (now play in the Manchester League at Tier 12 - not seen)
Mickleover Royals (disbanded - not seen)
Gamesley FC (disbanded - seen in the Derbyshire Senior Cup)
Glapwell FC (disbanded and became FC Bolsover - not seen)
Allenton United (disbanded and reformed to play in the MRA for a season - saw in the MRA)

'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.