Mansfield Hosiery Mills 1-4 Mickleover FC Reserves

 

Before we get into this week’s game day blog (and basically because plenty of people have asked me about it) i thought i would share my views about the big football stories in my life over the past week or so. You really are lucky buggers aren’t you?

On Tuesday night Lincoln routed Bradford City away by five goals to nil in the second round of the League Cup and therefore setting up a match with Liverpool at home in the third round. Now in ordinary times 1) We would have gone to Bradford and 2) we would have been buzzing about the prospect of playing the side that won the Premiership last season. Obviously these aren’t normal times and thus the game will be played behind closed doors and in the process killing much of the excitement from my point of view. It will of course be a great occasion for the Imps to host Liverpool and the news that the game will be live on Sky Sports has defiantly added a little charm to the occasion not to mention the chance to head to the pub for a few beers and shots of sambuca thrown in for good measure.

As for the chances of Lincoln getting a result? Well let’s be honest, even with the Imps great start to the season (five wins from five in all competitions) it’s hard to see a Lincoln win. It’s not impossible, but it’s very, very unlikely. Given that Liverpool play Chelsea this weekend and Felice’s Arsenal next weekend i would doubt we will see Liverpool’s first choice starting eleven in action. But even a 3^rd string Liverpool side would be packed with quality, to get onto the books at whatever level at any Premiership club you have to be hugely talented let alone the Champions of England and one of the biggest clubs in Europe. The only thing that gives me hope is that last season Liverpool played at Shrewsbury in the FA Cup and drew. (Before winning the reply at Anfield) With no relays and extra time in the League Cup should the game be a draw at 90 minutes then the game goes straight to penalties. And as we all know penalties is a total lottery, I mean it’s still very unlikely and up there with the chances of me going on a date next weekend but it could happen in theory...

Me at Anfield in 2011. A couple of stone lighter and with hair

Meanwhile it was another a fun week in the Europa League. The Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar bowed out of the competition losing 0-5 at home to Glasgow Rangers. For much of the game Lincoln performed well only running out of steam in the last 15 minutes or so.  I obtained a programme from the game to add to my random collection and i must say it was a fine issue that befitted the match. Elsewhere there was good news for Felice as he had a few teams playing and winning in it. Wins for AC Milan, Spurs, Wolfsburg, Aberdeen and Standard Liege among others put a smile on his face.

So onto this weekend’s game originally we had intended watch Retford United away at Clay Cross to tick off another new ground. However it was announced late on Friday night that the game was called off due to “Unforeseen circumstances” Baz had written this in our Whats App group chat but due to my large intake of alcohol Friday i didn’t read this message till a late night toilet visit in the early hours of Saturday morning.

As with most cat owners i was up early on Saturday morning and gave Felice a ring to sort out an alternative game to take it. After a quick look i suggested ticking off Mansfield Hosiery Mills FC who were at home to Mickleover FC Reserves.

The White Lion again was the first stop of the day for myself along with a couple of very good friends whose company has been a huge help to my mental health this weekend, and this time the medium full English was consumed. This consists of two eggs, two hash browns, two sausages, two bacon, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and toast all for the price of £5.50. They do a larger one to which consists of three of every item for the fat bastards among us for only a quid more. They open at 10 AM in the morning and the fact that we were stood outside waiting for the pub to open tells you all you need to know about us..

Now i have to be honest and admit i kind of messed up picking this game. I am always one for saying a little research goes a long way and i really should have done some in this instance. Our aim this season is to tick off new grounds while the Imps crowds are restricted. I knew we had never been to a Mansfield Hosiery home game so immediately suggested them. As we set off on our merry way it dawned on us that the club play at Sutton Towns old ground which we had both visited in the past (in my case about 12 years ago) at least this proved than even the very best of us make mistakes. We have now decided to draw up a “Hit list” of new grounds so if we need to find a new ground at short notice we will not be flapping about to think of one.

We made it through Mansfield and Sutton in Ashfield (AKA the land of a thousand traffic lights) in good time and pulled up in the car part with the best part of an hour to kill. There is a large clubhouse at the ground divided into two parts. After signing in for the track and trace we were directed into function room half of the building. It was all very well organised and seems to work very well. After a well deserved pint we headed into the ground.

Outside the ground there are plenty of Mansfield Hosiery signs and areas painted with the club colours of blue and white but you can still see signs that Sutton Town once played here. The entrance was the standard step 7 £3 with more track and trace antics on the gate. The ground looks pretty much the same as the last time i visited apart from the odd splash of paint here and there. The first thing walking around the ground is how it slops from one end of the ground to the other. The pitch was looked very good and all in all it looked like a decent set up.  

Both of these sides had won their previous game but early on it became clear who was going to win this game. When you watch reserve teams you normally see one of two things. Either they are full of players annoyed that they aren’t in the first team and players who think the reserves are beneath them. Or they are full of young hungry players who are finding their way in the game and being primed to play at a higher level. This Mickleover side most defiantly fell into the second category. They looked to play out from the back wherever possible and stuck to their philosophy at all times. They were ahead after only a couple of minutes’ due to a well worked goal.  They did have the advantage of kicking down the slope but some of their football was a joy to watch. Their coach was very supportive of his side not getting on the officials backs and encouraging his side even when moves broke down or mistakes were made.

After about 6 minutes the game was effectively over due to the most controversial moment of the game. Mickleover sent in a deep cross in to the Mansfield box and with no attacking players near the keeper he took what looked like a standard catch. The linesman however adjudged that the keeper had taken the ball over the line and thus gave a goal. We were stood right down the other end of the ground so we had no way of knowing if it was over the line or not. The home players protested strongly which gave me the impression that it didn’t go over but i am not the ref. I think the only person that will really know is the home team goalkeeper

The rest of the first half followed a similar pattern, attack versus defense. Although the home side didn’t see much of the ball they worked very hard to keep their shape and never gave up. The visitors added a third but thanks to some good goal keeping and poor finishing the halftime score finished up 3-0 in favor of Mickleover.  

Halftime signaled a retreat back to the bar for another pint/ half a coke depending if you were driving or now. The Imps were leading at halftime so all was well with the world.

The second half was more of a contest. Maybe it was because Mansfield were kicking down the slope or maybe it was because Mickleover had the game wrapped up. The visitors added a fourth when a long range effort left the keeper flat footed with Mansfield getting on the score sheet midway through the second half thanks to a well taken penalty. The real star of the show was the number 7 for Mickleover nicked named “Scholsey” due to his resemblance to Paul Scholes who ran the game in the centre of the park.

All in all another good day. We may not have seen the game we had planned or a new ground but we visited a ground we haven’t been to in a decade, found a good club house, saw a really good footballing side and the Imps have a 100% record in all competitions this season.  

As the saying goes.. We go again!

Other scores of note.

MK Dons 1-2 Lincoln City

 Arsenal 2-1 West Ham United

Dynamo Berlin 6-2 Bischofswerdaer 

 

Thorne Colliery 1-2 Retford United

The back end of last week was tough, as has my life since suffering a text message dumping during lockdown  in May (But that’s a story for another day) thankfully i have some awesome friends in my life to drag my sorry ass along when required.

In a non COVID world i would have been roughly 4000 miles away in the USA for a long overdue holiday to Pittsburgh,and on Saturday instead of taking in a local CML North game i would have been at PNC Park in Pittsburgh to see the Pittsburgh Pirates (The worse team in baseball no less).take on the Kansas City Royals. Even though i knew back in April the chances of getting to the US were a big fat zero, what could have been has been on my mind all week.

Up until the Thursday we had intended to follow the FA Cup to watch West Bridgeford v Lincoln United. However United have had an outbreak of the “Rona” and thus had to withdraw from the competition. Thankfully there is always another option so we chose to tick off another new ground and take in the match between Thorne Colliery v Retford United. The opening game of the Central Midland League season (Step 7 of the non league game)

Saturday morning was very much a case of “The morning after the night” before kind of morning having partaken in drinking a few beers on Friday. Thankfully i live next to the White Lion a, cracking pub that has recently started doing cooked breakfasts on a Saturday morning. I didn’t go for the full Monty though and settled for a sausage sandwich and a cup of tea for £2.50 and it was the best £2.50 i have spent for a while.

After reading the paper, another couple of cups of tea and an hour on the dart board it was time to head off to be picked up for today’s adventure. Felice was driving this week and he was on fine form when he picked me up. His Arsenal were leading 1-0 at Fulham and after winning the FA Cup last year his hopes are high for the Gunners this season. He will even renew his membership next year if fans are allowed in. As it was quite warm there was no sign of his Arsenal jacket but i would imagine it’s a bit snug nowadays anyway. It was good to see that Baz had survived a late fitness test to make the game after his arse had been on fire the previous night much of which was spent on the toilet apparently.  

The journey over to the far side of Doncaster was largely uneventful with the time being filled up listening to the build up to the Lincoln v Oxford game on BBC Radio Lincolnshire. It may have been the start of the EFL season but i just can’t get overly excited about it all till fans are allowed back into the stadiums in some numbers.

Thorne's ground is in a leisure area of the town. Next to the football ground is a cricket pitch, and just around the corner is a rugby ground with a small children’s play area thrown in for good measure. The turnstiles went open when we arrived and the players of both sides were warming up on the cricket pitch. As always the Retford fans were out in good numbers and looking forward to the game. Thorne's ground is dominated by one large old school style stand with standing around the rest of the ground. There is quite a lot of room to expand should the club ever need to. The ground was very clean and tidy and you can tell that it is well looked after. The turnstiles opened up about 2.30 ish with entrance being the standard £3.00. The standard COVID procedures were all in place and well managed by the club officials. As soon as we entered the ground my two cohorts heading straight to the food cabin and were soon scoffing away. The prices were reasonable and by all accounts the food was very nice, with me watching my figure i just had a cuppa.

I am not going to claim to be an expert on the CML North or even have a semi decent amount of knowledge on it. But i do know a half decent side when i see one and overall i think we saw two sides today that will be much nearer the top of the table than the bottom come May. I felt Retford had more of the ball in the first half but never really looked like doing much with it in the final third. A few minutes’ before the break the Badgers did have what looked a decent shout for a penalty but the ref was unimpressed.  

It was good to grab a word with legendary Retford DJ and blog fan Ian Beach at halftime along with the old warhorse Dave Wathell who wasn’t overly impressed at what he had witnessed in the first half. It takes a very special team to impress Dave. He judges all sides against the Spurs side that won the double back in 1961. He did most of the home games that season.

Just a couple of minutes’ into the second half the home side took the lead when a Retford defender turned a cross into his own net at the near post. It’s hard to blame the defender in all honesty. He had to go for it with a striker bearing down on him. To be honest i would rather praise the quality of the ball in as appose to blaming the defender. In hindsight this kick up the arse did Retford a real favor as they took control of the match and starting to look a lot better thanks mainly to some excellent wing play. They got the equalizer on 83 when Mark West was fouled in the box. West then picked himself up to dispatch the penalty giving the keeper no chance.

On 87 minutes Retford grabbed the winner! A shot from distance was only split by the Thorne Keeper and allowing skipper Tom Brook to slot home the winner. The spill brought back memories of watching Felice commit goof after  goof in his old 5 a side days and getting a lot of stick from his teammates in the bar after while drinking his pint of Shandy Bass. Ah the late 90,s. What fun they were.

Overall i have to say it was a good day out. A decent old school ground that had a real charm about it and two teams that looked to play football. If you haven’t ticked this ground off i highly recommend you do.

Other scores of note.

Lincoln City 2-0 Oxford

Fulham 0-3 Arsenal

Newcastle 2-0 West Ham

Kansas City Royals 4-3 Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB)

 

 

The FA Cup Returns!

 

Newark FC 4-0 Deeping Rangers 

Firstly a big thank you to everybody who read last week’s blog. Needless to say i was pretty chuffed with the views and kind comments that it received. Let’s hope that the content and views continue throughout the season ahead. I must also add my general mood and state of mind has improved slight knowing i now at least have football to look forward to once or twice a week and that i get to share the journey with you all.  

Over the weekend results were mixed. Lincoln lost their friendly away at Oldham but there was a first win of the season for Dynamo Berlin thanks to a 3-1 away win at Berliner AK07. One game to look out for is the Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar being drawn against the mighty Glasgow Rangers FC in the Europa League second qualifying round.  Lincoln have come through two qualifying rounds to get here but the run will surly come to an end at this stage. In the other ties there is plenty of interest for Felice who has links to about 40% of the teams in it including Spurs and AC Milan.

Football fixture lists have been thrown upside down by the whole Corona virus pandemic and as such the FA Cup is starting before the various leagues kick off, needs must and all that though. Our FA Cup journey was to start at The Lowfields, home of Newark Town for their extra preliminary round match with Deeping Rangers.  A Brucie Bonus of doing the match was that this was my first new ground i have been able to tick off since Sunderland away back in January.

Last season Newark Flowserve (The Company that’s grounds the club plays in) became Newark FC and they look like a club on the rise and one  that has received a decent amount of investment. I had seen them in their former guise on a Central Midland League ground hop back in 2008 ish but i think this club is light years ahead of its predecessor. Newark is decent sized town and could easily host a step 3 club given the catchment area around it and last season the club did have several plus 400 attendances.

Newark were just too strong for Deeping Rangers on the night running out easy 4-0 winners. The homes fans really got behind the side with a group in the covered stand along the touchline making a real racket with the drum. The club reminds me of a mix between Retford United cira 2001-04 and Shaw Lane Aquaforce. I really hope the momentum can be maintained as there is defiantly a fan base in the town that could keep the club sustainable. I guess it’s a case of wait and see. But so far it’s a cautious welcome from me to the local Nottinghamshire non –league scene.  I must mention that Baz found the burger delicious and i was more than happy to pick up my first programme of the season.

Wombwell Town 1-4 Retford United.

You wait nine months to visit a new ground then you do two in five names. This time we headed to Barnsley to watch County league Wombell Town lock horns with Retford United of the Central Midlands League North.

I was a tad rough after a heavy night of drinking ale and sambuca shots in the White Lion but made it to the pickup point in good time ready to navigate our merry way to the ground. After bottling the sambuca Felice was driving and we made it in good time. The ground is a real old school effort and one that i rather liked.

At one time it appears that there was a running track around the pitch. At the bottom end of the ground there is a Go-Kart track and plenty of tyre walls can be seen. I have to say that this was one of the most welcoming clubs i have visited for a while. The chap organizing the car park, the old boys recording the track and track details, the lady making the tea, everybody was first class and it made for a great day out. There wasn’t a fixed entry charge but we all chucked a few quid in the donation bucket as i am sure most of the travelling support form Retford did. Retford United have had their knockers in recent years but you can’t fault the diehard band of fans they take to away games week in week out. It was especially good to catch up with Dave Wathall. He may be knocking on in years these days but his commitment to cause is as strong as ever.

Retford play their football at a higher level than their hosts and it showed as they dominated much of the game. The visitors ran out 4-1 winners but squandered many chances including a missed penalty. Credit must go to the hosts to however as they never gave up and i was glad they got a goal back late one. If you are busying planning which clubs to visit i thoroughly recommend Wombell Town! 

Elsewhere here are a few scores that caught the eye.

Crewe 1-2 Lincoln (League Cup

Iceland 0-1 England (Nations league)

Italy 1-1 Bosnia (Nations league)

FSV Lukenwalde 2-5 Dynamo Berlin