NEWARK BATTLE FOR FIRST ADDITION TO POINTS TALLY SINCE AUGUST

NEWARK TOWN 1 AFC BENTLEY 1
CMFL NORTH @ STATION RD
2 DECEMBER 2017 --- 3PM

STATION ROAD GROUND

Enter the festive month and Newark who collected their first present of a league point after this spirited draw against high flying AFC Bentley, it was to be the first time the Nottinghamshire side would trouble their points tally since a solitary win in August.  After Alex Irwin had put the visitors ahead you may have expected the home teams heads to drop but they were having non of it and equalised just before half time through long serving Ian Wade. 
A chance to cover a new ground that should have been visited, well ages ago really was supported by an end to the frosty weather and early communication with Newark secretary and CMFL publicity officer Richard Lane who confirmed all was ok.

NEWARK CASTLE AND THE RIVER TRENT

Here is the travel paragraph so for those not bothered-blah, blah, blah late trains and packed.  For those that are interested in all things transport an on time arrival at base station had started worryingly with a play bus parked near base displaying the manic face of Sponge Bob Square Pants all over the front of the vehicle.  Train to Nottingham was through on time but an all stander, with a comfortable change onto the next service on the Leicester to Lincoln route, which has a near 20 minute wait in Castle city there was the opportunity to acquire a seat.  This would be a direct service to Newark Castle one of the two stations in Newark although the other Northgate was silent to East Coast traffic due to engineering works.  The decision had been made to take an hour or so to look around Newark before departing to their current home at Collingham Fc and of course upon departure apart from the castle and modern council offices one of the first things you notice provides the knowledge that you must have arrived in a town of some note, yes a Waitrose.  Being from the north I often like to pop in just for a walk round mind you to see how the other half live, with little time though today it was off over the bridge that allows passage over the river Trent by the castle and into the important part of any trip.  Fish and Chips had been missing from the blog for a few weeks and todays research had shown that a trip to Middlegate would find a good one.

COLLECTION TIME THE FOOTBALL CLUB, THE CHIPPY, NEXT THE CAR

A strange coincidence has occurred some may call it an obsession but the last three games, including todays, will have seen the opposition being AFC Bentley and by a strange revelation the name of todays chippy?  'Bentley's', the overall impression is of a smart take away and sit down emporium with the fryer having on his Fleetwood Mackerel T shirt, see what he did there, I was ready for a few more play on words as we ventured around the streets of Newark.  The food I here you cry well the cost was £6.30 and for the overall impression this was a little dear although a good portion the fish was rather bland anyway here am I commenting on price I must have become an adopted Yorkshire man as well as a Bentley fan!
Newark is a town I've visited on many occasions but its a quintessential English town market place encased in shops, town hall, church, alleyways and quirky coffee shops.   After the Fleetwood Mackerel experience I did notice a few interestingly named shops including New Ark Pets, Newark News, N. V Us Cards, Pasatbility and then a bus advertising local outlet Roy Walker Carpets, I bet its a laugh a minute there.

FOR THE TRANSPORT BUFFS

The decision had been made to take the 67 bus service operated by Wrights out to the ground, even though Collingham station is around 5 minutes from todays venue, it often gives a feel for the area and apart from a straight main road run out to our destination it did give a feel for a very busy town that took us 20 minutes to clear the edge of town retail park.
Departing the service at the top end of High St I did notice the village chippy was still open this would have been the calling point but I could not find any opening times for the business so had opted for Newark, although it did cross my mind just to try a bag of chips!  A walk around started by the old stone cross and a fascinating fact of over 62 listed buildings in this village and trekking along the adjacent Low St this became very clear with the display of fantastic quirky and interesting properties non more so than the Malthouse with its massive sloping roof.  Approaching White Hart Lane I could see no floodlights or developments taking place, I cut back through the delightful named Temperance Lane I just could not resist it!  The quirkiness of this wonderful village was further highlighted with said lane just about able to take a car width however somebody in highways had made the decision to put a broken white line marking down the middle of the road!

A DRAMATIC ENTRANCE TO THE GROUND WELL TO THE LEFT BY THE TROLLY PARK ANYWAY

After popping into the newsagent for a Newark Advertiser and reading the village notice boards there was still time to visit the large Lincolnshire Coop for a quality chocolate brownie for 'afters' and this proved a good options because to the left hand side of the store is one of the entrances to the ground, the other being off of Station Road.
Newark Town are thankfully still representing the town here at Collingham around 5 miles away from their home base its forever a disappointment to me that a town of its size does not have its senior team representing it within its boundaries.  With Newark Flowserve also just off the edge of the town in Balderton playing in the Notts Senior League it would be good for local councillors and MP to get together and sort this out either to upgrade their juniors site or get this club back into the cracking little town of Newark.

TODAYS LINE UPS

However they do have a nice venue with Collingham at their Station Road ground which has a wonderful function suite above the changing rooms and now added on bar area at ground level and after paying the £3 admission and popping in to purchase it gave a clean and impressive view of the club.  The ground is fully enclosed although meshed fencing offers a view from behind both goals the station end is not accessible with the pitch very tightly enclosed within its lengthways boundary although the Coop end does offer standing behind its goal.  The far side with the dug outs I guess is out of bounds but does offer grass standing with the main side being the clubhouse which offers a fair amount of standing cover.
Before and during the game today it was great to catch up with, once again, James Irwin, Dave and Julie Hughes from AFC Bentley and the ever welcoming and previously mentioned Richard Lane.  There was also chance to make re acquaintances with current and former Bentley secretary Nigel Bates.  As per visits to The Avenue it was always a warm greeting from Nigel and today was no different.  It has to be mentioned he was looking resplendent in his John Motson jacket, he did ask me to mention it or was it don't mention it I forget now!

NIGEL BATES DISPLAYS THE JOHN MOTSON JACKET ON ITS WORLD TOUR

To the game then an increasingly dark afternoon by the time we reached kick off it was not to be the best of starts for bottom club Newark when Matty Hughes supplied the cross for Alex Irwin to head in at the back post to make it 1-0 to the visitors and at this point you wondered how many.  It was the turn of Irwin to turn supplier for Josh Paskill but his effort was saved by Luke Sheldon in the home goal.  As we approached half time Newark who had kept their heads and tempo up and made it 1-1when Kyle Nicholson floated a free kick off the right that Dominic Senior pushed over for a corner, from the quadrant kick Ian Wade was on hand to head home.  Bentley raised their game to the challenge and on the stroke of half time Sheldon saved from under his bar with a follow up effort cleared off the line Newark were grateful for interval.

MATTY HUGHES ASSIST FOR THE OPENING GOAL FOR BENTLEY

The second half was an end to end slugfest as both sides gave their all although struggling for much free flowing football we did see the bar struck and shots blocked non more so than when brothers Josh and Thomas Johnson had efforts blocked in the same move for Newark.  In the final stages both sides looked for the winning goal but on the full time whistle a selection of both sides players dropped to their feet this had not been a pretty game but the effort expelled received a standing ovation from the respectful spectators.

NEWARK ON THE BALL

Of course for Newark this was a major achievement to hold the third placed club and may just start an upturn in their fortunes, beware other struggling clubs.  For Bentley this has to be seen as a missed opportunity to add three more points to their total for the top of the table push.

MORE MATCH ACTION WITH NEWARK CLEARING THEIR BOX

Having decided not to run for the 4.54 train a quick Lucozade in the bar and a chat allowed a leisurely departure for the 5.44 all stopper to Leicester with a change at Nottingham.  For the second time in a few weeks the dark and edge of village station saw me being the only passenger to board the train.  While waiting for its arrival it was strange to see an old guy approaching coughing his way down Station Road thinking he would be a fellow passenger but on this dark night he just arrived to unlock a push bike from its platform parking bay and after cursing at the lock for a while he boarded and pedalled away into the dark distance.
Seat gained and after a comfortable connection in Nottingham another seat secured, luxury, base station was achieved just shy of 7.30pm after an enjoyable trip out to Newark and Collingham that had been spent in the company of some more genuine non league fans.