UNICORNS AND THE MAIN ATTRACTION

WOMBWELL MAIN 0 HIGH GREEN VILLA 2
SHEFFIELD AND HALLAMSHIRE COUNTY SENIOR PREMIER @ HOUGHTON LANE
1 MAY 2019 --- 6.15PM

TANGERINE ARMY OF WOMBWELL MAIN

A goal in each half was enough to settle this County Senior League fixture for visitors High Green Villa as football continues to run amok in the silly season.  In a game full of endeavour the visitors were grateful to captain Tom Burns and Tyrone Gunter for the three points indeed the latter became a constant threat in the second half.  Having made one brief visit to Wombwell after an early finish at a cricket match in Hoylandswaine a few years ago to find the red ball game taking place at Houghton Lane in the same perilous state as the one I had just seen finish early I set off with a little time spare on the watch to have a look around today, of course, former mining town.

GATEWAY TO WOMBWELL OR OUT OF

After a late bus saw me connect onto a Sheffield bound service from base station a one minute change over saw Leeds bound train boarded with a fraction of time to spare and 25 minutes hence departure at Wombwell station which is about 3/4 of a mile from the small town centre. 
Wombwell is around three miles south east of Barnsley and I opted to catch the stripey boys bus into town which goes via the council estates around Copeland Road before departing on the High St ten minutes later.

BURTONS A FORMER MAIN STAY IN MANY A TOWN

The town as former pit towns do shows its scars of the industrial destruction of the 80's with boarded up shops and distant signs of former glory days a classic example being the former Burtons menswear store in a style reminiscent of their establishments country wide but of course sadly fallen by the wayside.  The Wombwell Main pit and nearby Cortonwood pit have of course long gone the latter to be replaced by a retail park were most employees probably find themselves on minimum wage and zero hours contracts oh for the days of stable employment for these proud former mining communities.
A steel gateway marker to the High Street just a short walk from the 'Spoons', yes there is one although a chippy had been sourced, was made ornate with sporting symbols, pit memorabilia and the much to be viewed Unicorn in central position.
Off to Summer Lane and the fish bar which if reviews are to be believed is a cracker and with a queue to the door my criteria has been passed to sample the goods.  A good take away it was just bubbling under on the edge of the play offs in football parlance with time moving on there was not enough left on the clock to pay a visit to the cemetery where Wombwell's footballing son Mark Jones is remembered.  One of the eight Manchester United players to die in the Munich air crash in 1958 Jones, the just 24 years old centre half, was from Wombwell indeed I believe his son is still in the area to this day.

AN IMPRESSIVE TANGERINE UNICORN

The Wombwell Sports grounds were entered by a small gate which was attracting Slimming World attendees, I managed to avoid this even after my fish and chips and set off for a walk to the football pitch which is too the far end of the site passing the cricket ground.  As ever even though this is now step seven football admission and programmes are not a requirement but you can purchase some raffle to help out.  The pitch sits on a raised level with the far side having work on with flagstones laid and two dug outs in the process of being build behind is a small grass bank which offers a good view of proceedings the far goal is flush to security fencing so out of bounds.  The opposite touchline has reclaimed land behind the top half where the club are developing junior pitches and the narrow touchline takes us back to the near goal.

GROUNDWORKS UNDERWAY

On the boundary of the cricket pitch is a very smart new changing room block finished in 2017 and displaying, yet again, a unicorn on the club and associations badge.  It was great to learn of the story of the development of the building and the efforts to develop their community ground no big over inflated plans just a sensible cautious approach as material becomes available.

TWO MANAGERS IN ONE DUGOUT FOR THE EARLY PART OF THIS GAME

Team sheets secured, raffle purchased the spitting rain and darkening night would make an annoying first half for photographs.  The visitors would start strongest with Ryan Ruddiforth hitting the bar and shortly after Matt Jacobs seeing his effort well saved by Kai O'Loughlin in the Main goal.
The breakthrough came for the visitors though seven minutes before half time when captain Burns headed in Jack Jones corner.

WOMBWELL MAIN SHINE OUT IN A WONDERFUL KIT

The second half started like the first for Ruddiforth who crashed a great strike off the bar before the home side showed a sharp moved saw a Billy Smith effort pushed round for a corner by visiting number one Ben Palmer.
Much as Wombwell Main were trying to get a head of steam up it wasn't really happening and the threat of Gunter was becoming more prominent and with three minutes to go he broke through to fire past O'Loughlin and the three points were sealed.

AND A BIT MORE TANGERINE

The short walk back to the station revealed another fish shop in the car park of the club, temptation city, departing train just after 8pm saw an arrival back at base station at 9pm a short brief enjoyable visit to the town and Wombwell Main Fc, annoyingly I still couldn't find out the Unicorn connection by research but I'm sure the colourful creatures were frolicking slightly less in some Wombwell wood tonight after their sides narrow loss.