MORE GROUNDS FOR ENJOYMENT........OR PART 2

MORE GROUNDS FOR ENJOYMENT OF THE 2019/20 SEASON

WIRKSWORTH DERBY IN JANUARY AN ENJOYABLE NEW GROUND OF THE 19/20 SEASON

The second part of looking at the new grounds visited and those that for the second time a game was seen at continues after looking at the first part of the season we re-start near the end of October.  The collection of new grounds was much higher than I had thought and as with a collection of old pictures from previous visits that have been added to the social media pages grounds, clubs and visits always deliver so much so here goes.
Towards the end of October the blog was in Coventry again as it gets close to completing all the senior non league sides and a bus trip out to the east of the city boundaries and Coventry Copsewood, this was a lovely little visit whereby on arrival I realised it could be added to the list of grounds to arrive at by train.  The Coventry Copsewood Miniature Railway had a private party booked in and the engines were warming up for their afternoons activities.  Beyond the large former company clubhouse was a smart ground with excellent clubroom facilities.  Although the crowd for the game versus Stapenhill was small an entertaining fixture was witnessed and Cospewood in their city sky blue colours were at the time certainly trying to play football in the correct manor.

COVENTRY COPSEWOOD BEAUTIFUL GAME AND BEAUTIFUL GROUND

The final Saturday of the month allowed for a debut in The Northern League something I had looked to do for a while and the end choice fell to the 3g pitch at Consett.  It was once again a wet weekend and along with Mr R from the platform 1 parish we travelled to Durham as the lines behind us gradually closed down after the torrential rain we had left behind.  A lovely bus journey and pre-match tour of the town added to the day which ended in a mini tour of Durham and the Cathedral after a pub meal and we would leave the area around 8pm which thankfully had allowed the lines to recover further south for our return.  The game itself against Hebburn was a top of the table encounter that finished 4-4 and to the outsider had all the appearance of a classic but both of us surprisingly failed to find much to enthuse about it may have been the 3g surface who knows or the bitterly cold afternoon even though the sun was shining brightly.   I had wanted to go to Norton with its view back to Durham but as the weather failed to improve their postponements continued during the season.

CONSETT ON A COLD DAY FOR THE TOP OF THE TABLE CLASH WITH HEBBURN TOWN

The following midweek saw a quick little trip to Quorn for another first time visit I had this planned out for a while, try the chippy in the village etc but in the end it was a night trip
close to kick off with a friendly taxi driver from the station to ground achieved I opted for eats from the clubhouse.  Once again good ground food with the lovely lady even finding me a tin of mushy peas to add to the chip cob.  The journey saw further accompaniment of Mr R and we both mused at the impressive set up here in North Leicestershire.  It was a late returning train that saw us arrive back in Chesterfield via a Nottingham change and some sill late hour but after a refreshing new ground visit.

A SURPRISING BEAUTY QUORN FC

First game into November saw a category entry for second visit with Harborough Town in the Market Harborough encampment visited for an FA Vase game against Atherstone Town and although these two were at the same step structure the visitors won by half a dozen goals to one in a fantastic display.  Harborough had developed their ground since my last visit into a 3g facility and it really is a superb and very smart set up which is a credit to the many clubs who play under their banner.  The trains were all stopping today in the town with engineering works taking place further south so it allowed for a very relaxed journey and also the first sight of the new livery for EMR Trains.

ATHERSTONE HAD A BIG FA VASE WIN AT HARBOROUGH TOWN

Middle of the month saw another second visit this time to Dinington Town with thanks to Mr Rees of the refereeing fraternity and a CMFL League Cup game produced a personal record after a 1-1 draw the penalty shoot out saw visitors Holbrook Sports enter the next round after a 11-10 victory, the most spot kicks I had seen in a shoot out.
A second trip to Olivers Mount on the east side of Sheffield saw a trip to watch Handsworth Reserves despatch Wombwell Main Development 8-1 on their newly installed 3g pitch again on a wet weekend.  After a stressful short travel journey I made kick off with a little time to spare.

ELY CITY IT WAS WINDY AND DARK BUT YOU CANT MISS THE VIEW

As we entered the new year of 2020 a debut trip to Ely City FC although not a first visit to the area. I knew to expect the 'ship of the fens' otherwise recognised as Ely Cathedral as it sits aloft the City in all its splendour.  Along with Mr R from platform 1 we had a comfortable seated journey down to Cambridgeshire and walked to the ground via the marina, town, Cathedral and then the suburbs to the sports facilities on the edge of Ely.  The ground was a smart little affair with its highly
positioned stand and view back towards the Cathedral.  On a windy day the game produced a highly entertaining encounter and I even remember the blog getting a little frustrated with the assistant referee.  The conclusion of the visit to Ely even came, surprisingly, with a walk back to the station with a visit to The Fish House for fish and chips before we popped aboard a delayed direct service to base from a very enjoyable day, just like they used to be seats on trains, enjoyable game and fish and chips.

ASHOVER FC AND A DIFFERENT ANGLE TO THE NORMAL ONE OF THE VILLAGE

Mid January saw a revisit to the beautiful village of Ashover for a Hope Valley game versus Faifield and the chance to catch up with Don Carline long, long, long serving home manager and once again a highly entertaining game it was.
The month ended with a visit I tried to do the previous season for the Wirksworth derby but although Wirksworth Ivanhoe remained Wirksworth Town had merged with Cromford who took the prefix now but it was still a derby all the same.  What a derby it was too finishing 0-0 it was certainly not our and I remember taking a few pictures and with ten minutes to kick off thinking yep it will be one man a dog and me and then a few minutes before kick off everybody showed up and we a had just short of 100 people in attendance cheering on their part of the town.  It was a first visit but a game I thoroughly enjoyed and both clubs gave so much to provide an entertaining afternoon.
That would finish the new grounds there was though just chance as the weather continued to fail to play ball to take in a second visit to the RH Academy at Pleasley home of The Stags of Mansfield Town and this time the facilities had been booked out by Selston Reserves for a CMFL game against AFC Wakefield Reserves.  The visitors secured a 5-3 victory but had been a bitterly cold February afternoon that had thrown down rain and sleety snow showers that had made game enjoyment a challenge but the afternoon was further supported by a trip to the former Pleasley Pit and a look around the exterior before that weather descended.

THE RADFORD HYMAS ACADEMY FOR SELSTON RESERVES ON 3G

What was soon to turn to the early conclusion of the season was only a week away at Shirebrook and with a collection of new grounds discovered it was warming to look back on some of those days whether near or far there is a lot to offer in the clubs and their villages, towns or cities and if there is a bag of fish and chips to procure who cares eh.
As ever all these games and more can be viewed with their individual blog from the menu on the right hand side of the main page.  Alongside this the social media pages are highlighting some pictures from the past.  Thanks for dropping by.