STENHOUSEMUIR, DAVID CAMERON AND THE ROMANS IN CLAY CROSS

CLAY CROSS UNITED 2 BARLOW KINGSTON ROVERS 2

HKL CDSFL DIVISION FOUR AT FURNACE HILL

1 NOVEMBER 2020 --- 1045AM

HOW MANY PLAYERS CAN YOU GET IN ONE PICTURE CX UTD V BARLOW KR

With Saturday being a washout for me in the new local blogging stakes I had a Midlands Regional Alliance game on the radar but after a morning of rain and more of the stuff at around departure time for the five mile hike the tactical decision was made to watch some sport on TV and thankfully a Crymru Premier League match between Haverfordwest and Bala which turned out to be very entertaining thanks to Sgorio for the coverage. 

So the normal following morning of selecting a Chesterfield Sunday League took on all the more importance and with this one adding a few extra snippets of trivia it looked an interesting choice especially with this probably being the last game before lockdown for the hardy few who play and watch at this grassroots level.

The normality of the blog is to describe the setting and the journey something that is always challenging on 'local' hops but todays really has enough to shake the proverbial stick at or sticks.  Setting off about half an hour before kick off the unclaimed part of the Lane that would take me towards Clay Cross has a preserved section of the old Roman road, Ryknild Street [Rykneld, Ryknield - take your pick here] running adjacent to our route.  The road is now highlighted at the far end of a new mini housing development but I guess as part of the granting of permission to build a smart information board has been installed describing the raised mound you are looking at while reading.

THE FORMER ROMAN ROAD AND INFORMATION BOARD

Just to the side was the former Quaker Friends Meeting House which is now replaced by a large stone home but by certain accounts states that the former 'meeting house' has one of its walls within the newer build and too its rear is reported to be a Quaker burial ground.  The place of worship was founded in 1677 and closed somewhere just before 1800 and is believed it provided a safe place of sanctuary as Quakers were a much persecuted faith in the times of establishment of the building.

Moving along, only a few strides, is Egstow Hall which dates to around 1669 but the area receives mention in the Domesday Survey of 1086 so certainly has a lengthy history.  The barn outbuilding has since been converted into accommodation but is a fine example of a cruck roof so named by its curved timbers making it resemble the framework of an upturned boat.

Leaving along a now old style cart track that certainly in the 1970's continued all the way into Clay Cross gives the feeling of a country walk but you soon encounter a narrowing of the former roadway an encounter a steep climb that at its summit falls away as steeply to the other side.  This was the result of outcropping for near surface coal in the 70's which when the ground was replaced I guess did not have the same stringent measures as now and the whole thing resembled a hill meaning the beauty that once was the lane had gone for ever.

At the other side we arrive at Furnace Hill and its sports ground but if you take a further short walk of around 500 yards the old Clay Cross Works Cricket and Football ground officially listed as John St but with its spectator entrance on Brassington Street would have come into play.  I say would have because with a further housing development on the site that contained a bowling green and the memorable Rainbow Cafe which was transported from the companies Ashover Quarry site to their sports facilities in Clay Cross.  Many a twenty minute walk to watch its then named Biwater FC was undertaken to enjoy some local football in past days.

ITS A BIT STEEPER THAN IT LOOKS AND A TOUCH MUDDY

We got to this state of affairs after Biwater was closed by it new owners Saint Gobain and made 700 people redundant, within months of purchase, alongside the support businesses in Clay Cross in 2000 and so the continued decline of the town accelerated after its loss of surrounding Mining employment in the previous two decades.  So after many false starts the housing developments were booked for the site and surrounding area but only in the last year have we seen these take shape but part of the development of the sports ground site was a replication of facilities to Furnace Hill.  

THE BOWL THAT IS FURNACE HILL

With the same facilities football, cricket, bowls, and now a children's play area alongside a modern changing rooms and self contained community hall it was hoped this would also add to the new developments.  Of course with the delay to these estates the grounds have sat out on a limb with a slightly distanced feel to the town, although the pitch was once privately maintained and up to a very good standard so much so that the Chesterfield Sunday League did stage some semi finals and a final on the ground.

Furnace Hill is I guess interesting in that it is very much a bowl surrounded by embankments on three sides but the whole grounds went down much lower previously and was a tip for the works and varying other depositors for many years who filled it up to the level it currently stands at.  I guess its best not to think about what is below you on a match day.

CROSS MANAGER STEVE RUSSELL LINES UP HIS MEN FOR THE TEAM PICTURE

Clay Cross United came into this game without a point sitting firmly at the foot of division four and with a new kit sponsored by a local hostelry and scaffolding company there was time for a pre match ad hoc Sunday side photo shoot line up.  After last week losing 8-2 away to todays opponents Barlow Kingston Rovers there was a slight fear of trepidation but it would appear the lads were out to enjoy their game.

Stenhousemuir then and it is a great link for Barlow one of the longest formed clubs in the league approaching the fifty year mark had local funeral director David Hattersley at its helm then and now, he's now interestingly moved onto being one of the directors of shirt sponsor Brampton Brewery too.  But the connection with the Ochilview Park side stems back to his being asked at school to pick a side to follow and all his contemporaries selected the big clubs David being different went for little known Stenhousemuir.  Having a season ticket purchased for him by his parents when he was too young to make the journey still did not quell his interest and when he was of an age to attend games off he went later joining the board of directors.  The clubs share the primary kit colour and even play friendly fixtures in the close season with alternate visits between Scotland and England a mixture of former players, staff and supporters make up the occasions which I guess end in a certain degree of merriment. 

TOM GRANT A CONSTANT THREAT TO THE CLAY CROSS DEFENCE

In a tense first half of few chances save for Gary Siddall of Clay Cross striking the bar probably summed up both sides league positions but we were about to start the second half at a roaring pace with three goals in the opening fifteen minutes.  It would be 'the cross' who took the lead with a cracking move Lewis Dickens cross off the right with Matt Walsh who ably chested down for Ben Goodwin to convert with confidence after 57 minutes.

ROUGH AND TUMBLE OF SUNDAY LEAGUE

Quality free flowing moves make good goals as do well struck free kicks and Barlow were about to provide one of those more or less immediately in reply awarded a free kick 25 yards out Will Eaton lifted the ball over the wall and it curled into the United goal to equalise despite the valiant efforts of the home keeper.  For a side at the foot of the table Clay Cross were straight back at it with Dickens pacing onto goal and slotting past Tom Bown in the visitors to goal to restore the advantage and when moments later Antony Brown hit a thirty yard free kick it was looking like 3-1 until at the last second his name sake Tom pulled off a fantastic save to deny him.

WILL EATON CRAFTS THE FIRST EQUALISER FOR BARLOW

Could Clay Cross secure their first three points they came under pressure as Barlow hit the woodwork but it was looking more likely until with eight minutes remaining the visitors found the equaliser with a smart finish on the inside right of the penalty box to make it two apiece.  The name of the goal scorer......David Cameron.