Congratulations to Grimsby Borough

Terrific result for Boro tonight as they swept to a deserved victory over Albion Sports in the NCEL Wilkinson Sword Trophy Semi Final. The 5-2 scoreline mean that they will play either Shirebrook Town or Louth Town in the final. An excellent game and a great victory. Well done Boro!

NCEL Easter Groundhop 2012

As you may have realised, I am a big fan of the Northern Counties East League and felt I had to let you know about the Easter Ground Hop in April. There are nine games scheduled over three days and the details are below together with a link to the organiser's booking form Hope some of you will be able to attend some part of it.

THURSDAY 5th APRIL, 2012
7.45pm - D1 - Yorkshire Amateur v Hemsworth Miners Welfare

FRIDAY 6th APRIL, 2012
10.45am - D1 - Eccleshill United v Dinnington Town
1.45pm - Prem - Thackley v Long Eaton United
4.45pm - Prem - Liversedge v Arnold Town
7.45pm - Prem - Brighouse Town v Barton Town Old Boys

SATURDAY 7th APRIL, 2012
10.30am - Prem - Maltby Main v Parkgate
1.30pm - Prem - Staveley Miners Welfare v Pickering Town
4.45pm - D1 - Hallam v Teversal
7.45pm - D1 - Worsbrough Bridge Athletic v Rossington Main

For more information about the Ground Hop, click here to download further details and a booking form.

The Ground Hop is being organised by GroundhopUK. You can follow them on twitter @groundhopUK or you can email them at groundhopuk@yahoo.com.

Shirebrook Town v Grimsby Borough Saturday 21st January 2012 NCEL Division One

Langwith Road, home of Shirebrook Town is my destination today, but it is a trip with a difference for me. I'm travelling with Gary and Sarah, two fellow Boro fans and it's my first trip to a game for quite a while with someone other than Mrs Reynard or Helen.

Lovely skies over Shirebrook

The old navigational skills kick in and we pull into the car park to be greeted by rain and a blustery wind, not exactly the conditions for a good game of football. I head to the turnstiles to go in the ground to take my photos whilst Gary & Sarah go into the Clubhouse for a drink.

Shirebrook's turnstiles

The turnstiles bring you into the ground in the corner with the changing rooms and other facilities. I quickly realise that there is no-one else in the ground as I start to make my way around, which is unusual even at this early time, and there are no players warming up either. I head to my left along the side of the ground.

View down the side of the ground

There is a wide single level hard standing running down the side and part of the way down there are the hospitality lounge and the tea hut. Just after this there is a small covered stand with another step at the back.

Covered terrace

This eventually runs down to the far end of the ground which has a narrow strip of hard standing with a well looked after grass bank running up to the perimeter fencing.

Behind the far goal

Once past this end you have the two seated stands that sit either side of the dugouts. There is hard standing running along the length of the ground with a large grass bank running up to the fencing. The two stands are set back into the banking and give you an elevated view of the pitch.

View of the two stands

The first stand you come to has steps in the centre to gain access to the seats. Two rows run the whole length of the stand but there is a third row for some of it's length. I loved the corrugated roof which I think gave it a bit of character.

First seated stand

There is a gap between the two stands and the dugouts sit in this area and the wall comes further into the hard standing at this point.

Dugout and floodlight

The second stand has a name and is picked out on it, "The Sid Pepper Stand". It has the same steps arrangement to access it and has three rows of seats running it's length. The blue plastic seats look good and I'm impressed with the stands.

The Sid Pepper Stand

This has brought me back to the end that faced me as I entered the ground. There is the continuing hard standing with a wide grassy bank, once again running up to the fencing. The toilets and changing rooms can be seen in the distance.

View of the end of the ground

As I reach the dressing rooms I notice a plaque on the wall and I go for a closer look. The plaque is to commemorate the opening of the changing rooms and tells me they were opened by Ray Wilson, a member of the 1966 World Cup Winning England team. I actually saw Ray play at Blundell Park in the latter days of his career when I was very young, playing for Oldham I think.

Ray Wilson plaque

I notice again that there is still no-one else in the ground and there are no players warming up either. As I go back outside to get a drink in the Clubhouse I see that the players are warming up outside on the grassy areas next to the ground. It was nice to get out of the wind and rain for a while and warm up.
We head back into the ground just before kick off. The rain has stopped but the wind seems even stronger and it was to make it difficult for both teams to play. Boro are attacking down the very visible slope that runs from one end to the other and also have the wind at their backs. The Blue Army position themselves in the Sid Pepper Stand as I make my way behind the goal.

Blue Army

Shirebrook have the first chance of the game but Damian Steer in the Boro goal had the shot covered on his return to the Boro team. Pottsy then forced a good save from the Shirebrook keeper who turned it round the post. Both sides had chances but either the finishing was wayward or the respective keepers made the important save.

Boro's Andy Taylor on the ball

The best chance of the half fell to Shirebrook striker Stubley after a great cross from Slawson found him unmarked in the box, but somehow he hit the crossbar when it seemed he had to score. Half time arrived with no score.

Boro's Nathan Emson stopped by a good challenge

The good performance of the first half gave us all optimism that Boro may be able to get something out of the game but it was not to be. Most of the action was in the Boro box and we struggled to create any chances ourselves.

Aerial battle

It all went wrong for Boro on 70 minutes. Mitch Slawson latched onto a good through ball and unleashed a shot that flew past Steer in the Boro goal. Minutes later Steer was able to push another good shot round the post to keep the difference at one. Boro started to look for an equaliser but did not really get the run of the ball in the difficult conditions. Time was running out for Boro and the game finally went out of reach two minutes from time. A good run from Topliss down the right saw him reach the byline and put in a good cross for Slawson who thumped it past Steer for his and Shirebrook's second goal. The final whistle saw Boro fall to a 2-0 defeat.
A decent ground but a disappointing result but it was a good day out following the Boro and many thanks to Gary for driving me there and back.

More pictures of Langwith Road here.

There are more pictures of the ground, action and the fans here.

Shirebrook Town 2-0 Grimsby Borough
Att: 79
Admission: £4
Programme: £1.00

Seasons greetings to everyone

Happy holidays to everyone who looks in. I will hopefully be at the two games in the side bar, say hello if you see me. I hope you all have a good holiday break and if you are travelling over the festive period, take care,

Brigg Town v Ilkeston Saturday 17th December 2011 Evo-Stik Division One South

Grimsby Borough do not have a game today and although the Reserves are at home (although it was cancelled late on) I decide to take a look at how the newly formed Ilkeston are doing on their visit to Brigg Town. The Hawthorns is only a 22 mile drive for me and I arrive in plenty of time to get some decent pictures in the daylight.

The Brigg Town badge

Outside the ground is already busy as there are a fair number of Ilkeston fans here and they all seem to be heading into the Clubhouse, encouraged by the Brigg officials who tell them to drink plenty as "we need the money". I take a few photos outside the ground and head inside.

Turnstiles

Once through the turnstiles you find yourself in the corner of the ground. To your right is the building block containing the toilets and the dressing rooms for the teams and officials. There is also a bit of overhang from the roof to give some cover.

Dressing rooms and facilities

Directly in front of you is the portacabin which is used for hospitality and beyond this a single level terracing runs down to the corner of the ground where there is a tea hut.

Hospitality hut and terrace

After the hospitality hut the ground opens out and there is a grassy area behind the hard standing which leads to the fence which has a net to stop balls going into the gardens of the houses behind the ground.

Hard standing behind the goal

This brings you to the far side of the ground which has a seating stand which runs down a good part of the ground. There are three rows of red seats, which I have to say are probably some of the most uncomfortable seats I have sat in.

Seating Stand

At either end of the stand there is a small area of covered terracing although they were not many takers today as the weather, although cold, did not give us any rain.

Covered terracing at the end of the stand

The hard standing narrows up after the stand as the floodlight here has a fencing around it but it opens up again after this to the corner. The end here is wide and open with a single level of hard standing which runs the entire end of the ground.

View behind the goal

This leads you back to the side of the ground that I came in. The first stand you reach is a small covered terrace of three steps with a roof that comes out to the edge of the wall in front of the pitch.

The narrow terraced stand

The weather has changed now and the sun has gone and there are some menacing looking clouds overhead, as you can see in this shot of the seated stand across the pitch.

View across the pitch

After the small terraced stand there is a small open area before you reach the very narrow seated stand on this side of the ground. There are only two rows of seats and there is a very narrow walkway past these as you can see below.

The small seating stand

After this there is another open area before the buildings which house the dressing rooms with an exit which allows you access to the Clubhouse outside the ground.

View of the two stands on the entrance side of the ground

Ii has taken me longer than normal to make my circuit of the ground today as I've been involved in several discussions with both Brigg and Ilkeston fans on my way round and it is very close to kick off. There are not many Ilkeston fans inside yet, but almost as soon as I've thought this they start to appear and soon make themselves heard.

Pre-match handshakes

The Ilson fans quickly make their way to the end their team will be attacking in the first half and an array of flags are put up.

Ilson fans and their flags

The game kicked off and both teams were playing some nice football early on but without creating any clear cut goal opportunities. It was end to end stuff with both sides struggling to find that edge to beat the others keeper. Probably the best chance of the half fell to Ilson's Gary Ricketts but his shot flew well over the bar. An entertaining half came to a close without any score.

Ilson cross the ball

Ilkeston took over the game in the second half and it was mostly one way traffic towards the Brigg goal. The problem for Ilkeston was a combination of some poor finishing and resolute Brigg defending meant they were unable to open the scoring. Brigg went forward when they could but the final ball was always disappointing and they too struggle in front of goal. There were Ilson claims for a penalty when Maguire burst into the box and went down under a challenge from a Brigg defender. However the referee felt that he had dived and dished out a booking. I have to say that I thought it was a clear penalty especially as he was clear to have a shot and could not see why he would go down in that situation.

Ilson fans behind the goal

As in so many games like this, it was the team under the cosh who scored the opening goal. Brigg's Liam Davis raced down the right hand touchline, beat his man and placed an inviting ball into the path of Ryan Paczkowski who hit his shot into the back of the net from about 10 yards out. The Ilson fans around me seemed stunned and could not believe they had gone behind. Ilkeston went straight back onto the attack and four minutes later they were level. A neat move saw the ball come out to the left wing from where it was played inside to Jack Watts who drilled his shot into the net. The game ebbed and flowed for the remaining time but neither team could find the decisive blow and the full time whistle went with the final score at 1-1.
This was a thoroughly entertaining game and I was glad I made the choice to come here.

Programme cover

More pictures of The Hawthorns here.

There are more pictures of the ground, action and the fans here.

Brigg Town 1-1 Ilkeston
Att: 143
Admission: £7
Programme: £1.50

Market Rasen Town v Grimsby Borough Reserves Saturday 26th November 2011 Lincolnshire Premier Division

I decided to stay fairly local today and decided upon Boro's reserve game away at Market Rasen, about 20 miles away. This is Rasen's first season in this League and I'd heard that they had a stand which had had some work carried out on it, but as with many grounds at this level that was the only stand. Mrs Reynard came with me as we intended to go to Willingham Woods for a walk and something to eat before the game.
However, I decided to pop to the ground before we went to the woods to get my photos. It was fairly easy to find thanks to Google Maps, with the narrow entrance and lane fairly well concealed if you did not know it was there.

Sign to the ground

We parked up and the ground was already a hive of activity with a training session for local youngsters just about to start and in the distance, there were Club officials setting up the supports for the rope barrier to mark off the pitch. The only stand was on the far side of the pitch which in turn was past the cricket pitch.

View across Rase Park to the Stand

There is no hard standing here and you have to walk across the grass to get the pitch and the stand, which is not a problem today even though there has been a heavy overnight dew and it is fairly damp and misty today, but in the depths of winter it would be advisable to wear some good sturdy footwear. We reach the stand and you can see that there has been some recent work done on it.

Approaching the Stand

There are no seats as such, but the concrete has been laid to provide a continuous raised seating area although it might be a bit cold on the bottom on colder days. The dugouts are part of the stand although when we are at the game the reserves seem to use the concrete seats behind them. With no barriers and no game on yet I'm able to nip onto the pitch and take some photos of the stand face on.

Welcome to Rase Park

The only other facility is the Clubhouse which contains the bar and tea hut together with the dressing rooms for the teams and officials which is situated where the car park is.

Clubhouse

Photos finished we head off to the woods. Three hours later we return for the game which kicks off at 2pm as there are no floodlights here and so the game has to be completed in daylight.

Rase Park Sign

The game kicks off in bright sunshine with the shadows of the trees beside Brimmer Beck that runs behind the Stand. Boro start brightly and have the best of the early stages without really creating anything to trouble the Rasen keeper. We even have time to have a bit of banter with Rasen's keeper Dale Christie as Rasen get into the game and put Boro on the backfoot, but again do not really trouble the Boro goal. Christie is then called into action, pulling off two superb saves, especially one from John Toyne which he tipped over the bar.

Rasen defender heads clear

The first half ends with no score and we head over to the Clubhouse for a cup of coffee and a sit down. After a couple of minutes we are joined by Rasen keeper Christie who proceeds to light up a cigarette! I don't suppose you would see this at any Premier League games, but at least he had an energy drink too.

Rasen keeper Dale Christie

Rasen start the second half with renewed hope of a victory and start to dominate play with Boro struggling to get their own game going. Some determined defending by Boro kept Rasen at bay and their better chances were wasted by their struggling forward line. Boro started to find a bit of space as Rasen continued to attack and were able to exploit the space and make some attacks of their own. On about 70 minutes Boro won a corner and the ball was played into the heart of the box where John Toyne beat Christie to nod the ball home.

Boro's John Toyne heads in the winner

The game became even more of a midfield battle with Rasen creating the better chances but with no end result. Several balls had ended up in the during the afternoon and towards the end of the game several balls had gone missing and Rasen's keeper shouted to the bench "Get these balls sorted out!" only to be met by the reply "We can't mate, they are all in the water".

Boro on the attack

The Boro defence hold Rasen at bay and with no further score they head home with all three points. There is not a lot to see at Rase Park in terms of stands but it is a nice ground and well worth the visit, although I think I would save it for spring or summer day.

More pictures of Rase Park here.

There are more pictures of the ground, action and the fans here.

Market Rasen Town 0-1 Grimsby Borough Reserves
Att: 47 (Head Count)
Admission: None
Programme: None

Teversal v Grimsby Borough Saturday 5th November 2011 NCEL Division One

I leave Cleethorpes on an overcast day, but with no rain, not too bad for a football trip. The weather soon changes and I endure very heavy rain on the M18 and M1 and it is still raining when I reach the Teversal Grange Sports & Social Centre, Carnarvon Street, home to Teversal FC.

Sign announcing the next game

It is still raining as I wander about the car park for some pictures. The ground is situated next to the The Teversal Trails Visitors Centre. The trails follow the track beds of the former colliery railways which, together with the local footpaths, provide a network of varied and enchanting walks through countryside that is abundant with wildlife. Much of the network has now been designated a Local Nature Reserve due to its valuable and fascinating flora, fauna and geology. A Coal Garden, incorporating a variety of artifacts from the local colliery, including Pit Wheels, marks the entrance to the trails themselves.

Pit wheel at the park entrance

The entrance to the turnstiles is fronted by a new set or iron gates with the Club name picked out in the middle and they look very impressive. I'm even asked if I would like to buy a pair of gates!

The new gates

You go through the gates and the turnstiles are to the right and bring you into the corner of the ground. To the right are the dressing rooms, Clubhouse and hospitality room. Thankfully the rain has stopped and so I set off to make sure I get my photos before it starts again. I head to the left of where I came in, behind the goal.

View behind the goal

As you can see, there is a white railing running the whole length of the end with a one level hard standing area and a further area behind this. This end also gives you a good view of the Main Stand on the far side.

Main Stand

As you reach the corner the railing and hard standing continues to the stand. There is a barrier either side of the seating stand pointing out that there is no standing allowed in front of the stand.

View to the Main Stand

After the main are of the stand there is another small section of seating with a single row of seats and a bench behind these. There were not many takers for these as I am pretty sure that the dugouts would block your view of the pitch.

Additional seating

After the stand there is the white railing and hard standing again with a grassy area running up to the perimeter fence.

Area after the Main Stand

This leads you to the opposite end where we came in. This has the hard standing running along it's length and there are two covered areas either side of the goal.

View of the far end

These two covered areas have an unusual cover, something which I had heard about before I came here and was usually in a derogatory way. As you can see they have used Tesco Trolley Park shelters. Personally I think they are brilliant and would give you reasonable cover on a rainy day.

Tesco Trolley End

The next side of the ground has the same format of white railing and hard standing leading down to the dressing rooms area at the end.

View down the side of the ground

At the far end of this side of the ground, as I have said, are the dressing rooms and in the corner after this there is a very smart Clubhouse with a bar showing Sky Sports and the "tea hut" is also in here with a good choice on offer.

Home dressing room

I go inside and watch the last 10 minutes or so of the Sky game with two fellow Boro fans who have made the journey before heading out for kick off. Boro set off attacking the Trolley end and begin confidently. Six minutes in and Lee Stephenson puts Boro 1-0 up following up a spilled George Newby shot.

Boro players celebrate the opening goal

Minutes later it could have been two when Andy Taylor just fires wide. Its all Boro in the early stages and the chances keep coming but poor finishing keeps the score at 1-0. On 25minutes George Newby fires in a shot which takes a deflection which beats the keeper only for the ball to hit the crossbar and go out for the corner. Boro really should be further ahead and I start to wonder if we will rue these missed opportunities. Teversal start to get back into the game and on 35 minutes they find their equaliser. A good passage of play results in the ball being played to Greg Tobin on the edge of the box and he places his shot just inside the post and beyond Leigh Cook in the Boro goal. 1-1.

Boro's Lee Stephenson tussles for the ball

This seemed to stun Boro and it is Teversal who have the better of the game up to half time.
The second half starts with Teversal beginning much better than in the first half. A change of tactics cuts out the space that Boro exploited in the first half and makes it difficult for Boro to play with the same fluency that they showed in the first half. The Teversal players are really up for the game and are playing some decent football. The early pressure pays off on 53 minutes when Greg Tobin scores his second with accurate angled shot after good approach play. This stirs Boro up and they start to play better but with no end result. Both teams have chances but it is Teversal who score the fourth and best goal of the match. On 78 minutes Ryan Atkins gets the ball on the left of the box and fires in a terrific shot which arrows into the top corner of the net to make it 3-1 to Teversal.

Boro's Nathan Emson stretches for the ball.

This effectively finished the game although Teversal were reduced to 10 men when Danny Pearson picked up a second yellow. To be fair, the game had been played in a good spirit and in my eyes it was a genuine challenge that did not warrant a booking but there was an assessor present and I think this was why he picked up the second booking. Despite this Teversal were able to see the game out and win 3-1.

A disappointing result for Boro but it was an enjoyable day. Everyone I met was friendly and I had some good chats with the locals, which is what it is all about.

Programme cover

More pictures of Carnarvon Street here.

There are more pictures of the ground, action and the fans here.

Teversal 3-1 Grimsby Borough
Att: 45
Admission: £4
Programme: £1.00