Saturday 5th December 2009. Notts FA Intermediate Cup 3rd RoundAt Bolham Sports Ground, Retford
Retford Town (1) 5 (Lee Garner, Dan House 3, OG)
Awsworth Villa (0) 3 (Danny Towle 2, Mitchel Scot)
Admission free, Programme £1, Attendance 24 (roughly)
Left click to enlarge and find out where Retford Town used to play, neat paint job ;-)Today I have mostly been watching ... the third round of the Notts Intermediate Cup, in which Retford Town of the Doncaster Senior League took on Awsworth Villa of the Notts Senior League.
When we arrived at the Bolham Sports Ground, just as the teams were warming up out on the pitch, we got chatting with an Awsworth Villa official who asked me if Retford was in Yorkshire ... err, no!!!
But I'd always thought Awsworth was in Derbyshire, so we've both fixed a gap in our local geographical knowledge this afternoon then.
I set my alarm after getting home from last night's 12 hour shift, to give myself a couple of options regarding today's football destination.
The first thing I saw when I woke up were text messages warning me that Worksop Town's game at the New Manor Ground (on Awsworth Road ... in Derbyshire) was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, thanks for the heads up guys n' gals.
It was always going to be a toss up whether I went to Ilkeston or Retford Town today anyway, due to logistics of getting back to start work on time (in Retford), so the decision was made for me in the end.
The next time I go to a game here, I'm going to arrive a bit earlier to bag myself one of the hard standing car parking spaces. I would imagine that as the wet winter we're lurching into at an unrelenting pace continues, the mud bath we just about extricated our car from at full time will have been reclassified as a swamp.
That said, I'll definitely be back soon ... the standard of football played here is never going to produce the next David Beckham or Ray Hankin :-O (for the time being anyway) but it was much better than I had originally anticipated.
Retford Town have aspirations towards becoming a Central Midlands League club in the future and on today's showing they would hold their own at that level comfortably.
Town are managed by Brian Jackson, the guy responsible for forming Retford United the year after the original Retford Town went out of business.
Brian isn't the only person here who has moved across town from United for one reason or another of late.
A couple of their (United) fans who I always used to bump in to on the odd occasions I went to see the Badgers playing home games at Cannon Park, the Oakland's Sports Ground and even the Bevercotes Colliery Ground, as well as a good few away games in the CML, NCEL and Notts Alliance, now prefer to spend their Saturday afternoon's at Tiln Lane instead of Cannon Park citing "Some of the stuff that goes on up there now, the cost and some of the people that have latched on to Retford United" as their reasons.
To my way of thinking, the further United have progressed up the leagues ... and it's been a meteoric rise for which they deserve a lot of credit ... then the more money has become an issue, that is a necessary and unavoidable evil.
And more people will turn up wanting to be associated with a winning team who might not have had much of a grounding in grass roots football, one or two of them maybe have the wrong sort of 'glory whoring' attitude towards Non League football too ... but that doesn't make RUFC all bad though ... does it!?
Regarding the admission cost at Retford United these days (these people are ex-season ticket holders BTW), they only charge the same as the other clubs at Unibond Premier level (less than other so called 'bigger' clubs) and don't have a say in the minimum charge set for that division by the Unibond League either.
In an ideal world we could all watch football for free, but the higher up the 'pyramid' clubs progress, the bigger their overheads and running costs become.
As for "Some of the stuff that goes on up there now", I'm not repeating a word of what I was told, it wouldn't be right to comment because it's all hearsay and nowt' to do with me anyway ... I don't ever intend to make it my business either.
When we arrived at the Bolham Sports Ground, just as the teams were warming up out on the pitch, we got chatting with an Awsworth Villa official who asked me if Retford was in Yorkshire ... err, no!!!
But I'd always thought Awsworth was in Derbyshire, so we've both fixed a gap in our local geographical knowledge this afternoon then.
I set my alarm after getting home from last night's 12 hour shift, to give myself a couple of options regarding today's football destination.
The first thing I saw when I woke up were text messages warning me that Worksop Town's game at the New Manor Ground (on Awsworth Road ... in Derbyshire) was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, thanks for the heads up guys n' gals.
It was always going to be a toss up whether I went to Ilkeston or Retford Town today anyway, due to logistics of getting back to start work on time (in Retford), so the decision was made for me in the end.
The next time I go to a game here, I'm going to arrive a bit earlier to bag myself one of the hard standing car parking spaces. I would imagine that as the wet winter we're lurching into at an unrelenting pace continues, the mud bath we just about extricated our car from at full time will have been reclassified as a swamp.
That said, I'll definitely be back soon ... the standard of football played here is never going to produce the next David Beckham or Ray Hankin :-O (for the time being anyway) but it was much better than I had originally anticipated.
Retford Town have aspirations towards becoming a Central Midlands League club in the future and on today's showing they would hold their own at that level comfortably.
Town are managed by Brian Jackson, the guy responsible for forming Retford United the year after the original Retford Town went out of business.Brian isn't the only person here who has moved across town from United for one reason or another of late.
A couple of their (United) fans who I always used to bump in to on the odd occasions I went to see the Badgers playing home games at Cannon Park, the Oakland's Sports Ground and even the Bevercotes Colliery Ground, as well as a good few away games in the CML, NCEL and Notts Alliance, now prefer to spend their Saturday afternoon's at Tiln Lane instead of Cannon Park citing "Some of the stuff that goes on up there now, the cost and some of the people that have latched on to Retford United" as their reasons.
To my way of thinking, the further United have progressed up the leagues ... and it's been a meteoric rise for which they deserve a lot of credit ... then the more money has become an issue, that is a necessary and unavoidable evil.
And more people will turn up wanting to be associated with a winning team who might not have had much of a grounding in grass roots football, one or two of them maybe have the wrong sort of 'glory whoring' attitude towards Non League football too ... but that doesn't make RUFC all bad though ... does it!?
Regarding the admission cost at Retford United these days (these people are ex-season ticket holders BTW), they only charge the same as the other clubs at Unibond Premier level (less than other so called 'bigger' clubs) and don't have a say in the minimum charge set for that division by the Unibond League either.
In an ideal world we could all watch football for free, but the higher up the 'pyramid' clubs progress, the bigger their overheads and running costs become.
As for "Some of the stuff that goes on up there now", I'm not repeating a word of what I was told, it wouldn't be right to comment because it's all hearsay and nowt' to do with me anyway ... I don't ever intend to make it my business either.
A former Mayor of Retford looking very dapper in his stylish cap (right)Apparently when the ground improvements at Cannon Park finally take shape, Town are inheriting some of the fencing for their ground, but I don't know what the time-scale involved with that will be.
Anyway enough of this Retfordian bitching and gossiping stuff and on with the game.
After a tentative start to the game, Awsworth got into their stride before Retford did and had the better of the opening chances.
Jason Holberry, Town's goalkeeper did well to keep Villa out early on, particularly in a couple of one on one situations.
Jason has a relative based in Retford who writes a blog called THE66POW about his own Non League travel exploits and as a consequence was always unlikely to get a bad review today anyway ;-)
Town survived the couple couple of early scares and then Lee Garner knocked the wind out of the visitor's sails by firing Retford ahead on 17 minutes.
The home side took control of the game and pegged Awsworth back for a while, but didn't increase their lead in the first half. In fact, the visitors came strong at the end of the first 45 minutes and hit the post and saw a shot flash narrowly wide of the left upright as the clock ticked down towards the break.
It was still most definitely 'game on'.
Both keepers had been busy and a lot of goal scoring opportunities went begging too.
But the second half was where the fun really started.
Anyway enough of this Retfordian bitching and gossiping stuff and on with the game.
After a tentative start to the game, Awsworth got into their stride before Retford did and had the better of the opening chances.
Jason Holberry, Town's goalkeeper did well to keep Villa out early on, particularly in a couple of one on one situations.
Jason has a relative based in Retford who writes a blog called THE66POW about his own Non League travel exploits and as a consequence was always unlikely to get a bad review today anyway ;-)
Town survived the couple couple of early scares and then Lee Garner knocked the wind out of the visitor's sails by firing Retford ahead on 17 minutes.
The home side took control of the game and pegged Awsworth back for a while, but didn't increase their lead in the first half. In fact, the visitors came strong at the end of the first 45 minutes and hit the post and saw a shot flash narrowly wide of the left upright as the clock ticked down towards the break.
It was still most definitely 'game on'.
Both keepers had been busy and a lot of goal scoring opportunities went begging too.
But the second half was where the fun really started.
Half time sanctuary and time to catch up on the newsThe Awsworth players were back out on the pitch first, one of them was heard to shout out as a rallying call to gee up his troops "We're better than this. If we come all the way up here and let 'em win, it'll make us look silly!"
Meanwhile in the distance I could have sworn I heard a 'Boy Racer' tearing off down Smeath Road towards Clarborough with a certain song by The Smiths blaring out of his car stereo by way of a massive coincidence.
Though I could be mistaken or possibly even embellishing the situation ... either way you can't disprove anything, so there! 
Lee Garner laid the ball off to Dan House who shot Retford 2-0 ahead after 52 minutes.
Five minutes later House scored again and a certain Awsworth player was now running the risk of looking very silly indeed.
Cruising at 3-0, Retford Town let their guard drop and Awsworth snatched a goal back.
Credit where it's due, Villa kept trying to pass the ball and make in roads into Retford's lead and on 67 minutes their skilful left winger lobbed the ball over the advancing Holberry to score the visitors second goal.
Was extra time and possibly even a penalty shoot out looming?
Would their be enough daylight left to finish the game if there was?
Lee Garner laid the ball off to Dan House who shot Retford 2-0 ahead after 52 minutes.Five minutes later House scored again and a certain Awsworth player was now running the risk of looking very silly indeed.
Cruising at 3-0, Retford Town let their guard drop and Awsworth snatched a goal back.
Credit where it's due, Villa kept trying to pass the ball and make in roads into Retford's lead and on 67 minutes their skilful left winger lobbed the ball over the advancing Holberry to score the visitors second goal.
Was extra time and possibly even a penalty shoot out looming?
Would their be enough daylight left to finish the game if there was?
Excellent programme, stuffed with information, printed locally tooOn 77 minutes, Retford launched the ball into the Awsworth box from a free kick out on the left, the keeper made a bit of a mess of dealing with it and seemed from where we were stood (in line with his six yard box), to have fumbled the ball over the line before actually getting hold of it properly.
Granted when he stood still with the ball clutched 'safely' in his hands, his feet were in the penalty area the right side of his goal line, but moments before that the ball appeared to have (just) crossed the line ... and the linesman on the far side, in line with us, agreed. It wasn't a decision I would have liked to have had to call mind you.
A goal was given. 4-2. And I've listed it as an own goal, though Retford Town have actually credited it to K Metcalfe.
The Awsworth keeper lost the plot completely and spent the next five minutes shouting abuse at the young linesman while the game went on.
He shouted to the Villa bench "Take me off, I've lost it, I'll knock his bastard head off!"
At this point the linesman flagged the referee to deal with the worsening situation but it's a mystery how he hadn't heard it all himself in the first place. The keeper was only booked (he was lucky) and Villa substituted him.
As he approached the bench he threw his shirt and shouted "You can stick your team up your arse!" I bet he was fun to travel home with.
If the keeper had punched the ball instead of threatening to punch a match official, none of the above would've happened, but we all have the answers with the benefit of hindsight, eh!?
Granted when he stood still with the ball clutched 'safely' in his hands, his feet were in the penalty area the right side of his goal line, but moments before that the ball appeared to have (just) crossed the line ... and the linesman on the far side, in line with us, agreed. It wasn't a decision I would have liked to have had to call mind you.
A goal was given. 4-2. And I've listed it as an own goal, though Retford Town have actually credited it to K Metcalfe.
The Awsworth keeper lost the plot completely and spent the next five minutes shouting abuse at the young linesman while the game went on.
He shouted to the Villa bench "Take me off, I've lost it, I'll knock his bastard head off!"
At this point the linesman flagged the referee to deal with the worsening situation but it's a mystery how he hadn't heard it all himself in the first place. The keeper was only booked (he was lucky) and Villa substituted him.
As he approached the bench he threw his shirt and shouted "You can stick your team up your arse!" I bet he was fun to travel home with.
If the keeper had punched the ball instead of threatening to punch a match official, none of the above would've happened, but we all have the answers with the benefit of hindsight, eh!?
Retford Town's Lee Garner takes the ball down on his chestDean House completed his hat trick on 86 minutes and then Awsworth pulled it back to 5-3 straight from the restart. But there was no further scoring or incident of note, unsavoury or otherwise, to report and Retford Town march on in a competition that their neighbours United won in 2001.
It was handshakes all round at the end from the respective officials and players and we wheel spun our way out of the quagmire and back towards town.
I really enjoyed the game today, which incidentally was my 60th of the season. I wouldn't hesitate to take up the chance to watch either team again some time soon.
Both teams wanted it and were a credit to their respective leagues, if you discount the histrionics of Awsworth Villa's keeper that is. Maybe he was justifiably aggrieved, I guess we'll never really know, but there is a line you shouldn't cross when expressing your 'opinion' to match officials and in this case, whether the ball had been or not, the keeper was well over that line.
It was handshakes all round at the end from the respective officials and players and we wheel spun our way out of the quagmire and back towards town.
I really enjoyed the game today, which incidentally was my 60th of the season. I wouldn't hesitate to take up the chance to watch either team again some time soon.
Both teams wanted it and were a credit to their respective leagues, if you discount the histrionics of Awsworth Villa's keeper that is. Maybe he was justifiably aggrieved, I guess we'll never really know, but there is a line you shouldn't cross when expressing your 'opinion' to match officials and in this case, whether the ball had been or not, the keeper was well over that line.
the66pow
