Balcan Lighting Supplies Lincolnshire Football League
at the Vertigo Stadium
Skegness Town (1) 2
Jake Gibson 32
Sam Turner 86
Immingham Town (0) 1
Gary Nimmo 59 pen
Admission £3. Programme £1. Attendance 66 (HC)
Click HERE for more photos from this game
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| Burgh Road memories #1 |
And it must be said, it was a really depressing experience to see what a state of neglect and disrepair, the Lilywhite's ground had fallen into, since I used to live just around the corner on Roman Bank in 1981.
My description of the blot on the Burgh Road eyesore of a landscape that the old ground had become, on the occasion of my last ever visit, when the hosts drew 1-1 with Lincoln United Reserves, was thus: "This afternoon was a bit of a trip down memory lane. The last time I was here there was a big crowd for a friendly v. Grimsby Town, today the attendance was possibly 30 plus (if you counted the club officials).
In the interim, it would be fair to say that most of the changes to the ground, have been made by wind and rain erosion and a few particularly spiteful episodes of storm damage, which is a shame, because though it is a characterful and charming enclosure with bags of room for redevelopment and scope for redevelopment... it has now also become a bit of a dump!"
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| Burgh Road memories #2 |
Well, fast forward almost a decade and the reigning (back to back) Lincolnshire League champions have moved to the Vertigo Stadium on Wainfleet Road, which is a little over a mile from the Burgh Road ground... and all told, it's got to be a good thing on so many different levels.
This afternoon's visitors to the Lilywhites new(ish) enclosure were Immingham Town, which is where I will be heading in a fortnight, when these two sides meet again in a Challenge Cup game.
Immingham were involved in one of the most intriguing games that I saw across the whole of last season, when they beat Wyberton, after extra time, in the Lincs League Supplementary Cup Final, which was played at Sleaford Town's ground.
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| Immingham Town Ultras - Cup final celebration |
Prior to today's kick-off, fourth placed Immingham Town, having taken nine points, after winning three and losing one of their opening four league games, were looking to put last weekend's defeat at New Holland, in a Lincs Junior Cup game against Shape Changers behind them.
While 'Skeg', who won away from home in the same competition, against AFC Holton-Le-Clay, a week ago, were unbeaten in their three previous league games, having chalked up two wins and a draw thus far, and they started the afternoon tucked just behind today's visitors in sixth place.
While 'Skeg', who won away from home in the same competition, against AFC Holton-Le-Clay, a week ago, were unbeaten in their three previous league games, having chalked up two wins and a draw thus far, and they started the afternoon tucked just behind today's visitors in sixth place.
In the only other Lincs League game being played this afternoon, seventh placed Wyberton entertained fifth placed Nettleham... and the pair of them drew 1-1, while the six other clubs, barring Brigg Town Development, were engaged in cup action.
Subsequent changes in the league table tonight, saw the Skegness move up to fourth and Immingham slip to sixth.
Wyberton and Nettleham (who I hear have a decent Sunday team too) are still as you were.
Wyberton and Nettleham (who I hear have a decent Sunday team too) are still as you were.
Vertigo Stadium is named after the local business who sponsor the ground... and might I just say what a great name that is for a Scaffolding company.
Standing opposite Taggs caravan site, where I am led to believe at least 64% of the population of North Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire were conceived, the new ground boasts a decent sized club house, of which the pitch facing end is all glass fronted, so that you can actually watch the game from within the comfortable and well appointed environs of the facility. While outside there is hard standing on all four sides and two stands opposite the dug outs, that are split 50/50, with half-seating and half-standing in both.
At the far end of the ground to the Lilywhites Club, is an enclosed 3G pitch, which was staging a Skegness Town Development Team game this afternoon, which had kicked off at 2pm, and behind the two symmetrical stands is the home of Skegness Rugby Club.
Beyond the rugby pitch there was another football game being played on another artificial pitch, but I never did find out who the two teams 'over yonder' were.
Of course, as the Jolly Fisherman himself will tell you, Skeggy is renowned for being 'so bracing', but this afternoon, if you ignored the aroma of the fish & chip shops and turned a blind eye to the boarded up pubs, being on the East Coast of Lincolnshire was just like being at a Mediterranean resort, so much so that I left my coat and jumper in the car and applied sun screen before settling down to enjoy the game. Next time I'm here, I might also bring some insect repellent to stave of the mosquito nips I suffered after choosing to stand just along the touchline from the two technical areas. The insects were obviously not put off in the slightest by any of the verbals that filled the air on that side of the pitch.
If there is one thing that this Step 7 league lacks, it is more actual teams.
This season, in contains only eleven sides, with Market Rasen Town having folded last year and Heckington Town, Louth Town and Sleaford Town Reserves all having pulled out of the competition before the commencement of the current season. While Hykeham Town called it a day, after a league ruling decreed that their facilities weren't up to required level for the standard of competition and they didn't fancy getting involved in a ground share with Ruston Sports, although that may as of yet become an option out of necessity in the near future... watch this space.
While the other team in this popular holiday resort: Skegness United, are currently plying their trade in the Boston League.
Hopefully the FA will move to help, rather than hinder this lack of numbers towards the end of this current term.
Particularly if today's host club apply successfully and then win promotion to the NCEL next season. And from what I've seen today, they would breeze through any ground grading inspection to that end.
Particularly if today's host club apply successfully and then win promotion to the NCEL next season. And from what I've seen today, they would breeze through any ground grading inspection to that end.
Please note, this opinion about Skegness Town and the NCEL, is based purely on my own conjecture. I have not spoken to anybody at any Lincs League club, or the NCEL, about the lay of the land as it stands at this present time, or how any possible impending situation might pan out.
And even if I ever get round to talking to anyone in officialdom, 'loose lips sink ships' and I never repeat anything I get told in confidence, or overhear by eavesdropping private things on this long winded, self indulgent, bullshit blog, with added football content.
And in case you're worrying what you might have said while I was within your vicinity; years of touring with bands has left me half deaf with advanced tinnitus anyway.
Both teams made it clear from the off, that they were really up for it this afternoon, as two of the clubs fancied by many to be challenging for the honours come the end of March, went head to head.
And though the Lilywhites emerged with all three points after the dust had settled, there wasn't a great deal between the two sides all told.
Luke Raynor-Mistry, the home side's here, there and everywhere, creative attacking midfielder, set up the first chance of the game, but Sam Turner headed narrowly wide from his right wing delivery.
Immingham were soon on the attack themselves, but John Waugh lost his footing, have done the hard part to make himself enough time and space to shoot... and within a minute, Ryan King let fly with a long free kick, that the lads on the adjacent rugby pitch would've been immensely proud of.
Possibly the rarefied air and humidity affected the flight of the ball, eh?
A clever back-heel by Jack Gibson released (S) Turner, who burst into the left hand side of the area, but hooked his shot over the bar.
With the home side getting back effectively in numbers, Gary Nimmo had to improvise with his route to goal blocked, but when he curled a shot over the packed defence from twenty yards out, it flew high and wide past the right hand stanchion of the goal.
A comedian in the crowd called out: "You mind our new clubhouse windows"
Talking of Comedians, the seventies TV funnyman showcase programme that is... and the Golden Shot from the same era.
Did you know, that one of the stars of those two shows: Charlie 'Mi' owd flower' Williams, who was also a time served ex coal miner and footballer for Doncaster Rovers, finished his playing career at Skegness Town after 'Donny' released him in 1959?
It was Williams, a centre half by trade, who first coined the saying, that many other ex-pros have laid claim to.: "I was never a fancy player, but I could stop them buggers that were."
Any road mi' 'owd flower... that's enough nostalgia for now. Swiftly getting back to October 2017, a 'reet grand' game was developing.
Dan Stevens and Stefan Melin were obviously enjoying a afternoon spent crashing into each other in a no holds barred grappling contest; but it was all just proper competitiveness, without even a hint of malice or evil intent and I'm sure they're texting each other with kissy-face emojis right now, in advance of their next rendezvous in a fortnight's time.
Nimmo and Melin both went close for the visitors, while at the other end of the pitch, Liam van der Weele did well to block Gibson's shot at the expense of a corner.
The home side finally broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute, from a move that Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, Johnny Rep, Ruud Krol, Wim Jansen and Robbie Rensenbrink would have been proud of in their prime, when Courtney Warren surged inside from the right wing, past Darren Hanslip and Nimmo, slipped the ball to Jordan Potts, before continuing his run through the right channel and taking a return pass from the Lilywhites number ten, which afforded him a few yards o space to pick out Corey Cunliffe, who rolled a pass into the path of Gibson who rifled a shot past Craig Ritchie to put Skegness in front.
But Tom Hobson and Nimmo, showed some good close control between each other to get Immingham deep into 'Skeg' territory while the home side rode their luck a bit, when Waugh had a goal bound effort cleared off the line, while Malin crashed the ball against the crossbar from the rebound.
As entertainment goes, I had certainly picked the right day to visit the Vertigo Stadium.
King clipped the heels of Rayner-Mistry as he advanced on the visitors goal inside the area and the referee, Mr Ian Weston had no choice but to blow up and point to the spot.
George Hobbins stepped up take the penalty kick: left a bit, right a bit... BERNIE THE BOLT!
He struck it well but Ritchie got down to his left to make a great stop, before recovering quickly to prevent (S) Turner from knocking the rebound home as David Deane hooked the loose ball away to safety.
As play switched towards the home side's area again, Ritchie shouted over to me: "Did you get that on your camera!?"
I tried my best pal!
Gibson shot over after exchanging passes with (S) Turner and Ritchie kept Skegness at bay again just before half time, saving at (S) Turner's feet from Rayner-Mistry's diagonal through ball.
Right on the stroke of half time, Waugh broke away on his own, but Portas sprinted from his line to make a vital and very timely clearance.
HT: Skegness 1 v Immingham 0
All to play for still... and just one goal in it.
At half time I nipped out to my car to get a hat, the 'mozzies' had eaten quite enough of my head already for one day.
Straight from the restart, Gibson forced his way past two challenges but shot over the bar from twelve yards out.
The pace of the game didn't relent one bit, as it ebbed and flowed from one end of the pitch to the other at almost breakneck speed.
Immingham won a free kick, thirty yards from their hosts goal and while the players from both teams jockeyed and jostled for position, the referee blew up because he'd spotted a push. I'd seen about five pushes, it's how things get done at set pieces, but despite the fact that his assistant, who was just a few yards away from the action, had remained motionless and didn't flag for any sort of offence, the referee had decided, all by himself, that the visitors were going to have a great opportunity to pull level via a penalty kick.
Maybe the young lines-person had been told he was only to keep an eye on throw ins and offsides, but the visitors player manager didn't look unduly concerned either way, as he belted home the equaliser from the spot. Was it a penalty? I'd say probably so... and I've seen them given before, but more often than not 98% of pushing and shoving at set pieces goes unpunished and is part and parcel of each and every game.
Whatever anybody thought of the decision, the resulting goal had definitely put a spring into the visitors step and Cunliffe had to hack the ball away to safety as Nimmo and Waugh passed their way along the touchline, while moments later, Danny Scrimshaw headed wide from a Nimmo free kick.
Hobbins picked out Potts with a free kick, who slipped the ball to (S) Turner, the Skegness number nine lobbed Ritchie, but the Immingham keeper recovered and got back to tip the ball over and was well placed to deal with Cunliffe's looping header from Rayner-Minstry's corner.
Potts and Hobbins combined, but the latter couldn't quite apply the finishing touch to their neat passing move from a couple of yards out.
Ritchie was being kept busy with a string of passes, while Melin was keeping Warren on his toes as a last line of defence for the Lilywhites.
Dan Stevens free kick from outside the area, caused chaos.... among the hordes of hand car wash guys who were doing a roaring trace in the club car park.
There was still nothing to chose between these two sides and to all intents and purposes it looked as though this pulsating game, that was proving to be a good advert for the Lincolnshire League, was heading for a honourable draw.
Nimmo, who was still giving everything he had left for his team's cause, saw two left wing corners fall wide of the right hand post, as his battle weary troops couldn't quite add the finishing touch.
Portas had to head the ball away when Hobson played a long ball towards Richard Sparrow... and was involved again moments later, gathering Nimmo's right wing cross after Hobson had freed him with a great knock out wide from the middle of the park.
With four minutes left to go, Rayner-Mistry broke down the left wing and rolled the ball back to (J) Turner, who up until this point had been digging in and doing all of the unglamorous jobs for 'Skeg', out on the left, but his cross found (S) Turner, who scored with his second bite of the cherry after Ritchie had saved his initial effort from close range.
Rayner-Mistry broke through into the left hand side of the visitors area and scooped the ball across the face of the goal but Danny Steadman could only divert his header wide.
Injuries within the visitors ranks, meant that Chris East, who hitherto had been Gary Nimmo's eyes, ears and vocal presence on the bench, had to come out of retirement for the final five minutes.
He made a telling contribution right at the death, when Gibson took the ball round Ritchie from Hobbins through ball and the emergency substitute got across to prevent the Skegness number eleven from rolling the ball into an empty net.
The visitors made one last sweeping move forward but Portas, once again, moved quickly from his line to intercept the ball and clear his lines for the last time.
and that was that.
Well played both to both teams.
I'm really looking forward to seeing these two sides lock horns again in two weeks time.
FT: Skegness Town 2 v Immingham Town 1
