Saturday 10th October 2020
at the Rail Ground
Toolstation NCEL Division One
Retford FC (0) 0
Hall Road Rangers (1) 2
Chris Murray 42
Richard Medcalf 71
Attendance: 191
Jon Knight's photo gallery: Click HERE
THE66POW Point & hope picture gallery: Click HERE
A win this afternoon would've seen Retford climb up to third place in the table, but as things turned out they actually finished the day in tenth, as Hall Road Rangers leapfrogged over them in the table as they deservedly left the Rail Ground with all three points in the bag following this NCEL Division One fixture.
'Twas the first time in ages that I've been able to find a gap in my busy schedule to get across to the Rail Ground for a game, though I did call in during the 'closed season' on a 'working day', to meet up with the Choughs stalwart Martin 'Buster' Keeton, who like myself has a keen interest in all of the current teams involved in Retfordian football and the history of the game in the area too.
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| 'Buster'. |
'Buster' had unearthed a pile of Retford Town artefacts for me to use towards my research project pertaining to the life and times of the Shamrocks, prior to their sad demise.
The most desirable and very rare material he provided is currently under lock and key and stored safely out of harm's way. in THE66POW's secret vaults. And no! None of you can have even the sneakiest of peeks at any of it just yet.
I've accumulated a growing body of valuable local historical documents, photographs, programmes and treasures over a period of time and I don't want you, heavy-handed plebs, getting your greasy and grubby mitts all over any of my collection.
Watch this space for further developments, but don't go holding your breath waiting... the stash of information I've been unearthing is growing arms and legs and turning into a long-running saga that is likely to be in a 'work in progress' state of flux for a long while longer yet.
But it's a job that is worth doing properly... and I don't believe in cutting corners.
I've always had a lot of time and respect for Leon, from back in the days when I first made his acquaintance, while we were both working for opposition sides in the CMFL. 
You couldn't help but be impressed by his work ethic, football ethos and the approach he had to the job he was doing back then with Westella and Willerby, while they were based at Bishop Burton College.
Chances are you won't ever have heard of him... but that's because he's not one of the 'ego has landed' brigade who use non-league football as a vehicle to boost their own publicity ratings and live out their Billy Big Balls fantasies under the misapprehension that they're some sort of latter-day Brian Clough, or the next Jurgen Klopp waiting to happen. Leon and his ilk (and I include the managers of both Retford clubs and many others who I have regular dealings with in that equation), just get on with the job in hand and don't need smoke blowing up their arses or their halos polishing on the hour every hour by a besotted and sycophantic entourage. The facts of the matter and the pulling no punches truth here is that these non-self aggrandising sort of managers and coaches are the beating heart of football outside the ranks of the so-called 'elite 'clubs, not the 'it's all about me, me, me!' poseurs, with their narcissistic tendencies and cult of celebratory cravings... spellchecker don't fail me now.
Another tantalising prospect I was obviously unable to resist, was being afforded the chance to see two legendary local custodians of the art of goalkeeping in action, on the same pitch for ninety-plus minutes... and the evergreen duo of Jody Barford of Rangers and Jon Kennedy of the Choughs didn't disappoint, not even when the former seemed to stray so far out of the area he was defending it appeared that he'd forgotten his whereabouts and had a rush of blood to his head that had caused him to hallucinate and think that he'd morphed into Bobby Kerr in his prime.
Apologies Jody, I did search the internet to find a more recent Sunderland outfield player worthy of a similar kind of meritorious standing, but no such sort of a thing seems to exist.
Towards the end of the game, Kennedy was pushed off of the field of play, by Sam Robinson's crafty nudge after gathering the ball safely to the right of his goal... and the referee, oblivious to this act of skulduggery awarded a corner instead of blowing up for a foul on the Retford keeper (who by way of a massive coincidence used to play for Barford's beloved Mackems).
As 'Big' Will Tomlinson headed away the danger from the resulting flag-kick, I'd swear blind that 'Kendo' had one eye trained on punching the ball into the middle distance while the other scanned the goal area for the visitor's number 11, who was running a severe risk of an 'accidental' head to fist collision that would propel him well beyond the perimeter of the goal area as well.
"So then" enquired my sidekick, "Let's say your on Mastermind and your specialist subject is 'elder statesman goalies who've played in the NCEL' and John Humphrys asks you: which one of these two was the better keeper? Which one of them are you going to choose?"
The correct answer is of course: on their day the pair of them are both very capable of moments of brilliance, they always were and I have no doubt that they will continue in the same vein for a while yet too, but neither of them was quite as good as Leigh Herrick in his prime.
So now you know ;-)
The visitors showed their attacking intentions from the off this afternoon and Kennedy had to be on his guard early doors, helping an effort from Wilkinson past the top corner of his net.
Adam Scott freed Jack Johnson out on the left flank with an intricate pass, but Connor Harman was on hand to intercept the incoming cross.
Haydn Goddard in full flight down the left flank slipped the ball through Tommy Waud's legs ("Megs!") but Barford got down to smother the Retford number three's low delivery into his six yard box.
Scott motored forward again and unselfishly laid the ball off to Olly Presley running in tandem to his right, who took aim and skied his shot onto the roof of that hospitality tent stood behind the seats over yonder.
The deadlock was broken shortly before half-time when Chris Murray met Harman's right wing corner towards the near post with a glancing header.
George White looked lively after coming on from the bench and the hosts thought that they had a good shout for a penalty when the youngster broke forward and went to ground over Barford as the keeper spread himself to make a save.
HT: Choughs 0 v Rangers 1
Bennett headed wide from Goddard's corner at the start of the second half, but the visitors weren't content to just sit on their lead and their captain Harman was leading the charge as they went hunting for a second.
Despite the appeals the referee was unmoved, while Barford continued to frustrate Retford when he saved from Zach Casburn moments later after the number nine had chased Goddard's forward knock through the left channel.
Meanwhile back at the other end Harman went down just inside the Choughs area with Bennett tracking him and breathing down his neck. It wasn't quite a foul as such, but I've seen them given... but not today though.
Tomlinson ventured forward and tested Barford with a thumping free-kick that the joint second best NCEL keeper of all time parried away towards Cashburn who couldn't quite connect with the loose ball.
Retford had made all of their substitutes already when Graeme Severn limped out of the game having put in a typical workmanlike shift, meaning that the Choughs would be finishing the game with ten men, but in truth Rangers weren't likely to be caught now as the game ticked down towards full time.
Robinson set up a chance for Nathan Walker, who couldn't keep his shot on target as Kennedy moved towards him and right at the death Robinson put a late strike into orbit from the edge of the area, that had the motorists passing by on Babworth Road bridge cowering with fear, as an unappreciative teammate called out: "Robbo! You greedy c*nt!"
And that was that.
FT: Retford FC 0 v Hall Road Rangers 2
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| Caption competition :-O |
Cheers for the invite to Haworth Park later in the season Leon, hopefully I'll be over soon pal, assuming that 'Bojo' doesn't thrown up a ring of steel around Nottinghamshire when he announces further lockdown and travel restrictions at his press conference on Monday.
A final shout out for the Rail Ground... it's good to see the continuing development of the ever improving facilities at a ground that I first visited in them there 1970's when a big crowd packed into the place to watch Retford Town Reserves playing in a Notts Junior Cup Final there, when I was still a pupil at the nearby Ordsall Hall School.
