AWAY DAYS-DROYLSDEN

(A Personal View of Recent Matches) 

It only seems like five minutes ago since I was making the train journey to Wakefield for the first match of the season and yet here we are at Droylsden for the 22^nd and final away game.

I was met by Geoff Wilde on the way in to the ground who was telling me that it was 50 years ago to the day that he watched his first ever Southport game. Some going that!  I have now seen 709 “first class” matches and feel proud to have done so but I reckon Geoff could add a few to that!

It has been such a topsy turvy season and this game seemed to sum it all up nicely 1-0 up 2-1 down, 2-2 and a minute later 3-2.

It was a good game to watch in a much improved ground from the last time I went there and with further improvements to come hopefully Droylsden will be able to progress. The covered terracing behind the goal is yet to be opened but goes the full length of the pitch and is impressive and the new main stand is also adequate for the Conference if they do carry on where they have left off this season. The drawback to their progression will be the lack of space behind one of the goals but by moving the goals forward a bit I’m sure a small terrace could be built if they wanted to have a Conference standard ground.

The downside must be the support, a highest gate of the season of just 612 against local rivals Stalybridge and in our game we once again appeared to outnumber the home support. Surely they deserve better backing.

The match was spoilt a little by the totally unnecessary, unprofessional antics of the home bench who when going 3-2 up decided to stick two fingers up at the away supporters and make other disgusting gestures, this coupled with the keeper’s reactions at the final whistle who also decided to gesticulate to the crowd made for one of the more unpleasant away trips of the season. He got off the pitch pretty sharpish at the end and I only fear what could happen if he ever gets to play at a higher level and behaves like that.

No sour grapes, I didn’t really think we deserved too much out of the game and a much improved Droylsden side probably did enough to deserve the win.

Their programme was an interesting read for only £1 with lots of articles and a swipe at our segregation policy, the pricing and the banning of cameras in our ground. I have certainly never had my camera banned!

So that’s it for another season, no more away trips to look forward to and those boring months of May, June and July ahead waiting for the new venture into Conference North to begin and adding to my 130 grounds total!

I am going to include a season round up next week in the Frickley programme handing out my personal awards for best ground, trip etc.

I do think that the league has been a bit of an anti-climax with no team getting promoted and whilst it is hearty congratulations to Hucknall who thoroughly deserve the title I can’t help but feel that something needs to be looked at with regard to the criteria for promotion. Why should they be denied the right to progress further, why does a club whose average gate is 571(boosted by two large gates against local rivals Alfreton and Worksop) need to have a 6000 capacity stadium? Do they have to live beyond their means to progress?