AWAY DAYS TO WORKSOP

 I’m not sure how many other fans left their houses at 8.30am to start their journey to Worksop, no I thought not. But Martin, my driver is never conventional. Why set off at 5pm when 8.30am will do?

Worksop was to be ground number 120 for me. I did go to the old ground at Central Avenue back in 1979 when we won 2-0. I remember this one as it was a double header weekend having played and lost 3-0 at Gainsborough the previous day. The memories flood back!

Back up to date. We thought we’d take a day off and make the most of it getting to visit and photograph as many grounds as we could in a day. So how many could we do?

I arranged to meet Martin in Preston to save him coming in to Southport and having been to Deepdale many times before we skipped what could have been an easy one in favour of setting out on the A6 and doing in order Bamber Bridge, Chorley, Leigh RMI, Atherton LR, Atherton Collieries, Ashton United, Mossley, Hade Edge, Stocksbridge Park Steels, Woodbrough Bridge Miners Welfare & Athletic Club, Maltby Main and finally Worksop.

All these teams play in recognised leagues and feature in the Non League Club Directory. The one disappointment was not being able to find Mexborough’s ground. A ground where in the 1984/85  season we had a 4-1 FA Trophy win with goals from Keith Tierney (2) Kevin McCormack and Jon Gautrey in front of  90 people which is the second lowest crowd we have ever played a “first class” game in front of (The lowest was 85 at Bridlington in the Trophy the season before)

The NLD I was using was from 1999 and Mexborough weren’t even listed so maybe they are defunct. Research needed to confirm that though!

Sad as I am the highlight was Stocksbridge Park Steels as I never really knew where it was and always wanted to go there. My friend rang me from work just as we were leaving Stocksbridges’ ground and he could tell the excitement in my voice!

The funniest moment was at WBMWAC where the cheer leader from the match the night before was just finishing his chant of give us a double u…double u… etc etc!!

Maltby Main was interesting as I got chatting to the groundsman who thought I was being serious when I asked him if he would mind putting the goalposts up so my photo would look better!

We then got talking about the criteria they have to meet to play in their league and that they had just had to spend £4000 to put down a hardstanding around the ground when they get gates of 50 men and their dogs. Seems a bit over the top to me. A lovely man whose knowledge of the non-league scene was vast. Could have stopped for ages but we had a match to get to.

We arrived at Worksop’s ground at just after 6 and I took my photos to save taking the camera into the ground during the game when it would be dark. Wandered into the town but it was closed!

Managed to find a chippy open, just! Walking back from the town centre we saw four other Southport fans in the pub so we felt better that we wouldn’t be alone!

There were, I counted, 24 fans including myself in attendance there could have been others sitting down but no visible signs.

The ground to me was disappointing, I couldn’t understand why a club had moved to a small, rather disjointed ground with virtually no terracing. Particularly an “ambitious club” like Worksop.

The game was ok. This was the first time we have lost when I felt we deserved to win. It was just that last ball and some wayward shooting that let us down coupled with them putting 11 players behind the ball. Even though we lost I wasn’t as downhearted as I had been at Hucknall and at home to Runcorn and I think all the fans felt we had put up a good display. The fans behaviour was impeccable even the more drunken member of the 24 who didn’t seem too keen on the Worksop ‘keeper!

Listening to the Worksop fans on the way out of the ground they certainly felt fortunate to get all three points and we were the best team they have played but as one remarked you can have 75% possession but if “ya do nowt wi’it it ain’t doin ya any good! Best Nottinghamshire accent needed for that.

So the long journey home, no grounds to stop at but we did see The Reebok in the distance on the M61 but hey, who needs The Reebok when you’ve been to Stocksbridge Park Steels! My wonderful wife (ok darling I’ve said it) had agreed to pick me up in Preston to save Martin coming out of his way so we got back to Ainsdale at 12.15 am. A long day but a thoroughly enjoyable one.