The Farewell Hop

Friday 29th April 2016

For the fourth year running I visited the city of Nottingham for the Notts Senior Football League Bonanza, which is in its final year after being hosted by 20 different clubs. The Groundhop is organised by Rob Hornby who has been running these events for the last 14 years, but sadly this is his “Farewell Hop” after deciding to call it a day. 

I left Newcastle on Friday morning on the 0935 Cross Country Service to Southampton, catching my connection to Nottingham from Sheffield. I was relieved to arrive at around 12.30 in one piece after some bloody jokers put a mattress on the train line between Alfreton and Nottingham, which caused a delay and damage to the train. 
After a quick bite from Greggs, football bets put on and a few record shops visited on Mansfield Road, I started a Wetherspoons pub tour of the outskirts of Nottingham. I met up with Mark Wilkins and we managed to tick off 6 pubs before the first match of the groundhop in the village of Attenborough.

518.The Strand
Attenborough(10th) v Awsworth Villa(5th)
NSL - Premier Division
K.O. .6.30pm

Attenborough FC formed in 1947 as Attenborough St Marys.
Played in the Long Eaton League, Notts Amateur League, Central Alliance League (champions 1974-75) Midland League(1976-1982) 
Founder members of the Central Midlands League(1983-1992) 
Notts Alliance (1992-2004) 
Founder members of Notts Senior League in 2004.

Attenborough is situated in the Broxtowe borough of Nottinghamshire, with The Strand hosting the traditional Friday night fixture with a decent 200 plus crowd in attendance. The football weekend got off to a great start with the home side racing into an early three goal lead, courtesy of a brace from Jack Warner (There’s only 3 Jack Warner’s!) before Jack Wilkinson headed in from a corner kick on 17 minutes. Awsworth responded after the restart with Danny Welsh firing in with just 10 seconds on the clock, but ‘Boro soon took a stranglehold on the match with Warner capitalising on a defensive mishap to complete his hat-trick, before teeing up Jordan Smith took make it five on 72 minutes.  

Matchday Stats
Attenborough 5(Warner 4,12,65 Wilkinson 17 Smith 72)
Awsworth Villa 1(Welsh 46)
Att.218
Top Bloke - Jack Warner (Attenborough)

After the game me and Mark were joined by Steve Mann(Squad no.111) for another 3 ‘Spoons, the last of which -  The Gooseberry Bush, being where I started off my pub crawl earlier in the day. After Mark headed off home I took Steve to a couple of more pubs, ending up in Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem, until we were shown the door at quarter past midnight. A cracking start to the weekend with 6 goals in the opening match and 8 new pubs visited.

Saturday 30th April 2016

After a late one I didn’t feel three bad in the morning, having time for a nice bath before checking out of the hotel. I met up with the rest of the ‘hopper on Queens Road to catch the coach for the short trip to Beeston for the first of four matches.

519.Hetley Pearson Recreation Ground

Beeston(15th) v Underwood Villa(14th)

NSL - Premier Division

KO.10.05am

Beeston FC formed at the beginning of the season with the amalgamation of AFC Beeston and Boots Athletic, plus the Beeston Centurions youth club. This was hopefully the club’s last game at the Hetley Pearson Rec before they take up a 99 year lease on the old Siemens FC ground on Trent Vale Road. There’s plans for a new clubhouse and a 3G pitch on the site and all going well they should kick off next season at their new ground

The last 0-0 draw I witnessed was exactly one year and one week ago, with the corresponding morning fixture on the Notts 'Hop at Bingham finishing goalless. I knew the writing was on the wall after about half an hour into this game that my fine run was coming to an end, as there was a distinct lack of a killer instinct in front of goal. Beeston hit the bar just before half time and twice in the second half fired chances wide from just 6 yards out, when it was easier to score than miss. Villa had a goal disallowed for offside ten minutes from time, which was the only glimpse of the ball hitting the back of the net over the full ninety minutes.

Matchday Stats

Beeston 0

Underwood Villa 0

Att.291

Top Bloke - Eddie Morrell(Underwood Villa)

520.Basil Russell Park

Bilborough United(8th) v Ashland Rovers(5th)

NSL - Division One

KO 12.45pm

The second game of the day was in the village of Nuthall, home to Bilborough United. The club formed in 2009, playing at Bilborough College in the Notts Amateur Alliance League. In 2014 they were finally accepted into the NSL and at the same time moved to Basil Russell Park. The land was purchased by the council and opened in 1956, named after Councillor Basil Russell who managed the regeneration of the land. The football pitch was once used by Nuthall in the mid-nineties, but is now home to Bilborough, who currently run two senior sides and are expanding their junior set up next season.

After being starved of goal earlier this morning it was good to see Rob England fire the home side into the lead after just seven minutes. His lob seemed to have been comfortably dealt with by the ‘keeper, but as he pushed his shot over the bar, his save was too weak and the ball dropped into the net instead of over the crossbar. I was expecting a flood of goals, but again this ‘hop was mirroring last years event, with 6 goals on Friday night, a nowts-each, then a narrow 1-0 victory to the home team.

Matchday Stats

Bilborough United 1(England 7)

Ashland Rovers 0

Att.239

Top Bloke - Rob England(Bilborough United)

521.Grassington Road

Nottinghamshire FC(15th) v Gedling Southbank(11th)

NSL - Division One

KO 3.15pm

Nottinghamshire FC was founded in 1895 as Notts Magdala, changing to their current name in 1908. Founder members of the Midland Amateur Alliance League in 1904, winning their first of eleven league titles in 1908-09 and last of which came in 1982-83.  

Notts Alliance 2003-2009 Second Division champions in their debut season.

Notts Senior League from 2009 - present.

The Grassington Road ground is found just around the corner from the David Lloyd centre in Aspley. There isn’t much facility wise at the ground, the club use container cabin as changing rooms at the entrance and a pitch at the far end within Nottingham Girls High School. For this special occasion the club proved refreshments and souvenir stalls, and also issued their first ever programme and pin badge. 

The best attendance of the weekend, edging just over the 300 mark saw a relatively comfortable win for visitors Gedling Southbank. Halfway through the first half Oliver Seagrave fired in a daisy-cutter shot from the edge of the box, then after the break he produced two good finishes to complete his hat-trick. My attention during the game was drawn to my radio and the goings on at the foot of the Premier League, so I was much relieved to get the positive result I desperately wanted, so went off to the final game in cheerful mood.

Matchday Stats

Nottinghamshire 0

Gedling Southbank 3(Seagrave 22,55,71)

Att.301

Top Bloke - Oliver Seagrave(Gedling Southbank)

522. Inspire Community Stadium

Real United(7th) v Unity FC(5th)

NSL - Premier Division

KO 6.15pm

Real United formed in 2008, set up by Roger Henry as a community based club, for the purpose of helping young people to use football as a focus away from criminal activity and drug use. The club also helps to increase personal management skills, to help youngsters with education, work and training.

Notts Amateur Alliance 2008-2011 champions in Division 3(2008-09) and Division 1(2009-10)

Central Midland League South Division 2011-2015

Joined Notts Senior League at the start of this season

For our final game of the weekend we arrived at a proper ground with seats, which was great news for me, as my back was knacking after spending all day standing around. The Inspire Stadium has two seated stands, sandwiched by a standing enclosure behind the team dugouts. The rest of the ground is open with hard standing, with changing rooms, cafe and refreshment bar behind one goal. The ground is based in Stoke Bardolph and was re-opened in 2012, due to the hard work of the club staff and Gedling Borough Council, making it a smart looking stadium, decked out in the club colours with plenty of reference to the home team.

This was the most competitive match of the groundhop with plenty of full blown tackles and blood spilled over the ninety minutes. After a goalless first half it was Unity who took the lead just two minutes from the restart, when the ball fell kindly to Kye Hall to roll the ball past the ‘keeper from the edge of the box. A few minutes later United were awarded a direct free kick a good 30 plus yards out, which to everyone’s surprise was blasted straight over the ‘keepers head and into the net by Jimmy Spears, for undoubtedly the goal of the weekend. Both sides had chances to clinch the three points as the game reached the closing stages, but overall the draw was probably a fair result.

Matchday Stats
Real United 1(Spears 50)
Unity FC 1 (Hall 47)
Att.272
Top Bloke - Jimmy Spears(Real United)

I travelled back home by car with Katie & Lee, so I didn’t get the chance to say “s’lang” to Rob after the game, so I’ll take this opportunity to thank him for another well organised ‘hop, which I thoroughly enjoyed, just like the others he’s organised over the previous years. I hope he enjoys his extra leisure time and I’ll hopefully see him again on my travels at a football ground somewhere and sometime soon. Cheers Rob!

Full 5 match ticket with Programmes £15
Saturday Coach Ticket £15
Pin badges £3 each.

Precision Notts Senior Football League Bonanza 2016 - Matchday Web Album 
(87 pictures)

3rd Precision Notts Senior League Bonanza

Friday 24th April

453.Kingsway Park

Ashland Rovers 3v3 Newark Flowserve

Notts Senior Football League - Division One

7.30pm k.o.

For this year’s annual visit to Nottingham I was accompanied by the breadknife and my daughter Laura as I drove down to Notts on the Friday afternoon for the first match of the weekend in Kirkby-in-Ashfield. We arrived in the Ashfield District of Nottinghamshire at 4.40pm, but due to the heavy rush hour traffic we didn’t reach the ground until five thirty. With 2 hours to spare until kick off I had no option but to reluctantly spend the spare time in the local Wetherspoons; The Regent which is just along the road from Kingsway Park.

The ground has a nice welcoming archway at the entrance which leads into the park, which was laid out in 1930 on land sold to Kirkby-in-Ashfield District Council by a Miss Catherine Hodgkinson of Kirkby House. The land was to be used and maintained as a public playing field for the community. The football pitch is to the right of the main building opposite the kiddies park. It’s fully railed off down one side and behind the bottom goal with a wooden fence, with the other half of the pitch caged. There are tent style dugouts at the far side with the near side behind the popular spot for spectators benefiting by a slope separating the car park.

Ashland Rovers were originally called Sutton Trinity, formed as a junior team 20 years ago. The club became a senior team and began playing Saturday football as Acrumac FC in the Elizabethan League, before progressing to the Midlands Amateur Alliance when they changed to their current name. The club joined the Notts Senior League in 2013 from the Notts Amateur Alliance.

Ashland Rovers sporting a smart  Denis The Menace style kit, took an early lead when a free kick just over the halfway line from Matt Allen bounced in front of the ‘keepers and over his head into the net. The goalmouth was covered in sand, akin to Stamford Bridge in the 1970s, so this played a major assist in the opening goal. Newark who were the better side in the first half, equalising in stoppage time when Jamie Charlton latched onto a right wing cross, before two well taking headed goals from Luke Boddy made it 3-1 with twenty minutes remaining. This looked game over for Rovers but they showed great spirit to grab a well earned point thanks to Pete Dunn, who scrambled in at the back post from a corner kick on 86 minutes, quickly followed by nipping in front of the ‘keeper to guide the ball over the line. A great game to start off the weekend and the draw meant Newark Flowserve are promoted to the Senior Division.

Matchday Stats and Spondoolicks
ARFC 3(Allen 8 Dunn 86,87) NFFC 3(Charlton 45+1 Boddy 50,72)
Att.297
Top Bloke - Luke Boddy(Newark Flowserve)
Admission £3
Programme £1
Pin badge £3
Coffee £1 Hot Chocolate £1



Saturday 25th April 2015

454.ButtsPlaying Field
Bingham Town 0v0 Ruddington Village
Notts Senior Football League - Senior Division
10.10am k.o.

After arriving in Nottingham late on Friday night and going out for a few nightcaps, I was up early Saturday morning to first of all move my car to a cheaper car park, then to meet Rob Hornby and his coach load of groundhoppers outside the rail station at 8.30. While queuing to climb aboard the happy bus I overheard an incredibly hairy looking gentleman mention there was a Wetherspoons in Bingham. The town is just 11 miles east of the city centre, so we arrived an hour before kick off, so enough time to find The Butter Cross in the Market Place, where I had a few swiftys with Mark Wilkins. 

Bingham Town joined the Notts Senior League in 2009 and play at the Butt Field, which is as close to the railway station as you could possibly get, just off the eastbound platform. The changing rooms and smart looking clubhouse are on the same side as recently built new dugouts. The ground is shared with the cricket club so it is roped off on all four sides.
Bingham Town kitted out in a dayglow green hi-vis jersey were up against Ruddington Village. The hosts were the better side, creating plenty of chances without severely testing the goalkeeper. The goalless draw upset quite a few groundhoppers which made me smile, as they seem to look upon a nowts each as a bigger disaster than a relegation or a heavy cup defeat for their own particular clubs.

Matchday Stats and Spondoolicks
BTFC 0 RVFC 0
Att.387
Top Bloke - Harley Cox(Bingham Town)
(stuck a pin in the teamsheet)
Admission £3
Programme £1
Pin badge £3
Bacon & egg sandwich £2.50
Coffee £1



455. Victoria Park
Netherfield Albion 1v0 Nottinghamshire FC
Notts Senior League - Division One
12.50pm k.o.

Next stop was a nine mile trip to Victoria Park in Netherfield, found just on the A612 opposite the retail park. The ground has the changing rooms at the entrance with a refreshment hatch at the back. The ground is basically two football fields full of dandelions and daisies with the nearer pitch roped off. As the home side wear black ‘n’ white striped shirts I bought one for £3, having some really good crack with the big lad selling the hot drinks and the fellow selling the souvenirs & programmes.
Netherfield Albion formed in 1931, originally playing at Stoke Lane in the Notts Alliance. Amongst their many achievements in their early history was winning the Notts Intermediate Cup in 1936 in front of 2,625 spectators at Meadow Lane. The club have been members of the Notts Senior League since 2009, after progressing from the Notts Amateur Alliance League.

Prior to all the matches on the hop this weekend there was a minutes silence in memory of the Bradford Fire which is about to reach 30 years since that sad day at Valley Parade. The players for this game wore black armbands as the silence was also observed for Nottinghamshire secretary Colin Spencer, who sadly passed away just a few weeks ago while marking out the pitch before a home game. 
This match was a first for me as I’ve never seen a goalkeeper or a linesman (never mind both on the same day) wearing glasses. The Nottinghamshire ‘keeper made a few spec-tacular saves but the match looked to be heading towards another 0-0, which some of us perversely wanted as we headed into the last quarter of an hour. The poor game wasn’t helped by a heavy downpour of rain which would’ve had me soaked wet through, if it wasn’t for the extra layer made up from the three quid football shirt and the use of Chris Berezai’s big umbrella. However a day which promised an orgy of goalless draws was quashed with six minutes remaining when Chris Riley got on the end of a left wing cross to fire home at the second attempt to give Albion the three points.

Matchday Stats and Spondoolicks
NAFC 1(Riley 84) NFC 0
Att.292
Top Bloke - Chris Riley(Netherfield Albion)
Admission £3
Programme £1
Pin badge £3
Home worn football shirt (no.9) £3
Coffee £1


456. The Poplars
Burton Joyce 3v3 Attenborough
Notts Senior League - Senior Division
3.20pm k.o.

For the next match it was a short 2 mile drive along to Burton Joyce. An acquaintance of Mark Wilkins offered us a lift to a GBG pub on route, so we ditched the bus and went to the ‘Inn For A Penny’ in Carlton before the game. 
Burton Joyce were formed in 1990 as a junior team playing home games at Lowdham. They moved to The Poplars in 1997 and added a senior team to their set up who joined the Notts Alliance Division Two in 2002-03. As well as the changing rooms the pavilion also houses the John Harris Room clubhouse, from there it’s quite a long walk to the football pitch in the far corner over the cricket field. The roped off pitch was in immaculate condition with a set of dugouts on one side.

After two poor games we were treated to more action in the opening five minutes than previously witnessed in the previous 180. Burton Joyce were quick off the mark, missing a penalty in the fourth minute, before Sam Buckle ran through on goal and fired in just a minute later. Attenborough quickly drew level with a nice ‘n’ neat 20 yard free kick from the aptly named Joe Nice, before taking the lead on the half hour mark when Alex Elliker did well to slide the ball into the net from a tight angle. Elliker grabbed his second of the afternoon on the hour mark, meeting a left wing cross on the half volley which looked to have guaranteed the visitors all three points. However after reading the script from the Friday night game, the home team finished strongly and grabbed a draw with a well taking individual effort from Ryan Easom, before Troy Smith was on hand to make it all square. Five minutes from time Burton Joyce ‘keeper Roscoe Easom was sent off when he took out Elliker when running through on goal, but the ten men held on in a thoroughly entertaining encounter.

Matchday Stats and Spondoolicks
BJFC 3(Buckle 5 Ryan Easom 67 Smith 83) AFC 3(Nice 9 Elliker 29,61)
Att.279
Top Bloke - Alex Elliker(Attenborough)
Admission £3
Programme £1
Pin badge £3 Tea 80p



457. Walesby Sports & Social Club
Sandhurst 4v2 Kirton Brickworks
Notts Senior League - Senior Division
6.15pm k.o.

For the final game of the day is was a 20 mile journey north to Walesby. The longer distance between the grounds gave me a chance to catch up on my sleep, before the coach arrived ten minutes before kick off. 
Sandhurst FC share the Walesby Sports & Social Club with the local cricket club. The pitch is at the bottom end of the site over the cricket pitch, which is roped off with a pair of brick dugouts. The small village club formed in 1994 from a reserve team from Bilsthorpe, formerly playing in the Notts Amateur League and the Notts Alliance before joining the Notts Senior League in 2004.

The battle for the wooden spoon in the Senior Division, produced another good game to round of this 3rd Notts Hop. The visitors Kirton Brickwork were originally meant to host this game, but due to ground issues, Sandhurst their local rivals from a mile along the road staged the event.
Scott Ricketts blasted Kirton into a sixth minute lead, rifling in his free kick from a good 25 yards, but they fell behind with two goals in three minutes before half time. In the 29th minute Lee Shaw nodded in the rebound after the ‘keeper saved the initial shot, then a few minutes later the goalie carelessly flapped an Eric Pearson cross into the net. 
Sandhurst added two more in the second half to take the Brickworks goals against tally up to 136. Kyle Clarkson fired in the spot-kick after a penalty was awarded for handball, quickly followed by a right wing cross picking out Ashley Siddall with a simple finish at the far post. The visitors grabbed a late consolation through Cooper, but a well earned victory for Sandhurst still gives them hope in avoiding the drop.

Matchday Stats and Spondoolicks
SFC 4(Shaw 29 Pearson 32 Clarkson 54pen Siddall 55) KBFC 2(Ricketts 6 Cooper 82)
Att.346
Top Bloke - Lee Shaw(Sandhurst)
Admission £3
Programme £1
Pin badge £3
Baked Potato with cheese & beans £2.50
Coffee 50p
Chicken & vegetable cup-a-soup 50p


After the game we headed straight back to Nottingham Rail Station, where our day had started over 12 hours earlier. From there I ran back to the hotel to meet Debra and Laura, had a quick wash and change, then I was out on the lash until 1am. 
It was yet again, another well organised Groundhop by Rob Hornby and next year will be the last Notts Senior League ‘Hop. Rob will hopefully continue to organise these events as he’s already in talks with another league for the season after. As is always the case on these weekends its great to meet up with my groundhopping friends, which makes it such a great event, so all going well I’ll be back again next year for the fourth consecutive year of the Notts Senior League Bonanza.

Links -
Rob Hornby's blog
100FgC Archive -
1st Precision Notts Senior League Bonanza (2013)
2nd Precision Notts Senior League Bonanza (2014)

Foetoes (Matchday Web album of 89 pictures from the Notts 'Hop)

Bevvy Almanac

The Regent (Kirkby-in-Ashfield)

Lincoln Green 'Sherwood' (4.3%)***+

Greene King 'George & Flagon' (4.5%)***

Roebuck Inn(Nottingham)

Burton Bridge 'Spring Ale' (4.7%)***+

Milestone 'Crusader' (4.4%)***+

Ye Olde Jerusalem(Nottingham)

Nottingham 'Legend' (4%)***+

The Butter Cross (Bingham)

Grainstore 'Spring Time' (4.5%)***+

Grainstore 'Ten Fifty' (5%)***+

Inn For A Penny (Carlton)

Castle Rock 'Harvest Pale' (3.8%)**** (Re-sup)

Joseph Else(Nottingham)

Mr Grundy's 'Big Willie'(4.3%)****

Springhead 'Argenta' (4.2%)****+

Nutbrook 'S S S Sintra' (4.2%)****

The Ned Ludd (Nottingham)

Navigation 'Apus' (5.5%)****

Ye Olde Salutation (Nottingham)

Woodforde's 'Flagondry' (3.6%)***+

Purity 'Pure UBU' (4.5%)***+

Hop Back 'Summer Lightning' (5%) ****(Re-sup)