✔798 Sir Tom Finney Stadium at Irongate

Bamber Bridge 2-4 Matlock Town

Northern Premier League Premier Division

Saturday 25th September 2021

Bamber Bridge is an urban village in Lancashire, 3 miles south-east of Preston in the borough of South Ribble. The name derives from the Old English "bēam" and "brycg", which presumably means "tree-trunk bridge" (population:approx’ 14,000) 

Football in the village was represented in the late 19th century, with a club established in 1952, joining the Preston & District League. In 1974 they merged with Walton-le-Dale, continuing in the same league.

Preston and District League 1974-1990: Premier Division champions 1980–81, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1989–90 

Guildhall Cup winners 1979, 1981, 1985, 1990

North West Counties League 1990-1995: Division Two champions 1991–92

Northern Premier League Pyramid 1995-present  Premier Division champions 1995–96

Challenge Cup winners 1994–94 President's Cup winners 2004–05

Sir Tom Finney Stadium at Irongate

Irongate

Bamber Bridge

Preston

PR5 6UU

Current Northern Premier League grounds visited: Premier (17/22) Pyramid (52/81)

Opened August 1987

Capacity 3,000 (554 seats)

Record attendance 2,300 friendly v Czech Republic 1996 Lost 1-9

(The Czechs used Irongate as their training ground during Euro 96)

Brig played at the King George's Playing Field, before obtaining a plot of derelict land in 1983 to build their own ground. The name Irongate is taken from the local area and it was officially renamed the Sir Tom Finney Stadium after the legend’s death in 2014. The ground has a smart main stand decked out in black seats, with full cover at the far goal which extends in the corner towards the stand. The ground entrance is within a standing enclosure, left of the goal with the clubhouse, refreshment bar and club shop alongside. The dugouts are opposite the main stand, which is open standing with large netting to stop the ball going into the neighbours gardens.

Bamber Bridge(5th) 2(Barge 25pen Sinclair-Smith 73)

Matlock Town(2nd) 4(Cook 11,62 Hughes 26 Byrne 90pen)

NPL - Premier Division matchday 10

3pm ko

Att.347

Admission £10

Pin badge £2.50

Coffee £1 chips £2

Programme available 

Matlock maintained their position in the top 2 with a good away performance at Irongate. The Gladiators took an eleventh minute lead when a long clearance from the 'keeper found Jamie Cook who fired in with the outside of his boot. Brig equalised with a Ewan Barge penalty, but the visitors instantly replied when Liam Hughes fired in from close range. 

Matlock extended their advantage just after the hour mark, when a lovely through ball from Wiles found Cook who went around the keeper to slot home his second. In the 73rd minute a free kick just outside the box was squared to Sinclair-Smith who side footed over the goalie to make it 2-3, but the away side sealed the win in the final minute, when Alex Bryne confidently fired home a penalty. 

#Heedhopper

0805 Northern Rail - Newcastle - Carlisle 

1008 Avanti West Coast - Carlisle - Preston arr.1116

1357 Northern Rail - Preston - Bamber Bridge

Reverse journey back home.

I took advantage of the Northern Rail £1 ticket sale to tick off another in my pursuit of completing some leagues. I spent most of the day in Preston, calling at six of the pubs which weren't in the Good Beer Guide on my last visit. When I arrived at Bamber Bridge I stopped at the Brig ‘n’ Barrel and the Beer Box, another two good pubs which are in the guide.

This was my first solo full day out on public transport since the return of some normality. It was great to have a bit of “me time” and during this long day of travelling I met some interesting and lovely folk along the way. 

My Matchday - 379 Kettering Road

Stamford 0v0 Matlock Town

(Abandoned after 25 minutes)

Evostick Northern Premier League

Saturday 25th January 2014

 At the top of my “T’do” list this year, is a visit to Stamford’s Kettering Road ground before they relocate to a new £5m development on Ryhall Road at the end of the season. The club in a joint venture with Burghley House Preservation Trust and New College Stamford, will have matchday use of the new 1,500 capacity ground with the college students using the facilities during the rest of the week. Burghley House Preservation Trust has already been given outline permission to build 54 homes once the ground is demolished.

The club have played on Kettering Road since they were first established in 1896 after the amalgamation of the towns two leading teams - Stamford Town and Rutland Ironworks. Hansen’s Field(as it was then known and recognised with a special bottled ale) dates back to the 1870’s and boasts one of the country’s oldest main stands, built around the turn of the last century. The original wooden stand was upgraded with a con-iron roof and painted red with SAFC lettering on the front facade. The stand was later extended to accommodate standing and is now filled with about 250 red and blue flip seats with the changing rooms at the rear. The stand sits on the halfway line with the clubhouse which opened in 1975 next to it with the club shop cabin in the far corner. The team dugouts are on the opposite side with covered terracing running parallel with one half on the pitch.There’s open standing behind each goal and floodlights at the sides which were installed in 1981 after their FA Vase success.
The ground record attendance stands at 4,200 for an FA Cup 3rd Qualifying Round tie with Kettering Town in 1953 which ended in a 3-3 draw and as a mark of respect to Daniels fans I won’t mention what happened in the replay.

 The ground is situated in the town centre next to the train station, so it’s surrounded by the splendour of Stamford’s five medieval church spires and core of mellow limestone buildings. The town and civil parish is found just off the A1 on the River Welland in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire and was proclaimed as “the finest stone town in England” by Sir Walter Scott. Stamford was the first to be declared a conservation area in 1967 and was rated the best place to live by a Sunday newspaper.
The Industrial Revolution largely left Stamford untouched, with much of town centre built in Jacobean or Georgian style throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, amongst which is the Arts Centre which is one of the oldest provincial theatres in the country, dating back to 1768. Amongst the town’s other delights is the 12th century ruins of St Leonard’s Priory, the Steam Brewery, Burghley House and the nearby Rutland water.

Stamford AFC are nicknamed ‘The Daniel’ after Daniel Lambert, the heaviest British man ever who died in the town in 1809, weighing in at over 52 stone. The ground is now named in his honour and his grave is in the churchyard at St Martin’s a few hundred yards from the ground. The ground has also been know as Wothorpe Road, which is the street which leads up to the ground from the town centre and the Vic Couzens Stadium named after the club president.

 After formation the club spent a single season in the ill-fated East Midlands League, then after several years without playing competitive football they joined the Northamptonshire League in 1909, winning the title in 1911–12 season. The club spent the majority of their history in the United Counties League, apart from an unsuccessful spell in the Midland League during the 1960s and early 70s. When the club returned to the United Counties in 1972 they went on to win the title seven times, becoming champions for the first time in 1975-76 and a hat-trick of successive titles from 1980. After topping the table in 1996–97 and 1997–98 Stamford joined the Midland Division of the Southern League, then after the reconstruction of the pyramid in 2004 the club were placed in the league’s Premier Division.
The Daniels were relegated and promoted again before been classed as a northern club as they switched to the Northern Premier League.The club were relegated to the southern section in their debut season but returned this season after winning the play-offs with a 2-1 success over Chasetown.
The club have made three appearances at Wembley in the FA Vase, finishing runners up to Billericay Town in 1976 and Stansted in 1984 sandwiched in between lifted the trophy with a 2-0 success over Guisborough Town in 1980.

 I stayed overnight in Grantham and my original plan was to drive down to Stamford at Saturday lunchtime, but this was instantly dismissed once I arranged to meet up with big Dave Twiddy and his lads. Dave is a major shareholder at the club and he's probably the most serious drinker that I know, so it was impossible to be in his company without having a few bevvys. With this in mind I was left with no option but to have a day on the lash, so Uncle Malc dropped me off at 1130 at Grantham 'Spoons(ticked off at last) before I caught the 1212 train to Peterborough to catch the onward connection to Stamford.
I arrived just after 1pm and had a look around the town centre before heading to the pubs. I usually prepare for my travels by looking in the Good Beer Guide for the best boozers but had to rely on the What Pub website instead. Amongst their recommendations is The Crown where I called in but walked straight back out as it was "a bit too well to do" for me, as I looked totally out of place being a scruffy Geordie wearing Doc Martins and an Austrian Army coat. I then called next door to The Periwig but again turned on my heels due to there limited choice of ales. It was third time lucky though at the All Saints Brewery which is a Samuel Smith's establishment, where I enjoyed a pint of Old Brewery Bitter priced at only £1.88. It's a cracking pub, decked out with memorabilia from the Tadcaster brewery and giving a nod to Stamford's Bull-running festival which took place from the 12th century for some 700 years. I also called into The London on my way to the ground where I arrived in the clubhouse just after 2pm.

It wasn't just the Twiddy family I was meeting but also one of the founder members of the 100FgC Squad - #4 Jack Warner who I met for the first time. Jack was residing down under in Perth when he joined the new website phenomenon back in 2006 and another 6 years past until he contacted me again. After a spell in Saudi Arabia he's now back living in Blighty, doing some serious groundhopping and had travelled over from his new home in Lowestoft with his girlfriend. The 100FgC roll call also included Squad #194 Keith Arthur plus Affiliated Member Paul Brockett and it was good to see them both.

 When I arrived in Stamford it was a bright sunny day, but as we approached kick off darkness descended with the pending threat of rainfall. I went outside just before kick off and spent the first 20 minutes of the game watching from all four sides as I did a photographic lap of the ground. I returned to the clubhouse to watch the match with Dave and the lads just as the lightning was becoming more frequent and just after the first big clap of thunder. Within minutes the slight drizzle turned to hailstones as the match officials and players scarpered to the dressing rooms followed by the spectators piling into the clubhouse. The match was halted as the referee and groundsmen inspected the damage before deciding to abandon the match due to the pitch being watch logged on one side and in the centre circle.
So with only 25 minutes gone that was the end of my football for the day, but I was compensated with plenty of good ale to be had with such good company in the clubhouse. I caught the 5pm train back to Peterborough with Keith an hour earlier than I planned, so I was back in Grantham and Auntie Ann's by six.


 I had a terrific weekend and it was good to catch up with everyone in Lincolnshire, but of course the one drawback was not seeing 90 minutes of football. The abandoned matches that I've attended in the past haven't been recorded in my records as matches attended, but this time I'm going to make an exception to the rule.In the future if someone asks if I ever got to Stamford's old ground, then the honest answer is "yes" I paid admission, bought a programme, pin badge and seen a game, be it only just short of a third of a match. So with this in mind and as there's no opportunity of returning before they move, its therefore decided in true Its A Knockout style to play my joker on this one, so ground no.379 is Stamford AFC - Kettering Road.

Footnote
To put the gloss on this crazy weekend, as we were travelling home on Sunday afternoon there was a strange smell coming from the car engine.We had to stop off in Catterick on the way back and it was here outside the racecourse that the gearbox seized and we broke down.We eventually got home at 8.30pm courtesy of a toe off the RAC and me £149 lighter in the pocket. 

For the record - My abandoned past
11/12/76 - Newcastle United 1-0 Ipswich Town (FL Division 1) Abandoned 45 minutes - frozen pitch
8/1/92 - Newcastle United 0-0 AFC Bournemouth(FA Cup 3rd Round) Abandoned 17 minutes - fog
16/7/11 - Gateshead 2-0 Carlisle United (Friendly) Abandoned 57 minutes - heavy rain
6/8/11 - Newcastle United 0-0 Fiorentina (Friendly) Abandoned 64 minutes - heavy rain

Matchday Stats
SAFC 0 MTFC 0 (abandoned 25 minutes - thunder storm)
Att.TBC
Admission £9
Programme £2

Ground no.379 Kettering Road - Matchday Web album (22 pictures)

My Matchday - 146 Causeway Lane

Matlock Town 1v1 Gateshead

Unibond Premier Division

22nd September 2007

att.332

Causeway Lane or giving its new handle The Geoquip Stadium is a ground I’ve been looking forward to visiting, so I was pleased to finally get the opportunity the make the trip to the Gladiators home, in the company of the Heed Army for this top of the table clash (yes, top not bottom)
Football was first played in the Derbyshire town of Matlock as long ago as the late 1870’s, before making their competitive bow in 1892 as founder members of the Midland Alliance League. After the Second World War the club reformed as Matlock Town and later rejoined the newly reformed Midland League after twice finishing champions of the Central Alliance at the turn of the 1960’s, after an initial period post war in the Chesterfield & District League.
The Gladiators were champions in their first season back in the Midland League and ended the decade with a second title, for the 1969-70 season the club joined the Northern Premier League where they have played ever since, with their highest finish achieved in 1983-84 as runners-up to Barrow
The club have won many honours in cup competitions, especially in the Derbyshire Senior Cup winning seven out of eleven finals as well as success’s in the NPL cups, but their biggest triumph was lifting the FA Trophy in 1975, as the underdogs hammering favourites Scarborough 4-0 in the final at Wembley Stadium.
The club were relegated to Division One in 1996, but returned in 2004 and have made steady progress since, last season saw them lose out to Witton Albion in the play-offs after a credible 5th place finish, and this season they’ve started well, again sitting 5th with a 100% record at home, but today they were up against a team with a 100% record not only at home, but also on the road, so something had to give as the Heed Army marched into Causeway Lane to do battle with the Gladiators.
The ground itself is one of the most picturesque I’ve visited, situated at the southern eastern edge of the Peak District, right in the heart of the town centre which is great for pre-match drinking, with the turnstiles and entrance on the main street. When entering the turnstiles, to your right is the club shop and the Causeway Lane end of the ground, which looks like two separate stands bonded together, with one half having blue flip seats and the other half bench style seats with adequate standing room in front of the stand, on close inspection there’s a sign on the back wall with ‘The Cyril Harrison Stand’ scripted, as well as the name of the grounds hosts in large blue letters adoring the length of the stand.
The opposite side is the Main Stand which also has rows of blue seating and houses the players changing rooms, so the players enter the field down the middle steps from the top of the stand, while the away players enter via a separate entrance, next to a new building in the process of being constructed(new changing rooms maybe)the newly improved club house is next to the stand, with very hospitable bar staff, there was even a sign on the wall behind the bar to make us most welcome. (See web album pic ‘A warm welcome’)
The local cricket club resides next door behind the far goal and there’s just been a new fence rebuilt, this part of the ground was cordoned off but only has a standing lawn area, while the opposite goal has a covered terrace which runs parrallel from the goal post to the bog in the corner, with the terrace running up to an angle, getting steeper as you approach the toilets, this end gives a fabulous view of Riber Castle in the distance high up on the hill.
With both teams going well this season and the threat of (one way or the other) a winning sequence being broken, then the draw was the obvious result on the pools coupon, so that’s how it finished, a 1-1 draw which on reflection was a fair outcome. Matlock took the lead straight from the kick off when a lack of concentration in the Gateshead defence allowed Simon Barraclough to head home from a Webster cross giving the Gladiators a dream start. Gateshead had to reshuffle the pack making two substitutions after injuries to key players Gate and Bowey but finished the first half well and grabbed an equaliser when fine play by Hughes and Harwood set up Ian Robson to make it all square at the break.
The second half saw a goal line clearance and the help of the woodwork deny The Tynesiders the lead; however Matlock always looked dangerous on the break and it was from one of those raids forward that lead to a penalty on 70 minutes after a challenge from make shift centre-half Paul Thompson on Barraclough, the same man was then denied the winner from the spot after Heed keeper Peter Keen saved well, diving to his right and assuring Gateshead remain unbeaten this season.

It was a very pleasant day out in Matlock with the local residence and club officials very friendly, I was knackered by the end of the day, after being on the go from 4.20am, going into work and racing around to make the coach pick up at 10.00am, any chance of a bit shut eye on the way home was impossible with the volume turned up to 11 on the coach CD player (Cheers TC!)
Gateshead had a great travelling support, as well as the usual roll call of the Heed Army regulars, there’s also a lot of new fans, as well as the return of Private Goody or should that be ‘Low Fell Elvis’ who managed to turn a few heads as we walked through Matlock town centre on the way to the pub, there were a few ‘Suspicious Minds’ from the locals and a few seemed ‘All Shook Up’ by his appearance, but really Goody is just a Teddy Bear (or should that be Hound Dog)
So overall an enjoyable day out, with Gateshead coming away with a well earned point, plus a visit to a smashing little ground.
(‘Low Fell Elvis’ picture courtesy of General Gaddess)
LINKS -
Matlock report Gateshead match report
Heed Army Blog report
Football Bog Blog no.9
Previous 100FGC Members ticks -Simple Pieman (April 2006)
Tims 92 (January 2007)
Ground no.146 – Causeway Lane Matchday web album(19 pictures)
When I got through the turnstiles at Causeway Lane I was greeted by Matlock supporter and ground MC John Lawton, the newest member of the 100 Football Grounds Club, squad no.69 (ooh matron!)
We swapped souvenirs as I awarded him with his 100FGC pin badge while he gave me a copy of his fabulous book ‘Gladiators On Tour and other footballing stories’ which tells of one mans passion for football as well as his pursuit of football mugs. John attended 105 games in 2006/07 as well as visiting 50 new grounds; the book chronicles his season and is put together with pictures from his travels and is all done with some great crack.
The book is priced at £6.00 with all proceeds from the book going to MTFC Supporters Club as well as 20% of the profits going to John’s favourite charity WaterAid.
Full details can be found here