✔558 Stokeld Stadium

Carlton Town 2-0 Teversal

Nottinghamshire FA Senior Cup - Semi-Final

Wednesday 22nd February 2017

Carlton is a suburb in the east end of Nottingham in the borough of Gedling.(Population almost 7,000)

Sneinton FC formed in 1904 changing their name to Carlton Town in 2002.
Sneinton won the Notts Alliance on four occasion, the first of which in 1905-06. 
Joined Central Midlands League in 1995.
Central Midlands Supreme Division champions 2002-03
Northern Counties East League 2003-2007
Division One winners 2005-06
Promoted to Evo-Stick League Division One South after 3rd place finish in 2006-07
4th place finish in 2008-09 and runners-up in 2011-12, lost play-off semi-finals in both seasons.

Evostick League grounds. 29/68
Capacity 1,500

The club have played at Stoke Lane since the early 1990s. The Chuck Fowler lounge and changing rooms block, clubhouse, picnic tables, offices and dugouts, are all down one side at the turnstile entrance side of the ground. There is a stand behind one of the goals filled with a mixture of 164 yellow and blue seats, with the rest of the ground open with hard standing on three sides. The ground was renamed the Stokeld Stadium after former chairman Bill Stokeld

Carlton Town (19th Evo-Stick South) v Teversal (15th NCEL DIV 1)
Notts FA Senior Cup semi final
7.45pm ko
Att.100
Weather: light rain

A goal in each half booked The Millers a Notts Senior Cup final date with Basford United at Meadow Lane. They opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Danny Gordon fired home a penalty after Niall Davey was upended in the box. 
The tie was sealed early in the second half when a corner kick from Gordon was turned into his own net by Daniel Camm at the near post.

Matchday Stats & Spondoolicks
CRFC 2(Gordon 16pen Camm 49OG)
TFC 0
Entertainment 5/10
Top Bloke - Danny Elliott (Carlton Town)
Admission £5
Programme £2
Pin badge £3

#HeedHopper
For the first time in what seems like an eternity I was reunited with the “NE Celeb Groundhopping Couple” for a midweek jaunt. 
We arrived at The Freeman in Carlton at 5.30 for bait and beer, before the short ten minute drive to the ground in Gedling. 
These midweek trips meant it’s back to burning the candle at both ends, getting into bed at 1am then up again for graft at 5.20am.
I don't mind this at all, because of changes at work, midweek matches are now the easiest way for me to bag a new ground.

Matchday Album. (14 pictures from Stoke Lane)

On the Trail of the Scottish Holy Grail

My first book 'On the Trail of the Scottish Holy Grail'  AKA "From the Toon to the Joons" is now available to purchase via Amazon in both paperback and kindle editions. 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trail-Scottish-Holy-Grail-Joons/dp/1542978165/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1487529382&sr=8-16&keywords=groundhopping

How would you celebrate a significant birthday? Host a massive party? Travel abroad on a luxurious holiday? Cross something off your bucket list? Well how about something a bit different, like marking your 50th birthday by incorporating your favourite hobby with a common thread over the previous five decades. In 2015 Shaun Smith set upon his first of many trips from Tyneside to Scotland, visiting the clubs which have won the prestigious Scottish Junior Cup during his lifetime, a trophy which has been contested for since 1887 and is affectionately known as “The Holy Grail of Scottish football” The author reviews the history of each club, exploring the old pit villages, satellite towns and industrial areas from where they are based. The book look at his matchday ritual, OCD collecting, his musical passion and is semi-autobiographical, with links to his past as a long suffering Newcastle United fan. So follow Shaun’s progress of visiting 22 grounds in 22 months as he heads north of the border from the Toon to the Joons on the trail of the Scottish Holy Grail.

✔557 Hull & East Riding Sports Ground

Sculcoates Amateurs 8-1 Goole United

Humber Premier League 

Saturday 18th February 2017

Sculcoates Amateurs AFC was founded in 1947.

The club were founder members of the Humber Premier League in 2000-01, winning the title in 2006-07, 2007-08, 2010-11 and are the current champions, with a fourth league win last term.

The club are based at the Hull & East Riding Sports Club. The football ground is at the far side of the cricket pitch, roped off with wooden dugouts at one side with the changing rooms within the pavilion. 

Humber Premier League Matchday 19/22
2pm ko
Weather:sunny

This was my first match in the Humber League and I found it a decent standard, with some talented players on show. I was impressed with the Goole United number nine Ryan Whitlam, who made a lively start to the game before opened the scoring after 20 minutes, with a superb turn and curled shot from a tight angle. 
That goal gave the league leaders an alarm call, quickly turning the game around with two goals from Andy Finnerty, who ventured forward from left back to get on the end of two right wing crosses. 
Seconds before the half time whistle Siben Sani danced through the defence to make it 3-1 and from this point the result was never in doubt.
Scully spent the entire second period camped in the Gooley half, quickly extending their lead with a neat turn and shot from Eleazer Ezekiel. The Sculcoates players were queuing up to test the visiting ‘keeper with Michael Leng, Tom Bowman, Sam Tucker and another for Ezekeil adding to the score line before they finally declaring on eight. 

Matchday Stats
SAAFC 8(Finnerty 26,40 Sani 45 Ezekiel 48,82 Leng 61 Bowman 67 Tucker 77)
GUFC 1(Whitlam 21)
Admission & programme:none
Att.20hc

#HeedHopper
The 2017 European City of Culture was the latest destination in our regular weekends away visiting the GBG pubs of Yorkshire. We arrived in Hull at 1.30pm, so nicely timed for my match at 2 o’clock, while the breadknife ventured  into the city centre to get the lay of the land. The early kick off meant we were out on the lash early, with our pub crawl starting at the Admiral of the Humber, before calling into The Mission, Head of Steam, Minerva Hotel  Ye Olde Black Boy, The Three John Scotts, Ye Olde White Harte, George Hotel and the Hope & Vine. Afterwards we staggered back to the guest house, which we finally managed to locate after losing our way due to consuming far too much ale.


Bevvy Almanac
Best pub - Ye Olde White Harte, 
Best bevvy - Head of Steam;
Sleeping Brew Tea ‘Pale Ale’ (4.4%)****