✔615 Ben Rhydding Sports Club

Ilkley Town 2-4 Carlton Athletic
West Yorkshire Premier League
Saturday 19th May 2018
 Ilkley is a spa town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, which also includes the adjacent village of Ben Rhydding within the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. The town lies approximately 12 miles north of Bradford and 17 north-west of Leeds, on the south bank of the River Wharfe in Wharfedale.
The town centre is portrayed by Victorian architecture and its spa town heritage makes it a popular tourist destination next to the dales. Ilkley Moor is the subject of a folk song, which is often described as “The unofficial anthem of Yorkshire” - "On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at" is written and sung in Yorkshire twang, its title translated as "On Ilkley Moor without a hat."
 Ilkley Town have over 25 male and female teams at all age levels. The senior side joined West Yorkshire League from the Harrogate League in 2004;

         West Yorkshire League Division Two runner-up in 2004-05
         Promoted from Division One to Premier Division for 2015-16 season

Ben Rhydding Sports Club
Leeds Road
Ilkley
West Yorkshire
LS29 8AW

The complex was a hive of activity with a cricket match in full swing and a ladies hockey match taking place. The football ground is sandwiched in between, being fully railed with a pair of dugouts down one side. The clubhouse was build in 2001 and has generous space for a large function room with a bar, large TV screen and a substantial selection of hot drinks and snacks. There is also six changing rooms in the building, but the football teams used the facilities on the far side of the hockey pitch.
Ilkley Town(5th) v Carlton Athletic(2nd)
West Yorkshire Association Football League - Premier Division
Matchday 30v27
2.30pm ko
Att.70est

Carlton Athletic need to win just one of their remaining two away fixtures to clinch the Premier Division title. They fell behind to an early goal when an Archer cross picked out Jordan Boxhall-James in the third minute, but drew level when a left wing free kick picked out Liam Moore at the far post to nod home.
Just before the half hour mark the visitors were reduced to ten men after an unnecessary two footed lunge by Reece Fenel. The red card seemed to spur Carlton on as they scored two more before the break, with Scott Hargreaves lobbing the ‘keeper followed by Moore being on hand for a tap in, after the initial Hargreaves shot was saved.
Straight from the restart Ilkley were back in it, when a fine solo run from Tom Archer was finished off by a rasping left foot drive. The match was nicely poised with both teams creating plenty of chances, with Harry Higgins making some great saves in the Ilkley goal. With time running out the match was finally settled when a shot by Younis was helped on its way by the substitute Kris Robertshaw to make it 4-2 to the champions elect.

Matchday Stats
ITFC 2(Boxhall-James 3 Archer 47)
CAFC 4( Moore 21,44 Hargreaves 34 Robertshaw 81)
Entertainment 9/10
Top Bloke - Anees Younis(Carlton Athletic)
Admission & programme:none
Coffee £1
Tea £1
 #HeedHopper
88 miles door-to-door via A1/A61/A59

The mission to escape the royal wedding was a drive down to west Yorkshire after work, for my last match of the season. I picked up Lee & Katie on the way, arriving in Ilkley just before 2pm, which gave me a bit spare time to nip into the local JDW for another pub tick. We met up with ‘ull ‘oppers Dave and Phil at the ground and the five of us enjoyed a smashing game in glorious sunshine. 

✔614 Gibbshill Park

Harthill Royal 2-3 Crossgates Primrose
East Region South Division
Saturday 12th May 2018
 Harthill Royal Football Club are based in the Greenrigg area of Harthill. The small rural village is on the border of West Lothian, just a small walk from Harthill in the neighbouring county of North Lanarkshire.
The villages lie on the River Almond just west of Whitburn and close to the M8 motorway which links Edinburgh and Glasgow. The area grew up as a result of the coal mining industries, with miners working at the Greenrigg and Polkemmet Collieries.

Amateur side Harthill Royal Bar joined the East Region Junior ranks in 1992 and at the same time dropped the Bar from their surname.
East Region Division One winners: 1992–93, 1994–95, 1999–00
Lothians District Division Two winners: 2002–03
Dechmont League Cup: 1999–00, 2004–05
Brown Cup: 2003
Gibbshill Park
East Main Street,
Harthill,
ML7 5QQ

Scottish Junior grounds visited 40
Scottish grounds visited 98

The ground was previously called Beechbank Park when it was the home of defunct club Polkemmet Juniors, who last played here in 1988. There is a covered  enclosure at one side with the team dugouts opposite. The rest of the ground is open standing with the changing rooms and clubhouse behind the goal at the entrance end. 
Harthill Royal(9th) v Crossgates Primrose(6th)
McBookie.com South matchday 23v24
2.30pm ko
Att.94hc (including "The Scouse Mafia" who I met a few seasons back at Tranent)

A hat-trick from Crossgates number nine Scott Hind set them on the way to well deserved victory over the Royal. With just over ten minutes gone the hosts were down to ten men when the ‘keeper tripped the onrushing striker on the edge of the box, denying him a clear shot at goal. From the resulting free kick the ball was clipped into the area where Hind headed home the opener.
Soon after the interval Hind slid in his second before a fantastic piece of skill and rasping finish made it 3-0 with just under an hour gone. It seemed a case of how many Primrose would score, but the plucky ten men battled their way back into the game. John Taylor scooped in a right wing cross on 65 minutes, then a free kick in the Harthill half next to the dugouts was chipped forward by Tom McAllister and it somehow eluded everyone before finding the back of the net.
Scott Hind had the chance to finally put the game to bed and grab his fourth goal from the penalty spot, but surprisingly he fired his effort wide of the post, but they still held on to take the three points in a very entertaining fixture.
#HeedHopper
0738 Cross Country train arriving in Edinburgh at 0910
Return on the 2000 Virgin East Coast, hyem at 2140

The traditional last Saturday matchday of the season to Scotland, was just as enjoyable as the previous dozen trips on this corresponding weekend of the year. On arrival I met up with Mark Wilkins, who had caught the overnight National Express from London. After a hearty breakfast we seeked out a couple of GBG pubs, having a pint at Kay’s Bar and The Oxford Bar, before meeting up with James Little, who was driving us across to Harthill. We broke up the journey a wee bit by calling at Juniper Green both on the way there and back to tick off the two pubs in the village.
When we arrived back in Edinburgh the season finale day on the lash continued with bevvies in the The Earl of Marchmont, Dagda Bar, Southside and the Jolly Judge. Overall a cracking day and for the second week running it was lovely having the sun kiss my face. 
Matchday Stats and Spondoolicks
HRFC 2(Taylor 65 McAllister 83)
CPFC 3(Hind 15,49,58)
Entertainment 8/10
Top Bloke - Scott Hind(Crossgates Primrose)
Admission £5
Programme:none
Scotch pie £1.50
Coffee 50p

My visit to Crossgates Primrose on this corresponding day last season.

CML Hop

Saturday 5th May 2018
This latest Groundhop began with a drive down to Houghton, to meet up with team KatLee for the 7am departure from Katie’s house. We then stopped off in Boston Spa to pick up Facebook legend John McClure. Katie made good time to get us in Derbyshire for a ‘Spoons breakfast in Alfreton before the first match of the day in Holbrook. 
611.Holbrook Park
Holbrook St Michaels 5-2 Linby Colliery
CML South Division 13th v 12th
11am ko


The club came to being in 1932 when the Reverend Sides formed a team named after the village church of Saint Michael, to play in the Belper Sunday School League. Holbrook St Michaels progressed through the local leagues, plying their trade in the Belper Amateur League,  Derbyshire Welfare League, Derby Senior league, Central Alliance, Midland Regional Alliance, before entering the CML in 2012.
The Derbyshire village of Holbrook is found at the southern end of the Pennines, five miles north of Derby, with a population of about 1,500.  Holbrook Park is on the edge of the village surrounded by farmland and has been the club’s home since 1936. The ground is fully railed off with the dugouts on one side and seating provided by a few brick dugout type shelters  and a scattering of prefab seats. The changing rooms and club house are in the bottom corner behind the goal.
After a slow start, the game finally got going with Chris Saunders giving the hosts the lead in the 19th minute, before Joe Brumby headed home from close range to double their advantage. It should have been 3-0 before the break, but a spot kick from Dom Hayes was well saved, however they made amends from the restart with Marshall Collingwood turning a right wing cross into his own net.
Harry Gill pulled a goal back for Linby in the 50th minute, before a well crafted goal by Saunders and a good run and cut inside by Paul Fisher made it 5-1 with ten minutes left. An injury time consolation goal by Ryan Butler, rounded off a good start of the CML ‘hop.




Matchday Stats
HStMFC 5(Saunders 19,65 Brumby 30 Collingwood 47OG Fisher 81)
LCFC 2(Gill 50 Butler 90+1)
Att. 212(club record)
Admission £3   Programme £1 (sold out) Tea £1





612.Kilburn Social Club
AFC Kilburn 1-3 Sherwood Colliery
CML South Division 11th v 1st
1.45pm ko


AFC Kilburn are newcomers to the CML this season after progressing from the Midlands Regional Alliance League. Kilburn FC formed in 1958 and went on to become founder members of the Central Midlands League. The club folded in the mid-nineties, before football returned to Kilburn when homeless neighbours Ambergate FC agreed a deal to play at the ground, becoming Ambergate Football Club Kilburn.
Kilburn is a village and civil parish which forms part of the borough of Amber Valley. Around 100 years ago it was known as Kilbourne and has a population of around 3,600. The Sports Pavilion at Kilburn Social Club has standing room on three sides with the team dugouts on one side. Cover is provided by the overhanging roof from the changing rooms and refreshment bar building. The social club is outside the turnstile entrance on the other side of the car park.
A guest appearance for Sherwood Colliery?
League leaders Sherwood Colliery recorded a convincing win in their pursuit of the title. Ethan Wiesztorf gave them a first half lead before they finally made it 2-0 in the 54th minute, with a fine run and sweet right foot shot by Steve Sowter. A long clearance from the Sherwood ‘keeper found Liam Beardsley who grabbed the third, before Gav McCready grabbed a late consolation for the home team. 

Matchday Stats
AFCK 1(McCready 88)
SCFC 3(Wiesztorf 26 Sowter 54 Beardsley 85)
Att.207
Admission £3
Programme £1.50 (didn't purchase)
Pin badge £3





613. The Mease Pavilion
Hilton Harriers 1-0 Hucknall Town
CML South Division 8th v 3rd
5pm ko

Hilton Harriers was established in 1992 as a juniors team, developing more teams and becoming the first club in Derbyshire to attain the FA Charter Standard mark in 2002.
Hilton Harriers originally played on pitches behind the village hall, then in 2008, after 6 years of fundraising moved to their new home at The Mease Pavilion. In 2008-09 a senior side was added to the existing eleven junior teams, starting off in the Midlands Regional Alliance Division 2, before progressing in the Staffordshire County Senior League and joining the Central Midland League at the start of this season. The club achieved Community Club status in 2011 and have a senior reserve team in Division Two of the Staffordshire CS League.
Hilton is a village and civil parish in the South Derbyshire district with a population of almost 8,000. The Mease Pavilion provides the base for two football pitches, with the furthest pitch the Harriers home, which is neatly put together with fencing and dugouts in the team colours.  
Hilton Harriers game with third place Hucknall Town was settled early on when defender Ben Jones tried in vain to cut out a Karl Chadfield effort, the ball agonisingly crossing the line. Hucknall had plenty of decent chances throughout but lacked composure in front of goal, with the hosts looking more comfortable as the match progressed to hold on to that slender lead.

Matchday Stats
HHFC 1(Chadfield  14)
HTFC 0 
Att.236
Admission with programme and raffle ticket £5
Pin badge £3.50 
Coffee £1
Derventio ‘Gold’ bottled beer £3





An excellent day of Groundhopping which was made more enjoyable by the glorious weather. My suntan included a burned nappa and the back of my neck was as red as the t-shirt I was wearing. Thanks to the Groundhop UK team for providing us with the opportunity to visit three grounds in one day, each club very friendly, well organised and a credit to the league. 


✔610.Leeds Road

Tadcaster Magnets 0-2 Hemingbrough United
York Minster Engineering Premier League
Wednesday 2nd May 2018
After an enjoyable but none profitable day at Pontefract Races, (I couldn’t tip a bucket of piss! )  I called into Tadcaster on the way back home to tick off another York Football League ground.
Tadcaster Magnets play at the Magnet Sports & Social Club off Leeds Road, and have played in the York League since the 2010-11 season. The club won Division 4 in their debut year and have conquered each division to reach the Premier by 2014.
The football ground is found at the far end of the complex  past the cricket pitch with the pavillion used for the team dressing rooms. The pitch is fully railed off with a pair of perspex dugouts at one side. The ground was previously used by Tadcaster Magnet Sports in the West Yorkshire League from the late 90’s to 2009. 

Tadcaster Magnets(9th) v Hemingbrough United(10th)
York Minster Engineering Premier League matchday 26v25
6.30ko

A goal in each half by Nathan Parker secured the win for Hemingbrough. They took an early lead when a mazzy run from Hemingway set up Parker to blast home inches from the goal line, before a superb curling shot from the edge of the box on 63 minutes wrapped it up.

For all their gallant effort the Magnets couldn’t make the breakthrough in front of goal, even after the visitors were reduced to ten men when Craig Rowden was shown a straight red for a stud showing tackle. In the end Hemingbrough comfortably seen out the game and deserved to take away the three points. 





Matchday Stats
TMFC 0
HUFC 2(Parker 12,63)
Att.30hc
Admission & programme:none