✔901 Hetton Lakes

Hetton Juniors 3-1 Ferryhill Athletic

Wearside League 1st Division Challenge Cup - First Round

Saturday 18th November 2023

Another chance to see a match at a new venue following another fixture switch to a playable pitch. Hetton Juniors moved their Cup tie with Ferryhill Athletic to Hetton Lyons Country Park. Hetton Lyons was named after the landowner - John Lyon, who was the Great-Great-Great Grandfather of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, mother of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The park features a water sports lake, fishing lakes, orienteering course, play area and is also part of the national cycling network. There are two full size football pitches with the changing rooms down the stairs at the end of the Hetton Lyons Industrial Estate.

Hetton Juniors 3(Byrne 16 Southern 21 Pratt 76) 

Ferryhill Athletic 1(Morland 8)

1st Division Challenge Cup 1st Round

1.30pm ko

Att.38hc 

Ferryhill took an early lead when a ball from the left was met by a first time shot which was well saved by the goalkeeper, but Adam Morland was on hand to net the rebound, even though he looked suspiciously offside. 

Hetton turned the tie around, equalising when James Byrne was on hand to tap in, after a corner was headed towards goal, then five minutes later Jordan Southern raced in to net the rebound after the ‘keeper made another good save, which made it 2-1.

Just before half time the referee threatened to abandon the match after a Hetton fan took exception to a late tackle on the home goalkeeper. His abusive and over the top  behaviour towards the Ferryhill manager saw the referee having to calm things down on the touchline. 

This entertaining cup tie continued to sway back and forwards in the second half, with Hetton finally settling the tie with fifteen minutes left, when Jake Pratt rifled in a left foot shot to book their place in the 2nd round. 

Sheff Double

We were in Sheffield for the weekend to tick off some GBG pubs and to see the best band in the world - Teenage Fanclub at The Leadmill on Sunday night. 

When I bought tickets for the gig and booked the hotel, I was hoping that Sheffield City were at home so I could visit the Olympic Legacy Park. I later found out that Youdan FC, another Sheffield & Hallamshire League side also play at the stadium, then just last week discovered that Barnsley Women FC were playing their FA Cup tie there on Sunday, which meant I could do a Sheff double. 

 ✔899. University of Sheffield (Norton Sports Park)

Sheffield Union 0-2 Silkstone United

Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1

Saturday 11th November 2023

Sheffield Union run three adult sides with the first team joining the Sheffield & Hallamshire League in 2017, currently playing in Division 1. The club is based at the University Of Sheffield on the Norton Playing Fields. 

The complex has two football pitches, one in front of the pavilion and the other down the hill, beside the car park. The pitch has caged fences behind each goal and banking on one side next to the exit road. The rugby pitches are further down next to the university. 

Logistics - The number 20 bus from the city centre stopped outside the Warminster Road entrance, taking 20 minutes.

University of Sheffield

Norton Sports Park

Athletic and Sports Ground

Warminster Road

Sheffield

S8 8PS

Sheffield Union 0

Silkstone United 2(Barry 70 Ogden 84)

EV2 Sportswear Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League Division 1 matchday 7(6th v 4th)

2pm ko

Att.5hc

It took 70 minutes for the deadlock to be finally broken after both teams missed several good chances, especially the away side who could've had the game wrapped up by half time. Braiden Barry got his shin on the end of cross to put Silkstone ahead, before Harry Ogden nipped in between the defence to head home the second on 84 minutes. There was still time for a third goal, but Union goalkeeper Joe Dent produced a great save to deny the visitors from the penalty spot. 

✔900. Olympic Legacy Park Community Stadium

Barnsley Women 0-3 Liverpool Feds Women

FA Women's Cup 1st Round

Sunday 12th November 2023

Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Community Stadium is part of the Olympic Legacy Park, built on part of the former Don Valley Stadium on an old brownfield industrial site.

In January 2013 Sheffield City Council announced that the Don Valley stadium was to close and be demolished as part of a £50 million budget-cutting measure. The demolishing work began in November 2013 and almost one year later it was announced that the Olympic Legacy Park would be constructed on the site.

The site has an Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, an indoor sports arena, a sports pitch, Oasis Academy and University Technical College

The first stage of the stadium development was completed in January 2022, featuring a 3G pitch. The three-storey covered stand, has 782 multi-coloured seats, with an overall stadium capacity of 2000, alongside 23,000 sq ft of business space and ancillary facilities. The dugouts are on the far side and there's hard standing all around, although the standing areas are out of bounds on most match days. The stadium was initially home to Rugby League club Sheffield Eagles. 

Logistics - Yellow line tram towards Meadowhall. 10 minute ride from the city centre to Attergate. 

Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park

10 Leeds Road

Sheffield

S9 3TY

Barnsley Women FC was formed in 1982, originally named Barnsley Ladies Football Club.  The club used this name for 34 years until the end of the 2017, when they changed their name to  Barnsley FC Ladies for the following two seasons until the end of 2018/19. In March 2018, Barnsley Women's Football Club Limited took over the club and changed to the new club. The team currently plays in the FA Women's National League Division One North, the fourth tier of the league system. 

Barnsley Women o

Liverpool Feds Women 3(Anderson 5 Woodcock OG 8 Fletcher 87)

FA Womens Cup 1st Round

1pm ko

Att. 180.est 

Admission £5

Tea £2

(Programme available £1)

 

Barnsley got off to a disastrous start, falling two goals behind with just eight minutes gone. Katie Anderson got on the end of a Fletcher cross to score from close range, then a back pass from Katie Woodcock caught out the 'keeper and agonisingly rolled into the net. The hosts grew in confidence as the half progressed and looked much better in the second half. 

The tie was settled in the 83rd minute when Ellie Fletcher got on the end of a through ball before producing a lovely chip shot to book Liverpool Feds a place in the 2nd Round.

#Heedhopper 

The breadknife and I caught the 0930 train from Newcastle Central station, arriving in Sheffield at 1220, later than expected due to a cancelled train. 

After the football we were ready and out of the hotel by 5pm, for our pub crawl which featured… The Harlequin, Fat Cat, The Wellington, Kelham Island Tavern, Shakespeare's, Crow Inn, Three Tuns, Old Queens Head and the Triple Point Brewery. We met up with ex-Groundhopper and now full time Cellar Hopper Mark "the fish" Wilkins in the Crow Inn and we enjoyed a fab night out. We couldn't fault any of the beers we had, all top quality, so by the end of the night The breadknife was very, very drunk.  

On Sunday we had a Spoons brekky then a quick drink in The Head of Steam, before I went off to the match. Before the gig we ticked off a few more pubs we missed on Saturday. Once again, great beers in the Two & Six Micropub, Dog and Partridge, Fagans, Brown Bear and a return to my favourite pub in Sheffield - The Rutland Arms. 

It goes without saying that Teenage Fanclub were a joy, as well as the support act Sweet Baboo, so overall an excellent weekend in Sheffield.

898 Whitworth Park Academy

Coxhoe Athletic 1-4 Ferryhill Athletic

Clem Smith Bowl 2nd Round

Saturday 4th November 2023

Due to the rain storms over the last few weeks causing postponments, clubs are now desperate to get games on, with several of yesterday's cup ties reversed to 3G grounds. Coxhoe Athletic got their Clem Smith Bowl match with Ferryhill Athletic on by booking an all weather pitch in Spenny, which presented me with a match at a new venue. 

Whitworth Park Academy is a co-educational secondary school located in Spennymoor. The school was formerly known as Spennymoor Comprehensive up until 2012, when it merged with Tudhoe Grange School and subsequently renamed Whitworth Park. The ground is the usual 3G gubbins, in a cage, with a spectator section with floodlights on each side. 

After a tight first half, Ferryhill took charge of this cup tie with four second half goals. Matthew Ager broke the deadlock with a far post header, followed by a good finish from a tight angle from Michael Hogg. Two more goals in quick succession sealed the tie. Chris Devine was left unmarked to fire in, followed by Kieran Richardson netting the rebound after a Devine shot was saved. Coxhoe grabbed a consolation goal with a neat chip shop from Aaron Flounders in the last minute.

Coxhoe Athletic 1(Flounders 89)

Ferryhill Athletic 4(Ager 52 Hogg 76 Devine 78 Richardson 80)

Clem Smith Bowl 2nd Round

2pm.ko

Att.45hc 

✔897 Shildon Railway Sports & Social Club

Shildon Railway 9-0 Wolviston Reserves 

Wearside League 2nd Division Challenge Cup 2nd Round

Saturday 14th October 2023

Shildon Railway are newcomers to the Wearside League this season, stepping up from the Crook & District League, where they had relative success, winning the Norman Wright Cup, Weardale Cup, Alan Britton Cup, plus the Durham Minor Cup in 2019. 

The club is based at the Shildon Railway Sports & Social Club, which has a fully enclosed football pitch with changing room facilities behind the goal. The social club is also home to the cricket and bowling clubs. 

Shildon Railway Sports & Social Club

Hackworth Street,

Shildon

County Durham

DL4 1XL 

#Heedhopper 

30 mile drive door-to-door 

Current Wearside League grounds visited 38/41

Shildon Railway 9(Curl 17,42 Ellis 21,33 Lowes 29,60pen,77,84 Taylor 65)

Wolviston Reserves 0

2nd Division Challenge Cup 2nd Round 

2.30pm ko

Att.29hc

 

Shildon Railway strolled into the next round of the Challenge Cup as they hit nine past Wolviston Reserves. The goals got underway in the 17th minute when Curtis Curl was on hand to tap in after the keeper initially saved, before getting their second when the ball rebounded off Noah Ellis a few minutes later. 

The hosts easily played the ball through and around the Wolvo defence, as Connor Lowes grabbed the third and further goals from Ellis and Curl made it 5-0 at the break. 

Connor Lowes fired in a penalty on the hour mark, then the impressive Harrison Taylor scored the best goal of the game, receiving a ball in from the left and firing in a first time shot from outside the box. 

With three players on a brace it was a race to see which player would score a hat-trick and the honour fell to Lowes, who grabbed the eighth on 77 minutes, before the number nine made it nine with a neat chip finish to wrap up the goalscoring.