New Mills AFC

Derbyshire Senior Cup

New Mills 11 (eleven) v Parkhouse 0

Gate: £6
Atten: 83
Food/ Drink: Excellent hot dog with loads of Onions £1.60 Coffee 75p Mars 45p
Ground: lovely ground situated in the High Peaks of Derbyshire, surrounded by north west pennine countryside.  9/10 - a must tick !
Match Entertainment - 10/10 simply an outstanding evening in every way !

Pics of New Mills (18)

It was not very difficult to decide which game to go to this evening as this was the only game tonight within sensible driving distance. However many times i had heard really good things about this club, so a visit to Church Lane  was inevitable at some stage ... and tonight was the night !

New Mills AFC  is actually located in Derbyshire but lies only a few miles from Stockport and even less from the Cheshire border.Within  comparatively few years, has risen to importance in the manufacturing district; cotton spinning being carried on here to a considerable extent, affording employment to numerous hands.

Street scene - New Mills , High Peaks Derbyshire

 The Millers play in the North West Counties League and to date are having a fine season, with promotion very much on their agenda. If promotions were obtained they would probably join the Evo South because of their location. This would give them many long journeys- too many in fact !. Common sense says to join the Evo North is the better option but we know that wouldn't happen. If future promotions were won they would then end up in the Conference South !!! ... Ebbsfleet away is a lovely thought !
The opponents this evening were Parkhouse Fc , participants from the Central Midlands Supreme Division are based near Chesterfield, they played in a Blackpool Strip and it was a shame that Ian Holloway was not on the touchline !.

I arrived in plenty of time as usual to take my usual photos but because of darkness my usual standard was not achieved.  I started to chat with a New Mills Representative John , a very pleasant chap who was great fun through out  the evening and full of interesting stories. He couldn't believe where this ground hopper had driven from for tonight's occasion.

Word soon spread around the ground that there was a mad ground hopper present and the more who heard the kinder the welcome i received so much so later i was presented with a Club Mug as a momento of the occasion. It was a lovely gesture, which made me feel very humble in appreciation.

As usual i walked round the ground with only one regret , that i had not visited this great little ground in daylight to fully appreciate its location.

The Millers had just been knocked out of the FA Vase only 48 hours earlier to Ashington from the Northern League under contraversial  circumstances and the locals were less than impressed.
Both teams came out for the start via the biggest and widest players tunnel in non league football. Basically it was two steel fences to seperate the players from the masses ... all 83 of them  !

The biggest players tunnel ever ! and the Tea Hut

The game was only a few minutes old , when the smell from the Tea Hut caught my attention. I went over and ordered a hot dog and a Coffee, whilst waiting for my order i carried on watching the game ..... "would you like onions with that ?" as i turned to answer the girl in the kitchen a cheer went up , it was 1-0 ! i had taken my eyes off the game for a second and missed the goal ! DAM !


Whilst enjoying my hot dog i asked an 'old boy' standing next to me what the goal was like, then as he was describing it to me another cheer went up .... 2-0 ! we had both missed the goal !! Double dam ! So two goals had been scored and i had missed both of them !
The game was already stretched and enjoyable when 15 minutes later Pat the Treasurer had asked the 'old boy' and myself if we wanted to buy a raffle ticket for half time draw. As we both turned to buy a ticket , another cheer went up ... 3-0 !! and i had missed that one as well , unbelievable ! The 'old boy' had also missed two goals because of me as well !! - The Millers pressed forward and before half time had scored two more goals, and i saw them both !!  5-0 !

At Half Time i was invited into the VIP Lounge from the Committee for some Tea , which was very welcomed on this very cold evening. I was made very welcomed inside the lounge and as usual the conversation was football ! I was asked by Pat the treasurer would i mind drawing the winning raffle ticket , out i plucked Ticket number 849 - minutes later appeared the winner , I couldn't believe it , it was the  same 'old boy' who had missed two goals because of me !! All we could do was laugh !
I hadn't finished my tea when the players were already out to begin the second half. Duncan the Secretary encouraged me to take the fine china cup outside and finish of the tea watching the game. When i finished my tea i thought to myself i had better take the china mug back in case i broke it. I popped back into the lounge put the cup on the table and as i did another cheer went up ... i had missed another goal it was now 6-0 and i had missed 4 goals !
Not to worry moments later it became 7-0 .. watch it here ....   
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSeYyUd9-TI

 

To be fair to Parkhouse despite 4 more goals being scored to make it 11-0 ! their heads never dropped and they kept trying to the final whistle and their goalie made some more decent saves to keep the score respectable ! without him it could have been 16-0 at least ! He had a good sense of humour as well and the home fans were 'advising' him to go up for a corner if they were to get one !

The final whistle blew and both teams were applauded off the pitch and again down the 'widest players tunnel in non league football' , the game was played in great spirit, the officials were also very good.
We celebrated a great evening in the bar after and what an evening it had been.
Great, friendly people who were proud of 'their club' and quite rightly so , if only all clubs were like this.In fact it was kind of sad to say farewell. Had i any regrets about my visit here tonight .. yes i had 2 regrets , leaving these wonderful people and not being able to appreciate the surrounding landscape and yes i will be back and this ground comes very highly recommended in every way , and for fellow ground hoppers this is a 'must tick'.

You will be assured of a very warm welcome  and plenty of goals .. but make sure you see them all , unlike me !

More pics of New Mills ground (18)