Hade Edge

Huddersfield & District League 
Division 3
Hade Edge 0 Marsden 0
Atten 14 h/c







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 The earliest records show that Hade Edge had a team in the Holmfirth & District League in the 1909/10 season. Today they have reached the 'dizzy heights of the 3rd tier of the Huddersfield District League. They have an excellent brand new clubhouse after obtaining a grant from Sport England.
No furniture except dugouts but superb views over the West Yorkshire Countryside. Worth the journey alone if only to stock up on meats at the outstanding quality butcher in the village.

Classic Clubhouse

 The game had few chances and this was my first 'bagel' for over a year. It seems i got the short straw tonight as far as goals were concerned as every other match in the league had 5 goals or more. I blame the big Marsden centre forward ! He was proudly wearing his brand new 'super duper' bright green boots , much to the amusement of his teamates. If i was him, i would return the boots to the shop. Every time he attempted a shot on goal it came off his boots like a "sherriff's badge" or the ball went twenty feet high and wide.

 Some may call this 'extreme' groundhopping. I would agree ! and i look forward to see what Division 4 has to offer in this league as this was very enjoyable in a weird way.  I was asked by the Hade Edge Manager/Goalie why i had decided to come and visit their Club as this is an extreme level of hopping to say the least. My answer was "why not" ?

Pre-Match Warm Up -  " a quick can"

Extreme Non League  - Pump up your own balls !

Tow Law Town

Northern League Div 2
Tow Law Town 1 

Darlington Railway Athletic 2
Atten 50ish
Gate £5

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After a long wait i finally made the pilgrimage to Ironworks Road. As you drive up high into the Weardale hills going to Tow Law feels like going to Mecca.
I arrived earlier than usual and spent time visiting the war memorial in the village centre. It's awesome, a soldier with rifle and bayonet and a huge list of local men who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy today. Pre-match meal was enjoyed at "The Pantry" in the high street. A delicious freshly cooked breakfast , the best i have had for  a long time, all washed down with tea from the most inaccessible regions of the himalayas where the leaves of tea are rolled on the inner thigh of a geordie lass before your very eyes.

The ground is situated on Ironworks Road - a steep hill to be more precise. The Clubhouse and Social Club are situated just outside the ground and hanging on the wall proudly are photos from the good old days. Including their visit to Wembley in 1988 when the whole village had descended from the Durham Coal fields to the smoke and bright lights of London. I got chatting to an elder who was enjoying his lunch time tipple who had lived all his life in the village and how he remembers those days with much fondness and how his famly go back generations following their 'heroes' in black & white.

The Lawyers first ground was in Church Lane but the present Ironworks Road ground was built by volunteers during the miners strike of 1892/93.
Another memory was the tremendous F.A. Cup run of 1967/68. Having reached the first round Tow Law beat Mansfield 5-1 and in the second round drew 1-1 with Shrewsbury at Ironworks Road. The Lawyers went into the hat for the Third Round and drew a home tie with Arsenal. Sadly it was not to be after they went down 6-2 at Shrewsbury in the replay. Frank McGee reported after the replay "Arsenal were saved from a fate worse than death - a trip to Tow Law in January".

The game itself was not the best as both teams struggled with the very strong winds. The wind turbine was at full speed and noise !. Tow Law scored with their first real shot on target possible against the run of play. Visitors RA equalised before half time as the game entered its later stages the only winner looked like being the wind. But the RA goalie made at least thress excellent saves and mnutes before the end RA broke clear to score the winner and complete the smash and grab.

The obvious focal point of the ground is the impressively painted main stand , possibly the most colourful in the league. The views over Weardale are spectacular and a typical warm geordie welcome awaits.

I decended down the hills from 'Mecca' and entered civilisation again. Going to Tow Law is like visiting another world. I wonder what it's like here in January ?

Blaenau Ffestiniog

Welsh Alliance League - Division 2
Blaenau Ffestiniog 4 
Penmaenmawr Phoenix 2
Atten 320
Gate £3

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Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historic slate mining town in Gwynedd though its population has declined from a peak of 12,000 to under 5,000 these days. Tourism now forms an important part of the economy with local attractions such as the Ffestiniog Railway and the Llechwedd Slate Caverns. 

Football in these parts dates back to the 1880s with various local sides featuring in the archives. Just after the First World War Blaenau Ffestiniog FC became one of the most powerful clubs in North Wales and other sides known as Town, Blue Stars, Juniors and Athletic have represented the town.

Cae Clyd is not the easiest to find if following the Sat Nav and is found up a narrow road going south out of the town. There used to be a stand which straddled the half way line on the far side from the entrance.I heard they 'borrowed for a while, before the Railway Authorities wanted it back. But to be honest it makes no difference to the beauty of the place, except perhaps those without a brolly when the heavens open.

Best View for a Goalie ever ?

But once you do find Cae Clyd, life is good again. For when you enter it is like steppng into a magical kingdom reminiscent to something out of a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale. For the sweeping views at every angle just leave you spellbound. For it is that beautiful. Except when the rain and fog appear it all disappears like a magic trick , only to reappear once it all lifts.

The game itself was most enjoyable and played in half sunshine and half rain showers. In fact it was raining goals as the bumper crowd enjoyed a six goal feast. Vistors Penmaenmawr Pheonix also played their part and even had the audacity to take a half time lead. But the Reds came back strongly in the second half and scored the winning goals in the last seven minutes to record their first victory of the new season.

As you walked passed the changing rooms despite the rain bouncing of the windows you could hear happy celebrations from the home players . It was reminiscent of the famous incantations of a Welsh Male Voice Choir as if they just won the World Cup and 6 Nations ! It was fantastic.

The happiest team in the world ?

 It was sadly time to say farewell to Cae Clyd and once again take time to absorb the stunning surrounding views for another time before my onward journey.

Can it get any better than this ? In a word ... No !