No hiding behind the mask
It was FA Trophy Fourth Round Proper week last weekend, although the rain ended the hopes of playing two ties. The win of the week was Farsley Celtic’s 7-1 win over Marske United. And, if you are wondering,
Farsley Celtic play in green and white hoops. What I’ve always liked about Farsley Celtic was the name of their ground, Throstle Nest. Sadly, it was renamed The Citadel in 2019. Any Marske United supporters might want to look away as I report that The Celt Army scored at regular intervals in the first half to lead 4-0 at the break and then carried on that way until the goals dried up after 70 minutes.
Kiss of death
I’m worried that people out there think I have inside knowledge about non-League football. If you read the From Hashtag United to Wembley book, you will find in the appendix my appalling record when predicting results on last season’s FA Trophy trail. I hope everyone still has a shirt to wear if they read my prediction that Notts County would lift this year’s FA Trophy. As it happened, Maidstone United beat County on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Of course, without VAR, we don’t know if the Maidstone keeper moved too soon or if the Stones’ goals were offside. Suffice to say, I was wrong.
Banbury pull the plug on Bath
The win of the week came from Banbury United, the lowest-ranked club through to the Fifth Round. The goal in their 1-0 win over Bath
City came five minutes into stoppage time when full-back Jack “Dixie” Dean turned and bent a shot into the Bath net. The Robins had reached the First Round of the FA Cup earlier in the season before losing in a televised match to Ipswich Town.
The Yorkie bars are on me
York Minster Engineering sponsors the York League Premier Division – at least, that’s what I am assuming as it is called the York Minster Engineering York League Premier Division (or YMEYLPD, for shortish). I love the teams that hold the top six spots in this division. Are you ready? Dunnington, Dringhouses, Wigginton Grasshoppers, Tadcaster Magnets, Osbaldwick and Malt Shovel. Apparently, when Wigginton Grasshoppers play Malt Shovel, both sets of fans unite in a 100-year-old ritual and hop to the game.
Good afternoon
An avid reader wondered this week whether Cray Valley (PM) FC meant that morning kicks off were prohibited. Of course, this is not true, just as there is no truth in the rumour that the Prime Minister sponsors this team. It turns my mind to TV’s The Apprentice when candidates sometimes say, “I’d like to be PM this week”. They mean project manager, but God help us if any become Prime Minister. Still, in the words of Paul McCartney, maybe we should seek words of wisdom at a planning meeting, or perhaps, I should let it be. Would that be a forward-planning meeting, perchance?
Handing it to Gerrard
Do you remember when that young lad offered his hand to Steven
Gerrard and then pulled it away to leave Liverpool’s hero in the lurch. It happened at a Chelsea v Liverpool game as the teams emerged from the tunnel. I searched for what you call the gesture that the young man performed, whereby the thumb goes on your nose, and the fingers wiggle. As an optional extra, the tongue can poke out as well. It must have a name. However, to cut a long story short, the lad was Jake Nickless, who went on to play non-League football for Dulwich Hamlet and Billericay Town. Now, though, he seems to have disappeared from non-League football.
Impish Wednesday
When Lincoln faced Sheffield last weekend, you might think it was an FA Cup tie between Lincoln City and Sheffield Wednesday or, perhaps, Sheffield United. In fact, Lincoln United played Sheffield (just Sheffield) in the East Division of the Northern Premier League. The result was a 3-3 draw, with Lincoln United taking and losing a 3-0 lead. Rory Coleman’s late penalty levelled the scores. There are no fancy nicknames for this clash; it was the Amateurs v. The Club.
Sheffield’s steel
This game brings me finally this week to more details about Sheffield FC. They were founded in 1857 and their badge, no less, has the claim to be the world’s first football club. I am sure others dispute this. A team called Foot-Ball Club was formed in 1824 in Edinburgh – at least, according to some. I have to wonder who played Sheffield played if they were the first football team. It’s like owning the first telephone; who do you call? Anyway, I have taken a liking to Sheffield FC. I can’t think of many teams playing in red and black quarters, either. Who needs a Wednesday or United in their name when you’re the original Sheffield team?
