A sign of the times

My recent piece for the Holderness Gazette regarding the current state of local grassroots 11-a-side football...

An endangered pastime?

Last week’s news that Withernsea AFC had folded their first team with immediate effect was perhaps the most serious sign yet that grassroots football in this area is experiencing real problems.

Having been involved with the local game for 25 years and a member of the South Holderness Cup committee for the past decade, I have witnessed an ongoing decline in both the number of teams and available players. 

The loss of the “traditional” village team has accelerated in recent years, ironically partly as a result of the FA’s Charter Standard programme, which was devised in order to strengthen the game at grassroots level. 

By asking clubs to raise standards, the FA were effectively signalling a move away from the familiar “one man band” to more multi-team operations, with qualified personnel at all levels.

The positive knock-on effect was that players wanting to try and progress were encouraged to join clubs offering such opportunities, along with better facilities for their use.  Unfortunately, to those just wanting a kick-about every Saturday, the options were suddenly more limited. 

It would now appear that there is a shortage of players in both categories. 

No matter how good the facilities on offer or the standard of football open to them, you cannot force today’s generation to actually want to play the game.  And when a town the size of Withernsea, with a thriving junior section acting as an in-built production line, feels it can no longer field three open-age teams on a Saturday afternoon, the alarm bells ring for all of us.

For me, Saturday afternoon has always been the focal point of the weekend, whether that be when following Hull City up and down the country in the 1980s or playing for Easington during the following decade.  “Match day” was something to be looked forward to and whatever the result we would ensure that it was re-examined over a few pints that night.

So, why is there such apparent apathy to grassroots football?

Some blame the amount of Saturday counter-attractions.  Certainly, Hull City’s recent success can be seen to have had some effect, as can wall-to-wall TV coverage, which now incorporates foreign broadcasts on a Saturday afternoon along with Sky’s successful Soccer Saturday format.  People are more inclined to watch football, be it live, at home or down the pub rather than don the boots to play themselves.

Then there are the current licensing laws, which often result in the weekend becoming one long party with a game of football relegated low down on the list of priorities.  

The growth of midweek five-a-side leagues has also had an effect as this gives would-be players their “fix” without impinging on their weekend. 

Finally, throw in the rise of the play-station generation with their reported aversion to outdoor activities and you can perhaps see why we now appear to have a dwindling number of lads actually playing “the beautiful game” on a Saturday afternoon.   

Withernsea are not the first to take drastic action as a result of the above issues.  Sadly it’s likely they’ll not be the last.  Hornsea Town were reported to have issues pre-season, Roos have struggled to field a full complement on a weekly basis and at Easington we had a well-documented summer beset by problems.  Indeed it is still by no means a certainty that we will see the season out in our current three-team format; although there is definitely a determination on the part of the committee to do so.

It all comes down to personal choice – and at the moment it would appear that many of the potential footballers of Holderness would rather be anywhere else than lining up to kick-off at two o’clock on a Saturday afternoon.

   

So that was November...

Saturday 23rd November

Central Midlands League North Division

Easington United 4 Ollerton Town 1

There are times when even I have to accept that football is not headline news.  There are times when “The Beautiful Game” must take a back seat to other events going on in the world.  And I hold up my hands and acknowledge that this is one of them...

Just what did one of this country’s biggest sporting icons of the Eighties, Steve ‘The Nugget’ Davis – six times World Professional Snooker champion, soul music aficionado and saviour of ‘Voices From The Shadows’ magazine – think he was doing parachuting into the Australian jungle with the likes of Joey Essex?  How has it come to this?  In what times we live.  Cuh.

But I digress.

Against Ollerton Town we gained only our second win of the season.  Admittedly there was a touch of fortune involved, the visitors’ losing defender Bowler for the foul on Gav from which Lewis levelled matters via the penalty spot just before the break.

For a time afterwards we struggled to make the extra man count but when Sam H was felled by keeper Sprigg and Lew doubled up from twelve yards, the old swagger returned.

Sam himself got in on the act late on before Lew capped things with a fine solo effort that completed his hat-trick and a 4-1 win.

As I’ve suggested before, home games aren’t necessarily the most interesting topics blog-wise – they can easily just turn into a re-hash of the “official” match report.  This one did have its moments though, not least when objections were raised to the Ollerton goalkeeper’s refusal to retrieve a ball from just yards behind the Seaside End goal.

“Gerron you lazy b@stard!”

“Why?  You don’t see Robin Van Persie going for balls...”

“’Robin Van Persie’?  When did he play for Ollerton?”

As the game wore on and the visitors’ frustration with the performance of the referee grew, such light-hearted exchanges between both sets of supporters became few and far between.

No matter, we had finally completed a second win of the season, now to go on an unbeaten run...

Match report & excellent pics by Burt can be found here and on our club Facebook page.

Ollerton's report - if any ever appears - will be found on their club website.

Saturday 30th November

Central Midlands League North Division

Thorne Colliery 1 Easington United 0

It would be easy to say that the feel-good factor inspired by the win over Ollerton was ended just one week later, courtesy of the defeat at Thorne Colliery.  But it would be quite wrong to do so.

For despite a poor first half display that ultimately proved our downfall, there were plenty of signs in the game that the current campaign could yet turn out to be a positive one.

Thorne are this season’s surprise package.  They came into this game in fourth place and with only two defeats in 13 league games.  Their ten wins have been built on a solid defence, the best in the competition, having conceded only 12 goals thus far.

At the other end they’ve only scored 31 goals, 10 of which have come from leading scorer Ross Ebbage.  He took this tally to 11 in the game’s decisive moment, which came on 35mins when we were yet again punished for coughing up possession in our own half.

We were much improved after the break, without really creating anything clear-cut; that is until 12 minutes from time when Hutch – employed as Sam Mc’s latest central defensive partner – picked out Stef Radley with a great diagonal but “Lenny” could only steer his shot wide of the far post.

At the other end Thornse struck the woodwork twice more as we were constantly caught out pushing for the equaliser.  But further goals would have been harsh on the lads, their improvement second half being deemed worthy of a point by several observers post-match.

The fine old stand at Moorends Welfare, a tasty half-time burger and some cracking post-match nosh in the Moorends Hotel contributed to another away day that was to be enjoyed...despite no return in terms of points.

My official match report & Burt's pics can be found here and on our Facebook page.

The home report that appeared in the Thorne Times can be read here.

Lost in Kinsley

Saturday 16th November

Central Midlands League North Division

Kinsley Boys 5 Easington United 1

Kinsley is a place I’ve now been to twice and have got lost on both occasions!  Unfortunately, whereas on the first occasion I was only in charge of navigation for one car out of five (and had allowed extra time for the Bank Holiday Monday trip) this time I was Navigator-in-Chief of the “Pistol Pete-less Express” driven today by Shotgun Burt. 

So as we completed what appeared to be our third circumnavigation of the “Pontefract Triangle” with less than an hour to go before kick-off I admit to feeling slightly anxious...especially as I looked at the AA Route Planner in front of me and the iPhone sat-nav passed my way by one of the players and both appeared to be telling me different things!

Two hours later I was thinking we may have been better off having never actually located the Kinsley Timber Stadium! 

In truth, this scoreline does not tell the whole story.  As affable home secretary Andrew Rollin said afterwards, “You’ve hammered us second half and we’ve won 5-1!”

The more I thought about this – and the game in general – on the way home, the more I started to feel reassured about this season.  Now that may sound daft given the well-publicised pre-season problems and a run of results that currently sees us sitting second-bottom of the table.

Certainly the mood among the squad would appear positive enough.  In the immediate aftermath of the game, Biggie Smalls took it upon himself to conduct a post-match discussion as to where we thought, collectively, we could improve things.  He also set about reassuring his team mates that they had not been as bad as the scoreline would suggest and that the margins between continued setbacks and an upturn in fortunes continue to get finer.  He made some valid points.

"GerratimSam" as he's now known

On a pitch that played better than it looked, we had gifted our hosts two of the three first half goals that effectively decided the game.

Poor Willow’s rushed clearance that cannoned back off Dave W to home striker Josh Stacy for the first set the tone on 8mins. 

Having lost just two games thus far, Kinsley are a side enjoying their return from a one-year switch to the Sheffield & Hallamshire League and they certainly didn’t need gifts like we were presenting.

Just past the half-hour Tom Mc pulled up with a hamstring injury as he chased a ball into touch.  Amid the confusion this loss created, we struggled to defend the ensuing throw-in ad the ball sat nicely for player/manager Craig Rouse whose well-struck shot took a slight deflection and flew over Mad John into the far corner.

Stella Cidre - reasonably priced - available HERE!

The third looked farcical – Joe Gorner’s in-swinging corner simply dropping directly in for 3-0 on the stroke of half-time.  Gorner direct from a corner – a headline writer’s dream!

Thankfully there was still time for Dave W to fire us back into things and, encouragingly, we had shown signs towards the end of the half of being capable of causing our hosts problems at the back.

As I accompanied the unfortunate Tom to the changing rooms, I overhead the aforementioned Rouse conducting his half-time team-talk.  He was telling his players that we were trying to spray the ball about but were not good enough to do so.

Hmm, I think the second half proved him wrong.  We produced some lovely football as we immediately put Kinsley on the back foot.  And with the only upshot of Tom’s departure being the welcome return to the fold of Hutchie, we suddenly looked a threat at set-pieces again.

The returning Hutch had already gone close twice when JC was felled in the box; penalty!  
Some pointed towards our new man but Sumo didn’t wish to see another mistake of the Sherwood type.  Up stepped Willow – our only successful taker at North Cave and regular spot-kick man at previous club Withernsea.  He went to Joburns’ left.  Unfortunately so did Joburns – penalty saved.

He'll miss this

Willow later said it was his first miss in ten years.  He also said Hutch had admitted that he’d have gone the same way.  I think it provided him with some small consolation!

Two minutes later Hutch’s header from Sam Mc’s free-kick crashed against the Kinsley bar.  As Biggie Smalls commented moments later: this is not going to be our day!

He was right.  We enjoyed more possession, more half-chances and a couple of other near-misses but the two-goal cushion remained...and was then extended.

Willow’s day was to be consigned to the box marked “One to forget” as his attempted flicked clearance from a Kinsley breakaway sat up nicely for sub Jack Owen to volley home.

In injury time he was then out-muscled by Rouse who proceeded to take his season’s tally past the twenty-mark and consign us to our joint-heaviest defeat of the season.

  

All a bit of a blur really (Burt's camera doesn't do floodlights)

Helped by reasonably priced cans of Stella Cidre in the hosts’ smart clubhouse and Smalley’s earlier words of wisdom, there was still an upbeat mood about the lads as we tucked into the post-match buffet.  And this continued on the way home where much of the conversation focused on the future (the average age of the current squad is only about 24).  The way that some of them spoke there would clearly appear to be plenty of scope for optimism.  Now, if only we could string a couple of wins together...

Match report and more blurred pictures can be found here and on our Facebook page.

Cave In

Saturday 9th November
East Riding County FA Senior Cup R2
North Cave 2 Easington United 2
(At 90mins Cave won 4-1 on pens)

Once again our interest in the various East Riding County FA Cup competitions is over by the second round stage.

The second weekend in November is the traditional time for us to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their country.  In recent years it has also become the weekend in which we lament the end of our County cup hopes for another year!

Following the Reserves’ first round exit from the Senior Country Cup and last week’s defeat for the Casuals in the Qualifying version, the First Team made its by now customary exit against Humber Premier League opponents in the Senior competition.

And so yet again there’ll be no appearance for us on BBC Radio Humberside’s live quarter final draw.

But there should have been.  For despite travelling to Church Street with another depleted squad, sitting just a point clear of the bottom following our worst league result in recent times and facing a team riding high in their respective Step 7 competition, we should really be celebrating a place in the last eight for the first time since 2008.

Anybody actually at the game (and I acknowledge that this figure doesn’t stretch much beyond the players and management of both teams) may wonder how I come to this conclusion given the amount of possession and shots on target enjoyed by our hosts.

It is because with less than ten minutes left we were sitting as comfortably as one can when you’re holding a one goal lead and seeing little of the ball.

For all their possession and territorial advantage, Cave appeared to have virtually run out of ideas.  They were reduced to shots from all range and angles, few of which appeared to seriously trouble Mad John between the sticks.

Manager Sumo had used his depleted bench prudently, taking off veterans Gav and Wilky and tweaking the shape to accommodate Smalls and new boy Wicksy, and we appeared on course to close things out.  Then Cave equalised.  But I’m getting ahead of myself... 

Perhaps not presenting Church Street in quite its best light?

I have always liked North Cave as a venue – and this despite us having a pretty poor record there in all the time I’ve been involved with Easington. 

Admittedly, it’s a ground I hadn’t been too for many years prior to Saturday’s visit.  Our last game there at First Team level was back in October 2000, during the inaugural season of the Humber Premier League.

We’d arrived at Church Street winless after five games but proceeded to break our duck with a particularly gutsy 4-2 success.  Our goals were scored by Glenn Ratcliffe (2), Kenny Knott and Gavin Thurkettle, three residents of Patrington Haven – a fact I remember due to my use of the headline “First win is Haven sent” in that Thursday’s Gazette.  Eh, there’s a lot of thought goes into this sports reporting malarkey y’know!

Despite winning the inaugural League Cup, Cave resigned from the HPL at the end of that first season and were forced to make something of a circuitous route back in.  Benefitting from the demise of a team at nearby Brough, the current Cave team began as the Reserves string playing in the County League.

Returning to the HPL in Division 1 a few years later, the club eventually gained promotion to the Premier Division in 2010/11, as runners-up to Beverley side Hodgsons.

The following season they finished fourth in the top flight and after a seventh place last season look on course for another decent campaign this time round.  Despite an eye-catching 0-5 home defeat by Hedon Rangers the previous weekend, they currently occupy a top three position, behind evergreen heavyweights Reckitts and reigning champions Beverley Town. 

To be saved for later...or so I thought

When re-entering the ground over a decade on from that last visit, I was quite amused to see that the only change would appear to be the situating of a couple of dugouts.  So much for year-on-year progress as set out at the original meeting back in July 2000.

On the plus side, the ground boasts a very tidy clubhouse inside which can be found Sky TV (the Reading v QPR match was on live as we arrived).  Of more immediate interest to me was the sight of a hand-pump bearing the pin for Great Newsome Pricky Back Otchan.  Oh yes, that’ll do nicely for later thought I... 

All the times I recall playing against North Cave teams our opponents wore red.  Not anymore.  As they went through their pre-match routine within yards of the clubhouse it was in a rather natty all-orange affair.  According to the lad who seemed to be in charge of the bar, it was bought last season and he agreed it was a break with tradition.

“About time we broke with tradition too”, said Burt-on-Bus whilst admiring QPR’s bottle and gold affair.  “Summat like that would be nice”.

“Shut up you idiot” was my reply.

I was disappointed to hear that Cave no longer attract the crowds they used to.  Similar to us it would appear numbers have dwindled in tandem with the loss of local players, despite the quality of football improving. 

“There’s only three or four lads live in Cave now.  We’ve even had to move the training to South Hunsley”, our barman informed us.

I told him that was similar to us in terms of pulling players in from far and wide; and he wouldn’t believe me if I tried to explain the situation with our training at the moment! 

Lest We Forget

Both teams lined up pre-match to observe a minute’s silence.  It was impeccably observed save for the sound of a ball being kicked against a wooden hut near the pavilion by a youngster with his back to what was going on.

It reminded me of other unfortunate ‘silence breakers’ – like the ice cream van at Hessle Rangers on the corresponding afternoon last year or Pistol Pete whistling away to his heart’s content when stepping out of the tea hut at South Normanton a few years back – blissfully unaware that just a few yards away two teams, match officials and both sets of management and supporters were stood in silent memory of a player tragically killed in a recent road accident.  Ooh, it took him a while to live that one down! 

Wilky Woo!

At kick-off there were barely twenty spectators lining the near roped-off touchline, almost half of whom were supporting the Eastenders.

Initially it looked like we could be in for a long afternoon as the hosts, obviously chastened by their last result, started like men on a mission.

Crisp passing and good movement immediately opened us up and Chris Short struck the bar inside the first two minutes.

A goal looked on the cards and arrived on quarter of an hour; another decent move being capped by Ozzie Marsden’s low shot into the corner.

Thankfully we didn’t crumble and we enjoyed a decent spell of possession.  This in turn yielded a few corners and the odd half-chance, one of which Tom Mac headed powerfully but unfortunately straight at keeper Matt Johnson.

The unfortunate Johnson was then to take centre-stage.

First he made an awful hash of dealing with a backpass, which allowed Wilky to level with the simplest of goals.

The Cave keeper was then left floundering at his near post as JC’s thumping right foot strike took him totally by surprise.  Nearly half the game gone and we led 2-1.

The hosts threatened to level matters by the break.  Marsden headed over the top, while Short’s attempts to cap another flowing Cave move were thwarted by fine reactions from Mad John.  Half-time arrived with us having one foot in the quarter-finals...

JC celebrates what should've been the winner

Tempted as I was to sample the aforementioned Pricky Back Otchan during the break, I opted for a hot cuppa instead and settled down to watch some of the England v Fiji rugby league world cup encounter from the KC while, just a few yards away, Sumo and AG were no doubt urging their players to get tighter to their opponents in order to secure a morale-boosting win.

And this they did to some extent.  Although it was the hosts who made all the running, our back four coped admirably most of what came their way.  Meanwhile, we had numerous chances to make things happen on the counter – leaving most of us thinking what could have happened had the speedy Sam Huteson not been a morning withdrawal.

All around me the news was bad.  The Stiffs were losing at home to Wawne in the County Premier.  City had shipped three inside the opening half-hour at St Mary’s.  But at Church Street we continued to hold out.

With just eight minutes remaining we forced a throw-in up near the right corner flag in the Cave half of the field.  I distinctly remember shouting out for someone, anyone to squeeze up as the hosts were allowed to take it unopposed.

Within seconds the ball was launched upfield.  For almost the first time that afternoon Sam Mac was beaten to it and moments later sub Tom Moss had lifted the ball over John and into the net; 2-2.

I think we all knew then what the outcome of today was going to be.

A couple of promising positions came to nought in the dying moments and at the final whistle referee Chris Hitchcock called both captains to him to announce that due to the poor light the tie would be determined by penalties.  The feeling of foreboding went up another notch.

Up stepped Short, a standout player all game, and although John went the right way it was 1-0.

Willow strode forward and calmly tied things up.  Never doubted.

Damen McMahon emphatically restored the hosts’ lead before Biggy Smalls emphatically lifted his effort over the bar.  Advantage North Cave.

It was 3-1 thanks to Aaron Malton and when Johnson guessed correctly to deny Stef the hosts were nearly there.

No.16 Jason Crisp applied the coup de grace with the by now obligatory “Pirlo pen” and our County interest was at an end.

As I trudged back to the clubhouse I assured myself that solace would be found in a pint of Pricky Back.  The guy in front of me at the bar had the same idea...

“Sorry, we’ve none left.  We had a run on it on Bonfire Night”

It summed up the day – and our fortunes in the County cups perfectly: all gone!   

Match report and Burt’s pictures can be found here and on our Facebook page.