Frickley Athletic

Frickley Athletic FC are a non league club from South Elmsall in West Yorkshire. The club were originally known as Frickley Colliery FC and were formed in 1910. The workers at the mine paid subscriptions from their wages to support the football club and local cricket club.

After a few years competing in the Sheffield Association League, 'The Blues' became members of the Yorkshire League in 1922. Two years later they joined the Midland League where they played their football until 1960 when the league was briefly disbanded. Frickley became the only Yorkshire club to play in the Cheshire County League, where they remained for a decade.

In 1970 the club rejoined the Midland League before joining the Northern Premier League in 1976. At this point they changed their name to Frickley Athletic. After a few years of doing well, Athletic joined the Alliance Premier League (Football Conference) in 1980. In 1986 the club reached the third round of the FA Cup before a crowd of 5,800 saw them go down in a local derby to Rotherham United. The team had several top players at this time including Russ Willcox and Paul Shirtliff.

 









After seven years playing at the pinnacle of the non league game, Athletic rejoined the Northern Premier League just a year after finishing as runners up in the Conference. In 1993 Frickley Colliery shut down, leading to some very tough times for the local community. Several managers tried to bring back the glory days to Westfield Lane. Karl Rose was appointed in 2012.

Frickley Athletic FC will play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division for the 2013-14 season.


 
 








My visit

Frickley Athletic 2 Scarborough Athletic 0 (Tuesday 12th July 2011) Pre Season Friendly (att: 177)

I was in Scarborough for the Yorkshire v Worcestershire cricket and it happily coincided with a pre season friendly at a ground I'd never previously visited. I was picked up outside the gates of North Marine Road by James Hunter and Geoff Osgathorpe, which gave a chance to ask for club updates and if there was any way I could assist.

We arrived outside the Westfield Lane ground in good time to go inside for a beer. As ever, there was a good turn out of Seadogs in attendance. The clubhouse was fairly basic but friendly. Many former team shots on the wall contained players who's appeared for both clubs.

 









Westfield Lane had been given a new title, The Tech5 Stadium in a naming rights deal. It was a traditional old venue which offered everything fans at that level required. The pitch sloped away from the large Main Stand which was raised and stood back. Open terracing ran all along that side in front and to the sides of the structure. The far side had a low cover with a few steps of terracing. Where the large colliery slag heap and colliery stood behind this side was now a landscaped hill with pathways. A small area of open standing was behind both goals with a fenced off area behind.

 









I had a walk around during the first half while trying to work out who was who in the new Boro line up. Frickley, who were two divisions above in the pyramid were fast, physical and impressive but the Seadogs still gave as good as they got before going behind to a worrying lack of marking from a set piece.

 









I enjoyed some fine old fashioned catering as I caught up with old friends for the first time in the new season. I watched for a while from the excellent view afforded in the stand. Frickley came out with a completely different eleven for the second half in their away strip. Boro also made plenty of changes. The home side went further ahead from another set piece, before Boro were somehow denied at the other end.

 









All in all it was a good, stern examination for the visitors against an able team. I quite enjoyed my visit to a traditional football ground with friendly home football fans. Even better news was that there was still a couple of days cricket to watch!