Brighouse Town

Brighouse Town FC are a non league football club who were formed in 1963. The club come from the town of Brighouse in West Yorkshire a few miles to the east of Halifax with a tradition of producing fine brass bands.

Until 1975 the club competed in the Huddersfield Works League, when they joined the West Riding County Amateur Football League. After being crowned champions on five occasions 'Town' were accepted into the Northern Counties East League for the 2007-08 season.

After consolidating their position they finished second in Division One in the 2009-10 season and won promotion to the Premier Division The club did suffer a setback when arsonists burnt down some of the facilities at t. Giles Road, but the club stayed strong and with the help of other clubs it maintained its status. Brighouse stabilised once more at their higher level before finishing in a fine fourth division at the end of the 2011-12 season.

Town put in a spectacular effort in an assault on the NCEL title in the 2012-13 season, as they finished runners up to Scarborough Athletic.

Brighouse Town FC will compete in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division for the 2013-14 season.


My visit

Brighouse Town 1 Scarborough Athletic 2 (Saturday 19th March 2011) Northern Counties East League Premier Division (att: 222)

I had travelled up the afternoon before the game to stay in Scarborough and attend the Fans Forum at the Bowls Centre. The evening was its usual honest self and manger Paul Olsson was good enough to attend and answer questions from the fans. If anything he was a bit too honest in telling us that he was struggling to attract new players to the club.

The next morning I was up first thing, which wasn't ideal after some fine ale, but I'd promised I'd go through to York to see my borther Nick and his family. My niece Sally had a game for Heworth Girls and I wanted to go along and offer her some support. They picked me up at York station before we set off to Poppleton for the match.

After a run around giving Stanley a kick around we cheered Sally and her team to another predictable defeat before getting back to pick up Rachel for their afternoon out after they'd dropped me in the car park of the Hop Grove. My kind driver for the afternoon Jamie Nunns was already waiting with Bunner and Badger.

We set off down the A64 and then the M62, arriving outside the ground on St Giles Road at just gone 2pm. The small car park was full so we parked on the road side outside, which turned out well because it was on the way to The Old Pond pub. This was a fine old Tetley's house and the beer was spot on. We had time for a quick couple of pints before we had to walk five minutes back to the ground.

We entered into the grandly named Dual Seal Stadium, which had been re-named after a sponsorship deal. In truth the ground was pretty basic, but it covered all the requirements. ne side had a long low cover with accommodation for both standing and seating. The rest of the ground was flat open grass and hard standing. The far side had the dug outs and a practice pitch beyond, with the entrance end having the changing rooms set back from the pitch and a portakabin that served as a clubhouse, bar and refreshment outlet.

Boro were in the middle of an indifferent spell under Paul Olsson. Their inconsistency was causing a bit of dissatisfaction amongst the support although he did a good job of placating some at the previous evenings gathering. We didn't imagine at the time that he was close to being dismissed. He only lasted another three three games after this encounter.

There were lots of youth players at the game and they ran a collection for a young player who had tragically died when playing the week before. As ever, the Boro fans were ever generous. Brighouse seemed a nice club and the warm welcome and complimentary words about our club were certainly appreciated.

The Seadogs went behind despite being on top when Lee Burgess volleyed past Tom Woodhead to put Town ahead. Boro fielded youngsters Callum Reid and Josh Clayton who showed some promise. Towards the end of the first period Ryan Blott struck twice to put Boro ahead and was then unlucky not to complete his hat trick.

The second half saw Boro generally on top, but they couldn't add to their lead. It had been an improvement on previous performances without being totally convincing. It still meant the beer tasted better when we got back to Scarborough!

Aston Villa

Aston Villa are one of the foremost football clubs in England. They are based in the Witton area of north Birmingham and were formed in March 1974 by four members of the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel playing their matches at Aston Park.

After two years the club moved to a new ground at Perry Bar. In 1887 Villa won their first FA Cup, when they defeated West Bromwich Albion at The Oval. A Scottish draper and director of the club William McGregor was fed up with one sided matches and wanted Villa to embrace professionalism. He wrote to eleven other leading clubs, which led to the formation of The Football League in 1888.

Villa became league champions for the first time in the 1893-94 season, drawing crowds of up to 25,000 to home games, at a time when the FA Cup final was attracting five thousand less. A second FA Cup win came in 1895, followed by their second League title the season after. The following 1896-97 season saw the club become the second after Preston North End to complete the League and Cup double.

Another two titles were added up until the end of the century, by which time the club had moved into their new home, Villa Park, in 1897. The ensuing decade saw the addition of Villa's fourth FA Cup triumph and their sixth League championship. In 1913 yet another FA Cup was won, this time by defeating Sunderland at Crystal Palace, as the clubs golden period of titles, cup wins, finals and runners up places came to an end.

Two images taken from the internet of the old Trinity Road Stand

After football resumed after World War One, Villa added their sixth Fa Cup win with victory over Huddersfield Town at Stamford Bridge. The team reached the second ever Wembley cup final in 1924, but then had a bit a of a slump. To address this the board signed Tom 'Pongo' Waring in 1927 from Tranmere Rovers. He went on to become one of the most prolific scorers in English football.

The 1935-36 season saw Villa relegated for the first time, but they won their place back after two seasons. After World War Two, Villa consolidated their position and then introduced the youngster Peter McParland to the team. Villa went on to win the 1957 FA Cup Final after defeating the Busby Babes of Manchester United, with McParland netting twice. Villa were relegated under the managership of Joe Mercer in 1959, but they returned the following year as the teams young luck gained them the nickname of 'Mercer's Minors.'

Villa lifted the second ever contesting of the League Cup in 1961, but that was the highlight of the decade. Mercer left in 1964 and other bosses followed before the team were relegated at the end of the 1966-67 season. Villa were relegated to Division Three in 1970 and reached the League Cup Final the season afterwards despite their lowly status. Promotion came in 1972 after 'The Villains' won the Division Three title.

Villa Park in the early 70's as taken from the Football League Review

In the autumn of 1972 there was a boardroom coup to remove one of its directors, Doug Ellis. This succeeded, but Ellis was back fourty three days later. This time he had the backing of the supporters and the major shareholder and came back as Chairman. In the summer of 1973 Ron Saunders was appointed as manager to replace Vic Crowe. Saunders immediately did the trick as the team won promotion as well as the 1975 League Cup as a Ray Graydon goal saw off Norwich City.

Ellis stepped down as Chairman but remained on the board as Villa went on to win the League Cup in 1977, beating Everton after two replays. Ellis departed in the summer of 1979 after an attempt to remove some directors from the board failed. Saunders meanwhile built a new team as he brought in defenders Alan Evans, Ken McNaught and Kenny Swain. Midfielder Des Bremner was brought in to play alongside Dennis Mortimer, Gordon Cowans and Tony Morley. Finally Peter Withe was signed to play up front with Gary Shaw to build a fine team that went on to become league champions in 1980-81 and playing some scintilating football along the way.

In February 1982 with the team struggling, but still in the European Cup, Saunders resigned over a contract dispute to be replaced by his assistant Tony Barton. On the 26th May 1982 Aston Villa went on to win the European Cup after a Peter Withe goal was enough to beat Bayern Munich.

To see action of the glorious evening, go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6xSbPjybok

An image of the new Trinity Road Stand taken from the internet

Unfortunately the team didn't go on from this victory and the club revealed a sizeable debt because of wages and the building of the North Stand. Ellis moved back into the Chairman's seat as Barton was sacked in the summer of 1984. Graham Turner lasted fourteen months before Billy McNeill took over but couldn't do any better as the team were relegated. Graham Taylor was brought in from Watford to take over in the summer of 1987.

Taylor took the side straight back up with the help of excellent signing David Platt. After two seasons Taylor was appointed as England manager after Villa ended as runners up in Division One at the end of his second season. The Czech Joseph Venglos lasted just a season, before the charismatic Ron Atkinson became another of 'Deadly Doug's' appointments as Platt was sold to Bari.

Atkinson brought in several players such as Andy Townsend, Kevin Richardson, Shaun Teale and Dean Saunders as the team finished runners up in the inaugural Premier League season of 1992-93. Villa won the League Cup in 1994 but late that year Atkinson was shown the door. Brian Little left Leicester City in controversial circumstances to take over and he led the side to lift the League Cup in 1996, but them resigned siting boardroom interference in February 1998.

John Gregory was the next manger to attempt to satisfy Ellis, which he did to a certain extent. By the time he retired just under four years later he had to sell star assett Dwight Yorke but still led the team into Europe twice and reach the last FA Cup Final at the old Wembley, when they were defeated by Chelsea in May 2000. Ellis appointed Graham Taylor for a second time, but he was yet another manager to tender his resignation just over a year later. David O'Leary took over and it was during his spell that some Villa players heavily criticised Ellis. O'Learly left the club by mutual consent in July 2006.

The following month Martin O'Neill stepped in as team manager, but the bigger news that month came when after several seasons of fans protests and countless managers Doug Ellis sold the club to American Randy Lerner. Lerner was the owner of the NFL team the Cleveland Browns and quickly gave O'Neill funds, becoming popular in an instant. However it wasn't to last as the manager openly asked for further funds. Villa lost in the 2010 League Cup Final and at the end of the season O'Neill resigned.

Lerner appointed Gerard Houllier who struggled with a recurring heart problem and unpopularity amongst the players. Houllier stood down and Alex McLeish was surprisingly brought in from arch rivals Birmaingham City, who had just been relegated under his supervision. After a poor season McLeish was released as Paul Lambert moved to the club from Norwich City to take over. Lambert's new look side eventually secured their top flight status despite the disappointment of bowing out at the semi final stage of the League Cup.

Aston Villa FC will play in the FA Premier League during the 2013-14 season.

Villa Park taken from the internet

My visits

Tuesday 21st October 1987

I was travelling to Hereford in Scarborough's first Football League season in the company of our wonderful driver Doomie, Mick Young and Crusher. We'd set off early so that we could get there for a few beers and to stop off at some grounds along the way.

We'd been to Eton Park at Burton before Doomie had the super job of having to find our way off Spaghetti Junction and come out the right way. We didn't do bad between us, with the usual advice been given out by us back seat drivers. We parked behind the North Stand, stopping briefly to take in the magnificent grand entrance to the Trinity Road Stand. It was our lucky day as a gate was open in the corner between there and the North Stand, so we walked in.

We went down pitchside and walked along the cinder track. Villa Park looked a really impressive venue. The Trinity Road Stand had seats at the rear and in the converted paddock, with corporate boxes in between. The North Stand behind the goal had a raised seating deck, boxes and then standing downstairs. The Witton Lane Stand was quite a low single tiered seated structure, but the best of all was behind the other goal. The Holte End was a huge bank of terracing with segregation barriers down the middle. This was not to seperate home and away fans, but opponents when Villa Park hosted FA Cup semi finals.

After our look round we called into the souvenir shop, where I bought a recent programme as a souvenir. We were lucky that we'd got inside but it shows that if you make an effort you can succeed.

England 3 Spain 0 (Wednesday 28th February 2001) International Friendly (att: 42,129)

Wembley was in the process of waiting to be demolished in readiness for the new stadium so England were playing their home games around the country. Crusher had continued in the England Members Club and could get tickets for games. When he suggested a game at Villa Park I was right up for it and booked a day off work. Adding to the attraction was the fact that it would be England's first ever game under a foreign coach as Sven Goran Eriksson had been appointed.

Crusher decided on a break in London at the same time so we had a large night out around the West End on Tuesday after I finished work, ending up with the ridiculous sized Chinese meal that only blokes order at last orders. It was a great idea at the time! We met again at Euston the next lunchtime for a a couple of pints in The Head of Steam before going for the train. The fares weren't cheap to Birmingham with Virgin, but I'd discovered a slower but much cheaper service. Yet another great idea at the time.

After our train eventually crawled into New Street station I suggested that we catch the local train to Aston and find a pub near there that might not be so crowded? Crusher was happy with that and we did indeed find a pub where we could get served, and what a pub it was.

I like old fashioned traditional boozers, but this was something else. The Britannia was definitely not for an away fan on a match day. All things Villa filled the tobacco stained walls, with some of the locals not looking like the lads to be upsetting. We had a couple of pints and then took the fifteen minute walk up to the ground.

We were in the newly re-built Trinity Road Stand. Gone had the stunning old facade instead of a larger more functional structure. Sure it was easy to get a beer and a pie but it sure lacked character. The Holte End was also re-built with a large tier below a smaller upper deck. The Witton Lane Stand had been replaced by the Doug Ellis Stand. This had two tiers of seats divided by corporate boxes. The North Stand was as our previous visit, apart from seats replacing terracing downstairs. We were located in the Trinity Road Stand on the back row of the Middle Tier of two large sections of seats. There were boxes behind us and then another large seating deck.

I'm glad we were on the back row as the leg room was pretty poor for a new stand. We stood up throughout the game. England fielded some new faces with Chris Powell making his debut at full back. After thirty eight minutes Nick Barmby latched onto Michael Owen's pass to put the home side one up.

Eriksson rang the changes at half time and it paid off as Emille Heskey scored and then Ugo Egiogu headed home Frank Lampard's corner past Ike Casillas. It had been a very good performance against a team that were gradually building.

At full time we went round to Witton station where there was good humoured banter amongst fans of the local clubs across the platforms. We grabbed a take away and cans and jumped on our train back to London. Joy of joys, we were woken at Northampton and put onto another train. Our feedback probably wasn't the best! Even worse was to come for the big man as all the tubes had gone when we returned and the queue for taxis was huge so we set off on foot. To be fair he walked all the way back to Paddington, while I jumped on my night bus on Edgware Road.

It had been a long day out, but lots of fun with experiences learned for future reference!

Teversal

Teversal FC are a non league football club based in the small village of the same name near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, right in the heart of the old mining area. The football club were originally known as Teversal Miners Welfare FC and were formed in 1918.











Over the years the team dropped down to youth level, before it was re-established in 1986 under the name of MW Teversal FC and playing in the lower divisions of the Central Midlands League. When the nearby collieries of Teversal and Silverhill were closed not long after, there was an air of uncertainty hanging over the club as the Carnarvon Street ground was part of the complex.

Ashfield District Council stepped in and took it over re-naming it the Teversal Grange Sports and Social Centre. The club followed suit and changed its name to Teversal Grange FC in 1989, and then joining the Notts Alliance two years later. After six seasons they rejoined the Central Midlands League.

In 2000 the club changed their name once again to their present title and a year later they reached the leagues' Supreme Division after facilities were upgraded. Another promotion followed meaning Teversal commenced the 2006-07 in the Northern Counties East League.

Teversal FC will play in the Northern Counties East League Division One for the 2013-14 season.

My visit

Teversal 2 Scarborough Athletic 1 (Saturday 13th August 2007) Northern Counties East League Division One (att: 427)

Scarborough FC went bust in June 2007. Within a couple of weeks Scarborough Athletic FC were born through the prudent planning of the Seadog Trust. After some real scares and a lot of very hard work the club were placed in the Northern Counties East League. We were just grateful to have a club to follow, but one of the main realisations of where we were came when the fixtures came out.

We knew fully well that the grounds we would visit would not be of the standard the we were accustomed to, and some of the standard of play would be lower, although a loyal fan told me he could count the amount of good games he'd seen in the Conference over the previous few years on the finger of one hand.













Boro were drawn out to play their opening league game away to Teversal, which started a search on google maps and Wikipedia to try and glean information about the club and where it was. Little did we realise we'd passed withing a couple of miles of the place on the M1 heading to the likes of Fulham. How things had changed!

Dave Cammish, an old pal of mine from Scarborough now lived down south so we arranged to travel to the game with him driving. For reasons tha can never be described I had a big Friday night before awakening on a scorching day to head to Sawbridgeworth for my lift after some breakfast. I must have looked like I was heading to a wedding as I was in my suit. Boro fans had decided to travel looking like businessmen as an acknowledgement that all members of the Trust were equal owners of the football club.

We set of with Dave's three year old son Ashley with us, asking the questions three year olds do, especially on long boring car rides. We travelled up the A1 and intended to cut across south of Mansfield. We managed this after my map reading skills had let us down and travelled past the home of Rainworth MW before eventually entering Teversal. We parked up and went inside the Carnarvon Arms so I could enjoy a 'hair of the dog' and Ashley could exhaust us in the playground.

We drove up and parked in the already busy park behind the ground and then set off to meet up with the other Seadogs, many of whom were enjoying a beer in The Teversal Grange. We went out to the back of the pub where there was a cricket game in progress. A poor batsman was dismissed for a duck when run out at the non strikers end, much to the amusement of the crowd who did their best to hide their giggles as he returned.

It was then time to enter the ground. Teversal had done a fine job on putting on our big day, with over three hundred Boro fans making the journey. The ground was neat enough with flat open standing at the turnstile end. In the corner by the changing rooms was a small bar and refreshment counter with tables and chairs outside, much to our joy. The far end was similar, save for two covers that formerly saw service as Tesco trolley shelters. The touchline to our right was open flat grass and hard standing with the dug outs on the half way line. The opposite side was similar with a seated stand on the half way line.

We enjoyed our drinks while chatting about an extremely eventful summer until the teams came out to a tremendous reception. I must admit to feeling very emotional. The teams pre season had gone well, and I fully expected us to win promotion at the first attempt, like many of the fans. How little we knew!

Teversal were like many other sides we were to face in that first season. They were fit, physical and organised and could play a bit as well. Our lads looked like they had been a month earlier; strangers. We were not making too much impression going forward although Craig Hogg impressed me. The Tevie Boys took the lead after just nine minutes when Dean Short broke through the static Boro defence to lob the ball over Dave Bramley in the away goal.

I spoke to many friendly locals and thanked them for their hospitality. We hoped that Darren France would work the oracle at half time after a fourty five minutes that could have seen Boro at least three down. His Dad, Brian who was team manager was still abroad on holiday. Reality was really kicking in!

Five minutes into the second half local lad Dave Thompson wrote his name into the record books by scoring Scarborough Athletic's first ever goal in a competitive fixture when he slotted home. Boro continued going forward but they could not forge a clear opening. In the searing heat they began to run out of energy as Teversal came back into it after weathering the storm. They won a series of corners and then pounced through Gavin Short who smashed in a close range volley following a corner in the eighty ninth minute. It was just like following the old club!

We applauded the team off, most disappointed although as I write this report a few years later and read our line up we probably did well to lose the way we did. We headed out and joined the unusual queue of cars for a game at the ground and headed our way back down south. I cheered myself up by playing with Ashley in the back of the car. There's something about youngsters that cheer me up even when skies are grey.

I got home tired and dispondent but by the following morning I couldn't wait for the next Saturday when I was heading to Leeds for a stay and to go to Boro's away game to Leeds Met Carnegie and my nephew Stanley's naming day in York on the Sunday.

Up the Boro. Things could only get better!

Shoreham

Shoreham FC are a non league football club from the West Sussex port and seaside resort of Shoreham-by-Sea, who were formed in 1892. After several years of local football 'The Musselmen' became founder members of the Sussex County League in 1920.

The club left that league in 1927 for a five year period and in 1952 were crowned as champions. They went on to retain the title in the following season. Over the next twenty five years Shoreham were relegated on a couple of occasions to the leagues' Division Two, but they returned to lift their third championship in the 1977-78 season.

The habit of relegations and subsequent promotions continued on another four occasions up to the 2011-12 when they found themselves in Division One, where they survived another near miss at the wrong end of the table.

Shoreham FC will play in the Sussex County League Division One for the 2013-14 season.


My visit

Friday 30th November 2008

I had decided to use a day off work by heading down to Brighton and discovering some football grounds in West Sussex. After a arduous coach journey and a train ride calling in at Southwick FC I alighted at Shoreham station.

As usual on these jaunts I had planned ahead and copied some maps as well as general directions. I walked up Buckingham Road before turning right into Middle Road, where the club were listed to play. It was a lot further along than I'd imagined, but thankfully I came to an open field with the clubs' ground at the other side of it. However, there was no path across to the entrance.

I did find a path past the far goal but I couldn't get a view of the enclosed arena. It came out on Dolphin Road, which served an industrial estate on both sides. I had hoped to see the sea and some evidence of a seaside resort, but I was left disappointed. The gloomy weather didn't help matters either. I later discovered that the River Adur and another stretch of land stood between me and the coast.

I was starting to think I'd never find my way to the ground. I took a chance and walked up Dolphin Way with light industry on either side of it. At the top was the entrance to the ground. I would have thought some kind of signage would have been helpful?

The Middle Road ground was a neat enough venue with a small cover at the centre of the far end. The near touchline had a Main Stand with blue bucket seating and multiple pillars which I would imagine spoil a lot of viewing, although the dug outs had sensibly been placed opposite. The clubhouse was further along from it along with the changing rooms in the corner. The rest of the ground had hard standing all around the pitch and then flat open grass.

I left after getting some images and continued along the road that bordered the railway in a relaxed mode as I'd missed my intended train. However, thanks to a decent service I was soon heading to my next destination; Lancing FC.

Lancing

Lancing FC, who were formed as Lancing Athletic FC in 1941 hail from the small town in West Sussex of the same name, which is located close to Worthing. In 1948 'The Lancers' became members of the Sussex County League. Four years later the club moved from the Crowshaw Recreation Ground to a nearby new ground on Culver Road and building a new grandstand.

After being relegated the leagues' Division Two in 1957, the club dropped 'Athletic' from their name. They soon won promotion, but over the course of the next fourty years, they were relegated on four seperate occasions before fighting their way back. In 1981 the Sussex FA bought Lancing's Culver Road home and rented it back to them for home games, while building a new clubhouse and installing floodlights.

During the 2007-08 season the old Main Stand at Culver Road was demolished, with many of the views impeded by the Sussex FA headquarters building. This meant Lancing playing at various locations for several months while the work was being carried out.

The old Main Stand at Culver Road taken from a scan from a book

On their return the club had an upturn in fortune with a return to Division One and a fine run in the FA Vase in the 2010-11 season when they reached the last thirty two stage. The following season saw The Lancers finish runners up in the Sussex County League.

Lancing FC will compete in the Sussex County League Division One in the 2013-14 season.

My visit

Friday 30th November 2008

I was in West Sussex visiting football grounds by train for the day, enjoying my time out of the capital. I had called in at Southwick FC and Shoreham FC before alighting at Lancing. After a short walk I found myself outside the part building sight that was the Culver Road home of the club.

My research had been lacking and I didn't realise that the aesthetically pleasing old Main Stand had gone or that the grounds owners were the Sussex FA. The good news was that there were administrative staff in the offices, so I could go and ask for permission to pop inside the ground to take my photos. Thankfully they had a sensible view to the over the top health and safety rules and said it was fine as long as I was careful around the area where the new stand was being erected.

Culver Road appeared to be a very neat and orderly venue, despite the lack of a stand. The pitch was surrounded by a new fence with hard standing and then grass at the other side of it. The dug outs were opposite where the stand was being built. The stand had the Sussex FA buildings next to it.

I departed and thankfully for me, caught the next train to Worthing with a few minutes to spare. I was impressed by the friendly and helpful welcome at Lancing and wanted to return in the future when the new stand had been completed.