We live in an era were market forces determine the
fate of everything. Many Universities
are facing financial hardship, with the real possibility that they will go bankrupt
and close. Chorley Hospital has been
informed that they can no longer have an A&E Unit because it is ‘not clinically
valid.’ What they mean by that is, that it is not economically valid! During
this period, it is no wonder that Football clubs are also experiencing financial
difficulties as both Bury FC and Bolton FC are fighting for their very existence.
If a club, or University or a A&E Unit can’t sustain itself then why should they exist? Well, some things have a value that
is far more important than money, as all these organisations provide communities
with jobs, volunteering opportunities, a place to go, a sense of belonging and
a sense of pride and value – take these away and for many local people there is
not much left. Women’s football isn’t financially valid at the moment either,
so should women just not bother trying?
Sheffield FC are recognised as the oldest football
club in the world – let’s hope that their history and tradition continues. There
is a heap of football history in Sheffield, as between 1857 and 1889 the city
boasted 95 football clubs. Sheffield is
the Home of Football as it contributed to the rules of the modern game, and perhaps
helped the transition of the sport from an upper-class game, played in boarding
schools, to a sport of the working classes.
Sheffield City Council developed an App so that people can walk for 4.7
miles and visit 10 places of historical significance to football.
However, my Sheffield friend, James, tells me that
hardly anybody knows this and hardly anyone downloads the App. I did not know this, and before writing this
blog I hadn’t heard of Sheffield FC – neither had today’s blog guest Alex
Smith, who grew up less than 20 miles from Sheffield FC’s home ground.
On Saturday 24th, the weather was a sharp
contrast to the Extra-Preliminary Round game on 10th August. Instead
of wind and driving rain, we had blue skies, 27 Degrees and what I would describe
as Cricket weather. We arrived at The Home of Football Stadium and parked up.
We realised that we had parked in the pub car park
of the Coach & Horses.
However, it was directly next to the football stadium.
We walked to the side of the pub and found the turnstiles
and paid £9 to enter (it was £5 at Avro FC in the previous round). The program cost £2.
Through the entrance was the club shop, dressing
rooms and food stall – we were surprised that there wasn’t a bar in the ground,
so we went on a search for a pint.
This took us to the back of the Coach & Horses pub,
and we discovered an empty shed! As we
were walking and talking, we were surrounded by a soundtrack of Sheffield based
music – Pulp was playing when we walked in, followed by Reverend and the Makers, the Artic
Monkeys and then a blast for my University past – The Long Pigs with Lost
Myself (1996). Where was the Human
League, and more importantly where was Def Leopard?
During this search for a pint, I bumped into this most
excellent dog…
And took my customary GKA corner flag photo.
Then noticed the excellent old-school scoreboard!
We found a side exit guarded by security and he
informed us that you had to go back to the Coach & Horses to get a pint,
which could be brought back through, provided it was in a plastic wobbly festival
cup.
By this time, it was too late as ABC’s ‘Came all
out of my Heart’ blasted through the PA and the players walked onto the pitch –
the pint would have to wait.
The game was a different spectacle to the 3-4
thriller at Avro. It was hot out there, so Alex and I spent the 1st
half hiding in the shade of the stands – even then it felt like I was melting. Sheffield FC had the best of the first half
and scored an excellent volleyed goal.
During the half the Litherland keeper pulled off a fantastic ‘Gordan
Banks’ save, but there were few chances at either end and Sheffield FC went in
1 nil up.
Back in the Stadium, I moved over to the food area and I bought pie and
peas – I didn’t seem to get any option of pie flavour – it was just pie and peas!
After digging in, I discovered it was a steak pie,
and… it was a fantastic steak pie. I don’t know what was more world class? Was
it Sheffield’s first goal, Litherland’s save, or this pie! It was a triple hit of excellence in
Dronfield.
The second half continued, and Alex (a qualified FA
Coach) explained to me the three phases of football – In possession, out of possession
and transition. As he moved onto overloads and underloads, Litherland equalised and a fan next to me shouted ‘Come
on Sheffield, the usual 2nd half rubbish.’
The crowd were quieter and less sweary than the previous
game at Avro. There seemed a lot less
banter, and a lot less drinking – perhaps the extra walk to the pub was putting
people off, or maybe because the ground is difficult to get to without driving.
Sheffield FC scored a second. There was a drinks
break. A fan shouted, ‘Come on, get on
with it.’ Another fan shouted back, ‘It’s a drinks break you muppet – you get
out there and play for 90 minutes in this heat, you moron.’
It was too hot for football and the game finished 2-1 to Sheffield
FC.
I enjoyed my brief journey with Litherland Remyca FC as they supported our blog with various re-tweets. I wish them luck throughout the season.
Sheffield FC win £2890 in prize money.
184 attendance.
3 Yellow Cards.
320 Teams did battle in the Preliminary Round.
Excellent Geeky Stats time
Route Men’s: -
Avro
FC 3 – 4 Litherland Remyca
Sheffield FC 2 – 1 Litherland
Remyca
Route Women's :-
Mossley Hill Ladies V Burnley Belvedere Ladies (no show)
RIP Team and Stadium
Avro
FC Vestacare Stadium
Burenly Belvedere Ladies Belverder & Calder Vale Sports Club
Litherland Remyca FC Litherland Sports Park
Number of fans
Sheffield
FC 184
Avro
FC 150
Winning Prize Money Leaders
Sheffield FC
£2,890
Litherland
Remyca £2,250
Mossley
Hill Ladies £325 (2018-19
amounts)
GKA League Table
|
Team
|
Won
|
Drawn
|
Goals For
|
Goals Against
|
GD
|
Points
|
|
Sheffield FC
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
|
Litherland Remyca
|
1
|
0
|
5
|
5
|
0
|
3
|
|
Mossley Hill Ladies
|
1
|
0
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
3
|
|
Avro FC
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
4
|
-1
|
0
|
|
Burnley Belvedere Ladies
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Penalties (Men V Women)
Men
1 – 0 Women
Yellow Cards (Men V Women)
Men 11 – 0 Women
FYI – The
women haven’t played yet as the GKA tie with Mossley Hill Ladies and Burnley
Belvedere Ladies was called off (Burnley couldn’t put out a team), and the
Women’s Preliminary Round isn’t until next weekend.
1976…
Let’s quickly contrast the above with the FA cup in
1976 as Hinckley Athletic played Tividale in the preliminary Round. The first thing to note is that only 96 teams
did battle, so there are far more entries now in the competition.
Secondly, it cost 25p to get on Hinckley Athletic
and an inflation calculator informs me that this is equivalent to £1.78 in 2019. It does not sound a lot, but it is a high
increase when you think that £100 would now be worth £700. So, according to this, football ground prices
have gone up much higher than inflation, but perhaps grounds, facilities and
costs have gone up to.
For example, this was the ground at Hinkley in 1976
as supporters had to share the terraces with cabbages!
191 fans turned up for Hinckley Athletic v
Trividale, there was 1 yellow card, 1 penalty and the score was 0 -1 to
Trividale.
According to Brain James’s book, ‘A Journey to Wembley’
– after the game, the Trividale team coach stopped off for pints of Lager’n’Lime and
Bitter, before a healthy post-match meal of Fish’n’Chips! I wonder if the Sheffield FC players celebrated
their 2019 victory in the same style?
Next up in GKA we’ll discover who Sheffield FC face
in the 1st Qualifying Round and then we’re off to the see the Women’s
Preliminary Round game between Curzon Ashton Ladies and Mossley Hill Ladies on
Sunday 1st September at 14:00. 196 teams will be playing next
weekend, so women’s football has more entries at this stage than the men did in
1976 – a good sign.
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