The game on 1st September…

This was my first foray into non-league women’s football, and it was every bit as entertaining as the 2 previous men’s games covered by the GKA.

Before we cover Sunday’s cracker, the GKA would like to congratulate Bolton Wanderers, as their survival in the cut throat business of men’s football looks set for the time being.  We also want to congratulate Virgil Van Dijk and Lucy Bronze for their European Football awards (however, it was another female ‘after-though’ that the awards ceremony was held during an active women’s international week).

2^nd September is an interesting day for football - It is transfer deadline day for most European teams.  As overpriced multimillion-pound deals are in process (does anyone believe that Neymar is worth that much???)  the GKA will be commenting on the progress of the women’s game.

2^nd September is meant to be the day that the FA release their On Line free streaming service, ready for showing all WSL games. 

I’ve not be able to find it yet, and as per usual, with women’s football, it’s difficult to find up-to-date information.  For example, the FA have only recently updated their page to show this year’s FA cup prize fund (last week was showing 2018 info) and I had no idea when the women’s 1^st Qualifying round draw was happening???

The GKA is only asking for minor tweaks to make it easier to follow the women’s game.

* The Player App is found here:- (correct at time of publishing) 

http://www.thefa.com/womens-girls-football/leagues-and-competitions/the-fa-player

Enough whinging, so let’s focus on the women’s Preliminary Round – 1^st September 2019, as 196 teams slugged it out.

This blog is looking at comparisons between the men’s and women’s game. One such comparison was during the run-up to the match. Curzon Ashton were looking for a £70 match day sponsor – this was only sorted 6 days before kick off as a company called AdsDecking ‘saved’ the day - https://www.facebook.com/adsdecking/.  

I’m guessing that this money was needed for facilities, changing rooms, referees etc, and I wonder how many men’s teams at this level are on the search to cover these costs at the last minute?      

It took the GKA (myself, plus blog Guests, Daniel, Matthew and Lee Topping) 1 hour and 1 minute to travel to the game. 

As previously mentioned, I initially thought that Curzon played their games at the men’s stadium, and I still wasn’t sure were this game was going to be. There was a Failsworth Sports Centre and a Sports Campus across the street, which were both only 4 minutes from GKA’s opening game at Avro FC.

The GKA had promoted the game wrong as I’d thought the match was on the Sports Centre pitch, but it was actually the Sports Campus pitch.

Which happens to be the home of Atletico Failsworth JFC…Entrance to the ground was free (£9 cheaper than the men’s equivalent match at Sheffield FC) and no match programs were available.

The ground was the home of Flames Burgers - https://www.flamessmokehouse.com/  (weblink active on day of publish).

We overheard Mr Flames telling a customer that Flames has been voted into the top 40 Burger Restaurants in the UK (or it could have been in England – this is anecdotal evidence not corroborated by the GKA, however we can confirm that the burgers looked and smelt great). 

I took my customary corner flag picture…

And stood behind the crowd control barrier.

The GKA counted 44 people in the crowd and this included 1 small baby (who slept through most of the game).  We did not include 4 teenage boys who were playing football on one of the other pitches – they had somehow managed to get over the ‘Keep off the Grass’ barrier. 

There was a dog in one of the dug outs, a cat kept wondering around the far corner of the pitch, it was windy, cloudy and 15 degrees (12 degrees cooler than last Saturday’s game in Sheffield).   The weather was on a repeat cycle for the full game – 5 minutes of wind and rain (wet jeans), followed by 15 minutes of sunshine (dry jeans) – repeat. 

The game kicked off at 2.03pm and the GKA got into a huddle.

As for the first half of football… (disclaimer there is ‘colourful’ language in the following section of the blog). 

There were no ‘ball people’ to retrieve the ball if it went out of play – this meant extra chasing for the players. The game wasn’t mentioned on the BBC sports football fixtures for the day!

The first half was equal, and it took a while before either team had a real chance.  Curzon had a shot on the 29^th minute and Mossley Hill didn’t have a chance until the 35^th minute – a long range screamer that went it. 0-1.

This prompted a Curzon player to shout ‘One, shot, One fuckin goal again. Come on girls.’ 

These words of encouragement must have helped as Curzon equalised before half time and ‘we’ went in at 1-1.

I went to Flames to buy a Bovril and was most disappointed to find that it was closed, so we sheltered in the car for 15 minutes. 

The 2^nd half started at 3.12 pm.  We had a female referee and 2 male assistant referees.  The referee had a pleasant, smiley nature, but she seemed to have control of the fixture.  Early on when she blew for a free kick, one of the Curzon players complained that she should have allowed play-on advantage – the ref just smiled and said, ‘You wouldn’t have got to it.’

Unlike the previous 2 men’s games, there was no ‘abuse’ of the referee from either the payers or the crowd (e.g., at the Avro game a member of the crowd called him a bald twat). There weren’t any yellow cards either (once again on the Avro game there were 8).  

However, I believe there should have been one yellow card, after one decision went against a Curzon player, she shouted, ‘You’ve having a fucking laugh,’ and booted the ball into the crowd – throughout the game this player had a mouth ‘like a 70s comedian’ as she repeatedly swore at her own mistakes. 

The ref just smiled, and the game continued like nothing had happened.    

Mossley Hill had the better of the second half and deservedly went 1-2 up after a period of sustained pressure. However, …

Curzon pinned Mossley in their own box for the last 5 minutes and equalised with 10 seconds left.  The game went to extra time and Curzon had the momentum but couldn’t score – it was the GKA’s first penalty shoot-out (unlike the men’s games, the women’s games don’t go to a reply).

The Teams at the half way for the penalty shootout…

This first penalty by Curzon was saved.

Two other Curzon penalties were saved, and this was the winning goal by Mossley Hill. The score was 2-4.

And the Mossley team ran over to celebrate their victory. 

It is Mossley Hill who will be heading into the 1^st Qualifying round and I’d like to congratulate both teams for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

As soon as the matched finished, Flames re-opened, the sun came out and an Ice cream van drove past playing the ‘Match of the Day’ theme tune. 

Mossley Hill wins £360 Prize Money.

1^st Qualifying Round Tie at 2pm on Sunday 22^nd September 2019.

Draw Number 9 – Sunderland West End LFC V Mossley Hill LFC

Preliminary Round Differences

Crowd: Men 184 – 44 Women

Entry: Men £9 – Free Women

Program: Men £2 – N/A Women

Yellow Cards: Men 3 – 0 Women

Goals: Men 3 – 4 Women

Prize: Men £2890 - £360 Women

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)

Curzon Ashton Ladies               2 – 2 Mossley Hill Ladies (2 – 4 pens) 

RIP Team and Stadium

Avro FC                                    Vestacare Stadium

Burnley Belvedere Ladies          Belvedere & Calder Vale Sports Club

Litherland Remyca                     Litherland Sports Park

Curzon Ashton Ladies               Failsworth Sports Campus

                                                           

Highest number of fans

Sheffield FC                  184 (Preliminary Round)

Avro FC                        150 (Extra Preliminary Round)

Curzon Ashton Ladies   044 (Preliminary Round)

Winning Prize Money Leaders

Sheffield FC                  £2,890 (Preliminary Round)

Litherland Remyca         £2,250 (Extra Preliminary Round)

Mossley Hill Ladies        £660 (£300 Extra Preliminary Round and £360 Preliminary Round)                                

GKA League Table

Team	Won	Drawn	Goals For	Goals Against	GD	Points
Mossley Hill Ladies	2	0	2	2	0	6
Sheffield FC	1	0	2	1	1	3
Litherland Remyca	1	0	5	5	0	3
Curzon Ashton Ladies	0	0	2	2	0	0
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

1976/77 Table

Team	Won	Drawn	Goals For	Goals Against	GD	Points
Tividale	1	0	1	1	1	3
Hinkley Athletic	0	0	0	1	-1	0

Next up for the GKA is more information about Sunderland West End LFC and then on Saturday 7^th September it’s time to 'man up' for Rushall Olympic V Sheffield FC.

Remember that the GKA is looking for any budding guest bloggers to add flavour to our game reports (especially for the Rushall Olympic game)… get in contact via Twitter or Facebook.

https://twitter.com/giant_adventure

https://www.facebook.com/thegiantkillingadventure/