Daily Archives: October 11, 2023

Football

Boro Rangers v Heaton Stannington

Northern League

Division 1

Wednesday 11th October 2023

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.46

Boro Rangers 0 Heaton Stannington 0, attendance 222

@ Phoenix Park

Trinity Catholic College

Lacy Road

Middlesbrough

TS4 3JW

£7 Admission

No Programme.

At least with tonight’s game being on a 3G pitch I had no worries about the game going ahead. Providing it didn’t snow! Tonight was the first midweek game played under the floodlights here and only the second match since Boro Rangers moved in here at the end of last month. Tonight’s official crowd was only 39 fewer than for the ground opener, with ‘hopper numbers into double figures. Although the ground is in a cage, it does have spectator access along one side and behind each end from the corner to the far side of the 18 yard box. The dugouts are on the inaccessible far side. There are two seated kit stands, both with 50 seats, bookending a section of seven steps of terracing. Viewing from the seats looked awful though, as they are set back from the touchline and people standing along the rail would give very poor sight lines of the game. Another case of ticking boxes, but not really fit for purpose! Catering and toilets (just one cubicle each for men/women) are outside the cage, but inside the pay gate. If you wanted anything during the match you’d be out of view of the pitch, not that that worries some people! The changing rooms are in a building behind the far goal end, about 20-30 yards beyond the fencing. You certainly don’t get the feeling of being at a Step 5 game.

Boro Rangers are newly promoted, having won Division 1 last season and came into this sitting in 11th place in the league table, whilst visitors Heaton Stannington were 5th. The two were very evenly matched and it came as little surprise that it failed to produce a goal, although it wasn’t as bad as you’d expect from a 0-0. The visitors did have a first half effort ruled out for offside, after a shot had redounded off the post and Boro had a looping shot come back off the crossbar early in the second half, but there were no real clear cut chances at either end.

So, after the farce of last night, that just leaves me with Washington to complete this league now……good luck will certainly be required to get a game in there! As I said yesterday, they might be one I just can’t be bothered with!

Uncategorized

Gateshead U19 v Darlington U19

National League U19 Alliance

League Cup 1st Round

Wednesday 11th October 2023

Kick Off 13.30 Actual 13.32

Gateshead U19 1 Darlington U19 0, attendance 23

90’ + 1, 1-0

@ Academy for Sport, 3G Pitch C/D

Neilson Road

Gateshead

NE10 0EF

No Admission or Programme.

After the failure to get a new ground yesterday, I decided to do a game I hadn’t even planned on until late last night. Gateshead played this on one of the two artificial pitches here at Academy for Sport, which is adjacent to the Gateshead International Stadium. It is tucked away at the back of the main building, to the left and then raised slightly to the left. The two cages run end on to each other, with spectator viewing along the full length of one side on each pitch, bar a couple of sections of mesh fencing and a slightly obscured view where each pitch also has a pair of dugouts. Entry is in the corner of Pitch A/B (to identify half/quarter pitch hire) and today’s game was on Pitch C/D, the furthest from the entrance. As well as my game, there was also a University/College game on Pitch A/B which kicked off at 13.45 and another on the grass pitch which started just after 14.00, with this being the only one with three match officials. During the first half one of the groundskeepers was mowing the grass on his sit on mower. Hard to imagine this happening, when fifteen minutes down the road, Washington couldn’t even get their game on last night in the Northern League!

As for the game….Played mostly in the middle third of the pitch. Plenty of effort, but fair to say it was one for the purists. It just never looked like producing a goal, then out of nothing, a minute into stoppage time, a cross from the right was played back across the six yard box and put in at the far post, to win it for Gateshead.