Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League

Premier Division

Saturday 9th November 2024

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02

Swinton Athletic 1 Wombwell Main 2, attendance 100

14’ 0-1

51’ 0-2

60’ 1-2

@ Swinton Recreation Ground

The Miners Welfare

Park Road

Swinton

S64 8JH

No Admission or Programme.

I arrived here just over an hour before kick off, just as the players were starting to drift in. It’s a very neat ground for Step 7. The pitch is fully railed, with dugouts set either side of a very smart seated stand, with everything set out in the club colours of black and white. The changing rooms are perched on the top of the grass bank as you enter, with the outside covered in murals and whilst there are no facilities here, the club seemed to use the ‘pub’ next door, which was also where the majority of those arriving by car had parked.

On the field, Swinton are not doing very well, currently bottom of the league table, having managed just two draws from their opening ten matches, although most of their defeats have been by narrow margins. Wombwell Main were seventh and had a healthy following, which is not surprising as it’s only five miles up the road from here. When the visitors took an early lead, I feared the worst for Swinton, but they gave as good as they got and were unlucky to still be trailing at halftime. Six minutes into the second half Wombwell made it 0-2, playing a striker through from the halfway line and he went on to calmly beat the ‘keeper. On the hour mark Swinton pulled a goal back, when a cross from the right was finished with a shot on the turn at the near post. It was end to end stuff for the remainder, but Swinton just couldn’t force an equaliser.

Yesterday the SatNav decided on Dartford Crossing, M11 and A1 for the northbound journey, but went for the more traditional M1 coming back, despite the endless roadworks and speed restrictions, but no other problems occurred, so home for 19.30.

Below photo : Hearing ‘off of’ is bad enough….reading it might be worse?…..just why is ‘of’ needed in this sentence?

Sheffield & District Fair Play League

Division 1

Saturday 9th November 2024

Kick Off 10.30 Actual 10.29!

Crookes Crusaders 3 Sheffield West End 2, attendance 2

14’ 0-1

17’ 1-1

24’ 1-2

86’ 2-2

90’ 3-2

@ The Sheffield College – Hillsborough Campus, 3G Pitch

Livesey Street

Hillsborough

Sheffield

S6 2ET

No Admission or Programme.

Having stayed overnight in Sheffield, doing a 10.30 kick off in the Sheffield & District Fair Play League was the perfect start to the day. This wasn’t my first choice game. I’d headed to Hammer & Pincers first, but on arrival, there was a kids game about to kick off on the 3G pitch at Tapton School, where according to F.A. Full Time, the game was being played. At least it was only a fifteen minute drive for an alternative, on the 3G pitch at the Hillsborough Campus of Sheffield College, across the road from Owlerton Greyhound/Speedway Stadium. Ample parking, with the pitch at the far end, running lengthways away from the buildings, with spectator access along the entire right hand side. It is where Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League team Ecclesfield Red Rose play their home matches.

The game was 7th versus 8th in the league table and was an excellent watch from start to finish. SWE went ahead with an angled shot into the far corner, but a far post header saw Crookes level within three minutes. A quick break, finished one on one into the bottom corner, saw SWE regain the lead seven minutes later and although Crookes hit the post twice, it remained 1-2 at halftime. Crookes hit the post again in the second half, but finally drew level with four minutes left, when a long ball was finished with a looping header from 12 yards, that went in off the inside of the post and having equalised so late, they then grabbed a last minute winner, when a mix up between two attackers seemed to confuse the home defence and a scuffed shot, which totally wrong footed the ‘keeper, found it’s way into the bottom corner.

With the game having kicked off a minute early and a quick halftime, where everyone stayed on the pitch, this was over by 12.07, leaving ample time to head for a second match.