The following article appeared in the programme for Racing Club Warwick v Rushall Olympic on 25th January 2005.
Recent weeks have seen Warwick being visited by the depths of Winter and the words that we all dread to hear come Saturday: “Match Postponed”. What is a football obsessive to do? Why find another match of course!
Saturday 18th December and Racing Club’s long haul to Biddulph Victoria is postponed. How wonderful is the prospect of the same trip later in the season - but on a Tuesday night instead! I remember remarking during last season’s visit that it seemed bloody cold there for mid-April on the North Staffordshire Moors and that I wouldn’t fancy it on a wet and windy Tuesday night in January or February! If only I could predict the horses or the lottery with the same degree of accuracy! So, if Biddulph was off then where would I go instead? A quick scan of the Non-League Paper for that day’s fixtures and my trusty steed (well car if you insist) was heading North up the M1 to Alfreton, situated just off the M1 in North Derbyshire and home to Nationwide Conference North side Alfreton Town.
Now a few years ago I had the misfortune to visit Alfreton for the evening…..completely by accident! Not easy that, but I managed it! Back in 1982 a mate and I decided that we’d attempt to attend six games in seven days (don’t ask me why)! One of the games that we decided to go to was at Field Mill, home of Mansfield Town. Now in those days Mansfield did not possess a railway station of its own - it actually does have one these days and is, incidentally, one of the few railway stations in England to share the exact title of it’s football team: it is officially named “Mansfield Town” station. Not being in possession of the luxury of a car in those days we were committed football Student Railcard travellers and had spotted that there was a station named “Mansfield and Alfreton Parkway”. Being somewhat naïve about these things (what do you mean you still are?) I didn’t realise that the word “Parkway” was British Rail code for “Nowhere anywhere near the sodding town in question!” The station was actually about 15 miles from Mansfield and, given that we had arrived late and were short of cash for a taxi, there was nothing for it but to grab a pint and head back from whence we came. I still have an abiding memory of walking into a local hostelry and finding it packed with shaven-headed gentlemen of the menacing variety. If you ever saw the film “American Werewolf in London” you may remember the scene where the weary travellers walk into an isolated pub and all conversation dies as heads turn to eyeball the strangers – yes it was just like that! And once inside, you can’t just turn tail and depart again! I promise you it was one of the swiftest pints I’ve ever drunk!
My latest trip to Alfreton for Town’s match against the league leaders Harrogate Town was not as hairy (or should that be hirsute?) as was the previous visit. The two teams compete in the Nationwide Conference North and lay second and first respectively going into the match. If you thought that the Midland Alliance was a tight and competitive league then think again! As we move into the New Year, fourteen of the twenty-two teams in Conference North lie within 10 points of the top spot! Alfreton Town may be marginal favourites with a couple of games in hand but the league is tighter than a pair of Jordan’s hot pants. Alfreton’s ground, known as “The Impact Arena” (yes it’s sponsored), is small and tucked into the middle of a housing estate. With one eye on the Conference itself they are obviously attempting to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear with the installation of seating and a couple of new turnstiles but I would be amazed if this ground is up to Conference standard. That said, up-to-standard grounds are often soulless breeze-block monstrosities whereas Alfreton’s home is actually rather charming. For programme collectors there was a very well-stocked club shop albeit that, had I wished to have swung a cat in there, I would have been unable to do so! For the record Alfreton won the battle of the Towns 2-0. I would like to wish John Reed and the Harrogate management team all the best for the rest of the season – from my vantage point behind their dug-out they kept me and a few others entertained with good humoured quips and positive encouragement for their side throughout.
Keep the faith!
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