Today I'm going back seven years to 2015 and York City's visit to South Wales to play Newport County in League 2 action at Rodney Parade, Newport attended by 2,459. This was the second of my three visits there and Rodney Parade is the third home ground that I have seen Newport at following the demise of their original (and scene of my original 92nd) Somerton Park ground followed by a period spent playing at Newport's Spytty Park athletics stadium. I have to say that Rodney Parade is definitely a step up from Spytty Park as there is no athletics track for starters as well as being just a short walk from the city centre. Rodney Parade isn't without it's problems however with the ground also the heavily-used home of the Dragons regional Rugby Union club and Newport RFC. Newport County are tenants at Rodney Parade and, with the stadium being owned by the Welsh Rugby Union, County are unlikely to ever be given the priority that they deserve as a football club! Bloody egg chasers!
On the day, York cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory with the goals coming from James Berrett (38th minute), Reece Thompson (55) and Vadaine Oliver (59). County ended the game with only ten men following the dismissal of full-back Danny Holmes following two yellow cards. Newport manager Terry Butcher (yes that Terry Butcher!) commented afterwards that he "didn't seen that coming" and that there was nothing between the sides in the first half (apart from York's opening goal surely?). City manager Russ Wilcox was very pleased with a professional performance away from home. The result lifted City to 17th (of 24) in the fledgling League 2 table and dumped County to the bottom of the table with just a single point to show from their opening six games. Appearing in Butcher's County line-up in the featured game were future City players Scott Barrow, Yan Klukowski, "the Shop" Lenell John-Lewis and Scott Boden.
It's interesting to see what became of York's scorers that day. James Berrett appeared 40 times for City that season (his only one with the club), scoring 5 goals before departing for Grimsby Town at the end of the season. Reece Thompson made just 17 appearances for York (his only spell playing in the Football League) scoring 3 goals (including the one against Newport) and left the club at the beginning of the following season to join North Ferriby United. In April 2019, Thompson was sent to prison for domestic violence whilst playing for Guiseley and immediately had his contract cancelled. Since his release from prison, Thompson has struggled to find a club due to the adverse publicity associated with his domestic violence conviction. Of the three scorers that day, Vadaine Oliver is the one who has gone on to have the most subsequent success. Whilst at City, Oliver made 65 appearances scoring 20 goals and was in the York side that were relegated back into Non-League football in 2016. However, since then Oliver has appeared back in the Football League for Notts County (loan), Morecambe, Northampton Town, Gillingham and, more recently, Bradford City. In total, up until the start of this season, he has made 410 club appearances scoring 92 goals.
Sadly for York, season 2015/16 proved to be nothing short of a disaster and they eventually finished up in bottom position having won just seven games all season (including this one against Newport). Manager Wilcox was relieved of his duties in the month following the featured game to be replaced by Jackie McNamara. Talk about "out of the frying pan, into the fire"! Terry Butcher didn't even last as long as Wilcox as he was ousted from the Newport manager's chair on October 1st to be replaced by John Sheridan (Oldham Athletic's current boss). Sheridan at least had a positive impact and he led Newport to a final position of 22nd, just one place but a secure nine points away from the dreaded drop zone. League 2 Champions that season were Northampton Town with Oxford United, and Bristol Rovers also automatically promoted. AFC Wimbledon beat Plymouth Argyle in the Play-Off Final to secure the remaining promotion place. Dagenham & Redbridge were the other side relegated out of the Football League alongside York.
CRB Match No, 2051
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