My mistress

I decided to make a conscious effort to embrace Non-League Football this season.  I go to Hull City home games as a season ticket holder, but as I rarely go to away games there are a few spare winter Saturdays that are often just a case of watching football on TV and a few pints in the local social club.  So if I am married to Hull City why not ‘play away’ with the odd mistress on the side?

My first affair was a brief one match stand with Tadcaster Albion in the NCEL Premier Division.  This looks like a cracking little set up and it was a real shame that they were so badly affected by the floods at the end of last year.

Next came two on my doorstep, Hall Road Rangers and Hull United both of NCEL Division One.  

Hull United is a newish team with big, bold ambitions but is perhaps trying to run before it can walk.  This season has been a fraught one for them and they are currently without a ground and having to play out all their home fixtures away.  I managed to catch a few of their games whilst they were playing at the KC Lightstream Stadium, home of Hull Kingston Rovers Rugby League side, but this arrangement sadly proved to be short lived despite them pulling in good attendances .  I hope they can find a suitable home ground for next season so I can catch some of their matches and at this level a nomadic existence is not sustainable financially for a long period.

Hall Road Rangers are a long established small community club running teams for both boys and girls from under 8s to adults.  2015 was a big year for them when they moved grounds from Dene Park to Haworth Park.

The first thing that struck me about Hall Road Rangers was the badge.  Football badges are a very emotive topic for some fans and whilst many of them have changed and evolved over the years it takes a brave man to suggest making a change.  Hull City changed theirs last season, much to the chagrin of many supporters, by dropping the Hull City AFC and replacing it with 1904 the year of the club’s formation.  This was part of the much argued name change and re-brand (more on this another time).  Some badges are brilliantly evocative of the club; others just plain silly as highlighted by When Saturday Comes in their weekly email.  The Hall Road Rangers badge appears to be a Mountie sat on a rearing horse.   Very bold I must say, but in short supply in North Hull where you are lucky to see a Police Community Support Officer.

I’ve been to their ground a few times now and I am starting to be recognised and people connected with the club are stopping for a chat.  Most small clubs at this level are friendly, welcoming places where it is easy to fit in so if you haven’t tried non-league football what are you waiting for.

Hall Road Rangers 6 (2)        Worsbrough Bridge Athletic 0 (0)             Thursday 17 March 2016

J Harrison (4, 90), C Harrison (13), Bennett (84), Kinsley (87), Jones (88)

Attendance: 78

Despite arriving well before kick-off I was unable to get a programme so it was immediately clear that there were more spectators than expected on a Thursday night, which is not a regular football night.  Once inside it was obvious that there were a number of visitors unconnected with either club. A number of ground hoppers had taken the opportunity to ‘tick off’ another ground/club, some coming from the other side of the Pennines which shows dedication.

The match was very entertaining and better than the score line suggested.  Hall Road went into an early lead which was doubled inside the first quarter hour.  Thereafter the game was pretty even until the final 10 minutes when the Worsbrough lads, who only had one substitute, tired.  Both sides showed neat skilful touches but were undone by over eagerness and the bumpy pitch at times.  The Worbrough team which was largely made up of youngsters acquitted themselves well but lacked a cutting edge up from.

It was a confidence boosting performance by Hall Road who like many sides has a bit of a fixture pile up with another league match on the Saturday and a cup semi-final on the following Tuesday.

Hall Road Rangers 0        Yorkshire Amateur 0      Saturday 19 March 2016

Attendance: 54

This match in comparison had plenty of incident but little by goal line action with both teams lacking composure at times, especially in the final third.  The nearest Yorkshire Amateur came to scoring was when a mix up between the Hall Road goalkeeper and defender saw the former’s clearance kick come off the latter but just go wide of the post.  In the second half Hall Road came nearest and hit the bar but generally they cancelled each other out and neither side really looked like scoring.

                               

Sadly I cannot make the cup semi-final on Tuesday, but as it is an International Break at the weekend there is every chance I’ll be seeing a bit on the side on Easter Monday.