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Wednesday 31 May 2017

Season 2016-2017 - just a few words

Finally, the 2016-17 "ontheroad" football season has ended. It seems a hell of a long time since the first pre-season game between Eastwood CFC and Blaby on 2nd July 2016.  Now as we enter the closed season it's time to summarise (although not in any great detail you will be pleased to hear!)

After the Eastwood game, a further twenty pre-season games followed before the season proper began on 6th August 2016 with a CMFL fixture - eventual champions Selston winning 3-2 at Blidworth. My final game was a visit to Sherwood Colliery to watch the Notts F.A. Sunday Intermediate Cup final between Attenborough Cavaliers and Ladybrook Local on 30th May 2017.  The time period?  297 days or 42 weeks and 3 days!! 


As the season progressed, Kev's outings became somewhat curtailed for one reason or another, and I was at times, "Billy No-Mates" at games!  Nevertheless, up to Christmas I had logged 122 games, and with the mild-ish, dry-ish winter, not too many games were called off and even if they were, there was usually a game at Basford or Eastwood's 3G pitches to fill the void.

After Christmas, and with work no longer an issue after my retirement, I decided to try and get as many games in as possible, hoping for 250 + at season's end.  Midweek afternoon football became an important part of my getting used to being one of the great unwaged, and these games along with several Saturday morning fixtures saw me  actually end up with a total of 285 games under my belt. Not bad for someone who likes to stay as local as possible to his Hucknall base. 

The 285 games were, on the whole, watchable. A few were distinctly rubbish and some were not worthy of being labelled "football", but rough with the smooth, eh?  April 2017 saw me at 35 games and this was the highest monthly tally of the season - the total enhanced with the usual visits to local league's cup finals.

For season 2016-17, match reporting was never going to be a priority for me. The "ontheroad" blog series is now ten years down the line, and although my love of the game hasn't diminished since the first in blog appeared in 2007-08, the passion for writing match reports certainly has! 

Summary of 2016-17 season

Games : 285
Goals : 1305
Average: 4.57 goals per game
Most in a game: 16  - Chesterfield FC U19 13-3 Retford Utd U19 in November 2016

The blog for season 2017-18 is already active. Will I be able to surpass the 2016-17 match total? I doubt it. Will I regain my love of writing/reporting? Maybe - but don't hold your breath!  My aim for the season is for "ontheroad" to take in a dozen or so new grounds, and take in as many games as are available locally - will we succeed? Let's hope so.

Saturday and midweek local fixtures and results will still be listed as per usual for season 2017-18.  I am looking to add a few Sunday league fixtures and results as well, and hopefully take in a few local Sunday games, all being well.

Kev and I have purchased Basford United season tickets for the coming season - we have enjoyed our many trips to Greenwich Avenue over the past six or seven years, and watching its transformation from a fairly standard ground with fairly standard facilities to a state of the art 3G stadium, has been nothing short of amazing.  The season ticket covers the clubs 21 home games - still leaving us with 200-250 other games to go to - hopefully.  


 
Then ...

 ....and now

Many thanks to all those who still follow the site - after ten seasons I am still amazed at the number of views each week. Also, many thanks to the leagues for continuously improving their result publication times. In the bad old days it used to be 7:30pm before all the results were in - nowadays they are, with the odd exception, available at around 5:30pm. 

So it's farewell to the 2016-17 football season -- roll on 2017-18 !! 

Saturday 13 May 2017

Nottm Trent University 2-3 Cotgrave FC

Date: 13th May 2017

Competition: Notts Senior League Senior Cup final

Venue: Ron Steel Stadium, Dunkirk, Nottm

Admission: £3 / £1 concession

Attendance: TBC

Programme: £1.00





















Teamsheet:

 
We decided to go to this game despite some concerns with parking, but upon arrival it became clear those fears were unfounded as there were sufficient personnel on duty to ensure cars were parked in an orderly fashion, with no-one even looking remotely like being blocked in. 

Picked up a programme - unusual but not unheard of, especially at cup final ties.  There was a decent turnout, I reckon well over the 200 mark - and plenty of familiar faces on show. We spent the game in the company of Richard Lane, Pete Chappell and Maurice McFarland, and despite some initial black clouds in the distance, the rain held off and we were treated to a really decent game in what turned out to be very pleasant conditions.  

Cotgrave were decked out in all red, whilst NTU were in a very striking pink kit - or to be politically correct I assume it would be called "coral".... 


The first real action of the game came in the 6th minute - Andy McLean's shot well saved by the legs of NTU keeper Jake Cox. Great block, but from the resultant corner, Cox was beaten when NTU defender Connor Bartle managed to steer the ball into his own net. 

Two minutes later, Cotgrave's Lee Potts picked out fellow striker Shaun Jackson on the edge of the box, but the shot from the no. 8 flew just over the bar. 

Cotgrave's lead lasted until the 41st minute - then a corner from the left found Dan Busch who connected sweetly with the ball and watched it sail past Jon Gorton, the keeper watching in admiration along with everyone else in the ground as it flew past him. Great strike! H-T 1-1

Half time

Here we go again!

Cotgrave looked a little leg weary as the second half began, but some spring in their steps was restored on 55 when Adam Gray's speculative tame 18 yard shot looped over Cox's arms before nestling in the back of the net. Ten minutes later the scores were level again - this time Akim Akimbinu firing home from the spot after Graham Lynn had committed a foul in the box. 

With ten to play, and most of us resigned to extra-time, Lee Potts received the ball just past half way, and raced into the area. Although Cox did brilliantly to parry the hitman's initial shot, Potts remained calm and simply side-footed the loose ball into the back of the empty net. 

Despite intense pressure from NTU for the final ten minutes (+ 3 added), Cotgrave managed to hold on to their lead and are NSL Senior Cup winners 2017-18.  F-T 2-3

Friday 12 May 2017

Still a few games on locally - until 30th May anyway!!!

It is advisable to check your game of choice is still going ahead - strange things happen to fixture lists at this time of the season! 

Links to relevant sites are bold and underlined. If you spot any errors, please let me know via twitter @ontheroadblog



Saturday 13th May

KIM WRIGHT ASSOCIATION CHARITY GAME
Rainworth MW X1 3-3 Old Elizabethans X1

NSL SENIOR CUP FINAL
* Nottm Trent University 2-3 Cotgrave FC (k.o. 3:00pm at Dunkirk FC)


Sunday 14th May

F.A. WOMEN'S PREMIER LEAGUE NORTHERN DIV
Derby County LFC 2-1 Nottm Forest LFC

EAST MIDLANDS VETS KEITH RADFORD TROPHY FINAL
* Brampton FC 2-2 Gedling SB (Brampton win 3-1 on penatlies)

EAST MIDLANDS VETS LEAGUE CUP FINAL
Poets Corner OB 5-1 South Notts

NOTTS SUNDAY LEAGUE KEITH ROBERTS TROPHY FINAL
Wollaton Hall 5-2 Crusader AFC Res

EAST MIDLANDS VETS PREMIERSHIP
Sherwood Colliery 4-2 Church Warsop


Tuesday 16th May

CHARITY GAME
* AC Charity X1 5-2 Netherfield Albion X1
















NOTTS SUNDAY LEAGUE DIV 2
Major Oak (twelve) 12-1 Eastwood & Kimberley (k.o. 6:15pm @ Calverton MW # 2)


Wednesday 17th May

NMDFL U21
* Handsworth Parramore 3-2 Belper Town (7:30pm at Eastwood CFC)














Thursday 18th May

NYFL U18 SAT CUP FINAL
* Alfreton Tn 4-0 Wollaton Hall & Bramcote (k.o. 7:30pm @ Basford Utd)


Friday 19th May

NYFL U15 SUNDAY CUP FINAL
* Basford Utd CFC 4-2 Quarrydale Utd (k.o. 7:30pm at Eastwood CFC)


Sunday 21st May

EMWRFL PLATE FINAL
* Kettering Town Women 1-1 Mansfield Town LFC kettering won 5-4 on penalties)

EMWRFL CUP FINAL
* Peterborough NS LFC 3-2 Bedworth Utd LFC

NOTTS. F.A. SUNDAY SENIOR CUP FINAL
Attenborough Cavaliers P-P Ladybrook Local (k.o. and venue TBC)

NOTTS. F.A. WOMEN'S COUNTY CUP FINAL
Nottm Forest LFC P-P Radcliffe Olympic LFC (k.o. and venue TBC)

UMBRO NATIONAL VETERANS CUP SEMI-FINAL
Basford Utd Vets 1-1 Manor Vets (Basford won 4-3 on penalties)


Monday 22nd May

CENTRAL CONFERENCE LEAGUE CUP FINAL
* Alfreton Tn Academy 2-1  Football CV Academy


Wednesday 24th May

EMCL
* Radcliffe Olympic 3-3 South Normanton Athletic


Thursday 25th May

NOTTS F.A. WOMEN'S COUNTY CUP FINAL
* Nottm Forest LFC 1-0 Radcliffe Olympic LFC (k.o. 7:45pm at Basford Utd)


Tuesday 30th May

NOTTS F.A. SUNDAY SENIOR CUP FINAL
* Attenborough Cavs 3-1 Ladybrook Local (7:45pm at Sherwood Colliery FC, Debdale Lane)

Saturday 6 May 2017

Midweek games - local teams in action w/c 8th May

Back-end of the 2016-17 season - it is advisable to check your game of choice is still going ahead before travelling - I don't want to be held responsible if game dates/times/venues have been changed!!

Links to relevant sites are bold and underlined.


+ possible "ontheroad" game

* "ontheroad" game

Monday 8th May

MRA JUNIOR CUP FINAL
* Melbourne Dynamo 1-2 Castle Donnington Cobras (aet FT 1-1)

NMDFL U21 SOUTH
AFC Mansfield P-P Belper Town (at the Marston's Stadium, Belper)


Tuesday 9th May

NSL PREMIER
Aston Utd 2-3 Awsworth Villa
Nottm Trent Uni 0-2 Real Utd
Ruddington Village 3-4 AFC Dunkirk
* Underwood Villa 2-1 Basford Utd CFC
Unity FC 4-1 F.C. Cavaliers

NMDFL U21 SOUTH
Carlton Town 0-2 Eastwood CFC

NMDFL U19 NORTH
Retford Utd 2-1 Sheffield FC


Wednesday 10th May

MRA CHALLENGE CUP FINAL
Newhall Utd 1-3 Burton Town

NSL DIV 1
Awsworth Villa Res 6-2 Birchover Park

NOTTS LADIES FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP FINAL
* Market Warsop LFC 3-0 Retford Utd LFC


Thursday 11th May

NSL PREMIER
* Basford Utd CFC 4-2 Real Utd (k.o. 6:30pm - outside pitch)

NMDFL U19 SOUTH
Sandiacre Town 2-2 Eastwood CFC


Friday 12th May

NMDFL U21 SOUTH
* Borrowash Victoria 1-3 Belper Town (at the Marston's Stadium, Belper)

NMDFL U19 NORTH
Sheffield FC P-P Retford Utd

Thursday 4 May 2017

Saturday 6th May - local teams in action

It is advisable to check your game of choice is still going ahead - strange things happen to fixture lists at this time of the season! 

Links to relevant sites are bold and underlined. If you spot any errors, please let me know via twitter @ontheroadblog


EMCL CUP FINAL
Ashby Ivanhoe 1-2 Dunkirk FC (at Anstey Nomads)

NSL JUNIOR CUP FINAL
Kimberley MW 0-4 Awsworth Villa Res (at Sandiacre Town)

CMFL NORTH
Thorne Colliery 0-3 Dronfield Town Res
Welbeck Lions 1-1 Harworth Colliery

CMFL SOUTH
Holbrook St. Michaels 1-3 Matlock Town Res

CMFL RESERVE DIV
Belper Town Res 0-3 Linby CW Res 
Mickleover RBL Res 3-2 Harworth Colliery Res
Swanwick PR Res 1-3 Sherwood colliery Res

NSL PREMIER
Aston Utd 3-1 Nottm Trent Uni (at Digby Street, Kimberley)
Clifton AW 1-2 Bilborough Town 
Real Utd 5-0 Ruddington Village
Unity FC 4-1 Magdala Amateurs

NSL DIV ONE
Ruddington Village Res 1-1 Calverton MW