Bully Bully Bully

Bulwell Town 2-4 Phoenix Sports & Social

Saturday 11th October 2008

Central Midlands League Premier Division

Goosedale Sports Club

I have finally got time to write up my notes from this game a mere three days after the event - not bad for me but this time I have a good reason. I along with my better half attended the wedding of my best man Paul and his now wife Helena at Rowton Castle in Shropshire on the Sunday. I'll admit I have not attended many weddings (only five previously including my own) and the venue they chose was very impressive to say the least as as I am writing this at 4.30pm they will be on their way to Bali for their honeymoon. Anyway back to the football...

There were two reasons in choosing a game (and this one in particular) on Saturday: 1) the wife went to the cinema with her sister and mother and 2) a chance to meet up with Rob Hornby again for the first time since April, which happened to be the day before I started my current job. As with most drives into Nottingham and it's suburbs it was an easy and uneventful one, taking just under an hour to get to the Goosedale Sports Club just outside the northern edge of Bestwood Village. The site plays host (along with football) cricket and hockey with the latter being floodlit. The social club is ahead of you as you enter the complex with the football pitch on your left immediately as you enter. There is no cover for spectators so either go along on a dry day or take a brolly!!!

Bulwell Town were founded in 2001 as an under-age team and this is their first season playing open age football with the reason being of keeping the team together. Despite being the middle of October this is their first home game of the season. Their opponents today, Phoenix Sports & Social come from the Brinsworth area of Rotherham and are currently in their second season in the Central Midlands League. At the start of play both teams had only recorded one win and scored three goals each - not a good prospect for a high scoring game! Alas thankfully this was proved wrong.

A fairly even first half occurred with the sides sharing for goals. First to strike were the home side when their number 7 scored a cracking free kick on 18 minutes. Two minutes later and it was all square when the visiting number 10 headed home from another free kick. Phoenix then went in front on 29 minutes - can't tell you who scored and also can't remember anything about the goal. Doh! On the stroke of half time Bulwell were given a chance to equalise when they were awarded a penalty and their number 9 duly made it 2-2. The second half saw the visitors experience tell as they had the better of the proceedings scoring two further goals and also had two chances cleared off the line. The first goal to make it 3-2 came on the hour mark when their number 10 volleyed home after a cross from the right hand side, and they made the game safe fourteen minutes later when their number ? scored direct from a free kick. The game became a bit niggly and threatened to boil over on a couple of occasions but thankfully it did not generate more than a few yellow cards and Phoenix ran out comfortable winners in the end. A crowd of around 38 saw the game with, I would guess at least half being groundhoppers.

Google maps driving time / distance: 54 minutes & 39.2 miles