Warsop

CHURCH WARSOP SPORTS & SOCIAL 2-1 CALVERTON MINERS WELFARE

Saturday 30th April 2011

Central Midlands League Supreme Division

The Alley

The season is coming to a close for yours truly with after today only two or three games left. I had a short list of three, all of which were in the Central Midlands League (CML) with the others being Pinxton and Whatton United. My dad had agreed to come along today a few weeks ago, but events this week made me unsure as to whether he would be up for it as it were as my grandad died in his sleep on Tuesday morning after being ill for a long time. I was not going to mention the football but it was dad that asked if I was still going and we agreed that I would head over to his house around 12.45pm before setting off to north Nottinghamshire.

St. Peter and Paul Parish Church (source: Wikipedia)

Church Warsop is a small village in north Nottinghamshire and is located three miles west of Shirebrook and five and a half miles north of Mansfield. It was built in 1930 by the Staveley Coal and Iron Company to house workers (and their families) at the Warsop Main Colliery at nearby Warsop Vale.

There football club are surrounded by a number of other clubs that play at CML level and above, with these including Clipstone Welfare, Ollerton Town and Shirebrook Town. The club play at The Alley which is on Wood Lane in the village and like most clubs that play at CML level, they go onto my "to visit" list. The reason I chose them today was that I had heard a rumour that they are to fold in the summer and the ground is to be used by fellow CML side Nottingham United next season. Church Warsop were formed in the summer of 2008 as Church Warsop Miners Welfare and were elected into the premier division of the CML. An eight place finish in their debut season was followed by the division title last season and with it promotion to the Supreme Division. I believe the club offered their resignation in the close season after a dispute with the Miners Welfare who own the land, but after sorting out the issues they agreed to carry on and changed their name in the process to Church Warsop Sports & Social. This season they and their opponents Calverton Miners Welfare have struggled and both find themselves in the bottom four of the Supreme Division table. They have both recorded just five wins apiece and are separated by three points in the favour of Church Warsop.

I picked up my dad and we took around 1 hour 15 minutes to make the 49 mile journey. On arriving at the ground we parked in the small car park behind the Sports & Social Club and then made our way to the pitch. The ground is fully enclosed by a wall though no admission was charged or programme issued. Apparently they are a 1 man band and have not issued all season and the rumours are true - they are to fold at the end of the season. On the near side there is a small section of cover which would keep maybe ten people dry.

The game was played on a rock hard dusty pitch and wasn't the best I have seen this season. The first half was by some way the worst of the two periods of 45 minutes with very little being created. The second half was much better in terms of the quality of football and entertainment and we did not have to wait long for the opening goal. Just four minutes into the half and the home side took the lead when the ball was drilled past the Calverton keeper from 15 yards out. The lead lasted five minutes when Calverton were awarded a penalty. To be honest I have no idea what it was for as I was standing behind the other goal, but their number 9 stepped up and confidently sent the Church Warsop keeper the wrong way. On the hour mark and Church Warsop were back in front when their number 11 beautifully flicked the ball over the keeper with the outside of his boot. This proved to be the winner but both sides (especially Church Warsop) had chances to increase to number of goals and in the end the home side deservedly took all three points.

Admission / programme: none

Attendance: 21 (head count)

Match rating: 2 out of 5 (1 for the first half and 3 for the second)

There are now just two games left for Church Warsop, both of which are at home:

Monday 2nd May v Pinxton (1pm ko)

Saturday 7th May v Kirkby Town (3pm ko)

A slideshow of photos taken can be viewed below: