CLIFTON 0-2 AFC HUCKNALL
Saturday 22nd October
Central Midlands League Division - South
Norman Archer Memorial Ground, Green Lane, Nottingham
A trip up to Nottinghamshire is the order of the day with
Clifton being one that was on a shortlist of four – the other three being clubs
in the Notts Senior League. There was another factor in my choice of game today
and that was meeting up with Rob Hornby who was previously the Central Midlands
League (CML) registrar. I owed Rob £16 for a copy of the new edition of the Non
League Yearbook and we had previously arranged to meet up on this date about a
month ago – it was just a case of where as I was waiting for Rob to confirm his
plans. I had also roped in my dad to make the short drive north for this game
against fellow Nottinghamshire side AFC Hucknall.
At the start of the season Clifton’s Norman Archer
Memorial Ground was one of five in the newly reorganised South
Division of the CML that I had not previously visited. The others being Pinxton
(Welfare Ground), Belper United (Alton Manor), Bulwell Town (Bestwood
Workshops) and Whatton United (Spa Lane). Pinxton were visited in pre-season and
the latter two folded soon after the season started. So after today it
just leaves Belper United and I’m sure I will pay them a visit at some point
during the season, more than likely after Christmas. For the record (and not
wanting to feel like the other division is being left out) there are four
grounds in the North Division that I have not been to. They are Hutton
Cranswick United (Rotsea Lane), Westella & Willerby (Bishop Burton
College), Harworth Colliery Institute (Scrooby Road) and Dronfield Town
(Stonelow Playing Fields).
About Clifton
Clifton is shall we say a piece of piss to get to from
Leicester with it being a large estate on the south side of Nottingham. It is
located alongside the main A453 which runs from Nottingham city centre to junction
24 of the M1. The estate was built in the 1950’s and was at one time the
largest council estate in Europe. The term “Clifton” also refers to Clifton
Village and Clifton Grove. Clifton Village is a small, picturesque residential
area of approximately 200 homes set alongside the River Trent. The village
green houses a dovecote, the OId School House and Village Hall. A number of
older properties which include the Old Rectory and village church lie along
Village Road which runs from the green to Clifton Hall. Clifton Hall is a Grade
1 Listed Building. The history of the hall goes back to the 11th
century but was remodelled in the late 18th century in a Georgian
style. It was owned by the Clifton family from the late 13th century
to the mid-20th century. In 2008 the hall rose to tabloid prominence
when it was reported that its millionaire owner and his family had left the
house because they believed it was haunted. It was repossessed and is currently
on the market for £2.75m.
The Nottingham trams system (NET – Nottingham Express
Transit) has been given permission to build two new lines, one of which (line
2) will connect Clifton to the city centre. The following information is taken
from a page on the Nottingham city council website: http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/netphase2/index.aspx?articleid=10436
“The 7.6 km route with 13
tram stops will link directly with NET Line One at Nottingham Railway
Station on a new viaduct allowing people to transfer between trams, trains and
other forms of transport. The route will run along Queens Walk through the
Meadows, over the River Trent along Wilford Toll Bridge and mainly along
the former Great Central railway line between Wilford and Compton
Acres/Ruddington Lane. It will then run to the south of Silverdale and into
Clifton along Farnborough Road and Southchurch Drive serving Clifton
Centre, before terminating at a new Park and Ride site providing
approximately 1,000 car parking spaces close to the A453 and junction 24 of the
M1 motorway.
Through journeys onto NET
Line One will be possible, allowing passengers to travel from Clifton to the
Old Market Square, Royal Centre and beyond, for example, without the need to
change trams.”
A map of the route can be
viewed by clicking here: http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/netphase2/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=15768&p=0
About Clifton Football Club (taken from their official website: www.cliftonfc.co.uk)
“Clifton All Whites was
founded in 1963, originally under the name of Thistledown Rovers. The
clubs founder members include Mr Dick Lambert and Mr Bill Norwell.
During the 1960’s and
1970’s Clifton All Whites dominated youth football in Nottinghamshire by
attracting the best players from all over the county, now most players are
local. There is no doubt Clifton All Whites led the way in developing
youth football in Nottingham. In 1963 there were only four teams in the
Young Elizabethan League, and as the exploits of the club developed, and
publicised, more teams and clubs were founded, many with advice and help from
Clifton All Whites.
By 1966 plans were
underway for Clifton All Whites to test their skills abroad in a tournament in
Holland. In those days tours were unheard of. Success after success
followed both home and abroad. In the early days when football clubs only
usually supplied shirts for their players a new standard was set as Clifton All
Whites supplied a full ALL WHITES STRIP. Another first was when the under
12’s played a top Scottish team before a crowd of over 20,000 before a Forest v
Newcastle game, full time ending 15 minutes before kick off of the first
division game.
Two quotes are remembered
from that day. Police Inspector “The easiest days policing this year, not
one arrest”. Scottish spectator “If Clifton play half as good as they
look we are in for a hiding”.
Professional clubs
clamored to persuade Clifton All Whites to become a nursery club, but still the
club policy is not to become tied to any one club. David Stainforth was
the first player to make a career as a professional footballer, with Sheffield
United.
Constantly Clifton All
Whites performed well in FA Youth Cup games, beating many Professional
teams. It was no surprise that with an enthusiastic and hard working
committee their own ground became a reality, quickly followed by a venture out
of youth football to senior football at the highest level into the Midland
League.
Mick Walker, who went to
Notts County was the first Club Manager and Coach, and what a brilliant find he
was. His professionalism and skills helped make the transition a
successful one.
Whilst other clubs have come and gone Clifton All
Whites are still thriving with teams from under 8’s to Seniors and in 1999
Clifton All Whites introduced the first girls team. The success of the
club over the years has been due to hard working committee plus the continued
support of some great team managers and parents.”
The first team having
previously been members of the Midland League, Notts Alliance and (founder
members of) the Notts Senior League (NSL) joined the CML in the summer of 2011
along with three other NSL sides; Basford United, Bilborough Pelican and
Nottinghamshire Police. The seven years spent in the NSL resulted in one second
place finish (2005/06) and in 2010 won the league championship. This season
Clifton currently sit in fourth place in the South Division table having won
six of their ten league games played. Opponents AFC Hucknall sit in twelfth
place recording three wins from their eleven games played.
 |
| AFC Hucknall or Hucknall Town? You decide!!! |
The Norman Archer Memorial
Ground is located on the eastern edge of Clifton on Green Lane, with the
boundary of the neighbouring village of Ruddington and Rushcliffe parish being
literally “the other side of the hedge”. If coming from Ruddington the entrance
is on the right just before the island with Farnborough Road. We were welcomed
on arrival and were charged £2 each admission which included the programme –
which is a folded sheet of thick A4 paper into A5 size. An added bonus was that
on production of the programme at the tea hut you got a free tea or coffee. On
site there is a spacious clubhouse with the pitch having a stand straddling the
half line on the far side, with the dugouts sitting in front of it.
The game was played in
glorious sunshine and on paper one would have expected a comfortable home win.
In fact what we got was a fairly scrappy first half with few chances being
created. The first notable opening came just after twenty minutes when Clifton’s
Stuart Robinson took a quick free kick that found Danny Prance unmarked but he
dragged his shot wide. Just before the half hour mark Michael Evans forced
Hucknall keeper James Beddingham to save low at his near post. A minute later
and it was the visitors turn to threaten but Scott Peach curled his shot wide
of Scott Clay’s goal. A minute before half time and Hucknall took the lead –
deservedly so as Austin Wallace flicked the ball following a cross from the
left. The second half was more open and inside the opening minute the visitors
should have been two up, but a header was a week effort that went into Clay’s
hands. Clifton gradually took control and in the space of a couple of minutes
hit the woodwork twice and had an effort cleared off the line. With around five
minutes remaining Hucknall broke on the counter attack down the right. Wallace
played the ball across and it found its way to Peach who cut inside and curled
a lovely shot into the bottom right hand corner of the goal. The final chance
of the afternoon came to hosts but having controlled the ball Will Heath
blasted over.
Admission: £2 with
programme
Attendance: between 35 and
40
Match rating: 3 out of 5
Finally it was good to meet up with Rob and his wife Hazel again for the first time since the CML hop game at Phoenix at the end of March.
Photos taken of the ground & game during the first half can be viewed below:
No comments:
Post a Comment