Basford United 2-1 Stockton Town (Northern Premier League)
So David Coote has called Jurgen Klopp a German c**t. He probably shares a lot of peoples opinions on the former Liverpool Manager but the Newark born official will now be rightly reprimanded by the PGMOL who took a stance on the Referees own video evidence to suspend him from officiating instantly. The irony.
Coote actually refereed a game between Newark & Sherwood and Basford United in the Notts Senior FA Cup last season. And it's Basford who I'll be watching tonight. Wonders if he'll be back refereeing at this level sometime soon.
A local one for me. Basford are doing ok in the middle of the division, they score goals but don't keep clean sheets, Stockton Town are in the playoff picture, a side I know little about having secured promotion last season.
Some digging has 'the anchors' formed in 1981 but the clubs official badge has them recognised from only 1987, whilst their Wikipedia page states they date back to 1979.
The modern era saw the club (which changed names in 2003) join the Wearside league in 2009, winning four league titles before further promotion from the Northern League. In 2018 they reached the FA Vase final losing 1-0 to Thatcham Town at Wembley, since 2021 they had been in the Northern Premier League East Division, finishing second in the last two seasons they gained promotion in May via the playoffs after winning a thrilling final against Dunston UTS on penalties, which ended 4-4 after extra time.
It's 6:30pm, I've cooked and eaten dinner, the wife's back from work as I head out and leave her on dog duty, up the ring road to Basford, a quick stop off at Co-Op on Raleigh Island for some Beechams then straight to Greenwich Avenue ahead of 7pm.
The Venue
I've said here before it's far from my favourite place to watch football is Basford, but it's one of my nearest non league grounds so does at least tick some ease of mileage boxes.
Parked up in the official car park tonight, I'm through the turnstile a good 45 minutes before kick off, but it feels like I'm the only one here, silent around me without a soul as I dig into some chocolate eclairs. One bugbear of mine at Greenwich Avenue is they loudly play the radio on the tannoy and even though there's lads warming up on the large wide plastic pitch in front of me, it doesn't feel like the start of a football match, but the seats around me do slowly fill in the tin roofed stand and some atmosphere, finally, as kick off approaches. I count seven sat down as the players come out but as Directors join us late we manage to break into double figures of bums on seats.
Another reason I'm not so keen on the place, There's not much to look at. It's not idyllic in any way, a few portacabins, three thin floodlights on each wing, the handful of small roofed stands on show are all under 8ft in height and not particularly pretty. No wider than a penalty area in length. Unless you're in them you wouldn't even know they are there? Finally, there's a modern built clubhouse, white painted, which I've hardly ever been in, but that's it. Tall trees behind a goal on my right, the rest just looks and feels like your local 4g five a side facility. It's bloody boring at Basford.
The Game
Thankfully, the football is not. It takes 41 seconds from kick off for Stockton to score. Prince Mancinelli, a midfielder playing as a makeshift centre half is caught in possession, Stephen Thompson nicks the ball off him and runs through on goal to slot home.
You think it could be one of those nights for Basford, Stockton look lively, but the home team grow into the game. They have a lot of possession and trouble their visitors out wide. They have already had a couple of sniffs before Jordan 'Jordy' Hallam rolls a defender smartly on 17 and smashes into the corner to level up.
The first half is like a basketball match, one end to the other, Stockton look and feel a better outfit but you get the feeling Basford don't give a f*ck. They'll play how they want, attack when they want, I really like the system Martin Carruthers has conjured but it's very open, you can see how they lost at home to Whitby on Saturday, 4-3, you can also see how they got thumped 3-0 at Warrington Rylands the week previous, but this system and style will catch teams out, if you don't particularly like running back towards your own goal, you'll probably come unstuck.
The Score
Basford end the better side in the first half, their next best chance to score coming when Kacy Butterfield has a deflected effort hit the outside of the post.
The Ambers, not to be confused with the Anchors, start where they left off in the second half too, they're totally dominant, Stockton aren't at it, Basford most certainly are, they've had over ten corners to the away sides one, a Jordy free kick hits the top of the bar, Josh Barnes has a shot cleared away off the line, then finally Ash Chambers provides deserved reward, on loan Mansfield winger Abdullah, on as a substitute, who got some stick the last time I was here, crossing low for the former Coalville striker who does not miss from three yards out.
Encouraged by taking the lead and playing the only way Basford know how, the home side continued to attack as Kane Richards, lively all evening, raced into the box before being felled, Jordy Hallam stepping up but his spot kick crashing off the post, giving Stockton a life line.
Late on, the visitors pressed as United's defence marshalled by now by Midfielders Butterfield and Mancinelli, headed, hooked and blocked everything that came there way, a couple of scary moments for them to endure but the ball often falling into the grateful hands of Saul Deeney, Stockton only started playing after 89 minutes, having taken their early lead, United the best team in between by far, and deserving of all three points.
The Stars
The tall and physical Kacy Butterfield started in midfield and ended up playing the second 45 at centre half and it was he, next to Prince Mancinelli who shone, doing his bit for the team in unusual surroundings and putting his body on the line. Jordan Hallam is no doubt the talisman, probably too good for this division, but in Ash Chambers up front, they have a player every bit one who suits the league he's in, who knows where the net is and who's hold up play brought others into the game.
It wasn't a night for Stockton players to shine, they had moments in the first half down their right, but largely other than the early goal scored, which was a gift, they rarely threatened, not particularly good in midfield, conceding possession far too often, the only one who stood out was lofty centre half Tom Coulthard who at least did his own job very well.
The Verdict
It's my first viewing of Stockton but they are fourth in the table and I'll reserve judgement on them for now, I'm sure this was an off night and they can play much better, if anything, tonight was all about Basford, who came at their opponents and played a system and style that perhaps caught them off guard?
Martin Carruthers has an exciting youthful team which will most certainly have its ups and downs, they'll lose to better outfits but beat anyone who's not up for the challenge, I really like what they are building, an open, attacking outfit, so when attracting visitors, even if the ground is a little dull, at least the football is entertaining.
The Teams
Basford United: Saul Deeney, Harvey Ridgley, Louis Nicholson, Prince Mancinelli, Taylor Anderson (Luca Burton 46 (Kye Wade 62)), Josh Barnes, Kane Richards (Tyler Dacres 78), Kacy Butterfield, Tyrell Waite (McKeal Abdullah 69), Jordan Hallam, Ashley Chambers.
Stockton Town: Nathan Harker, Lewis King, Josh Baggs, Cameron Painter, Adam Nicholson, Tom Coulthard, Michael Sweet (Michael Fowler 60), Cien Butterworth, Josh Scott (Owen Gallagher 81), Stephen Thompson (Lewis Leech 60), Kevin Hayes (Michael Roberts 81).
7:45pm Kick Off. Tuesday 12th November 2024, Greenwich Avenue, Nottingham (att 243).
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