Alfreton Town 0-0 Hereford (National League North)
The best time to play football in England is 3pm on a Saturday afternoon.
In the 1800’s Saturday afternoon football was deliberately put in place to give workers who finished their lunchtime factory shifts the chance for some recreational release after a long hard weeks graft, supporters could get to the match in good time and players would be able to finish work, clean themselves up, grab their boots and have a kick around in the name of ‘sport’.
The first FA Cup games between Barnes & Civil Service and Hitchin & Crystal Palace on November 11th 1871 were both played at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon. The first final of the FA Cup played at the Oval between Wanderers and Royal Engineers on Saturday 16th March 1872 was played on a Saturday afternoon at five past three. The first ever football league matches on 8th September 1888, were played at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon.
Ever since it’s been almost religious like that the best time to play football is 3pm on a Saturday and it still works to this day perfectly even though the likes of Sky & TNT may disagree.
My Saturday morning had me up at 8am dog walking before the wife set off to the gym, that allowed me to get back and indulge in a Calabrian Sausage sandwich and brew before relaxing to a few odd bits and bobs around the home, then by 1pm I’m showered, changed, out the door and up the M1 motorway for a 17 mile road trip to Alfreton, thus giving me plenty of time to soak in the pre-game atmosphere for a non-league match that involves two proper establishments of our beautiful lower level game.
Alfreton, formed in 1959 might not be known by too many, but if you know them you’ll know they are a proper football club, managed by Billy Heath their players have names like Billy, George & Jake, they wear all red, have a mish mash of an old ground which slopes from one wing to the other, they play high intensity long ball football and have a long throw in expert in Adam Lund who can launch the ball a mile.
They’re unbeaten in 19 league matches at North Street and have never lost to Hereford since their inception. The Bulls were formed only nine years ago as a phoenix from the great Hereford United team that was wound up in 2014.
This season, both sides are going well, Alfreton fifth in the table, Hereford eighth, both considered as potential playoff fodder and today is assured to be a tight contest.
The Venue
I’ve pitched up a couple of streets away and walk the remainder in the sun towards North Street, crossing over the car park to the social club and into the ground’s reception where my name is ticked off a list.
Inside you can smell football nostalgia, the foldaway decorators table is set up with pin badges and books as a man asks if I want to have a go on the fifty-fifty, there’s already a queue at the burger bar with men holding brews (and pints) standing by the pitchside barriers chatting, as I walk the tight squeeze along the main stand which is where the players and officials changing rooms are, the ground with its slope blessed in sunlight today, red roofs and blue chairs, it’s homely and quaint as I head for the press box which is full of people as Hereford always seem to bring their army of radio and media et al.
I’ve sat down on the back row which is a tight compact squeeze slightly elevated on halfway obscured to my left by a single post, I’m asked if I want a cuppa and as now tradition, I pop into the enclosed area to put a pound in the pot and make myself a brew.
There’s a couple of stats scouts here, there always seems to be a few at Alfreton, one is from Sheffield, one is from Burton, the proximity of the place just off the M1 along with the feeling of North Street being a proper English football home with proper non-league football on show means it’s a popular place for the purists, I love coming here because a) I know what I’ll get and b) I’ll never be disappointed.
The Game
Expected nothing but a backs against the walls scrap from Hereford and an everything including the kitchen sink thrown (probably by Adam Lund) from Alfreton and immediately I’m not surprised by an ugly but passionate pound for pound, blow for blow, kick for kick, crap heap of a match that sees balls pumped long, headed back, hooked on and slashed off the shin before bouncing off the tin stand roof with a clatter, there’s no time for getting it down to play, Billy Heath’s side are predictable and direct in their approach and in fairness, Paul Caddis knows what to expect as his Hereford team are well up for competing today.
It's brilliantly bad as the only chance of the half is created when Adam Lund chucks in long, he’s hoping the strikers may get some bits, but Hereford stand tall, in fact Adam Rooney is doing the same at the other end, chucking it in the mixer, not nearly as long but it’s a tactic that is very much order of the day.
The Score
Billy Whitehouse is providing Alfreton some old-fashioned width down the right, Akheem Rose offering the Bulls their charge in attack, but there’s hardly been a shot on goal, in fact the only entertainment of a combative first half is Hereford Manager Paul Caddis, in thick Scottish accent in front of our position on the touchline, he’s persistently shouting at the fourth official at every decision which goes against his team.
At half time I’m in for another brew as we discuss the quality of the pitch, holding firm and blessed by sun, the Impact Arena as North Street is known often has plenty of games on it and I recently watched Derby County Academy play here, on Thursday there was a women’s match here I’m told, but the pitch looks in fine nick, although we joke it’s not very often a football is rolling across it, more often than not it’s thumped up in the air.
More of the same in the second half? There’s been a couple of bookings and the only way I see any change is if a player is unfortunate enough to get sent off, but to the credit of both teams, despite their full thrust harassing and pressing their players disciplines are exceptional, not a nasty tackle in the game, although Lawson D’Ath does receive lengthy treatment with a hole cut into his bleeding hand by a stray stud from David Moyo.
The football is a sideshow as Paul Caddis persistent calling out to “fourth” has even the touchline official ignoring his requests… “You nae listening to me now” he says… It seems everyone has had enough.
I’m concerned that Caddis has hardly spent anytime coaching his team, but instead has opted to shout every opportunity towards the officials, but to his credit he’s doing what you need to do when you visit Alfreton, and get the officials to make decisions against the hosts.
It’s a tactic that hasn’t worked particularly well as Akheem Rose puts in before being flagged offside, Caddis demands to be told ‘which number was offside” as the officials delay their response back to him. By now he’s having ding-dongs with the crowd, but jokes it off “I’m Scottish” he says… “It's my nature to appeal for everything”.
Caddis knows what he’s doing and his side are certainly well drilled, the longer the game goes on the more they look like nicking something and late on, Alfreton goalkeeper Willis has to rush out to smother an opportunity to sniffle out a potential away day winner.
On the whistle however, both managers and sets of players are more than happy with a point, Alfreton stretching their run to twenty unbeaten at home, Hereford just pleased to take something back west from one of the hardest away days in the National League North.
The Stars
It wasn’t a classic but the battle was intriguing and in midfield nobody battled better than Alfreton’s George Cantrill, long haired, bearded, busy and aggressive in his play.
Opposite him was Hereford’s gifted number four Tate Campbell, a more elegant midfielder but who’s work off the ball didn’t go unnoticed, he was quietly efficient on a day where it was never going to be about getting it down to play. Campbell put in a shift and shown that he can mix it, he's just 22 and signed for the Bulls after failing to make it at Birmingham City.
Defences on top, the centre half pairing of Max Bird and Dwayne Wiley were exceptional for Alfreton, Wiley a horrible and physical old-skool defender who would rip the under hairs of your armpits just to get the upper hand, whilst similarly old-skool for Hereford is Kyle Howkins who alongside Matt Preston held firm, left back Sammy Robinson was full bodied and game, shaven headed, wiry and always up for the scrap.
The Verdict
Saturday afternoon at 3pm in the October sun at North Street, Alfreton v Hereford in a scrappy non league nil nil, the highlight being an away teams Scottish Manager persistently calling foul play and arguing at officials, what better way to spend a weekend than watching the beautiful game at it’s most unbeautiful, who needs goals when you’ve got defences on top, sometimes football perfection is simply imperfection and the simplicity of it's 3pm kick off.
The Teams
Alfreton Town: George Willis, Josh Clackstone, Nathan Newell, George Cantrill, Max Hunt, Dwayne Wiley, Adam Lund, Billy Whitehouse (Lewis Salmon 60), Billy Fewster, David Moyo (Jake Day 85), Liam Waldock (Jed Abbey 70).
Hereford: Aaron Chapman, Lewis Hudson, Tate Campbell, Matt Preston, Lawson D’Ath, Andy Williams (Ty Deacon 62), Akheem Rose, Adam Rooney, Yusufu Ceesay, Sammy Robinson, Kyle Howkins.
3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 5th October 2024, North Street, Alfreton (att 734).
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