Saturday 27th July 2024 ko 14:15

United Counties League Division One

RETFORD 2 (Goddard 10 Bacon 88)

GEDLING MINERS WELFARE 0

Att 385

Entry £5

Programme £2

Teamsheet 50p

It had only been 2 years since I’d visited The Rail and if I watched non league football purely to tick off grounds, this would have been the game I’d have anticipated the least. Yet, for me this was the visit I looked forward to the most…..

A lot of that was because Rob and Hazel Hornby were going to be there running their charity tombola stall. Rob was a force behind the Central Midlands League, and the Notts Senior League’s hops, or “Bonanzas” as he called them, and his influence is still there, the prebooked programme pack is his invention. Sadly ill-health meant he retired from the organising lark in 2016 and since he can’t travel far from his home in Mansfield, I watched some younger hoppers fail to know who he is, and his massive contribution to the hobby. That of course is something we can all learn from, and Rob does still run his charity blog and produce “First ever” programmes for local clubs, boosting their income.

Rob and anyone who’s ever organised one of these events will tell you the same thing- for host clubs first impressions count. So be guided to car parking on arrival was excellent and so have a timetable of trains passing the ground quite amazing, that’s never been done before! Elsewhere the only issue was that the club simply couldn’t cope with the sheer volume of people wanting food. That said, the food ran out jut after half time, so folks did get served…

It may only have been two years since my first visit, but the The Rail’s changes have been impressive. There’s been a new clubhouse built, a seating rack installed behind the goal and the roofing on the cover at the railway side improved. As surprising as that was, the biggest shock was in the addition of Adam Chapman to the playing staff.

The former Sheffield United youth teamer was man of the match as Oxford United won the 2010 Conference Play-off Final at Wembley. Soon after, an enforced break from the game saw his career stall, and when he returned he drifted out of the full time game after a stints at Newport County and Mansfield Town. Now moved from midfield to defence, he played the game with all the time of the former pro’. It was good to see him enjoying his football again. He was on the winning team too, as Gedling Miners Welfare’s wretched run in hop games continued (3 games, no points, no goals)

On the subject of enjoyment, it was lovely to see Retford obviously enjoy their hop game as much as I enjoyed being there. A lot of it was good planning but once you’ve got that, the wit and charm was allowed to shine through. And yes, I do still have my copy of that timetable, and I’m sure so do many others.