Saturday 27th July 2024 ko 18:00

United Counties League- Premier North

HARROWBY UNITED 1 (Allcock 64)

EASTWOOD COMMUNITY 8 (O’Connor 25p 50 57p Blake 45 90+5 Czerwak 90 Fuller 90+7 Commons 90+10)

Att 437

Entry £7

Programme £2

From Retford we headed through Grantham, passing by the South Kesteven Stadium on the way. I picked by way through the suburbs before arriving at Dickens Road, tucked away behind the houses.

That hints at Harrowby’s past, as there was once two Harrowbys. Harrowby Without was a village near to Grantham, and Harrowby Within, conjoined to Grantham. For simplicity’s sake Within was merged into Grantham in 1931, with the Harrowby Without losing its suffix. It was no bad thing as now urban sprawl has seen the towns more or less merge anyway!

As the evening game on a hop Saturday a large crowd was expected and we certainly weren’t disappointed! It meant that the club had its work cut out getting everything through the turnstile, feeding them and so-on. They succeeded, if it did take time, and spending time with the committee was an education.

I like committee-people, and no that doesn’t mean I missing being part of one! They were candid enough to admit that they were surprised that they’d won promotion to the UCL’s top division via the playoffs but were trying to make their best fist of the experience. You have to wonder what they must have thought when Eastwood were able to name Jake Wright in their line-up.

I know what I thought. Wright was the second player in two consecutive hop games to have played for Oxford United in the 2010 Conference Play-off final win at Wembley. Now very much a veteran the centre half knew far too much to be troubled by the host’s forwards, but the final margin of victory was extremely harsh on Harrowby.

I watched the final few minutes from the committee room and the anguish on their volunteers was obvious. I hope that once the pennies were added up that helped ease the pain, added to the certainty that they’ll play far worse this season, and win!