blue and white hoops

Notes from Haworth. Hall Road Rangers 4 Liversedge 1.

If I was writing for the Times or the Guardian I’d probably be reworking that quote from former prime minister Harold Wilson, changing the word politics to football and delivering the line “ a week is a long time…” Well I’m not going to do that, and I don’t write for either rag, so you’ll have to make do with a more localised quote; “I’ll drop you at football, I’m off shopping in Beverley.” Now, given my tea (aka dinner outside Yorkshire), and a long list of other things may well rest on where I go with this, it’s not for me to suggest that the decision by Mrs Back of the Stand to sacrifice 90 minutes of football in return for an opportunity to use her new contactless credit card all afternoon had anything to do with the result. A mere coincidence.

Sitting uncomfortably in 19th position prior to the game Hall Road Rangers threw the form book well and truly out of the window with a confident and controlled performance that saw them defeat 5th placed Liversedge 4:1. Taking a 1:0 lead into the interval, Liversedges stuttering start was compounded by a rash challenge resulting in a red card before the break. Unhelpful to the visitors cause, yes, but not to detract from the Rangers performance, which was one of high tempo and high workload throughout; in parts unrecognisable from some of their earlier games.

Hall Roads start to the season at Haworth has seen them very quickly positioned behind the 8 ball; a liberal smattering of early goals conceded, defensive frailty and a general sense of nervousness. A total of 19 goals conceded in only 4 home games prior to Saturday. Frustration from the dugout, often accompanied by a 90 minute heady mix of encouragement and verbal water boarding. Not so this time. More organised, more balanced, more focused. What is it they say, one swallow doesn’t make a marriage, or a summer, or something like that, well anyway, the message of course is don’t get carried away, but there is now an opportunity to kick on.

These things of course can take time. Pre season departures of key players have left Rangers with boots to fill. Difficult, but not impossible, as Liversedge were to find out on Saturday. The next three fixtures, all away from home, won’t determine Hall Roads season but they will be a barometer that’s worth watching. Three on the bounce will be a tough ask but points are needed. There are no easy games in this division and no safe hiding places. In a pre season interview with the chairman he said he believed finishing mid table was a realistic shout. On Saturdays performance he may well be right. Perhaps though, just to be sure, it may also be worth checking to see if there are any more sales going on in Beverley….

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Humber premier

This seasons Humber Prem campaign is warming up nicely. Nowhere more so than down at Pocklington where Town have delivered a strong five out of five. With 17 scored and only 2 conceded last years runners up are out the blocks pretty sharpish this time around. A 3:0 home win over Hedon Rangers sees them lead the pack along with Reckitts, who are also on the same points, but having suffered one defeat. Expect another lively season with Chalk Lane also making another strong start to make up the top 3.

Elsewhere in the premier division there’s also another undefeated side, Sculcoates Amateurs. If we were still doing pools coupons you probably wouldn’t go far wrong having them down for a draw. Their latest, a 1:1 at Westella & Willerby on Saturday makes it 5 out of 6. Not bad going that, keep your eye on next weeks clash with Chalk Lane. Meanwhile Premier new boys LIV Supplies and Hull United both picked up 3 points this weekend with the latter registering their first win of the campaign. Those results leave LIV in 7th and United in 12th. That result for United will certainly have put a few more words on social media following Neil Winsors’ recent media ‘transfer’ down there from Hall Road. Neil is always worth a read, and a follow, and he’s also a very good acquisition to promote the Humber Prem.

Division One is nicely underway with Barton Town Reserves hitting the top spot with a 100% record from 6 games. Not a bad start at all that, with Beverley and Driffield JFC in second and third respectively with 13 and 12 points. Both have a game in hand over Barton. At the wrong end of the table Hessle Sporting and Easington are both left looking for their first points of the season. For one, or both of those clubs, that will change next weekend as Easington host Sporting. You’ll remember from last season that you wouldn’t nip down to the bookies on the strength of any of my predictions but home advantage could well be the difference in this one. We’ll see….

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Out ‘n’ about

The football league pyramid has had a bit of a shake up this season but it’s more about form (or lack of it) that’s brought about a convergence of local sides into the Evo Stick Premier Division. North Ferriby fresh from the National League join Scarborough Athletic and Whitby Town in what looks to be an interesting challenge for all three. Building on last seasons success it’s Scarborough who have settled quickest, currently in 7th having beaten Ferriby 3:1 at home last Tuesday. That defeat leaves Ferriby in 21st position with only one win from their first 6 games. It’s a difficult period for the Villagers who are slipping through divisions and they will be looking for quick points from their next game at home to Grantham. It’s interesting that in recent years a number of relegated teams have found themselves struggling again in the division below, and that’s certainly happened before in the Counties league. The same applies this year to ex Evo Stick side Goole, who are now plying their trade in the NCEL premier division, currently in a relegation berth. Perhaps its unsurprising, as this often goes hand in hand with significant personnel changes, so it’s important to apply the brakes as soon as possible.

Moving on to the NCEL the hot news for many this week is the surprise that Curtis Woodhouse has stepped down as Manager of Premier Division Bridlington Town to concentrate on his Boxing Academy. Best Wishes go to Curtis who will be missed in local football and has always been good value both in interviews and on social media. He leaves Bridlington sitting 14th in the premier division but with a couple of games in hand. Victory in both games would significantly change that number, sending Town into the top 2. Meanwhile in division 1 East Yorkshire Carneige also have a couple of games in hand on those around them and will equally be looking for points to improve on their current position, just outside the relegation places. Long way to go yet though and plenty of twists and turns for them, and for the rest of the local teams I’m sure.

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And finally….

The letter box has rattled again to the sound of the latest edition of the Ferriby Fanzine. Ok, so I gave it a few plugs last year, but it really is a cracking read and great value as well. The latest edition in my opinion is one of the best. You can order via details on the North Ferriby Fanzine twitter account ‘View from the allotment end”(@VFTAE). In these heady days of social media it’s great to see there’s still a place for the written word, and long may that continue.

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