Memories of an ode'un

[seriouspie]

We can always remember the past but we can only opinion-ate on the future.

I often wonder where the local Nottinghamshire leagues went to. At one time of day we had a proper local pyramid that seemed to work well. From memory we had in ascending order - the Youth league, the Notts Minor league, the Notts Realm league, the Notts Combination league, the MAA and Spartan league and finally the Notts Alliance. Semi pro football then started with the Central Alliance and then the Midland league who at one time included Notts and Forest reserves and Peterborough United.

I remember playing in the Alliance senior division with Bestwood Colliery, Boots and Gedling Colliery who all had good grounds and like all Alliance grounds had to have showers. Player's on Aspley Lane was a great pitch but Basford United's Mill street ground, Parliament St Meths and Raleigh's pitches weren't so good.

Gedling Colliery and Eastwood Town were the kingpins in the late 50's early 60's and would you believe that when Gedling played Bishop Auckland and Pegasus in the old Amateur cup, 3-4000 packed into Plains Road to watch.

Also the Football Post carried a short report on all senior Alliance games, including the line-ups. Some bloody good footballers about then, especially from the Meadows (Albion) area. Anybody still alive to remember these days please comment.

I'll get back to me bath chair!

[Pies4u]

Wow! Two of my relatives played in that great Gedling Coll team, they went to be the managerial duo when I played for them in the 70's. Walter Kirk was the right back and Eric Martin, my dad's cousin, was the left winger. Eric, of course, played cricket for Notts, scoring a ton against the touring Aussies.

Walter & Eric presided over the team or many years but we had little success. Rainworth, Thoresby & Clipstone dominated, along with the Police, Boots and even good old Thorneywood Athletic! Iwent off to Univ and played a bit of Northern Prem and then returned to the Midland League with Kimberley Town for 2 seasons. It makes me smile now to see turnstiles & floodlights now at Gedling Colliery - the Club Sec used to go round with a box if more than a dozen folks turned up to watch in the 70's. The football was a far higher calibre then too, the Alliance was a top class League, one rung below Midland League.

[Vladpie]

We can always remember the past but we can only opinion-ate on the future.

I often wonder where the local Nottinghamshire leagues went to. At one time of day we had a proper local pyramid that seemed to work well. From memory we had in ascending order - the Youth league, the Notts Minor league, the Notts Realm league, the Notts Combination league, the MAA and Spartan league and finally the Notts Alliance. Semi pro football then started with the Central Alliance and then the Midland league who at one time included Notts and Forest reserves and Peterborough United.

I remember playing in the Alliance senior division with Bestwood Colliery, Boots and Gedling Colliery who all had good grounds and like all Alliance grounds had to have showers. Player's on Aspley Lane was a great pitch but Basford United's Mill street ground, Parliament St Meths and Raleigh's pitches weren't so good.

Gedling Colliery and Eastwood Town were the kingpins in the late 50's early 60's and would you believe that when Gedling played Bishop Auckland and Pegasus in the old Amateur cup, 3-4000 packed into Plains Road to watch.

Also the Football Post carried a short report on all senior Alliance games, including the line-ups. Some bloody good footballers about then, especially from the Meadows (Albion) area. Anybody still alive to remember these days please comment.

I'll get back to me bath chair!

I was surprised to see that all the pitches that used to be on the racecourse have gone. I asked some ground staff there and they said it was a H+S issue in that the there was no ambulance access. Perhaps this is one reason, a shortage of pitches in the lower leagues?

[60YearsAPie]

Interesting piece here about Gedling Miners Welfare FC. It mentions the games against Pegasus and Bishop Auckland.

http://www.ngtrader.co.uk/phorum-5.2...hp?100,887,887

[MagpieTony]

The Football post was a great source of information too in relation to the local amateur leagues and enabled you to keep abreast of what was happening as well as excellent coverage of the professional teams What a sad miss that is.

[RedBasie]

I used to play in the Midland Amateur Alliance at first for Sherwood Amateurs in the same side as Kenneth Clarke MP, and later for West Bridgford Casuals. One of the sides we played against at the time was Nottinghamshire who Reg Simpson the Notts and England cricketer played for at that time. We used to have team news, results and league tables published in the Football Post. It was the only time my name got into the Press.

[RedBasie]

I was surprised to see that all the pitches that used to be on the racecourse have gone. I asked some ground staff there and they said it was a H+S issue in that the there was no ambulance access. Perhaps this is one reason, a shortage of pitches in the lower leagues?

I can remember playing on West Bridgford Park when a lad's leg was broken. It seemed an eternity before the ambulance came. Someone had to run to a house outside the ground to telephone one and when it eventually came it was pitch dark and the game had to be abandoned. The pitch has now been planted with trees .

[LaxtonLad]

Interesting piece here about Gedling Miners Welfare FC. It mentions the games against Pegasus and Bishop Auckland.

http://www.ngtrader.co.uk/phorum-5.2...hp?100,887,887

The above is from 60yrsapie, the bit below is mine.


Whoever sold the Gedling Miners Welfare owes us ex-colliers some dosh. It was built in the 1970s with NUM cash. When the colliery closed in 1991 some shysters - could that be the UDM? No, of course not - took over the Welfare building for free. No compensation for the miners whose union contribution paid for it, no voice of concern, complaint or explanation from the local or national UDM officials - hmm, why was that, I wonder? Shhh!

[i961pie]

I was surprised to see that all the pitches that used to be on the racecourse have gone. I asked some ground staff there and they said it was a H+S issue in that the there was no ambulance access. Perhaps this is one reason, a shortage of pitches in the lower leagues?

I can understand that.
I played on the old race course ground one evening in the 70s, the grass was that long my studs got stuck in the ground and I tore my ankle ligaments.
It was one hell of a struggle to get me from the pitch to a waiting car to get me to hospital. I was out of action for 3/4 months.

[i961pie]

We can always remember the past but we can only opinion-ate on the future.

I often wonder where the local Nottinghamshire leagues went to. At one time of day we had a proper local pyramid that seemed to work well. From memory we had in ascending order - the Youth league, the Notts Minor league, the Notts Realm league, the Notts Combination league, the MAA and Spartan league and finally the Notts Alliance. Semi pro football then started with the Central Alliance and then the Midland league who at one time included Notts and Forest reserves and Peterborough United.

I remember playing in the Alliance senior division with Bestwood Colliery, Boots and Gedling Colliery who all had good grounds and like all Alliance grounds had to have showers. Player's on Aspley Lane was a great pitch but Basford United's Mill street ground, Parliament St Meths and Raleigh's pitches weren't so good.

Gedling Colliery and Eastwood Town were the kingpins in the late 50's early 60's and would you believe that when Gedling played Bishop Auckland and Pegasus in the old Amateur cup, 3-4000 packed into Plains Road to watch.

Also the Football Post carried a short report on all senior Alliance games, including the line-ups. Some bloody good footballers about then, especially from the Meadows (Albion) area. Anybody still alive to remember these days please comment.

I'll get back to me bath chair!

I used to watch Bulwell Forest Villa who were in the alliance, they had a private ground at the front of Sankeys the pot makers.