Pele Tower

Burnley U18 5 v Sheffield United U18 1
U18 Professional Development League
Tuesday 19 March 2019
Played at The Barnfield Training Centre

SUFC 2018/19 Game 77
2018/19 Football Season Brewery Visits - 100

Twitter @ball_sup
www.twitter.com/ball_sup
Untappd ball_sup

Gawthorpe Hall, on the banks of the River Calder, was originally a Pele Tower. A Pele Tower is a small fortified tower house, and this one was built in the 14th Century as a defence against invading Scots. The subsequent Elizabethan House was dovetailed around the Pele Tower. With the foundation stone laid on 26 August 1600. The magnificent Gawthorpe Hall was gifted to The National Trust in 1970. I mention this because, in a mad seven minute spell in the second half, Burnley U18 scored four goals at the Gawthorpe Hall end of the ground.

Burnley's The Barnfield Training Centre was the 217th different ground I have seen a Sheffield United XI play on. I ain't got any proper records. But, surely it's got to be one of the most picturesque. The Hall providing a spectacular backdrop as you look over the pitch and the Rivet Calder.

Mad game. I mentioned to one of the Carrier Bag Firm that you sometimes get ebbs & flos at this level. Going a goal down doesn't mean you're out of it by any stretch. The Young Blades went behind on 19 minutes. A corner on our left sailed over. I couldn't quite tell whether Sam Kelly flapped it in, or whether he just misjudged it & it went straight in. Either way. Looked ugly. United had been fairly lively up to that point. It wasn't exactly against the run of play, but the game was still swinging.

United got fully back into it on 37 minutes. Reon Potts & Tom Williams combined well down the inside right channel. As the ball was knocked across, a Brun Lea hand got in the way. Reon Potts banged it down the middle for the equaliser. If owt, the Young Blades were getting more & more into it & on top. Before that mad seven minutes started on 68. Essentially, Burnley looked they'd score on every attack. And basically did. Five one down by 75 mins. You're not coming back from that. Maybe time to admire Gawthorpe Hall's ornamental garden on the terrace overlooking the Calder. Laid out by Charles Barry I understand.

So. To recap. A training ground. On the banks of the River Calder. Essentially in the grounds of a National Trust house. No point singing “Gawthorpe’s a Shithole, I want to go home….”.  As you might imagine. We were in need of a bevvy. So, as you can imagine, we were on public transport. And, for Gawthorpe Hall, that isn't too straightforward. The Carrier Bag Firm do this shit, so you don't have to. Eventually. Todmorden.

And, a micropub called simply Pub. Perfectly good place. There was a room upstairs. But, it's essentially a single room affair. A couple of pukka craft keg. And a handful of handpulls. I'd been in North Brewing in Leeds on Saturday & had the superb Sputnik on keg. It turned up in Pub on cask. It was glorious. I have no hesitation in calling it Outstanding Beer Of The Day.

Nice & chewy. With the hop bitterness bursting through. We were drinking to forget.

Stats
I have now Blogged from 787 games in 1,673 days