Move Over Abramovich

Hallam 2 v Ollerton Town 1 

Northern Counties East Football League 

Division One 

Tuesday 1 March 2022 

Hallam FC are trying to buy this league.

There. I've said it. That win still leaves them at the top. Three points clear of North Ferriby. Both with 8 to play. With the North Ferribianiarianists due at Sandygate in mid March. Look, I don't know much. I'm Sheffield United. I don't in n out non-league. Rather new to it if I'm honest. Season ticket holder by mistake following the Covid behind closed doors shakedown. I've lived in S10 for 25 years. So Hallam have been "my team". But, I can hardly be described as a regular. I certainly don't know who gets paid what by who.

This season, 112 goals in 32 games. A positive goal difference of 77. Hallam are winning games by scoring goals. And they're scoring goals by having good strikers. And, this is the bit I don't know, and can't swear by, they have good strikers because they can pay them. And they can pay them because people are coming through the gate. (Strictly speaking there isn't a turnstile).

It's a phenomenon mate. Average attendance this season is 547. That is more than DOUBLE the 267 in the last pre-Covid 2018/19 season. As recently as 2014/15, average attendance was in single figures at 78. In 2013/14, the average was basically a TENTH of what they are now, just 57.

A TEN FOLD increase in attendance in eight seasons. This season, only four teams (Hallam, N Ferriby, Brigg Town & Selby Town) average over 200. That's the top three in the league and the team in 6th.

Now. In my head. Buying a league is a BAD THING. Because we're pre conditioned to think buying the league involves dubious shit. Dodgy money. Dodgy accounting. Dodgy deals. Oligarchary.

But, I've had an epiphany. (If) Hallam are buying the league, they're doing it with MY money. That seventy five I chucked in for a season ticket. That buys some. Not just my money of course, also the money of the guy in front of me at the can bar, the money of the greedy get who has had the last pasty, the money of the lady kicking the back of my seat, the money of the kid leaving a minute early as he sees the 51 come down the hill.

My money. Their money. Our money. It's that money that will be invested in team building, recruitment, development. If that buys the league, good. Equally, if the money taken at the gate by Ollerton Town buys the league, good.

Move over Abramovich!!!

Oh. And another source of revenue is taken over the Bar. I'm trying to keep my end up there as well. Bit of a hunt down tonight. The lads at the Can Bar said they had no Crosspool Ale Makers Society cans. The lads also said there'd be none in the main bar. But, we'll persevere.

Sure enough, cans of He Ain't Heavy & Straight Outta Crosspool were produced from the fridge in the main bar. Indeed the Straight Outta was being poured before I spied something else lurking on the top shelf of the fridge.

Crosspool Ale Makers Society, Craft & Berry & Hops & Thyme, Belgian Pale from a tin at 4.6%

That's brewed in Collab with Craft & Berry on Ecclesall Road. Motueka Hops. Thyme in the whirlpool. Juniper in the fermenter. Very nice, I definitely got some Belgian Yeast action. Put that £3.75 towards another striker.

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