Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior Division One
Saturday 21 January 2023
Played at Olympic Legacy Park, Sheffield
A no beer, groundhopping day at The House That Kev Built. Which (known by its other name, Olympic Legacy Park) is the 417th ground I've watched football on.
I'm not going to pretend I know the deets. But here goes. I'm a Sheffield United fan. I hate, but tolerate, my football club owners. Who wants someone else to own a thing they love. That would be bizarre behaviour.
This 4g ground on The 'Cliffe has the whiff of a previous Sheffield United owner, Kevin McCabe, about it. Built on the footprint of Don Valley Stadium. I went to Athletics at Don Valley, and to Sheffield Eagles Rugby League. But, despite the fact that Sheffield United played there (away to tenants Rotherham United in the Pizza Trophy in 2011), I never ticked it for togger.
Through my Red n White eyes, this new boutique, rectangular stadium that replaced Don Valley was conceived as the home for Sheffield United Women. It was Kev McCabe's footprint on the Don Valley footprint. The Court case between King Kev and his Sheffield United co-owner the Saudi Prince put those plans to bed, well in the ensuite crapper to be honest.
So, now, we think of Olympic Legacy Park as the home of Sheffield Eagles Rugby League. While Sheffield United are at least "a pitch down". The Women using an increasingly beleaguered Bramall Lane, further increasingly beleaguered because our Men's first team training facilities have been dug up. Once the club had read the small print on the season tickets for Women's games, some of those have been farmed out to Scunthorpe United. And men's Academy U23 & U18 home games have been farmed out to York City & Alfreton Town.
Not gonna lie, we could have probably done with this part of McCabe's brainchild. Also, walkably close to the taproom of The Brewery of St Mars of the Desert. (Not open, sadly, at this time of the year).
So, no game for Sheffield United today. My non-league team, Hallam, binned off as icy early in the day. A weather eye on Sherwood Colliery FC closed. If/when Plod confiscate my Laptop, they're going to have a field day forensically interpreting searches for
"3g and 4g pitches near me"
But, that lead us to Sheffield City. That's outside the National League Step system. But, it's nominally Step 8. If they get promoted, they'll be playing in the league below Hallam were in last season. An indicator I sometimes fall back on is - these games have a ref, but no linos.
Surely, based on no research whatsoever, this is the best Step 8 ground in the country. Approached by a wide pedestrian concourse, there's a large covered main stand. Views across to the landscaped area - which I hope is called - Off Course Seagull Hill.
Crowd announced as 35. Nice & welcoming in a - the toilets are over there - way. Feisty at times. An all in over on the far side (by the benches) lead to a number of "reprisal tackles" and - just calm down Pal - sessions.
Sheff City won the first fifteen minutes. Four up by then. Including (checks notes) a straight in inswinging corner and a backheel flicky thing. Kinsley Boys (shout out to their three person strong loud n proud firm) won the next 65 minutes one nil. Before City made it 5-1 on 80 minutes.
The Boys had got a bit angry with each other as they folded in those first 15. They shuffled and reorganised a bit. And fair play. They didn't (couldn't) get themselves back in the game, but they held it.
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