The Mysteries Of Curry Night

Borrowash Victoria (Step 7) 2 v Heanor Town (Step 5) 4 

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Wednesday 5 July 2023 

Ground Tick 433 

I don't think we caught that place at it's best. Rather at it's busiest.

The Hoptimist

91 Sitwell St, Spondon, Derby DE21 7FH

First Wednesday of every month is Curry Night. Didn't you hear? The Carrier Bag Firm didn't. On the prescribed Wednesday, Spondon's beautiful people, and associated strays, book tables, chairs, fuck me - ledges even. A trestle table is established as a Base Camp, and trays of Curry and associated periphery are deployed and (eventually) emptied.

Grumpily, I'm going to say - the barperson didn't handle it perfectly. Surely it's either;

"I'm really sorry lads, it's Curry Night, every table is reserved and we can't help you tonight"

or

"I'm really sorry lads, it's Curry Night, we've got stacks of reservations. You can have that table there until 7, or the one at the back until quarter to."

Instead, it was just - "It's Curry Night". As if we were the fully initiated. Of course, I went with the smile.

"Oh. Righto. We didn't realise. We're not from 'round here Me Duck (smirk). We're passing through and have heard good things. We're only having a pint. You tell us where to sit. And we don't mind moving when your booked customers turn up."

"It's Curry Night…"

Putting all aside. Very well appointed one room shop front affair. With a covered courtyard out the back essentially operating as a second room. Ridiculously small bar front. Could be a micropub. (I mean, obvs is, four on Cask). Could be a winebar. A Peroni & Prosecco Place. Flavoured Gins & Aperol front & centre on the shelves. Two safe Keg. And one out of the barrel. Which she disappears behind a door for.

Neon Raptor Brewing Co, Cool Slate, IPA on Cask at 5.2%

El Dorado and Mosaic Hops. Opaque and a bit dank looking. But, pulled up more like an English IPA in the taste. Nice and complex.

Visitors, Heanor Town, play in the United Counties, Premier Division North at Step 5. They finished 13 (of 20) last season. Played 38, Won 14, Drew 5, Lost 19. Hosts, Borrowash Victoria, play outside the National League Step System in one of the County Leagues, the Nottinghamshire Senior League, call it Step 7. The Vics finished 7 (of 17) last season. Played 32, Won 15, Drew 4, Lost 13. So, two Steps between the teams.

Heanor kicked us all off with a long, low, right foot strike on 9. A great equaliser for the Vics on 26, a good, clean, unmarked header from a left wing cross. Then our good friend, the mad ten minutes, arrived. Heanor took the lead on 42. Then pushed it to 4-1 with goals on 45 & 51. My head said - maybe Heanor run away with it now. But, fair play, Borrowash pulled one back immediately. And, that's how it finished, 4-2.

Heanor looked a bit more urgent and switched on throughout. Borrowash tiring and blowing at times. But, I'm sure that's a good work out for both.

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Stats 

I have now Blogged from 1,280 games in 3,242 days 

1 Beer Festival & 3 games

Barnsley 0 v Sheffield United 2
Shaw Lane Aquaforce 1 v Heanor Town 0
Penistone Church 0 v Pontefract Collieries 7 (Seven)

Saturday 4 April 2015

Twitter @ball_sup

What a day to be alive. One Beer Festival, three games, one Blades win. A lot of that is down to the hard work of the Northern Counties East League & Clubs. And, the fans who organise @GroundhopUK. I've never dipped my toe in before. Although I have been aware of their sterling work. Basically, they work with a particular League & Clubs to stagger kick offs over a long (in this case Easter) weekend.

They organise group rates at a suitable hotel. They have a bus which ferries fans between the grounds. They make sure there are match programmes, badges, souvenirs. But, as well as the core organised group, GroundHop clearly brings in a lot of independents. People driving between the grounds. People jumping on & off public buses & trains. Sure, the hardcore go to all the games over the weekend. But, as well as automatically "putting 50 on the gate", the publicity generated clearly swells it further. With, for instance, people like me.

As you must already know, a South Yorkshire TravelMaster Day ticket (all buses, trains, trams) is seven and a half English Pounds.

Over the weekend, some clubs have already had gates FIVE OR SIX TIMES their average. Superb effort. Of course, I've got Sheffield United (including Age Groups) & International Football as priorities. So, I doubt I'll ever be able to do full justice to a Ground Hop. But, delighted to be able to dip in today.

The Beer

My third trip to Barnsley this season (U21 & U18). Finally made it to the Old No. 7. And it was Beer Festival weekend. Marvellous. The pub was rammed with post match sorrow drowners (& a few celebrating Blades quietly tipping the wink to each other - it’s what we do). I’m guessing, normal day it’s just the ground floor bar, busy day it’s that and the Cellar Bar. As the Festival was on, there was also a temporary bar in the Cellar. Ground floor bar was wonderfully overstaffed - “who is next?”. There was lots on. It’s a guess, but certainly 15 handpulls, could be nearer 20.

As I was rushing around, I only had time for a) Coastal Brewery, Cornish Bronze at 3.7% & b) Revolutions, Pretender at 4.5%. The pub was far too rammed for notes. Sorry.

The Clubhouse at Penistone Church FC looked the business. Three handpulls. Occupied on the night by Sharps Doombar, Bradfield Farmers Blonde & Stancill Brewery Barnsley Bitter. Gotta love that. Maybe because of the unusually large crowd, they had a Can Bar out in the open. £1.50 for your Carling & Strongbow needs. Before the third peep of the final whistle - “cans to take home with you, now £1”. The true entrepreneurial spirit of non-league football.

The Football

A simple, competent performance from the Blades. Nice three points to have. Keeps things ticking along nicely. Feisty affairs these Dingle Dee Dar Dust Downs - at least on the Terraces. Even at 4 in the afternoon, there were some sights to see in Tarn around the Drinking Strip Lager Emporiums. Only limited fisticuffs.

To be honest, the euphoria of The Blades win ruined the rest of the football day. It would only get worse from that high. Pontefract Colls out-played, classed & scored Penistone Church. Scoring at will. Nice bit of alliteration after the sixth went it - “that’s Piss Poor Penistone”. This battle of the PCFCs was a little tasty at times. Penistone down to 10 men. I didn’t quite see it, maybe 2nd yellow. Colls goals came from all angles, but they looked well set up in the air. Nice, whipped in crosses, bodies on the end & up in the air, getting powerful headers in.

A single goal nicked it at Shaw Lane. Maybe he meant it. I’m saying not. Free kick on the edge of the box. Big wall. He’s done the Guzunder. Along the ground as the wall have jumped. I think he’s scuffed it. They all count.

Great, great day.

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