NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE, MIDLANDS DIVISION
The Scholars Ground, Church Street, Burntwood, WS7 3QL
26th March, 2022 3:00 Kick-Off
Today I am going to watch a team that have been doing very well this season in the NPL, Midlands Division, namely Chasetown FC, who are based in the Chasetown village found in the town of Burntwood in Staffordshire. It's an old mining area and is the main reason of the growth of the town. I have been to their ground twice before in the past and had very much enjoyed the football on display there, seeing 10 goals being scored altogether in the process.
They are currently in second place in the table and a win today will guarantee them a place in the play-offs at least but I'm sure they are looking to capture top spot from the grasp of current top dogs, Ilkeston Town, who are there just on goal difference.
The forecast is excellent today, sunny with a temperature of 18 degrees C.
I make my way by train to Walsall yet again and this time I give myself enough time to have a quick look around the Walsall Art Gallery. They have permanent exhibits here and there is a display too by a little known British artist called Yasmin David which is quite good. She died about 14 years ago and her daughter has organised this show of her work.
It's good to have a bit of culture now and again and then I have a meal at the local Tesco Cafe. It's good but I wish the portions had been bigger. Then it's off to the nearby bus station where I catch the No.8 bus which is going to Lichfield eventually. On the way we go through Pelsall and the former ground of Pelsall Villa can be seen, with the floodlights still intact but with an overgrown pitch. A sad sight indeed and it makes me wish I had visited it in the past. I know that the club had been going downhill both on and off the pitch for sometime.
After a journey of 40 minutes, we make it in to Chasetown and there are already a steady line of fans making their way to the nearby ground. There should be a good crowd today.
When I get in to the ground and enquiring about match programmes, I'm told by a steward that they are only available online. Not what I wanted to hear but maybe a sign of the times?
The Scholars Ground, is quite a homely affair, with the main stand, club house and changing room complex on the entrance side of the ground. At the east end of the pitch is where a tea/burger bar can be found and there is another small seated stand with an electric scoreboard in the corner nearby.
I have opted to go to the southern side of the stadium where there is a long covered area for standing spectators and place myself a few yards along from it. At the western end of the pitch another small seated stand is located to the right of the goal.
The teams come out on to the field with the home team in their usual all blue kit with red and blue trimmings while Cambridge are in white shirts and black shorts and socks.
Chasetown certainly start the match with attacking intent and go close in the first minute with a shot from the right that goes just wide. Their pressure pays off with in the 21st minute when their No.9, Joey Butlin, has an effort saved by the visitor's keeper but Chasetown's No.10 and captain, Danny O'Callaghan fires in the loose ball at the right hand post.
In their very next attack though Cambridge go close to scoring themselves when their No.10 has a shot that goes just the wrong side of the left hand post.
Chasetown are generally on top most of the time but Cambridge sometimes look dangerous on the break.
One feature of this match I notice is that the Chasetown keeper, Curtis Pond, is adept at launching goal kicks that reach deep into the opposition's half of the pitch. This nearly pays off when from one of his kicks it falls to his team mate and No.7, Luke Mc.Ginnell , on the right and he's not closely marked and manages to get close to the Cambridge goal but his resulting shot is a weak affair and is easily saved.
In the last minute, keeper Danny George, makes a brilliant save to deny Chasetown's leading scorer, Jack Langston, when the ball falls to him following a free kick on the left.
It's a good start for 'The Scholars' and they will be looking to wrap this game up in the second period, while Cambridge are still in the match and will be looking to spoil the party.
As a bit of background information, the Chasetown FC nickname 'The Scholars' dates back to the founding of the club back in 1954, when associates of the Chase Terrace High School formed a youth team, calling themselves, Chase Terrace Old Scholars. They later progressed to adult football and moved up to the Staffordshire County League and then the West Midlands League, becoming known as Chasetown FC in 1972.
They then later moved on up through the Midland Alliance, the Southern and then Northern Premier Leagues. Their most famous cup exploit to date was in the 2007-8 season when they beat Football League side Port Vale after a replay and reached the 3rd Round, where they lost to Championship side Cardiff City 1-3 in front of 2,420 supporters!
It's more of the same in the second-half, with the home side looking the more dangerous side and in the 55th minute from an attack down the right, Liam Kirton has a shot and the unfortunate Cambridge defender, Yan Nantini-Ofusu, gets in a tangle while trying to clear the ball but instead bundles the ball and himself in to the net.
Three minutes later and the match as a contest is effectively over when Jack Langston heads home from Butlin's cross.
City though are still looking to get a goal and are presented with a great chance to do so, when they are awarded a penalty but Pond is able to get down and save this effort by his right-hand post.
When he kicks the ball downfield following his save, the ball travels all the way to the City keeper who manages to catch the bouncing ball just underneath the cross-bar!
Chasetown manage to see the game through for what's turned out to be an easy victory.
Over the tannoy system, it's announced that The Scholars are now at least going to be involved in the end of season play-offs and then incorrectly says that they have also gone top of the table. At the time he probably hadn't heard that Ilkeston had managed to score in the last minute of their home game v Yaxley (1-0).
It's been a good game to watch and it keeps my 100% record of watching Chasetown win at home.
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