Blyth Spartans (Tuesday, October 15)

TUESDAY OCTOBER 15, 2013

Blyth Spartans 3 Ilkeston 2

IF you believed the national media, there was only one match going ahead on Tuesday night.

The 311 of us that skipped England's World Cup qualifier with Poland to watch this early-season six pointer witnessed the same as the Wembley fans – a classy piece of football!

Blyth edged home by the odd goal in five in an entertaining game but Robins midfielder Laurie Wilson, son of former Barnsley and Sheffield United manager Danny, stole the show with a stunning volley from near half way.

Rooney, Gerrard and that Polish bloke with the long name – you won't ever get a goal as good as that!
It is some time since my last visit to Croft Park, the home of the self-titled ‘most famous Non-League club in the world'.

Spartans have an official history coming out entitled  We're The Famous Blyth Spartans so this is a club not short on self belief despite the difficulties faced in recent years.

The managerial merry-go-round has finally stopped with experienced local man Tom Wade who has piloted Blyth into a play-off spot.

Blyth Spartans are the Evo-Stik Premier's most northern club and while Tuesday's atmosphere was somewhat subdued it can be an intimidating place for visiting sides.

The terrace in front of the small main stand, known locally as ‘the swamp', may have been converted to seating but it has retained its colourful ‘charm'.

With the away dug out within earshot, visiting managers are often goaded into a response that only heightens the ‘banter' and legend has it that many a referee has been swayed into reacting to the vociferous appeals of the swamp and those behind them.

Croft Park has had a noticeable face-lift over the past ten years, and will pleasantly surprise anyone who hasn't visited the ground before the Millennium.

Gone are the ash terraces, both ends have new concrete terracing and have been roofed to make this a most well appointed, traditional football ground with cover on all four sides.  The large social club has also been spruced up. It stocks a good range of reasonably priced beers though the bar could be larger.

Inside the ground a large trailer  offers the only refreshment point. It is a good size and provides a good selection of matchday fare, though queues can be quite long.

Most Evo-Stik Premier clubs charge £9 or £10 admission, and while Blyth's is the latter, and £11 for the stand, at £5 their concessions are cheaper than many and under tens get in free with a paying adult.

The 36-page programme is professionally produced and reasonably priced at £2 though most of the reading content is in the first half and it tails off towards the end.

As for the game, Ilkeston, the league's leading scorers, played the better football and created more chances but were twice punished for poor defending early in the second half by pint-sized Spartans striker Dan Maguire.

Craig Hubbard's early penalty had been cancelled out by Wilson's halfway stunner and while Aaron Webster got the Robins back in it from the spot they were left to rue a glaring miss in each half.

All in all a cracking night of Step 3 football – oh, and England won 2-0 and are through to the World Cup finals.

Ticket value 3, Programme 3, Food 4, Bar 4, Toilets 3, Atmosphere 3, Match 4, Overall: 4