Shirebrook Town 1-1 Eccleshill United
Northern Counties East League Division One
Saturday 25th March 2017
(Population around 10,000)
Shirebrook Colliery was sunk in 1896 before closing in April 1993. The town briefly earned the nickname "the Belfast of England” because of deep divisions between workers and strikers during the 1983-84 miners strike. It’s also known as “Little Poland” amongst its local residents.
The birthplace of England World Cup winner Ray Wilson, The Bill actor Colin Tarrant and Hollywood “star” Jason Statham.
Shirebrook Colliery formed in 1985 and joined the Central Midlands League from Sunday league football.Senior League winners 1985-86
Division One runners-up 1986-87
Promoted to Supreme League 1990-91
Changed name to Shirebrook Town in 1993
CML Supreme champions 2000-01,2001-02
Joined Northern Counties East League 2002-03
Division One winners 2003-04
Relegated from Premier Division in 2010
NCEL grounds 27/44
Current capacity 2,000
Record crowd 2,200 v Mansfield Town (friendly) 1991
There is two matching stands with a total of 300 seats on the far side with three rows of blue flips, with the team dugouts in between at the front. At the entrance side there’s Marilyn’s cafe, the club office and a covered terrace with room for 400 spectators. The changing rooms are in the corner next to the paying entrance, which were officially opened in 2004 by Ray Wilson. The rest of the ground is open with three sets of floodlight pylons on each side.
NCEL Division One Matchday 35/37
Kick off 3pm
Att.68
Shirebrook claimed a well earned point after playing over half the game with ten men. Five minutes before the break Luke Wright went off injured and as the home team didn’t name any substitutes, they had to soldier on a man short.
Just 18 seconds after the restart they took the lead when Jake Whelan picked up the ball in midfield and ran on unchallenged before firing home from the edge of the box.
Ten minutes later a good through ball found Luke Harrop who raced in on goal and produced a good finish to draw Eccleshill level.
It was backs to the wall for the hosts in the final quarter of the match and the visitors almost pinched it in injury time, when ‘keeper Warren Squires pushed a point blank effort onto the crossbar to maintain the draw.
Matchday Stats and Spondoolicks
STFC 1(Whelan 46) EUFC 1(Harrop 67)
Entertainment 7/10
Top Bloke - no.5 (Shirebrook Town)
Admission £4
Programme £1
Pin badge £3
Tea £1
Meat pie £2
Chips £1
Another one of our weekend ale trails, this time heading further south into Derbyshire with a night out in Chesterfield. The breadknife and I were also accompanied by our very good friends Zippy and Helen for what was a cracking night out with bevvies supped in the White Swan, Spa Lane Vaults, The Rutland Arms, Portland Hotel and the Market Pub. Plenty of new ales along with a belly filling Chinese sittee-dooney rounded off a great Saturday in the shadows of the crooked spire.
Bevvy Almanac
Best ale - St Louis Continental IPA (6.5%)****+ -(Spa Lane Vaults)
Best boozer - Rutland Arms
Matchday Web Album
(25 pictures from Langwith Road)