Senior Cup Starts With A Trip To The Asterdale.

 Borrowash Victoria & Holbrook Sports Battle For a 2nd Round Spot.

The Main Stand at Borrowash Vics.

It’s October, the nights are drawing in, Winter is round the corner, so it’s time for the Derbyshire Senior Cup. This season I’m starting at the wonderful Asterdale Bowl, aka The Anderson Electrical Arena, home of Borrowash Victoria, for their 1^st Round tie against Holbrook Sports.

The evening before, the competition started with the other two 1st round ties which saw Gresley Rovers see off Sandiacre Town, 5-0 and South Normanton Athletic travelling to the north of the County to play New Mills. South Normanton winning that one 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

Vics & The Brookies are both at step 7, Holbrook in the Central Midlands Alliance South while Borrowash are members of the Nottinghamshire Senior League Premier, and there’s a little story about that.

Knowing they were going down to step 7, Vics requested that they be placed in the Central Midlands Alliance League (CMAL). Now, I have a bit of sympathy for the FA with this restructuring malarkey and it amazes me how people complain about league allocations. You hear people act surprised that clubs like Bishops Stortford, Gloucester City and Needham Market have been placed in National League North, when it’s obvious that they’re not classed as “northern” towns. Apparently, it’s “ridiculous” that this should happen. What’s ridiculous is how these people can’t work out that step 2 is divided equally between the 48 clubs each season and the most northern are in the NLN and likewise for the Southern section. However, Vics have been placed in the Nottinghamshire Senior League this season, despite being well within the catchment area for the CMAL by being close to the centre of Derby. I know clubs cross borders and enter adjacent County Leagues but it may be a good idea for the FA to check with the local FA’s first.

I digress, I’ve been to this venue a few times, but anyone making a first visit may miss the entrance as there’s no signage explaining Vics, or extremely close neighbours, Graham Street Prims, reside here. In fact, entering the dark car park doesn’t bode well until you drive in a little, spot the Asterdale club to your left and the Vics ground is ahead of you.

The path down to the ground as seen in 2008.

There’s no programme tonight, unfortunately, something becoming regular in the Senior Cup but 5 quid gets me in this gem of a ground. I should explain, this is the Vics’ 3^rd ground in the over 100 years of clubs representing the town.

 

Entrance to the ground..

The History.

Back in 1911 as you walked from Borrowash over to Draycott you may have noticed the sound of a football game taking place, coming from the local farmland. This would have been “Coffee Joe’s” farm and local history reports that the farmer, when hiring extra help at harvest time, only provided coffee instead of the expected food and beer. I’m guessing Joe wasn’t a popular employer, but for the local football club he allowed the use of one of his fields and Borrowash Victoria were up and running.

 

The Vics in their first season, from the Derby Green Un.

The club restarted after the 2^nd World War as Wesleyan Youth Club, though these folded in 1957 and we can trace the current club back to their formation in 1963. Eventually becoming Borrowash Victoria again, the club played on Dean’s Drive, which was a council owned pitch though players had to change in the Community Centre, some way from the pitch. The drainage became so bad here the club were threatened with expulsion from the league and this prompted the search for a new ground and the move to the Asterdale Bowl in nearby Spondon, in 1984.

The complex, formerly known as the British Celanese Sports Ground, also houses Graham Street Prims who’s own ground is the other side of the, now closed, Asterdale Club. At varying times this complex has been home to bowls, rugby, hockey, archery and cricket clubs. On my first visit back in 1994 the Asterdale club was still open and used by supporters for a pre and post match pint. The club was very plush and you can imagine it being used by the locals with entertainment being provided back in the day. The 2-storey structure still stands but is now boarded up.

 

The Asterdale Club in 2008.

In 2008 I wrote an article for Groundtastic magazine on the Asterdale complex and the land was then owned by Roscom, a local company based in Derby, who had assured Prims & Vics they had no plans to stop them playing on the land. It would have been difficult to do this to Vics as they purchased the ground in 1993 and started transforming the bowl shaped venue into a football ground

The back of the Asterdale, complete with clock.

Vics to the left, Prims to the right.

Work being done on the ground in 2008.

The Ground Tour.

From the car park where the Asterdale club stands there is a sloping drive with the Bowls club on the right and Vics’ Anderton Electrical Arena on the left. Entering the ground behind the goal you have The Joe Kellog Memorial Stand, named after a Vics player who tragically died due to an undetected heart condition during a training session in 2011.

 

The Joe Kellogg Memorial Stand.

The same stand in 2008

At one end of this structure, next to the turnstile, is “Coffee Joe’s Refreshments” a nice nod to the clubs history, where hot food is available. This is at one end of what was the only structure when the club moved in back in 1984, and was originally a driving range with separate bays. The club covered this and eventually installed terracing and 45 seats from the Baseball Ground. With one end hosting the tea bar, Ando’s Sports Bar is at the other end. Built around 2008 to compensate for the closure of the Asterdale club, where the club socialised after matches, you can purchase alcohol and sit down at one of the many tables in the room, one bonus on what was becoming a cold evening was the heating being on. Outside Ando’s Sports Bar were a few tables and chairs for those warmer days, or if you fancy a fag with your ABK Hell, German beer, which the club have on sale at the moment.

 

The seats outside Ando's Bar

Ando's Sports Bar.

Looking at the pitch from the Joe Kellogg Memorial Stand, down the right hand side you have hard standing and the dug outs, which are in front of the changing rooms and toilet block. These changing rooms were built in 1985, the same season that the floodlights were installed. Brian Clough sent a Nottingham Forest side down for the official switch on in October 1985, it wasn’t his first favour for the club. He had sent a Derby County side down to Deans Drive in the 1970’s, and only signed autographs if you addressed him as Mr Clough, a small price to pay for such a legends signature. Peter Taylor and Brian’s kids were also present, Nigel of course becoming well known in football but has now packed up the sport and manages Mansfield Town. J

 

The Changing Rooms built in 1985.

Opposite the changing rooms is a marvellous 250 seater cantilever stand built after the ground was purchased in 1993 and, apparently, using seats from Bolton Wanderers’ Burnden Park. This stand sets the club apart from others at this level and some above, a marvellous addition to any ground and something the Vics should be proud of.

 

The Main Stand in 2008, sponsored by Watkinson's Construction.

Burnden Park, Bolton, where the Vics seats were originally installed.

Behind the far goal is a strip of grass with two sections of steps allowing access to the slightly raised grassed area which has a small wall in front of it, making it look like some other structure may have been here at one time?

 

The land behind the far goal.

The wall behind the goal coming in handy in 2010/11.

Borrowash Vics have gone down the leagues in recent years, after gracing the Northern Counties East Premier around the turn of the Century, but we in the football community can be thankful the people at the club have kept it going for us to enjoy. Chairman Alan Ure stepped in when it looked like they may fold and appealed for volunteers to come on board. Running a football club is hard and the volunteers who stepped forward help out on match days, whether that be by serving us hot food, pulling a pint, taking our entrance fee or getting the ground ready and they deserve our respect and thanks for getting the game on, allowing us to spend a couple of hours at a great ground.

The Match.

What started as a tight game became a very competitive affair with a couple of what we like to describe as a “melee” in football. It only took Holbrook 8 minutes to take the lead when Billy Barnes superb effort flew into the top corner. They soon made it 2-0 when Owen Nixon scored with a penalty after just 17 minutes.

 

Owen Nixon's penalty gives Holbrook a 2-0 lead.

Despite being 2 goals down Borrowash had been getting forward just as much as Sports and it wasn’t really a surprise when they pulled one back on 32 minutes. As the rain started sweeping across the ground the cover was looking more welcoming and there’s plenty to choose from here, Holbrook scored a 3^rd, against the run of play really, not that they will feel bad about that as Nixon scored his second. 3-1 down at half time was harsh on Borrowash, would they be able to break down the visitors in the second half, both sides had played well but the Vics hadn’t created many chances with their possession.

 

First half action.

On 56 minutes the Vics were given a great chance of staying in the Cup when Taylor Greig was sent off for Holbrook. From that point Borrowash dominated possession with the Brookies reliant on a breakaway. Attacking down both wings, Borrowash pressed the Holbrook defence and, on 69 minutes, a cross into the box wasn’t dealt with and the ball poked home, 2-3 with plenty of time left for more.

 

Taylor Greig is sent off for Holbrook.

Vics score a 2nd.

For all the time the Vics had they seemed to lack that killer instinct and quality ball that would create a very good chance. Sam Linford in the Holbrook goal dealt with most of the chances that Vics created, though there was one scary moment when the ball went behind him but his defence dealt with it superbly, clearing from close to the goal line. Nine added minutes helped raise the tension as Vics pushed forward with corners and crosses from the wings being sent into the penalty area but Sports defence held firm. The whistle blew and the relief and joy escaped from Holbrook. I felt for Borrowash as they were great hosts, they have a fabulous set up but it was the visitors who went through to round 2. It was nice to see two committed sides taking our County Cup so seriously, which is what it deserves.

Borrowash Vics home is well worth a visit, even if you've been before, it has to be one of the best at step 7 with the spectator facilities. I've been a few times over the years, memorably with Alfreton Town when we were in the Northern Counties East League under Chris Wilder.

One of my visits was for an East Midlands Counties League fixture against Hinckley in 2011, which the Vics lost 1-0.

Action from the game v Hinckley in 2010/11

Action from Vics v Hinckley in 2011

Stevenson (blue shirt, on right) scores the only goal in the game v Hinckley.

My first visit was a goalless draw v Kiveton Park in the Central Midlands league Supreme Division in the 1993/94 season. 

Programme for the Kiveton Park game in 1993/94.

Match Report from the Derby Green Un.

Derbyshire Senior Cup 2nd Round.

I’d like to thank Kevin the Borrowash secretary, Alan Ure the Chairman and members of the Borrowash, Spondon, Ockbrook and Chaddesden 60s+70s Memories Facebook page where I was able to find some of the more older information on the Borrowash clubs.