Out of Season

Coping without football (almost).

Pilsley Community, Chesterfield Sunday League Alma Cup Winners.

Thankfully, the gap between one season ending and the next starting is shrinking to the point of being almost invisible. If you follow just one club the gap is more identifiable from the last game of the season to your first pre-season friendly, but for those of us who go to other games, such as local cup finals, other teams play-off games etc, then avoiding reality is a little easier.

Following my final game of last season, the Chesterfield Sunday League's Alma Cup Final and all the photos have been edited and the records updated it’s then time to reconnect with normal life.

It can be scary.

The conundrum is how do we integrate back into society, even for those few weeks when going to a ground is taken away.

This Summer I had a big shock when I realised my wife had her own life that she was living. I can tell you, I was quite surprised when on my first free Saturday Jane wasn’t waiting for me to spend time with her. None of us want the love of our life to be sat at home pining for us while we’re out doing the important football stuff, but it would have been nice had Jane been sat at home pining for me.

Integration wasn’t going to be as easy as I thought, but there was only 6 weeks to do normal stuff so I should be ok and this is how I survived real life.

Firstly, I ran off to watch a game in the Derbyshire Summer Football League. Now, this could be classed as cheating, but who amongst you judgemental folk would criticise someone using methadone to try and get off heroin, I rest my case.

A Pavilion player in action v Vaults.

The (Derbyshire) Summer Football League has been around since 1929. It was set up so that young men in the local villages could take part in the sport as they mostly worked in farming or it’s associated trades and would be busy on Saturday’s when the traditional leagues would be played. Though few farmers take part now the Summer Football League continues. It’s seen a decline in numbers just like local leagues around the country, those that are left, mostly, see fewer divisions than 20, 30, 40 years ago.

Pavilion's (in blue) first goal against Vaults.

There was, and still is, great pride in representing your village, either based at the local pub or otherwise. Testing yourself against opponents from other local areas, socialising amongst teammates and opponents, all important to building the community around the Summer Football League. Reputations were built as the better players were recognised as such by their peers and people relished the opportunity to test themselves against their neighbouring villages.

Times change and to survive so has the league. Originally titled the Summer Football League, Derbyshire was added to make it easier to find on the internet, plus, I suspect, identifying the area it operates in compared to the likes of Catforth (in the north-west) and Llandyrnog and District, based in the Vale of Clywd.

The cover at the Ashbourne Recreation Ground.

I went to two fixtures in the Derbyshire Summer League. The first at Ashbourne, Vaults v Pavillion, was played on the main pitch on Ashbourne Recreation Ground, used, apparently, by Ashbourne of the Staffs County League. This pitch had a small cover on one side, which I didn’t expect, and was near the cricket ground. Slightly elevated and up the slope was a bar cum dressing room building, complete with toilets and a kiosk selling drinks and snacks. It’s possible from here to sit at the pub style bench tables and watch the football or cricket, a fantastic view of either and better facilities than I expected. Pavilion won this game 2-0 and though the skill level isn’t as high as your usual non-league game the games are competitive and there are still some handy players on the pitch. An enjoyable evening.

The cover in relation to the pavilion at Ashbourne.

Ashbourne pavilion.

My second game was just inside the Staffordshire border at Mayfield which Royal Oak used in their game against Broughton Wanderers for a League Cup 1^st round tie. Royal Oak were on a bad run but managed to win this game 1-0 in what was an exciting contest as they defended well against their opponents.

Royal Oak v Broughton Wanderers (blue)

The picturesque setting at Mayfield.

The Royal Oak at Mayfield.

This game was played at one of the hottest days of the year and there was just 1 bench, behind one of the goals, and nicely shaded in the trees at this picturesque setting. A lady came over and sat on the bench, followed by her son. When the lady’s husband came over I stood up to let him have the last seat. We got talking football and I asked if they lived locally and the older gentleman said they’d come from Chester Le Street to which I replied, “of course you have”. As we were talking I recognised the bloke and asked if he had played football himself, to which he answered that he had and then I knew I was in the presence of greatness as I was talking to Colin Todd, a Derby County and England legend. An enjoyable discussion was had before the game started, in which his Grandson was playing for Royal Oak. Colin allowed me a selfie with him and this made the journey to this quiet part of the Midlands so worthwhile, an unexpected bonus, wow.

Colin Todd enjoying the game and the shade.

Colin Todd in his Derby County days.

You can find more information on the Derbyshire Summer Football league on their Facebook page.

So, going to a couple of Summer games helped, but I also needed to get used to seeing people on Saturday outside of a football setting. My next venture wasn’t planned, cricket. I’ve never really been that interested in this summer sport and no matter how much I missed football, cricket was never on the radar.

This changed because I read “Local Heroes” by John Shawcroft. The book was about the Derbyshire side that won the County Championship in 1936, the only time my county have done so.

John Shawcroft's excellent book.

John Shawcroft’s excellent book tells of the people involved, in particular (of course) the players. It was interesting to read of players who had lived in villages surrounding where I was brought up, at Mickley. In particular, Bill Copson, who like so many others, was a miner. Bill was born in Stonebroom, where I had family and my wife is from and is the next village to Mickley. His Brother lived on Tennyson Street at Mickley the street I lived on when I was a young lad. Delving further into Shawcroft’s book I discovered that Bill Copson played for Morton Colliery CC, in the village next to Mickley & Stonebroom.

After reading the book I decided to see if Morton Colliery CC would like the copy, particularly has it had the story of their former player Bill Copson, Derbyshire’s fast bowler in that 1936 championship side, which brings us to my trip down to their game against Swarkestone 2^nd XI.

This way.

I was directed to Tony Lowe who has been with the club for years I explained the local cricketing mention in the book and left it for the club to keep. Tony seemed pleased to receive the book and told me that they had named the pavilion at the ground after Bill Copson, following a competition to find a name for it. It was a lovely touch as it’s always good to see past players, particularly one who represented the County and England being recognised.

I stayed for the game and watched as Morton managed 206/9 in their 45 overs with J. Stone getting to 99 not out. Swarkestone couldn’t match that and were all out for 171. The cricket ground is in a nice setting, you wouldn’t believe it was within the confines of the village. I enjoyed being at the game, not just because I found the game interesting but the club itself had a certain “feel” to it, I felt comfortable being there, and could do this regularly.

A few weeks later I saw Alfreton CC at Ilkeston Rutland, Ilkeston winning by 42 runs. The following week I was back at Morton, this time they were all out for 106 and were beaten by 6 wickets by Sandiacre 2^nd XI. A trip to South Wingfield for their 2^nd XI’s 5 wicket victory over Quarndon was the last game I went to as competitive football returned. It’s a new sport to me and I’ve enjoyed the facilities, the settings, the game itself and the people involved. I’ll be back at cricket next Summer.

Bill Copson, remembered at Morton Colliery CC

The covers

The bar and dressing rooms at Morton Colliery CC

Local sponsors supporting Morton Colliery CC

I found the https://derbyscountylge.play-cricket.com/home website really informative for live scores and upcoming fixtures.

Ilkeston Rutland CC

South Wingfield CC

There were other things to occupy the Summer of course, calling in at Alfreton Town when I was free a couple of Saturday’s and helping do some painting, others put much more hours in than me and I tip my hat off to football club volunteers who help their local side by doing maintenance amongst a whole host of jobs throughout the season to ensure we have a game to go to.

Alfreton Town, spick & span

My out of season activities sound like a sports fest, whether it was watching football or cricket or going to Alfreton’s ground but I promise it wasn’t all about that.

I did take part in activities normal people do, the best was seeing the Levellers at Scarborough with Jane. There was also Summer fete’s, trips to London with the siblings, seeing Grandkids, meeting my newest Grandchild, Scarlett, who arrived in July.

The best part of Summer, Scarlett.

In Scarborough for the Levellers

Plenty of activities to meet non-football people and retrain in talking about other things. Those 37 days from my last game of 2024/25 to the first one in 2025/26 weren’t easy, I hope you don’t read this and feel you can survive without putting a little effort in, you can’t. So, enjoy the next 9-10 months it will go quickly so take a little time in between your football watching to plan Summer 2026, book holidays, gigs, time with family, and you just might get through that awful period we know as the close season.

Here's to more scenes like this.