Ambers Cup does not runneth over...

Last Saturday, Handsworth FC were knocked out of the FA Vase at Euxton Villa in a First Qualifying Round Tie. It was Euxton's first ever game in The Vase competition. Final score was 3-2 to the hosts. We didn't go because again, as in the FA Cup defeat at Barnoldswick, it was a 4 hour round trip.

The game at Euxton came on the back of 3 successive NCEL Premier league wins so The Ambers faithful probably expected a more positive outcome but it wasn't to be. I had my doubts when I saw the line-up on the Twitter feed. We only had three substitutes and one of them was a goalkeeper. It seems that about 8 or 9 of the 1st team "regulars" were not available through injury or other commitments

Ian Robinson's match report is here and as ever, is worth a read.

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/handsworthfc/teams/126071/match-centre/0-5697479/report

So, out of both major cup competitions and it's back to league business. There's been change of plan here too. Handsworth were scheduled to play away at Emley on Friday September 1st but that fixture was postponed because Emley went through to the next round of the FA Cup and cup games take priority over league games. As it happens, we wouldn't have got to the Emley game anyway because we head off on a few days holiday on the 1st.

The Ambers are therefore next in action on Saturday 9th September, the day after we get back, so we plan to make the trip to Bottesford. A new ground for us! Our holiday has fallen at the right time (not planned) because we won't miss any 1st team fixtures whilst we are away!

Since there's no match action pictures to show, I decided to publish a couple of shots of my happy place - Oliver's Mount! (And BTW - it looks just as good when the sun's not shining!)

Until the next time... 

COYA🧡🖤⚽👊

The momentum continues!

After a second successive 2-0 win, this time away at Eccleshill, Handsworth faced probably their biggest test yet when high-flying Hallam FC, with their 100% league record, visited Oliver's Mount on 23rd August for a game billed as the "Steel City Derby."

And what a game it turned out to be! A bumper crowd of 518 saw Handsworth gain a 3-2 victory over Hallam in an action-packed, pulsating affair.

Having taken a 0-2 lead, Hallam looked to be on their way to another league win until Mitch Dunne opened his season's goal-scoring account with 2 very good but very different strikes either side of halftime to bring the scores level. 

The 1st of captain Mitch Dunne's two goals

Then, with about 20 minutes left, ex-Handsworth striker Aaron Moxam grabbed the winning goal, after coming on as a sub. Aaron has returned to the Ambers fold following 5 seasons away and looks like a very astute signing.

It was a proper derby with a big crowd, 5 excellent goals, an amazing comeback by the home side, 110% effort from both teams and some awesome football. All this for £5 entrance fee! Who needs Premier League!?!

For a more detailed account, read Ian Robinson's excellent Match Report here:

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/handsworthfc/teams/126071/match-centre/1-14094441/report

and my photo album  is here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/62126085@N04/albums/72177720310722487

It has to be said that the "Feel-good factor" looks to have returned to Handsworth FC. In my particular case, after this fantastic match, I think that the adrenalin finally stopped pumping somewhere around 36 hours after the final whistle!!

Next up is an FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round match tomorrow. The game is at Euxton Villa who are located near Chorley in Lancashire so we won't be going. I've said before that a 4-hour round trip to a game is just a bit too time-consuming for this knackered old pensioner!! Good luck to the boys! COYA!!

Since we are heading off on a week's vacation soon, it means our next opportunity to see a first team game will be on or around 9th September but we'll have to wait and see.

🧡🖤⚽👊

Season up and running.

Wednesday, 16th August 2023 and  Handsworth FC recorded their first win of the season in a tough encounter with a good Garforth side.

The lads grew into the game after a dominant start by the visitors. Two goals early in the 2nd half secured the 3 points. The goals were scored by Alfie Dodsworth, who fired home a shot from the angle of the penalty area into the far corner of the net and Kieran Wells, who was re-signed by the Ambers last week. Kieran pounced on a defensive error, rounded the keeper and rolled the ball into an empty net.

It wasn't all over by any means and Handsworth still had some defensive work to do as Garforth took the game to Handsworth in an effort to get back into it but The Ambers stood firm. Goalkeeper Dylan Parkin maintained his current good form and in particular, a world-class double save in the second half showed his quality once again.

Ian Robinson's Match Report is on the club website. Another honest and accurate account of the evening's proceedings. Have a read:

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/handsworthfc/teams/126071/match-centre/1-14094423/report

I'm a little ashamed to admit that as a photographer, I missed both goals!! Alfie's strike in particular caught everyone by surprise and I was moving to a new position to get a better view of the goal area when Kieran scored his! My match album (minus 2 goals of course) is here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/62126085@N04/albums/72177720310557303

Fortunately, there's a video highlights package on the Handsworth website. It's worth a look if only to see the fantastic strike by Alfie. A goal to grace any game at any level. And I missed it...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCQlwoEzoRU&t=75s

It's good to see another former Amber has been re-signed too. Along with "Wellsy",  Aaron Moxam has joined us again after a successful period with the club a few years ago. These two players will add to the Ambers striker options of course and will also bring a wealth of experience to the team. The squad is now a really good blend of youth and experience.

Next up is an away trip to Eccleshill today (August 19th) but we won't be there. I have some business in Sheffield around lunchtime and by the time that's done, it'll be too late to get to the game before kick off.

With no Saturday football for us again, we went to watch the Ambers Under-18 side who were in FA Youth Cup action at Oliver's Mount on Friday evening. (18th August).

This was another cracking game of football as the Ambers ran out 4-1 winners. Handsworth were 2-0 up at half time but Eccleshill U21 made a fast start in the 2nd half and quickly pulled a goal back. Handsworth had to absorb some pressure but scored two more late on as legs on both sides began to tire.

A great advert for youth football this with both teams having their moments. Both played some excellent passing football but did the physical stuff as well when it was necessary. There's no doubt that the young talent on show suggests the future's bright for both clubs.

Since I don't have CRB or DBS clearance, Safeguarding certification or whatever it's called these days, I wasn't allowed to take photos of the game. It actually made a nice change to watch a game normally and not through a camera lens. Every cloud...!

🧡🤎⚽👊

It's been a while...!

Handsworth FC had no game at the weekend so we decided to have a look at our "2nd Club" Dronfield Town. I was quite surprised to see from my diaries and photo album logs that it's been 2 years since we went to watch a game at Stonelow Road so the visit was long overdue.

We first started watching non-league football around 2006 when a friend signed for Belper Town and we went to watch one of his early games. We got hooked on the whole non-league experience and have been devotees ever since.

Our involvement with the Sheffield & District Junior Sunday League meant  we knew of Dronfield Town's junior sides and their Club Secretary who was Darren Bradwell. As registrars, Sheila and I looked after their Junior section's player registrations. I also worked at the same company as Darren so we were in day-to-day contact outside football too.

Since formally becoming Dronfield Town around 2000, they have risen through the ranks of non-league and now play in the NCEL Division 1. We started watching the odd game when possible. Stonelow is only a stone's throw from our house (see what I did there?!?). It's just a 10 to 15 minute drive.

For me, one of the most notable things about the Club is the way their volunteers have worked hard on the ground and spectator facilities. In the past, the pitch used to get waterlogged fairly frequently. It slopes from one touchline to the other and the top touchline is at the bottom of another slope from the cricket pitch above. Rainwater draining from the top of that slope used to make the area along the top touchline particularly boggy during wet weather.

The hard work that has gone into sorting out drainage and improving spectator facilities is obvious and the results impressive. The playing surface is good despite the slope and there's a compact, seated stand, a play area for youngsters to enjoy in safety and a small but adequate clubhouse and snack bar. It's a good club with nice people and well worth a visit if you're at a loose end.

On Saturday, Dronfield drew 1-1 with Beverley Town and so secured their first point of a difficult season opening schedule. A draw was about the right result I reckon. Beverley scored first but the Dronfield No 9, Max Rhodes, scored on debut to earn a point for the home side

It wasn't a classic by any means. A strong, gusty wind and some very heavy showers made life difficult for the players. Both sides battled hard against the elements (and each other!) and both managed to play some good football when they got the ball down and passed it around. It also meant I had to shoot most of the game from the back of the stand although I managed decent shots of both goals and some nice action shots too if I do say so myself!

My match album is here if you want to look:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/62126085@N04/albums/72177720310445480

We really enjoyed our visit to Dronfield and it won't be another 2 years before we're back there. Although our Handsworth commitments will probably rule out most Saturdays games, Dronfield play their midweek fixtures on a Tuesday evening whereas Handsworth play on Wednesdays.

Best keep the camera batteries well charged then!!

⚽📸⚽

The stop-start season continues...

Last weekend, Handsworth were knocked out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle. The game was at Barnoldswick FC, which is a bit of a trek, so we didn't go. As I get older, I find that I don't travel as well as I once did so a 2 hour minimum journey was just a bit too much. Then, of course, there's the 2-hour journey back!

Ian Robinson's match report records that once again, after scoring first, the Ambers conceded 2 goals in quick succession. Add to that the fact that Handsworth had a player sent off then conceded a 3rd goal and it turned out to be a pretty miserable day all told. Have a read at Ian's excellent report on our website:

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/handsworthfc/teams/126071/match-centre/0-5679474/report

Maltby Main were scheduled to be our next opponents in the league campaign but they drew their FA Cup game which meant a replay for them on Wednesday. Since the FA Cup takes priority, our league fixture at their place today has had to be postponed.

Fixture schedules meant that we have no game on Saturday 12th August so our next fixture will not be until we face Garforth at Oliver's Mount on Wednesday 16th August. This means that since the "serious stuff" began on 29th July, The Ambers have played only 2 games, sadly, losing both. 

Frustrating to say the least and it's hard for the club and it's volunteers because no games means reduced income so we hope that we can attract a bigger than average home gate for the rest of the season. It'd be nice if everyone who attends our next game could bring a mate!

With no Ambers game on Saturday, I'm thinking of taking the chance to watch/photograph Dronfield Town's home game. I regard "Town" as my 2nd team but have had little opportunity to watch them over the last couple of seasons.

My connection with them is through the ex-General Manager at my old place of work who was also Club Secretary at Dronfield for many years. Sheila and I also knew of Darren Bradwell through our years of involvement as registrars with the Sheffield & District Junior Sunday League.

Sadly, Darren passed away suddenly in February this year and although he no longer had a formal connection with Dronfield Town, he always kept an eye on how the club was progressing.

I'm quite looking forward to seeing what further improvements have been made to the Stonelow Road ground. The club has continued to make some remarkable advances in their facilities if match photos I've seen are anything to go by.

I'll let you know!  (Weather permitting! 😉)

The future's (still) bright...

Handsworth FC 2 - 3 Golcar Utd.

NCEL Premier Division

2nd August 2023

So, the Ambers season finally got underway at Olivers Mount last Wednesday. The first competitive game for the new squad ended in defeat to visitors Golcar Utd but the scoreline doesn't tell the complete story.

This was a very competitive encounter with both sides having periods of dominance.

Handsworth scored early on when Mason Barlow forced the ball home from close range, giving The Ambers a 1-0 half time lead but Golcar scored twice in 3 minutes early in the 2nd half to turn the game on it's head.

Brendan Bagley scored Handsworth's equaliser after a penalty had been missed and the home side continued to press but a deserved point was denied them when Golcar scored a late winner from a free kick.

In the dying minutes, there was a "handbags" scuffle involving almost all of the players. Golcar claimed a foul which was not given and Handsworth were prevented from taking a quick throw-in to get the game restarted. The hoo-ha used up the last minute and a bit of the 4 minutes added time. When the dust settled, the ref blew for full time.

A good performance which augers well for the future, especially when a couple of players who were not available on the day make their return.

My match album can be viewed here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/62126085@N04/albums/72177720310242148

 and Ian Robinson's Match Report is now on the Handsworth website:

https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/handsworthfc/teams/126071/match-centre/1-14094402/report

Our new programme made its debut! I'm very proud to say the cover was designed and created by our son Mark. He is a graphic designer at a company called "Everybody Can Design" which he part owns. The company is based in Rotterdam, Netherlands where Mark specialises in Brand Management. (Have a look at their website!)

 https://www.everybodycandesign.com/

The inside pages have also been revamped by the programme editor and match reporter Ian Robinson. The joint effort was very well received! Team work off the pitch as well as on it!

Next up is a long trip over the Pennines to face Barnoldswick in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary round. We can't make that trip today (Saturday 5th August) but it's fingers crossed for a win which would bring prize money of £1,125 into Handsworth's coffers. That'd be a "nice little earner" as they say!

🧡🖤⚽👊