Players, parents and staff at a local football club in Gedling have raised £10k for a local charity which grants magical wishes for youngsters with life threatening illnesses.
Representatives from Gedling Southbank Football Club invited Mayor of Gedling Sandra Barnes and Wish Upon A Star founder Barbara White along to a special evening of celebration where the cheque was presented to the charity.
Club representative Matt Johnson said: “It was a great celebration of the work put in by all those involved in the fundraising activities to help children less fortunate than ourselves. Well done to everyone”
Mapperley-based sports writer Marc Williams shares his own opinions and thoughts on national footballing topics.
251 of the most dedicated
spectators had just watched Nottinghamshire-based Gedling Miners Welfare share
the spoils with Heanor Town in an enthralling 3-3 draw in the tenth tier of
English football one bitter December afternoon when a feeling of pride kicked
in.
Welfare’s largest crowd of the
season – inevitable against their renowned Derbyshire opponents – make their
journeys home and the tireless efforts of behind-the-scene volunteers conclude for
yet another weekend of non-league football.
Goal nets are hauled down, muddy paths are swept and interviews are conducted in a makeshift portacabin with questionable lighting and frazzled audio. The freshly washed teams trundle their way to the nearby clubhouse where a chip roll and a pint of something awaits to replace lost electrolytes.
Opposing players, often friends, work colleagues and former teammates at this level, huddle in smoking areas to discuss the 90 minutes with playful tongue-in-cheek banter, meaningless jibes and jovial quips before doing it all again next week.
Groundhoppers. Raffles. Togetherness – all synonymous with non-league football. This is the propergame and there is nothing else like it.
Sitting nine steps below the Premier
League, the East Midlands Counties League, and many others, is miles adrift,
where clubs are indebted to the help of the often-unpaid players and volunteers,
local communities and sponsorship – small or large – all with no guarantee of a
future.
Up and down the country, efforts
of those committed to the non-league cause are facing regular adversity. Crippling
finances, break-ins and little governing support are a select number of factors
that are contributing to club liquidation, and the incline of their uphill
battle to maintain a status as a football club becomes ever steeper.
Groundhoppers. Raffles. Togetherness – all synonymous with non-league football. This is the proper game and there is nothing else like it.
But despite that, and with the Premier League juggernaut becoming stronger each year, the popularity of non-league football is rising and those deterred by the monetised behemoth that graces our television screens week in, week out are beginning to find out why.
To others, it has been there all along.
Since its introduction in 1992,
the Premier League has become an entity that has reached unforeseen levels with
little sign of slowing down, and the oft-repeated phrase that the working man
is being priced out of the game is becoming increasingly poignant.
The beautiful game which we all know
and love is being diluted into commercialised marketing propaganda that only
favours corporate guests, tourists and the prawn sandwich eater, with ‘real’
fans of the sport being left in the dark.
Ticket prices, television
subscription rates and lack of empathy are forever increasing and the
experience of attending a game in today’s market feels overwhelmingly expensive
and sterile. And with any emotion now utterly
sapped by video assistant referees, or VAR, fans are now seeking a more
economical, less-tinkered alternative.
Any avid follower of non-league will
vouch that it is not just the affordable prices and simplicity that keeps them
coming back – it is a lot more than that – and football played at the depths of
the FA’s pyramid system is now slowly clawing its way back to its rightful
level following a renaissance in recent years.
PICTURED: Former Norwich City Striker Grant Holt warming up as a substitute for Wroxham in the FA Vase. Credit: Nick Palmer (@stickypalms)
With rustic straightforwardness and an overwhelming sense of camaraderie, non-league football allows fans to strip back any PR and marketing gloss, a millionaire budget and fancy leather seats and get back to the beating heart of the game played in a relatable environment.
Clubs at this level are, quite inevitably, operationally smaller in size to their professional counterparts, but are immensely close-knit; as one with their local community and ridding of any untouchable titles, such as board member, chairman or president.
Everyone is family and the sense
of belonging is unmatched.
The affordable quality is there,
too, with little surprise when supporters frequently read of non-league players
stepping up and succeeding at full-time level.
We have all heard of Jamie
Vardy’s story. He combined a job as a technician whilst playing for
Stocksbridge Park Steels in the Northern Premier League Division One South before
signing for Halifax Town (then-Northern Premier League) in 2010.
Moves to Fleetwood Town (then-National
Premier League) followed before he secured a £1million move to Leicester City –
a non-league record fee – to become Premier League champion in 2016.
But whilst Vardy’s impressive career continues to fledge, he’s not the only player who owes a lot to non-league for their rise through the ranks.
Before signing for Reading in
2008, West Ham United winger Michail Antonio plied his trade at Tooting and
Mitcham. Chris Smalling, now on loan at Italian giants Roma from Manchester
United, began his football career at Maidstone United.
Yannick Bolasie (Hillingdon
Borough), Jimmy Bullard (Gravesend and Northfleet), Ian Wright (Greenwich
Borough) all look back with fond memories and the trend continues as January’s
transfer window saw many fulfil their childhood ambitions.
League Two’s Forest Green Rovers announced the signing of Josh March from Leamington of the National League North, whilst Muhammadu Faal and George Thomason secured moves to Bolton Wanderers from Towns Enfield and Longridge respectively.
Blackpool plumped for Warrington Town’s Ben Garrity on deadline day.
It is a beautiful spectacle and the
sincerest testament to non-league football and its following.
However, it is not just the fresh-faced wonderkids, stepping into professional boots, whom be indebted to life outside the 92. Others, who have ‘been there and done it’, see it as one final stop-off; a late test at the tail end of their careers, before retiring into coaching, punditry… or wrestling.
38-year-old, former WWE star and
ex-Norwich City striker Grant Holt scored for Wroxham, based in the Norfolk
Broads, as they progressed to the fifth round of the FA Vase with victory over
South Normanton recently.
Well-travelled target-man Jamie
Cureton (44) continued to score hat tricks at Bishops Stortford, before his
move to Hornchurch earlier this month, and even Ricardo Fuller (40), who made
several hundred professional appearances over a near 20-year career, is now
seen leading the line for Nantwich Town this season.
With admission as low as £3 at some clubs, non-league football provides a sense of old-school nostalgia that will help the more disillusioned fan rediscover their love of the game, with even the possibility of an ex-professional cropping up somewhere or a starlet in the making.
It is cost effective entertainment that has fans wanting more with many teams adhering to a less conservative style of play that makes for high scoring and exciting contests, unlike the more reserved, multi-millionaires that play at England’s top table.
You will feel welcomed. You may
even stick around long enough to become part of the furniture. But more
importantly, you will play a part in the existence and longevity of a
much-needed commodity of any local town, city or village – a football club.
To Jordan Sinnott,
a talented non-league footballer with Matlock Town who tragically died in Nottinghamshire on Saturday 25 January. He was 25.
A Huddersfield Town graduate, Jordan
had spells at Altrincham, FC Halifax Town, Chesterfield, Alfreton Town before
signing for Matlock in 2019.
Movingly, he scored his first ever career hat trick for the Gladiators in his last ever game; a 5-0 win over Basford United in the League Cup in mid-January, eleven days before his death.
Oscars buzz is everywhere following the nominations last month, with film fans now looking to seek out the flicks favoured by judges.
But those living in Gedling borough won’t have to go far, with The Bonington in Arnold giving people the chance to see if this year’s selections are really statue worthy.
These are the Oscar-nominated films playing over at The Bonington over the next few weeks…
1917 (15)
Friday, February 7 – Monday, February 17
You can also catch-up in March from Friday 13 – Thursday 19
Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (Skyfall, Spectre, American Beauty)
brings his singular vision to his World War I epic as two British soldiers
embark on a dangerous mission to save 1,600 men from certain doom.
At the height of
the First World War, two young British soldiers, Schofield and Blake are given
a seemingly impossible mission. In a race against time, they must cross enemy
territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of
soldiers—Blake’s own brother among them.
Jojo Rabbit (12A)
Saturday, February 22 – Thursday, February 27
Jojo is a lonely
German boy who discovers that his single mother is hiding a Jewish girl in
their attic. Aided only by his imaginary friends – who happens to be Adolf
Hitler – Jojo must confront his blind Nationalism as WWII continues to rage on.
SHOWING SOON: The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse (15)
Friday, March 28 & Saturday, February 29 at 7.30pm
From Robert Eggers, the visionary filmmaker behind modern
horror masterpiece The VVitch,
comes this hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers on a
remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s.
Parasite (15)
Friday, March 13 at 7.30pm
Winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite has become the
first Korean film to ever be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
Greed and class
discrimination threaten the newly formed symbiotic relationship between the
wealthy Park family and the destitute Kim clan in this funny, thrilling and
hugely entertaining film.
Nominated For: 6 Academy Awards including Best
Picture, Best Director and Best International Film
Marriage Story (15)
Sunday, March 15 & Thursday, March 19
No Netflix?
No problem! Nominated for Best Picture, Noah Baumbach’s emotional and heartfelt
film chronicles a coast-to-coast divorce that pushes a stage director and his
actor wife to breaking point.
Nominated For: 6 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actress (Johansson) Best Actor (Driver) & Best Original Screenplay.
Trustees of the Arnold Foodbank have thanked the community for their generosity over Christmas.
People across Gedling borough donated 13.5 tonnes of food and toiletries to the charity centre in Mansfield Road – that is a third of their annual amount in just one month.
Helen Lloyd, manager of Arnold Foodbank, said they’d never had a Christmas like it in terms of donations
She said: “We have now finally sorted through all our donations, finding all the mince pies before they go out of date.
PICTURED: Items being donated to the foodbank
“The food is still going out at a rate of at least one tonne a week and the abundance we have just now should mean we have food enough to keep us in stock until March. By then our tinned fruit and meat may start to look a bit low, but we can be sure that our pasta, beans and tea bags will still be going strong.
“We are so grateful to have the use of Daybrook Baptist Church, as every available space in this old building has been taken over to accommodate the generosity of the community. “
“The centre would like to thank those who have given through Gedling Borough Council, schools, churches, businesses, in stores and local shops – often giving multiple donations, and the many of you who gave financial donations directly or through our Just Giving page.”
Angry train passengers have been venting their frustration, saying they are being ‘packed like sardines’ on a daily service to two of the borough’s stations.
Commuters catching the 17.26pm service from Nottingham to Lincoln, which calls at Carlton and Burton Joyce stations, have said they are ‘baffled’ as to why it remains just two carriages when the service is in such high demand.
Passengers told us they could not fit onto the service or had to squeeze into the packed carriage on a daily basis.
Gedling resident Tom Rice catches the service to Carlton and said he was hoping the problem, which has existed for several years, would be solved when East Midlands Railway took over the franchise last August.
He said: “It’s been terrible for years. You have to accept being packed like sardines if you want to get home on time using this train. It’s always standing room only. I thought a third carriage would have been added by now as it’s really clear that two is not enough. I’m worried it’s only when someone gets hurt that something will finally be done.”
PICTURED: Passengers board the busy service at NottinghamPICTURED: Passengers waiting for the service to Carlton and Burton Joyce
Sheila Evans said she’d missed her stop several times as she’d been unable to get off the service in time.
“It’s too packed. It’s so difficult to get off the train on time. On several occasions I have ended up missing the Carlton stop and then had to get off at Burton Joyce.
“Why can’t East Midlands Railway do something? It’s dangerous. I’ve seen pensioners having to stand up on this service and they look really anxious. People just want to get home safely.”
Gedling Eye contacted East Midlands Railway who said they were aware of the problem.
An East Midlands Railway spokesperson said: “The number of carriages made available for each train company are agreed with the Department for Transport at the start of every franchise and every carriage within our fleet is being used as efficiently as possible to provide as much capacity as possible for customers.
“We are aware that some services between Nottingham and Carlton are extremely busy and can be overcrowded. We anticipate that from March this year, we will be able to strengthen the 17:26 service to an extra carriage, which will help passengers travel more comfortably. “We will continue to work with stakeholders to seek feedback and look at possible options to improve services on this route in the future.”
Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, Paddy Tipping today (Friday, 7) met with residents and local business owners in Netherfield to find out more about how neighbourhood police teams were tackling crime in the town.
Mr Tipping was joined on the walkabout by councillors Nicki Brooks and David Ellis, along with members of the local neighbourhood police team.
The group’s first visit of the day was to St George’s Centre, on Victoria Road, where they heard from manager Tina Simpson about the positive relationship community centre users have with local officers.
She said: “It’s wonderful that the neighbourhood police officers pay regular visits to the community centre. They have such a great relationship with our users and help them where they can. The beat surgeries they hold here are also popular too with residents.
“People using St George’s praise the active role the local police play in our community and I know they are really comfortable talking to these officers if they need help or want to report a crime.”
Two of the beat officers best known to people at the centre in Netherfield are PC Shajiat and PCSO Parkinson, who both joined Mr Tipping today on his walkabout.
Both agreed that despite a drop in crime around the town, proactive policing must remain a priority.
PC Shajiat said: “Our role is to keep making sure these local residents see police on their streets and feel reassured.
“We will keep regularly going into the community centre and also talking to residents and local business owners in the town as this is key to building up confidence in us.
“The more confidence these people have in local police officers, the more likely they are to report a crime to us when it happens and we can then quickly deal with it.”
PICTURED: Councillor Nicki Brooks, Paddy Tipping, PCSO Parkinson and Councillor David Ellis on their walkabout in Netherfield (PHOTO: Gedling Eye)PICTURED: The group talk to It’s Inn The Bank landlord David Murphy about his crime concernsPICTURE: Gedling EyePICTURED: PCC Paddy Tipping talks to PC Shajiat, right, about his work in the communityPICTURED: The group met with St George’s Centre manager Tina Simpson, second, left, during their walk around town
PCSO Parkinson was pleased that residents had the opportunity to talk to Mr Tipping face to face today.
He said: “Today’s event has given us a chance to hear views from the community and let them tell us and Mr Tipping about the concerns they have about low level crime and antisocial behaviour in the area, which they say continues to be a concern.
“We need to keep a close relationship with the people in this community as they are our eyes and ears and working closely with them means we can make real progress quickly when it comes to dealing with local crime.”
The police team and councillors’ final destination was the It’s Inn The Bank pub where they talked to customers and gathered their thoughts on local policing.
Mr Tipping also took the opportunity to quiz pub landlord David Murphy about his concerns for the town and his work with Pubwatch, a group which brings pub owners together to combat crime and anti-social behaviour in local licensed premises.
Mr Murphy expressed his concerns about the lack of police presence in the town to Mr Tipping.
Later, Mr Murphy shared more details about his conversation with the police and crime commissioner.
He said: “Mr Tipping told me at a Pubwatch meeting last year they would be recruiting more officers and he’s reiterated that promise to me here today, saying there will be another 100 by the end of the year.
“An increase is numbers is definitely needed: there simply aren’t enough police on the streets around Netherfield. There’s no point in police officers driving past trouble in police cars, they need to be on the streets so they can see what’s going on.”
He did praise neighbourhood police teams and Mr Tipping for being supportive of the Pubwatch scheme.
“We get a police report every month and an officer also attends every time we have a meeting,” he said.
“They are always asking what they can do to help and I can’t fault neighbourhood police on this; they are always supportive of the work we do in the Pubwatch group.”
Netherfield resident Garry Norman got the opportunity to talk to the neighbourhood police team during their pub visit and asked for more bobbies to be put on the beat.
He said: “There needs to be more police on our streets to reassure everyone that they are here for us and that they are protecting us. In the last ten years the community have been self policing around Netherfield.”
Mr Norman told us he wasn’t convinced that more officers would appear on local streets, despite assurances from the police team today.
“I’m not convinced, no, but let’s hope they do,” he said.
After completing his visit, Mr Tipping told Gedling Eye he believes Netherfield is now a town ‘on the up’.
He said: “I know Netherfield well as my daughter used to live here. The area did go through a bit of a down time but from what I’ve seen from our visit today that things are really picking up. There’s a great community spirit here.
“I think Netherfield is a good place to live, It’s getting a better place to live and it’s in all interests to make Netherfield an even safer place to live. We can do this with more police officers and there will soon be more on the streets. We’re recruiting hard with 107 extra police officers now joining us and numbers will continue to increase.”
Mr Tipping also addressed concerns raised about the sale of Carlton Police Station, which many believe had an impact on police numbers locally.
“The police are around. They are on these streets today. People want to see more bobbies, not buildings,” he said.
“By closing down buildings and reducing the size of the estate we’ve been able to invest more in policing. We have more police officers now than when I came into this post.
“More police on the streets is what the public told me they want. I listened to them and I am trying to deliver.”
Carlton’s council offices have also been earmarked for a revamp.
It was also revealed that Council officers will remain at Sir John Robinson House in Arnold, despite earlier proposals to locate staff elsewhere. Part of the building will be leased out to help generate income for the authority.
County Hall in West Bridgford is to be redeveloped to house more staff as part of the scheme.
The council have said the five-year strategy ‘aims to modernise Council offices, create more carbon neutral buildings and also generate income by leasing buildings with higher running-costs’.
PICTURED: Farmland will be used for the new development outside Linby
They also said that the plan will introduce an annual £1m saving in running costs and cut down travel time for residents by bringing services closer to them.
The strategy will be discussed and is subject to approval at the Policy Committee meeting on Wednesday, February 12.
Nottinghamshire County Council leader, Councillor Kay Cutts, MBE said they want the scheme to deliver the best value for residents.
She said: “We are investing in Nottinghamshire. These plans will benefit communities across the county and bring opportunities for growth and improved services in the long term.
“These plans will save money and improve the quality of services and are essential to bringing services closer to the residents who need them the most, wherever they live in our county.
“We have brought all our Council building plans together to look at this issue as a five -year masterplan as we want to create more energy-efficient, modern council offices.
“We are an ambitious, forward-thinking council and we owe it the taxpayers of Nottinghamshire to make this investment.”
The 3.8km road will ease congestion in Gedling Village and facilitate the building of over 1,000 much needed new homes on the former Gedling Colliery and Chase Farm sites.
The Gedling Access Road, which will run from Mapperley Plains to the A612 at the Burton Road/Nottingham Road and Trent Valley Way junction, will also improve access to Gedling Borough Council owned Gedling Country Park.
Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said: “Bringing the Gedling Access Road project into fruition has been a real partnership effort, I’m proud Gedling Borough Council led the way in bringing partners together to secure the investment needed for its construction which will alleviate pressure on Gedling Village and attract many more visitors to our fantastic Gedling Country Park.
“I’d like to thank all partners for their support for this important project. Nottinghamshire County Council gave its backing to this project back in March 2017 and it’s fantastic to finally see work begin on the construction of the road.’
PICTURED: Councillor Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council; Councillor Kevin Rostance, Chairman of Nottinghamshire County Council and Councillor John Cottee, Chairman of the Communities and Place Committee with representatives from Via East Midlands, Gedling Borough Council, Balfour Beatty, Homes England, Keepmoat Homes and D2N2.Visualisation of the new Gedling Access Road
Initial works which have taken place include site clearance across the entire 3.8km stretch of the road to prepare for major earth movement and drainage works in coming weeks.
Councillor Kay Cutts MBE, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said The Gedling Access Road will lead the way for future sustainable development in the area.
She said: “The completed road will pave the way for new housing and business developments to better provide for Gedling as a thriving community whilst reducing the amount of traffic on urban roads. The existing roads will remain to provide a quieter route for local traffic, including buses, cyclists, and pedestrians.
“Upon completion of the GAR, the new road will become the A6211, and the existing route will be declassified, save for Colwick Loop Road which will be reclassified as a ‘B’ class road. It is also intended to reduce the speed limit on Arnold Lane and introduce a 7.5t Environmental Weight Limit on Burton Road, Shearing Hill.
“The project is significant to the community as it will reduce congestion in Gedling Village and will increase connectivity with the wider road network.
Via East Midlands Managing Director, Doug Coutts, added: “Via East Midlands is proud to be managing the design and delivery of the Gedling Access Road, a project which will improve congestion in the area whilst unlocking significant development and investment opportunities.
“There has already been a significant amount of work delivered to plan and prepare the site and working with our partners, we look forward to constructing a new key route for Nottinghamshire.”
Police have ordered a shop in Gedling to be shut down for three months after cannabis was discovered at the property.
The business was searched following intelligence from the local community and has had a closure order agreed for the next three months.
Officers who are part of new proactive policing teams carried out a warrant last week and recovered a quantity of cannabis from the property.
A man was arrested and has subsequently been questioned and released under investigation.
The proactive work follows the announcement that all 12 neighbourhood policing areas across the city and county will have a team of six officers committed to tackling local issues and crime while enhancing partner and community relationships.
Detective Sergeant Mike Ebbins, who led the warrant, said: “The update of the closure notice is a positive step and sends a clear message that this will not be tolerated on our patch. It is important the community know that we will listen to concerns and act upon information provided.
PICTURED: Cannabis found at the property in Gedling
“Having the extra resource means we can tackle what really matters to the community and examples such as the warrant on Wednesday just goes to show our commitment to doing just that.”
Neighbourhood Policing Inspector for Gedling, Chris Pearson, said: “It’s great to see the benefits that the boost to proactive policing is already having in Gedling.
“Hearing of the updates coming out of Wednesday’s warrant, I’d like to use the results to reassure the community that we will investigate such reports and that any form of drug-related activity will not be tolerated.
”Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Paddy Tipping met with the officers and local councillors last week ahead of the new proactive teams launching, and added:
“We are expanding Op Reacher rapidly and every Neighbourhood Inspector will have a team.
“The team in Gedling started just last week and have already produced dramatic results – we are on the road!”
Leader of Gedling Borough Council Councillor John Clarke said: “Let this be a warning shot to others who are involved in similar illegal operations that quick action will be taken and we won’t tolerate this in our borough.
“The initial success of the operation is a great sign and we’re very pleased with the partnership work taking place with the police and our Public Protection team to keep our communities safe.
“We ask that residents, who are our eyes and ears, let the police know if they see anything suspicious.”
Gedling Borough Council today defended the use of cookies on their website after a report by the BBC revealed some authorities were using them to target residents seeking benefit advice with adverts for credit cards and loans.
Research by the BBC Shared Data Unit found more than 950 advertising cookies – small text files that track people on the internet – were embedded in council benefits pages across the UK.
Examples of targeted adverts on benefits pages seen by the BBC include high-interest credit cards, Black Friday deals, sports cars with features for disabled people and private funeral care plans.
Many cookies are used to improve the browsing experience, typically being used for audience measurement, hosting and website design.
But some third-party advertising cookies are used to send information to advertisers about an individual’s browsing habits.
PICTURED: Civic Centre at Arnot Hill Park
A spokesman for Gedling Borough Council told Gedling Eye that although cookies were enabled on the council website, they weren’t being used to for advertising purposes.
He said: “The cookies we use are part of Google Analytics which show how many visitors come to a page, they are not used for marketing or advertising and we do not sell, trade or rent any users data to third parties. Our cookies and privacy policy is clear about this.
“The only pop up on our website is to promote our email newsletter service, keep me posted. The cookie is used here so the visitor can have the option never to see the pop up again for future visits. It does not store any personal information.”
The BBC investigation found that some 54% of councils hosted third-party advertising cookies on their benefits pages, with 950 in total being discovered.
They also discovered more than two thirds of councils do not appear to ask for the correct form of consent under current privacy laws
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), an independent body set up to uphold information rights, said the setting of non-essential cookies without consent would be illegal.
The ICO has said it would look into our findings.
The advertising industry has denied using data from vulnerable residents.
