Hall Corner, home of Glapwell FC based in Derbyshire. It’s been a turbulent few years for this club, from being in the Unibond League as high up as what we now know as the National League North to sadly folding in 2018… But they weren’t down for long, they’ve reformed and are currently playing in the Central Midlands Division One North League.
It’s a beautiful day for it!!! Why did I bring my coat…? I have landed in Glapwell and to the ground I go. “Hello, welcome to Hall Corner!” What a lovely welcome that was!! You don’t see that at every ground you visit! I wish you did though. It would sure be nice if you got a Hello, welcome to Anfield or Hello welcome to Old Trafford wouldn’t it!? But then again it would be annoying saying it many thousand times…
£3.50 donation made by me for this league tie! Lovely Jubbly! 780 JLC are the visitors to Hall Corner today, a very unique name for a team I must say. Kick Off! Glapwell starting the better of the 2 teams taking the game to 780, but no goals as of yet.
A great chat with the Groundsman and former player of the club who is stood next to me now about the club’s success and an interesting insight into a blueprint of a new ground that was in the pipeline just down the road from the current ground with a capacity of 5,000!! But the football hating local council were sadly not interested… What could have been for this club! One league below the Conference, the National League as it’s now known!!
11 minutes gone now and in the midst of me and the Glapwell groundsman’s chat, number 9 has the ball down the right and side and he drives towards goal, he’s in and he puts it on a plate for number 11, surely… It is!!! 0-1! 780 take the lead with a goal that would end the best of friendships on FIFA!
5 minutes later and can Glapwell respond? They come forward now and play the ball through for number 10 in the box, he’s broken free… But he can’t wrap his foot around it and it goes over. 20 minutes on the clock now and Glapwell have a free kick on the right, the cross comes in and dealt with by 780 but only to number 7 for Glapwell who controls and shoots on the volley… Good save by the keeper and it’s a corner, in it comes… A very poor corner there straight to the keeper.
25 minutes on the watch now and 780 have a goal kick, played long, number 7 for 780 has won it and has broken free and he drives at goal… And finishes!!! 0-2!! Glapwell players not happy with each other here now! Glapwell enjoying most of the possession now but it’s becoming a frustrating afternoon for them so far as they can’t quite create any clear cut chances.
2 minutes till half time and number 7 has the ball on the left for Glapwell, he drives down the wing and cuts inside, he keeps going and shoots… It’s hit his own man and goes out for a goal kick… Is it going to be one of those days for Glapwell? The score at half time remained 0-2.
Second half, can Glapwell mount a fightback? 1 minute in and 780 come forward, number 11 is played through in acres of space surely he’ll score… Good save by the keeper but it’s fallen straight to number 7 on the rebound! And it’s 3!! Glapwell did not need that… A chat now with the man on the gate whose name is Andy!
A lovely chat about the club of old times and the ambition for the future of the club. It has a real community feel around here I must say and the club has set up a junior club to feed in to the senior team, could we one day see Glapwell back to where they once were?
57 minutes gone and Glapwell have a corner, in it comes, number 14 with the header!!! Over! That’s better from Glapwell!! 7 minutes later and they have another corner, in it comes again, number 11 this time… So close!! Just over!! 76 minutes gone and 780 have a corner now, in it comes, it’s gone all the way over but 780 still have the ball, it is played to number 6 just outside the box, he plays a 1-2 and he’s in… He rolls it under the keeper and finds the net and it’s 0-4!!
82 minutes gone and Glapwell come forward again, the ball is played to number 4 on the edge of the box, he gets away from the defender and shoots on the turn… Just wide!! 88 minutes on the clock and Glapwell have a corner, here it is, a free header for number 15… OH! It’s just wide… Isn’t that the story of Glapwell’s day!? One team has taken their chances whereas the other team hasn’t and that is how the game finished on a frustrating day for Glapwell.
FT: Glapwell 0-4 780 JLC
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 2/10 – Not much noise from fans in attendance today but it sure was a friendly one!!
- The Ground: 6.5/10 – The ground is a little run down, but I am a big fan of the layout of it and the personality is shows with the black and white stripes around certain places in the ground. They also have an away turnstile for the away fans of the club’s golden years and if only they had the tables set up next to the bar for the beer garden… That would have made it a 10/10 ground!!
- Expense: 10/10 – It was technically free entry, but with welcomes like that for spectators, you would have to be very rude not to donate and still with that and 4 goals, it’s a definite top mark! If Carlsberg did welcomes…
- Overall Experience: 10/10 – I have to say, this is the friendliest club I have ever visited! Hopefully so far but I would have to go a long way! Great to meet people like Andy and the Groundsman and the 2 men operating the café, they made my day! 4 goals and a decent game means another top mark score! A definite recommendation to all groundhoppers out there!
28.5/40