Match Details: Dinnington Town 0 - Atherton Collieries 2 (FA Cup EPR)
2012-13 Season: An increased workload and busier personal life at the moment means that updates to this blog are likley to be briefer and less frequent than previously. However, I will try to focus on those places which have not already been covered in the past, and hopefully by the end of the campaign have covered most if not all of the region’s non-league clubs down to Step 7. To begin the season, we head down to Dinnington for an FA Cup opener..
Destination:Phoenix Park, Dinnington Resource Centre, Laughton Road, Dinnington, South Yorks, S25 2PP
Competition:FA Cup, Extra-Preliminary Round.
Attendance: 102
Admission: £4
Programme: sold out
Directions: For car drivers there is a car park right in front of the ground at the Resource Centre. If travelling by public transport, then the nearest rail station to Dinnington is Rotherham. Just over the road from Rotherham railway station is located the bus station, and from there it’s a 30-minute journey on the number 19/19a/19b bus (which runs every 15 minutes or so). Look out for the Squirrel pub on your right, and then hop off as soon as you see it. From here, the ground is just a couple of minutes’ walk away down Laughton Road, as you amble in the direction of Dinnington bus station.
Inside the ground Surrounding the pitch is some narrow hardstanding and three stands – with some covered terracing, and a second stand with wooden benches atop breezeblocks (as pictured above) sitting side-by-side across the halfway line. In between these two structures there is also a small tea bar, which serves a basic selection of food and cold drinks plus tea/coffee. Around the ground today were a good number of friendly home volunteers, who were easy to spot and all looked very dapper courtesy of their regulation Dinnington Town polo shirts. Meanwhile, continuing with the ground tour, over to the right of the above behind one goal is a second seated stand, as pictured below.
Elsewhere in the complex is a Resource Centre, which also contains the player changing rooms and spectator toilets, and there is also a bowling green situated adjoining one end of the football pitch.
On the pitch today, Dinnington were a bit unlucky to fall at the first hurdle of the FA Cup, as they had the balance of play but just couldn’t get a clear enough chance to put the ball in the net. Ultimately, Atherton capitalised with two good finishes on the break, the second of which came in the closing stages, by which time Dinno were chasing the game and leaving the unavoidable hole or two at the back. In truth it wasn’t the greatest of games to watch, but plenty of effort was put in by the players, and with the FA Cup starting earlier this year, the harder summer pitch and less time to bed new players in possibly made a difference too. But in the end it was the away fans who were toasting victory in Sammy Squirrel’s Play Den in the nearby pub afterwards.
Great read! I was also at this match, and you can read my blog here – http://gibbos92.wordpress.com/2012/08/26/dinnington-town-fc-phoenix-park/
Think I remember seeing you walking around with your camera!