Date: Saturday January 21 2012
Ground: Roundwood Pavillion
Comp: Northern Counties East League Premier
Match: Parkgate 4 Liversedge 1 HT: 1-1
Outtram 28, Swindells 65, 67, Hannity 90 : Boardman 14
ATT: 111
Additional: Entrance £5.00, Programme £1.50
Roundwood Pavillion in pictures
Ground Statistics (marks out of ten, maximum 40)
Character 6, Structures/Terracing 6, Hospitality 7, Backdrop/Scenery or aesthetics for larger stadiums 8
Total 27
This was a rare foray east into the Northern Counties East League,accompanied by my Uncle Don from Sheffield and ‘Uncle’ Cyril, his brother in law and my two boys. The venue was poignant for Uncle Don as it was the works team for Brinsworth Strip Mills where he worked for 20 years.
Parkgate FC were formed as BSC (British Steels Corporation) Parkgate in 1969. They started in the Sheffield and Hallamshire league, moved into the Yorkshire League in 1974, which merged with the Midland League to become the NCEL in 1982; the league they still reside in. During that time their name changed to R.E.S. Parkgate (Rotherham Engineering Steels), after a takeover of BSC,and then latterly to simply Parkgate in 1994. Truly a works club.
It can be difficult to convey in words the differences in culture between different parts of England,but the raffle prize made a fine effort without words. A bag of meat – Uncle Cyril once more won the prize (like he did at Hallam), delighted with his used carrier bag of chops, sausages and assorted meats.
The Roundwood Sports Complex is massive and includes a cricket club and several pitches. You come into the ground from one end, where the only stand sits, and also home to the snack bar. Should you get a coffee, beware the ‘walk of death’ if you turn right towards the stand and side terrace. Players warming up turn this stretch into a shooting gallery, where you are liable to get your head knocked off, or at best wear your coffee and a flat imprint of a burger on your chest.
We sat down in the stand to start with; my two lads, Don, Cyril and myself expertly dodging balls that smacked into the the corrugated steel-backed stand, with a sound like bullet fire.
A nice terrace runs down one side, looking like a long shared patio to the houses behind, with a little bus shelter down one end.
A nicely coiffeured privet hedge, runs down the other side, above which is a great industrial backdrop: the melting shop and rolling mills of Tata Speciality Steels, which turns out ca 1 million tons a year.
Altogether a nice venue with some interesting features; the industrial panorama topping the list.
Parkgate were in sixth going into this game and known for being a bit erratic. Liversedge took the lead, but the Steelmen got on level terms before the break. Parkgate then stepped up a gear in the second half to a deserved 4-1 victory, with some good goals to boot.
The Groundhog 