Worsbrough Bridge Athletic 3-0 Leeds UFCA, Saturday 18th April 2026

Worsbrough Bridge 3-0 Leeds UFCA, Northern Counties East League Division 1 semi-final play-off, The Totally Training Stadium (Park Road), att. 460

Sometimes I’m actually quite grateful that Sky like messing around with the 3rd division (League 1) fixture schedule. Today is one of those days. Barnsley v Bradford City (approximate number of empty seats: 9,000) is on telly at 12:30, for those folk too lazy to actually attend themselves. This means that, as long as I park cleverly, I can get away from Oakwell, jump in the car and head down Sheffield Road for a 3pm KO at The Totally Training Stadium. The plan works to perfection.

I am parked up and outside the ground with 10 minutes to kick-off. It’s a Northern Counties East League Division 1 play-off semi, 2nd placed Worsbrough Bridge Athletic against 5th placed Leeds UFCA. Who they? Students? Does the ‘U’ stand for ‘University’? (Yes it does. Leeds University Football Club Association.) No wonder all their players look like teenagers. There are no programmes. Disappointing.

Other escapees from Oakwell enter through the turnstiles, inc Waddington, and Waddington junior. Junior points out how we could watch the game for free from Sheffield Road. Yes, we COULD, but that’s not the point. Anyway, we have a great view, just to the right of the goal. We’re behind a small grassy bank, looking down on the goal.

To our right is a...mezzanine patio, with a few picnic tables. They’re busy today, the sun beaming. Grass banking continues around the corner. Fans stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the flat standing above, while a few laze around on the bank itself. A hamburger van behind was doing brisk trade. It MUST be a big game. This wasn’t here last time I came.

A traditional old main stand with a lovely fascia stands astride the halfway line, and it looked pretty full today. It was also packed outside the adjacent social club. Of course, one area where it WASN’T packed was behind the far goal, the cricket pitch. No-one’s allowed on here. A reminder of the old days, when the likes of Bramall Lane, Northampton’s County Ground and Bishop Auckland’s Kingsway all had 3 sided grounds to house both sports.

Mind, it’s arguably two and a half sides here. There is a small standing enclosure on the 4th side, on the halfway line and no-one stood beyond this stand. The stand itself is surprisingly empty. Or not. Nobody wants to stand with the youth, who’re allowed space to chant about going up the league while unleashing the occasional smoke bomb.

The youth have good reason to celebrate though. The Briggers win comfortably, 3-0, and it could have been a lot more, but for the students’ goalkeeper, who is their MOTM. Next Satdy is the final, 2nd placed Worsbrough having home advantage v 3rd placed Wakefield, who’ve crept thru on pens after coming from 2 down to draw against Harrogate Town. It promises to be a corker. Hopefully there’ll be an even bigger crowd as Barnsley play away at Luton. Come on you Briggers!

The Damage:
£5 ent
= £5

Durham United 4-2 Esh Winning, Sunday 6th April 2026

Durham United 4-2 Esh Winning, Northern League Division 2, The Graham Sports Centre (Maiden Castle), att. 382

It’s the final game of Easter Sunday’s Northern League groundhop and the one I’m most, and least, looking forward to. Most, in that of today’s games, it is the only venue I’ve not been to. Least, because it’s probably the most characterless, a ‘stand off a lorry’ beside a plastic pitch and home to Durham University’s hockey team for the best part. I have the wrong ground.

Durham University’s sports facilities must rank up there with the best in the land. One appeal of going to Durham (beyond it’s academic reputation) must be the access to such amazing sporting grounds within walking distance of the city centre (Durham City is very small, approximately 30,000 all-year residents.) Maiden Castle has such a strong reputation that when Keegan took over at Newcastle, he moved their training here, such was the dearth of their own facilities.

I’ve given a lift from Crook to another groundhopper who was doing all this by public transport. (He didn’t do Billingham this morning. Public transport? In County Durham? On a Sunday? Easter Sunday?) I enjoyed being able to get here by my own knowledge, at least once I ascertained which was the road out of Crook. My only worry was whether there’d be enough space in the car park, but there was plenty. But what’s this? There’s no sign of any movement inside the hockey stadium nearest the ground. I’m not worried, as I can see the groundhoppers’ bus, so I know I’m in the right place. I head towards the bus and we see signs pointing us around the corner, to the other side of the main building. Turns out there’s ANOTHER stadium as part of the complex.

Through a proper turnstile, we’re into the ground itself. There’s a running track and one beautiful looking modern cantilever stand down one side. Behind the stand is the main building and with an hour and a half to kill first, so we go inside. There’s a huge cafeteria/bar area, usually host to the students. We grab a beer and go and look at the merch, laid out on trestle tables. There lay the most exquisite souvenir of the entire weekend…a replica shirt commemorating today’s game! I enquire about it, but it seems you needed to order it in advance. It’s difficult to order something in advance that you don’t know about, but I admire it all the same.

Programme bought, and there’s a potted rundown of Durham United’s history. Seems the university merged/took over an existing team and moved them to Maiden Castle. I’d wondered why they didn’t use New Ferens Park, since Durham City (a former league team!) had been forced to move out. Now I know. The team is essentially Durham University FC. There’s brilliant pen portraits of the players. Only one isn’t a student at the university and we’re told what course and year each student (player) is on. Sports Science is by far the most common subject studied, though we also have ‘Natural Sciences’ (what’s that?), Law, Accounting and Finance, Maths, Engineering, Geography, Physics and PPE. But it does amuse me that the programme contains so many typos. Isn’t this one of the Russell Group? The cream of the country?

With kick-off looming, we go out. I’m not one for the stand, especially given it’s behind an athletics track. However, behind the goal, there is a perimeter fence, and many of the hopper elect to cross the track and stand here. But while crossing the track, I find myself chatting on and make the mistake of stopping. I’m told off by a volunteer for standing on the track. But you have to stand on the track to cross it! And, come to think, don’t athletes’ spikes do more damage than my trainers? I must be in a good mood, cos I merely acquiesce and stand by the corner flag. I fail to move from here.

I getting talking to a local. He works for the university but has come out for the game cos his wife’s told him he’s miserable around the house, and he does find his mood improves when he goes to a game. He’s also a font of knowledge. Apparently this is where the Russians trained during the 1966 World Cup, while the Italians trained across the road, at what is now (and was probably then) the Houghall Agricultural College. Fancy that.

I find the chat so invigorating that I never get round to doing a circumference of the ground. (If only I’d brought my spikes!) But inbetween yapping on, we are treated to the best game of the weekend, an entertaining 4-2 win against bottom side Esh Winning. Unfortunately, this means the latter are almost certainly down and the Northern League will lose another classic ground. Bloody students!

The Damage:
£6 ent
£2 prog
£5.90 pint and a half of Birra Murano
£2 prog
= £15.90

Tow Law Town 1-1 Ryton and Crawcrook Albion, Saturday 4th April 2026

Tow Law 1-1 Ryton and Crawcrook Albion, Northern League Division 2, Ironworks Road, att. 509

It is the 3rd and last game of Easter Saturday’s Northern League groundhop, and surely the one they’ve all been waiting for: Tow Law. Ironworks Road is one of the glorious Northern League grounds, worthy of a trip anytime. That it will be blowing a gale and be into minus degrees once wind chill is taken into account, is all part of the appeal. Besides, how many other grounds afford a view of the Pennines like this one? However, I’m worried. With Tow Law near the bottom of the Northern League second division, they’re at risk of relinquishing their membership. COME ON YOU LAWYERS!

The ground is spick and span, as ever. The Main Stand, a modern cantilever on the halfway line, is immaculately painted, with ‘LAWYERS’ in giant alternate black lettering on white and vice versa lettering at the front, while ‘TOW LAW TOWN FC’ is proudly emblazoned on the back wall. There is nary a spare seat too, as fans huddle out of the way of the wind. Did I mention it was windy?

I’ve paid my entrance and elect to stand on the terrace opposite the main stand. With the terrific slope, you’re looking down on the main stand, while admiring the Pennines behind it. And with the terrace at above 6 foot of banking, it’s a great view of the action. I maybe last 15 minutes. It is perishingly cold and I figure, what with a 6:30KO, it’s going to get colder still once the last of the sun’s rays disappears. I head to the stand to my right.

At this end, there is flat standing but, crucially, a roof the width of the pitch. Or, more precisely, three roofs, as due to the sloping pitch, a new one has to be built every 20 yards or so. At one side, there is even a couple of steps of terracing and perhaps a couple of dozen seats. No-one sits down.

Despite the conditions, Tow Law manage a goal, Joe Bates lashing in, just in front of us. I’m amazed anyone has managed a goal today, but 4 minutes later, Ryton equalise. It’s at the far end, but speaking to a neutral later (my old History teacher), the scorer was at least 6 yards offside. The out of position linesman chose not to heed the calls.

And that was it for the goals. I edged back around the pitch as half-time loomed, with the intention of warming myself in the social club. Fat chance. Far too small to even get in, though I had an interesting chat with some bloke. ‘Are you one of them groundhoppers?’ he asked, rather forcefully. ‘Errr….I guess so.’ ‘How does it work?’ He just wanted to know the ins and outs. Him and his wife quite fancy going on the groundhoppers’ bus some time. (It only turns out she’s Tow Law’s secretary.)

Second half, I walked round to the far side and stood near the Main Stand. The netting to prevent the ball clearing the ground actually whistled in the wind, as I chatted rubbish to said former teacher, and he told me which of my former guides had now bitten the dust. R.I.P. (the ones I liked).

There were no more goals. It wasn’t the day for it. But Mr Sixsmith did say he expected Tow Law to remain in the Northern League, as 1 or 2 others were winding up at the end of the season (Sunderland West End, for one). Good news. Sort of.

I headed off, happy to have endured, but happier still for the hot shower and comfy bed at Lumley Castle. I was chilled to the bone.

The Damage:
£7 ent
£2 prog
£6 sausage and bacon bap
= £15