Workington 3-1 Ilkeston Town, Saturday 12th September 2026

Workington 3-1 Ilkeston Town, Northern Premier League Premier Division, Fibrus Community Stadium (Derwent Park), att. 818

I was reminded yesterday of schoolboy holidays to Devon and Cornwall. Bear with me. I was thinking of the last (only) time I’ve been to Workington and it was a beautiful, sunny day. Today was similar. Sunny, warm. And as a kid, calling in on family at Somerset on the way to a Dawlish, or Perranporth, or Woolacombe, I’d marvel at how it never rained where they lived. Anyway, it never rains in Workington as far as I can deduce, and it’s nice to reminisce over those holidays I never failed to enjoy.

It’s a long drive to Workington too. 3 hours – and I actually live in the north (near Huddersfield). I can see why they were voted out of the league in the 70s. But it’s that Football League heritage that brings me and other groundhoppers here. The old Borough Park ground is now closed, the football team sharing the nearby Fibrus Community Stadium (Derwent Park) while the local council knocks down and rebuilds Borough Park before turning it into the 5,000 capacity Cumberland Sports Village. Both rugby league and football teams will share the new stadium and Derwent Park will join Borough Park in being demolished.

Knowing the geography, I park up across the bridge from Borough Park in the aptly named Northside. (I’ve now had another childhood memory; it never dawned on me as a kid that the street behind mine...and the last in town…’Southside’ was the very last street at the south of my hometown.) From the bridge, you can look down on Borough Park and as I crossed I saw a few enterprising groundhoppers (middle-aged, Caucasian, nosey – how does anyone tell a groundhopper?) looking for a way in to the now derelict ground. If you can’t beat ‘em, etc. I’m not far behind and enjoy a 20 minute exploration. With the others perhaps more determined to see kick-off at Derwent Park, I am soon on my own. Feel the history. Feel the sadness. Another old ground soon to be dismantled in the name of progress.

Derwent Park, as the name suggests, is about 10 minutes further along the River Derwent. This is another absolute gem, but in a totally different way, as it also used to house a speedway team, the Workington Comets. Consequently, there is a large curved terrace at the Town End of the stadium, though the top third is barriered-off for some reason. Looks safe enough, though with a current safety certificate for just over 3,000, in a ground that once held 17,000 for a rugby league game, they’re taking no chances.

The far end curve isn’t as large, but is grassed over. A path around its rear is closed off, so no walk around the inside perimeter for me. And with crowds not coming close to 3,000, this makes Derwent Park essentially a two-sided stadium. To the right, as you enter, is a large covered terrace which runs the length of the pitch. ‘Cider Pete’s Bar’ sells a couple of cans of something, amidst not much else. So where are fans getting those pints of beer from? (Ans: a container the other side of the ground.) I enjoy the first half on this side, parking my raincoat on a crush barrier as I’m actually too hot. It’s just like Somerset this is.

Workington score twice in the opening 10 minutes or so, both close range finishes. Ilkeston appear to have plenty of players who look big and powerful, but have no idea on how to defend. Still, I shouldn’t be surprised. The home side go on to record their 6th successive win (5th successive game in which they’ve scored 3). Ilkeston aren’t really in it. Even when they pull a goal back to make it 2-1, it merely spurs Workington on to make the game safe.

Second half, I’ve retreated to the Main Stand. Despite being some yards from the pitch, the height brings even better views. Again, it spans virtually the full pitch length and tapers at each end. They don’t build ‘em like this anymore. Mainly cos everyone demands perfect views. Here, we have stanchions holding up the roof, and non-league floodlights (4 on each touchline). But I can drink my Angelo Poretti in peace following my sausage and bacon bap (no butter). I love it here, just as I loved it at Borough Park. I’ll reserve judgement on the Cumberland Sports Village.

The Damage:
£15 ent
£3 programme
£4.80 sausage and bacon bap
£4.50 Angelo Poretti (pint of)
= £27.30

Curzon Ashton 2-0 Ashton United, Monday 31st August 2026

*** currently unable to add photos. If i knew why, I'd do it!

Curzon Ashton 2-0 Ashton United, Northern Premier League Premier Division, Tameside Stadium, att. 705

I’ve received a text from one of my neighbours, John. It’s the Ashton derby on Bank Holiday Monday. Do I fancy it? John’s not even a football fan, but he’s keen to support our new neighbour, Aidan, who’s only the goalkeeper of Curzon Ashton! We’d talked previously of going to see him/them, but I was away when they played at one of our local teams Emley. My only problem is I’m missing out on my 2nd team Darlington playing at Radcliffe, but whatthehell. I’m in. We also rope in Dan, who’s the meat in John and I’s house sandwich.

I offer to drive, but I feel I’m impinging on John’s alpha status and I happily accede to his offer to be the chauffeur. It’s not often I ride in a BMW. It’s about 25 minutes to Ashton, but then probably another 25 minutes getting to the bit of Ashton where Curzon play, notwithstanding a road closure. I have a horrible feeling the car park will be full by the time we pull up, but I’ve never seen so many spaces in it. I guess the sports facility that’s usually teeming is strangely under-utilised today, because the attendance at the match is nearly double what I’m used to here. There’s actually a queue at the turnstile. John is unfortunately blind-sided by a 14 quid entry. ‘I thought it’d be about a fiver.’

We go in the home end. I’ve never seen the Tameside Stadium segregated before, but the large roofed terrace opposite the main stand has been given over to Ashton United today. We decide we’ll stand behind this near goal, in order to give Aidan our ‘support’. But what’s this? There was a roof here last time, albeit one cobbled together with scaffolding. Where’s it gone? And the huge scoreboard on the corner. That’s disappeared too. Cost-cutting with relegation? Let’s hope it doesn’t rain. (It does. At one point, it chucks it down.)

We haven’t told Aidan we’re coming, but I think he hears me when United get a corner and I announce ‘this keeper’s susceptible!’. I’m not sure he gets barracked with ‘susceptible’ much. Or it could be that my accent stands out and he recognises it. Either way, he deals with any cross or throughball to perfection, while his only challenge 1st half is to control a bouncing backpass. United are strangely not up to much.

With hindsight, the game is decided as early as the 3rd minute when Brad Holmes shoots home. He doubles the lead just after the half hour mark and it really is easy for the home side. Ashton’s followers take solace in chanting ‘we’ve got more fans than you’, which, although probably true in general, isn’t quite the case today amongst the 705 in attendance.

Half-time comes and the lads are hungry, so they go under the main stand to scout some scran, while I queue up at the social club for more beer. This is as close to ‘proper football’ as we get today, as it takes both parties till the second half has begun to be served. I can’t help but think there’s inefficiencies in the drinks’ service. Why doesn’t one staff member just stand there pouring pints while the other serves? Or even (radical thought) get a 3rd member of staff in there? This is a derby, you’d think they’d be warned. In the food queue, burgers and pies run out by the time John and Dan reach the front and they take what’s left: chips covered in curry sauce. Still, it’s something.

We plan to go to the far end this time, another open terrace, but it’s not immediately clear how we get there. Probably why there’s only about half a dozen at this end. I tell the lads to ‘follow me’ as I guide us up the stand, along the back, and down again. Yes, there’s a way through. This time, there’s no mistaking us and in a break of play Aidan comes over, says hi and thanks us for coming. Thank YOU.

At least this half, he’s forced to make a save, as he races out to block a close range effort. Otherwise, the main ‘action’ is a United player crashing into the perimeter fence and (we think) breaking his wrist. It doesn’t look good, and play is held up for 5 minutes. Still, it’s not often I chat with a player during a game.

Otherwise, the half is fairly devoid of action. Curzon look happy to see it out, while United look incapable of making a game of it. Before kick-off, Ashton were slightly ahead, having made a better start to the season, but this win sees Curzon overtake them. The home side have ambitions of challenging for promotion and after a statement 3-1 win at league leaders Cleethorpes on the previous Friday, are looking good. Onwards and upwards! Good luck Aidan!

The Damage:
£14 ent
£16.30 2 pints of Staropramen and a Worthingtons
= £30.30

Worksop Town 2-1 Ashton United, Tuesday 29th April 2025

Worksop Town 2-1 Ashton United, Northern Premier League Premier Division Play-off semi-final, Sandy Lane, att. 1,756

With the official Northern Premier League season over, it’s now the play-offs. I’ve the choice of Stocksbridge or Worksop tonite. I’ve been eyeing Worksop all season and they’re playing Ashton United. Does Kev fancy it? He lives in Ashton (under Lyne) and besides, the winners may end up playing his side Darlington. Yes, he’s in. Stocksbridge will have to wait (a shame, actually, as their Northern Premier League East play-off garners a crowd of 953, or about 4 times their usual).

Kev drives the 20 or so minutes to mine and I’ll drive the hour and half to Worksop. He could’ve gone on the Ashton supporters’ coach. It’s an uneventful journey and Satnav Kev gets us to the ground in time enough to find a space in a nearby housing estate 10 minutes’ walk away. The ground itself is busy, a long queue forming outside. It’s half an hour to kick-off, an aeon in my terms. The programmes are sold out. Of course they are. Oddly, we’re channelled through the main building while the adjacent turnstiles remain closed.

Security don’t let us through the internal door into the social club – but the toilet’s down this corridor. He lets me go to the toilet, provided I don’t then slip into the social club. All becomes apparent when we go outside and find the social club queue stretching outside the main door into the ground and virtually to the corner flag. We stand in it till kick-off and barely move. I’m not that bothered about a pint, but am quite willing to let Kev stand there while I crane a neck for a view. It’s packed.

The social club is at one end, and beside it there’s a small covered terrace. Inbetween the terrace and an adjacent small, modern stand towards the corner flag is the tunnel. I see no gaps over here, so, when Kev magically re-appears 25 minutes into the match with an average pint of lager each, we head clockwise to the far end, where there looks to be some, not much, space.

There’s flat standing by the corner flag, leading along the touchline to the main stand, maybe 5 rows of seats that stretch two-thirds the way either side of the halfway line. If there aren’t enough fractions for you there. The stand is full of stanchions, yet doesn’t look all that old. Indeed, the ground as a whole is disappointing. For such a historic non-league side, with excellent gates (700+ even in the 7th tier), I expected more. Nevermind the shenanighans of getting a beer. A plastic pitch doesn’t help either.

We walk down the front of the stand. At the far end there’s a little more flat standing. At the far end, there’s a small stand the width of the pitch. Our hopes are pinned on this, yet when we get there, it turns out there’s ONE step of terracing. What’s the point??? There’s enough space for half a dozen steps. We force our way through the yoof to the other side of the goal, where we can finally get a decent view of the action.

Kev, always on the lookout for ex-Darlo, points out the Worksop centre forward, Laim Hughes, a beast of a specimen, with the tattoos to match. Turns out the last he was heard of in Darlo was when a coke deal went wrong. He never did get much chance to make an impression in the north-east (beyond the local crime scene) but smashes in the opener here, right in front of us.

Half-time arrives and with Worksop kicking the other way, we manage to gain some space, as the home fans decide to squeeze into the opposite, packed end, to be replaced by 20 or so vociferous Ashton fans. And virtually on the hour Ashton equalise, a bullet header sending the hordes into raptures. United have been more in the game this half, but it still comes as a surprise. What will happen if it’s a draw? Penalties? Extra-time?

We don’t find out. Sadly, favourites Worksop bag another goal on 76 to win the game and gain home advantage in the play-off final (which would have been against Stockton, but after beating Guiseley they were disqualified for playing an ineligible player…who they thought was eligible – sent off on the last day of the season, they didn’t think his ban kicked in till a week later. Careless.)

And the highlight? That was yet to come. Driving out of the housing estate, I had to stop to let someone cross the road. A hedgehog. I LOVE hedgehogs!

The Damage:
£13 ent
= £13