And so to the i2i Stadium and Ings Lane for the final Evostik Northern Premier Division One East league fixture of the season between Tadcaster Albion and Lincoln United.
Tadcaster Albion was formed in 1892 as John Smith's Football Club, with their stadium behind the John Smith's brewery - the club now play next to Samuel Smith's brewery store. The Brewers (unsurprisingly !!) played in the York League but the club ran into difficulties in the early 1920s, and came back in 1923 under the new name of Tadcaster Albion.
By 1926/27 they were back under the John Smith's name, with a second team using the Tadcaster Albion title founded in 1930. The clubs merged after World War II, keeping the Tadcaster Albion name.
Albion won the York League in the 1947/48 season, eventually moving upwards to the Yorkshire League for the 1973/74 campaign. The Brewers were a founder member of the Northern Counties East League in 1982 and won Division One in 2010.
Their best ever FA Vase run in 2015 resulted in a 6th Round replay at home to Highworth Town, which sparked ugly scenes featuring a pitch invasion, coin throwing and Town's chairman and goalkeeper injured in the melee. Highworth eventually won the tie 1-0.
The following year, after significant investment, The Brewers were crowned as NCEL Premier Division champions and promoted to the Northern Premier League Division One North (now East) with a play off push mounted this season. And the equation is simple - Taddy must win this afternoon and Sheffield have to lose at Brighouse Town (almost an El Classicoal !!). Two goals in the final 15 minutes against Gresley to overturn the away side's lead and an injury time equaliser at the Pikes of Pickering Town on Easter Monday leave the Brewers three points behind 'The Club' but with a better goal difference.....
The away
side, 'The Whites' from Ashby Avenue, was established as Lincoln Amateurs FC in
1938 but only joined the Lincolnshire League in 1945 because of World
War II. The following season the club transferred to the Lincoln League and in
1954 was renamed as Lincoln United, after taking on a paid player, Ray Bean, at
5 shillings a week (!).
United rejoined the Lincolnshire League in 1960, winning the title in 1964 before moving to the Yorkshire League in 1967, where they were twice champions of Division One.
The Whites were a founder member of the Northern Counties East League when the Yorkshire League merged with the Midland League in 1982, but joined the Supreme Division (!!) of the Central Midlands League in 1986. United won the Supreme championship in 1991, in a season where they became the only Central Midlands League team to play in the First Round proper of the FA Cup (losing 7-0 to Huddersfield Town) before reverting back to the NCEL.
The Premier Division was won in 1994/95 moving United up to the Northern Premier League Division One. Promotion to the Premier Division followed in 2004, but the club was relegated to Division One South (now East) in 2008 where they still reside - currently 13th out of 20 this campaign, but with only three wins this calendar year.
And so as
Storm Hannah batters the UK it's a very wet and windy start to my journey. Past
the Interior Curtain Centre which has already given us registration plates
B11NDS and C11RTN - it has a new one T13 BAC today. Other car registration
numbers that feature on this trip are FU55 ADO and O B11GSY.
Beyond that ELCTRICAL. TOILETORIES. sign it's onto the M60 and then onwards to
Saddleworth Moor, Rakehead Viaduct and Windy Hill - The M62 Summit 'Highest
Motorway in England 372 metres (1221 feet).
Then Sammonden Reservoir, Rainbow Bridge and Stott Hall Farm, bisecting the two
carriageways. After Hartshead Moor there is a flurry of Sonic Direct hoardings
in the surrounding fields, but these are preferable to the abandoned trailers
and wind turbines elsewhere on the route.....
I join the M1 which becomes the A1(M), and exit at junction 44. Then into
Tadcaster, dominated by the breweries, but also boasting local shops 'Simply A
Party' and Vanilla Interiors (rather plain !!) and the impressive St Mary's
Church.
The town itself is quiet, almost closed, possibly due to the weather. This is
epitomised by the sign for Hardwick Smith & Dewar 'Open 10-4 Thursdays' -
and that's it....
The i2i stadium on Ings Lane is at the end of the road housing John Smith's
Brewery, and there is ample parking. £8 gets me in, with the clubhouse
immediately to my right and then a short covered terrace. To my left is
the all seater Loxley Homes Stand, and in the far right corner a smaller
version, the Ken Gilbertson Stand. Trees line all four sides with the River
Wharfe behind them on the opposite side.
The river burst its banks during Storm Desmond in the 2015/16 season, resulting
in the Brewers being unable to play home fixtures for over ten weeks. There was
further flooding last month and the pitch was under several feet of water;
however crowd funding enabled a full clean up and no matches were
postponed.
The Brewers
are in yellow and blue and their keeper in all white, forcing The Whites to
play in change green and white. The match kicks off in driving rain and strong
winds.
Unsurprisingly Albion force the pace early on, and United's custodian, Michael
Emery, makes a fine save from Casey Stewart's shot. Within a minute, out of
nothing and completely against the run of play, Lincoln's Matt Cotton arrows in
a shot that hits the inside of the post and rolls into the net - United lead on
13 minutes.
That lead lasts all of six minutes with the Brewers' centre back Paddy Miller,
made skipper for the day ahead of his retirement after this match, heading in
from a corner. Four minutes later a superb Harry Coates pass sets Stewart free
down the right and he squares for Aiden Savory to sidefoot home.
The third home goal in eight minutes is caused by a suicidal pass by Emery to
Callum Dye. Luke Porritt intercepts and is then tripped by Dye; the penalty
kick is confidently dispatched by Miller.
On 36 minutes the referee awards the Brewers a second penalty, a rather soft
decision for holding on Savory. Miller scores in the opposite corner for his
first ever hat trick, and 4-1 to Taddy.
Then in first half injury time Jason Mycoe shoots from 35 yards, the ball hits
a divot and loops high over Emery's flailing arms and into the net. 5-1 to the
Brewers at the break, with word reaching us that Brighouse and Sheffield are
drawing 1-1.
There is no let up in the second period. Nine minutes in Aaron Hardy's
beautifully weighted cross is headed powerfully home by Pete Davidson, to
chants of 'Yorkshire Pirlo' and Albion go 6-1 up.
On 65 minutes Porritt plays in Stewart who scores comfortably, and he repeats
the feat a minute later to make it 8-1 to the Brewers. More chances are spurned
and then Taddy declare.
In fact some sloppiness slips into their game. With eight minutes to go Albion
mess up a corner, allowing Lincoln's Ben Davison to race up the field and send
the keeper the wrong way. A minute later his precision finish into the corner
makes it 8-3, and the fightback is on....well maybe not !!
News reaches us of an injury time winner for Sheffield, who return to Brighouse
on Tuesday for the play offs. The Brewers' season and Paddy Miller's career are
over - but what an astonishing match and as for Miller scoring a hat trick in
his last game - you couldn't make it up !!
