LOUTH TOWN 1 PARKGATE 2
I’VE lost count of the number of times that I’ve tried to get to Louth Town, of the Northern Counties East League, this season. I even got as far as sitting in the car park stuffing my face with fish and chips one rainy Tuesday night but the opposition failed to turn up!
Being as the White Wolves are a relatively new side in the NCEL, Pencilman, The Fox and I all ‘need’ The Welton Group Stadium.
Lincolnshire’s roads are not the finest in the country so we leave plenty of time to get to Saltfleetby. The Foxmobile screeches into the car park with an hour to go before kick-off.
As I glance inside the ground, I can see both sets of players warming up, so maybe, just maybe, I will finally get to see a match here to complete my NCEFL set.
I pay £5 at the gate (£3 OAPs; Kids free). I am told there’s no programme but am handed a smart-looking colour teamsheet for free (though I make a donation towards printing costs). The sun is out but there’s a cruel northerly wind swirling through the stadium. I head for the clubhouse for shelter.
The bar is a large area, with an even bigger section through a set of doors. This room is more like a village hall than a clubhouse and it is entirely possible that’s what it’s used for when not in use for football matches.
Hot food consists of a steak pudding with beans and is extremely tasty. I note that hospitality for visiting club officials is also substantial. The bar is filling up, so it looks like the local community is taking advantage of Louth’s penultimate home game of the season.
Back outside in the swirling wind, I note at least five other Hoppers installed in the ground. Spectators only have access to two sides of the ground: behind the goal near the turnstile and clubhouse and along one side, where there’s a small, seated stand. There’s a water-filled ditch behind the dugouts and some pitches behind the other goal. Large nets behind the dugouts are there to prevent the ball drifting into the ditch but there’s a handy net on a pole to retrieve any wayward footballs.
Parkgate arrive at Saltfleetby with a strong chance of winning Division One, whereas their hosts will finish a respectable mid-table. The early action suggests the visitors mean business and it is no surprise when Brandon Whitfield fires his side in front after just five minutes.
To be frank, Louth never get to grips with the conditions and are always hanging onto Parkgate’s shirt tails. The only surprise is that they are only a single goal down at half-time.
The second half sees more dominance from Gate and they deservedly double their lead, which miraculously wakes up Town for a grandstand finish. Paul Coulham’s long range shot fools the Reds’ keeper in the wind and it’s game on. Parkgate hold on to celebrate the win.
There’s lots of work going on at Saltfleetby to improve the ground and its facilities. The club seem to have done things the right way: put in place an excellent local facility to bring in some cash and then spend the money on ground improvements as they go along. I have no doubt that this won’t be the last time I visit Main Road. PRE-MATCH INFO: 8, WELCOME: 7, FACILITIES: 6, FOOD: 7, CHARM: 7, PROGRAMME: 1, HOME TEAM RESPECT: 6, HOME FANS: 6, MATCH: 7, OVERALL
TRIP: 8.5, OFFICIALS: 7, ATT: 111