7.45pm 20 March 2019
Central Midlands League, North Division
Retford 5 Retford United 0 (att 706)
The Retford derby certainly caught the attention of locals, with a far bigger crowd than I'd expected and a huge one for the Central Midlands League. I arrived about half-an-hour before kick off and hundreds were already inside the ground.
If anything I thought it looked like more than the official figure of just over 700 were packed into The Rail, on the outskirts of Retford. Several more opted for a free view from the adjacent road, elevated as it crosses the railway.
The name of the ground and its closeness to the railway are clues to its history. It's been used by various clubs over the years, including a British Rail-connected club, but this was my first visit.
Retford FC are only a few years old, but they're turning the ground in to a venue suitable for higher levels of football, and on the pitch they have a team capable of climbing the leagues. They're on track to finish the season as champions, but it remains to be seen if promotion to step six will follow this summer.
The floodlit pitch is mostly enclosed by permanent barriers and hard standing, but the far side is just roped off and spectators stand on the grass. There's a small stand at one end, and a tiny bit of cover at the other, but little else.
That said, the ground, coupled with excellent organisation by the club, coped well with a large crowd, with enough space for everyone to get a decent view, good catering and plenty of programmes.
On the pitch it was a bit of a mismatch. Retford United had their own meteoric rise a few years ago, but have since found a more sustainable level. They were outgunned by Retford FC, who went ahead thanks to a penalty in the opening minute.
The hosts were 3-0 up by half time, including a second penalty. They should have have a third spot kick early in the second half, but the fact it wasn't given made little difference, and they added two more goals for a comfortable win.
Central Midlands League, North Division
Retford 5 Retford United 0 (att 706)
The Retford derby certainly caught the attention of locals, with a far bigger crowd than I'd expected and a huge one for the Central Midlands League. I arrived about half-an-hour before kick off and hundreds were already inside the ground.
If anything I thought it looked like more than the official figure of just over 700 were packed into The Rail, on the outskirts of Retford. Several more opted for a free view from the adjacent road, elevated as it crosses the railway.
The name of the ground and its closeness to the railway are clues to its history. It's been used by various clubs over the years, including a British Rail-connected club, but this was my first visit.
Retford FC are only a few years old, but they're turning the ground in to a venue suitable for higher levels of football, and on the pitch they have a team capable of climbing the leagues. They're on track to finish the season as champions, but it remains to be seen if promotion to step six will follow this summer.
The floodlit pitch is mostly enclosed by permanent barriers and hard standing, but the far side is just roped off and spectators stand on the grass. There's a small stand at one end, and a tiny bit of cover at the other, but little else.
That said, the ground, coupled with excellent organisation by the club, coped well with a large crowd, with enough space for everyone to get a decent view, good catering and plenty of programmes.
On the pitch it was a bit of a mismatch. Retford United had their own meteoric rise a few years ago, but have since found a more sustainable level. They were outgunned by Retford FC, who went ahead thanks to a penalty in the opening minute.
The hosts were 3-0 up by half time, including a second penalty. They should have have a third spot kick early in the second half, but the fact it wasn't given made little difference, and they added two more goals for a comfortable win.
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