MASTERLY EMLEY AND BASHED BASHLEY

I wonder how many people are reading this blog? I can check out the viewing figures on the blog front page, but I don't believe these, because I keep getting new comments from all over the world; well Kirkburton is my latest one and that's pretty far away. Thanks Rob.

So the Bashley item perked up Rob who saw them play Emley FC in the FA Vase in 1987-8 a game that ended 2-1 to Emley, who were, at the time, flying as high as the Emley mast.

In the previous season, Emley had lost the FA Vase semi-final to St Helens Town 2-1 after extra time, a cruel blow. But in the year of greater success, Emley went on to meet Colne Dynamoes on the 23rd April at Wembley in front of 15,000 fans, a game they lost 0-1 in extra time. It's tough at the top.

Emley,  having swept their league to one side that season, were not granted promotion because they played on a three sided ground and it needed development. Their far touchline ran onto Emley Cricket club, a ground I know quite well. The football pitch needed to be enclosed "to meet League requirements."

I first went to Emley on the back of two particularly good innings for Hoylandswaine CC in the Huddersfield and District League. It was my pleasure to take my cricket kit north with me to play for the local club during the summer holidays. During the "Barnsley Fortnight" players were not always at home.
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I drove from Surrey one early September Saturday to see if I could make a trio of big scores. Opening the innings and on top form, I was out in the first over. Dooh!

The next time I visited Emley was for a junior mid week match with Scholes CC U11s last season and there was no opposition when we got there. Game postponed?? We would have won!

Emley FC went on to be known as Wakefield Town FC for a while and they found themselves a fully enclosed home ground. This did not last long as Wakefield was wound up and Emley slunk back to their old three sided ground, the club renamed as AFC Emley and they now play in the Toolstation Northern Cojnties East league Division One, along with Penistone Church.
AFC Emley lie 4th and PCFC 6th in the division at the moment. The club badge as it was.

It's a small world and yet sometimes a world apart.

The club badge as it is. Bird note! The nickname is the peewits.

By the way Bashley's last few results include defeats: 4-0, 6-0, 6-0, 6-0, 1-2, 7-0, 7-0, 11-0, 5-0, 3-0, 5-2.
They play Tiverton this week! You going Lew?