DIP YOUR BALLS IN THE BUCKET

Post 700 met with approval, especially from the "reporter on the ground", Simon Gough whose enthusiasm for the Nottingham clubs led another "anorak", Chris Hardstaff, to suggest that I might like to look into clubs that shared their grounds with cricket or some other activity. Chris played sport at university and spent too much time at Bradford PA when he should have been in the library. He was playing cricket not football!

So that's a good idea; I delved into the www and discovered the first reference was to Mansfield Town. Who knows anything about Mansfield Town? It's one of those clubs that stays under the radar, it nipped into the Conference and came back out. The Stags shared their ground Field Mill with the local cricket team from 1861. It is reputedly the oldest professional football ground when Greenhaigh's Cotton Mill workers had their leisure. The mill and company, sited on the River Maun (ever heard of it?...Maunsfield??) opposite the pitch, eventually went derelict and was demolished in 1925, but the ground stayed.

One of the Greenhaigh sons, Ernest Harwood, born in Mansfield, turned out as full back for Notts County and played in the first English International Team against scotland in 1872. (see previous blogs). He owned Field Mill and formed Greenhaigh's XI that made its first entry into the FA Cup in 1891, losing to Heanor Town away. The next year they played the first "home" tie in the cup against Eckington Works and won 5-2. By 1921 after various leases had run out, Mansfield Town was founded and played at the ground full time. By 1931 the club joined the Football League Division Three South and as Wigan Borough resigned from Div Three North, they move into the northern division the following year.

Field Mill is known as the ground where the first official match under artificial light was played, when in February 1930, Ollerton Forest beat Welbeck Athletic 3-0 in the North Notts Senior League Cup Final. 6,500 turned out to watch young lads dip brown leather footballs into buckets of white wash when ever the ball went off the pitch.

The ground is also known for hosting the first ever use of a yellow fluorescent football, in November 1998 when the Stags beat Barnet 5-0. The second half was reported on BBC Radio Five.

Hallam FC still play at Sandygate Road and have done since 1860, but they are not professional! Sheffield United homed in at Bramall lane during 1862.