Written by Emma
Ground #18
The Lido – Clipstone FC
Tuesday 17th August 2021 – NCEL Division 1 (Step 6)
Clipstone 3-1 Shirebrook Town
Attendance: 106
Entry: £5
Emma is back, tell your friends and get comfy because you are in for a treat!
Clipstone FC were formed in 1928 as Clipstone Combine, before changing their name to Clipstone Boys Brigade, then Clipstone Welfare before adopting their current name in 2013.
The club have spent most of their history in and around their current step 6 level, with a few years up at step 5 between 2015 and 2018 before being relegated back down to their current league.
The game tonight saw them come up against fellow NCEL team and local rivals Shirebrook Town in what promised to be a feisty affair. The first half saw Clipstone come out as the better team with much of the early possession, although Shirebrook did not take a back seat with a goal line scramble at the other end being saved by the Clipstone Keeper.
The approach to half time saw the floodlights fail and with the pitch in darkness we were forced into a temporary pause in play. But 25 minutes later, with a click clack of electric, we were back in business. Once again the hosts began on top with a header saved by the visiting keeper. Clipstone did not seem fazed by the missed chance as they continued to pile on the pressure and scored the first goal with a neat finish bringing us to the end of the first half at 1-0.
The first chance in the second half came Shirebrook’s way after a mistake from the Clipstone goalkeeper but it wasn’t punished. From then on Clipstone continued to take control going close from a few corners. After a terrible clearance from the Shirebrook keeper went straight into his own defender and bounced to a Clipstone forward, he was through on goal and put it away easily for 2-0. After a hefty collision between the Clipstone goalkeeper and one of his own players they went straight up the other end and got a deserved third. Straight from kick off Shirebrook got a goal back and not long after they thought they had a second, but it was disallowed for offside. After then, the game fizzled out and the hosts held on for a deserved 3-1 victory.
Now to rate Clipstone’s Lido Ground:
Location: 6/10
Clipstone is a small ex-coal mining town not far from Mansfield, the ground is located along the main road and is well positioned for the locals and groundhoppers that wish to visit. The car park is a small section of field adjacent to the ground, although not the biggest there was plenty of space for us to park for tonight’s game.
Kit: 9/10
The kit was black and white with red detailing, black shorts, and black socks. Clipstone’s nickname is ‘The Cobras’ so it was great to see the white of the kit seem to incorporate a “cobra-like” skin effect on the main body and with a white and red stripe coming off the shoulders was a very smart and unique looking kit. The red sponsor across the front also added another pop of colour.
Facilities: 4/10
The clubhouse at Clipstone contained a small bar from which you could get food and drink from. It was really nice and had been decorated with the colours of the club. Although it was small it had lots of character but it lacked a lot of seating which would be a good addition for a cold night or rainy day. Although there was no fitted bar with beers on tap, they had plenty of choice from the fridges.
Look: 6/10
The ground had hard standing down three sides, down one side there was a large standing terrace where we stood for the whole match which made a good viewpoint for the action as you stood slightly higher than the pitch. This stand also contained multiple rows of seats towards the middle of the ground. Behind one goal was another small, covered area with one row of seats, compared to other grounds we have visited it seemed pretty standard for teams at this level and was all kept tidy. All in all, it was a well looked after ground and one they should be proud of.
Food and Drink: 2.5/10
The food at Clipstone was an interesting one, with precooked burgers kept on a warming shelf they were disappointing to say the least. A cheese slice placed on top did not melt and the burgers were only about as warm as the temperature of the room, plus there were no onions on offer. Max was intrigued to try the ‘Clipstone Burdog’ but unfortunately it wasn’t available at tonights game and so a room temperature burger for us both was what we were met with.
They did, however, have a very well stocked fridge of dark fruits which was a nice sight to see when having to deal with Max all evening.
TOTAL SCORE 27.5/50
We both enjoyed our evening at The Lido ground and a huge shout out to the person in charge of the music at the ground as I was dancing on the side lines between each half. So, thank you for helping me embarrass Max and wish he was anywhere else but stood next to me.
If you want to see where this places Clipstone FC on our leader board, as well as seeing the other grounds we have visited so far, Click here: LEAGUE TABLE
Emma’s Ground Guide 