Written by Max
Ground #11
Greenwich Avenue – Basford United FC
Monday 21st December 2020 – FA Youth Cup Second Round
Basford United u18 1-0 Grimsby Town u18
Attendance: 300
Entry: £5
After making history in the last round, travelling to Port Vale and coming back with a shock 4-1 win, the Basford youngsters looked to continue their run in this years FA Youth cup.
The club themselves have been on a meteoric rise in the past few years having played at step 8 of nonleague as recently as 2011. Back then surely no-one would have believed Chairman Chris Munroe if he has told them that 9 years later, they would be plying their trade at the top end of step 3 with a youth team that, as shown this year, can rival professional academy sides!
After seeing the result in the last round, we arrived at Greenwich Avenue expecting goals. The first half though was an incredibly cagey affair. The visitors looked confident in possession and you could tell they have been taught throughout the age groups to play pretty football, passing out from the back but they struggled to get any clear cut chances on the Basford goal. The one time they did manage to penetrate the back line they shot just wide just before half time. A big chance but the hosts managed to hold on until half time.
The second half began in very much the same vein as the first with Grimsby controlling. A huge chance was missed after the Basford keeper parried the ball straight into the path of the Grimsby forward who failed to tap home from 5 yards. The visitors continued to put the pressure on but the boys from Nottingham held firm and remained a threat on the counter.
Just as many of the impressive 300 fans in attendance were starting to wonder what the rules were this year in terms of extra time and penalties, another of the Basford counters sprung forward and a cracking curling effort from outside the area put the hosts in front against the run of play! They couldn’t do it again could they!
The final ten minutes included a few nervy goal mouth scrambles, but as they had all game, the Basford backline held firm and Grimsby couldn’t get the much needed equaliser. The non league lads had done it again, defeating professional academy opposition for the second round in a row. This sparked scenes of jubilation with the whole home bench sprinting onto the pitch to celebrate yet another giantkilling. Their prize, another home tie in the next round, this time Premier League West Brom will be in town. Could they make it 3 shocks in a row? We can’t wait to find out.
Now to rate Basford’s Greenwich Avenue Ground:
Location: 8/10
The ground is pretty easy to find and not too far from the centre of Nottingham. A tram stop is just a couple of minute walk away which will take you directly to Nottingham train station and along with a pub across the road from the ground, this will surely be a very good away day for any fans of other Northern premier league sides.
Kit: 6/10
Basford’s kit is a sort of yellow/gold fading into black. I’m a fan of yellow kits usually although this one doesn’t quite do it for me with the off yellow colouring. Not a bad effort but could be better. Emma really liked the Grimsby away kit stating ‘I like it because they look like the ocean’. Very fitting for the side from the coast, and I must say I agree that it was a lovely shade of blue.
Facilities: 0/10
Usually in the facilities section we rate the look of the clubhouse or bar. Sadly due to the current covid restrictions these were closed for todays game. Earlier in the year Basford won £100k from the ‘Buildbase transfer deal’ and are putting the money towards updating and extending their current clubhouse so we are excited to come back once this has been completed and will adjust the score accordingly.
Look: 4/10
As you would expect for a team that has had 5 promotions in 7 years, the ground has struggled to live up to the rise on field. The complex as a whole is fantastic. The pitch is a top quality 4G and within the complex are another 3 grass pitches which are rented out to multiple other teams such as Woodthorpe Park Rangers in the Notts senior league. Surrounding the pitch are 2 seated and 1 small covered standing terrace. All three it must be said aren’t the prettiest but they do the job. The changing room building is the standout with its green roof. All other amenities are housed within large white storage containers. The ground is a decent one and the club have done well to upgrade it so quickly to pass ground grading for the league, although in comparison with others at this level, there are certainly improvements to be made.
Food and Drink: 6/10
As stated earlier, sadly the clubhouse wasn’t open so we had to settle for a can of pepsi when it came to drinks. Obviously this isn’t the fault of the club at the current time so we can’t be too harsh when it comes to that. Luckily for us though, the kitchen was open and we made the most of this ordering a cheese burger and chips each. The chips were nice and crispy and the burger your typical football burger. Nothing to shout about but it did the job! Sadly no onions which was a shame but can’t complain too much at £4 each.
TOTAL SCORE 24/50
Overall a great night of history made by the young lads from Basford. We were glad to be able to squeeze another game in before the end of the year and although the game itself wasn’t the most exciting it was great to see a huge cup shock.
As mentioned earlier, if someone had told the one man and his dog watching Basford in the Central midlands league in 2011 that 9 years later there would be a sell out crowd of 300 watching their under 18s play they would have laughed in your face. Amazingly though that is what happened last night and everyone at Basford must be proud that they are surely the fastest growing team in English football. We look forward to following them as they look to continue that rise this season and win promotion to the National league next season and try to cement their place as Nottingham’s 3rd biggest club!
If you want to see where this places Basford in our League table click the link and why not check out some of our other grounds visited so far!
Emma’s Ground Guide 