Blackout

Newark Town 2-3 Sherwood Colliery (United Counties Premier Division North)

Following Tom Hayes MP’s letter to Andy Burnham I’ve been mumbling about the 3pm TV blackout on my socials and as an avid shouter of lower level and non-league football you might think I’m dead against it, but I’m all for it. Dated, it has been manipulated around for too long and fans are suffering having to watch games on Friday nights and Saturday mornings all because the TV companies can’t cash in at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon when football is supposed to be played.

I was at Leek Town last night, a seventh division regional game of football played in front of nearly 500 fans, a few didn’t go to Leek because they were instead watching Stoke City at home to Norwich in the Championship, that game might even have been available on Sky’s red button to watch on the box, or perhaps illegitimately, if one would care to look hard enough, but the point is, still, 481 people went to watch a non-league football match (with other things going off at the same time and no blackout) and I find that alone incredible. People will always attend these games, because not everyone wants to live life watching TV.

Tonight, I’m at Newark Town, members of the United Counties Football League which represents the ninth tier of the football pyramid. Quite a way down for my scouting skills? You ask? but tonight I’m watching my stepson hopefully get game time for Sherwood Colliery who he joined in the summer.

The Wood only formed in 2008 and have been around the same level, gaining promotion from this very division which they won in 2024 before immediate relegation from the Northern Premier League Division One East. Last season they finished second but missed out on instantly bouncing back to step 4 so went for a new manager in the summer, former Oxford United defender Jake Wright taking reigns before being shown the door just seven games in, remarkably after an FA Cup win at Boston Town which sets up a first qualifying round home tie with Gainsborough Trinity this weekend.

So, it’s an old familiar face in Wayne Savage who’s back in charge, he never really went away I’m told, perhaps a reason why Wright’s tenure never lasted too long?

As for Newark, founded in 1868 the modern version is much younger, Town have had teams playing under the Newark banner since the seventies following the original outfit dissolving after World War II but it wasn’t until 1994 when the club reformed properly and since, it has been a slow climb to respectable levels for a community of over 30,000 inhabitants.

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The Venue

Newark Town only moved into their new plush modern new home at the YMCA Sports Village in 2020, winning the 2021/22 Central Midlands Premier Division North and gaining promotion from the UCL First Division in 2024, it has already seen success but last season the club failed in their bid for promotion after suffering playoff heartbreak at the hands of Grantham Town.

It’s just an half hour commute from my home along the A46 where a new roundabout has been put in. The new Middlebeck Way also provides a short cut to the YMCA, a place which I have never previously been to before.

I’m through a rather large council estate before turning into Lord Hawke Way where everything feels modern and fresh, I could be in Amsterdam or Copenhagen, it's very North European with flat roofs and balconies, I enter what feels like an elite purpose built sports centre in somewhere sophisticated like Dubai, the YMCA has a gym, a climbing centre, a dance studio, it has a squash club, an athletics track with actual people running around it, a couple of 4g football pitches, one of which I cannot find the entrance for.

I’m parked up and walk aimlessly towards the caged walls of a pitch where some lads are playing five a side before noticing a couple get out of a small hatchback, the young fella is wearing a pale blue Newark Town scarf, so I follow them, a few steps back, as they walk towards signposts of ‘Main Entrance’ before getting to a turnstile in a hidden corner between rather large buildings with YMCA written on ones side, call it a turnstile? More a gated entrance with woman in hi vis taking card payments at £9 a pop. “Want a go on golden goal” she says with a smile on her face? “Do I f*ck”.

Inside I’m impressed that it has a couple of stands, one on the far side is where I’m basing myself tonight, five seats high, opposite the dugouts which sit in front of the gym, squash, social hub complex, it’s modern, sleek, stunning really, but soulless, give me dirt and filth and unsafe trip hazards over this clean immaculate 4g cage any day of the week.

The Game

It’s my first look of the level for a really long time so I’m not entirely sure what to expect, but after the two teams come out to little or any applause, the action is underway as the drizzling sky sprays water on Newark in sky blue, Sherwood in red and white stripes, and it’s the hosts that impress more, controlling the tempo, getting it up to their big bald number nine Ryan Rushen who glides in possession, he looks to have neat feat and is easy on the eye, head back chest out as he runs whilst rolling the ball beneath his studs.

Newark are nice, neat, they aren’t bad down the sides, are combative in midfield, defensively they take risks with the offside trap and although Sherwood haven’t yet really started, one mazy dribble by their exciting number eight Kokkinos finds Nathaniel Crofts with defenders arms stood aloft and anyone who knows the former Sheffield, Guiseley, Matlock, Belper, Eastwood and more, forward, will know what happens next. Crofts is a player at the level who knows how to get goals, quick and hungry he comes alive when inside the box and finishes well to put Wood one up within seven minutes.

It’s not really a goal that Sherwood deserve as they are second best in most areas during the first half which ends with them (despite less possession and territory) having the better chances to double advantage. I’m really impressed with young Newark Town goalkeeper Haydon McCarthy who’s a big, tall lad, kicks well, is commanding, and I think he has a chance (if he wants it) to play a couple of levels up.

The Score

As I check the scores from around the leagues at half time I can’t help noticing that the crowd isn’t bad here at all, over 150 officially, remember this is the ninth tier of football in the UK, it’s pissing down with rain, Emmerdale is on, no blackout, and yet still, people want to be here, many alone, sitting near me, happy to sit, watch, and say nothing to anyone.

I’m expecting a response by Newark in the second half and we soon get one as Brad McGregor who’s a lively right winger with a bit of technique, gets his shot away, he attempts luck from outside the box and via a deflection gets Newark level, and within ten minutes it looks like Sherwood’s wheels have fallen off completely when Harvey Grice is found in space to finish off a neat move to put the hosts ahead.

It’s about right for the night as a fan of Newark shouts at Sherwood’s Jamie York, the midfielder is the quintessential step 5 Jordan Henderson, armband on, shirt tucked in, shorts up high, he shouts and mouths at others before tackling someone and giving the ball away, he’s getting it from the sidelines.. “That’s your fault number seven” the fan thinks he’s had the last laugh.

It’s a test of what Sherwood are made of. They look like a decent pub team to me, big strong lads at the back, a couple of tubby fellas in the middle, one who’s tekky but doesn’t want to move up top, a bit of pace in Nat Crofts who feels to me the real difference.

Newark are growing in the game, they have a chance to make it three but fluff their lines, but they make a few changes which evidently weakens their shape somewhat, Sherwood are holding tight with their subs, keeping belief in what they have, suddenly the ball breaks kindly for Ethan Wiesztort on 79, he does the rest and the game is back level, out of nothing, but you could say it was coming as the visitors step up their gas.

New found belief in the Wood armour as their tradesman like centre half Carter Widdowson shouts ‘ten minutes for another one’ before clattering a forward in an aerial challenge. Sherwood have their pekkers up and Preston crashes a bar from close range, the ball not yet clear falls to Wiesztort inside the area, his shot is handled on the line, penalty is called, Jordan Preston is asked to step up and he sends the keeper the wrong way.

I’m clock watching as the brilliant website football web pages tell me there’s 92 minutes played so I start to make a move for the exit to beat the traffic as across the far end late substitute David Olatomide crowns things off, he’s still celebrating his goal as I’m walking out the gates along with a couple of Newark supporters who have already seen enough.

The Stars

The level is decent and the players on show were certainly all competent, but I wonder if any could do a job in steps 2 or 3? Maybe Newark goalkeeper McCarthy is best bet, a big lad with confidence who knows how to work his box, I’m no expert on keepers but I like what I saw and he kicked confidently which is a big plus if he’s to have any chance at playing higher.

I also liked Charles Opoku, a busy midfielder in the centre of the park, whilst Brad McGregor shown some nice touches out right, Harvey Grice in midfield wearing eight is a player that has played higher and is one who looks to get forward adding goals to his name, not scoring enough is their striker Ryan Rushen who has neat feet and awkward guile in his movement, his link up play commendable, but only one goal this season (and three yellow cards) I’ll reserve judgement until stats are more favourable.

As for Sherwood, they have a few of those nasty tattoo type gym body footballers who probably prefer it when their backs are up against the wall, Carter Widdowson impressed at centre half, not the biggest, but he won’t be far off being the bravest, Nick Hood next to him taller and leaner but doing equally basic in defensive duty.

I wasn’t so impressed with the full backs (of either team) but Ferdinand Bartley, who’s usually a centre half, did ok in his ungainly ways, certainly offers athleticism in the role and prone to an error at centre half, might be best played a little further away from trouble? He did well at right back after joining the game as a first half sub on the half hour.

Going forward, whilst Jamie York and Harry Bircumshaw offer midfield protection, Ronnie Kokkinos who they recently signed from Mansfield provides the explosion, forward running from midfield he has great feet and can certainly beat a man, just lacking that bit of end product but if he can find it, could be a footballer not to be ruled out for bigger and better things of levels above.

In attack, Sherwood have the brother of Gainsborough Trinity striker Fraser Preston, very similar in stature (and (lack of) mobility) Jordan will play against his sibling on Saturday in the FA Cup to provide yet another great story-line for this wonderful timeless competition, he’ll have to do better than he did tonight though if he wants to out do his bro who's a very good player himself. Nathaniel Crofts was the one I really liked in the attacking third, coming alive inside the box, predatory, he could have had three, now 29 he’s past his prime but for the level, he’ll always get you goals.

One to watch? David Olatomide is a big unit who came off the bench, a young lad who they signed from Stapleford Town, who scored a lot of goals for his previous club, stay posted to see how he progresses.

The Verdict

155 football thoroughbreds stood and sat watching in the rain a game between two local teams who weren’t even around when I was playing across the local levels in the mid 90s. Would the 3pm blackout really stop mums and dads watching their sons? Stop scouts and groundhoppers going to games? Stop die hard locals who love their local clubs? Will it eck. Football is here for life, and we all want to enjoy it live, up close to the action where we can hear every word.

The United Counties League is a relatively new one on me, in my day, they played this level in the Central Midlands League, it’s all a bit confusing as the pyramid flattens down but one thing for sure, the clubs at this level are still serious entities, still with focus on bigger and better things, and for these two clubs, bigger and better will certainly one day come. Sherwood like Newark have the facilities and drive to progress, so don’t be surprised if at least one of these clubs next season, might even be playing a level higher?

The Teams

Newark Town: Haydon McCarthy, Sam Greenwood (Pierce Hudson 86), Ryley Thompson, Charles Opoku, Luke Anderson, Lewis Smalley, Brad McGregor, Harvey Grice (Alex Hales 75), Ryan Rushen, Harry Alcock (Josh Barrett 66), Luke White (Harry Molice 83).

Sherwood Colliery: Harrison Leech, Jacob Barrass (Ferdinand Bartley 30), Joshua Egginton, Harry Bircumshaw, Carter Widdowson, Nicholas Hood, Jamie York, Ronnie Kokkinos (Kyle Coke 90), Jordan Preston (David Olatomide 90), Ethan Wiesztort (Oliver Lobley 90), Nathaniel Crofts (Destiny Wognin 90).

7:4pm Kick Off. Wednesday 2nd September 2026, YMCA Sports Village, Newark (att 155).