Changing Places

Scarborough Athletic 0-3 Radcliffe (National League North)

I was supposed to watch Scarborough verses Hereford last week but the game at Bridlington got called off due to a waterlogged pitch. I didn’t even know that the Seadogs were playing at Queensgate until I got wind of the postponement, so that would have been fun, turning up at the Flamingo Land Stadium and seeing doors locked and half their plastic pitch torn up.

I think the move is for this year only, as repairs are undertaken at the Scarborough Sports Village, the fan own club are apparently playing for free at the home of Bridlington Town just ten miles down the road, mind you Brid will get a good return out of it as regardless, Boro always bring with them a good backing.

They have been doing ok this season under Jonathan Greening, his fifth season in charge at the club, sitting in the playoff zone but Scarborough have stumbled a bit of late, no win in four, they have drawn their last three league games and have only one win in nine in all competitions. I saw them get beat heavily at title chasers South Shields in October and they have only picked up six points since then.

Radcliffe are another funny team, packed with talent they are without a win in six, although they did beat Bradford Park Avenue in an FA Trophy shootout in that run, they can make the playoffs with victory tonight. In charge of the blue ‘Boro’ is Bernard Morley and Anthony Johnson, they might sound more like a solicitors firm than a management duo but the pair have pedigree in the lower echelons of English football, you might remember them from their days in charge of managing Salford City and the documentary ‘Class of 92’ but they have been at Radcliffe now for a few seasons, enjoying promotion during 2023/24 and survival during the last campaign at step 2.

It's a good couple of hours and more from my house is Bridlington so I’m out the door around 3pm heading towards the A1 and up the M18 as the sun goes down in the west, darkness in the East, a short stop off in Howden has me pack a peperami and pork pie for the rest of the journey, which is up the A614 through Holme on Spalding Moor and Bainton, before circling around Driffield through Burton Agnes and Carnaby, finally reaching Brid for around 6pm.

The Venue

I’ve pulled up outside a chippy on Queensgate which is opposite the ground, I’ve time to bag some grub so walk in and spot two old boys in blue hats frying some fish, the shop is dated, retro, selling old-skool drinks like dandelion & burdock and lager shandy, they haven’t looked up in around five minutes as myself, another fella and the Uber Eats man waits patiently in the shop, eventually I’m served, freshly sliced potatoes (some wider than others) and battered fish straight from the North Sea, I notice Bridlington Town’s December fixtures are on the wall, the owner of the chippy saying “are you ear for the footy”. We get chatting and turns out he’s a non-league buff himself, in fact the chip shop closes at 7pm weeknights, probably so he can go get showered, changed and walk over to the ground and watch the game.

Fed and oiled I’m ready to walk across the road, I’ve parked in a permit spot that allows you an hour up until 7pm, the trick is getting their at five past six and making full use of the system.

Bridlington Town Football Club share their facilities with the rugby club who are next door, I’m walking through a large car park full of potholes as I look for the door, the turnstiles hidden around the corner from the clubhouse, which is packed, as I’m directed back through it to get my press pass.

“I can’t find you” says a man in hi vis on the clubhouse door, before finally noticing my name jotted down to allow me in.

Once inside I’m really impressed with the look and layout of the spacious clubhouse, very inviting and comfortable looking, large and red painted, it’s behind the goal glass windowed and you walk through the door towards the pitch, huge netting in front to catch some stray balls.

The ground is beautiful, it’s my first visit and I’m admiring the nostalgic seaside feel to it, wide and long pitch, quite a distance are the spectators from behind the goal, there’s a beer kiosk, a programme hut, the old main stand that runs the length of the pitch is one to behold, seated in one half, standing in the other, a glass box for media and the players tunnels in the middle. It’s full of posts and poles, I’m struggling to find somewhere to sit so I can see the whole pitch, in the end I’m three rows up and having to bend my neck on the near side where I’m partially blinded by a pillar, the remainder of my view however is pretty good, close to the action, cushty.

There’s a classic roofed stand behind the goal to my right whilst most of the far side which has the dugouts is open to the elements, you can see the rugby stand in the background as four floodlights beam down on the fluffy and squidgy looking surface below.

The Game

As I did last night, I’ve brought my scotch blanket with me to wrap across my knees, a fella from Scarborough says “you’ve come prepared” and sits himself down in front of me, he’s brought his cushion, I tell him “That’s the one thing I’ve not got, I’ll ask my wife to get me one for Christmas”.

The game gets underway, Radcliffe in blue and yellow, Scarborough at temporary home where everything is painted red, themselves not looking out of place in all red, but it’s a start that tells a tale, Radcliffe take no chances, they smash the living daylights out of anything that comes near their half, they’ll get it and play in midfield and in attack, they’ll chase everything down.

Scarborough aren’t at it, they have some good lads, but you don’t feel they want it as much as Radcliffe do, Harry Green poses a threat down the left, he’s taking on the defender and looking a menace, but too many players want to go sideways or backwards, they’ll jog instead of sprint, dangle rather than commit, lean in instead of shove.

It’s early doors and Danny Greenfield and Matt Sargent are already running things in midfield, Greenfield is a player I really like, he used to play for Scarborough, Radcliffe have broken with a long ball forward and Kieran Weledji has been caught wrong side, he fouls Jordan Hulme who’s running towards goal, a yellow card, but more importantly, a free kick in a dangerous position, Greenfield stands over it, right footed, slowly running up and whipping the ball home into the top corner before running over to celebrate in front of us. “Fuck off Greenfield” is one cry, “Scarborough reject” is another, “He should still be playing for us” says one fan as Radcliffe trot happily back to their halves with a lead.

The Score

It’s more than deserved as Radcliffe do everything with intent, I love how their defenders defend, the ball at times hit higher than the floodlights, I presume they are told to simply ‘leather the fuck out of it’ and on instruction take just one touch to get the ball as far away from their goal as possible.

It’s causing Scarborough havoc, they have some nice players, Rocco Coyle wants to get it and play it, no-one else is on his ‘academy trained’ wavelength, Jake Hull is a young man mountain at the back, he’s having to do his share of heading, but when Scarborough get it, they pass it with a half arsed hope that the other fella will do something, Radcliffe differ in manner, the lad, whoever is on the ball for them, is saying, ‘I’ve got this, this is me, you’re getting it, let's fucking have it’.

Michael Afuye is brilliant down the right, running with pace and tenacity, the two strikers Hulme and Clegg have not stopped running, working hard for the team, the defenders defending, the midfielders midfielding.

That said, Scarborough do have a chance, a corner is won and a header by Hull who’s the tallest player on the park by some distance, crashes the ball off the bar, a scare that will give Jonathan Greening some hope at half time? Perhaps?

Well. No.. Because Radcliffe win a succession of corners themselves, Afuye crosses into the danger area and Rick Smith rises, 2-0 on the stroke of the break, a goal which probably seals the deal.

And no sooner does the second half start do things get even worse for Scarborough, Afuye teasing again, threads a ball through to Rio Clegg, he’s running at defenders back-tracking before letting go a shot which takes a nick, looping over Whitley in goal and adding a third, a sucker blow for the hosts who might have had a rocket up their arse at the interval, to no useful avail.

You feel that there’s not enough fight, tonight, from Scarborough, before Kieran Weledji who’s already on a booking, gets himself in trouble after a bad challenge on the far side, mayhem breaks loose, Weledji who has been one of the few committed Seadogs tonight, has over-stepped his mark, a red card for him and an early bath, a night which can’t get much worse, and thankfully doesn’t for the hosts.

The later stages are interchanged with numerous subs which stops and starts the flow, there’s a debut for recently signed Bury forward Tyler James who comes on for Radcliffe, whilst Theo Chapman of Scarborough, not for the first time when I’ve watched him, shows guts, coming on when all things are lost, and gives hope by at least battling and trying to make things happen.

In the end the crowd filters towards the exits mostly ahead of full time, the few in attendance from Radcliffe have enjoyed their sides efforts upon the whistle, whilst the fella from Scarborough says “sorry for my outburst on Danny Greenfield earlier”. I tell him “you could have done with him tonight”.

The Stars

I liken Greenfield to a National League North Elliot Anderson, high praise but he’s a midfielder who has it all at this level, drives forward, front foot, he is a good passer and can certainly strike a ball, happy to mix it he combines well with Matt Sargent who is a tall and defensively solid half of the pairing, both keeping out former Chester captain George Glendon which is by no mean feat itself.

In attack, Radcliffe have craft and graft, in Michael Afuye they have a talented right winger, one of the best in the division, in Rio Clegg, Jordan Hulme, David Ball, Tyler James, they’ll have no shortage of goals.

I really liked the simplicity of their defenders, Rick Smith and Olly Thornton hardly lost a header between them, they hardly had more than one touch at a time, clearing their lines with distance, doing the basic stuff well, full backs Brad Roscoe and Callum McFadzean equally competent. No nonsense.

Whilst things didn’t go so well for Scarborough on the night, their best player perhaps Weledji who was sent off? I did in glimpses like what I saw of Jake Hull, in brief moments enjoyed some things which Rocco Coyle did, was even pleasantly surprised by the skill and speed of Harry Green, whilst feeling satisfied that Theo Chapman at least came on and put in a shift as he did when I watched him at South Shields in defeat.

The Verdict

I said to another Scout at the weekend, “whenever I watch Southport, they are crap” which is nothing to do with how the club have been over the last four or five years, but is more to do with luck, and me just being at games when they don’t play particularly well.

I’m starting to feel like that with Scarborough, I don’t exactly know what they are? A nice’ish’ football team with half decent wingers, is how I would describe them, one that leaks goals, that doesn’t particularly score them?

They have now slipped out of the playoff places and have been replaced by Radcliffe, who I know exactly, what they are all about.

Strong, physical, ugly, they don’t take risks at the back, they get it and play in midfield, and they work hard in attack, sometimes we over-complicate football, when all is needed is the simple stuff to start us off, the only difference that mattered tonight, was that Radcliffe were up for it and Scarborough weren’t, and if you don’t put effort in at this level, you’ll always get found out.

The Teams

Scarborough Athletic: Ryan Whitley, Kieran Weledji, Will Thornton, Rio Allan (Michael Duckworth 83), Alex Purver, Harry Green (Theo Chapman 68), Luca Colville, Rocco Coyle (Richie Bennett 54), Dom Tear, Noah Wadsworth, Jake Hull.

Radcliffe: Mark Halstead, Brad Roscoe, Rick Smith, Olly Thornley, Callum McFadzean, Michael Afuye (Jon Taylor 80), Matt Sargent, Danny Greenfield (George Glendon 79), David Ball, Rio Clegg (Tyler James 86), Jordan Hulme.

7:45pm Kick Off. Tuesday 16th December 2025, Queensgate, Bridlington (att 521).