Adventures in Football #102: Sands Road (Inkberrow FC) 

 

April 23, 2024 

 

INKBERROW FC vs. LITTLETON (Midlands League Division 2) 

 

This ground, on FootballGroundMap.com, is called “Recreation Ground”. I’ve also seen it dubbed the “Inkberrow Sports Pavillion” but it’s on Sands Road and that’s what Futbology is calling it, so we’ll go with that. Inkberrow has an impressive set up considering it’s just a small village club. They are clearly a community hub with several pitches in action tonight, not just the main one with the floodlights. The kids are playing on the top pitch. The pitch off to the side has a training session going on.  

They also have a decent sized car park, considering the number of fans they draw to the games. It was easy to find, and we drove there from my work. It’s a local one so we made the 6:30PM kick off with ease. Even had time to slide into the club house for a cheeky pint. It was £5 to get in, which matches up to Cadbury Athletic, the other team I’ve been to in this league.  

Inside the clubhouse is a team photo of thje 1995-96 cup winning team. The club was established in 1978 so they don’t have a lot of history, but they do appreciate it.  

On another wall is Bobby Robson’s visit to the club back in 2008. The clubhouse is a cracking little facility, especially compared to others at this level. The bar is off to the right as you come in. With the bartender having a little serving hatch out towards the pitch. Which serves as an ideal viewing space for whoever is pulling pints. There’s also a full-on kitchen taking up the space at the back of the clubhouse.  

Apologies to this young lady for accidentally taking her picture while I was trying to whip a quick shot of the merch/snacks on sale. Behind her is the kitchen and while I rarely saw it in use, they were knocking out hot food and had some pasties in a hot cabinet. A great little set up.  

Oh, I forgot to mention; their social media dubbed this clash “El Carroto” based on an age’s old rivalry between these two villages. Littleton FC’s home is a mere 12 miles away. They used to fight over carrots, now it’s about the football.  

This is the scene of the battle. I like the lone tree over on the left side. It gives the otherwise flat landscape a bit of character. The hedgerow conceals farmland and I’m concerned one clearance ended up getting mulched by a tractor that was in action.  

Maria insisted on taking her picture with the players, who emerged at the side of our table, but “don’t show my face”. So, that’s what we have here. That’s visiting Littleton. Note the pint-sized goalkeeper. The shortest player on their team. A modern-day Shay Given.  

We take a stroll around the ground so I can photograph the clubhouse from a distance. “We only do positive” is the club’s motto. There’s a lot of that going on. Trying to get the players to behave, to teach the next generation of kids to behave. It’s reflected in the game, which is clean as a whistle with somewhat polite calls for fouls compared to what I’m used to.  

On the way around, I do a quick head count. 36. Including both of us. I was hoping “El Carroto” would have been more of a draw. Perhaps some are using this as a distraction to go after the real gold here…the carrots. Orange gold.  

Disappointing girth on this flag pole. An absolute chipolata. As you can see the home lads are playing in yellow. Interesting factoid; I’ve seen three teams play home games wearing yellow in Worcestershire and on every occasion the away team has won.  

Littleton have some of the most non-league kits I think I’ve ever seen. You can’t even make out the numbers on the back. Luckily the referee is a seasoned hand. When asked about balls for this game he confidently states “I only need one”. Somewhere a tractor looms ominously in the background. It’s rare that I like a referee, but this one won me over by suggesting someone give the home team “a knock” as kick off time came and went, and they still hadn’t emerged. He proceeded to have one of the most professional, level-headed refereeing performances I’ve seen all season.  

Here’s another look at the clubhouse and pitch, from the raised natural terracing. This also reveals the first of two ‘stands’. This one literally is a ‘stand’. Standing room only. The other one has seating. Given the weather in this part of the world, cover is very much required.  

Only one punter has taken up the standing stand. He’s witnessing some proper non-league football. Players of all ages and sizes. A right back that’s wearing glasses, or rather sports goggles, onto the field. Actual glass pints and bottles allowed out by the pitch. I was asked at the bar if I was taking a drink outside and I said no, so I could drink out of a proper glass, but I saw them out at pitchside too. Real glass. *Winks at camera*.  

We’ve got some tidy little dugouts where the subs and limited coaching staff hang out. We head into the ‘stand’ with seats to watch the first half and Inkberrow struggle for the entire 45’. Just can’t get going. Show nothing going forwards and look like conceding at every corner, where the takers drop their corners right under the crossbar. It feels like one of them will eventually go in. Littleton hit a great chance straight at the keeper from point blank range and a header from a corner looks over the line, but Hawkeye says no. Hawkeye being the lino. She’s not quite up with play but sees it well enough. Given her new Hawkeye gimmick, I dub her Kate Bishop. 

Littleton eventually score from a corner, around 35’. It’s punched weakly clear and hammered back in. “It’s been coming”. As the half comes to an end we start to trudge back to the clubhouse for a half time pint. At which point the tiny Littleton keeper whiffs on a cross and Inkberrow somehow miss an empty net. Another stray shot passes us and with no one around Maria gets to retrieve a ball for the first time. She’s absolutely thrilled and kicks it back to the home keeper. It even skips over the bottom rung of the fence to go back into play. “Perfect” says the thankful keeper. Maria immediately comments on how hard the ball is. She’s now started grimacing when player’s head it.  

A sluggish start to the second half, by us not the players, sees us planted in the clubhouse. It’s comfy in there. We eventually emerge when Inkberrow are awarded a penalty, and the keeper comes up to take it! It’s a ballsy move. If you miss this and they break and score in an empty net, you’re going to look like a proper dickhead. Anyway, I captured the action of “Jake” firing home.  

Sort of.  

 

1-1. Game on.  

And the crowd goes wild. Sadly, this penalty is the height of the Inkberrow comeback. Littleton grab a winner around 75’ played. The keeper, victorious from the spot, is rounded and the ball slotted home into an empty net. Whoever blazed over an empty net earlier getting PTSD.  

The game fades away after that. We’re left with a sub 20 minute car journey home and time to reflect on some non-league football.  

 

FULL TIME:  

INKBERROW FC 1 LITTLETON 2 

 

Let’s give this ground some scores, shall we?  

 

ATMOSPHERE: 

No. ½* 

 

COST: 

You can’t really argue with a fiver. It’s the lowest you’re likely to pay at a game, unless it’s a freebie. I’ve only ever had two freebies. **** 

 

QUALITY: 

Ah, yes, this is a tricky one. For the level, it was not a good game of football. For football in general, it sucked. * 

 

EASE OF ACCESS: 

You can get a bus from Redditch but there’s no train station anywhere near Inkberrow. You could walk there, it’s only 10 miles from Bromsgrove, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Driving there was easy enough. The car park was easy to find. *** 

 

MISC: 

The clubhouse was excellent. I have no complaints there at all. Top facilities. Everything you would need under one roof. Considering the level, the covered seating was also a surprise bonus. They’re doing great for the level. **** 

 

OVERALL: 12.5 

This is the same score I gave Tottenham, if that’s helpful. Slightly more than league sides Salford and Swansea. Am I likely to go again? Probably not, but I was suitably charmed, and this is in much better condition than similar plastic local grounds with big black fences. Far more charm here than at, say, Studley or Warwick. Plus, it feels like a proper community club. The heart of everything. I had a nice time.  

 

Oh shit, and they had a DIGITAL SUBS BOARD!!