On Saturday, we took the opportunity to go and visit our very good friends at Carlton Town FC who play in the Northern Premier League Division One East, the eighth tier of the English football pyramid.
Last season when we visited the Nottingham-based club they were fighting a relegation battle but by winning their last game of the season they successfully stayed up!
On our visit last Saturday It was very clear to see the tables had turned and they are now in the running for a play-off position.
What a great turnaround for the club!
Saturday's game at Stoke Lane saw them get a 2-1 win over strugglers Winterton Rangers Football Club with a last-minute brilliantly taken headed goal by Khyle Sargent, this result has now pushed the Millers up to 4th spot and firmly in the hunt for a playoff position.
Their was a decent crowd of 255 fans in attendance who paid the very affordable price of £10 for adults £8 cons and U16s just £2.
As always, it was a pleasure to visit Carlton Town, a club who are embedded into the local community and just like our previous visits they went above and beyond to make us feel welcome and a part of the club.
The membership-owned club is run superbly well by some amazing people who give up their spare time to support their local grassroots club and has a proper family feel about the place.
We had a chance to get the views of Carlton Town manager Tommy Brookbanks on todays win and and also asked him what has been the main reason for the teams remarkable up turn in form compared to last seasons relegation battle.
Carlton Town kindly gave us the opportunity to have a Q&A in the clubhouse with the supporters to share what our Proper Football concept is about, the reason we started and what we stand for, we was overwhelmed with the reception and that many of the Millers fans in attendance agreed with us... top flight football has lost the fans and its soul, we have lost the connection we once had with our beloved boyhood clubs and its the reason why many of us are finding solace at our local non-league football clubs which in-turn has reignited the flame that was going out and why we now feel part of something, something that doesn't line the pockets of some fat cat far away owner or unscrupulous businessman with ulterior motives who doesn't care for the club and is chasing the carrot that is the Premier League cash cow, we now feel worthy and respected and most importantly of all a vital part of a local football club that has its best interests for the community at heart.
We very much look forward to another visit to Carlton Town later in the season to catch up with the wonderful people who run the club and all of the volunteers and supporters of the Millers who are a vital cog in the wheel!
A big thank you to Carlton Town Chairman Mick Garton who also took time to have a chat with us after the game.
If you live in the local area get yourself down their and become part of something special, and fingers crossed it will be to witness a push for promotion!
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