Ravens Swoop for All Three Points!
After a long week of toil and longing for our football fix, the Proper Football boys were out on their travels again, this time making the short trip to the Mander Cruickshank Solicitors Stadium, home of Coalville Town. On arrival, we were warmly greeted by Club Secretary Gary, who, whilst relatively new to the role, clearly embodies the spirit of the club and demonstrates a perfect example of someone who has the club’s best interests at heart, which we will touch on in further detail later in the piece. The ground itself consists of two seated stands (east & west) and two safe standing areas (north & south), complimented by a tremendously well-kept playing surface and overlooked by a seated balcony providing a captivating viewpoint for onlookers. An outdoor bar area with seating and a hot food kiosk provides fans with the freedom to snare a pint and revel in the delights of some proper footy fare whilst taking in the ambience of the pitch and surrounding areas. Should you endure a colder or rainier day, synonymous with atypical British weather, the club also has the indoor ‘Jack’s Bar’ offering a good selection of drinks and snacks, keeping fans well nourished and not to mention dry and warm where necessary.
Naturally, the Proper Football nosey parker division, of course, took a full guided tour and captured a scintillating montage of pictures showcasing the exceptional facilities the club has at its disposal.
Part of our initial introductions included meeting the Manager and Assistant Manager, Ash and Jay respectively, who after a quick cheesy grin and pose on the pitch, were kind enough to step in front of the Proper Football cameras, providing an insight on the workings of the club, their connections, targets for the remainder of the campaign and how things are shaping up for the future. Testament to the club’s ability to establish long-term connections and relationships, this season saw Manager Ash return to the club after enjoying a sterling 11-year spell as a player at the club, some of which he spent as club captain, bringing with him his trusty leftenant Jay as Assistant Manager. Jay, a man who is also a success story in his own right within the football world, provides the necessary support that any great leader would not succeed without.
The future of a football club is always an important topic of discussion, something of
equal importance however is understanding the journey, and how the club, now in a strong position to build for the future achieved the level of stability it now enjoys after a period of turbulence, which saw the club withdraw from it’s step 3 standing, dropping down to step 6. A decision I am told that was not taken lightly has proved to be a shrewd one, in that it has provided the club with the platform to rebuild and consolidate, ensuring stability is
reinstated in a club that is held in immensely high regard within the local community. Credited for his spirit and holding the club’s best interests close to his heart earlier in the piece, a man exceptionally well placed to provide an insight into the persistent and relentless graft that was put in to restore order to this great club is Club Secretary, Gary. From my very first exchange with Gary, it became evident that in his and all within the club’s hands, the club is held in exceptionally good stead for the future.
As touched upon in our chat with Gary, Coalville Town provides a safe haven and nurturing environment for, on average, over 900 young people every week to come into their own, utilising the club’s facilities to aid their personal development, not only as budding footballers but also as individuals. Providing a pathway for the next generation and offering the teaching of life skills, whilst potentially unearthing gems that can and have demonstrably gone on to play for the first team, the club delivers a far more important message to the wider community in that their doors are always open to the those that can benefit from what it has to offer, the importance of which cannot be emphasised enough.
It was great to see the children on the pitch at halftime taking penalties, and with some well-taken pens and the Ravens Mascot in goal and not getting a call-up anytime soon, The kids won the day!
With the stage set and all in attendance eagerly anticipating kick-off, a certain name kept popping up throughout our time at Coalville Town so far: someone who has held just about every voluntary role within the club but classes the club shop as her ‘baby’ was Val. Part of the fabric of the club having been associated in one form or another for over 20 years, Val is a true club legend and face of warmth and familiarity for many, whether that be young Ravens popping into her club shop just for a quick ‘hello’ or when she is being recognised out and about on her daily endeavours within the local area. Val, decked out in her club official attire, took time away from her busy and essential role to speak with me, revealing all about her 20+ years of association with the club whilst telling an intriguing tale or two referencing her many outings following the Ravens up and down the country over the years.
Val, a personal message from Proper Football to you - we are so grateful for all you do for grassroots football and your achievements within the game are unprecedented. Without people like you, the game would not be the same, and we salute you and your relentless will to continue to do all that you do purely for the love of the game; your impassioned dedication to the cause is immensely admirable, and it was a real pleasure to meet you.
Now, onto the match action - seated in the covered nearside stand, the game kicked off in what was in honesty, a midfield battle in the early stages, as both teams sized one another up, poised to try and take the initiative. Neither side achieved this in the first half unfortunately, with the action petering out somewhat as the first half drew to a close. The second half, however, saw the game come to life, with both sides having chances of their own after decent passages of play respectively. It was the Ravens in the end, who swooped to pinch what was a deserved 3 points, further consolidating their mid-table position in what has so far been a season of solid rebuilding, given the challenges faced in the not-so-distant past. A raucous home following, vocal throughout were understandably delighted with the result with the home players showing their appreciation for the support, further showcasing the demonstrably unbreakable connection between the club and it’s
fans. We were even treated to some instrumental numbers from the Coalville Town resident drummer, who, in what is a rather unorthodox but effective set-up, fuels the atmosphere with his renditions of famous footy chants.
Another person you hear before you see, in addition to the aforementioned drummer, is John, AKA ‘The voice of Coalville Town.’ John controls everything sound-related within the club, right from the pre and post-match tunes through to substitutions and various other pieces of relevant information. John, another quintessential example of a non-league hero and voluntary member of the Coalville Town contingent, gave up yet more of his valuable time for a chat in front of the Proper Football cameras.
With the 3 points in the bag, the sun beginning to set behind the far side stand and our outing drawing to a close, it was time to reflect on what had been a thoroughly enjoyable day. The set-up at Coalville Town is incredibly impressive, contributed to in no small part by all of the aforementioned individuals we spoke with, the fans and all within the club behind the scenes. I don’t think there are words to justifiably describe quite how much this club offers the local community in terms of a hub to express themselves and satisfy their football crave, whilst contributing to the organic growth of grassroots football and being a safe space for fans young and old. This club gives so much back to those who take the time to come and enjoy what it has to offer, something that was abundantly clear throughout our visit.
I think I speak on behalf of all at Proper Football when I say, we will be keeping an eye on the club’s progress and look forward to the continuity of a relationship with the club - we wish them all the very best for the remainder of this campaign and beyond, on and off the pitch!
Match Highlights of the clash can be found below from Coalville Town FC TV.
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