Chronicles of the Berkshire Pig: Taken With A Pinch of Salt

Steeton v Route One Rovers

Salts v Wibsey

I don't normally report on midweek games, but after making so many friends in the Bristol area with last weeks report, I thought I'd balance it out with a report on a couple of delightful games in the Airedale valley.

An afternoon meeting in Preston, meant the chance for a move back to Sowerby to get changed, where it was onto a Leeds bound service...

...a couple of stops to Bradford Interchange.

A brisk stroll across the city...

...took me here. This used to be the station hotel for Bradford Forster Square station, which occupied a massive site to the north of the centre.

However, these days it is just a dingy side entrance.

Which takes you past this sculpture, entitled Fibres and apparently represents the move from old technology of railways to the new technology of fibre optics.

The current three platform station is squashed to the side of the huge retail park that now occupies the site. Services from here depart northwards on the electrified Airedale services to Leeds, Ilkley and Skipton.

I was on a latter bound service as far as Steeton and Silsden, whic re-opened in 1990.

Steeton is a village of approximately 5000 people. Although located in an agricultural area, it grew up around it being a toll gate for the turnpike road that it led on, being the main route between Leeds and the livestock markets at Skipton. The game I was heading for was being advertised on the main road from the station.

A short distance down the lane took me here, which is one of the most picturesque grounds in the county...

...and certainly one of the best named.

Despite it being at step 11, Steeton produce a very good programme, and this was a bargain £2 including entrance.

Perhaps the most overly-honest signage in football.

Steeton 2 v Route One Rovers 1, West Riding County Amateur League - Premier Division

Steeton were formed in 1905. They spent most of their existence in the Craven & District League, but have more recently stepped up to the West Riding County Amateur League, which covers the far reaches of West Yorkshire and is the feeder league for the Northern Counties Eastern.

Route One Rovers are from north Bradford, playing adjacent to Valley Parade. They were formed in 2013, winning the Spen Valley league at the first attempt, and progressing to the West Riding County, where they have progressed to the premier division. They have a more prolific (and politer!) Facebook page than a lot of professional clubs.

Steeton previously played at the Oaks which was located to the west of the village but is now a housing estate. In a reversal of most ground moves, they moved to this more central location, nestled between housing, in 1969.

The club house and car park are located immediately behind the near goal, with grandstand views from the bedrooms of the adjacent houses.

The far touchline gives the ground its amazing setting as it borders the hills over to Bronte country at Haworth.

The near touchline looks onto stone cottages and low, dry stone wall.

Tight up against the far goal line is a bulky hedge...

...with the equally scenic village cricket club located beyond.

There were a few minutes before kick off, so it was time to visit the tea bar, which is brilliantly located between the two changing rooms. The thin walls meant I got a dolby stereo like listen to the team talks.

Now armed with a 50p coffee in a proper mug, it was too nicer a location to stay inside, so it was off to the immaculate pitchside...

...where the dry stone wall gave a very convenient seat, to see the visitors rather strangely warming up in the allotments...

...with the home side more conventionally located at the far goal.

The game got underway, with more prime viewing for the neighbours.

Right, let me try and remember the game. Er, there was some midfield action.

Some goal action for the visitors.

And for the home side.

Crowd was reported as 58, with a few hoppers in attendance, though they appeared from the more normal end of the spectrum. No carrier bags, touching of corner flags or will-sapping discussion about rare butterflies they once saw at a Cray Valley Paper Mills Reserves game.

Only after the game did I find out that the home keeper is the Guiness World Record holder for the highest vertical drop on a push bike.

It was Steeton who took the lead.

And one of the most sartorially elegant linos I've ever encountered.

An early season @goalkeepers towel for the home keeper.

There was also a towel at the other end.

However, the proximity of the hedge made it difficult to get a photo.

There was also a @nonleague_train, a Skipton-Leeds service glimpsed just above the cricket covers.

There was a second goal for Steeton.

Hmm, what's going on here. Possibly a throw in.

An observation from the seasons games so far, is that goalkeepers have really been working on their pointing over the summer.

As it was a revisit for me, I wasn't to fussed about taking in the full game, so headed off with the game 2-0. It ended 2-1. An absolutely lovely ground, and a really friendly club.

Know your audience.

It was back to the station.

For a Bradford bound service, exactly 215 miles from London. Being of Midland Railway origin, this to St Pancras, via Leeds, various closed lines around Barnsley, Sheffield, Derby and Leicester.

Heading alongside the river, my next game was spotted.

So I was off here at Saltaire.

Saltaire was built in 1851 by Sir Titus Salt, a leading industrialist in the Yorkshire woollen industry. He had a number of smaller mills dotted around Bradford, but combined them all to the massive site here. To go with the mill, he built workers houses as well as social facilities for the. The name of the village is a combination of the founder's surname and the name of the river. The site has survived intact and these days is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage.

One of the reasons for Salt choosing the site was its location on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, down which I headed.

Until I reached here.

Titus Salt was a staunch teetotaller, and was keen to instil this on his workforce. This he did both by not having any pubs in the area, but also providing other past times, such as libraries, bathing houses and also this the Salts Sports Association.

IT combined various sporting activities such as tennis, bowls and beyond the cricket ground, the football club is located.

This is actually an island, the canal being behind, and the river in the far trees, and another exquisite location.

Salts 4 v Wibsey 1, West Riding County Amateur League - Premier Division

The programme name refers to the alpacca wool, which was the forte of the Salts Mill. Though I have no idea why the cover appears to be one of the players Tinder photo.

Salts in their current form were formed in the 1930s. They have played at the lofty heights of the Yorkshire league, but currently seem at home in the West Riding County.

Wibsey is south west of Bradford, previously an agricultural village but now firmly consumed as a suburb of the city. The football club are part of a larger sports association.

Look, I've held off as long as I can, but I'm afraid I've got to mention it, so let's get it out of the way. The only thing that anyone knows about Salts FC is that the Golden Gordon episode of Ripping Yarns was filmed here. So let us all say "8-1, 8 bloody 1" a few times and never mention it again.

The original cover survives, though the front facia that used to house the club name, has been removed. It was in very tidy condition though.

A new changing room block has recently been constructed. A merger with a local Shipley boys club has meant there has been a need for improved facilities, and these have been built. I wonder when the windows are being installed.

There is another pitch beyond the one being played on.

With a similar cover in place.

The second half was starting as I arrived, and immediately a home forward broke away.

Having grown up watching Nicky Forster tamely tap these at an advancing keeper, I am always surprised to see a forward skillfully round the keeper.

And accurately roll the ball into the goal.

The keeper looked inconsolable. Cheer up mate, it could be worse...

...you could be wearing this.

However, the visitors then scored themselves.

Before another goal for Salts.

But joy upon joy, beyond the canal lay some @nonleague train. A Northern class 333 works 2H67 1915 Skipton to Leeds. I could have cropped this to make it look like the spectators were actually all watching the train.

For fans of limestone, here is 6D73 1823 Rylstone Quarry to Hunslet. It is used as flux in the coal burning process in power stations. I now realise there is actually no football in this picture and it is actually just a trainspotting photo.

So here is a class 322, built for Stanstead Express services when the line to the airport opened, but now working 2S59 1931 Skipton to Bradford Forster Square, as the players stand around for reasons I can't remember.

There was also an extremely well behaved @nonleaguedog.

I was pleased to see the highest cross of the year. This also alerted me to a very friendly tea bar in the building opposite.

Some running around, with the two covers in the back ground.

The visitors on the attack, with the cricket scoreboard intruding in the corner.

There was a decent number of spectators, both those that were their for the game and a fair number of passing strollers, who stopped off for a bit of a watch.

I watched the final throes of the game from the canal bank, it finishing 4-1. Another wonderful location and enthusiastic supporters. Also, quite a good game.