Vertigo Stadium
Wainfleet Road
Skegness
Lincolnshire
PE25 2EL
Ground Number: 1327
Saturday 3rd August 2024
Skegness Town 1-3 Newark & Sherwood United
FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
SKEGNESS TOWN FC - A BRIEF HISTORY
The club was founded in 1946 as a successor to the town's two pre-war clubs, Skegness United & Skegness Blue Rovers. They were founder members of the Lincolnshire League in 1948 but in the late '50s switched to the Midland League. That league folded in 1960 which saw them complete the 1960-61 season without a competitive league fixture. When the league reformed the following season they struggled at first but never finished in a relegation place. Things gradually improved and by the 1978-79 season, they had their best placing in that particular league when they finished as runners-up to Boston Town on goal difference. A sole season was spent in the Northern Counties East League in its inaugural year of 1982/83 but after an 18th placed finish they rejoined the Lincolnshire League the following season. They have remained there for many years, winning the title seven times and were runners-up a couple more times. It was after the last of these and after moving into new ground a couple of years back, that they were accepted into the Northern Counties East League. They spent three seasons in Division 1 before their results over the two abandoned seasons were good enough for promotion. They've been in the United Counties Premier North since 2021, the 5th place finish last season being the highest in their history.
On top of this, the club has also won the Lincolnshire Football League Cup twice, the Central Alliance South Division three times, the Lincolnshire FA Senior 'B' Cup four times and the Lincolnshire FA Senior 'A' Cup winners six times.. Among their former players is the former Doncaster Rovers legend Charlie Williams who appeared on TV in the 1970s, most famously in the stand-up show 'The Comedians' The town itself is the birthplace of former England keeper Ray Clemence. It has a population of just over 21,000. It is known for tourism and was home to the first ever Butlin's holiday resort in 1936. Skegness was a small fishing and farming village, but from the late 18th century members of the local gentry visited for holidays. The arrival of the railways in 1873 transformed it into a popular seaside resort. This new Skegness quickly became a popular destination for holiday-makers and day-trippers from the East Midlands factory towns. By the interwar years, the town was established as one of Britain's most popular seaside resorts.
MY VISIT
Skegness Town had been on my target list for ages. As well as a potential decent day out at a seaside resort, it was the ground I needed to complete the United Counties North. However, it was the train fares that put me off, even with split tickets, the best fare going from Wycombe was £96.60. Buying advance tickets didn't save a great amount of money. It was also too far to drive in midweek and I also really wanted to tick the town's Wetherspoons. The ideal opportunity came when fellow hoppers Daniel, Richard and Andrew were driving up from Essex. I would have to drive to Bishops Stortford but it was a decent compromise and would save me a good bit of cash. Parking was a bit of a pain in Bishops Stortford with parking restrictions galore due to its proximity to Stansted Airport. I identified a road called 'Heath Row' as the most convenient place to park without restrictions. Either irony or a sense of humour by the local council. The added bonus was that it was an FA Cup tie, though sadly between two teams from the same division.
It was a nice, easy journey home from my game in Slough to get home although a later night than I had hoped due to being unable to sleep. It was another busy day at work on Thursday but I got some plans in place for my September North East trip by booking a coach up, a train back and a room for Friday. It will start with West Auckland on Friday night and end with Stockton Town Ladies on Sunday, all being well. I decided not to wait for Colin as he takes an age to make a decision and I'd potentially lose out on the advance fares. It's just my October arrangements to book now, though booking this early is tricky with kickoff times yet to be confirmed.
Friday was another busy day but I was looking forward to some Friday night FA Cup football. I could have updated my blog but there really wasn't much I could add. It'd be nice to go there, get some updated pictures and watch the game. It was a nice easy journey to the ground and I put some money into the club with a ticket, a pint of Strongbow and chips. Spelthorne Sports had the better of the first half but it was Burgess Hill who found the finish to lead 1-0 at the break. That was how it stayed, despite a valiant effort by Spelthorme Sports, Burgess Hill Town were the better side. The camaraderie and sense of community were in sharp contrast to the news bulletins full of knifemen and Neanderthal fascist thugs.
I awoke around 7 on the day of the game. I had plenty of time to have breakfast and get dressed before leaving at 8.30. It was a smooth journey over to Bishop's Stortford where my arranged meeting point had no yellow lines. But it did have signs saying 'No Airport Parking - Residents Only'. I took the view that it was too late to alter my plans and with me not going to the airport and no permit scheme in place, I'd be OK if I didn't take the mick. Five minutes ahead of schedule, the others turned up and we were on our way. Back home in Wycombe, fascist inbred terrorists were marching upon the town at lunchtime. With the scenes recently across the country, I was glad to be out of it. There was a little rain and a road closure on the A1 but Dan navigated Richard around the latter. The rain and traffic got worse which was annoying after being boiling all week.
Skegness was pretty grim and uninviting in the drizzle. The Red Lion Wetherspoons was similar, crowded with families and dirty tables. However, it was still the usual sensible pricing and service was excellent given how busy it was. The building was quite well furnished too, it was just the people that made it worse. I had Sticky Korean Chicken Bowl with a bottle of Aspalls for £10.02, both good .A second pint of Strongbow was a snip at £2.39. From there it was to the ground. £7 entry was great value but £2 for a very thin programme was poor value. The ground was smart and functional, not the most exciting but just what the club needed.
The two sides plied their trade in the United Counties North and were yet to win. Skegness Town were 17th and had lost 1-0 to Boston Town and 2-1 at Heanor Town. Newark and Sherwood United were 12th having drawn 2-2 with landlords Harrowby United and 1-1 at Shirebrook Town. The winners would face the winners of the Corby Town v AFC Rushden & Diamonds game. Skegness were the better side early on but Newark and Sherwood thumped the bar with a great shot on 13 minutes. That was how it continued with Skeggy dominant but Newark more clinical. It was a low shot from Kieran Robert Cummings that gave the visitors lead on 28 minutes. Two minutes later it was 2-0 following a scramble from the corner, Kam Campbell netting. Newark and Sherwood continued to dominate but Skegness had a good period at the start of the second half. The captain Connor Marshall pulled one back with a header on 58 minutes. Despite brief hopes of a comeback, it was 3-1 on 82 minutes, a ball forward, a goalkeeper save from a low shot but Kam Campbell followed up. Newark hit the woodwork for the fourth time but their victory was sealed. It had been a mixed day, but I took the positives out of it. The contest had been decent and we headed south in a decent mood. It had been a mixed day but I took the enjoyable parts as my memories. I had completed the United Counties Premier North and indeed the whole United Counties league, 56 teams in total.
THE GROUND
THE VERTIGO STADIUM is a functional venue. The first impressions are good, with a decent-sized car park and an attractive frontage. The bar and tea hut offer a good range, prices are slightly above average but not unreasonable. There's also a great selection of merchandise. The ground itself is smart and modern. As per usual, a pair of metal stands make up the covered accommodation. Some seats have restricted views but there is space for around 120 seated and 80 standing. The town is just 15 minutes walk away and is probably best visited when not during a holiday period to make it more enjoyable.
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