Century Cladding Community Welfare Ground
Furlong Road
Goldthorpe Green
Goldthorpe
South Yorkshire
S63 9EH
Ground Number: 1488
Friday 3rd October 2025
Dearne & District 7-0 Nostell MW
NCEL D1
DEARNE & DISTRICT FC - A BRIEF HISTORY
Though the club has a history as a junior team back to 1982, the adult side was established in 2018. They immediately joined the Doncaster Senior League, finishing 3rd in Division 1 and winning promotion to the Senior Division. Following a couple of pandemic-interrupted seasons, they were transferred to the Central Midlands North in 2021. They were runners-up to Retford United in 2023, before winning the title the following season. Last season, they finished 4th in the Northern Counties East D1, winning in the playoff semis against Wakefield but losing in the final to Wombwell Town. Dearne & District have played two campaigns in the FA Vase, but have lost both games.
The club initially played their games at Dearne Valley College before moving to the Kingsmark ground in Goldthorpe. However, after being refused planning permission for floodlights, in 2023, they moved just over a mile to the Welfare Ground. The club is based in the village of Goldthorpe, near Barnsley, which has a population of just over 6,000. The significant industry in the area for much of the 19th and 20th centuries was coal mining. This ended in the immediate area in 1994 with the closure of Goldthorpe Colliery. The 1984-85 Miners' Strike affected the area significantly. In 1984, two teenage boys died in Goldthorpe while collecting coal during the strike; a memorial to them was built in 2011. The actor Brian Blessed once lived on Probert Avenue in Goldthorpe. Goldthorpe was represented in the FA Cup during the 1920s and 1930s by Goldthorpe United F.C. Goldthorpe is home to Dearne CC, a cricket club established in 1926 and currently playing in Division 5 of the South Yorkshire Senior Cricket League.
MY VISIT
Dearne & District were one of the few grounds that Colin had done that I had not. The others that I can think of are South Leeds, Chester Le Street Town, West Auckland Town, Penzance, Charnock Richard & AFC Liverpool. To be honest, I could have done this and South Leeds with him and Hertfordshire Hopper, but I opted to prioritise sleep for work in the morning. I will take my 700+ grounds that I've done over him, though, but it would be nice to catch up. Dearne & District were one of the clubs that did semi-regular Friday night football, something that most clubs are blind to, turning down the chance to double their crowd or better in the process. As it happened, on this Friday, Sheffield FC, a ground Colin really fancied, were at home too, and so it was the perfect time to help out. I only noticed the previous Saturday whilst browsing through the fixtures on the train and duly made arrangements, weather permitting.
It had been a pricier-than-expected trip, so I was glad to have a local game this Tuesday. After my train full of insufferable Milton Keynes fans was delayed, it had a knock-on effect for all the other trains, including mine to Hemel. It was only five minutes, but I was eager to get home. After returning to Hemel, I made my way back to my car and was home by 11:25. A nightcap was tempting, but I prioritised sleep. It had been an unhealthy day once again, although my only regret is that my meal in Crewe should have been some noodles from a Chinese restaurant. This was reflected in the costs I recorded on my spreadsheet. The energy drink at 8 pm was also not the best idea, but I needed a pick-me-up. It was a poor and short night's sleep, but I was OK first thing in the morning. I started to feel tired mid-afternoon and so had a nap for a couple of hours to catch up. Monday was a fairly pleasant day at work, and Tuesday was my usual day off, which was most welcome.
It was another busy but slightly easier day on Friday. Even so, I only had an hour to have a bath, have lunch and get changed before leaving at 2.30. I picked up Colin and we took a bizarre route through Chesham, Tring and the back end of beyond up to the M1 at Northampton. After that, though, the roads were excellent for a Friday night. I saw that Golcar had bitten the dust and was concerned for my game. However, they passed a 4.30 pitch inspection, and the rain was getting lighter. I dropped Colin off at Sheffield FC at 6.15 and filled up with petrol at Sainsbury's. The game was still on; no news was good news. I got to my desired takeaway, Papa Gino's Pizza at 7.10, parking on a side road. I ordered a spicy pizza burger and chips for £7.80 and caught up with this blog. The place was chaotic and very busy. The visitors had released their team by now, and no problems had cropped up, thankfully. I left with ten minutes to spare, and Google Maps directed me to the wrong side of the ground. It was easy to work out, though, and I was parked up and in the ground on kickoff. My dinner was superb, tasty and great value and the entry was well priced at £6. I also had a cider I'd not had, Crompton Oaks Strawberry for £4, not my usual taste, but low strength and helps the club.
Dearne & District topped the league, having won ten, drawn one and lost three of their games so far. On Wednesday, they drew 1-1 at South Leeds. Nostell Miners Welfare were in 20th, having won three, drawn two and lost six. Although they lost in the cup to Appleby Frodingham, they did at least win their last league game at fellow strugglers Glasshoughton Welfare. The hosts started well and Justin Circuit opened the scoring on 6 minutes with a shot from 15 yards into the top of the net. Circuit got his second with a low shot on 21 minutes, and then a looping free kick and a header. Then on 28 minutes, a free kick was put in and Adam Baskerville leapt like a hound to head home from ten yards. Baskerville got his second on 43 minutes, a good ball from the captain played him in, and he finished well. Another Baskerville goal in first-half injury time made it 5-0 at the break. Baskerville got his fourth and his team's 6th on 55 minutes, following up at the back post after an initial shot was saved. Nostell has a couple of half-chances on the break, but Theo Wainman made it 7-0 from a header, twenty minutes from time.
A rather one-sided contest then, and a great win for the hosts. Sadly, not the advert for Friday night football that I wanted, with only 131 turning up. Maybe because they quite often play on a Friday and the weather was terrible, but it was their second-lowest crowd of the season. They deserved more, although the young group of fans behind the goal were fantastic and never gave up backing their side. The game finished quite late after the Nostell players took their time at the break, but I was away by 9.45. I picked Colin up 40 minutes later, and we initially had a good trip home. However, fifteen minutes from home, the M25 came to a standstill due to an 'accident'. We stood still for 20 minutes and then suddenly started moving. Obviously, the police had been 'holding' the traffic, and although it was only a minor bump, it was handled quite well. How it happened on a quiet motorway is anyone's guess, but I dropped Colin off and got home at half one. I stayed up and got my blog up, and had a couple of drinks. The aim was a 3 am bedtime, and that would give me an ample five hours of sleep with the early Wycombe kickoff and alternate matchday on Saturday.
THE GROUND
THE WELFARE GROUND is only a 2.5-sided venue, but there is plenty of character in the ground. The covered accommodation is made up of three shipping containers, one seated and one standing along the side, plus a further seated, more basic one behind the goal. The latter is where the noisy young ultras and their excellent support gather. There is also a bar in a portakabin called the Dearne Inn One, a boardroom and a shack selling an interesting range of chilled cans and food. The parking is plentiful but a bit erratic, whilst Goldthorpe train station is walkable. P&G Pizza was an excellent takeaway in my opinion.
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