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Basford are giving their fans a £10 voucher if they come and support them at Ilkeston.



SPECIAL OFFER: ILKESTON TOWN/COALVILLE TOWN  BY MARC WILLIAMS

Amazing offer for upcoming festive games...It’s the Christmas period which means we have two massive games coming up in a festival of local non-league football. Firstly, we travel to rivals and near-neighbours Ilkeston Town on Boxing Day (3pm) for a local derby, before hosting Coalville Town on Monday, January 2 (1pm), and we have a SPECIAL offer for you Amber fans!  
For any Basford fans attending the Boxing Day clash at the Microlise New Manor Ground, you will then receive a £10 drinks voucher to redeem at the Coalville fixture at Greenwich Avenue. 
N.B. proof of admission/purchase at the Ilkeston game will be needed to claim your drinks voucher


 

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BASFORD DREAMS

MARK CLIFFORD EXTENDS HIS STAY   BY MARC WILLIAMS   20 HOURS AGO

Basford United owner Chris Munroe is delighted to inform the club and it’s fanbase that the contract of manager Mark Clifford has been extended until at least May 2024. Commenting, Munroe states: “I am delighted to break this news and agree an extended deal for Cliffy. “The first priority of an owner is locking down your manager if you rate him, and then we can, as a collective, plot - not just this remaining 2022-23 campaign - but also on 2023-24. “I rate Cliffy very highly and his business and community acumen fit perfectly with my ambitions and how we evolve our club. I have the same high regard extended to Cliffy’s management team of Wayne Scott and Dave Frecklington, as well as the entirety of our high-quality playing group. “Therefore my wife, Jo, and I are delighted to commence this process and provide our first team certainty in our current planning and future aspirations. “Cliffy and I have talked at length about our strategy going forward that encompasses our first team, commercial advances, pathway, and expectations to take this club into the National League before Jo and I sail away into the sunset. “I believe this year we have made great strides and are continuing this journey on all fronts throughout the whole club. From the first team to ladies, girls to academy, as well as youth and junior phases, this continued expansion is ready to kick on to the next phase. “This, though, is the first key cog secured as part of the process, and we will now look to appoint a commercially aware new Club Chairman in the new year, to mirror off-the-field activities with what we are delivering on the pitch. “This season has had some immense highs so far, such as a history making FA Cup run and a current league position that has us within striking distance of the play-off places - our Ambers are in great shape! “However, the club is under no illusions of a brutal run of January fixtures against teams vying for promotion. It will be tough stretch but with our growing and loyal support base then we will give it our best shot."
On signing the deal, the boss added: “I’m delighted to sign an extension and it was an absolute no brainer for me.“This squad is evolving, and our style is really starting to come through. I’ve got a great management team that support me, and this extension is testament to the work we do as a team. “Chris and I have spoken several times in the past few weeks and it’s clear that our aspirations align. We know we still have some work to do but are fully aware to the challenges that face us and I’m very excited about the future at Basford United Football Club.”

 

Article for Boxing Day..

This Week 1898
 
Ilkeston Town and todays visitors Basford United have we believe never played each other in a league fixture despite the many connections between the two clubs. Both clubs have a long and varied history, which stretches back to very earliest days of organised league football. 
 
125 years ago both clubs were already in existence and both were playing league football. Ilkeston Town were second on the Midland League and basford United weresecond from bottom of the Notts Amateur League.
 
The Midland League was effectively an unofficial third division of the Football League which only had two divisions at the time.  Many clubs left the Midland League to join the Football League so its was a very high standard of football and almost the highest level a club from Ilkeston had ever played at. 
 
In early January 1898 the league was headed by Chesterfield Town who eventually dropped the Town appendage and were promoted to the Football League as plain Chesterfield. Looking down the league table we can see many other teams who made the  step into the Football League. Rushden were fourth and despite playing at a much level in the following seventy years or so moved up the pyramid system once they merged with Irthlingborough Diamonds and were backed by Dr Martens owner Max Griggs. Fifth place Burslem Port Vale dropped the Burslem from their name when they moved out of the town and eventually joined the Football League with a new ground Vale Park which was toted as the ‘Wembley of the North’ when the original plans were published. Seventh place Barnsley St Peters dropped the St Paters and eventually competed as high as the Premier League. Doncaster Rovers were third from bottom but narrowly pipped Ilkeston Town for the title the following season before joined the Football League. Second from bottom Glossop North End had the most amazing climb to the top of all the Midland League teams as they only finished below mid table a few seasons later but were elected to the Football League Second Division and won the title at the first attempt gaining promotion to the top tier of English football. Burton Wanderers who were mid-table had already been members of the Football League and inflicted Newcastle United record defeat when they defeated the Geordies 9-0. They eventually amalgamated with Burton Swifts and regained their Football League status before again going out of existence. They are not related to the present Burton Albion.
 
However it was one of the teams who never made into the Football League who won the title. Mexborough who were fourth from bottom in January 1898 staged a remarkable late surge to head the table. The other clubs in the Midland League were Long Eaton Rangers who played at what became the speedway stadium across the road from the present Grange Park and Kettering who applied repeatedly applied to join the Football League but were unsuccessful on all occasions. In 1924 they were renamed Kettering Town.
 
Basford United on the other hand were second from bottom in a much lower standard of football having won only one game all season by the turn of the year. Few if any of the teams they competed against are still with us today. Basford North End led the table and Carrington were second. Teams like Kimberley St Johns, Arnold and Carlton United may have some tenuous links to modern local teams but teams like Beeston Rangers, St Andrews, Babbington Rovers and Daybrook Institute have all disappeared without trace.

If anybody finds any historical errors feel free to let me know!

Some Basford-Ilkeston crossovers:-
Keiran Fenton, Mitchell Tait, Reco Fyfe, Ryan Wilson, Callum Chettle, Stern John, Courey Grantham, Saul Deeney, Adam Chapman, Fabian Smith, Kyle Dixon, Aaro Webster, Rob Duffy, Franny Green, Jake Wholey, Aaron O'Connor, Shaun Harrod, Jermain Hollis, Greg Tempest, Daddy Webb and Jack Thomas.
There must be many many more?

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Basford are one of three teams that we haven’t played against yet.

The other two are Hednesford and Needham Market. 

We go to Hednesford on Tuesday night 17th January with the return fixture at the NMG on 8th April 

We have to wait until 18th February before visiting Needham Market and they come to us three weeks later on 11th March 

The return match against Basford at Greenwich Avenue is on Easter Monday !0th April.


  

Last edited by Matchman (24/12/2022 9:23 AM)

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That's Christmas Day done and it's now the serious matter of who wins the big Boxing Day clash between Ilkeston and Basford. With no previous history to go on, it's a local derby that could go either way depending on which team rises to the occasion and which team gets the breaks. The result really is difficult to predict and first goal could be all important. Both sides have ambitions to get into the playoffs.
Despite Basford's appeal for more support Ilkeston should have the greater fan backing, 
Mark Clifford and his Basford players will be really psyched up for this match so it's sure to be highly competitive and fiercely fought. Home advantage usually counts for nothing in a local derby so it should be a cracker, hopefully with plenty of goals and controversial incidents.





 

It's almost kick off time. It doesn't look like a big attendance.
The teams are out
Ilkeston  to kick off and start by attacking the clocktower end. 

We're off  ......

Last edited by Matchman (26/12/2022 2:01 PM)

Battersby forced into making the first save of the match. Then they put a close range header wide. Bello breaks away down the right but his pass is intercepted.   Bello repeats his run and does better this time, finding Arlott-John  who wins a corner.      0-0     14 mins

Ilkeston haven't had a shot at goal so far. Another Battersby save.  Eratt-Thompson break wins a corner.  Nothing comes of it.       0-0    29 mins

Ilkeston are hanging on at the minute. Free kick to Basford just outside Ilkeston's area. Campbell has limped off.      0-0   42 mins

We're roughly 15 minutes into the second half and its still 0-0.  Good break by Ilkeston but Campbell loses the ball.   Actually Ilkeston are playing much better.        0-0        64 mins

Preston loses the ball but Ilkeston can't profit.  Goal for Basford 
Dwyer scores from starkie's pass.         0-0          75 mins.

Smith header for Basford is too high. Basford player booked for diving trying to win a penalty.     0-1   86 mins

An unlikely equaliser for Ilkeston on 88 mins by Remaye Campbell            1-1