People, Pits &' Places

The Cup and the Pits, by George L Atkinson

By the time you read this the new Football Season will have started and for many people the disappointment of our performance in the World Cup final will be passing into history. But while the matter is still attracting comment it might be appropriate to remark on an issue which has not received much, if any, publicity. A lot has been said about the England team manager and his tactics; about the behaviour of the Jabulani football which was used; and about the noisy trumpeting of vuvuzelas by many spectators.

The criticism of tactics seems to be about selection of players and about whether to have the outfielders in a formation of 4-4-2 or 4-3-4 or whatever. Things have changed since when we always had 5 forwards, 3 half-backs and 2 full-backs. What really mattered was to get the ball, keep it away from the opposing side and hold onto it until you or one of your team mates could have a shot at your opponent’s goal!

One of our most famous footballers, Mr David Beckham, was not able to play in the World Cup Competition because of injury, but he was there and he has since been reported as exonerating the team manager from blame for the teams’ performance; the responsibility was that of the players.

Certainly it would be difficult to blame the Jabulani ball. All of the participating teams in the contest played with the same type of ball. Likewise they all had to suffer the background noise from the vuvuzela trumpets, though perhaps some of the teams would have had experience of it in their home countries.

No excuses! England’s real problem appears to be that we are not developing sufficient number of young English players to reach the highest standards. The top teams in the major English league seem to bear witness of this – they all have high proportions of foreign players.

Mr Eric Cantona, the Frenchman who, some years ago, made a great impact as a player for Leeds United and Manchester United has commented at length about the harm this trend poses for the future of England teams. (And I believe that as well as a famous player he is something of a philosopher).

All of this indicates that we are not bringing on enough home grown talent. But if not, why not? Is it possible that one contributory factor may be pit closures? You may know that the very first World Cup was won by a team from a Durham mining community – West Auckland.

Many mining villages developed local teams. It was once said that when a Football League club wanted to recruit players they could send a scout to any North east pit to shout down the shaft for the right man to be sent up! Somewhat exaggerated of course, but the fact is that the coalfield communities produced some excellent footballers – and some club managers. The late Sir Bobby Robson was once an apprentice craftsman at Langley Park colliery.

What may have made things worse is the loss of playing fields. Some football pitches, on former welfare grounds, have gone completely – their locations now covered by new housing estates or industrial developments (both welcome in themselves). I know of one such case where a replacement field was provided, but that too is now largely covered by new buildings.

And it is possible that the old cohesive community spirit, which developed from the essential interdependence of mining life has been weakened by our new life styles.

Let’s hope that some means can be found to encourage and develop our youngsters. The World Cup competition should have helped. But to some extent it has done the opposite; some schools have banned football because, it is said, of some of the foul play which was seen and which might have given a wrong example to children.

Fortunately, all is not yet lost – there are still some communities where older people give time, and patience, to running Junior football teams. We should encourage and support their endeavours!

It’s with me everywhere

A poem, sent to us by Mr G Daughtery of Esh Winning.

Reminding him of mining villages of the 1930’s with dirt road streets and cobbled rows.

When I was young I’d love to go
To Grannies house down colliery row
It wasn’t posh’ but far from good
But was the best house in the neighbourhood

The warmest welcome you’d find there
The biggest stranger a fireside chair
Has given the best they had
Come canny girl or canny lad

My mind see’s all that cobbled row
As back through time I’d love to go
And wander through the open door
With proggy mats laid on the floor

Black leaded fire shining bright
Long day’s gone – banked up for night
However cosy cheer warm
Children! Family all flock and swarm

The table never seemed too small
Accommodating one and all
However little amply spread
All were water’d all were fed

Little Granny wasn’t tall
Lovely pinnys wrapped in shawl
But large of heart, like colliery folk
Would smile through troubles, crack a joke

But Granny with colliery rows
Like time the river wear flows
Through landscaped trees of green
And not a cobbled street is seen

A long demolished way of life
Saw its birth and death and strife
But sometimes when I stop and stare
I smile! – Its with me everywhere

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