48 – Senior moments

While the preparations for South Africa were taking place, so too were the arrangements for Evo’s first venture into senior football.

The Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior league in South Yorkshire is made up of three divisions; Premier, 1st Division and 2nd Division. As a newcomer to the league, Evo would be joining the 2nd Division. If accepted.

To be able to take part in the forthcoming season, hoops had to be jumped through. Initially the application had to be made to the league. Then, once the application was received, Dean had to put forward the case for Evo to be able to take part in the new season, in front of the League Committee.

Think back to the 1980’s when the FA Cup draw was being made on TV. Elderly men from the FA sat behind a desk, in a stuffy room, all wearing blazers with FA crests embroidered on their pockets. That was the image I had when Dean relayed the story, after his meeting.

It sounded far from a formality but thankfully, Evo were accepted into the league and so, more arrangements were now needed to ensure the lads were actually able to play.

As the parent of an Evo player, I was excited about the prospect of the new season and also intrigued as to how the preparations would pan out. Dean, and Evo as a group are professional in everything they do. There are a lot of hard working, talented individuals who come together to make Evo the success that it is.

The organisation and then the practical side of putting into place the training camp in South Africa is evidence of that.

As much as I was looking forward to the new season, the usual worry was lurking in the back of my mind – would Pat be up to it? Could he hold his own in senior football? After all, when the first game was going to be kicking off, he would still only be 16 years old.

The County Senior league is basically that. Senior football. So, men’s teams. There are also usually a few development, reserve or u21’s teams of more established clubs as well. In that respect, it’s a good way for the established clubs to have an opportunity for their upcoming players to play competitively and try to break into their own first team.

The majority of Pat’s mates that carried on playing after grassroots (post u16’s) played for u17’s or u18’s teams against lads the same age.

Along with Pat though, many of the previous season’s Evo u16’s were making the step up to the senior team. There would also be a sprinkling of older lads, a few of which are coaches of younger age groups within Evo. Even so, the average age of the squad looked like it would be really low.

A couple of friendlies were arranged against local opposition who were at levels slightly higher than where the new Evo team would be. Possibly a case of sink or swim but we’d have to wait and see.

As far as somewhere to play their home games, Dean has been on the lookout for a base for Evo for a while, with several pairs of eyes being kept open for a suitable site in the right location. The vast majority of younger Evo players live in and around the S7, S8 and S11 postcodes, so ideally a ‘home’ would be in, or close to these areas. However, those postcodes in the southern side of Sheffield aren’t noted for wide open areas that would be able to accommodate several football pitches, as well as the required associated buildings, car park etc. Certainly no locations of that size, not currently in use.

In the meantime Evo would continue to play their home fixtures at Warminster Road, on the pitches and facilities owned by the University of Sheffield. There are currently two full size grass football pitches and another three more suited to grassroots aged teams, a smaller pitch for smaller sided games, a rugby pitch and a Gaelic football pitch. There is also a 4G rugby pitch which is also marked out for football.

The hope was to be able to use the 4G when not in use for rugby but failing that, one of the full size grass pitches.

The standard of the pitches at Warminster Road is very good, as you’d expect from a facility under the ownership of a University. The standard of the pitches is something we’d all come to appreciate a lot more as the season went on.

Obviously, another element of being professional is looking the part. Home and away kits as well as training tops were all organised through Kitlocker, in Sheffield. Apart from different sponsors on the front of the shirts, all age groups at Evo have identical kit, from u7’s through to the 1st XI.

Long term, the target for the senior team over the coming years is to consolidate, then gain promotion, more consolidation and then look for further promotions. But first things first, ‘The Originals’ target in the first season was not finishing bottom of the table. There was going to be a lot of learning in the first season, particularly for the younger lads, hopefully with the senior players helping them make the transition to men’s football.

So to prepare for the coming season, a couple of friendlies were organised against opposition of the same sort of standard as the teams that Evo would be playing against in the league.

First senior game for Evo was confirmed as a friendly at Warminster Road against Sheffield Town FC, on 30th July 2022. The opposition were also in the S&H County Senior but in the Premier Division, two divisions higher than Evo would be starting off in, so it promised to be a tough test.

As usual, outwardly I was trying to keep positive, especially in front of Pat but secretly I was bricking it. I don’t think that worry will ever disappear while ever I’m watching Pat play and there’s a step up in the standard. Always just hoping that he’ll be able to give a good account of himself and play his part in the team’s performances. I can only assume it’s because he’s a keeper, because as my Dad and me made our way to the side of the pitch, pretty much all the other parents and supporters were excited to watch the game, maybe even relaxed, whereas I was concentrating on not being sick.

As it turned out, the game was very even, with both sides creating chances. When I spoke to Pat after the game, I asked him if there were many differences. He said the tempo of the game and the power of the shots. He said the first shot he had to save took him by surprise a bit because of the pace on the ball.

Evo went a goal up before half time and then doubled the lead in the second half before Sheffield Town pulled a goal back. That was the way it finished, a 2-1 win. Pat was pleased with his performance, apart from the goal he conceded. He parried a shot but instead of deflecting the ball sideways or over the bar, it came straight back out and a forward finished the rebound.

Overall though, a 2-1 win, a very good team performance and I managed to keep my breakfast down.

The next friendly was arranged for five days later, Thursday evening against City Central on 4th August. Between the two friendlies was the usual Tuesday evening training session.

With a 18.30 kick off and a 18.00 meet time, I knew I be pushed for time to get Pat to the Bawtry Road pitches for 18.00. My Dad offered to come to our house, so I could go straight home from work and pick him and Pat up. From there we could hopefully nip up the M1 a couple of junctions and be there for the meet time.

Barring any delays.

Enter Pat.

When I got home my Dad was there. As was Pat. Unfortunately, Pat’s boots weren’t. After a few minutes of searching and me asking all the usual questions like ‘where did you have them last?’, it dawned on Pat that he used them at training on Tuesday night but more than likely he’d left them at Warminster Road. Great. Warminster Road isn’t in the opposite direction to Bawtry Road from our house but it’s definitely not on the way there either. One way or another, there was no time to go and find them.

I realised that I still had my old boots in the boot of the car. I’d not worn them since I finished coaching Pat about 3 months before. They were a size too big for him but it was them or nothing. A story popped into my head that my Grandad used to tell me about them packing newspaper in the front of hand-me-down football boots if they were too big for the new owner. I didn’t suggest it to Pat.

We got to Bawtry Road bang on half 6. While Pat was warming up in his 2nd hand boots, I told Dean the story. He said if we’d had another keeper, or Pat was an outfield player, he’d have dropped him because of his bad preparation.

In typical Pat fashion he breezed through the game looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. He made a few decent saves but as it turned out, played some great passes with his feet. Sometimes it’s just your day I suppose.

Evo won 3-1.

And at Saturday morning’s training session he got his boots back.

I often wish I’d got half his laid back attitude but I’ll just have to keep on keeping the faith.