Tideswell Football Club has come a long way in the last 20 years. The old sloping pitch has gone, along with the shed-like changing rooms, thanks to a £1m+ grant from the National Lottery. In 2000 a crowd of several thousand Sheffield United supporters came to the inaugural match, on a flat pitch under floodlights.
The club itself, though, is still a village football club, with surely the best facilities in the Hope Valley League. Now that is about to change. Dave Bradbury, son of former professional footballer Terry, came up through TFC and in recent years has been managing Buxton AFC’s under-19s, under-21s and reserves. He has now taken on the role of Tideswell FC manager as the first team moves up to Step 7 football in the Central Midlands (North) League. The Central Midlands (North) League is made up of clubs mainly from South Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire – Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster, Mansfield, and as far afield as Scunthorpe.
Promotion from this league is normally into the Northern Counties (East) League, which takes in most of NE England. Playing in this league will be different in a number of ways. To begin with, spectators pay to watch. The entrance fee is only a few pounds, but club revenues go towards maintaining a higher standard of, well, everything. The league will set standards – the match officials will be paid and independent, qualified people,and playing and watching conditions will be assessed.
Dave has his experience at Evo-Stik Premier League Buxton to draw on, and he wants Tideswell’s set-up to meet those standards. The existing playing area and the pavilion are a great basis for this to be achieved. One prerequisite for the bold new venture to succeed will be local involvement. Not just on the field, but also off it.
People will be needed to sell teas, pies and other refreshments; there will be a match programme for each match, which will contain ads for local shops and businesses; and there will be advertising boards around the pitch. Local people will be able to get involved by joining the club committee. The club will need sponsors.
With the new set-up, attendances should rise, visitors will come from further afield and one hopes the club will achieve successes that the village will be proud of.