We’re Going to Emley, Que Sera, Sera
This week, we head to West Yorkshire for a game between Emley AFC and Blyth Spartans.
Last week, we had planned to visit Park View AFC, but a combination of illness and postponed games in the area left us with a barren weekend.
Instead, we turn our attention to this weekend’s trip and a first visit to Emley’s Welfare Ground. For sponsorship purposes, the ground is also known as the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground.
Emley will face Blyth Spartans in an NPL Division One East fixture, and we may find ourselves visiting this division more frequently next season. This will be our 11th review of an NPL East ground, marking the halfway point in our coverage.
It will be good to see Blyth Spartans again, a club for which I have developed a soft spot. So sad to see them struggling and slipping back towards the Northern League.
Still, today is about Emley AFC, so let’s get on with our review of the matchday experience.
The Journey
The journey began by catching the 07:38 #65 bus to Durham.
It was a cold and frosty morning, but at least the rain had finally stopped for the first time this year.
We arrived in Durham just after 8 am, leaving me little time to tackle the ascent of the East Face of Mount Durham.
I reached the summit ten minutes after leaving the bus, and my train pulled in on schedule at 08:17.
By then, a strange yellow glow had appeared in the sky – something someone jokingly referred to as ‘the sun’.
The TranPennine Express service took me to Leeds, arriving at 09:50. This left a 30-minute wait for the 10:20 Northern service to Wakefield Westgate. Again, it arrived on time, and by 10:33, I was already in Wakefield.
After a short walk to the bus stop, I caught the 10:48 #232 bus to Huddersfield and disembarked at Emley’s Market Cross at around 11:30.
As the village’s two pubs did not open until midday, I decided to head straight to the ground.
While I make my way there, why not read a little about the village of Emley?
Emley
Emley is a village in West Yorkshire, England, located in the parish of Denby Dale within the metropolitan borough of Kirklees.
The village stands on high ground near the River Dearne and lies close to the famous Emley Moor transmitting station, a dominant landmark of the surrounding landscape.
Emley sits approximately 8 miles southeast of Huddersfield, 20 miles southwest of Leeds, and 24 miles northwest of Sheffield. Hetton-le-Hole is 102 miles to the northeast.
In the 2021 Census, Emley had a population of 1,444.
Emley dates from Anglo-Saxon times. Its name derives from an Old English personal name, ‘Em(m)a‘ or ‘Eama‘, combined with ‘lēah‘, meaning ‘a woodland clearing‘. The name, therefore, means ‘Eama’s clearing in the wood‘.
The Domesday Book of 1086 records the village as ‘Amalaie‘ and ‘Amelai‘, and by the 13th century it appeared as ‘Emmeley‘.
Following the Norman Conquest, Emley formed part of the Royal Manor of Wakefield during the medieval period. The Fitzwilliam family, who became lords of the manor, lived locally for generations before their association with the village ended in the mid-14th century.
Historically, agriculture was Emley’s chief trade, but rich deposits of coal and iron ore led to mining and iron-working from the 13th century. Coal mining became especially important in the 19th century. Mining continued to provide employment until the closure of Emley Moor Colliery in 1985, and the former colliery site has since been redeveloped for business use.
Emley’s heritage includes St Michael the Archangel Church, whose origins date to Norman times. Much of the present building, including its 15th-century tower, dates from the late medieval period. The church is a Grade I listed building.
World War II and Beyond
During the Second World War, the village hosted a decoy “Q” site designed to divert enemy bombers from nearby railway targets, while the Home Guard established local posts and defensive positions.
After the war, open-cast mining took place in the area, and as mining declined, the land was gradually replanted.
Just outside the village stands Emley Moor transmitting station, the tallest freestanding structure in the United Kingdom. Built between 1969 and 1971, its concrete tower carries television and radio broadcasts across the region.
Kind Ground Staff
After arriving at the ground, I noticed an open gate and walked inside. I asked the lady there whether it would be alright to have a walk around and take photos for my website, and she kindly assured me it was no problem.
After weeks of rain followed by an overnight frost, the ground staff had clearly put in a great deal of effort to ensure today’s game went ahead. An 11 am pitch inspection had already taken place, and I felt relieved to learn it had passed.
Even so, the ground staff continued working as I wandered around. Much of their attention focused on the heavily sanded goalmouths, while another volunteer applied fresh lime to the pitch markings.
On behalf of all the supporters at today’s game, thank you for your hard work!
I’ll revisit my tour of the Welfare Ground after a stop at my chosen watering hole for the afternoon.
Once again, many thanks to the Emley staff for their hospitality in allowing me to look around.
The White Horse
The White Horse sits just a short walk west of the market cross, at the junction of Chapel Lane and Broom Field Lane.
The main bar lies to the left of the entrance, with an additional room to the right.
I took a seat at the bar and ordered a pint of Caffrey’s Stout, which cost £5.75.
As I ordered the pint, I saw the barman eye me, as I eyed him at the same time. He said, “Is that a Stoke accent?” I replied, “I was about to ask you the same thing”.
Turns out, neither of us is from Stoke, but he was from Middlewich in Cheshire, though he had lived in Stoke for about 20 years.
The White Horse is a friendly pub. Although empty when I arrived, it gradually filled with Emley fans also heading to the match.
Beyond the doorway shown in the first photo, there is another room with a pool table and a dartboard.
It’s a great place to spend a couple of hours before kick-off. For now, though, it’s time to head to the Welfare Ground.
Emley AFC – Welfare Ground
Getting In
Entry to the Welfare Ground is via the northwest corner.
I bought my ticket online via the Fanbase App, at a cost of £10.00. The gateman seemed slightly unsure about scanning my digital ticket, so paying at the gate may be more common.
Just inside the entrance, a table to the left displayed several items, including programmes.
Programme
For £2.00, you receive a smart-looking 36-page, semi-gloss programme.
It contains ten pages of adverts, most of which appear in the latter half.
Content features notes from the chairman, a match preview, club history, and an interview with Pewits player, Kurtis Turner.
There are a healthy six pages on the opposition, plus a look back at their last meeting with Emley.
The usual things, like squad profiles, fixtures/results, and expected line-ups, are also included.
If I were being particularly critical, I would have liked to see more written content, but that requires dedicated contributors willing to put in the time and effort. They aren’t always easy to find.
As it is, this is still a decent programme and well worth the cost.
Overall, I will rate it a solid 7.5/10.
All my wanderings around the ground were done before I went to the pub, but we will look at that now.
Richard Hirst Stand (The Shed)
Once inside the ground, you find yourself in the corner, with the west terrace, known as the Shed, immediately to your right.
The Shed consists of shallow, covered terracing ranging from four to seven steps deep.
Numerous Emley flags hang from the rear wall, giving a flavour of the locals’ passion for the club.
The terrace seems to have been built in stages, with 3 or 4 sections. However, the sections blend well, with the segmented roof the most noticeable sign of inconsistency.
There is also a small area of yellow-painted terracing at the southern end, beyond the covered terracing.
Cricket Club Side
Beyond the Shed terrace is the southern side of the ground, which is unused by spectators.
The perimeter fence lay flat, possibly to allow as much sunlight onto the pitch as possible.
This allowed me to use it as a walkway and get views I wouldn’t have had once the ground officially opened.
This side of the ground backs onto the Emley Clarence Cricket Club field.
Indeed, during the summer, the fence posts are pulled out, allowing for a larger cricket pitch.
Warburton End
Upon reaching the far end of the southern side, it became apparent there was no entrance to the east end.
One of the ground staff saw me and told me to come through to where he was holding a gate open. Thank you again, sir.
At the eastern end, a couple of hospitality cabins bear the names Peter Maude and Gordon Adamson. Additional hospitality suites are located on the northern side of the ground.
Hospitality at Emley can be viewed on the following link from the club website.
Aside from these, the only other feature of note is a ball-catching fence that displays another large Emley flag.
Alec Hardy Stand
The northern side forms the hub of matchday activity at the Welfare Ground.
It contains the main stand, dressing rooms, players’ tunnel, club shop, food kiosk, toilets, technical dugouts, and the main hospitality facilities.
The main stand sits just west of the halfway line and seats over 300 spectators. It underwent renovation in 2023, with seats sourced from Huddersfield Town’s Kirklees Stadium.
Two plaques at the rear of the stand recognise those who contributed to the renovation.
Flat-standing areas flank the main stand, with further yellow-painted step terracing at the east end.
Emley AFC – Welfare Ground Gallery
Emley AFC Tidbits
The Emley Association Football Club was originally founded in 1903.
It is a semi-professional club based in the village of Emley, West Yorkshire, England.
The team began life competing in local leagues, including the Huddersfield District League. Over the decades, through steady success, the club moved up to the Yorkshire League and later to the Northern Counties East League.
In its early years, Emley became one of the most successful non-league teams in Yorkshire, winning frequent honours in both league and district competitions.
By the 1960s, the club had developed a strong local identity and built a reputation for competitiveness beyond its village roots. This laid the groundwork for bigger achievements to come.
The 1970s and 1980s represented a period of significant progress. Emley regularly won the Yorkshire League title and cup competitions, cementing itself as a force in regional football.
The club upgraded its facilities, including installing floodlights in the early 1980s, an important step that helped it meet higher league standards and prepare for national non-league competition.
Following the merger of the Yorkshire League and the Midland League in 1982, Emley became a founding member of the Northern Counties East League.
With strong performances, including successive league titles, Emley finally secured promotion to the Northern Premier League in 1989.
FA Cup Glory & Rebirth
Emley’s success on the pitch brought them to national prominence during the 1997/98 FA Cup. In a remarkable cup run, they defeated Morecambe and Lincoln City in earlier rounds before drawing West Ham United of the Premier League in the 3rd Round Proper.
Although Emley lost 2-1 at West Ham’s Upton Park, their spirited performance remains one of the club’s proudest moments.
Despite on-field success, challenges off the pitch soon emerged. In 2000, new ground grading regulations required facilities that Emley’s Welfare Ground could not provide at the time, forcing the club to relocate to Belle Vue in Wakefield. The team was renamed Wakefield & Emley, then simply Wakefield, and continued in the Northern Premier League.
Importantly, the club’s reserve side continued to play at the Welfare Ground in Emley. When the Wakefield club disbanded its reserve team in 2005, supporters of the original village club seized the opportunity to restart football in Emley itself. They established a new club called AFC Emley, committed to preserving the village’s football heritage.
The timing proved significant: while the Wakefield side persisted for some years, it eventually folded in 2014. In March 2019, the club successfully reclaimed their name, Emley AFC.
Return to the Football Pyramid
Emley AFC rejoined the football pyramid in the 2005–06 season, entering Division One of the West Yorkshire League. After finishing third in their first season, they earned promotion to Division One of the Northern Counties East League, where they quickly became competitive.
Over the next decade, the club narrowly missed out on further promotions, including a 2015/16 play-off final loss and another play-off semi-final defeat in 2016/17.
During this period, striker Ashley Flynn set a league record with an incredible 73 goals in a single season. It even prompted this BBC article about his exploits.
In 2019–20, Emley were transferred to Division One North of the North West Counties League, but that season was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon returning to the NCEL in 2020–21, they were top of the table when that season was also cut short, and cumulative results earned them promotion to the NCEL Premier Division in May 2021.
Recent Success and Future Ambition
The club’s resurgence continued with a win in the Sheffield & Hallamshire Senior Cup in 2022/23, beating Maltby Main 2-0 in the final. Emley triumphed in the 2023/24 NCEL Premier Division, securing promotion to Division One East of the Northern Premier League.
In their first season at that level, Emley finished fifth and reached the play-off semi-final, narrowly losing 1-0 to Dunston. Despite the defeat, the campaign highlighted both the club’s progress and its competitive potential.
Throughout its modern existence, Emley AFC has retained a strong community ethos. The club maintains close ties with supporters and local residents, while rivalries have developed with nearby sides such as Golcar United in the Huddersfield derby.
Since 2019, the club has been managed by Richard Tracey.
Emley AFC is known as ‘The Pewits‘, this is due to the lapwing (another name for the pewit) being common to this area of West Yorkshire.
They Played for Emley AFC
Ian Banks, Matt Glennon, and probably the best-known, Barnsley’s Neil Redfearn.
Emley AFC – Pre-Game View of the Welfare Ground
Club Shop & Food
Access to the club shop is via a gate to the far side of the main stand.
From inside, I bought a club crest pin badge for a whopping £6.00. Admittedly, the price includes a free button badge, but I would much rather pay £3.50 to £4.00 for the badge I wanted.
There were replica shirts, scarves, and bobble hats for sale, along with other items on the counter.
With a programme and pin badge already in hand, it was time to grab a snack.
The Dugout Diner is a serving hatch in the bottom of the main stand. I ordered a cheeseburger and chips, and after a five-minute wait, my food was ready.
It wasn’t the cheapest food I’ve ever bought at a non-league ground, but it was decent quality, so no complaints.
With my snack taken down, I made my way around to the covered terrace to watch the game.
Emley AFC v Blyth Spartans – The Game
Form
Coming into today’s game, Emley sit in 3rd place behind a dominant Redcar Athletic and Matlock Town.
Despite looking certain playoff contestants come the season’s end, something of a miracle would be needed to dislodge the Steelmen, 13 points ahead.
After playing 28 games, the Pewits have won 16, drawn 7 and lost 5, scoring 44 and conceding 18.
The weather means they have yet to play a game this month. In January, they played four times, winning 3 and drawing one. In their last game, they defeated their Yorkshire rivals, Brighouse Town, 5-0.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, the struggling Spartans sit rock bottom.
After 27 games, they have won 6, drawn 5 and lost 16, while scoring 30 and conceding 40.
In January, they also played 4 games, losing 2 and winning 2.
These games included a 1-2 defeat at the hands of local rivals Blyth Town, marking the first time the teams had played each other competitively in the league.
Recent results have sparked hope among the Spartans faithful, though it will take a monumental effort to avoid yet another drop this season.
Given all the info above, it is hard to see anything other than a home win today.
Pre-match prediction: Emley AFC 2 Blyth Spartans 0
Kick-Off
Summary
Somewhat surprisingly, Blyth Spartans looked the better side for much of the first half.
In truth, chances were few and far between in the first forty-five, but the Northeast visitors kept pushing throughout.
Emley came good towards the end of the half, but Spartans hung on and went into the break, probably disappointed not to be ahead.
Ultras
While there wasn’t much happening on the pitch during the first half, this didn’t prevent Emley’s vocal band of youngsters from keeping up a constant noise.
Right to the final whistle, and beyond, they kept backing their team. It almost seemed like justice when they finally got to celebrate the winning goal, despite my thoughts on the penalty.
It’s worth noting they have a drum. If you aren’t a fan of drums, I would advise standing far away from the Shed end of the ground. Personally, I don’t mind and was happy to stand under the terrace nearby.
They also have a song that mentions the famous Emley Moor Transmitter…
“Oh, Emley Moor, it has a mast,
Oh, Emley Moor, it has a mast,
It’s bigger than the Eiffel Tower,
Oh, Emley Moor, it has a mast.“
I did have a video of them singing it, but the sound didn’t pick up for some reason, unfortunately.
Second Half
The second half saw things turn around, with the home side now the better.
Again, chances were hard to come by, though, and as the game went on, it felt like it would be my first 0-0 of the season.
The goal, when it finally came, was in the 94th-minute.
A harsh penalty was awarded to Emley after the ball hit the hand of a Blyth defender from close range.
Did it hit his hand? Yes! Could he have avoided it? Was his arm in an unnatural position? No, and no.
However, my opinion doesn’t matter. Only the referee’s opinion matters, and he decided it was a spot kick for the Pewits.
Top-scorer, Gabriel Johnson, stepped up, remained calm, and smashed the ball past Callum Dobson in the Blyth goal.
On this Valentine’s Day, Spartans had their hearts broken after a valiant effort against the 3rd-place side in the league.
They will surely have better days ahead if they keep applying the same effort.
You can read a full Match Report here, courtesy of the Emley AFC website.
Full-time – Emley AFC 1 Blyth Spartans 0
Attendance – 411
Entrance Fee – £10.00
Programme – £2.00
Emley AFC v Blyth Spartans – Match Highlights
If and when match highlights become available, I will post them here.
League Table After Today’s Game
Up Next
Next up for Emley is a chance to gain on second-placed Matlock Town, when they visit Causeway Lane on February 21st.
This is followed by three more games against Northeast opposition.
First up is a home game against Dunston UTS (28th), followed by a trip to Bishop Auckland to begin March (7th).
They will then face Heaton Stannington at the Welfare Ground on March 14th.
Blyth Spartans also face Dunston on 21st February, and travel to Heaton Stannington on the 25th.
They end February and begin March, by hosting Lincoln United (28th), and Pontefract Collieries (3rd).
Emley AFC Thoughts
The Welfare Ground is a well-maintained non-league ground with decent facilities.
The volunteers are clearly dedicated folks, proud of their village team, and rightly so.
They also have a good, vocal set of younger fans, which is a good sign for the club’s future. As fans age, younger fans are needed to keep any club going.
Entry is well priced at £10.00, as is the programme, which I thought was good value at £2.00.
However, the same cannot be said for the £6.00 pin badge!
This is at least £2.00 more expensive than most other clubs, at any level. My semi-autistic tendencies for collecting meant I had to pay for it, but without that compulsion, I wouldn’t have paid this much.
The food wasn’t cheap, but it was of decent quality and cooked to order. The salt shaker was damp, so no salt, unfortunately. Not sure how they can get around that problem, to be honest. Maybe put some uncooked rice in with the salt, to absorb moisture?
All in all, I enjoyed my trip to Emley.
A great little pub at The White Horse, everything is within easy walking distance, and the ground is decent.
Overall, I’d happily recommend a visit to Emley if you haven’t been before.
Emley – After the Game
Following the final whistle, I squeezed my way past the Emley youngsters who were still bouncing around, enjoying the last-kick-of-the-game-winner.
Once through, I headed back onto Upper Lane, turned right and waited for the 232 bus.
Disaster almost struck when the bus turned left at the market cross instead of heading past it.
Luckily, the driver must have noticed a few of us standing there, and he pulled up, allowing us to jog over and climb aboard gratefully.
We arrived in Wakefield at 17:45, giving me time to catch the earlier 17:55 train to Leeds.
Arriving at 18:12, this gave me more leeway to catch the 18:40 TPE train to Durham than I would otherwise have had.
The journey north was much louder than I would have liked, with some young ‘ladies’ who appeared to be under the influence of ‘something’, making enough racket to keep me very much awake until they finally, and mercifully, got off at Darlington.
We pulled into Durham at 20:20, allowing me to catch the 20:48 #65 back home.
I was through my front door by 21:20, another successful Hop in the books!
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Next Up for Hoppers Guide
Next week, we travel to a ground I have attempted (and failed) to visit twice previously.
With the weather the way it is, I truly hope it isn’t the third time I can’t see Spotland, so I will keep my fingers crossed!
Rochdale are having an excellent season so far and currently sit atop the National League.
They will hope this is the season they regain their Football League status after relegation in 2023.
The opponents on the day are Woking. After a rough start to the season for the Surrey side, they have recovered well and lie mid-table.
As always, I look forward to checking out a new stadium.
Onto the next!
