Retro: Second-place finish for Worksop Town reserves

Worksop Town historian Steve Jarvis continues his look at the club’s reserve team. with this week’s spotlight taking a look back at the 2002/03 campaign.
Worksop Town reserves finished second back in 2002/03.Worksop Town reserves finished second back in 2002/03.
Worksop Town reserves finished second back in 2002/03.

There being no second XI run in season 2003/4 we now step back to 2002/3 when a full reserve team took part in the Central Midlands League, playing in the Premier Reserve Division.

This had 17 teams with matches scheduled for Saturday afternoon’s plus mid-week games where required.

In addition the Worksop lads competed in the Sheffield Association Cup and the League Cup, in which all ties were played over two legs on a home and away basis.

There were plenty of matches then for those fans unable to travel with the first team. This was the last season up to now (2020) that we had another Saturday team to follow.

As a fan, I can well remember some seasons when I looked forward to watching the “Cubs” more than the “Tigers” as there would be more goals AND they were more likely to win!.

Worksop opened with a home game against Selston on Wednesday 21st August.

This set the bar high for the season to come as Eshelby (4(, Gribben, Sammut, G. Smith and Wilkinson made up the 8-0 score line. The next few home games were staged at the Smokey’s Ground in Langold and the local “Tigers” fans were treated to four wins on the bounce, 2-1 v Sandiacre Town, 6-2 v Heanor Town, 9-0 v Ollerton Town and 2-1 v Edlington WMC in the County Cup.

Over the season a good many first-teamers turned out to get what we now call “game time” and some notable youngsters came through from the Colts (U-18) and Under 19 teams.

The standout name in this category is Ross Hannah who went on to have a long and successful full-time career with Bradford City, Grimsby Town, Chester, Barrow and Southport, scoring, on average, a goal every two games, but, sadly, never played for the Worksop 1st XI.

The Sheffield Association Cup run ended at the next round with a nerve jangling 5-4 home defeat to Silverwood Colliery, but the League Cup saw lots of goals.

In the opening round Radford were beaten 12-0 at home and 5-1 away. Round two, however saw a 1-1 draw at Holbrook, but a 3-1 defeat in the home leg.

In the run in, seven matches in April produced a WDWDWWW sequence and the runners-up place was up for grabs.

May 3rd brought a 1-1 draw with third place Carlton Town and the final match on Saturday 10th May at Smokeys brought Long Eaton United Reserves to sunny Langold.

A win would put the icing on the cake but as is often the case, the visitors, with nothing at stake, won 2-0.

It mattered not as Worksop Town reserves finished second, 13 points behind Champions Shirebrook Town, but two points ahead of Carlton Town.