So it’s been a good few weeks (over five in fact) that sport in this country, this county even, has been last played in a competitive nature. The last (semi-competitive) game of football I played was on Wednesday 18^th March 2020 when it already felt like we were playing the last match of an era.

Our Wednesday night five-a-side has ran through generations, 7-8 every Wednesday for over 30 years at Redhill Leisure Centre with the only exceptions being Christmas and New Year and for a short temporary move to Carlton Forum when Redhill’s spanking new 4G was put in to replace the old worn lime green artificial surface that in the end was often covered in sand.

Come rain or shine, wind and snow we always got a turn out, some weeks less than others, those weeks we would bring the goals in closer, others (usually when the weather was good) we would play half pitch with more than eleven a side. Lads of all ages from under 10 to over 70 have taken part… Blokes affiliated to Gedling Southbank and Arnold Town, some that have never played seriously, others that have ‘done a bit’ in the past, many still playing Saturdays or Sundays whilst young guns that are ‘hotly tipped’ by their dads can also play ‘subs free’, giving them a taste of their first bit of men’s football…. Always talented boys, 14 and 15 they tend to play up front… I never go easy on them, always give them a kick, I hope they would one day thank me for it, it’s their apprenticeship in the game and they’ll grow up to never forget that old bloke they were frightened to go near who used to kick lumps out of them when they were a kid.

Our game that Wednesday was probably ‘unofficially’ the last game of football in the country.

The Champions League games that week had been cancelled and the FA only a few days before we played brought out a statement to postpone all football in England. We had been told by Staff at Redhill that ‘football was cancelled’… “We’re not footballers” was the response from the guy who organises our weekly kickabout.

When I arrived that night, the floodlights were already off, the car park empty, usually packed to the rafters due to folk using the adjacent gym and with parents sitting in their cars waiting for the kids teams to finish before us… I walked in and asked if we we’re ‘still on’… They switched (half of) the floodlights on for us and we walked what seemed a lonely, airy walk to our pitch.. Usually full of parents, some would say ‘hi’ not today…

Three or four followed, it was quiet, surreal, quite apocalyptic in fact. It felt like we were the last people on earth… I was waiting for a Zombie to pop out of the trees behind the pitch and we would all run for our lives.

As we brought the goals in to play five on four suddenly a couple more appeared… Not scared of Covid-19 and the reports in the media that we could all catch our death.. These boys wanted a last hoorah, a final fling, one more game of football before we are all told to stay indoors.

I think we ended with seven on six, non-bibs, the older average aged team taking the extra player, bibs, the team I always play for having one less, we win more than we lose, but non-bibs have had a good season since January when a number of our star players have failed to show… This night however was ours… We had the younger team, the fresher faces, the man advantage did help but only to reduce the arrears… We clung on to a 6-5 win.

Since then, that day, the last of playing sport in Nottingham for me we’ve had nothing… Zilch… A county and a country, a world in fact that has shutdown…. Exercise is possible, a few keepy uppys in the garden, a jog around the block or a cycle by the Trent Embankment for me… Other than that nothing!!!

I read a bit of gossip here and there, I read footballers of Nottingham Forest telling bedtime stories whilst those at Notts County are calling up their fans just to say ‘Hello’.. But no news to report, after all there is no news… Anyone bringing you news is simply kidding you.

In football we don’t even know for sure when Forest & Stags will start again… So any transfer rumours are just that… For Notts County it looks their double Wembley dream is over for now.. Another year in the National League most likely? They have already dug up the pitch at Meadow Lane in time for the new season.

In cricket, I doubt we’ll even get a game in at Trent Bridge this summer, my membership card is still yet to come, Notts should have opened up against Leicestershire on April 12^th. As for Trent Rockets and the hundred, well that competition has been doomed from the start.

At least we got a conclusion in Rugby Union… Nottingham RFU finished sixth of the ‘hypothetical’ Championship table… Players already leaving to pastures new.. The RFU is hoping to start a fresh this Autumn. Ice Hockey and Nottingham Panthers the first to call quits on their season, a decision made at the time by the EIHL that sounded ‘knee jerk’ was one that in fact now sounds most sensible of all.

With summer events like the Nottingham Tennis Open already cancelled it is now flip of the coin to guess the first sport played in Notts post lockdown with professional football favourite to conclude from June onwards whilst those in the Amateur and semi-professional game will have nothing but memories from an unfinished symphony that was the disappointing 2019/20 campaign.

They say stay safe, they say stay indoors, and whilst you should do that, also stay optimistic that we will have some ‘sport’ for you soon!

*Article provided by Daniel Peacock (Editor).

*Main image @pinterest the three major Trentside sporting venues of Nottingham will be out of action for some weeks yet.