UP NEXT, After having their home match against Eastwood CFC rained off last weekend, Kimberley Miners Welfare host Newark & Sherwood United at the Stag Ground in the run up to Christmas. Having seemingly tightened things up at the back, the miners will hope to push on and start hitting the back of the net and pick up some wins.

Newark & Sherwood United come to Kimberley after also having a break, with their last match being at the end of November. Having won twice, lost twice and drawn once in their last five matches, the Highwaymen will look at the fixture this weekend as a chance to build some consistency.

In their last match, Kimberley took a trip to Forest Town, where they faced AFC Mansfield. Both sides put in a lot of effort, and it was Kimberley who looked the more likely to take the points. The last twenty minutes were littered with chances on goal as Kimberley pressed for the win, but it was not to be. A goalless draw saw Kimberley’s search for a league win now stretch to nineteen matches.

Newark & Sherwood United’s fixture last weekend was also postponed due to the weather, as they were scheduled to face Gresley Rovers at home. The last match that they played was the week before as they hosted our neighbours, Heanor Town at Harrowby Lane. First half goals from Kole Lambert and Benni Wilson gave the Highwaymen a 2-0 lead at half time. Lambert scored his second at the start of the second half, with John King grabbing an injury time consolation for Heanor. Newark & Sherwood to the points with a 3-1 win.

LAST TIME AROUND

The two sides met in early October in horrendous conditions. Keiran Walker scored for the hosts in the first half and Benni Wilson made sure of the points in the second to send Kimberley home with a 2-0 loss.

Last season, the two sides were separated by seven points and two spots in the league, with both ending the season in the bottom half of the table.

The corresponding fixture to tomorrow night was at the end of March. The sides finished level, with both goals being scored in the first four minutes of the match. Kole Lambert opened the scoring for Kimberley, with Luke White equalising for the home side. Full time 1-1.

The match at The Stag Ground was played in August of last year. Luke White and Tom Jones gave the visitors a half time lead, with Toby white making it 3-0 just after half time. Sam Brown and Aaron Coyle scored for Kimberley as they made a fight of it in the second half as the match finished 3-2 to Newark & Sherwood.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE OPPOSITION

Founded in 1901 as A.J. Simpson and Co., the football club began life in the Newark Ironmongers’ League. No records survive from those early days, but it is known that in 1935 the club, now renamed Worthington Simpson, entered the Nottingham Spartan League. After winning back-to-back titles, Simmo’s or the Works (as the club became known locally) joined the Notts Alliance League in 1949, going on to win that title in the momentous football years of 1953 and 1966. The Notts Alliance Cup brought the club’s greatest success up to that point, first in 1970 beating Notts Combined Police two-nil in a replay at Notts County’s Meadow Lane ground and then the trophy returning to Newark in 1972 after an epic five-three extra time victory. The trophy returned to Newark again 1981, 1989 and finally 1999. Name changes followed in the late ‘90s, first to IDP and then to Newark Flowserve, and in 2004 the club’s name was entered into the first level of the FA’s national pyramid by joining the Central Midlands League Premier Division. Following a short break, the first team re-formed in 2013 and finished a creditable third in Notts Senior League (NSL) Division Two, securing promotion to the First Division. Another successful campaign followed a year later when the team finished runners-up and clinched their place in the NSL Premier Division, taking the club back to step seven football. In 2001 they changed name again, to Newark Flowserve, and in 2004 they opted to join the Central Midlands League. After a five-year stint in the CML, Flowserve joined the Nottinghamshire Senior League.

In 2018, the club won 31 of its 34 league matches to secure the league championship, and with it promotion to Step 6. In May 2018 their promotion to the East Midlands Counties League was ratified by the Football Association League Committee. The club won promotion to the Midland league at the end of the 2018/19 season. In May 2020 the club was again renamed, to Newark. At the end of the 2020–21 season they were transferred to the Premier Division North of the United Counties League. The end of the 2020/21 witnessed the final ever game at Lowfields following their ground being sold to a property developer. The club played their home games for the season 2021/22 at Basford Utd's Greenwich Ave ground. In May 2022 the club again changed name, this time to Newark and Sherwood United F.C. and the club moved to share with Collingham F.C. at Station Road, Collingham. In May 2023 the club won the Notts Senior Cup for the first time in their history by beating Carlton Town 3-2 in the final played at Eastwood. From 2024/25 the club are ground sharing with Harrowby United FC in Grantham.

Honours
Notts Alliance League - Champions 1948/49, 1952/53, 1965/66.
Notts Alliance Cup 1969/70, 1971/72, 1980/81, 1988/89, 1998/99
Nottinghamshire Senior League - Champions 2017/18
EMCL Cup Winners 2018/19
Nottinghamshire Senior Cup Champions 2022/23

FINALLY
This is a huge match for Kimberley. After improved performances recently, drawing three out of five matches in all competitions, the next step is to take three points for the first time since the opening weekend of the season.

Kick off is at 15:00

Please get along to support the boys

Admission prices are as follows