Hemsworth Miners Welfare

Hemsworth Miners Welfare FC is a non-league club from the former mining town in West Yorkshire, which is located around ten miles south of Wakefield, but who play home games in nearby Fitzwilliam. The club were formed in 1981 following the disbanding of Hemsworth Colliery FC the previous season.

After success in the Doncaster & District Senior League, the club progressed to the West Riding County Amateur Football League in 1995. More success followed including two league titles, until the club were accepted into the Northern Counties East League in 2008.

Paul Crapper stood down as manager in February 2009 before seventh place was achieved in 2009-10 under manager Andy Cracknell, which was backed up by eighth in 2011-12 by which time Wayne Benn had taken over in the hot seat. Dary Bowman replaced him in November 2012.

Benn returned to the post in October 2013 overseeing a a big improvement which saw the side end the 2014-15 campaign in third place, which twelve months later was converted into the Division One title to win promotion to the Premier Division.

Hemsworth fitted well in their new status and consolidated their position before Been took the job at Ossett United in November 2019, with the side continuing to finish fourth place a few months later under Luke Danville, before the following couple of seasons were abandoned owing to Covid-19.

 

The Wells narrowly avoided relegation in 2021-22 prior to ending the following season in eighth place. However, issues away from the pitch saw the club relegated from the NCEL as the FA decreed that the new artificial playing surface was not large enough.

The club dropped down to compete in the Premier Division of the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League, finishing in midtable in 2023-24, while their venue was used frequently by clubs in other competitions.

 

Hemsworth Miners Welfare FC will play in the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League Premier Division in the 2024-25 season.

My visit

Saturday 22nd September 2012

I was on my way to watch Scarborough Athletic play in a league match at Nostell Miners Welfare on a very pleasant day. I had booked my train to York some weeks earlier to get the benefit of cheap fares before I knew the actual fixtures. I figured that if I booked to York I could get to most places easy enough.

I actually alighted at Doncaster, but I was early to meet my mate Guy Watson in Wakefield for pre match refreshments. After a check of the train times I figured my time would be well spent visiting a new ground so I headed for Fitzwilliam, the birthplace of Sir Geoffrey Boycott, which was the station near to the ground.

After a short walk I was going past the neat cricket ground and going through the gates to the car park outside the Fitzwilliam Stadium. The ground was locked but because of the relatively small perimeter fences I managed to take all the pictures  needed.

The clubhouse side also contained the changing rooms and had a roof overhang to keep patrons dry in inclement conditions. Opposite were two neat seated stands with high fencing behind to keep any stray match balls been lost. The rest of the ground consisted of flat open hard standing and grass.

I went on my way with a few minutes to kill. I was extremely hungry having missed breakfast at Kings Cross owing to unknown engineering works on the tube as I'd been in Cornwall the previous week. I spotted Carters fish and chip shop over the road and no-one was in the queue. I bought what they called a small portion for £3.60. 

I dread to think what constituted a large! I feasted on my perfectly cooked lunch, walked past the Fitzwilliam Country Park where the pit once stood, and caught the train to Wakefield.