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Clipstone is set within a semi-rural coalfields area, unique in
character. The village expanded substantially when the mines were sunk, and
housing developed to accommodate the new workforce. The decline of the coal
industry is well documented and the pit closed in 2000, yet the football
club continues to thrive.
Formed in 1928, they began life playing under the
name of Clipstone Combine, alongside Clipstone's other representatives in
a local Colliery League, Clipstone Colliery. Combine originally plied
their trade at a ground near to the main Mansfield Road in Clipstone.
Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, the Club moved to
Baulker Lane and changed their name to Clipstone Boys Brigade. Eventually,
they became Clipstone Welfare and had spells in the Mansfield and District
League and Sutton and Skegby League, before achieving their first major
success in the Nottinghamshire Spartan League. In the season 1955/56 they
won the treble of Spartan League, League Cup and the Nottinghamshire F.A.
Intermediate Cup. This
promoted a move on up to the Notts. Football Alliance League, and with the
promotion came a new home, to their present home of The Lido Ground.
It was at The Lido Ground were Welfare achieved even
greater success, remarkably completing a Notts Alliance Senior Division
and Senior Cup in three consecutive seasons between 1972/73 to 1974/75. A
decade later Welfare captured the Nottinghamshire Senior Challenge Cup, joining
an elite group to have won both Senior and Intermediate Notts F.A.
Challenge Cup.
The early 1990's saw future success, with another
League Championship and a famous 3-0 F.A.Vase win at
Hucknall Town to reach the third round for the first time, before going
out to Hinckley Atheltic. They would go on to emulate this success when
they became treble winners in the 1993/94 season, capturing the Notts
Alliance Championship, the Notts Alliance Senior Cup and the Notts. F.A.
Senior Cup. This resulted in promotion to the Central Midlands League,
starting out in the Premier Division, the Club took the championship by
five clear points. Devastatingly, the inadequacies of The Lido Ground
Ground prevented promotion to the CML Supreme Division. Over the next few
years, the Club working hard to meet the ground grading standards, and in
the 1996/97 season, having again stormed to the CML Premier
Championship, the Club were at last granted promotion.
The Lido Ground is clearly indicated by a large sign
announcing the Club's presence. Located off the main road between
Clipstone and Forest Town Road, a tight drive within black iron gates leads up to
the car park. There is a steel gated gravel entrance into the ground
besides the Clubhouse at the Forest Town End. This green steel security
fence spans the majority of the Ground, with the intervention of a
concrete wall barrier on the north side of the Ground. The Clubhouse is
rather basic, yet tidy affair, serving hot and cold
snacks and drinks from a serving hatch in the lounge on matchdays. In front
of the Clubhouse is placed a quaint little shed, welcome shelter for the
person responsible for collecting the gate money. Tucked in alongside the
Clubhouse are the team's changing rooms in a building attached to the
Clubhouse.
On the north side of the Ground you'll find the
Club's two stands. The first is a low, flat standing,
covered area running from the corner flag, almost up to the half-way line.
The Stand is cantilevered, covered only at the rear with prefabricated corrugated
sheeting. A small, white wall barrier then divides this stand from the
Club's piece de resistance - the seated Main Stand. Continuing
along the half way line this small stand is very similar to its neighbours,
though 90 white seats have been installed on two step terracing for spectators.
The rear of the stand has been painted black, symbolising the Club's
previous colours of Black & White. The seating is set back from the
pitch, in front of which is a grassed area running along the entire length
of exterior of the perimeter barrier. Surrounding the perimeter of the
pitch is a rugged white post and rail fence.
On the Clipstone Road side of the Ground one can
clearly view the slagheaps of Clipstone Colliery, which closed in 2000.
Within the Ground itself the home and away dug outs are located on this
side of the Ground. Both sited on the half way line, they are medium-sized
breezeblock built constructions, painted in white, with black painted
roofs.
Rather than the usual concrete hard standing,
Welfare offer an alternative behind either goal, neither of which are
always kind on your footwear. Gravel standing is offered at the Forest
Town End, with Grass
standing at the Clipstone End. Another unusual feature is the number of
floodlights on offer at the Ground. Four steel pylon floodlights
dominate the skyline on either side of the Ground, each holding two
clusters each.
One can not conduct a review of Clipstone
without mentioning the symbol which dominates Welfare's club badge. The
immense twin mining winding towers visible between the houses at the
Clipstone End of the ground stand at 65m high, the tallest in Europe when built.
However, controversial plans have been proposed to demolish the towers on
the grounds that many of Clipstone's residents view them as an eyesore,
rather than a national treasure. Catch them while you can.
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From North - At A1 roundabout junction
with A614, take the A614 southbound for 7.7miles. At Ollerton Roundbout,
stay on the A614, and take the first right onto the B6030. Continue though
Clipstone on Clipstone Road for 4.1 miles. The Ground is on your RHS,
clearly visible by the floodlight pylons. There are sixty space in the car
park, otherwise, it's street parking in Clipstone.
East
Midlands Stagecoach No.13 (Mansfield Bus Station - Wellow),
No.14 (Mansfield Bus Station - Boughton), No.15
(Mansfield
Bus Station - Walesby) & No.16 (Mansfield Bus
Station - Clipstone) all go along Clipstone Road East. 
Mansfield
- 3.3 miles. Catch one of the above buses from Mansfield Bus Station next to the
Train Station.