Venue

Ground Capacity

Record Attendance

You must have come in a taxi

From M1 Jnc.27 - Follow the signs for Nottm A611 for 3 miles. At roundabout go straight over for Linby, then as above.

   TrentBarton No.141 (Nottm Victoria Bus Station- Sutton-in-Ashfield Bus Station)  stops a short distance from the Ground.

     Hucknall Station - 1 mile south. Walk down Station Rd, turn right onto Linby Rd and continue north along Church Lane. Just prior to Linby Church, turn left to the Ground.

For a map of the location, Click here.

My garden shed is bigger than this

Not so long ago voted the prettiest village in Nottinghamshire, Linby really is a wonderful location for footballers to ply their trade. This historic village, with its Upper and Lower Crosses dating back to the 17th century, is fortunate to boast an equally historic football team.

With the men returning from the war, Linby Colliery Welfare were reformed in their present guise in 1946. They made an almost immediate impact on both the local and national football scene. Indeed, for a period during the late1940s and early 1950s, Linby could rightfully claim to have been Nottinghamshire's most successful non-league club. Playing under the guidance of former Arsenal professional Tim Coleman, five figure crowds watched them win the Notts Senior Cup three times in five years, including 21,670 fans cramming into Nottingham Forest's City Ground to witness Welfare's 1-0 victory over Retford United. In 1951, Linby battled through the F.A.Cup Qualifiers to face Nuneaton Borough in the 4^th Qualifying Round at their former home of the Gatehouse Ground in Hucknall. Tons of ballast were dumped at the colliery end to create a 1500 capacity Spion Kop, with a record crowd of 6200 seeing Linby side pull off a superb 3-1 victory. Linby�s prize for reaching the First Round Proper was a home tie against Football League new boys Gillingham.  Despite putting up a brave fight, Linby�s Football League opponents eased their way to a 4-1 win, with rival FA Cup ties at Mansfield Town and Nottingham Forest keeping the crowd down to a still impressive 4635.

Following these successes, Linby went into decline for many years. In 1988, events took a disastrous turn for the worse, with the village losing its Colliery, and with it Linby lost its Gatehouse Ground home. In an attempt to regroup, the Club spent a short period playing at Annesley Welfare. However, regroup they did, and it was at their splendid new home at Church Lane where the Club saw an upturn in their fortunes, winning the Notts Intermediate Cup in 1994. Whilst it is unlikely that the former glories will ever be repeated, Linby Colliery Welfare are certainly on the up.

Prior to the closure of the colliery, the pithead stocks dominated the scenery around Linby. However, the old colliery site is now covered by an industrial estate, and there is little evidence that a colliery ever existed. As a result, the Church Lane Ground is dominated by glorious Linby's St.Michael's Church, and has transferred from an industrial setting to one rich in rural charm. 

To the north is an expansive grassed area enclosed by an eight foot high mesh fence. Overlooking Main Street there is a large elevated red & white sign, proudly announcing the Club's presence. This sign contrast greatly to the welcoming sign at the rear entrance to the ground on Church Lane, blink and you'll miss it, but the thought was there.

As you enter the ground from its south entrance to the ground, you will initially notice just how far the changing rooms are from the pitch. There are three buildings on this side of the ground, two of which have plastic seating to their front. Unfortunately, unless you've brought your binoculars, you will have very little use for them.

Linby are one of the few clubs to offer covered spectator accommodation at this level. On the half way line, on Waterloo Road side of the ground,  is a flat leveled standing area. The roof is supported by five white posts, and has the club's name embezzled across its fascia. Interestingly, the pitch is circumnavigated by a blue rope held in place by white wooden stakes apart from in front of this stand, where a permanent metal barrier has been erected. Perhaps crowd control has become something of an issue, even at this level of football. Besides the Waterloo Road Stand is the home teams dug out. This has been originally and interestingly constructed using a breeze blocks, with two metal beams holding aloft a wooden roof. Within the dug out are a row of five smart plastic seats. Directly opposite, on the Church Lane side, is the away teams dug out. This is an identical structure, though was not finished on my visit, as the roof had a frame, but no cover. Surely not a tactical ploy? 

Also on the Church Lane side is an additional standing area. Set back from the pitch, this unusual stand looks rather vulnerable, engulfed by the surrounding foliage. As a curved construction, there is no need for obtrusive posts. Erected using bottle green corrugated iron, a front panel has been included with viewing windows, though I wouldn't recommend leaning too heavy within the gaps if you don't want the whole thing on top of you.  

In the north east corner of the ground is the piece de resistance, St.Michael's church, built in the 12th Century. No matter where you choose to stand (or sit) within Linby's ground, you can't fail to be impressed by the eloquence of this building. A wonderful setting to watch your football.

Future Plans

Additional Photography

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