This weekend will see fireworks in more ways than one at Poppyfields Drive as the first team welcomes Teversal, who sit one place above RBL in the Central Midlands League Premier Division South. With a two point gap between the two sides, and RBL having four games in hand, there is sure to be pressure on both sides as each will have an eye on climbing the table.

In their last match, RBL left it very late as Lee Hillier headed home in added time to take three points against Graham Street Prims, to make it four wins in a row for the Lions. In terms of possession, RBL dominated the match, as Prims’ long ball style led them to having the ball at either end of the pitch, with their midfielders having little more than a stiff neck as they watched the ball sail over their heads. However, RBL’s style of keeping the ball on the deck, and playing short, passing football gave the match an interesting contrast, with neither side really doing enough to make a breakthrough. Midway through the second half, the fireworks looked to come a week early, as the Prims left back saw red for punching Jordy Lee to the ground. The referee evened things up a few minutes later, as Mason Booth-Davies was given his marching orders after an airborne tackle caught a Prims midfielder. With both teams down to ten, and time running out, substitute Lee Hillier made the most of a great cross into the box, to nod home for the winner.

A flurry of four cup matches across the last seven games has seen Teversal’s league form stutter after a good start to the season. Teversal’s last league match was a 2-0 home defeat to current league leaders, Clay Cross Town last weekend.

With four games in hand on their opposition, and having hit a great run of form that has seen just one goal conceded in their last four matches in all competitions, RBL will be confident of taking the points, but also wary of the threat that the opposition pose.

A LITTLE ABOUT TODAYS OPPOSITION

A previous club, Teversal Miners Welfare, had existed in the town since the 1918, playing at the same Carnarvon Street ground as is used today, but had long since dropped to playing youth football by the time the current senior set up re-established in 1986, under the name M W Teversal. The closure of the two local collieries (Teversal and Silverhill) lead to a period of uncertainty, but the local Ashfield District Council took over the trusteeship of the complex in 1989, with the name becoming the Teversal Grange Sports and Social Centre. The football club followed suit, changing the name to Teversal Grange. A further name-change took place in 2000 when they dropped the "Grange" to become simply Teversal F.C.

Upon formation, Miners Welfare Teversal joined the Central Midlands League, winning that league's second division in their inaugural season, but dropped down to the more local Nottinghamshire Alliance in 1991. After a spell of seven years in that company, but no league titles, they re-joined the Central Midlands in its lower Premier Division. The quality of the facilities available led to promotion to the Supreme Division in 2001, where they again consolidated for a period, this time four years, again without picking up the league title. Their third place in 2004–05 was enough however to merit a further promotion, and they commenced the 2006–07 campaign in the Northern Counties East Football League Division One. The club competed in the FA Vase for the first time in 2003–04 and two seasons later they made their debut appearance in the FA Cup. In 2017 they were transferred to the East Midlands Counties League

The club play at Teversal Grange Sports and Social Centre

LAST SEASON

RBL faced Teversal Reserves last season in the league and cup.

05-04-22 - League - Teversal 0 - 2 RBL. Goals scored by Jordan Lee and Owen Brader for RBL
26-02-22 - Cup - Teversal 1 - 2 RBL. Goals from Jordan Lee and Liam Oliver for RBL and Jack Parkes for Teversal
23-10-21 - League - RBL 3 - 0 Teversal. Goals from Sam Vickers, Liam Oliver and Jack Gaucher

Onto today

The bar will be open and everything will be ready for a 14:00 kick off.

See you then