AN AMAZING GUEST FOR SATURDAY AND A FITTING VENUE FOR THE CUP FINAL!
Carlton Town will enter their final 9 weeks of the football season on Saturday with 11 league games remaining, a possible Relegation playoff game and a Cup Final. So 12 games, maybe 13 in this a defining season in the club’s history.
It was in the season of 2006/2007 when Tommy Brookbanks led the team to promotion to step 4 with a last game win at Garforth Town during incredible scenes in Yorkshire.
Tommy led the club at step 4 and reached the playoffs in 2008/2009 before losing to Stocksbridge where a certain Jamie Vardy stole the show.
Tommy was to move onto Hucknall Town and Les McJannet took on the reigns as manager leading the Millers to a second place finish in his second season in charge in 2011/2012 and the playoffs for the second time in the club’s history. This time after leading Leek Town 2-0 , they were pegged back late on and the game finished 2-2, before Carlton lost a long penalty shoot out.
Mcjannet had led the team to their first ever Senior Cup Final in his first year in charge in 2010/2011 but the Millers were thrashed by Eastwood. In 2012/2013 the Millers finally won the Trophy beating Sutton at Eastwood Town with centre Half Grant Brindley dramatically having to play in goal, with the Millers without a fit keeper and failing to be granted Fa permission to bring in an emergency stopper at the death, before successfully defending the Trophy at Hucknall Town beating Rainworth in the 2013/2014 season.
McJannet retired from management at the end of the 2014/2015 season and his then assistant Wayne Scott stepped up to the plate. Scott failed to make the playoffs during his period in charge , but did lead the club arguably to their finest ever cup final win when in the 2016/2017 season, the Millers beat high flying Basford United against all the odds in a remarkable Cup Final night at Meadow Lane.
Wayne Scotts achievement for many will go down as the greatest nights in the club’s history, some will go for Les winning the Senoir Cup for the first time in 112 years, many others will go for Tommy’s back to back promotions including that magical afternoon in Garforth.
One thing that has been a consistent throughout after Tommy’s 2009 promotion is that Carlton have remained, despite restricted budgets generally, compared with many other clubs, at step four. There was a flirtation with relegation in the 2018/2019 season but luckily for Carlton they stayed up after Afc Mansfield failed ground grading and were relegated in place of the Millers. Despite the miserable league form, Carlton had a great Senior Cup run before losing in the final to Basford at Mansfield Town and Wayne parted company at the end of season by mutual consent.
It was time for the return of Tommy Brookbanks, alongside this time was a Joint Manager , welcome Mark Harvey to Stoke Lane and what a season followed, before covid struck. The Millers Looked certain for the playoffs demolishing opposition and into the semi Final of the Nottinghamshire Senoir Cup Final v Newark Flowserve at Stoke Lane. Despair and frustration followed as the government ended the season and the following season was pretty much a non event as after a handful of games, the country was once again closed down.
The 2021 /2022 season arrived with covid finally on the back burner and Carlton went on to have a memorable season, missing out on the playoffs in the final game of the season, but winning the Senoir cup at Basford United beating Mansfield Town’s youngsters 1-0, Tommy and Mark now had a Nottinghamshire Senior Cup Final to add to their trophy cabinet.
With only a handful of changes to the playing squad , the 2022/2023 season was upon us, but everything that could go wrong has gone wrong this season, the move to the Northern Premier East League against the wishes of everyone at the club on mass, ordered by the Fa which led to a loss of key players. The worst season imaginable for injuries, suspensions, players not reaching their previous performance levels , plenty of goals conceded and not to many scored and only 2 wins from 16 fixtures at homes.
Despite the difficult league season, Carlton have been outstanding in the Nottinghamshire Senior Cup, defending their trophy with a passion and their Semi Final win over a Mansfield Town side which included five first teamers was an even better performance than when they won it the year before.
So the final two months are upon us and it starts this coming Saturday when North Sheilds are the visitors to Stoke Lane and what a guest Boatsy has secured. Former Nottingham Forest European Cup winner, promotion winning manager and then Chairman Frank Clarke, ironically from the North East is the club’s very special guest and will be interviewed by Chairman Mick Garton in The Howard Mitchell Sportsbar prior to kick off.
Carlton then embark on their final chapter of the season, which will either see them lose their step 4 status or fight back and stay up, will it go to a playoff game, who knows, but the stakes are high and then on Tuesday May 2nd the final chapter of the season will evolve at Meadow Lane.
Tommy and Mark will pit their wits against the Managers of Newark and Sherwood Fc at the home of Notts County, the team Tommy supports in the final of the Nottinghamshire Senior Cup, a fitting venue indeed for the final for the two underdogs from the semi Finals.
The kick off time this Saturday for the North Sheilds game is 3pm as Carlton begin their final chapter of the season, please come and support the Millers, it won’t be boring, that’s one thing we are pretty convinced of !
