Monthly Archives: September 2011

Cherries Red

17 Saturday Sep 2011

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Saturday 17th September 2011, ko 11am (but delayed 15 minutes)

Football League Youth Alliance South/West Division

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Morris 90)

AFC BOURNEMOUTH 1 (Zocchi 49)

Att 34 (h/c)

@ Rover Sports & Social Club, Romanway, Oxford

Entry FREE

Nothing for Sale

When, Rover Cowley folded mid-way through last season, my “I’ll do it later” attitude towards the ground looked rather stupid. I tried to tick off the ground for Rover Cowley in Sunday football (which isn’t really Rover Cowley) but that was played on an outside pitch.

I’m fortunate that Oxford United have taken on the place as their training centre, new buildings have and are being erected, and the place has beeen given a lick of paint. For this season at least all youth and ladies games will take place there.

With a cheeky double lined up the last thing I wanted was a delayed kickoff, but the Cherries minibus got lost in Cowley, blaming a dodgy postcode, I mean how hard to spot is a car works? Still 15 minutes was acceptable and the game was excellent

I really should watch more youth football. This was a good passing game, but perhaps mirroring the first XI United did everything BUT score. A lot was being made of a Wunderkid,  Jayden Stockley playing up front for Bournemouth but he was well marshaled by Long and Dormer, and by the end cut a disheartened figure.

Of course there’s a script for these kind of games, and Zocchi’s neat finish 12 yards out to the left, was right on message. United huffed and puffed, missing chance after chance, until midfielder Morris took an 18 yards punt. Keeper Chad Collins should have got his body behind it but a simple hand was not enough and the ball squirmed into the bottom left corner.

Cruel, but justice

Rat Trap

14 Wednesday Sep 2011

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Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division

RATBY SPORTS 4 (McKenzie 4 83 Jacquei 49 Brightmore 57)

ASHBY IVANHOE 4 (Pollard 15 Bray 43 Netter 69 Gibson 72)

Att 23 (h/c)

Entry £3

Programme NO (this is Leicestershire remember!)

Can Diet Coke 50p

Very much an evening of contrasts, even down to the village itself. A pretty village yes, but showing obvious signs of dereliction. Desford Road, is similar, tucked away neatly behind the cricket ground, has a brand new clubhouse, but it’s half finished,  there’s a solidly built stand, but there’s no seats and there’s signs of a fire at its back. The Junior pitch is perfect but the adult version is badly cut and lumpy. There’s even signs of a terrace, sadly overgrown.

I’d picked the game, and as a goal whoring exercise, Ratby having shipped a hatful even at this early stage of the season, but it didn’t quite turn out how I expected.

Ashby should have won this at at a canter, but to my delight and doubtlessly the annoyance of the teams’ management, it turned into an exercise into who had the least competant defence! The highlight? Bray’s excellent finish for the 3rd goal, past his own keeper! Great stuff, and a good tick.

Daylight Robbery

14 Wednesday Sep 2011

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Cheltenham Association Football League Division Two

NORTHWAY 2 (33 89)

PRESTBURY 1 (59)

Att 25

Entry FREE

Nothing for Sale

They say that God helps those who help themselves (so why do shoplifters get arrested?) and my blasting through the countryside of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, was rewarded when I arrived 15 minutes late for a 6.00pm kick off when Referee Mike Lytheer arrived late and kick off was delayed until 6.25! Handy, we did get 90 minutes in, but it was mighty dark at the end!

Northway is a village just the other side of the M5 from Tewkesbury, although it looks less a village and more an industrial estate. Nothing too preposessing about the Gould Playing Field either, barely a tree to photograph, the only point of even minimal interest was the BMX equipment nearby.

Still all the ground ticks are the same size, even if the standard was poor and the first half instantly forgetable! In the gloom, Prestbury hit the crossbar, Northway counter-attacked and scored. But that’s something you can see at a far higher level!

The Apprentice

10 Saturday Sep 2011

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League 2

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Potter 45 Leven 52)

BURTON ALBION 2 (Richards 54p 66)

Att 8,043 (260 away)

I’m not going to blog every single OUFC home game, as you can only take so many pictures of the one ground, and after all this is a groundhopping blog!

What made this game different from every other League 2 fixture was that is was Bridle “Bonanza” day, when the club’s main sponsor put on entertainment prior to the game, giving me plenty to point my camera at!

As for the game, if all the patrons made a decision on whether to attend on the quality of the entertainment on offer, then the next home game will be a sell-out. This was a high quality encounter, with plenty of controversy. Should Burton have a a penalty in the first half, probably yes, but was the penalty given justified?  Probably not. Certainly former OUFC striker Justin Richards’ goading of the fans was infantile, but OUFC 2 up and cruising should never have given him the opportunity.

The game could easilty have gone either way, but the joyous scenes in the away end, spoke volumes, as much in fact as the locked home dressing room afterwards.

A great game for the neutral then, but how many of them were in the ground?

The Mickey Mouse Quotient

09 Friday Sep 2011

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Cheltenham Association Football League Division 2

TEWKESBURY TOWN 4 (Jordan 15 57 Halling 55 75)

NORTHWAY 1 (Higgins 24)

Att 47 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Nothing for Sale

Many groundhoppers have standards of football beyond which they won’t venture, a favourite measure is whether a programme is available. For others it’s a specific level, measurable by how many promotions it would theoretically take to reach the Football League.

As a result the Cheltenham League is off the beaten track for many, and it’s generally difficult to sell a game on a pitch behind a school, with no cover, and no facilities.  For all of these perceived difficulties this was an enjoyable evening out. It helped that the club were kind enough to phone me to offer directions and both sides gave information about the lineups and themselves freely. It was handy for the neutral also, that the two sides are local rivals, hate each other, and the two benches spent the encounter glowering at each other from opposite sides of the pitch. A division 4 game was taking place on the adjoining pitch to add more flavour.

So what was it like? Well the standard was predictably poor, but I’ve seen a lot worse, and at a far higher level, but it was always entertaining. We had the unusual sight of Northway’s Steve Prosser being booked for dissent, whilst a non playing substitute, but his side’s defence was notably more incompetent than their opponents’ and in  the second half the home side made that implied advantage count.

Walk on manhole covers

07 Wednesday Sep 2011

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United Counties League Premier Division

YAXLEY 0

PETERBOROUGH NORTHERN STAR 1 (Viera 79)

Entry £6

Programme £1

Yearbook £5

Yaxley, a small village near Peterborough has managed to avoid my attendance for far too long, and for no good reason. Whilst Leading Drove is hardly iconic, it is quirky, the locals are friendly, and they are justifiably proud of their brand new clubhouse and changing room block. That for the hopper is a cleft stick. Yes, the facilities are excellent, but it will mean that in time the quirks will gradually disappear. These include the club shop, PA box, and gatebox all rolled into one, the two cycle shelter stands and the hard standing which is in fact a series of concrete manhole covers! For me, its the quirks that attract me in the first place.

The game wasn’t quite as bad as the low scoreline would indicate. PNS should have won by far more, but it was a passing game, easy on the eye, and it was a pleasure to while away the time with James Rennie, an expert on this part of the world.

Another bonus is that opposite Leading Drove is the pitch used by Stilton FC, that’s my card marked!

Laconophilia

05 Monday Sep 2011

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Midland Combination Division Two

COVENTRY SPARTANS 2 (Kabongo 6p Dennisur 26)

ENVILLE ATHLETIC 1 (Poole 41)

Att 22 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Programme £1

Tea 60p

An interesting one this. Last season Coventry Amateurs played a few hundred yards way, down Westwood Heath Road. The reserves split from the first XI, and retained the name, so the firsts moved to the University Sports ground and renamed themselves Spartans. Crucially for the paperchasers, its Spartans who have continued to issue, although I doubt it they actually sold more than 5 on this occasion.

Spartans at kick off were rock bottom of the league, without a win, so you would have expected their visitors to have attacked from the off. Not a bit of it, they sat back allow Spartans to walk all over them. By the time they had scored with their only attack of the first half, the tie had already been settled. A shame as I felt that if Spartans had been tested, their spirit may well have been exhausted quickly.

Still, a good visit to a friendly club.