Hero and Villan

13 Thursday Oct 2011

Tags

Blue, Counties, Cross, Football, Furness, Goal, groundhop, groundhopping, Huntingdon, Jubilee, League, Penalty, saved, Town, United, Wootton

Wednesday 12th October 2011 ko 7.45pm

United Counties League Division One

HUNTINGDON TOWN 1 (Moyes 12)

WOOTTON BLUE CROSS 2 (Janes 17 34)

Att 65

Entry & Programme £5

Coffee 50p

A few days ago I watched Witney Town, a side becalmed at a location way out-of-town. Here’s club, again way out-of-town, but making it work for them. And for those who haven’t been yet and are planning a visit, don’t use the postcode, you’ll go horribly wrong! I did! Aim for the village of Kings Ripton, and Jubilee Park is just before you get there.

And what a well organised place it is. Spick and span, with a large clubhouse, its similar to Market Harborough’s Bowden’s Park. It’s all there. A tea bar, alcohol bar, cover, lights, and multiple pitches for community use. In fact my only quibble was the lack of a seated stand, with my hernia and general tiredness making such a thing desirable! I suspect, with the club at step 6 and having only been in situ since 2003, the comment would be all in good time!

I immediately took to the club, because, yes, they are friendly. It costs nothing to have friendly people having a joke behind the tea bar, and to help you out with the line ups. Put that with a local making their first visit, and there’s someone who’ll be back and will bring a friend.

So I walked (slowly) out to the pitch quietly rooting for the homesters. Interestingly former West Ham star Calum Davenport was turning out for the visitors, his career wrecked by injury, but it was Huntingdon who took the lead with Daniel Moyes’ free kick freakishly evading the keeper from a full 45 yards. A fluke? Oh yes, but they all count.

But just over 20 minutes later, it was Blue Cross who lead, Gary Janes taking advantage of first a defensive howler and secondly a glorious through ball. It was first half stoppage time when the first of the two major talking points occurred. Davenport pulled a shirt, in the box, was booked but Joe Furness’ penalty was well saved by Gerrard, diving to his left.

The second half could, and didn’t live up to the excitement of the first, but even with my newly found bias it was hard to deny Huntingdon at least a point. And in stoppage time, potential salvation occurred. Again referee Moore spotted an infringement in the box, again Furness stepped up to take the spot kick, again he aimed bottom right, and yes again Gerrard saved. Hero and Villian 18 yards apart.

Soon afterwards Blue Cross loudly celebrated an important away win. Home manager Ricky Marheineke walked off with his arm around a destraught Furness. You couldn’t help but feel not only for the player, but this warm friendly club.

To finish though, a question. Why is the club playing in the UCL? Nearby Godmanchester play in the Eastern Counties League, and Huntingdon’s under 18’s play in the Eastern Counties Youth League!

: Calum Davenport despairs

Elevation

13 Thursday Oct 2011

Posted by laurencereade in H

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Tags

City, Football, Garden, Goal, Gosling, groundhop, groundhopping, Hatfield, League, Lockett, Midlands, Park, Premier, Robins, South, Spartan, Sports, Standen, Town, Welwyn, Young

Tuesday 11th October 2011 ko 7.45pm

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division

HATFIELD TOWN 0

ROYSTON TOWN 6 (Lockett 20 Young 39 Feumi 43p Robins 67 Standen 81 90)

Att 87

Entry £6

Programme £1

Tea 50p (in a University of Chester paper cup!)

Until last season Hatfield groundshared at Welwyn Garden City FC. Sharing somewhere other than your home town is seldom ideal, but Hatfield now at least have a home to call their own. The problem is that its still in Welwyn Garden City! Moreover the Gosling Sports Park, doesn’t just contain a 6 lane running track but a velodrome too, making the football spectator extremely distant from the pitch. That said the velodrome is perhaps the ground’s saving grace, as the banking does provide elevation, ameliorating some of the distance. Its helped further by a balcony the height of which I’ve never enountered anywhere other than Wembley Stadium. The panorama shot is from there and it does give a Subbuteo feel to wtching a game.

With 3 distinct viewing areas, the terrace, seating and balcony, the ground is certainly different, and I’ve heard descriptions of Stalinist, and East German, neither of which I’d necessarily disagree with. For me it simply felt municipal, nothing wrong with that, but I wouldn’t want to watch football somewhere like this all the time. I should add that the club has had to work hard to get the ground usable for football. Gates have to be locked at specific times, and a huge players tunnel built, which if it were in Kent would have the anti-polytunnel brigade up in arm!

Hatfield have signed a 7-year lease, but I got the impression that their tenure may well be a lot shorter than that. The bottom line is that they want to be in Hatfield, and they think they’ve found a suitable location. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but I’d get to Gosling Sports Park soon to avoid disappointment.

On the pitch there were 2 sides with radically different agenda. Hatfield are building for the future, in both senses of the word, while Royston simply wish to return to the Isthmian League. After watching one of the biggest away drubbings I’ve ever seen I’m not sure which club will achieve their ambitions. Yes, Hatfield’s defence was appalling, but they looked a young side, and an older, better remunerated team, ran riot. Are Hatfield relegation fodder? On this outing yes, but they’re not in a relegation spot, and are there better teams than Royston in the league? You suspect quite possibly.

Definately one to keep an eye on.