Monthly Archives: March 2012

Bearley Finished

28 Wednesday Mar 2012

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Tuesday 27th March 2012 ko 6.00pm (scheduled)

Stratford Alliance Division One

ALVESTON 4 (Layton 9p Fathers 31 Wilkes 67 Castle 70)

CUBBINGTON ALBION 1 (Andy Yates 65)

Att 33 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No programme

Many hoppers will know Alveston as a top flight Midland Combination outfit. Unfortunately at the end of last season they lost the use of their base at the Home Guard Club, in Tiddington, and have moved to the other side of Stratford-upon-Avon, to the small village of Bearley. The longest aqueduct in England, the Edstone Aqueduct, is just outside the village on the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal. The move cost the club its place in the Midland Combination, and were forced to take a 3 division demotion to the Stratford Alliance.

The Mill Field serves as both Sports field and Village hall, to the extent that the noise of the fixture was at times interrupted by the sounds of a few ladies doing their aerobics class! The bar area is first class with many watching a televised football match but the changing area will be a stumbling block to the club’s ambitions to a return to the Midland Combination. It’s strange, but there is only one changing room, the club have tried to provide separation by placing an upturned table tennis court in the middle, but that’s not good enough for promotion, so a new ground is being sought. With the club being top of the top flight the need is pressing!

The club’s administration is still of Midland Combination quality, even everyone else’s wasn’t. Referee Paul Batty ambled in at 6.00pm with Alveston ready to kick off, and immediately declared that he was switching kick off to 6.15. By then Cubbington had enough players to start, but kick off was then delayed to 6.30, by which time they had 11. Despite a number of the hoppers pointing out that playing 2 x 45 minutes would mean it would be dark before the final whistle, Mr Batty played a full first half, then was embarrassed as, yes, the game was finished 6 minutes early as it was dark….Some people you just can’t tell!

On the pitch, if either side had turned up with their shooting boots then we’d had seen a hat full of goals. Layton’s early penalty was the only thing to show for the massive superiority that Alveston were enjoying. Time after time Alveston smashed shots high or wide when it looked a good deal easier to score. Cubbington’s cause wasn’t helped with the loss of David Broomfield to a badly twisted knee on 20 minutes. They played on with 10 men until the 40th minute when a substitute had arrived and changed. As the visitors tired, so Alveston took advantage, and neither side should take issue with the shortened game. It made absolutely no difference to the destination of the points.

With the clocks having gone forward, and what groundhoppers refer to as “Silly Season” in force (evening kick-offs at unlit venues) I left grateful that I’d got a game, but I do think its unfair to expect amateur players to make a 6.00pm kick off. When the light allows a 6.30 start, well that’s a different story.

The Two Fingered Salute

26 Monday Mar 2012

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Sunday 25th March 2012 ko 2.30pm

Welsh League Division Two

MONMOUTH TOWN 6 (E Ford 11p 79 Spence 50 Alderdice 58 Lewis 67 Laurie 90)

BETTWS 0

Att 142 (h/c)

Entry & Programme £3

As a hopper you do tend to exaggerate the term “It’s on the way home.” I once managed to put Inverurie on the way from Inverness to Glasgow, and this one on the way from Plymouth to Oxford!

There were good reasons for me to visit the Monmouth Sports Ground though. For one the club are moving from the current pitch at the end of the season, to one about 50 metres away, nearer the clubhouse, and nearer the A40 that rumbles away behind the complex. That will mean the club will no longer have to share with the rugby club, but will lose use of the wonderful stand. With my stupid frame of mind, the other reason to be there was the sheer amount of times I’ve driven along the A40 and thought, “I’ve got to visit that ground!”

The border town of Monmouth is the first town you reach after leaving England at Symonds Yat. The town is the birthplace of Henry V, victor over the French at the battle of Agincourt in 1415. That was where the rude two fingered signal originated. The battle was won by the English longbowmen who’d been threatened with having their bow drawing fingers cut off by the French. On victory the English waved their intact two fingers at the surviving French and the legend was born. You never learned that from the Shakespeare play!

The town is also famous for its close links with the Rolls family, who built a mansion at The Hendre just outside the town. In 1904, Charles Rolls established a new car making business with Henry Royce, but in 1910 he was killed in an aeroplane crash at the age of 32; he is commemorated by a statue in Agincourt Square.

For the lads the new President of Monmouth Town is television presenter and occasional actress Lisa Rogers.

The game saw promotion chasing Town face struggling Bridgend-based Bettws (pronouced Bett-us). We all wondered why the game was being played on Sunday, it transpired that Bettws didn’t want an early evening kick off. It certainly worked for Monmouth with a bumper crowd enjoying the warm weather, a successful team and a superb programme. It certainly didn’t work for Bettws who’d played at Newcastle Emlyn the previous day losing 2-1, and then had this trip to contend with!

As expected Monmouth took a early lead with a slightly dodgy penalty, but were made to work hard for their second, but Dan Spence’s long range effort was a fine way to open up the floodgates. And open they did with 4 further goals in the final 32 minutes, as Bettws wilted in the sun.

The result makes promotion for Monmouth almost certain, after after being in the Gwent County League Division Two a mere 6 years ago. That’s quite some progress!

 

Sweet Surrender on the Quayside

26 Monday Mar 2012

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Saturday 24th March 2012 ko 3.00pm

South West Peninsula League Division One West

VOSPERS OAK VILLA 10 (Edwards 4 Fort 6 16 69 Almond 10p Jasper 34 38 83 Honeywill 50 Scholes 90)

PERRANPORTH 0

Att 34

Entry & Programme £3

Tea 50p

Pasty £1.20

This was a bit of a crazy day for me. Perhaps it was because I’d spent Friday evening in Witney catching up with some old workmates over a chicken madras and a beer or 10, but in the morning I set out towards Dorset to visit another old mate, a full week early! By the time I realised, I was in Dorset, so I needed a Plan B, and quickly!

There really was only one bloke to call given where I was, Sammo, or to use his proper title, Mike Sampson, press officer for the South West Peninsula League. He confirmed that Vospers Oak Villa in Plymouth were kicking off at 3, and that another mate, League Football Secretary & Web Master Phil Hiscox would be there too. From a groundhopping perspective Phil’s the chap that organises the popular groundhop the League hosts. It was good to speak to a fellow organiser, and look forward to when the League will have sufficient new grounds to host another Easter extravaganza.

Plymouth holds mixed feelings for me. I’ve always enjoyed my visits to the dockyard town for both football and for tourism. I attended Mike Sampson’s 60th birthday bash at Plymouth Argyle around 18 months ago which was a great night out. Sadly it was the last public appearance I made with my wife, before we separated 2 months later. So, yes, mixed feelings.

Vospers Oak Villa started their existence as Oak Villa in 1912 in what was known as the United Churches League and the club operated from St Phillips Church in Bridwell Road, in Plymouth. To play you had to be a member of the church, and the club’s name was taken from an old cottage at Camel’s Head where the first meeting took place. The team moved to Weston Mill, so adopted the name Weston Mill Oak Villa and rose up through local leagues, through to the Devon County League, and became founder members of the SW Peninsula League league in 2007.  The club is now known as Vospers Oak Villa, thanks to the sponsorship of Peter Vospers, of Vospers Motorhouse.

The Weston Mill ground is on the western edge of Plymouth close to the Devonport Docks, and the Tamar bridge linking Devon to Cornwall. It’s the Tamar Bridge that gives the league its logo. It has to be said that the ground will win no awards for beauty, or facilities, but the welcome was as warm as the weather. There’s a railed off pitch but no cover, and the only hard standing is via a disused 5-a-side pitch, itself a victim of vandalism. The gateman was exactly that, a man by a gate, with a bag of a programmes.

I’d seen a league table and thought this looked a home banker. Perranporth had only 7 points to show for a disastrous season, but the home officials didn’t seem confident, citing the departure of the management team looming at the end of the season, and a poor run of form. They could not have been more wrong, as the visitors played the vast majority of the game with ten men. Worse still their regular goalkeeper was unavailable (their officials said he was watching Arsenal, but then he is the recently departed manger’s son!), and the backup goalkeeper Ryan Barnes was sporting a broken thumb, so he was pressed into service in midfield, and midfielder Jack Bradshaw was pressed into service between the sticks. It didn’t work to put it mildly!

3 goals in 10 minutes set the tone, and at that point I honestly thought I may have been heading towards my highest aggregate score of 20. That I only got halfway was down to Bradshaw’s efforts, despite obviously not being a goalkeeper he threw himself at everything, and the fact that Villa eased off for periods playing an ineffective brand of champagne football. Joe Jasper and Stuart Fort will no doubt argue over who gets the match ball (is there a procedure for that?) but for me the man of the match was the unfortunate Jack Bradshaw who like his team-mates was there when it mattered. It would have been so easy for Perranporth to have simply not turned up. For that they deserve credit.

I should also thank Sammo for putting me up for the night and feeding me a huge breakfast Sunday morning. Thanks mate, and see you in Sweden!

Not them…THEM!!!

25 Sunday Mar 2012

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Thursday 22nd March 2012 ko 7.45pm

Wessex League Premier Division

BOURNEMOUTH FC 1 (Ewen 90p)

TOTTON & ELING 0

Att 72

Entry & Programme £6

I wonder why Bournemouth don’t rename themselves Bournemouth Poppies. They must have heartily sick of being mistaken for AFC Bournemouth, who after all used to be Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic. Still the Poppies plough their furrow on the Poole side of the Dorset Town, which according to a a 2007 survey by First Direct was found to be the happiest place in the UK, with 82% of people questioned saying they were happy with their lives. The comedian and actor Tony Hancock lived in the Winton area of Bournemouth for much of his early life.

Victoria Park, retains the feel of a public park, despite hosting Step 5 football. There’s no turnstile or pay box, the entrance fee is collected in the bar, where the excellent programme is sold. The stand is worthy of note, being a part of a single building encompassing the changing rooms, and bar area. Its highly unusual and works well, with the bench seating affording a good view of the action.

Except on this occasion we didn’t get much! The reason for the Thursday fixture was good old fashioned end-of-season congestion, caused by the Poppies’ FA Vase exploits. In a poor game both sides were thankful to their goalkeepers in the first half as Poppies stopper Kenny Vaughan made three saves, while his opposite number Steve Mowthorpe clawed debutant Sean Leadbetter’s header out of the bottom corner. Phil Ward kept out another Leadbetter effort with a goal-line clearance before half time.

In the second half, Mowthorpe’s brillance was all that kept the Poppies at bay. He produced two first class saves, the second, from Dave Ewen, was worthy for a far higher level.  Luke Ingram was denied a Poppies penalty seven minutes from time but when the hosts were handed a late spot kick for the weakest of challenges, Ewen made no mistake to seal the points. That was harsh on the visitors, and especially on young Mowthorpe who deserved a clean sheet. Seconds later, it was full time, and one of the linesmen had to intervene as one of the Totton & Eling coaching staff took exception to a comment from the stand and decided to negotiate the point by physical means. He was led away before anything untoward happened.

 

The Falklands Walk

25 Sunday Mar 2012

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Wednesday 21st MArch 2012 ko 7.45pm

Cambridgeshire County League Senior A Division

NEEDINGWORTH UNITED 1 (Steward 40og)

HUNDON 1 (Hayes 17p)

Att 10 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No Programme

Tea 70p

Raffle £1

The small village of Needingworth lies close to St Ives, and for a small town a lot has happened. There’s a massive aggregate pit, which in time will become a nature reserve under the wing of the RSPB. The ground, Millfields, as the name suggests was linked to a long demolished windmill, and the village has gained an excellent sports facility. There’s room for 4 football pitches, as well as a cricket pitch, together with the clubhouse, opened by local MP John Major in 1992. Surrounding the whole lot is Falklands Walk, an area of woodlands and footpaths funded by a unit of the Royal Engineers after their posting to the Falklands in 1989. Yes, it’s all very neat, if a little bland, the trouble is that the locals patently don’t care about their football club.

And what a bonny little club it is. Run by a small band of stalwarts, it was an absolute pleasure to spend a couple of hours in their company. From running a line, to making tea, to sorting out two bottles of wine for the raffle prize, everything was done with humour and a friendly welcome, so why on average do only 4 locals come and watch their team?

Yes, the team are struggling, near the bottom of the second tier of the league, a feeder to the United and Eastern Counties Leagues. They once had a ground inspection for acceptance into the UCL, but balked at the cost of adding the lights and stand they had already. The stand got sold to Ramsey Town, themselves refugees from the UCL, but so far hasn’t been erected there. On the pitch relegation happened despite the league rather liking a floodlit ground in the Premier Division.

This game saw two clubs struggling to maintain their place in the division. The home officials happily admitted they’d be happy for a point, and that both sides would probably still be the same division next season due to a withdrawal and a lack of clubs wanting to make the step up.

The game was therefore exactly as I expected, nervy and error strewn. The moment of controversy was when Hundon’s Jamie Farlie was put clean through on goal. The keeper Tom Kulik went in on him with his knee raised, and a penalty was the only decision referee Brian Lewis could possibly make. The question was, should it be interpreted as dangerous play or denying a goal scoring opportunity too?  Lewis opted not to, arguing that a penalty was enough, and took into account on the fact the Kulik had been on the receiving end of a studs-up challenge the previous Saturday. Probably against FA directives, but instinctively correct. Jamie Hayes slotted home the spot kick neatly.

Needingworth got the equalizer in bizarre circumstances. Luke Gatford swung in a corner to the near post and there was Ben Steward to head home… past his own keeper! The second half was a bitty affair, with few chances, but to be honest I was enjoying the company too much to care!

I left having watched a distinctly average game, but loved this little club with a big heart. I wish the locals would walk down the road and discover what I drove for 2 hours to find.

On a Whing and a Prayer

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

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Tuesday 20th March 2012 ko 7.45pm

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Morgan 57)

AFC WIMBLEDON 0

Att 6,366 (362 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail)

So, those of you who weren’t there will look at the score, and think, play-off side struggles to beat lower-table side, in a dour encounter. And you’d be right, except for the last 4 words. For at no point did this game look like ending nil-nil, as both sides played good passing football, but with a frustrating lack of end product.

As a little aside, the first time I watched AFC Wimbledon at Kingsmeadow they were playing AFC Wallingford in a Combined Counties League game. How times change, as Wimbledon have been promoted 6 times to reclaim the league place that had been stolen from them. Poor old Wallingford now languish at the bottom of the North Berkshire League’s top flight. By my reckoning, there’s now 7 promotions between the two clubs. And to square the circle, North Berkshire League Press Officer Phil Annets was watching the game from one of the executive boxes!

Oxford looked capable of tearing their visitors apart, but at times looked lopsided, with Dean Morgan looking lost for much of the first half. Not withstanding that, its was refreshing to see both sides play an attractive passing game, with Oxford’s Adam Chapman, and Andy Whing both going close with a free kick and close-range header respectively. For Wimbledon George Moncur’s shot was well smothered by Ryan Clarke.

Its was a little suprising that United made no change at half time, as they had looked a tweak away from looking really convincing. As usual Chris Wilder showed why he’s the manager and I’m sat typing this, as a glorious passing move led to the goal. After a series of passes, Scott Rendell moved the ball wide, and Asa Hall’s flicked back-heel found Morgan on the left. His shot seemed to come from nothing, and was from an acute angle, but it flashed past Seb Brown, and into the top right corner.

After that United looked happy to attack sporadically, and defend in numbers. Oli Johnson headed on to the bar following a quite wonderful Peter Leven free kick, and the visitors were limited to just two chances. Sammy Moore’s 25 yard shot found the car park when it should have found the goal, and the only real scare came at the end of injury time. Leven was adjudged to have fouled on the edge of the box, a decision that angered Chris Wilder sufficiently for him to be dismissed from the technical area. The shot was driven in, Clarke parried, and Andy Whing blocked twice to keep Wimbledon out.

And it was the popular full back/midfielder/centre half that summed the last few minutes to me. Not pretty, but wholly committed and always gets the job done. Cheltenham away, I suspect will be a different challenge all together.

Unhappy Glappy

18 Sunday Mar 2012

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Saturday 17th March 2012 ko 7.30pm

Central Midlands League North Division

GLAPWELL 0

PARKHOUSE 2 (Clay 23 Wain 73)

Att 201

Entry & Programme Hop Ticket

Badge £2.50

The final game saw the hop at a club returning to the CMFL after rising as far as the Northern Premier League.

Still in North Derbyshire Glapwell is most famous for its colliery which closed in the 1970’s. Its most famous employee was current Bolsover (around 3 miles away) MP Dennis Skinner. Apparently he often tells the story of turning up back at the pit to work his shift after being elected as an MP as he still considered himself a miner, and being an MP not a proper job.

The village is listed in the Domesday Book. In 1086, the book notes that Serb holds this for William Peverall, “In Clapwell, Liefric had one carucate of land to the geld. There is land for as two ploughs. There eight villans have 6 ploughs… Serb now holds it.”

I found it hard to see the place as a colliery village, as there’s something rather quiet and rural about the place. Hall Corner was easily the best appointed of the grounds on the Bonanza, a testament to the club’s rise and fall. The club won the CMFL in 1994 and won their way through both divisions of the Northern Counties East to reach the Northern Premier League. That’s reflected in cover on 2 sides and 137 seats at the ground plus a club shop and burger bar. Despite this, Hall Corner was not deemed suitable for the NPL and for the 2010–11 season, the club had an agreement with Mansfield Town F.C. which allowed the club to play their home games at Mansfield’s ground, Field Mill. Disaster struck in December as Mansfield were locked out of the ground by their landlord Keith Haslam, and so the Glapwell reluctantly returned to Hall Corner. At the end of the season the club resigned from the NPL over ground grading issues and returned to the CMFL, opting not to enter the higher status Northern Counties East.

There was a little nugget of news about the opposition too. Clay Cross based Parkhouse are set to change their name to Clay Cross Town so as to better reflect the suburb of Chesterfield in which they play. Perhaps I should have bought one of their badges, I’d have a little piece of history.

In a scrappy game of few chances it was the visitors’ quality in the final third that was the difference with Glapwell struggling to register a meaningful shot on target.
After a cagey opening where Parkhouse went close on a couple of occasions, they took the lead on 23 minutes in fortuitous circumstances.  Ant Lynam’s through ball was headed back into the middle of the box by Michael Wain. Lee Clay’s shot was blocked by keeper Jamie Davies, but the rebound hit Clay and agonisingly the ball trickled in.
Glapwell were guilty of gifting away possession and they created very few clear-cut chances throughout the game. Parkhouse could have doubled their lead just after the break but full back Luke Beatson headed over the bar when it looked a good deal easier to score.
Glapwell had a half chance just before the hour when Jordan Johnson’s free kick was headed over by Jay Whalley. Thet followed that up when Kye Martey controlled well, before playing in Callum Green, whose low effort just slid past the post from around 18 yards out.
Alex Marsh then volleyed into the side netting for Glapwell, but the game was won for the visitors on 72 minutes when Wain beat Davies with a powerful effort from an acute angle from the right.
Clay then netted again for Parkhouse, but it was disallowed for offside while the closest Glapwell were to scoring in then remainder of the game was when Adam Jones curled a free-kick just over the bar from the edge of the area. It all looked rather laboured for Glapwell, who now find themselves second from bottom of the table, with just the unfortunate Welbeck Welfare (22 games ,0 points) below them. Hopefully this will be the nadir for this hard-working club’s fortunes, as a further relegation would I fear be fatal to them.

And so another hop finished, with goodbyes and best wishes. I finally caught up with Margerete and Jens from Germany, and made sure I found Rob Hornby to both thank him and congratulate him on another wonderful Bonanza. So now its on to the next one!

Soap & Steel

18 Sunday Mar 2012

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Saturday 17th March 2012 ko 4.30pm

Central Midlands League North Division

DRONFIELD TOWN 4 (Doran 15 90 Gange 48 67)

THORESBY COLLIERY WELFARE 1 (House 60)

Att 276

Entry & Programme-Hop Ticket

Teamsheet 25p

Badge £3

Cheeseburger £2

Tea-in-a-mug 50p

The day’s 3rd game saw a real change of environ, from North Nottinghamshire to North Derbyshire, and there’s a real rivalry between the 2 counties, exacerbated by the UK miners’ strike (1984–1985). I drove through Chesterfield with its iconic crooked spire (or typical Derbyshire workmanship if you’re from Notts!), and headed north to to the small town of Dronfield. Rick Allen, drummer with Def Leppard hails from the town.

Situated as it is on several borders, Dronfield’s roots lies in several industries. There have been, at various times tanneries, soap works, and with a nod to nearby to nearby Sheffield, a significant steel industry. With the Peak District being a mere 3 miles away agriculture was also a massive contributor to the town’s prestige, and the most famous building in the town is testament to this.

The “Peel Monument”, situated on the town’s High Street, was built in 1854 out of gritstone as a tribute to Sir Robert Peel, to commemorate his repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. The monument is very distinctive, and is often portrayed in images of the town. It also forms the football club’s badge.

Dronfield’s ground makes use of the hilly topography of the town. The car park is above the cricket club, which is in turn above the football ground in Stonelow Road. On the other side of the valley the terraced houses disappear into the distance like a Lowry painting.

Like Basford, Dronfield Town are an ambitious club, and buckets were in evidence for their floodlight fund. A barbeque was fired up, but the club found the one food that even groundhoppers turned their noses up at. Pork dripping sandwiches are, so I was told by Rob Hornby, a local speciality, but I actually heard a hopper comment “Do they come with a free heart attack!” That said, I now regret not trying one, it couldn’t have been that bad could it?

The game pitched Dronfield against a Thoresby side that had only conceded only 9 goals in 19 league games. Clearly, noone had told Dronfield, and particularly fowards Andy Gange and John Doran, who scored excellent braces, despite at various times playing through driving rain and hail. Doran in particular looked a class better than the CMFL, and I do wonder whether in the future he’ll feature on a Northern Counties East hop! Danny House’s strike, from Thoresby’s only corner of the game was scant reward for the visitors who made a fine contribution to the game, for me the best of the 4 on offer today.

First Base

18 Sunday Mar 2012

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Saturday 17th March 2012 ko 1.00pm

Central Midlands League South Division

BASFORD UNITED 4 (Holt 38 Horton 52 79 Hastings 90)

NOTTS POLICE 1 (Alves 9)

Att 268

Entry & Programme-Hop Ticket

Pie & Peas £2

Tea 80p

Badge £2.50

From Clifton it was a short drive to Basford, (which is pronounced Base-ford by the way), a northern suburb of Nottingham, and an area most famous for its soap factory. The factory was established in the 1890s by Gerard Bros before in 1955 the company was acquired by Cussons Sons & Co., manufacturer of “Imperial Leather” soap. In 2005 the factory was closed and production was moved to Thailand.

At Greenwich Avenue until recently, the problem wasn’t soap, rather bats! The club, being top of the table, are looking to progress to the East Midlands Counties League, and for that you need floodlights. The trouble is that the tall trees behind the far goal are a significant nesting site for bats, and there were concerns that the club’s ambitions might disturb them. Perhaps the fact that the mammals are there despite the presence of a tram and rail station convinced the authorities and in November the lights were erected. All a bit late for Rob Hornby as floodlit grounds are rather handy for evening kick-offs.

Basford looked a little surprised at the whole occasion. The programmes sold out a clear half hour before kick off, and the queues for the food were huge, perhaps due to the lunch-time kick off. This was the only game of the day where a team sheet was not available, and the line-ups were posted by the changing rooms only a minute or two before the match started. That said, the club rescued the situation by taking down names and addresses to send on the reprinted programme.

The feeling of surprise also affected the team, it appeared. The visitors are struggling, second from bottom of the league and are set to fold due to Police cut-backs at the end of the season. However it didn’t stop Bernardo Alves firing them into a shock lead after 9 minutes. That lead lasted long enough for the crowd to wonder whether were about to witness one of the great rearguard actions of a groundhop game, as bodies were thrown in front of shots as Basford piled forward.

It couldn’t last and didn’t. Martin Holt equalised, and after half time Basford simply pulled away and ended up easy winners. Aaron Horton collected a well-taken brace, and Courtney Hastings rounded thing off nicely for the home team. That, I felt was a little rough on the visitors who didn’t look a bad side, and how can you find inspiration when you have no future?

Still, it was a markedly better game than the previous one, and it was fun being interviewed by the Norwegian TV2 crew who were covering the Bonanza.

I’d like to thank Chris Powell for his photo.

Real Football

18 Sunday Mar 2012

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18th March 2012 ko 10.10am

Central Midlands League South Division

CLIFTON 3 (Atkins 52 C Anderson 61 Richardson 90)

REAL UNITED 0

Att 267

Entry & Programme Hop Ticket

Badge £3

Team sheet 20p

This was the 9th, and sadly the last Central Midlands League Bonanza, where games are staggered so as to attract the groundhoppers. It’s hop that I was involved in for a short time until GroundhopUK and the League mutually agreed that the League would take over the running of the hop wholly themselves. The face of the CMFL, of course is Rob Hornby, one of life’s unsung heroes who works both tirelessly and with a huge smile for grassroots football despite serious ill health. Rob’s retired from the CMFL committee but continues to run the Bonanza, and will shift the hop to the Notts Senior League for next season. We at GroundhopUK were pleased to donate a stuffed carrier bag of programmes for Rob and wife Hazel’s charity programme stall and attend a hop where all we had to do was watch the game. Mind, you it didn’t stop me being stopped regularly to be asked whether I’d done the crowd count!

I wonder how many people who seeing Clifton would immediately think Bristol. In fact this Clifton is in Nottingham.  The Clifton family trace their lineage back to Alvaredus de Clifton, a Norman knight who was appointed Warden of Nottingham Castle in the time of William the Conquerer, and who took his name from this Nottinghamshire village, now a city suburb, in which he settled. Sir Gervase de Clifton purchased the manors of Clifton and Wilford from the de Rodes family in the late 13th century, and held Clifton Manor until the 1950’s.

Clifton is also a well known area in Nottingham for sporting talent, with Olympic Ice Skater Jayne Torvill growing up here, as did former Boxing Champion brothers Tony and Kirkland Laing. Jermaine Pennant, Jermaine Jenas, and Darren Huckerby all played as youngsters for Clifton (Formerly Clifton All Whites).

The Norman Archer Memorial ground is more than adequate for the club’s needs, playing 7 promotions from the football league. There’s a small stand, with no seats, plus hard standing. I can imagine the place being fairly bleak when its cold and windy. Not a problem on a warm day like this, the programme sold out, and club officials were kept busy printing out teamsheets for the throng. There also seemed to be a roaring trade in bacon rolls!

The opposition were even more intriguing. Real (pronounced the Spanish way-“Ray-Ahl”) play at the nearby Gresham Sports Centre, but started life in 1998 as a means of reducing drug use and associated crime in the area.

With the CMFL altering its constitution from a top and second division to North and South divisions I was interested to see how the standard would have fitted in the old set up.  The visitors pronunciation of Real was unfortunate as this game was real football, in the English language sense, two amateur sides slugging in out in what was at times more enthusiastic than skillful. The game needed a goal and a spectacle it was a little dull until Clifton opened the scoring, after that it was one way traffic.

It was a pleasure to catch-up with friends, especially those who couldn’t be on last week’s Welsh hop-up, and the promise of another 3 games kept me more than interested. That said it did seem strange for it to be midday and I still had 4 and a half hours of football to watch!