Yearly Archives: 2013

Doubting Thomas

11 Thursday Apr 2013

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Saturday 6th April 2013 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

WYCOMBE WANDERERS 1 (Grant 19)

Att 6,777 (1,132 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (incl Oxford Mail)

In the morning I received an email from the club with renewal details for my season ticket. In truth I couldn’t work out whether it represented an increase or not, so convoluted were the discounts, and special offers. My suspicions were confirmed when I looked up the Oxford Mail website, who’d clearly employed a mathematician, and the increase is around 3%. That’s hardly surprising with the club posting a £1million loss, but the cynical bit is only giving the full discount for renewals before 17th May. At that point the decision would be based on this year’s team, management, and performance.

Many years ago I wasn’t popular with the nuns at catechism classes, as my hero was doubting Thomas. Even as a 13-year-old St Thomas’ refusal to believe Jesus Christ had risen from the dead,

“Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:24-29)

struck me as an entirely sensible attitude, much to Sister Marie-Anne’s consternation.

And that’s how I feel about my renewal, and that’s how a felt about this non-event of a local derby. Two sides with absolutely nothing to play for, save for individual careers, and on the Oxford side many look to be terminating at the Oxford end of the line. One piece of class won it, Joel Grant jinking past 2 challenges to fire home into the bottom corner. After that it was a dull as dishwater encounter that owed far too more to fear than expression.

The other side of that early renewal date is the trust that new, better players will be signed to replace much of the dross that clutters up the back of my programme. I don’t trust manager Chris Wilder to bring in the correct calibre of player, and I don’t believe that any manager chairman Ian Lenagan chooses will have the funds to put together a competitive side with the losses that the club are racking up.

The clarion call will be to speculate to accumulate, and there are enough clubs entering administration to show the folly of that thinking. These are tough times, and tough decisions need to be made.

 

An everyday story of country folk

10 Wednesday Apr 2013

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Tuesday 2nd April 2013 ko 18.00

Midland Combination Division Two

INKBERROW 0

HENLEY FOREST 1 (Fitter 38)

Att 12

Entry FREE

Programme NO

With Silly Season kick offs this early I wonder how on earth amateur players manage to reach the ground on time. From Banbury I only just made kick off on time, and I didn’t have to change or warm-up.

The Worcestershire village of Inkberrow is one of those pretty-as-a-picture places that you’d enjoy a drink at the local pub, and take a picture at the church, but then move on to the next place on your itinery. However it does have one massive claim to fame.

The world’s longest running soap opera is Radio 4’s The Archers, and the fictional village of Ambridge and its pub, The Bull, is based on Inkberrow and it’s pub The Old Bull. The series started on May 29, 1950, and since January 1, 1951, five 15-minute episodes (since 1998, six 12½-minute episodes) have been transmitted each week, at first on the BBC Light Programme and now Radio 4. The actor Norman Painting played Phil Archer continuously from the first trial series in 1950 until his death on 29 October 2009. He holds the title of longest-serving actor in a single soap opera in the Guinness Book of Records. The series is now over 15,000 episodes old!

Since my previous visit to Sands Road, the club has moved pitches, over the hedge on to what was a farmer’s field. Football Foundation money has seen that field levelled and drained, and the result is two excellent pitches. The trouble was that those pitches are on top of a hill. The views are spectacular, but the wind ruined the game, and watching anything is difficult when you’re uncomfortable! Some spectators commandeered an upturned dugout for shelter!

One goal settled it, Ed Fitter, finishing well after a good move from the right. Inkberrow continue to be a notably friendly, go-ahead club running a number of teams where the population base would suggest one would struggle. When you go, do pay a visit to the Old Bull, but check how windy it is first!

 

 

Sweet Tooth

10 Wednesday Apr 2013

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Monday 1st April 2013 ko 18.15

Bedfordshire League Premier Division

BEDFORD HATTERS 2 (Grant 7 Simons 66)

CALDECOTE 3 (Boyd 6 45 70)

Att 30

80 minute game

Entry FREE

Programme NO

In groundhopping terms the last few weeks of the football season, when the clocks have gone forward are referred to as “Silly Season.” Its when there are a multiplicity of evening fixtures at clubs without floodlights, as the evenings are just about light enough to fit a game in providing the participants aren’t too fussy about fripperies such as 15 minute half time breaks!

It was a quirk that the Bedfordshire League was the only league to hold its Bank Holiday programme in the evening. The reason apparently was to attract hoppers, itself odd as the league has a groundhop each October to do precisely that! It takes all sorts I suppose!

The Meltis Sports and Social Club is tucked away in suburban Bedford, so with the both Bedford Town and Bedford FC playing out-of-town towards Sandy, it became my first game within town boundaries. Meltis were the manufacturer of Newberry Fruits, a fruit jelly sweet manufactured at a factory in Bedford. The firm were bust in 1996 and the name was bought by Hostas, and production was moved to Germany. Meltis Albion also play in the Bedfordshire League and use Pitch 1, nearest the clubhouse.

The use of Pitch 2 meant one thing to me, it was too darned cold and windy! Amongst the hoppers there, the number of grounds visited ran into the thousands, but not even the combined experience of all those miles could find a way of escaping the wind. That was a real shame, as the game was worthy of being remembered for reasons other than the cold.

The difference between the two sides was Caldecote’s Jack Boyd, who’s hat trick was a justified reward for a man-of-the-match performance. The Hatters worked hard, and managed to equalise twice through Ryan Grant and Jason Simons, but never looked liked getting more than a point. To be honest though, at the end of it all I was glad to get back to the car and put the heater on!

Prime Rib

08 Monday Apr 2013

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Monday 1st April 2013 ko 15.00

Hertfordshire County Senior League Division One

BUNTINGFORD TOWN 1 (Gilbert 58)

ASLAN 2 (Carvalho 64 Florence 85)

Att 28

Entry & Programme FREE

The town of Buntingford sits on both the River Rib, and on the Roman Ermine Street. It has a large number of Georgian and mediaeval buildings and was a stop-over on what was the main route between London and Cambridge, now the A10,

Buntingford was home to supermarket chain Sainsbury’s Anglia Distribution Centre, however this is now vacant and awaiting lease. The site was previously used as a Royal Army Ordnance Corps munitions factory, known locally as “The Dump.”

The Bury Sports Field lies adjacent to it, at the outskirts of town. And what a wonderful place to watch a game it is. The topography helps, the clubhouse is raised well above pitch level, and the balcony is easily the best place to view the action.

The opposition intrigued me, I overheard their officials speaking a language I didn’t understand, so I asked. It transpires they’re a Turkish Cypriot club, Aslan is Turkish for Lion, and they’re based in Enfield. A quick chat with referee Chris Flack revealed an expectation for a tough assignment, but he was easily up to the job, no cards and the game flowed.

The game was eminently watchable, on a cold afternoon when the balcony was welcome, providing shelter from the wind. Fellow hopper Chris Garner was celebrating a minor milestone, ground number 321, so the Ted Rogers gag was marked, a picture with a “Dusty Bin.”

With Aslan second, but with multiple games in hand an away win looked likely, and did come to pass, but it look a fright to get them motivated. Louis Gilbert lobbing Kemal Osyasa opening the scoring for the hosts. It was only then that Aslan made their territorial advantage count with a goal that Tijan Carvalho scrambled over the line with a sensitive part of his anatomy! The winner showed all present why they may well win the title as a flicked back-heel was latched on to by substitute Daniel Florence who hit the ball first time into the top corner.

 

XXX action

07 Sunday Apr 2013

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Sunday 31st March 2013 ko 13.00

Oxfordshire Football Association Sam Waters Sunday Cup Final

OXFORD SPORTS & SOCIAL 2 (McGlynn 45 McMahon 48)

KIDLINGTON ROYALS 3 (Curtin 8 66 Odhiambo 78)

Att c300

Entry & Programme £2

At Court Place Farm Stadium (Oxford City FC)

To be honest, I didn’t really fancy watching any football. I know regular readers of these articles will find that hard to believe, but 8 games in just over 2 days is hard going! In fact my reason for going was straightforward, Kidlington Royals asked me! In the days leading up to the game Royals came up with a novel way of advertising the game and its one I don’t think I’ll see again! They used Twitter to get British Continue reading →

Breweriana

07 Sunday Apr 2013

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Saturday 30th March 2013 ko 19.30

Northern Counties East Premier Division

TADCASTER ALBION 5 (Taylor 39 65 Rice 78 Winn 84og Youldon 88) Jeff missed penalty 2, Ward sent off (violent conduct) 61

BARTON TOWN OLD BOYS 1 (Dexter 20)

Att 288

Entry £5

Programme £1

The North Yorkshire town of Tadcaster was founded by the Romans, who named it Calcaria from the Latin word for lime, reflecting the importance of the area’s limestone geology as a natural resource for quarrying, an industry which continues today and has contributed to many notable buildings including York Minster. The limestone affects the chemistry of the water, which has given rise to the brewing industry here, as the water is similar to that at Burton-on-Trent, another centre of the brewing trade.

There are three breweries here, John Smith’s, Sam Smith’s and Continue reading →

Peredurus

07 Sunday Apr 2013

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Saturday 30th March 2013 ko 15.30

Northern Counties East Premier Division

PICKERING TOWN 3 (Shepherd 30 Heads 41 Taylor 82)

WORKSOP PARRAMORE 0

Att 302

Entry £5

Programme £1.50

As we headed north from Bridlington the scene gradually changed. We’d already moved from industrial Wakefield to tripperish Bridlington, but now we moved into the North Yorkshire Moors and the pretty market town of Pickering.

According to legend the town gets its name from King Peredurus around 270BC. It states that the King lost his ring and accused a young maiden of stealing it. Later that day the ring was found in a pike caught that day in the River Costa for his dinner. The king was so happy to find his ring he married the young maiden. The name Pike-ring became corrupted over the years to the present name. Continue reading →

The Hair of the Widow

05 Friday Apr 2013

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Saturday 30th March 2013 ko 11.30

Northern Counties East League Premier Division

BRIDLINGTON TOWN 3 (Phillips 20 Cook 35 Greening 56) Fleming sent off 82 (2nd booking)

SCARBOROUGH ATHLETIC 3 (Miller 19 Beadle 45 Blott 48)

Attendance 1,569

Entry £6

Programme £1.50

What better way to spend a Saturday morning than a trip to the seaside? Winding our way from Wakefield, near Driffield, and Wetwang, the weather was bright and sunny, completely removed from the freezing conditions of the previous day. Bridlington is a seaside resort and minor fishing port on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea. It is an area which is said to have the highest coastal erosion rate in Europe, and the fine sand is kept in place by thick groynes, which I remember clambering over as a small child during a summer holiday here.

I had a little trepidation over this fixture. Queensgate is a wonderful place to watch a game, full of the quirks I love in a ground, but the opposition would give the tie a completely different Continue reading →

Football on High

04 Thursday Apr 2013

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Friday 25th March 2013 ko 19.45

Northern Counties League Division One

ATHERSLEY RECREATION 8 (Bennett 15 45 80 85 Harban 40p Thornton 70 Bentley 72 86)

ASKERN VILLA 1 (Brown 45)

Att 507

Entry £5

Programme £1.50

On the face of it, Athersley is a fairly unremarkable estate in the northern suburbs of Barnsley. Sheerian Park is easy to miss too, tucked away as it is between the houses. Even the welcome sign is attached to a house, and I suspect that if I’d have turned up on a typical Saturday afternoon I’d have written the place off as a Continue reading →

To the Moon and back

03 Wednesday Apr 2013

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Friday 29th March 2013 ko 16.30

Northern Counties East League Division One

HEMSWORTH MINERS WELFARE 0

KNARESBOROUGH TOWN 4 (Bromley 11p 17p Freeston 21 34)

Att 415

Entry £5

Programme £1

If ever a town suffered from the demise of the coal mines it was Hemsworth. Together with other one industry towns such as South Elmsall the levels of unemployment seen here topped 50% in the late 1980’s and despite repeated government interventions the town has never quite recovered. The Hemsworth constituency is famous for being the place where Labour votes were said to be “weighed rather than counted” during the 1960s and 1970s, but even the local Labour vote isn’t quite as strong is it was in the past. In fact the one place that seemed entirely immune from the malaise was Continue reading →