Yearly Archives: 2013

Man on the edge

13 Friday Dec 2013

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Wednesday 11th December 2013 ko 19.45

Isthmian League Division One North

WALTHAM FOREST 0 Menga sent off (2nd booking) 65

NEEDHAM MARKET 4 (Townrow 35 Crisp 81 Izzet 83 Mills 90)

Att 55

Entry £8

Programme £2

Team Sheet FREE

I used to live in North-East London, although I seldom headed to this part of the world, just a short-lived job checking bus tickets for an LRT survey on a route from Walthamstow Central to Ilford Bus Station. The job required catching specific buses at specific times which meant a lot of waiting around. In fact I managed to get thrown out of McDonalds for taking just that little bit too long over a cup of coffee!

The area is notable for being the birthplace of William Morris one of the founders of the British Arts and Crafts Movement. Other notable people born in the borough include David Beckham, actor Derek Jacobi, former England cricket captain Graham Gooch, and film director Alfred Hitchcock. The heavy metal band Iron Maiden was formed in Leyton. Continue reading →

Crux Roesia

13 Friday Dec 2013

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Tuesday 10th December 2013 ko 19.45

Southern League Division One Central

ROYSTON TOWN 0

KETTERING TOWN 0

Att 234

Entry £8

Programme £2

Badge £2.50

Sometimes its obvious you’re driving to somewhere ancient. The A505 north from the A1 is more or less dead straight, as it follows the Roman road, Icknield Way. When the road intersects with Ermine Street, now the A10, you’re in Royston. The crossing of the two old roads was marked by Roisia’s cross, which eventually was corrupted into Roisia’s Town, then Royston. Sadly all that remains of the cross is the footstone. Continue reading →

English First Sight

08 Sunday Dec 2013

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Saturday 7th December 2013 ko 13.30

John Fathers Oxfordshire Junior Shield 3rd Round

BRIZE NORTON 3 (Lachwicz 5 Bronk 29 Rowe 36) Rowe sent off 45 (violent conduct)

ASHTON VILLA 5 (Furtuna 70 Jukic 70 Benjamin 83 85 90) Green sent off 45 (violent conduct)

Att 11 (and 6 ponies)

Entry FREE

Raffle £1

No Programme

For the most part, airports disappoint me. Most of my encounters with them involve waiting and queuing in a place that could be almost anywhere. I remember landing at what was then called Jan Smuts airport in Cape Town, a vision of metal, glass and air conditioning, then stepping outside and experiencing the heat, flies and squalor of the squatter camp outside the perimeter fence. It is a strange way to welcome a visitor.

Continue reading →

The Old, The New, & Hugh

01 Sunday Dec 2013

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Saturday 30th November 2013 ko 14.15

South West Peninsula League Division One East

AXMINSTER TOWN 0 Downs sent off 65 (violent conduct)

STOKE GABRIEL 4 (Stevens 45 Fisher 56 Critchlow 60 Worthington 80)

Att 42

Entry & Programme £3

It’s impossible not to think of carpets when you consider the Devon town of Axminster. Not that you’re in Devon by much, you’re in that part of England where you can be in Devon, Somerset or Dorset within a short drive. The town has been a centre for carpet production since 1755 when weaver Thomas Whitty saw a Turkish carpet in Cheapside, London, and to worked out how to produce a product of similar quality. Within a few years his carpets covered the floors in places such as the Brighton Pavilion, Chatsworth, Warwick Castle, and a little ironically Defterdar Palace, home of the Sultan of Turkey!

Continue reading →

The price of a tank

29 Friday Nov 2013

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Wednesday 27th November 2013 ko 19.45

East Midlands Counties League Cup 2nd Round

GREENWOOD MEADOWS 2 (Spencer 45 91)

BORROWASH VICTORIA 3 (Thompson 90 105 Finlay 100p)

Att 31

Entry & Programme £5

Tea 70p

Pie & Chips £1.50 (what no peas?)

If I kept detailed records of where I’ve visited, Nottingham’s Lenton Lane would loom large. Its not the prettiest place in the world, a narrow road a sharp left from the Clifton flyover, with a hotel owned by former Hi-de-hi actress Su Pollard at one end, but to the groundhopper you find yourself returning time after time. Continue reading →

It’s All About You

29 Friday Nov 2013

Posted by in O

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Tuesday 24th November 2013 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

NEWPORT COUNTY 0

Att 5,042 (437 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (including Oxford Mail)

Every football fan should have a small corner for Newport County AFC. Not so much for the Newport County, who sank out of the Football League in 1988, and were bankrupt with debts of £330,000 less than a season later, but for the trials and tribulations that befell the reformed club, Newport AFC, that started life in June 1989.

From the outset the aim was always to regain their Football League status, but the new club found a major obstacles in their path.  They played one season in the Gloucestershire village of Moreton-in-Marsh http://wp.me/p1PehW-qP, due to a dispute over the old club’s unpaid rent at Somerton Park before returning to their old ground. Continue reading →

Shelled

24 Sunday Nov 2013

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Saturday 23rd November 2013 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 3 (Constable 15 Rigg 24 Williams 31)

MORECAMBE 0

Att 4,871 (92 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail)

For the first time this season you could feel the chill wind at Grenoble Road. Obviously the weather was the major quotient, but a sparse crowd, and poor home form were factors. In fact, with a growing injury list too it was easy to forget that Oxford United were and are top of League 2. Nothing I saw from 3pm onwards made me think that statistic was likely to change. Continue reading →

Looking After Number One

20 Wednesday Nov 2013

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Saturday 16th November 2013 ko 17.30

Conference Premier

BARNET 2 (Villa 38 Weston 45)

CAMBRIDGE UNITED 2 (Appiah 29 32)

Att 2,853 (Ground Record)

Entry £21

Programme £3

Tea £1.50

Pie £3

I like Barnet, I always did, right the way back in the early 90’s when, as a student I used to catch the Northern Line to its terminus at High Barnet, then counter-intuitively walk down to Underhill.

The place reminded me of my club Oxford United’s spiritual home, The Manor, with the sloping pitch, and the hotpotch of stands and bits of terrace. It was magical, but unsuitable for the rigours of League football so a move was inevitable, however painful. I paid my my farewells last season, but the move has not been without controversy, Continue reading →

Memo From Turner

18 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by in B, Uncategorized

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Saturday 16th November 2013 ko 13.30

Hertfordshire Senior Centenary Trophy 2nd Round

BELSTONE 3 (D Turner 64 90 N Turner 87)

BUSHEY SPORTS CLUB 2 (Shorto 14 Roche 33) Archer sent off (serious foul play) 36)

Att 60

Entry FREE

Programme £1

Just occasionally televised football does improve attendances! With Barnet FC at their new ground, The Hive for this season, and the game kicking off late at 5.30pm for television, any club local to North London was likely to see an influx of groundhoppers. We were indebted to well-respected hopper Stephen Jackson who liaised with the club so they were prepared for the larger-than-normal attendance. I hope the club had a decent pay-out for their efforts.

The main issue was actually working out where Belstone actually is! Continue reading →

Five Stops From Home

17 Sunday Nov 2013

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Sunday 10th November 2013

NB-I

FERENCVÁROS 0

SZOMBATHELYI HALADÁS 3 (Halmosi 9 64 Ugra 22)

Att 6,756

Entry 2,700 HUF (approximately £7.58)

Programme FREE

It was abundantly clear on our first full day, the Friday that Fradi are the biggest club in Hungary by some distance. We’d researched the ticketing situation before flying out and discovered that to buy a ticket you need to have a fancard first. That’s easy enough to do, either apply via the club’s website or fill out a form at the club offices at the Stadion Albert Florian, at Népliget station. Its free and you simply pick up the card when you arrive.

So Andy and I presented ourselves at Ferencváros’ offices before heading out to Honvéd and our cards would have been ready but for one small problem- my photo. I’d uploaded the only current picture I had of myself, taken at the “Big Pit,” and apparently wearing a miner’s helmet is not allowed. Continue reading →