Tuesday 8th September 2015 ko 18.15

Cheltenham League Division One

R.S.G. 0

KINGS AFC 1 (Newgil 75)

Att 26

Entry FREE

No Programme

I’ll miss the early evening kick-offs without lights, although I’m fairly certain that the players won’t! It can’t be easy finishing work, then heading over to the ground, getting changed and warmed up, and be ready to kick-off at 6.15. But I’m grateful the players are, and once again the Cheltenham League gave me plenty to ponder.

I love hearing new hoppers discovering the leagues that are off other people’s radars. Its so easy these days to hit the internet and look up the obvious, the grounds that are enclosed, do a programme, and are well-known. Its easy, satisfaction is likely, but I get far more fulfillment in finding something that’s a little off-the-beaten-track.

Not that there’s much off-track about Springfields, in the middle of an estate on Cheltenham. It used to be a set of playing fields, but has been redesigned for use as a nature park, and general leisure facility. The football pitch is still there, and the landscaping gives the place a feel of being enclosed.

But the intrigue was the name of the home club. RSG stands for Roger, Steve and Gary, the directors of a building firm that sponsored the original under-12’s team. The sunset was beautiful, the company good, in fact the only problem was that the two teams cancelled each other out for the majority of the game.

Eventually the tie was settled by Rhys Newell’s delicious curling 18 yard effort. The players departed and the scene saw the slow retreat of the sky, moving away, sinking deeper and deeper into darkness.