Monthly Archives: February 2016

Horizons

29 Monday Feb 2016

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Saturday 27th February 2016 ko 13.00

Scottish Junior FA, West Region Superleague Premier Division

AUCHINLECK TALBOT 2 (Hyslop 17 53)

KIRKINTILLOCH ROB ROY 0

Att c350

Entry £6

Programme £1.50

The day after this I paid a visit to the Scottish Football Museum, in the Main Stand at Hampden Park. It’s a fascinating place, well worth the £8 entry, but its coverage of the Juniors is disappointing. All there is a corner with a video on loop and the display explains the SJFA as being “Junior” in standard to the “Seniors” rather than in terms of age. I wondered if whoever put that display together had ever seen the likes of Auchinleck, or Kirkintilloch play? Continue reading →

Snowdrops

26 Friday Feb 2016

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Wednesday 24th February 2016 ko 19.45

Dorset Premier League

SHAFTESBURY TOWN 3 (Matheszki 6 17 Bevis 25)

MERLEY COBHAM SPORTS 0

Att 95

Entry £3

Shaftesbury is one of those towns that surprises you. You are so clearly in Wessex Country, the place has the all the feel of a Hardy agricultural town, and you are only just over the border from Wiltshire! In fact so agricultural is the feel, that the famous Hovis advert with the boy pushing his baker’s bike up the hill was filmed here, by Ridley Scott, on Gold Hill. The town’s Millenium project involved the planting of 60,000 snowdrop bulbs to provide a spectacular Snowdrop walk each year! Continue reading →

Steelmen

25 Thursday Feb 2016

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Tuesday 23rd February 2016 ko 19.30

Gwent County League Division 2

FC TREDEGAR 1 (Monk 35)

CLYDACH WASPS 1 (Williams 45)

Att 35 at Eugene Cross Park, Ebbw Vale

Entry FREE

No Programme

In Ebbw Vale there are 2 kings, one is steel, fired by the South Wales coal industry, and the other is Rugby Union. Oddly, both are represented in the town’s stadium, Eugene Cross Park, but this ground’s connection with Association Rules is a little more tenuous. Continue reading →

Privilege

25 Thursday Feb 2016

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Friday 19th February 2016 ko 19.45

Combined Counties League Division One

COBHAM 3 (Webster 15 France 25 West 68)

SOUTH PARK RESERVES 2 (Burgess 9 Campbell 54) Campbell sent off 85 (2nd booking)

Att c30

Entry & Programme £5

What is it about privileged areas and non-league football grounds? Just about every time you visit millionaires’ row almost invariably the local football team struggles for both money and support. You’re only about half a mile from Chelsea’s training ground here, and I did forget to check for stray air gun pellets… Continue reading →

Trouble Over Bridgwater

21 Sunday Feb 2016

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Wednesday February 2016 ko 20.00

Taunton & District Saturday League, Rowbarton Charity Knock Out Cup Quarter Final

WESTONZOYLAND 1 (J Millard 42p)

MORGANIANS 2 (White 35 Barnard 54)

Att 36 at Bridgewater Academy 3G

Entry FREE

No Programme

There are plenty of groundhoppers out there who wouldn’t be interested in a game like this. Some would say the level is too low, the Taunton League feeds the Somerset League which in turn feeds the Western League at Step 6. Others would hate the idea of a plastic pitch in a cage in a school’s grounds, but needless to say I take a slightly contrary view. Continue reading →

We Long Endure

21 Sunday Feb 2016

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Saturday 13th February 2016 ko 15.00

North West Counties League Premier Division

COLNE 0

SQUIRES GATE 0

Att 150

Entry £6

Programme £1

You climb to get to Colne, right out of Mancunian suburbs into the mill towns of Lancashire, many still sporting the factory chimneys immortalised by Milton. You’re in the cradle of the game here too, passing the likes of Blackburn, Bolton, and Accrington on the way. As a southerner even after visiting all of those grounds, the names still resonate.

Continue reading →

Brett

18 Thursday Feb 2016

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Friday 12th February 2016 ko 19.45

Eastern Counties Counties League Premier Division

HADLEIGH UNITED 1 (Clarke 78)

HAVERHILL ROVERS 1 (Weaver 30)

Att 85

Entry £7

Programme £1

Hadleigh is, well to put it bluntly, genteel. The Suffolk town sits aside the River Brett, and has an incredible 246 listed buildings! The Guardian’s architecture critic Jonathan Glancey lives here as does actor Patrick Newell and fashion designer Caryn Franklin. What is completely incomprehensible is that shock metal band Cradle of Filth were formed here, perhaps it was a reaction to the gentle pace of life! Continue reading →

Ynysangharad

15 Monday Feb 2016

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Wednesday 10th February 2016 ko 19.15

Welsh League Division 3

PONTYPRIDD TOWN 3 (Gullick 25p 61 90)

CAERLEON 0

Att c30

Entry £3

Programme £1

If you want to know where my love affair with Welsh non-league football football started, it was here. It was August 2005 I’d signed up for my first Welsh hop, and the Friday night game was at the (to English ears anyway) the almost unpronounceable Ynysangharad Park. Pontypridd beat the soon-to-fold Gwynfi United 4-0 but the evening wasn’t remembered for that. Continue reading →

Gunpowder

07 Sunday Feb 2016

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Saturday 6th February 2015 ko 14.00

Southern Combination Division Two

ALFOLD 1 (Hallett 90)

AFC ROFFEY CLUB 0

Att 19

Entry FREE

Programme £1

It did seem a little strange driving down the A3 to take in a game in what used to be called the Sussex County League, passing through Guildford then making for Horsham. You’ll always be in Surrey, and genteel wooded Surrey at that. You really should stop on the way in Bramley, the Kingfish Chip Shop provides an excellent lunch, and once you’ve worked out how to navigate the nearby road junction, you’ll arrive at Alfold’s Recreation Ground. Continue reading →

Refuge

07 Sunday Feb 2016

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Friday 5th February 2016 ko 19.45

Eastern Counties League Division One

HALSTEAD TOWN 2 (Cook 26 Pavett 55)

WIVENHOE TOWN 3 (Keating 3 Turner 18 Hampson 62)

Att 202

Entry £6

Programme SOLD OUT

Whilst the Eastern Counties League’s attempts at “Groundhopper Days” have not fared well, they’ve had considerable success with Friday evening football. This was the classic example of where it works best, two clubs near Colchester playing a local derby knowing there was another derby the next day, Colchester United travelling to Southend United. I got the distinct impression that plenty at Rosemary Lane had every intention of attending both games. Continue reading →