Tuesday 4th July 2017 ko 19.00

Preseason Friendly

LYNE F.C. 2 (Esperit 6 Holly 62)

COBHAM 3 (Ewam 37 Anderson 69 80) Davies missed penalty 12

Att c20

Entry FREE

It is the lot of the groundhopper that you look through the endless lists of fixtures, and  try to find something that interests, and you can get to. I’ll admit, I’d not heard of Lyne FC, I supposed they’d have to be in and around Surrey judging by Cobham being the opposition. I’m grateful to Lyne, they have both an excellent website and twitter feed, and it turned out there were no end of reasons to pay them a visit. 

Lyne won the Surrey County Intermediate (Western) League Division One last season. They’ll enter that league’s Premier Division for this season, and as per their 5 year plan, then they hope it’ll be the Surrey Elite Intermediate League then up into the division Cobham are in, the Step 6 Combined Counties League Division One.

Now there’s a lot of ifs and buts between here and there. Lyne have moved to the Jubilee High School and Leisure Centre in Addlestone for this season, and it was obvious why. The pitch, despite the rounders and athletics markings, is excellent, and there’s the added bonus of a cafe that the leisure centre were at pains to tell me will be open for all home games. Needless to say it wasn’t on this occasion.

The ground is perfect for what a club in Lyne’s position needs. This level isn’t about spectators, it’s about participants and while Lyne may find it reasonably straightforward to progress on the field, it’s at that point on the Rubicon where they’ll need to cross and start to consider floodlights, stands and so-on. You look at Jubilee School, so achingly educational that the school field even featured a lost scientific calculator! You smile and understand why a groundshare looks like a good move under these circumstances.

I suspect older hoppers will look at the name Addlestone and wonder whether this is on the site of the former Addlestone FC ground. The club folded in 1985 after they sold their Liberty Lane ground, and were unable to find another suitable home. You are close to the site, around 500 yards away, but no trace remains of the former Southern League club’s home.

But back to Lyne; if the Combined Counties is their aim, then this game will have given them great encouragement. Yes, I know you shouldn’t read much into friendlies, but there was much to suggest that if Lyne can keep this squad together then given time and a fair crack of the whip, then maybe, just maybe they’ll get there. Either way, Lyne are definitely one to watch!