Monthly Archives: November 2021

The Mousetrap

26 Friday Nov 2021

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Saturday 13th November 2021 ko 14:00

Berks & Bucks Intermediate “Charles Twelftrees” Trophy 1st Round

CHOLSEY UNITED 1 (Spruyt 40)

READING YMCA 1 (Adams 22)

No extra time, YMCA won 3-2 on penalties

Att c30

Free Entry

Its funny how things work out. I knew in the morning I was going to be at the GP’s having a jab and that conveniently ended up being a vaccine in either arm. So I had no intention of travelling far, and as if by serendipity I received a message from Rob Tyler inviting me to watch Cholsey. We go back longer than either of us would like to remember, veterans of club coach travel to Oxford United away games during the start of our slide down the leagues. It means we both completed a fair chunk of the 92 without really trying but these days he’s on committee at North Berkshire League outfit Cholsey United. Continue reading →

Family

25 Thursday Nov 2021

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Tuesday 9th November 2021 ko 19:45

Somerset Premier Cup 2nd Round

BATH CITY 3 (Fletcher 8 Cooke 37 Smith 74)

PORTISHEAD TOWN 0

Att 476

Entry £8

Programme 50p

From a groundhopping perspective this didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I’ve been to Twerton Park on a number of occasions, to the point that I’ve seen Bath City, Bristol Rovers and even Team Bath all play home games here. And as lovely is the place is, and you can double that for a game under lights, why on earth would Robyn and I engage in a mad dash after work from Oxford to see this game? The answer is family.  Continue reading →

The Rock

24 Wednesday Nov 2021

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Saturday 6th November 2021 ko 14:30

East Cornwall Premier League

ROCHE AFC 3 (Rowe 2 20 Robinson 88)

PLYMOUTH MARJON 2NDS 0

Att c15

Entry £2

In my mind it was time to head off the beaten track again. There is a strong element amongst groundhoppers to be target driven- finish a division, league or even a level of non league. I’m target driven in my professional life so when groundhopping the only real rule for me is to go where the mood takes me. And on this occasion I fancied another trip to Cornish China Clay Country.

Continue reading →

Maverick

22 Monday Nov 2021

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Tuesday 2nd November 2021 ko 19.45

Sussex R.U.R. Cup 2nd Round

WORTHING UNITED 0

SELSEY 4 (Burns 6 North 17 O Clarke 65 J Clarke 90)

Att 35

Entry £6

Groundhopping does bring up some quirks and Worthing United for me was one of them. I’ve visited all but a handful of the Southern Combination’s grounds across the league’s 3 divisions, but somehow never watched Worthing United home or away, even to the point of visiting the “other” teams in the town Worthing FC and Worthing Town (Leisure) in the past. I suspect part of the reason was that an evening trip to Worthing is on the limits of where I can get to after work, and yes England’s motorways do need to co-operate which for once they did! Continue reading →

Showcase

18 Thursday Nov 2021

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Friday 29th October 2021 ko 19:30

East Berkshire League-Premier Division

BRITWELL 2 (Malloy 48 Comber-Christian 90)

Malloy sent off  83 (2nd booking)

IVER HEATH 2 (Durrant 21 McAspurn 65)

Att 145 (85 paying) at the Gore, Burnham (Burnham FC)

Entry £3

Programme £1

I’d paid my three quid and was admiring The Gore’s new 3G pitch when a groundhopper approached me and laughed. “I live a mile from here, what’s your excuse?” he half asked/ half joked. He hit the nail on the head without really meaning to, why was I there? 

Continue reading →

That’s Entertainment

15 Monday Nov 2021

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Tuesday 26th October 2021 ko 19.30

Combined Counties League Cup 1st Round

SHEERWATER 0

SANDHURST TOWN 0

No extra time, Sandhurst won 4-3 on penalties

Att 85

Entry £7

Programme £1.50

If Woodbridge Town was about a club in danger of losing their ground, then this was what hopefully and in time what the Eastern Counties League outfit can aspire to. I’ve always had a soft spot for Sheerwater, the district of Woking where all three members of the Jam are from, and in fact they met at Sheerwater Secondary School, a mere 100 yards to the right of Sheerwater’s new ground. But I digress…. Continue reading →

No Rose Garden

12 Friday Nov 2021

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Saturday 23rd October 2021 ko 15:00

Eastern Counties League- Premier Division

WOODBRIDGE TOWN 1 (Sinclair 29)

MULBARTON WANDERERS 2 (Henerley 64p Thompson 78)

Att 134

Entry £8

Programme £1

Badge £3.50

I’m sure my regular reader has spotted a trend here. The modus operandi is to leave Oxford, pick Chris Garner up in Wavendon, then visit an Eastern Counties League game. We’ve been doing it a while now, and its been handy that the league has expanded to three divisions and there’s been a fair turnover of both clubs and grounds in the league in the last few years. And so when Robyn, Chris and I planned this trip to Notcutts Park, I had absolutely no reason to think this would be anymore than another enjoyable tick in this league.  Continue reading →

The Groundshare

10 Wednesday Nov 2021

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Friday 22nd October 2021 ko 19.45

FA Vase 1st Round

SOUTHALL 3 (O’Connor 9 46 Anibaba 80og)

ERITH & BELVEDERE 0

Att 136 at Ashford Town (Middx)

Entry £8

Programme £2.50

Over the years I’ve developed a mistrust of hard-and-fast rules. In groundhopping terms you don’t bother watching groundsharers preferring to tick off the ground for the primary tenant or owner. But what happens when you’ve already ticked off the ground (Ashford Town 1 Hitchin Town 4 24/1/2006)? Or do you just take the view that its a game of football, it’s dead easy to get to, and why not? Continue reading →

Passing By

08 Monday Nov 2021

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Saturday 16th October 2021 ko 14:00

Bristol Premier Combination Division 1

D.R.G. S.V. FRENCHAY 8 (Hyslop 4p 35 Sterling 31 Van-Meir 33 Hudson 65 Holden 67 Day 69 May 83og)

MENDIP BROADWALK RESERVES 0

Att c25

Free Entry

For me half the fun of travel is the sometimes unique set of circumstances that lead you somewhere. It was leaving day after Robyn and I’s week in Penzance and such are the realities of Covid cleaning protocols, we had to be out by 9am. Normally we’d have looked for something Cornish to watch but in addition we needed to be back in Oxford for roughly 7pm. What it all added up to was us visiting a club I’d wanted to visit for 6 years, but never thought I’d visit this way. Continue reading →

Dimensions

05 Friday Nov 2021

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Tuesday 12th October 2021 ko 19.30

South West Peninsula League- Premier East

HOLSWORTHY AFC 1 (Penberthy 24p)

Carter sent off 72 (Serious Foul Play)

CULLOMPTON RANGERS 2 (Wilkinson 3 Hawkings 81)

Att 82

Entry £5 

Programme (hybrid) included

Badge £4

With Robyn and I enjoying a week’s rest and relaxation in Penzance the idea never was to watch game after game while we were there. I know some find it hard to believe that there is more to our lives than football, but a planned trips to the Minack Theatre, and the Isles of Scilly left us one gap for a match on the Tuesday should we decide to take the plunge. It soon became clear that there was an issue with that idea. Continue reading →