Monday 16th May 2022 ko 19:45

Spartan South Midlands League Division One Cup Final

SHEFFOLD TOWN & CAMPTON 1 (Renney 90+2)

STOTFOLD 0

ATT 147 at Manor Fields, Bletchley (MK Irish FC)

Entry & Programme £7

Over the years this blog has explored the where, the how, and the why of groundhopping. Here the where was somewhere I’ve visited several times before, the how the usual short drive, but the why was a first- it was all due to a musical!

I’d sat at home planning very little, but then my wife Robyn had been offered a spare ticket to watch “Les Miserables” in Milton Keynes that evening. She needed a lift there so I needed something to do during the show, and where better than Manor Fields? Quite honestly a groundhopper that needs to tick off every single club that’s played home games here would have a nightmare. The ones I can think of are are Milton Keynes Borough, Bletchley WIPAC, Bletchley Town, Buckingham Town, Unite MK, Milton Keynes Robins and Milton Keynes Irish Veterans- the final 3 all merging to form the current MK Irish team.

So half the fun of coming here is to see how the place has changed since my last visit- the Irish themed picnic area is a clever piece of thinking. In fact the only disappointment was the game itself. Single division cup competitions are usually of low priority to the participant clubs, and the long season weighed heavily on both sides.

There was no lack of effort, just lack of inspiration before substitute Jake Renney managed to sneak behind a tired Stotfold defence to win the game for Shefford Town & Campton. I can’t say that either side deserved to win, but it was good to avoid penalties!