Saturday 1st July 2023 ko 14:00

Pre-Season Friendly

MONTPELIER VILLA 2 (Sabino 42 Santos 70)

AFC UCKFIELD TOWN 0

Att 22 at University of Sussex, Falmer

Free Entry

If the trip to Neath was an example of using a friendly to tick off a ground unavailable during the regular season, this was using a friendly to visit a club’s former ground. Montpelier Villa these days are based at Lancing FC’s Culver Road, to fulfil ground grading but prior to elevation into the Southern Combination Division One in 2021 were based at the University of Sussex in Falmer.

I’d missed out, and there was an OCD- based annoyance, the entrance to the university is opposite Brighton & Hove Albion’s Amex Stadium on the A23 and I’m sure you can imagine how many times I passed by on my way to other Southern Combination grounds, glanced one way at the big stadium, and then glanced the other and wanted the see a game there too, if nothing else due to symmetry.

The oddity of the ground, is that once you’re off the main road and onto the campus you do feel as though you’re in a different world. There’s no hint that there’s a Premier League stadium a few hundred yards away, although I bet that isn’t the case on a Seagulls’ match day! In fact, the backdrop beyond the cage is agricultural, I did like the sand-coloured wheat in one corner.

The ground will remind those who’ve done both of them of Rockleaze Rangers’ Hillside Gardens, both are university-owned after all. I only had one issue with the place, and it was completely self-inflicted. The previous evening I’d spent in Hyde Park watching The Darkness, The Pretenders and Guns N’ Roses at a gig that involved 10 hours without seats. Yes, I could have done with a seat or two here, but let’s not grumble about that, the lack of seats is in part why they’re at Lancing, and I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for. I propped myself up with a ruefully, if not entirely pain-free smile.

I’m sure Montpelier would admit that last season was tough, and in the end they were relieved to retain their Division One status. That means a lot in Sussex, Division One is Senior football, while Division Two is Intermediate. Compare that to my home Oxfordshire where somewhere as basic as Brill United can host what is technically Senior football.

But the great quirk of Montpelier Villa is that they’ve got two Brazilian former professionals turning out of them. Mayckol Sabino has played all over the world, including in Hong Kong and Macau, while Ramon Santos’ CV is equally extensive, and it was those two that ran the game for the hosts, scoring both goals.

It was both an entertaining and satisfying afternoon’s entertainment, I shuffled back to the car smiling; what more recommendation do you need?