Tuesday 12th March 2024 ko 19:45

Hertfordshire Senior County League- Premier Division

EVERETT ROVERS 2 (Kerley 52 60)

BELSTONE 9 (Akinbulumo 3 Costin 23 Swain 26 Blunden 36 45 87 Marley Wilson-Braithwaite 39 Campbell 45 Bernhauser 79)

Att 48

Entry & Programme £3

These days I’m not used to being able to visit a new ground under lights on a work night and be able to drive there in less than an hour from Oxford. So how come Leggatt’s Playing Field sailed under my, and other groundhoppers’ radars?

Put simply, it wasn’t there! The club were formed in 1997 as youth team in the Bill Everett Community Centre in Watford, taking their name from the former chairman of Watford FC and mayor of the town. The club are certainly going places, the ground has been developed from scratch in double-quick time. These days there’s multiple pitches, and a mighty impressive clubhouse too.

The 3G cage that serves as the show pitch might not be particularly popular amongst traditionalist groundhoppers, but just imagine how many games get played it. And all it would take to make it Step 6 compliant would be to drop an “Arena” stand in. If you’ve been to Stanway Pegasus you’ll have seen the blueprint. This is Rovers’ first season in adult football, just imagine where they could be after ten?

It’s easy enough to find too. Just exit the M25 and follow the A41 into Watford. Dodd Road is on the left just beyond the Sainsburys/ Tim Hortons complex. Just park up and stroll over….

It was a convivial evening, even the rain held off! In fact, the only issue was, from an Everett perspective, was that Belstone took them to the cleaners. Don’t think though that the hosts are a bad side, more that Belstone are particularly good side and are chasing a championship. Everett will probably finish this season mid-table and hopefully will see that a springboard to better things.