Saturday 24th August 2024 ko 15:00

Gloucestershire County League

BROADWELL AMATEURS 1 (Locke 90+4p)

BROMLEY HEATH UNITED 0

Att 65

Entry & Programme £2.50

Being married to a Bristol girl you’d have thought I’d have finished the Gloucestershire County League years ago, and if they’d hadn’t turned down an approach from GroundhopUK around 20 years ago I’d have completed it well before Robyn and I had ever met. Perhaps it’s a sign of the strength of the league that they’re managed to remove the reserve sides (who kyboshed the groundhop plan) and keep up the refreshing of its membership over the years.

Simple geography is why the northern end, particularly the Forest of Dean, is a path less trodden for me. It really isn’t a case of drop Robyn off at her Mum’s and head here. That said I really do enjoy my irregular trips here, who could forget Milkwall or Tidenham? The part of the country that is west of the Severn but still manages to be in England does have more than its fair share of footballing gems; and here’s another!

Just to confuse things, there are two Broadwells in Gloucestershire, so to make it clear this is the village near to Coleford. The area and specifically the village have a long association with coal mining and the nearby museum of that industry is well worth a visit. The football ground at the Hawthorns dates from 1959, and if you are anything like me when you visit two things will stand out.

The first is that add a set of floodlights and the ground would be virtually good to go for the Hellenic League, and that just how perfectly turned out the place is. This is so obviously a labour of love for a lot of people- there’s barely a blade of grass out of place here. I really can’t recommend the place highly enough, just get here early, the car park does fill up!

Sadly the game couldn’t live up to the surroundings. Both sides slugged it out impotently with the defences well on top. It needed an error to decide it and sadly for Bromley Heath that happened both in the final minute of stoppage time, and in their box. Jordan Locke stroked home the penalty to win the tie for Broadwell when in truth the goal-less draw would have been a fairer result.