Saturday 25th January 2025 ko 14:00

Witney & District League Premier Division

ASTON 1 (Cuss 19)

Collins sent off (serious foul play) 72

BAMPTON UNITED 3 (J Fleming 53og Colville 58 M Norridge 90)

Att 8

Free Entry

Sometimes your plans have to adapt. My car was being serviced but it took longer than expected, so I had to pick somewhere a lot closer to where I was in Eastern Oxfordshire. Stood in a cold garage I manipulated Fulltime. I knew there was nothing new for me in either the North Berkshire League or the Oxon Senior League but there were a couple in the Witney & District League that represented a new tick for me. But here’s the thing; in over 3,800 games watched I then did something new. I made my choice based on who the referee was!

It was Tim Siret, and anyone who’s played, watched, or been involved in football in my part of the world will have met him. He’s run the Upper Thames Valley Sunday League and refereed all over the place, including my final ever game as a player, where he was kind enough not to send me off!

For the avoidance of any doubt, this is the Aston that’s close to Standlake (of stock car racing fame) and is about 4 miles south of Witney. There’s the Gothic Revival Parish Church of St James and if china is your thing Aston Pottery is situated just along and opposite the football groundin Cote Road.

We were due to visit Aston FC on the Witney Hop in 2021. The idea was to visit them on Saturday morning, but the the Community Trust (who own the ground) kyboshed the idea saying they didn’t like idea of a large crowd descending on the village. We ended up going to Cassington instead, and I was left feeling desperately sorry for Aston FC, and wondering whether Arsenal ever had this problem? You can’t really do much when you’re not allowed to bring a crowd, can you?

This Aston is also close to Bampton so I’d also picked a tasty local derby. No quarter was asked or given, and the game saw a little of everything. Aston took the lead through Cairo Cuss’s quick thinking, but lost keeper Tomosz Mazur to injury, but the second half saw a real reversal in fortunes. Mark Norridge’s free kick was nodded into his own net by James Fleming for Bampton’s equalizer, before Luca Colville headed home from a corner to give the visitors the lead.

Charlie Collins saw red for a challenge that was both out-of-control and off the ground, which probably ended Aston’s chances that day, but Norridge made absolutely certain in the final minute. It was cold, and afterwards I was glad a Costa has opened on the Ducklington roundabout. But it was also a lovely chance to reconnect with football at the grassroots. It’s good for the soul.

To all my friends at the Witney & District League