Saturday 8th February 2025 ko 14:00

Somerset County League Division One

STOCKWOOD GREEN 2 (Templeman 21 Thomas 33)

ASHTON & BACKWELL UNITED 1 (Smart 90+3)

Att 32

Free Entry

You may recall the Stockwood treble, the triumvirate of Bristol Telephones, Stockwood Wanderers and Cutters Friday whose grounds lie in a triangle on Stockwood Lane in the southern suburbs of Bristol. But there is another Stockwood club, Stockwood Green so how do they fit into the scheme of things?

The answer is a little odd, and you could argue that the Stags and their ground form part of a quadruple! You’re not far from the Stockwood treble, just take the A37 Bristol Road south and carry on past Norton Lane. You’ll see the sign for Totterdown‘s ground, and the floodlights of Hengrove Athletic, but soon you’ll turn left into Hursley Lane and head towards the tiny village of Publow.

You’ll see a triangular ground on the left with just enough space for a pitch and a clubhouse, that’s Bristol Spartak. They played last season in the Bristol & Suburban League, but have sat out adult football for this season. Youth football is still being played, so hopefully a return to adult football is imminent.

More or less opposite Spartak is Stockwood Green FC’s home called quixotically “The Fish Bowl” after the Llysfaen-esque dip in the pitch. If you love football at the grassroots you’ll love this ground. The place is powered by a generator, enough to operate the changing rooms, the kettle and a TV but more than one heater? Well that was a little too much! But the simple pleasure of grabbing a tea and a mars bar and jotting down the line-ups should never be underestimated.

The club has a long association with the Somerset County League, but there is a connection to a club in Bristol that you certainly wouldn’t associate with Somerset. In 2006 Robinsons FC merged with Stockwood Green to form Stockwood Green Robinsons. The merger only lasted 2 seasons, but Robinsons were a firm based in Bedminster famous for inventing the branded paper shopping bag. E S & A Robinson the firm were taken over by John Dickenson Stationery (of Sellotape and Basildon Bond fame). The result was the Dickinson Robinson Group, DRG for short, and it’s that background that forms the prefix for DRG Frenchay who play adjacent to the M32, well and truly in Gloucestershire!

I was shocked and saddened to see Ashton & Backwell at this level. Many will remember them opening the 2017 Western Hop. They did a superb job on an event where we were all finding our feet after the loss of League Secretary Mark Edmonds. They resigned from the Western League in 2023 citing the costs of running a team at that level, and took their reserves’ place in the second tier of the Somerset League. Coming into this game they were second in the table with three promotion spots available for the Premier Division.

There was another friendly face to watch too. I’d seen referee Chris Ham a few times, but most notably on my first visit to Mendip Broadwalk back in 2017. He’s one of those referees, that has retained both a sense of humour but controls the game beautifully. You won’t see common sense officials like Chris much further up the footballing pyramid, the FA does tend to knock the personality out of the referees. You’d like an example?

“Ref, that’s not ten yards”,

“Yes, it is. It’s my ten yards!”

Long may Chris and referees like him exist. He, like the crowd watching, witnessed an excellent game, albeit one that that went contrary to the form book. I was advised Ashton & Backwell are a young side so are rather inconsistant and so it proved. It was odd to hear the visitors referred to as both Ashton, and Backwell. I’m not sure what influence Ashton Boys Club have these days, and the club are still based in Backwell. What’s in a name anyway?

It was one of those rare occasions when I’d have loved to have seen both sides win. I greatly enjoyed Stockwood Green’s company, but I have endless respect for the good folks at Ashton & Backwell for what they did for us at GroundhopUK in the past.

The best of luck to both clubs.