Tuesday 18th September 2025 ko 19:45

Western League Division One

STURMINSTER NEWTON UNITED 5 (Lane-Leney 19 52 Bevis 20 57 Hall 54)

WELLS CITY 2 (Wright 13p Taylor 44)

Att 144

Entry £8

Programme £2

In so many ways a visit to Barnett’s Field left like tidying up loose ends. You may recall I’d visited this corner of Dorset to visit Sturminster Newton’s former home, the War Memorial Recreation Park 10 years ago. That was to see a game in the now sadly defunct Blackmore Vale Sunday League, and in the days when I was a fairly regular visitor here, that league never failed to provide me with interesting games to go and see.

Some I’m sure would point our that Stur Newton was visited on the 2005 Dorset Hop. That was organised by GroundhopUK so why wasn’t I there? Put simply it was before I involved, either as spectator or as organiser. As an aside, that 20 year gap does mean that if we were to return to hop the Western League then we would look to return to Barnett’s Field. I expect those who were there back when would see an almost entirely different ground.

It is a classic case of a club taking the opportunity given when they moved here in 1996 and capitalising on it. It is a fine, characterful ground, and one that can, perhaps will be developed further as the club progressses. Judging by the team I saw here that my well be sooner rather than later.

The great advantage of being a groundhopper is that you see plenty of games at parallel levels and this was as complete a performance as I’ve seen at Step 6 this season, albeit with the caveat that Wells were quicker off the blocks… But they were blown away in 5 minutes when it seemed to rain goals.

It may have been a beast of a drive home, in a borrowed car, but it was one where I had an excellent game and ground to reflect on.