Author Archives: laurencereade

Gunpowder

07 Sunday Feb 2016

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Saturday 6th February 2015 ko 14.00

Southern Combination Division Two

ALFOLD 1 (Hallett 90)

AFC ROFFEY CLUB 0

Att 19

Entry FREE

Programme £1

It did seem a little strange driving down the A3 to take in a game in what used to be called the Sussex County League, passing through Guildford then making for Horsham. You’ll always be in Surrey, and genteel wooded Surrey at that. You really should stop on the way in Bramley, the Kingfish Chip Shop provides an excellent lunch, and once you’ve worked out how to navigate the nearby road junction, you’ll arrive at Alfold’s Recreation Ground. Continue reading →

Refuge

07 Sunday Feb 2016

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Friday 5th February 2016 ko 19.45

Eastern Counties League Division One

HALSTEAD TOWN 2 (Cook 26 Pavett 55)

WIVENHOE TOWN 3 (Keating 3 Turner 18 Hampson 62)

Att 202

Entry £6

Programme SOLD OUT

Whilst the Eastern Counties League’s attempts at “Groundhopper Days” have not fared well, they’ve had considerable success with Friday evening football. This was the classic example of where it works best, two clubs near Colchester playing a local derby knowing there was another derby the next day, Colchester United travelling to Southend United. I got the distinct impression that plenty at Rosemary Lane had every intention of attending both games. Continue reading →

Goodbye To All That?

05 Friday Feb 2016

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Wednesday 27th January 2016 ko 19.45

Central Midlands League South Division

BULWELL 3 (Fisher 36 61 Towle 72) Wheelhouse sent off 57 (violent conduct)

COLLINGHAM 3 (Price 49 J Wapplington 51 M Wapplington 87)

Att 31 at Brian Wakefield Sports Ground, Lenton Lane, Nottingham

Entry £3

Programme £1

I used to think the acid test of the serious hopper was completion of the Lenton Lane triptych of Bilborough Pelican, Dunkirk and Greenwood Meadows, with the hotel owned by Su Pollard to drive past along the way. Dead easy if you did the Central Midlands League hop back in the day that clocked up these and two more in a day, in testing weather, but as the years have passed the challenge has become more difficult. Continue reading →

Borderville

04 Thursday Feb 2016

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Tuesday 26th January 2016 ko 19.45

Northern Premier League Cup 2nd Round

STAMFORD AFC 4 (Wightwick 12 38 Duffy 19 Smith 36)

BUXTON 1 (Wiles 17)

Att 105

Entry £10

Programme £2

Over the years I’ve spotted a trend amongst groundhopppers- when a new ground opens people tend to drop everything and visit. Now I understand that completely when a ground is about to be demolished, visit now or never, but not for the new-build. After all the new-build will almost certainly lack the character of what its replaced. Stamford’s former home, Hanson’s Field was a glorious case in point. Continue reading →

The Tinners

28 Thursday Jan 2016

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Saturday 23rd January 2016 ko 15.00

National League South

TRURO CITY 4 (Green 8 Jay 14 Vassell 45 54)

MAIDENHEAD UNITED 4 (Tarpey 42 53 80p 89)

Att 390

Entry £12

Programme £2.50

If ever there was a success story in an unlikely place it’s Truro. Deep in Cornwall, and rugby union country, the county has never had a Football League club, and even the league they started their meteoric rise from, the South-Western League was established in part to supply players for Devonian Plymouth Argyle! Due to its geographical isolation Cornish football has tended to exist in a fascinating, if slightly separated life from the rest of English football. Continue reading →

Chariots

25 Monday Jan 2016

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Friday 22nd January 2016 ko 19.00

FA U21 Professional Development League 2

FULHAM 1 (Humphrys 24)

WEST HAM UNITED 3 (Parfitt-Williams 38 86 Cullen 74p)

Att 189 at Motspur Park Training Ground

Entry £3

Team Sheet and Programme FREE

There can’t be many clubs who have use of two iconic grounds but Fulham are fortunate to be in that category. While their main ground Craven Cottage should be near the top of any serious attempt to “Do the 92,” their training ground at Motspur Park in New Malden should not be missed either. Continue reading →

Lions

24 Sunday Jan 2016

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Wednesday 20th January 2016 ko 19.30

Hertfordshire Senior County League Premier Division

LONDON LIONS 2 (Kyte 25 36)

STANDON & PUCKERIDGE 1 (L Endacott 39)

Abandoned after 39 minutes due to a frozen pitch

Att c50

Entry & Programme £5

It’s the lot of of the groundhopper that when the freezing weather comes you start to fret. You find that one patch of your back lawn and dig your foot in hard. The turf barely moves, but you kid yourself the game’ll still be on even though the thermometer says its minus 2, and its only 3pm…. Continue reading →

You Show Me Yours

24 Sunday Jan 2016

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Tuesday 19th January 2016 ko 19.45

FA Cup Third Round Replay

BRISTOL CITY 0

WEST BROMWICH ALBION 1 (Rondon 52)

Att 15,185

Entry £10

Programme £2.50

The wonderful thing about having a football-loving girlfriend is that you get to immerse yourself in her club, and enjoy the common factors between your two clubs. Robyn is a Bristol City season ticket holder and knows the game and her club inside out so there were many reasons to pay Ashton Gate another visit. Continue reading →

The Lumpy Envelope

24 Sunday Jan 2016

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Monday 18th January 2016 ko 20.00

Premier League

SWANSEA CITY 1 (A Williams 27)

WATFORD 0

Att 20,430

Entry (Premier Lounge), programme, teamsheet, and match badge – Complimentary

People can be very kind. GroundhopUK owner Chris Berezai had been offered two tickets to his home-town club, and quickly worked out that would be ideal for me to collect Bristol-based Robyn for her first ever Premier League game. Of course me being me, it turned out to be far more than either of us expected. Continue reading →

Travels with Iain

21 Thursday Jan 2016

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Saturday 16th January 2016 ko 13.45

Scottish Junior FA West Region Superleague First Division

LARGS THISTLE 0

MAYBOLE JUNIORS 1 (Riley 7)

Att c200

Entry £6

Programme £1.50

I’m fortunate that I have friends dotted all over the place, but the downside is the gargantuan driving stints to visit them all! Regular readers will recognise Iain’s name from us visiting a  steady succession of Scots football grounds such as Irvine Meadow and Falkirk. It’s fair to say that whilst the 6 hour drives between our two towns mean we don’t spend as much time as we’d like together, but we’re fortunate that it’s the kind of friendship that we can pick up where we left off.  Continue reading →