Author Archives: laurencereade

Privilege

25 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by in C

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , ,

Friday 19th February 2016 ko 19.45

Combined Counties League Division One

COBHAM 3 (Webster 15 France 25 West 68)

SOUTH PARK RESERVES 2 (Burgess 9 Campbell 54) Campbell sent off 85 (2nd booking)

Att c30

Entry & Programme £5

What is it about privileged areas and non-league football grounds? Just about every time you visit millionaires’ row almost invariably the local football team struggles for both money and support. You’re only about half a mile from Chelsea’s training ground here, and I did forget to check for stray air gun pellets… Continue reading →

Trouble Over Bridgwater

21 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by in B

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Wednesday February 2016 ko 20.00

Taunton & District Saturday League, Rowbarton Charity Knock Out Cup Quarter Final

WESTONZOYLAND 1 (J Millard 42p)

MORGANIANS 2 (White 35 Barnard 54)

Att 36 at Bridgewater Academy 3G

Entry FREE

No Programme

There are plenty of groundhoppers out there who wouldn’t be interested in a game like this. Some would say the level is too low, the Taunton League feeds the Somerset League which in turn feeds the Western League at Step 6. Others would hate the idea of a plastic pitch in a cage in a school’s grounds, but needless to say I take a slightly contrary view. Continue reading →

We Long Endure

21 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by in C

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

Saturday 13th February 2016 ko 15.00

North West Counties League Premier Division

COLNE 0

SQUIRES GATE 0

Att 150

Entry £6

Programme £1

You climb to get to Colne, right out of Mancunian suburbs into the mill towns of Lancashire, many still sporting the factory chimneys immortalised by Milton. You’re in the cradle of the game here too, passing the likes of Blackburn, Bolton, and Accrington on the way. As a southerner even after visiting all of those grounds, the names still resonate.

Continue reading →

Brett

18 Thursday Feb 2016

Posted by in H

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Friday 12th February 2016 ko 19.45

Eastern Counties Counties League Premier Division

HADLEIGH UNITED 1 (Clarke 78)

HAVERHILL ROVERS 1 (Weaver 30)

Att 85

Entry £7

Programme £1

Hadleigh is, well to put it bluntly, genteel. The Suffolk town sits aside the River Brett, and has an incredible 246 listed buildings! The Guardian’s architecture critic Jonathan Glancey lives here as does actor Patrick Newell and fashion designer Caryn Franklin. What is completely incomprehensible is that shock metal band Cradle of Filth were formed here, perhaps it was a reaction to the gentle pace of life! Continue reading →

Ynysangharad

15 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by in P

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Wednesday 10th February 2016 ko 19.15

Welsh League Division 3

PONTYPRIDD TOWN 3 (Gullick 25p 61 90)

CAERLEON 0

Att c30

Entry £3

Programme £1

If you want to know where my love affair with Welsh non-league football football started, it was here. It was August 2005 I’d signed up for my first Welsh hop, and the Friday night game was at the (to English ears anyway) the almost unpronounceable Ynysangharad Park. Pontypridd beat the soon-to-fold Gwynfi United 4-0 but the evening wasn’t remembered for that. Continue reading →

Gunpowder

07 Sunday Feb 2016

Posted by in A

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

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

Posted by in H

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

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

Posted by in B

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

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

Posted by in S

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

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

Posted by in T

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

, , , , , ,

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 →