Author Archives: laurencereade

Gwersyll Yr Urdd

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

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Saturday 9th March 2013 ko 10.30

Ceredigion League Division One

CRANNOG 6 (May 26 S Jones 35 Colvin 44 90 Forbes 59 Glover 85)

LLANYBYDDER 0

Att 134

Entry & Programme by Hop Ticket

Badge £3

Leaving Carmarthen the Groundhop coach headed north-east to Cardigan Bay. I felt as if I was heading out of English Wales into the heart Of Welsh Wales.  A clue can be found as to where you are on the road signs, in English Wales the English version is first, in Welsh Wales the Cymraeg version comes first.

The coach reached Llangrannog around 5 minutes before kick-off, rather later than we’d wanted due to the driver using his own directions. It’s a small fishing village of around 900 inhabitants in Ceredigion, 9 miles south of New Quay, and you are definitely in Welsh Wales, just try to access the English version of the town’s website!

http://www.llangrannog.org.uk/index.htm

Crannog play just outside of the village, at Gwersyll Yr Urdd or to roughly translate The Youth Camp. It doesn’t lack facilities, with trampolines, and an artificial ski slope, as well as the coastal walks that inspired the likes of Edward Elgar and Dylan Thomas. It’s there to promote Welsh identity and healthy living, and as such the young person visiting would expect to speak Welsh throughout their stay. I was fortunate that with my total lack of Cymraeg everyone I spoke to was happy to speak English, although when I was setting up to distribute the 5 game programme packs I asked two young children to move slightly and they didn’t understand what I was saying! You live and learn!

For all of that I’ll remember Llangrannog and its friendly little football club most for the wonderful view behind one goal, of Cardigan Bay. Yes, there are similarities with my recent trip to Clovelly AFC, but this had the added sense of a club introducing itself to a group of people who previously hadn’t heard of Llangrannog, let alone a football team formed in 1984 and accepted into the Ceredigion League a mere 8 hours later! The club worked hard at its day with the bacon baps selling well and a young lady walking round the pitch making sure those who wanted a pin badge could buy one! Initially I was a little disappointed with the attendance but then I asked one of the ladies serving food how many spectators they normally got.

“About 10 on a good day,” she said, before adding, ” But often its just the three of us,” pointing at the other two ladies serving.

It proved to be a good steer on attendances throughout the weekend. Few groundhoppers saw anything other than all five games, so the differences in crowd numbers were down to clubs’ success in getting their own people to come and watch.

All present saw a one-sided encounter with the final score accurately reflecting Crannog’s dominance, although the visitors could point to two goals originating from unlucky ricochets. Overall I sensed that those who were watching Ceredigion League football for the first time were relieved on two levels. Firstly that the standard was better than they’d expected, and that the expected rain hadn’t materialised. In fact, I walked back to the coach trying not to admit to myself that the sun was shining; as organiser you mustn’t tempt fate.

 

 

 

A Fish Called Rhondda

11 Monday Mar 2013

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Friday 8th March 2013 ko 19.30

Welsh League Division One

TON PENTRE 4 (Leahy 33p 34 Wearne 35 Edwards 78)

TAFFS WELL 3 (L Williams 8 66 Roberts 22)

Att 112

Entry £4

Programme £1

Tea in a mug 60p

When you see me in the GroundhopUK burgundy jacket it can only mean its groundhop time again! Last year we put together a mopping up exercise to visit some of the Mid-Wales League grounds we couldn’t do in August Bank Holiday. That process is ongoing, but we filled two game slots with the kind help of the Ceredigion League, and everyone enjoyed themselves at Lampeter and New Quay so much we decided to base a hop around the League.

With a good hotel found in Carmarthen we tried to find a suitable Friday night game for those who didn’t want to drive to West Wales early on Saturday. With the coach picking up in Cardiff, any game in The Valleys would work for us, and Ton Pentre were happy to see an extra fifty people on the gate, even though the game wasn’t part of the hop.

Ynys Park lies across two metal bridges, although one is now out of use, condemned as unsafe tucked away in the back streets of the Rhondda near Treorchy. This is former mining territory, and more obviously on a night before the Six Nations Rugby, the territory of the oval ball, as many clubs opted to play in the evening to let the fans and players watch the internationals in the clubhouse the next day. Sat at the front of the coach I heard the occasional, “Here it is,” as a member of the party saw a lit set of floodlights. We found the ground and collected the reserved programmes for us on the coach. With an hour to kill, I found the local chip shop appropriately named, “A Fish Called Rhondda” and enjoyed a chicken curry accompanied by that staple of South Wales cuisine, half rice half chips.

Ynys Park has staged Welsh Premier Football and although the stand on the far side as been lost, a victim of the need to widen the pitch, the terrace behind the goal with the tea bar at one end gives more than a hint of former glories. But look closely at its fabric, and that of its sister, the small seated stand at the halfway line. The stanchions are made from rails from the coal mine, the ground is literally made out of the history of the Rhondda. The atmosphere under the lights as palpable as it was when I first visited around 10 years ago.

And for once the game lived up to the surroundings. Taffs Well are the leaders of the league, and for half an hour looked utterly irresistable. Liamar Williams’ 25 yard blast opened the scoring, and James Roberts’ header across keeper Marty Ellacot for the second made you wonder how many Well would get.  All that changed when Jamie Wearne was played clean though and was brought down by Taffs Well keeper Rhys Wilson who was luck to escape with just a booking from UEFA referee Wayne Tregonning. Joe Leahy’s successful spot kick was the catalyst for an amazing 3 minute spell. Leahy’s long range strike was the equal of Williams’ earlier effort, and when Wearne lobbed Wilson for the third, most present either grinned, or just shook their heads in disbelief.

Tregonning didn’t reappear for the second half, a victim of injury, and the game calmed down, no two teams could have kept up that frantic pace. Williams equalised for Well, heading in former Newport midfielder Tyrone Topper’s left-footed free kick, but subsitute Josh Edwards won the game for Ton Pentre, pouncing on a poor clearance to fire home from the edge of the six yard box.

It was a fanastic start to the weekend, and a great advert for the Welsh League. Its just a shame more people didn’t take advantage of a cheap evening’s entertainment, at a wonderful ground, and a cracking game.

 

 

 

Strip Lighting

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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Wednesday 6th March 2013 ko 19.30

Mercian Regional League : Premier Division Cup Quarter-Final

WHITCHURCH ALPORT 0

SHIFNAL UNITED 97 4 (Biggins 22p 42p Falmer 70 Wood 87p)

Att 29 (h/c)

Entry £3

No Programme (old copy FREE)

Coffee 90p

There seem to be quite a few Whitchurchs in the UK, so for the avoidance of any doubt this one is in Shropshire! It’s also only a couple of miles from the Welsh border, and a few more from Cheshire. The town is home to JB Joyce Ltd. the oldest Tower Clock manufacturer in the world, having started trading in 1690, and is now a subsidiary of the Smiths Group. In 1849 the company copied the escapement in the clock in Big Ben at the Houses of Parliament. Continue reading →

The Rustle of the P45

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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Tuesday 5th March 2013 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

ROTHERHAM UNITED 4 (Noble 30 Arnason 33 Mullins 41 Pringle 44)

Att 5,169 (237 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (reissue from postponed game with insert) including Oxford Mail

I’m no enthusiast of computer games, but after leaving this game I imagined the “Team Selection” screen on a Football Manager game. Let’s put this in context, you’ve just beaten the 2 top sides in your division, one away from home, by switching to a one-up-front formation. You would have thought that with form like that the only change would be the change from the hideously out-of-form Adam Chapman, to the more combative Andy Whing in midfield, but keep doing what had worked previously.

Instead the baby was thrown out with the bath water, as there was a complete change in formation to a 3-4-3 with an obviously out-of-condition Michael Duberry as the focal point of 3 centre halves. In midfield Whing was supplemented by Sean Rigg and to the surprise of most Simon Heslop. Up front Deane Smalley lead the line, with Alfie Potter just behind, supplemented by wing-backs Liam Davis and Damian Batt.

Its looked odd, but for 30 minutes, and if Rigg hadn’t wasted a glorious chance blasting over in the 24th minute, who knows what may have happened. Instead The Millers scored when David Noble wasn’t picked up in midfield, but his 25 yard shot took a deflection off of Michael Raynes, wrong footing the keeper completely. It was a fortuitous goal, the next 14 minutes were anything but.

Oxford’s weakness at set-plays continues as Kari Arnason nodded home a corner unchallenged. The response was to push Michael Raynes into midfield and convert the wing-backs to full-backs. It looked half-baked, and it meant what little width there had been was sacrificed. More importantly it didn’t solve the immediate problem, ponderous, ill-advised defending. Former OUFC loanee Johnny Mullins was allowed an enternity before rifling home, and Ben Pringle must have wondered where the defenders had disappeared to, he was given so much time before tapping in for the fourth. The side were booed off at half-time, but after the break there was a remarkable transformation, even if it didn’t happen on the pitch.

Josh Parker and Scott Davies replaced the Heslop and Duberry as Oxford actually used players suitable for the formation, but the damaged was done, and Rotherham were happy to play champage football knowing they’d won the tie. Lee Frecklington missed a gilt-edge chance, but Oxford didn’t look like scoring, hardly surprising when the likes of Tom Craddock and James Constable remained on the bench.

During all this the Oxford Mail Stand kept behind the team. The Great Escape Theme, was sung throughout, a conga was started, and there can be no criticism of their contribution. It was obvious what was going to happen and once the final whistle was over and done with, the boos, and “Wilder Out,” chants started. You could hardly blame them, but there was a song earlier that summed up the night far more accurately. “All we want is a team of Andy Whings,” was a massive filip to a player that never gives up, and a wake-up all to the majority of the others, who need to raise their efforts massively if they wish to continue playing League football next season.

As I write Adam Chapman has become the first departure, making his debut for Mansfield Town at Woking last night, on loan for the rest of the season with a view to a permanent move. Perhaps the others might heed his example.

The Spark

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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Sunday 3rd March 2013

South West Women’s Combination League Cup Quarter-Final

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Allison 28 80)

SWINDON TOWN 4 (Collings 9 64 Shell 78 Picton 82)

Att 57 (h/c) at Abingdon United FC

Entry FREE

Northcourt Road and I go back a long way. I was there in November 1994 when Abingdon United unveiled their floodlights with a game against Oxford United. They were expecting the youth team, but since the first XI had embarrassingly lost at Marlow in the FA Cup so as punishment the first team played the first half and the reserves the second. The second half was notable for keeper Mark Deegan chatting to the substitutes warming up, only to look up horrified as he was lobbed from 40 yards!
I also remember visiting in August 2003 when as part of the Hellenic League’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Oxford United sent a mixture of youth and trialists who were obviously bored, and unprofessional. They were soundly beaten by an unimpressed Hellenic League select XI and all of the trialists were shown the door the next day. I have never been so embarrassed to be an Oxford United fan as I was that day.

Since then Northcourt Road has been a regular destination for North Berkshire League Cup finals, mostly it seems involving Continue reading →

The Stretch

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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Saturday 2nd March 2013 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Potter 10 Smalley 76)

PORT VALE 1 (Loft 16)

Att 6,322 (865 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail)

This was the game that proved, if such a thing were needed, that I clearly know nothing about football! As ever I drove to the ground, buoyed somewhat by the unlikely away win at top-of-the-table Gillingham. That had come about due to a change in tactics, from a pretty but often ineffectual passing game, to a horrible niggly, but direct style. That saw a recall for Deane Smalley as a one man attack. He doesn’t score enough goals, but if you don’t concede you only need one yourself! Chris Wilder has set his stall out on the passing game, so I expected a home game to produce a return to the usual style, and as ever I was wrong. Similar line-up, same tactics, but here’s the thing; not only did it work, and well, Oxford actually played good positive attractive football, and beat the side second in the table! 6 points from games against the top 2 on League 2 is as welcome as it’s surprising.

The goals came from 2 players who frankly loked like they couldn’t buy a goal. Alfie Potter’s been passing to avoid shooting, his confidence shot, so his lofted finish following former OUFC defender Darren Purse’s suicidal backpass, was as welcome as was Smalley’s goal later on. That was a touch an shot from 6 yards following a sublime layoff from Andy Whing. His introduction was the one controversial moment of the game. Yes, Adam Chapman had a dreadful first half and needed replacing at half time. To withdraw him during first half stoppage time served little purpose other than to destroy his confidence. That commodity still looks fragile despite the two excellent results. The other notably point was allowing Sean Rigg to take the penalty. Yes, a former Vale player would love to score against his old club, but that is also a club that knows him well. Clearly with regular penalty man Peter Leven out for the time being a stand-in needs to be found.

Tuesday sees Rotherham as the visitors, another good side. It also means the antics of manager Steve Evans will be much to the fore. Still, he does give me plenty to write about!

 

 

Borderlands

04 Monday Mar 2013

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Friday 1st March 2013

Chirk and Pontcysyltte Aqueducts

Dinas Bran Castell, near Llangollen

then at 19.45

Cymru Alliance

CEFN DRUIDS 4 (Owen 29 Blenkinsop 39 Jones 50 Hesp 75)

RHYDYMWYN 2 (Drazdauskas 67 Reynolds 87)

Att 177

Entry £5

Programme £2

Team Sheet FREE

Tea £1

I think I’ve mentioned in a previous article how I find borders fascinating, with the elements of both sides usually in evidence. This part of the world seems to be the exception that proves the rule.

Once you cross the River Dee past Oswestry, you are unquestionably in Wales, the only debate is whether you are in the Mid, or the Northern part! In fact it seems that the cross-border influence seems more evident on the English side with Oswestry having a Welsh identity (in Welsh it’s Croesoswallt) and other settlements such as Gobowen having Welsh names. Continue reading →

The Waiting Game

28 Thursday Feb 2013

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With Mum’s declining health, trips to Accident and Emergency are happening more often. No one is under any illusions as to where this is all heading, it’s a case of treating what you can, when you can. Its coming to a stage where, as a family we know what to do when she falls ill, and how to do it. Nevertheless these places do have a life of their own. Continue reading →

Blue Moon

26 Tuesday Feb 2013

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Monday 25th February 2013

National Football Museum

Urbis Building
Cathedral Gardens
Manchester
M4 3BG

Entry FREE

Brochure £1

Curry Mile

Rusholme, Manchester

then at 19.45

North-West Counties League Premier Division

MAINE ROAD 6 (Warburton 42secs 85 Chappell 23 61 Bentham 27 51)

ALSAGER TOWN 1 (Aspinwall 84)

Att 55

Entry £5

Programme (excellent) £1.50

Sometimes everything conspires to allow a quite wonderful day out. I’d wanted to visit the National Football Museum for some time, and with Maine Road kicking off in the evening that made the decision to head north a simple one. Fareham Town secretary Paul “Splodge” Proctor offered to drive too, making it an even easier day’s hopping. Many thanks Splodge, and for those who haven’t visited his club, and the excellent Cams Alders here’s why you should go.

The National Football Museum moved rather controversially from Preston North End’s ground, Deepdale and now occupies the former Urbis Art Gallery close to Manchester Victoria Railway Station. Surprisingly, Continue reading →

Show Them How

24 Sunday Feb 2013

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Sunday 23rd February 2013 ko 13.00

Women’s FA Cup 4th Round

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Stanley 8 Caswell 14)

NEWCASTLE UNITED 1 (Havelock 51)

Att 733

@Kassam Stadium (Oxford United FC)

Entry £5

Programme £2

So for me it was two games at the same ground, over two days in the freezing cold. There was just part of the lower tier of the South Stand open for this game, but this was game not to be missed, as it was the first time Oxford United Ladies had played in the main stadium, and this has been a season as successful as their male equivalents has been disappointing.

Like the men, the women play in the fourth tier of their league, the South-West Women’s Combination, having been promoted last season. They’re top, and to get to the 4th round of the WFA Cup, their most successful run yet, they had to beat Premier League National Division Charlton Athletic (the 2nd tier) away which they did, 2-1 a frankly outstanding achievement. Their reward was a home tie, at the main stadium, against a side 8th in the 3rd tier Premier League North Division.

It was obvious from the outset that the big stadium wasn’t going to worry Oxford in the slightest. Over the last couple of seasons a winning mentality has been built up, and at no point did they look from a division lower. Centre half and captain Sahara Osborne-Ricketts led by example. She’s played for Arsenal and Watford, and a mixture of experience, skill, and often sheer bloody-mindness was far too much for the Geordie forward line to cope with. They barely got a sniff, and she played the last hour clearly injured following a nasty challenge from Lizzy Frazer. Frazer was booked but nothing was going to stop Osborne-Ricketts.

At right back flame-haired Isi Meade has lost possession twice in the 180 minutes I’ve seen her play, and that allows 32 goals in 19 games Lauren Allison to prosper. She’s quick, actually make that very quick, but today it was strike partner Karen Stanley who benefited, a sublime lob setting Oxford on their way. That lead was doubled by Natasha Caswell’s strike, yes the keeper dived all around it, but if you don’t shoot……are you reading this Oxford United men? It was just reward for Caswell, look at all good things that come from OULFC, most originate from Caswell’s right foot.

The beginning of the 2nd half was the visitors’ purple patch. A free kick was swung in from the right, and when it wasn’t properly cleared Jess Havelock pocked home at close range, to give Newcastle a life-line they barely deserved. It proved to be a false dawn as Osborne-Ricketts marshalled the defence superbly, and as the clock wound down it was Oxford on the attack. Allison had a shot well saved before substitute Dani Anderson saw her shot cleared off the line. In the final attack Holly Pickett’s shot hit the crossbar, but soon, after the final whistle signalled joyous celebrations.

And yes, even this cynical watcher grinned. For this is a side you can believe in, yes they have frailities, all teams do but there’s something infectious in that. Oh, and finally no-one complained about the pitch. Odd that!