Category Archives: B

First Base

18 Sunday Mar 2012

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Saturday 17th March 2012 ko 1.00pm

Central Midlands League South Division

BASFORD UNITED 4 (Holt 38 Horton 52 79 Hastings 90)

NOTTS POLICE 1 (Alves 9)

Att 268

Entry & Programme-Hop Ticket

Pie & Peas £2

Tea 80p

Badge £2.50

From Clifton it was a short drive to Basford, (which is pronounced Base-ford by the way), a northern suburb of Nottingham, and an area most famous for its soap factory. The factory was established in the 1890s by Gerard Bros before in 1955 the company was acquired by Cussons Sons & Co., manufacturer of “Imperial Leather” soap. In 2005 the factory was closed and production was moved to Thailand.

At Greenwich Avenue until recently, the problem wasn’t soap, rather bats! The club, being top of the table, are looking to progress to the East Midlands Counties League, and for that you need floodlights. The trouble is that the tall trees behind the far goal are a significant nesting site for bats, and there were concerns that the club’s ambitions might disturb them. Perhaps the fact that the mammals are there despite the presence of a tram and rail station convinced the authorities and in November the lights were erected. All a bit late for Rob Hornby as floodlit grounds are rather handy for evening kick-offs.

Basford looked a little surprised at the whole occasion. The programmes sold out a clear half hour before kick off, and the queues for the food were huge, perhaps due to the lunch-time kick off. This was the only game of the day where a team sheet was not available, and the line-ups were posted by the changing rooms only a minute or two before the match started. That said, the club rescued the situation by taking down names and addresses to send on the reprinted programme.

The feeling of surprise also affected the team, it appeared. The visitors are struggling, second from bottom of the league and are set to fold due to Police cut-backs at the end of the season. However it didn’t stop Bernardo Alves firing them into a shock lead after 9 minutes. That lead lasted long enough for the crowd to wonder whether were about to witness one of the great rearguard actions of a groundhop game, as bodies were thrown in front of shots as Basford piled forward.

It couldn’t last and didn’t. Martin Holt equalised, and after half time Basford simply pulled away and ended up easy winners. Aaron Horton collected a well-taken brace, and Courtney Hastings rounded thing off nicely for the home team. That, I felt was a little rough on the visitors who didn’t look a bad side, and how can you find inspiration when you have no future?

Still, it was a markedly better game than the previous one, and it was fun being interviewed by the Norwegian TV2 crew who were covering the Bonanza.

I’d like to thank Chris Powell for his photo.

Rest in Peace

05 Monday Mar 2012

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I’ve just heard the news at that Broadway United of the Cheltenham League have folded. Now while this isn’t exactly massive news in the world of football, it’s a real shame as the ground is a cracker, and I really enjoyed my visit there last season. So, here’s my report from that time, which I have updated slightly to the format I use now here. The original title was “Loz! Your thong is showing!”

Sunday May 22nd 2011 ko 4.00pm

Evesham Hospital & Charity Sunday Minor Cup Final

BREDON FC 3 (Drew 11 Carroll 45 Oughtred 90)

AC OLYMPIA 0

Att 97 (h/c)

Entry & Programme £2

Played at The Milestone Ground, Broadway (Broadway FC)

The Worcestershire town of Broadway is right in the centre of the Cotswolds and it would be hard to find a prettier location, nestled as you are in the hills. The most famous feature is the Broadway Tower. It was built on an ancient beacon site and has a colourful history. It was home to the renowned printing press of Sir Thomas Phillips, a country retreat for Pre-Raphaelite artists, notably the artist, designer, writer, craftsman and socialist William Morris, a location for the studies of the distinguished archeologist Sir Arthur Evans, and less interestingly as a farmhouse!  Today the Tower houses exhibitions connected with its past and the surrounding area. On a clear day you can see 13 counties from the top!

So, picture the scene. A warm Sunday evening, and I’m sat on a grass bank watching two Evesham and District Sunday League teams slug it out for a minor piece of silverwhere, when a WAG yells out “Loz! Your thong is showing!”

Not many people answer to “Loz,” so I checked the back of my trousers, no they were in place, and come to think of it that would not be my choice of underwear! but then I glanced away from the action, to my left. Loz, it transpired was Laura, the girlfriend of one of the Bishops Cleeve based Olympia players, and she’d stood up to throw the ball back in. And yes her red thong was showing, and yes she wore it well, to quote Rod Stewart. Well worth the £2 entry!

Other than Laura’s underwear there was plenty on display. Broadway is a pretty village just over the border into Worcesterhire from Gloucestershire and the ground reflects that. There’s a fair sized clubhouse but for the hopper, there’s a wooden stand made out of larchlap. Its raised too, on a grass bank, no seats just covered standing. I’ve not seen anything like it. Which rather belies the ground’s original use as a rubbish dump. Once upon a time the pitch was flat, like a bowling green, but then the rubbish rotted, and it has to be noted that there were obvious undulations. It didn’t help the players, who were of a low standard, and with a long season behind them.

The game pitted Bredon in Division 1 against Division 3 Olympia, and with all due respect to Laura and her mates, whose support was excellent, they didn’t look like winning from the moment goalkeeper Alcock dropped the ball right in front of forward Mark Drew.

Just one of those warm evenings when you can relax and watch a Broadway show when you don’t know the ending. Lovely.

Ladies First

24 Friday Feb 2012

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Wednesday 22nd February 2012 ko 7.30pm

Gloucestershire County League

BRISTOL ACADEMY MFC 2 (Williams 33 71)

BERKELEY TOWN 2 (Nash 51 Bryant 86)

 

Att 70

 

Entry FREE

Programme £1

Coffee 50p

Teamsheets FREE

This one was surprisingly easy to get done. I left Banbury at just after 5pm and was parked at the WISE campus in Stoke Gifford at 6.30. The ground is to be found around a mile west of junction 1 of the M32, and it’s part of what has just been renamed the South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. For the time being it’s better known as Filton College.  The area is famous for the British Aerospace factory which produced the British “Concorde” aircraft. In terms of this game, however the transport very much in evidence was the train, as the line to and from Bristol Parkway runs behind the far goal. It always amuses me how when a line runs near a football ground the trains seem to slow down to watch the action for a second or two!

Bristol Academy started life as Bristol Rovers’ ladies team, before linking up with Filton College. They now find themselves in the Women’s Super League, the top flight in the English female game. The male (MFC) section are I believe, so far the only male club to be created out of a women’s club, in this country. It reminded me of a trip to suburban Stockholm outfit Tyreso FF a few years ago where I watched 100 or so walk in for the men’s game, passing 1,000 leaving as the ladies game had finished! Its the men’s first season in senior football and they were more than happy to be using the “Ladies” stadium!

It has to be said as football stadiums go, Stoke Gifford Stadium is a pretty good as an athletics stadium! Any number of of movable “Arena” stands can be put in place, my visit saw 3, the ladies normally get 6, but if you’re by the side of the pitch you’re 8 lanes from the action. The saving grace is that you are allowed to use the running track; has anyone more unfit used it?

It was a filthy night, blustery and wet and it was a pleasant surprise to be invited into the Portakabin-cum-clubhouse for a coffee and pick up the full colour programme. I asked for the lineups, and an official went a photocopied the teamsheets for anyone interested. Many were, and an attitude like that will win this club many friends. It certainly made one of me!

The game was a difficult one to call, even with a few minutes to go. Academy led twice, both times by centre half Jemal Williams tapping in after a goalkeeping howler, but the vistors looked the more talented bunch thoughout, although it took goals from each of the two substitutes used, to rescue a fully deserved point. Mike Bryant had an interesting half hour’s work. Not only did he score the point-saving goal, it was his challenge that sparked a minor bout of unsporting conduct, at the end of which he collected the only booking of the game.

That spoke volumes about the conduct of both teams, and referee Gerard O’Sullivan. He was barely noticed in an excellent game at an excellent club.

 

William & Richard

14 Tuesday Feb 2012

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Monday 13th February 2012 ko 7.45pm

Isthmian League Premier Division

BILLERICAY TOWN 2 (Chatting 59 80)

HENDON 1 (Rankine 90)

Att 301

Entry £9.50 + £1 stand transfer

Programme (reissue from postponed game) £2

Badge £3

Teamsheet FREE

Cheeseburger & Chips £3.50

There’s two people responsible for my attendance at this one; one is Peter Grant, the other is Paul “Splodge” Proctor. Neither had met the other, but both know me and each said they were going. I honestly didn’t think I could get to this part of Essex from a 5 o’clock start in Banbury, but despite roadworks, the M25 behaved itself and I arrived at the New Lodge well before kick off. Trouble is, with me not expecting to go to a game I’d travelled without my clipboard, a stopwatch, or a camera. Still, you make do with what you’ve got, so the pictures are courtesy of my iphone!

Upon entering the ground, I immediately was nervous. Yes, the pitch had been cleared of snow, the piles making an interesting backdrop, but the pitch looked very wet. Still, noone seemed to be bothered, so I made my way to the clubhouse to see who I recognised. Apart from Pete and Splodge, there were a multiplicity of London based hoppers, taking advantage of the unusual day for football. They are affectionately known as the “South London Old Gits Club,” and seeing the 10 or so there, you do  wonder why the smaller clubs don’t go for the less popular evenings, to try for this “Passing trade.” The reason for this Monday, I was told, was to avoid Valentine’s Day!!!

The New Lodge is the kind of hotch potch I like in a ground. There’s a pitched roof stand, slightly too narrow to be completely fit-for-purpose, a flat roofed building including the clubhouse seemingly getting in the way. With the club top of the league, there looks to be little or no work  to be done for the place to qualify for Conference Regional status.

However, for success at that level I would suggest that the Billericay strikers should actually try shooting!! I’d got talking before the game to an elderly gent, who pointed out his grandson, midfielder Harrison Chatting, and was pleased to see him get a start. It proved to be a good mark for my card, as the dimunitive player was the spark, and finally the fire that won the game. He ran, he fell over, he tried everything he could, but was let down by the unwillingness of his team-mates to finish what he started. In the second half he decided to do it himself, despite being the shortest player on the park he rose beautifully to head home, then fired home a half chance to win the game. Hendon offered nothing, their goal a mugging of home keeper Dale Brightly by former Bradford and Brentford professional Isaiah Rankin.

The only minor blemish of a decent night’s entertainment was an injury time brawl. It was utterly without any point, and referee Ian Bentley did well to keep 22 men on the pitch. Chatting had long since departed, his work done.

Bread of Heaven

08 Sunday Jan 2012

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Saturday 7th January 2012 ko 3.00pm

FA Cup 3rd Round

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 1 (Forster-Caskey 48)

WREXHAM 1 (Cieslewicz 62)

Att 18, 573 (2,029 away)

Entry £19.80

Programme (reduced size) £2

Tea £1.80

Chicken & Ham Pie £3.50

On 8th February 1997 I attended Brighton’s home game against Hartlepool United at the Goldstone Ground. The game finished 5-0 with Craig Maskell collecting a hat trick. That isn’t why I remember that day though, as it was “Fans United” day, a protest against the Brighton Directors Bill Archer and David Bellotti, who had sold the ground to a supermarket with no acceptable alternative in place. It was an amazing day with fans from all but 1 of the 92 League clubs in evidence, and a banner bearing the legend, “Real Madrid say Archer out!”

It took Brighton 14 years, 3 months and 11 days from that point to get an acceptable ground of their own. There were 2 years sharing at Gillingham, before a move back to the city at the cramped Withdean Stadium, where I had to pretend to be a Darlington fan to gain entry! (Why aye Man!)

Eventually planning permission was gained for a site at Falmer, at the north-eastern tip of the city. The Amex Community Stadium holds 22,374 but has the capacity to be expanded to around 35,000 by putting seats in the corners, and adding an extra tier to the East Stand. So as to minimise the visual impact, the stadium is set three storeys down into the Sussex Downs. 138,000 cubic metres of chalk were excavated for its construction, which was put on the field on the south side of Village Way. This was estimated to have prevented 20,000 lorry trips taking the spoil to landfill. On 2nd of January, the club submitted an application to Brighton and Hove City council to increase the stadium capacity by a further 8000 seats as well as to add additional corporate boxes, new television facilities and a luxury suite. Given that Brighton has Britain’s first and only Green MP, I would not expect the process to be straightforward. Given that the home sections sell out for all League games the expansion is certainly necessary.

The stadium is close to the A27 Brighton by-pass, close to the intersection with the A23. There is very little parking and fans are encouraged to use public transport, or the temporary Park and Ride schemes in operation. One of these is at Mill Road, situated at the A23/A27 intersection, which holds 500 cars. Another is at Brighton Racecourse, holding approx. 700 cars. The third site is at Mithras House (Brighton University) on the Lewes Road, holding approx 300 cars. The stadium is served by Falmer railway station which is a nine-minute journey from Brighton railway station and seven minutes from Lewes railway station. I opted to park at Lewes Station for £5 and a return to Falmer was roughly £3.50, but group discounts are available. After the game, I found the exit afterwards to be quick and efficient, but I would have expected a far longer queue if I were heading into Brighton itself. This is not a ground to visit if you’re running late!

Arriving at around 12.30, I had plenty of time to have a nose around. Its clear that a lot of thought has gone into the ground. There’s lots of personal touches, such as the Fans Mosiac in the bar named “Dicks Bar” after former chairman Dick Knight. Two local breweries have their beers on tap within the ground, and the away end features a beer from a brewery relevant to the away team!  Even the traffic cones are in club colours! The attention to detail extends to the inside to the ground, with artwork breaking up the swathes of concrete. Its would appear that someone had visited all the new-builds and learned from them. My padded seat was at pitch-level in the East Stand, and while I wouldn’t choose a seat that low down, the view was pretty good, and I couldn’t complain about being too far from the action!

The game saw a Championship side up against a team top of the Conference Premier. Brighton made 6 changes from the side that beat Southampton, and so obviously completely underestimated their opponents. I expect home fans not to have done their homework, comments heard included, ” They’re part-time, they’ll run out of steam…” when the vast majority of the Conference Premier is full-time! What was unacceptable was the home players attitude in the first half. They clearly believed that they could simply pass their opponents off the park. Wrexham stuck to good passing football with forwards Andy Morrell and Jake Speight, holding the ball up beautifully, bringing others into play, and Jay Harris in midfield kicking everything that moved.

The second half saw the Seagulls look a little more direct, and were rewarded when Lua Lua crossed from the left and Jake Foster got ahead of the otherwise excellent Nat Knight-Percival to turn the ball in, past Joslain Mayebi. Wrexham continued to work both effectively and hard, and were rewarded with an excellent equaliser. Polish U21 midfielder Adrian Cieslewicz cut in from the right, and squeezed past two defenders, before smashing home from 12 yards. A worthy goal for a worthy team who deserved to take the tie back to North Wales.

Leylandii

13 Tuesday Dec 2011

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Monday 12th December 2011 ko 7.45pm

Wessex League Premier Division

BEMERTON HEATH HARLEQUINS 1 (Sanger 65)

GE HAMBLE 0

Att 29 (h/c)

 

Entry £6

Programme £1

Tea-in-a-mug 50p

Cheeseburger £2.50

 

Bemerton Heath is a housing estate in the north-western suburbs of Salisbury. I’d like to tell you something interesting about the place, but I can’t because I can’t find anything remotely interesting about it! That’s no criticism, as the club are a wonderful group of people, at an interesting ground.

I drove down to the Westwood Recreation Ground straight from work, and by the time I’d passed the Laverstock turn the weather was positively apocalyptic with a howling gale and the rain lashing down. I parked up and dashed into the large clubhouse. The GE Hamble committee seemed to be waiting, not for me, but for a decision. It became clear that although the pitch was perfectly playable the Bemerton management and both managers didn’t want to play. The final decision was left as late as possible to the extent that the turnstiles did not open until one minute to kick off! Continue reading →

The Bulldozer Looms

04 Sunday Dec 2011

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Saturday 3rd December 2011 ko 2.00pm

Central Midlands League Southern Section

BELPER UNITED 1 (Wadsworth 72) Smith sent off 45 (violent conduct)

SUTTON TOWN AFC 2 (Buchanan 15 Hollingworth 38)

Att 45 (h/c)

Entry/Programme/Raffle £1

Tea £1

After the morning game at Loughborough University, the 30 mile drive to the Derbyshire town of Belper was straightforward. The town’s name is thought to be a corruption of Beaurepaire – meaning beautiful retreat – the name given to a hunting lodge, the first record of which being in a charter of 1231.

The industrialist Jedediah Strutt, a partner of Richard Arkwright, built a water-powered cotton mill in Belper in the late eighteenth-century: the second in the world at the time. With the expansion of the textile industry Belper became one of the first mill towns. In 1784 Strutt built the North Mill and, across the road, the West Mill. In 1803 the North Mill was burnt down and replaced by an new structure designed to be fireproof. Further extensions followed, culminating in the East Mill in 1913 – a present-day Belper landmark. Although no longer used to manufacture textiles the mill still derives electricity from the river, using turbine-driven generators.

In 1938, local firm A.B.Williamson had developed a substance for conditioning silk stockings – the introduction of nylon stockings after the Second World War seemed to make it redundant, but mechanics and fitters had discovered its usefulness in cleaning hands and it is still marketed by Deb Group as Swarfega.

However Paul and I’s reason to be there was simple, the town’s second football team will be moving off their ground at the end of the season, and Alton Manor isn’t being featured on March’s Central Midlands Hop.

You wonder what Alton Manor would have looked like before the housing estates that will eventually swallow it up were built. Its compact, and has seen earthworks to create enough pitch space from side-to-side. Its railed, with a cramped octagonal changing room block. The only toilet is within this, and it was locked during the game. To allow elevation from the Midland Regional Alliance to this season’s Central Midlands League a small shelter has been cobbled together from 4 sheets of corrugated iron, Catering was being provided by a burger van.

As part of the planning agreement the builders who will bulldoze the ground were to provide a replacement ground. A wrangle over land ownership means that this isn’t going to happen so United are eyeing a little used ground in town. Apart from a few other hoppers, two of which were looking to head for the second half at Holbrook after this encounter, also present was Frank Harwood, League chairman for the last 30 years, and who is helping out Rob Hornby with this year’s groundhop. He took great delight in telling Paul, at his first CMFL game, all about the league and its history.

The game was a bruising encounter, with language as violent as the challenges. The referee missed a blatant penalty for Belper early on, then Sutton scored with a curling shot from the right. The lead was doubled, direct from a free kick, but by this time it was clear that it would only be a matter of time before industrial football and a young referee would ignite this tinderbox. It happened on the stroke of halftime, when Belper’s Matt Smith was scythed down whilst running through. He got up and immediately punched his assailant, sparking a melee. Its was obvious he had to receive his marching orders, which he did, but how the referee failed to find another card I’ll never know!

This set the tone for the second half which was largely ill tempered and it was clear that the visitors believed the game was won. Belper did enough in midfield to have stolen (mugged?) a point and should really have equalised, wasting a string of chances including one that almost defied belief.
The home fans were increasingly upset at the referee, leading to some great comments. One one-eyed local called referee Ollie Bickle  “A useless bloody article” and then better still “You make a T*** look normal” Although I’m not sure what’s abnormal about one of those!

So an entertaining game but I’m not convinced that Frank Harwood would have wanted a game like this as Paul’s first ever game in his league!

Flier

01 Thursday Dec 2011

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Wednesday 30th November 2011 ko 7.45

Combined Counties League Division One

BEDFONT SPORTS 6 (Watts 12 67 81 90p Kanani 43 Ventour 90)

CB HOUNSLOW 2 (Peters 59p Stewart 86og)

Att 31 (h/c)

Entry & Programme £4

Tea £1

Its almost a groundhopping rite-of-passage that when a visit is paid to Bedfont Town FC you place yourself at the far side and take pictures of planes flying low over the ground as they land at nearby Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4. Incidentally the ground was used as base by the Unite Union during their dispute with British Airways.

Bedfont Sports play next door, albeit at right angles, and if, anything the potential for the aeroplane shot is even greater, as the planes seem to fly over the top of the clubhouse! Mind you on this occasion the potential was lower as it was dark! Nevertheless a regular occurance was the roar of a transatlantic jet coming into land. Continue reading →

Abandoned

12 Saturday Nov 2011

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Saturday 12th November 2011 Ko 2.00pm

United Counties League Division One

BURTON PARK WANDERERS 0

HARBOROUGH TOWN 0

 match abandoned after 9 minutes

att c50

Entry £3.00

Programme £1

Badge £2.50

Tea £1

The town of Burton Latimer has only one real claim to fame, its where the Weetabix factory is! Other than that its one of a clutch of villages separated from Kettering by the A14. The club started life as Kettering Park Wanderers but moved to Latimer Park in 1971 and apart from last season groundsharing at Rothwell Town, they’ve been there ever since.

The ground proved to be far more impressive than I’d expected. Fully enclosed, there’s two stands, one with bench seats. The odd bit is Continue reading →

Solace

05 Saturday Nov 2011

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Saturday 5th November 2011 ko 1.30pm

United Counties League Cup 1st Round

BUCKINGHAM TOWN 0

PETERBOROUGH NORTHERN STAR 3 (Staffieri 31 61 Medwynter 57)

Att 51 (h/c)

Entry & Programme £4

Tea 60p

In 1997 Buckingham Town were playing Southern League football at their home, Ford Meadow, in the heart of the pretty Buckinghamshire Town. I saw them a few years later, playing in the UCL Premier, and loved their old stand with railway sleepers as a terrace to bolt the seats to. When a subsituted player used the showers the spectators kept warm through the steam creeping through the gaps in the sleepers!

All of that has gone, Town were evicted during the summer by landlords hell-bent on building houses on land that routinely floods, and the club are now in UCL Division 1,  based at Continue reading →