Category Archives: C

Hangar 146

12 Tuesday Dec 2017

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Tuesday 5th December 2017 ko 19.45

Friendly

ROYAL AIR FORCE 2 (Campbell 57 Harbottle 67)

HALESOWEN TOWN 0

Att c40 at RAF Cosford Outdoor Stadium

If you’re roughly my age you’ll remember RAF Cosford as where the UK Indoor Athletics Championships were held in the 70’s and 80’s. I remember the sound of athletes feet against the wooden boards as they ran around the steeply banked 200 metre circuit. Here Seb Coe set the indoor world record for the 800 metres at 1:46.00 in 1981. You’d like to see that wouldn’t you? Continue reading →

The Hero & The Villian

23 Thursday Nov 2017

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Tuesday 31st October 2017 ko 19.45

Spartan South Midlands League Division One

CODICOTE 0

BALDOCK TOWN 6 (Coley 14 A Barker 45 Hoy 47og L Barker 54 Coppin 63 Robertson 82)

Att 73

Entry & Programme £5

If ever a home of sport was named after a hero it’s Codicote’s. The John Clements Memorial Ground is named after the local schoolteacher who, in 1976 saved several schoolchildren from a hotel fire during a school skiing trip in Italy. He refused all advice as to his own safety and eventually succumbed to smoke inhalation. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross, the highest civilian award for gallantry. It was to be an evening of contrasts though.    Continue reading →

Flight Path

13 Monday Nov 2017

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Saturday 14th October 2017 ko 18.00

Bedfordshire County League Premier Division

CRANFIELD UNITED 1 (Allen 62og)

RENHOLD UNITED 0

Att 116

Entry FREE

Programme £2

I’d greatly enjoyed the Bedfordshire Hop’s first two games, and I suspect everyone else had too. So I was disappointed but not surprised as I left AFC Kempston to see a steady stream of hoppers walking back towards Bedford and the railway station rather than turning right like me and making for Cranfield.  Continue reading →

The Two Fences

25 Monday Sep 2017

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Monday 28th August 2017 ko 11.00

South Wales Alliance Division One

COGAN CORONATION 0 Boulton sent off 71 (2nd Booking)

AFC WHITCHURCH 6 (Bould 11 Spencer 27 Woodman 49 Fry 54 90 Brazier 74p)

Att 227

Entry £3

Programme £1

Monday dawned, and I half-showered, half used the warm water to breath life into my tired legs. Just the 3 games left, in what has become something of a tradition, Cardiff Monday, scheduled for a coach drop after the final game at Cardiff Central Railway Station. I found myself wondering why I and others were so tired after 7 games when at Maine Road we’d felt more sprightly after 10? Continue reading →

The Ginger Tree

21 Thursday Sep 2017

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Sunday 27th August 2017 ko 14.00

South Wales Alliance Division 2

CWMBACH ROYAL STARS 0

TYNTE ROVERS 1 (Richards 2)

Att 267

Entry £3

Programme £1

We left Penrhiwceiber and traveled up the Cynon Valley through the narrow streets of Abercwmboi (remember them from the 2005 hop?) then up the valley passing through Abersdare. From there we crossed both the railway and the River Cynon to the pit village of Cwmbach. Continue reading →

Coke

10 Sunday Sep 2017

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Friday 25th August 2017 ko 18.45

South Wales Alliance Premier Division

CWM WELFARE 2 (Williams 24 Whitfield 90)

CARDIFF CORINTHIANS 3 (R Withers 6 90 Misbah 57p)

Att 233

Entry £3

Programme £1

Seldom have I felt so relaxed travelling down to a hop I’ve been involved in. The South Wales Alliance are the main reason why life is straightforward, we at GroundhopUK have been working with them and their predecessors, the South Wales Amateur League for years. Chris Berezai and I know that as and when an issue arises its simply a question of phoning either Dave or Phil at the league and it’s dealt with. We understand their needs, and they ours, and not every league can claim that! Continue reading →

The Ting Tang Tin Mine

03 Sunday Sep 2017

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Saturday 19th August 2017 ko 15.00

Cornwall Combination

CARHARRACK AFC 8 (R Stephens 11 15 79 Shaw 27 Davies 48 Powell 55 Pope 86 A Stephens 90)

WEST CORNWALL 1 (Knuckey 20)

Att c30

Entry £2

It was 2010 and I was driving a carload of hoppers to a pub just outside of Falmouth for a surprise party for then South West Peninsula League Press Officer Mike Sampson. We drove near to Redruth and then passed through the former tin mining village of Carharrack. But then I spotted a ground, the brakes screeched, there was 3-point-turn and seconds later 4 blokes were gazing at the Howard Beauchamp Memorial Ground slack-jawed. Continue reading →

Grand Prix

24 Monday Jul 2017

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Saturday 22md July 2017 17.00

F.I.M. Speedway British Grand Prix

1st Maciej Janowski (Pol)

2nd Jason Doyle (Aus)

3rd Matej Zagar (Slo)

4th Bartosz Zmarzlik (Pol)

Att 40,234 at Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Entry £25

Programme £10

It had been roughly 10 years since my last speedway GP at the now rebranded Millenium Stadium, in Cardiff. I found myself using the old routine, parking in the side streets of Newport, then using a group saver to get a return the one stop to Cardiff Central for around £3.45. It still works well, apart from the bloke who’d had a beer in Bridgewater, tried to get to Taunton, and woke up in Newport. At least he amused the carriage-full of Poles! Continue reading →

Aerospace

12 Wednesday Jul 2017

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Saturday 8th July 2017 ko 14.30

Pre-season friendly

COSMOS UK 0

BROMLEY HEATH UNITED 6 (Nolan 15 20 62 Britton 62 Greenaway 72 Mitchelmore 80)

Att 6 at BAWA Club, Stanton Road, Filton, Bristol

Free Entry

The great advantage of an early kickoff was that it allowed a double with just about anything in Bristol. The only issue was that with family there, and a hop in the Western League, there isn’t much I hadn’t already paid a visit to. It needed me to travel to the Cosmos! Continue reading →

Dreams

13 Tuesday Jun 2017

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Saturday 27th May 2017 ko 17.30

FA Cup Final

ARSENAL 2 (Sanchez 5 Ramsey 79)

CHELSEA 1 (Costa 77) Moses sent off 69 (2nd booking)

Att 89,472 at Wembley Stadium

Entry £45

Programme £10

I’m old enough to remember the FA Cup when it took over all of the television on whatever Saturday it fell. You could watch “Cup Final Multi-Coloured Swap Shop” if you so desired, such was the importance attached to the final game of the season. Then after lunch I’d sit with Dad and watch the game, preceeded by the marching band, and the singing of “Abide with me,” and it goes without saying that from the moment I first set eyes on the spectacle I wanted to go to a final. There were a few problems with my idea though….

Continue reading →