Category Archives: D

Dalton

17 Monday Nov 2025

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Saturday 23rd August 2025 ko 14:00

West Lancashire League Division Two

DALTON UNITED 0

STOREYS FC 3 (Wearing 16 Creech 85 Barker 88og)

Att 374

Entry £3

Programme £2

The inaugeral West Lancs Hop had, so far, dealt with clubs only in its top division, so I did feel a little twitchy when the cavalcade reached Dalton-in-Furness and a game in the league’s 3rd tier. We knew the crowds we were seeing were more than healthy so would a club at the lowest rung of the league be able to cope?

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With A Little Help…

06 Monday Oct 2025

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Saturday 27th July 2025 ko 19:00

United Counties League Premier Division South

DAVENTRY TOWN 6 (Colbourne 28 47 Burrows 33 60 Jackson 40 Mitchell- Gears 83)

HINCKLEY AFC 0

Att 465

Entry £8

Programme £3

The UCL Hop’s final game of the Saturday saw us visit Elderstubbs, and I felt slightly conflicted. Most groundhoppers have clubs they look out for, they’re not fans, but have a soft spot for. One of mine is Daventry Town; I saw quite a bit of them during my days living in Banbury.

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Strike A Pose

01 Sunday Jun 2025

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Friday 18th April 2025 ko 11:30

South West Peninsula League Premier West

ST DAY 3 (Marks 16 23 Cleverly 32)

PENZANCE AFC 1 (Smith 56)

Att 416

Advance Ticket for all games on the hop £55

Entry £6

Programme £1

Saturday saw the Peninsula Hop start as south-west as we were going to get, in Redruth’s environs and for the next 2 days plus, basically headed north-east. Despite the geography there was little question that in purely groundhopper terms St Day would be the most popular Peninsula League club on the weekend’s event.

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If You Want Bloods You Got It

30 Sunday Mar 2025

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Sunday 2nd March 2025 ko 14:30

North West Counties League Division One North

DROYLSDEN 3 (Kasali 11 Kattah 27 Van 49)

DARWEN 2 (Bailey 3 Severino 49)

Att 1,184

Entry £6

Programme £2

On one level it was fairly predictable that this game, the last of this year’s North West Counties League Hop would see a huge crowd but perhaps not this large! You could easily argue it was caused by a former National League Premier side facing off against a former Football League one. There were a few nuances though.

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Dearne

16 Thursday Jan 2025

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Friday 20th December 2024 ko 19:45

Northern Counties East League Division One

DEARNE & DISTRICT 0

WORSBROUGH BRIDGE 3 (Grist 4 62 Brown 62)

Att 208

Entry £5

No Programme

It seems that just before Christmas there’s usually a couple of Friday night games, seemingly to tempt groundhoppers who’d finished work for the festive break. It does pay to be adaptable though, at lunchtime I’d planned on being South Wales, not South Yorkshire. Thanks to Phil Sweet of the South Wales Alliance for the early heads-up of a waterlogged pitch at Llwydcoed!

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The Icon

05 Monday Aug 2024

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Sunday 16th June 2024 ko 15:00

Damallsvenskan

DJURGÅRDENS I.F. 1 (Åsland 58p)

KRISTIANSTAD DFF 2 (Alanen 40 Eiriksdottir 45)

Eiriksdottir missed penalty 84

Att 522 at Stockholms Stadion

Entry 150 sek (c£11.07)

The Swedish Hop’s cost of £320 included bed and breakfast for two nights, all transport in Sweden, together with entry fees for all games, and a goodie bag!

When Kim and I put this hop together he quickly made the decision to use the 1912 Olympic Stadium as the anchor point for the event. He and I took the view that we could put virtually any other grounds on the hop just so long as we could take in a game here. And we so nearly had it all taken away from us…

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Castle

11 Thursday Jul 2024

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Saturday 25th May 2024 ko 14:30

Doncaster Saturday League Knock-Out Cup Final

SJR WORKSOP DEVELOPMENT 1 (Morris 15)

BENTLEY VILLAGE 2 (Walker 61p Cairns 67)

Att 201 Castle Park at (Doncaster Knights RUFC)

Entry £5 (for all three games that day)

Programme £2 (for all 5 games over the weekend)

As a groundhopper you occasionally get an opportunity so good, you know that chances are anyone like you is going to make a beeline for the ground too. Often the opportunity involves a borrowed rugby ground, which this one was, albeit with a massive caveat!

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Wheels

10 Friday Nov 2023

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Sunday 8th October 2023 ko 15:00

Southern Counties East Premier Division

DEAL TOWN 2 (T Chapman 46 B Chapman 76)

T Chapman sent off 62 (dangerous play)

Hark sent off 75 (DOGSO)

KENNINGTON 0

Att 535

Entry £8

Programme £2

We left the isolation of Lydd and traced the route of Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway back to Hythe and gradually the view from Shirley’s coach became more urbane. We even eventually reached Deal via Kingsdown which did produce a smile. I’d camped there with the Scouts in the mid-1980’s and as my mum waved off the minibus she looked at the bright sunshine and commented,

” Well you’ve certainly got the weather!”

That night we had the most unbelievable thunderstorm, the local supermarket was hit by lightening, and the bolts were bright and frequent enough for me to read a book in my tent. I’m not sure after all these years I’d have that sang-froid now. Mind you with what happened later, maybe we still do!

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Environs

10 Tuesday Oct 2023

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Saturday 23rd September 2023 ko 16:45

West Wales Premier League

DAFEN WELFARE 0

Morgan sent off (DOGSO) 28

YNYSTAWE ATHLETIC 8 (Loughlin 5 55 Owens 14p B James 24 34 Morgan 45 Gibbons 90+4)

Att 252

Entry £3

Programme £2

We stayed in Llanelli’s suburbs for the final hop game of the Saturday. The village, as the club’s name suggests is a link to the area’s past as a centre for coal mining, the St David’s and Porthdafen Collieries were close to here. And that fact did have an impact on what we experienced at Dafen Park.

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Pullman

17 Monday Apr 2023

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Saturday 18th March 2023 ko 11:15

East of Scotland League Division One

DUNBAR UNITED 0

McFarlane sent off 22 (dangerous play)

Walker penalty saved 80

Hare sent off 90 (violent conduct)

COLDSTREAM 1 (Briggs 77)

Att 553

Entry £7

Programme £2

We limped into Saturday both literally and figuratively. Robyn was rather sore after her fall down the stand at Tynecastle and the car’s clutch was clearly on its way out, sticking in the down position when I really didn’t want it to. I headed along the M8 towards Hermiston Gait, and hoped.  Continue reading →