Category Archives: I

Elbar

06 Monday Jan 2020

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Sunday 20th October 2019 ko 14.00

Kategorie e Dytë Grp A

FC INTERNACIONAL TIRANA 5 (Ajdini 65 Xhuveli 69 Shkreta 78 81 Konci 86)

FK KAMZA 1 (Bode 90p)

Biba penalty saved 62

Att 48 at Kompleksi Internacional, Pezë Helmës

Free Entry

In footballing terms at least my stag weekend finished at the one ground that you could argue that wasn’t in Tirana, despite the name of the host club we were a good half an hour’s drive from Skanderbeg Square. Zaja seemed happy negotiating the odd pot hole on dusty roads as we climbed into the mountains, to a surprise to all for the party that hadn’t researched where we were heading! Continue reading →

Roman Times

06 Friday Sep 2019

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Sunday 28th July 2019 ko 13.45

United Counties League Division One

IRCHESTER UNITED 3 (Clark 7 Ball 70 79)

WELLINGBOROUGH WHITWORTH 3 (Brittain 8 Crawley 45 Hazell 90)

Att 328

Entry £5

Programme £1

It wasn’t far from Cogenhoe to Irchester- just enough time to get comfortable it seemed! When we first established the United Counties League Hop I’d imagined that we’d visit Irchester either before or after both Wellingborough Town and Wellingborough Whitworth, as Irchester is very close to the town. Now there were compelling reasons to visit Stilton when we did last year, but it did leave Irchester a little high and dry. In the end I was pleased we were able to fit them in quickly. Continue reading →

Something On It

30 Sunday Jun 2019

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Saturday 18th May 2019 ko 14.30

South Devon League Division 4

ILSINGTON VILLA 0

GALMPTON UNITED 0

Att 66

Free Entry

Sometimes circumstances mean the cards fall neatly in your favour. Robyn and I knew we’d be visiting friends in Plymouth so a game on the way made sense. The issue was that in mid-May a lot of the leagues local to Plymouth or on our way would be finished so I looked more in hope than expectation. But then then I spotted something….

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The Wreck Of The Old Mauritania

27 Saturday Apr 2019

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Saturday 30th March 2019 ko 14.15

East of Scotland League Conference C

INVERKEITHING HILLFIELD SWIFTS 2 (Cowie 71 Hamilton 75)

Miller sent off 60 (2nd booking)

Francis sent off 78 (Foul & Abusive)

Cowie sent off 82 (Foul & Abusive)

HERIOT WATT UNIVERSITY 4 (Muttitt 27 57 Huxford 31 Singh 82p)

Att 301

Entry £6

Programme £2

The Scottish Hop’s move from the Lothians to the Kingdom of Fife was nothing if not spectacular. First the Kelpies, the steel horses wild but frozen but their energy an inspiration to motorists on the M9. With the Hop coach’s 61 seats more than sold out, I was driving in effect an overspill car, but the there was a silver lining as we could stop close to the three Forth Bridges to take some fairly spectacular photos!

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Island Hopping

11 Saturday Jun 2016

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Thursday 2nd June 2016 ko 19.15

Division 4 Mellersta Stockholm

INGARÖ IF 2 (Asplund 41 Eriksson 76)

HALLONBERGENS IF 1 (Yebio 76)

Att 53

Entry FREE

No Programme

For a city as beautiful as Stockholm the bus station at Slussen T-Bana (metro) station is an unlovely place, a place of stained concrete and tired yellow lights. However, the buses to the far-flung parts of the Stockholm archipelago are included on the SL “Access” card, and are punctual and regular from there, so a group of 6 British people stood in a bus battling the rush hour traffic heading for a rather deserted looking island to the east of Sweden’s capital. Continue reading →

Tin Men

29 Tuesday Mar 2016

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Friday 25th March 2016 ko 11am

South West Peninsula League Division One West

ILLOGAN R.B.L. 3 (Boone 43 Carlyon 64 Abbott-Smith 69)

PENRYN ATHLETIC 1 (Disano 57)

Att 369

Entry £3

Programme £1

I can imagine what a few may have thought when they saw Illogan’s name on the schedule of the Peninsula League Hop. A team only in its second season in the league after winning the Cornwall Combination multiple times after only a brief flirtation with the old South Western in the late 1970’s. A ground, Oxland Parc (Cornish, not English spellings here!) neatly tucked away in a residential village in the heart of Cornish tin mining country. On paper the idea doesn’t inspire, but football isn’t played on paper, and Cornish football isn’t like any other kind of football either. Continue reading →

Crossing The Line

16 Friday May 2014

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Tuesday 13th May 2014 ko 18.30

Northants Combination Division 3

IRTHLINGBOROUGH RANGERS 1 (Potts 17) Potts sent off (violent conduct) 72, J Martin sent off (violent conduct) 86

KETTERING PL UNITED 7 (Ablewski 26secs Chojak 26 62 83 89 Leskowski 60 Augusciak 77) Putyrski sent off (violent conduct) 72

Att 12

Entry FREE

No Programme

It must be odd playing for an Irthlingborough side at the moment, knowing that the most well-appiointed ground in the town is the mothballed Nene Park, the former home of Rushden & Diamonds and Kettering Town. The advantage of visiting another team here is that unlike trips to the large ground you do actually see the town! For my southern eyes, it has elements of both north and south, I do like a border town, and the Church of St Peter, with its lantern tower is a wonderfully evocative landmark. The football ground, the Rec’ is found at the end of Scarborough Street. Be forewarned the street is narrow, and there’s no parking so a bright move is to park in town and take the 5 minute walk up the hill. I did, and was surprised at the obvious tension for an end of season game with absolutely nothing riding on it. Continue reading →

An everyday story of country folk

10 Wednesday Apr 2013

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Tuesday 2nd April 2013 ko 18.00

Midland Combination Division Two

INKBERROW 0

HENLEY FOREST 1 (Fitter 38)

Att 12

Entry FREE

Programme NO

With Silly Season kick offs this early I wonder how on earth amateur players manage to reach the ground on time. From Banbury I only just made kick off on time, and I didn’t have to change or warm-up.

The Worcestershire village of Inkberrow is one of those pretty-as-a-picture places that you’d enjoy a drink at the local pub, and take a picture at the church, but then move on to the next place on your itinery. However it does have one massive claim to fame.

The world’s longest running soap opera is Radio 4’s The Archers, and the fictional village of Ambridge and its pub, The Bull, is based on Inkberrow and it’s pub The Old Bull. The series started on May 29, 1950, and since January 1, 1951, five 15-minute episodes (since 1998, six 12½-minute episodes) have been transmitted each week, at first on the BBC Light Programme and now Radio 4. The actor Norman Painting played Phil Archer continuously from the first trial series in 1950 until his death on 29 October 2009. He holds the title of longest-serving actor in a single soap opera in the Guinness Book of Records. The series is now over 15,000 episodes old!

Since my previous visit to Sands Road, the club has moved pitches, over the hedge on to what was a farmer’s field. Football Foundation money has seen that field levelled and drained, and the result is two excellent pitches. The trouble was that those pitches are on top of a hill. The views are spectacular, but the wind ruined the game, and watching anything is difficult when you’re uncomfortable! Some spectators commandeered an upturned dugout for shelter!

One goal settled it, Ed Fitter, finishing well after a good move from the right. Inkberrow continue to be a notably friendly, go-ahead club running a number of teams where the population base would suggest one would struggle. When you go, do pay a visit to the Old Bull, but check how windy it is first!

 

 

Schemes O’ Mice An’ Men

30 Sunday Dec 2012

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Saturday 29th December 2012 ko 13.45

Scottish Junior FA West Region Superleague Premier Division

IRVINE MEADOW 0 McGowan sent off 57 (2nd booking)

AUCHINLECK TALBOT 2 (McCann 44 Spence 86) White sent off 62 (2nd booking)

Att c400

Entry £5

Programme None

I wish I could see more of my mate Iain. The trouble is that he lives in Dumfries, a 5 hour drive from Oxford. We met longer ago than either of us would care to remember, when we were marooned on a bank course at a faceless hotel in Tewkesbury. When however there’s a game, a curry and a pint to be had, one of us jumps in a car….

The west coast of Scotland, south of Glasgow is Robert Burns country. From Iain’s house, a mere stone’s throw from the Burns Mausoleum (more on that in my next article) from our drive up the A76 past the Burns Memorial at Mauchline, and seeing signs for Ayr, his birthplace and setting for the poem “Tam O’ Shanter.”

Irvine doesn’t seem to fit the poetic theme, this is a New Town, based on shipping and shipbuilding, and was extensively bombed during World War 2. Burns did spend time here, working in a flax factory on the Glasgow Vennel. More recently Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was born here, and cycling champion and innovator Graeme Obree calls Irvine home.

If you’re not familiar with Scottish Non-League please don’t get Continue reading →

Hospitality

14 Thursday Jun 2012

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Saturday 9th June 2012 ko 13.00

Division 4 Värmland

IMMETORP BK 0 El Naga sent off 88 (2nd booking) Zetterberg sent off 88 (foul and abusive language)

SK SIPHÄLLA 1 (Nilsson 43)

Att 118

Entry, Programme, & badge -Hop Ticket

T-Shirt 70 sek

Pennant 20 sek

Coffee, Beer, Soft drinks and Fruit- Complimentary

After taking full advantage of the hotel’s buffet breakfast, for me, the final piece in the Swedish hop jigsaw arrived. That of course is Thomas Nybom of Interbus coaches. He’s driven each and every one 6 Swedish hops, and now greets us as old friends. He didn’t let us down with the transport either, the coach was high-spec, and brand new!

It took around 90 minutes to reach Karlskoga, the birthplace of Alfred Nobel, and the small village of Immetorp lies virtually adjacent. Kim and I visited Källmossen IP a couple of weeks earlier, and I’d been asked “Do groundhoppers like beer?” Obviously I’d replied in the affirmative, but I wasn’t expecting the sheer volume of the stuff they’d bought! Three brands, and at least 3 times as much as we could drink. I gave it my best shot though! Player Johan Karlsson (who I saw score at Nordmark) told us all about the history of the club and showed us the club’s old ground 200m away. The line-ups were posted on a whiteboard for us, and a barbeque was fired up.

My only concern was the dark clouds as there was little or no cover, but the rain held off until the final few seconds of the game. Another coach arrived with the away fans, who like us were off to Degerfors after this game. A makeshift entrance was rigged up for them. I told Thomas, and he moved the coach so we could make a sharper exit than them! You need a great driver for a hop, and Thomas, despite not really being a football fan is the perfect man for the job.

The game in truth failed to live up to the wonderful hospitality. The visitors annoyed 24 British visitors by scoring just before half-time, but we were consoled by at least avoiding a nill-nil! Immetorp made a comeback impossible with the dismissal of Martin El Naga for his second booking, closely followed by Fredrik Zetterberg for giving referee Davoud Ataei a mouthful of abuse for the decision.

That was a real shame, particularly as assistant manager Dennis Gustafsson found time at the end to come over to the coach, shake Kim and I’s hands and thank the party for coming to visit. Dennis, it was our pleasure to visit a classy group of people. I wish you and your club all the best.