The Long Goodbye

05 Thursday May 2016

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Monday 25th April 2016 k 19.00

U21 Premier League Cup Final 1st leg

WEST HAM UNITED 1 (Parfitt-Williams 90)

HULL CITY 0

Att 10,267

Entry £5

Programme FREE

I’ve got no great connection with West Ham United, just two previous visits with Oxford United, but when this fixture came up I felt drawn to it. At the time I wasn’t sure why, perhaps it was that regular travelling companion Simeon hadn’t paid the Boleyn Ground a visit, but as we approached the ground I could see, or rather feel why. Continue reading →

Lionesses Pride

05 Thursday May 2016

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Sunday 24th April ko 16.00

Thames Valley Counties Women’s League Cup Final

BENSON LIONESSES 0

OXFORD CITY NOMADS 3 (Frackiewicz 22 51 62)

Att c200 at Milton United FC

Entry £1

Programme £1

On one level I was at this one purely down to Jon Radcliffe and the Benson Lions. It you aren’t aware of him and them, they represent the absolute pinnacle of my time as a groundhop organiser. Benson Lions are the RAF side based on the base, and if you were at either of the games they hosted, you’ll know why I hold Jon and the club in such high regard. Continue reading →

Laurence at Lawrence

05 Thursday May 2016

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Thursday 21st April 2016 ko 18.15

Bristol & Suburban League Division 3

LAWRENCE WESTON “A” 5 (Rawlings 45 70 Mullula 60 Morgan 72 84)

STOCKWOOD WANDERERS RESERVES 4 (Pinches 10 42 Alzanetti 30 Box 75)

Att 7

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale

You can imagine it can’t you? I’m scouring the fixtures for a game in Bristol, and I spot a team called Lawrence Rovers are at home. Now I’m a sucker for a club whose name tells a story, even if they use a “W” where I use a “U” so off Robyn and I trotted to north-west Bristol.. Continue reading →

Second Servings

01 Sunday May 2016

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Wednesday 20th April 2016 ko 18.30

North Berkshire League Division 3

UFFINGTON UNITED 2 (Masterlez 19 Byrne 33)

GROVE RANGERS 2 (Cramp 31 Chalmers 46)

Att 7

Entry FREE

No Programme

For many groundhoppers the village of Uffington means one thing. It’s where in 2012 188 of us watched a NBFL Division 5 game. It was quite an evening, Uffington beat the now defunct Appleton 12-0, one player scored 8 and another scorer made the Chilli con Carne that sold in quite gargantuan quantities!  Continue reading →

Genteel

01 Sunday May 2016

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Tuesday 17th April 2016 ko 18.30

Cambridgeshire County League Premier Division One

HEMINGFORDS UNITED 4 (Mackay 29 30 79 Adam King 33)

BRAMPTON 4 (Garner 7 Cain 24 Vale 34 Owens 64)

Att c50

Entry FREE

No Programme

After the exertions of the Carmarthenshire Hop, something more laid back was required. So a trip via Milton Keynes to ceremonial Huntingdonshire, and modern Cambridgeshire was the plan, the flatlands and agricultural land allowing a gentle game allowing the chance to unwind. Of course life never quite works out how you’d planned it does it? Continue reading →

Building Blocks

01 Sunday May 2016

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Sunday 17th April 2016 ko 15.00

Carmarthenshire League Division One

CARMARTHEN STARS 7 (Foschi 17 Thomas 20 61 Harvey 63 73
Rees 65 Deadman 72)

PONTHENRI 1 (A Williams 80og)

Att 214

Entry £3

Programme £1

Carl’s coach arrived back in Carmarthen, and like every hopper I craned my neck so I could see what our final destination was like. Maybe the others there checked to see what facilities were but I know Chris Berezai and I saw exactly the same thing, we saw that we weren’t having to provide all the crowd! Continue reading →

Playing In The Wet Patch

26 Tuesday Apr 2016

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Sunday 17th April 2016 ko 11.30

Carmarthenshire League Division 2

LLANDOVERY 4 (Archer 11 C Davies 42 R Davies 90 L Bailey 90)

PORTH TYWYN SUBURBS 0

Att 111

Programme £1

Badge £3

Sunday’s first game saw the hop head east once again and aim for the A40. The town of Llandovery is steeped in history, and the drive out from Carmarthen picturesque but as usual in the first hop of a league’s staging I wondered what we’d find. The first host clubs have no point of reference so as organiser you rely on them using their meetings and the host clubs’ guide to make the most of their opportunity. I knew we’d given them the best possible opportunity but you worry, and the day I don’t will be the day I give up. Robyn rested her head on my shoulder, I took in the view and thought positive thoughts. Continue reading →

The Unusual J

24 Sunday Apr 2016

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Saturday 16th April 2016 ko 17.00

Carmarthenshire League Division 2

JOHNSTOWN 1 (J Evans 49)

DREFACH 3 (J Jones 40og Baker 79 S Jones 82)

Att 137

Entry £3

Programme £1

We headed back to a rather chilly Carmarthen for our final game of the day, and again there was a quirk, the name of the club! Perhaps if there’s an etymologist reading this they can tell me why so few place names begin with a “J?” There’s Jarrow, but offhand I can’t think of any well-known others, and I know there was at least one hopper at this game that this was his first “J” club. But there was far more to like about Johnstown than just a letter. Continue reading →

Saint Teilo

24 Sunday Apr 2016

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Saturday 16th April 2016 ko 14.00

Carmarthenshire League Division Two

LLANDEILO 5 (Jones 5 90 Dainton 9 Thomas 26 Willams 59)

LLANGENNECH 0 J Williams sent off 29 (violent conduct)

Att 107

Entry £3

Programme £1

From Abergwili we headed further east along the A40 to the town of Llandeilo. We turned left into the town and spotted a well-apppointed ground, with an impressive stand. Sadly for us, that was Cae William, home to Llandeilo RUFC and Llandeilo CC, while the football club plays in the nearby village of Ffair-Fach at the back of Ysgol (School) Bro Dinefwr. The tragedy is that it could have all been so different. Continue reading →

Beginnings

23 Saturday Apr 2016

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Saturday 16th April 2016 ko 11.00

Carmarthenshire League Division One

ABERGWILI 4 (Callegai 50 Binding 57 78 79)

LLANSTEFFAN 1 (Soames 90p)

Att 140

Entry £3

Programme £1

When the previous Welsh Spring Hop finished its run in Ceredigion we thought it would be relatively simple to find a replacement league. After all there hadn’t been a Ceredigion League club that hadn’t enjoyed hosting, so you would have thought that word of mouth would have ensured a speedy set of negotiations wouldn’t you? Continue reading →