The Lumpy Envelope

24 Sunday Jan 2016

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Monday 18th January 2016 ko 20.00

Premier League

SWANSEA CITY 1 (A Williams 27)

WATFORD 0

Att 20,430

Entry (Premier Lounge), programme, teamsheet, and match badge – Complimentary

People can be very kind. GroundhopUK owner Chris Berezai had been offered two tickets to his home-town club, and quickly worked out that would be ideal for me to collect Bristol-based Robyn for her first ever Premier League game. Of course me being me, it turned out to be far more than either of us expected. Continue reading →

Travels with Iain

21 Thursday Jan 2016

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Saturday 16th January 2016 ko 13.45

Scottish Junior FA West Region Superleague First Division

LARGS THISTLE 0

MAYBOLE JUNIORS 1 (Riley 7)

Att c200

Entry £6

Programme £1.50

I’m fortunate that I have friends dotted all over the place, but the downside is the gargantuan driving stints to visit them all! Regular readers will recognise Iain’s name from us visiting a  steady succession of Scots football grounds such as Irvine Meadow and Falkirk. It’s fair to say that whilst the 6 hour drives between our two towns mean we don’t spend as much time as we’d like together, but we’re fortunate that it’s the kind of friendship that we can pick up where we left off.  Continue reading →

Field of Dreams

21 Thursday Jan 2016

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Wednesday 13th January 2016 ko 19.45

Norfolk Senior Cup Quarter Final 

SPIXWORTH 0

DEREHAM TOWN 2 (Borrer 39 Swatman 41)

Att 199 at FDC, Bowthorpe, Norwich

Entry £5

Programme £2

Just occasionally groundhopping throws up something a little unusual. Sometimes it’s a trip inside a Military Stadium or a ground that is completely homemade but at other times it’s a little more prosiac. Continue reading →

Blind Melon

11 Monday Jan 2016

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Saturday 9th January 2016 ko 14.00

Welsh League Division 3

STM SPORTS 4 (Worsley M Nessbert 48 Davenport 63 83)

ELY RANGERS 1 (K Johnson 65)

Att 80

Entry & Programme £3

It has to be said that I’m a lucky boy. I have a girlfriend Robyn who loves football, and she asked to come to one of my non-league jaunts. Now that gave me one of those problems you love to have, which ground and game to show her? I settled on an icon of the Welsh game for her first Welsh non-league game, the frankly stunning Blandy Park, home to Garw, on the basis that if she didn’t like it there, she wouldn’t like non-league full stop. Of course life never quite works out how you plan it does it? Continue reading →

Regent

11 Monday Jan 2016

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Tuesday 5th January 2016 ko 19.45

Isthmian League Division One North

BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT 4 (Read 20 27 Kelly 43 Malton 56)

WALTHAM ABBEY 1 (Daveney 79)

Att 107

Entry £8

Programme £1

I do enjoy my visits to this part of the world. Whether its Felixstowe & Walton on the Suffolk side, or the likes of Clacton and Harwich & Parkeston on the Essex side, and the latter is an absolute must-visit by the way, there’s a vibrancy about the clubs even if sometimes their circumstances are less than ideal. Brightlingsea proved to be a case in point.  Continue reading →

Mentality

06 Wednesday Jan 2016

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Saturday 2nd January 2016 ko 15.00

National League North

AFC FYLDE 1 (Rowe 84)

CHORLEY 0 Dean missed penalty 23

Att 903

Entry £12

Programme £2

Teamsheet 20p

There can’t be many clubs who play their final game under one name at Wembley. That distinction goes to AFC Fylde who won the 2008 FA Vase as Kirkham & Wesham, then changed their name for their next season, elevated to the Northern Premier League. It doesn’t take much imagination to work out why either. Continue reading →

Bill

04 Monday Jan 2016

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Tuesday 29th December 2015 ko 19.45

Wessex League Division One

PORTLAND UNITED 1 (Godfrey 15)

RINGWOOD TOWN 0 Roberts sent off 67 (dangerous play)

Att 171

Entry £5

Programme (excellent) 50p

In Wessex League circles there is a standing joke that they are the only Step 5/6 league that gets to play European football, via of course the 3 visits to the Isle of Wight clubs, Cowes Sports, Newport (IW) and East Cowes Victoria. Well I reckon by the island rule, there’s now another European trip in the Wessex… to Portland! Continue reading →

Jimmy

01 Friday Jan 2016

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Saturday 28th December 2015 ko 19.45

Isthmian League Division One

BARKINGSIDE 0

HARINGEY BOROUGH 1 (Kamara 57)

Att 114 at Cricklefields Stadium, Seven Kings (Ilford FC)

Entry & Programme £9

Just under two years ago I paid a visit to Oakside Park and was both pleasantly surprised and saddened in equal measure. The ground is the kind of hotch potch that groundhoppers love, and Barkingside’s chairman Jimmy Flanagan was heroically keeping the club going almost single-handed, whilst welcoming just about everyone through the turnstile. The sadness was that they were unable to pay the rent increase on the ground, so were about to vacate the ground they’d built. I was sufficiently taken by both Jimmy and Barkingside to want to catch up with them. Continue reading →

Bowl Shaped

01 Friday Jan 2016

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Saturday 28th December 2015 ko 15.00

Eastern Counties League Premier Division

FC CLACTON 2 (Cowden 56p 83)

STANWAY ROVERS 4 (Shaw 12 29 55 Palmer 87)

Att 220

Entry £7

Programme £1

It may have been a case of a 25 minute drive from Felixstowe to a game in the same division and league but the Rush Green Bowl is a step up in quality from Dellwood Avenue, and the sense of occasion was obvious. It wasn’t easy to find a parking spot but once through the turnstile the club’s sense of unconscious competence was impressive. Continue reading →

Poster Boys

30 Wednesday Dec 2015

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Monday 28th December 2015 ko 12.00

Eastern Counties League Premier Division

FELIXSTOWE & WALTON UNITED 2 (Schaar 30 Driver 55)

WHITTON UNITED 0

Att 222

Entry £6

Programme £1

Now very much with my North Berkshire League committeeman hat on I’m going to make a statement that might surprise you. I feel sorry for Felixstowe, yes that’s right! Perhaps I should explain why. Continue reading →