The Art of Engagement

18 Sunday Nov 2012

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I’ve travelled on quite a few underground trains over the years. Firstly, and most frequently in London, with its 1930’s Art Deco feel in the suburbs, gradually being replaced by the jam-packed chaos of anything within the Circle Line. Then there was Tokyo at rush hour, where it was packed. I felt like a red (sunburnt) ant, in a colony of black ants, but the system runs with split-second efficiency. The New York subway, a dangerous place in the movies, has now been cleaned up, but I’m sorry to hear that the one day “Fun Pass” has now been discontinued by MTA.

So many designs for so many cultures, and so many different lines, colours, and even ticketing arrangements. However they all have one thing in common, no-one speaks on them! Maybe its the claustophobic element, you are shut in and underground. My ex-wife hated the London Underground so much I learned London from above ground as well as I learned it from below, years earlier at university. Above ground, the world has more space, and so people have their personal space, and so can engage with each other on their own terms.

There is one exception to this unspoken rule, and that is the Stockholm underground. Here, real effort has been made to give people something to look at, and by osmosis something to talk about. These photos were taken at two adjacent stations, Solna Centrum, and Västra Skogen, and they’re not untypical of any other station on the SL network that’s underground. By the way, if you’re wondering whether the engagement is due to the tunnels being shallow, think again, the escalator at Västra Skogen is the longest in Western Europe!

So what would it take to get people to talk? I’m not convinced sculpture on the tube would make much difference, after all the excellent Poetry on the Tube has being going for years, with the vast majority ignoring its couplets and meter. Perhaps its just the rules of engagement that need altering, starting from tomorrow. The trouble is I drive to work!

Vectis

18 Sunday Nov 2012

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Saturday 17th November 2012 ko 15.00

FA Vase 2nd Round

NEWPORT (IW) 1 (Przepolewski 10)

CADBURY HEATH 0

Att 201

Entry £6

Programme £1.30

Badge £3.50

Tea £1

In my last article I commented that I liked Sweden, at least in part for its wide open spaces. As I sat on the bus leaving the Red Jet ferry terminal at Cowes, I realised one of the reasons why I like the Isle of Wight, is the compact nature of the place. The streets are narrow and winding and there’s no great distance between anywhere. Other than my somewhat contrary nature, that feeling was rather shattered when the bus passed HMP Albany on the outskirts of Newport. The maximum security walls circling the huge facility looked particularly austere on a grey, cold day.

The bus amused me, as the company is called “Southern Vectis.” Vectis is the Roman name for the Isle of Wight, so why do you need to add “Southern?” From the bus station, its a short walk to St George’s Park, and you pass the Morrison’s and Marks & Spencer shops that sit where the football club used to live, until land prices saw a move further away from the town centre, to a purpose-built facility 25 years ago. Now Asda are sniffing around St George’s Park, but the club reckon they’ll move in next door, rather than displace them.

The ground reflects the club’s former Southern League status, with a large main stand and cover on all 4 sides. It’s an impressive home, albeit lacking the quirks and character traits of an older ground. The land was extensively levelled to build the the ground which has created a problem, with the pitch flooding. When there’s rain its a good idea to call ahead, we did, and the club were very good, calling me back with the message that the game was “Definately ON.”

The match was a match-up of the form teams of the Wessex and Western Leagues. I’d watched the Bristolian side at home in the 2010/11 FA Vase. They lost badly to an almost ridiculously strong Spennymoor side, but I remember the day most for a classy article in their programme by former resident Ian Holloway, now manager of Crystal Palace. This was a far more competitive match, although Cadbury Heath will wonder how on earth they managed to fail to at least force a replay.

Alek Przepolewski’s early header was his 18th goal of the season, but was also the end of Newport’s domination of play. Cadbury soon gained the ascendancy with some fine passing and movement, but at the end of it all, the forwards either blazed wide, or forced another good save from Gary Streeter in the home goal. Matt Huxley ballooned a shot over when it looked a good deal easier to score, and Streeter’s acrobatic tip over the bar from Mark Reynolds will live long in the memory.

Even a change of forward line couldn’t change the visitors’ fortunes and its was well before 5 minutes of stoppage time that their heads dropped. There was one last penalty shout, the aftermath of which saw Reynolds booked, but Newport had already one eye on Monday’s draw, as of course will I!

The Masterclass

17 Saturday Nov 2012

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Wednesday 14th November 2012 ko 20.30

Invigningsmatchen

SWEDEN 4 (Ibrahimovic 20 77 84 90)

ENGLAND 2 (Welbeck 35 Caulker 38)

Att 49,467

At Friends Arena, Solna

Entry Comp (face value 700sek)

Programme 20 sek

500ml Beer 50sek

10 krona = 93p

Over the years Sweden has been good to me, I love the wide open spaces, the architecture, but above all else it’s the people that have made it the country I’ve visited more than any other. I’ve watched games at around 50 Swedish grounds and the officials I’ve met have all scratched their heads when they’ve met me, wondering why on earth an Englishmen would be interested in Swedish football! The centre of all of it is my mate Joachim “Kim” Hedwall, of Swedish Radio, who moves around the sports arenas of his country with a cool, quiet authority. If you want to know about Swedish sport, just ask Kim. He really is an expert in his field, or should that be pitch?

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Predictably Unpredictable

11 Sunday Nov 2012

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Saturday 10th November 2012 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

TORQUAY UNITED 0

Att 5,773 (259 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail) £3

Now, I’m not a gambling man, the whole bookie experience leaves me cold, but consider if you will the two team’s build-ups to this game. Torquay lost to non-league Harrogate Town in the FA Cup, while Oxford beat Barnet convincingly. During last week Oxford lost at home to Dagenham & Redbridge, while Torquay lost away at…. Barnet. Up on the top deck, before kick-off we considered the likely outcome on a cold afternoon. A few scratched heads, then a grin, and the comment, “Nil-nil it’ll be then!”

Three changes for United, all logical with Alfie Potter still out with a sore hamstring. Johnny Mullins replaced Michael Raynes in central defence, Liam Davis replaced Tony Capaldi at left back, and Simon Heslop was considered a “least worst” option in right midfield than Adam Chapman. The lack of an out-and-out right-winger was an obvious deficiency on Tuesday and while Heslop was a better bet than Chapman, the position continued to look like a square peg in a round hole. For Torquay the principle concern was in goal, regular keeper Michael Poke having a groin strain meant subsitute keeper Martin Rice playing his first game of 2012. That produced an unusual kit-clash, his day glo-orange shirt and shorts being the same colour as that worn by the stadium’s stewards!

The first half was a non-event, Oxford trying their best, but with a lack of conviction where it mattered, in the finishing off of chances. Torquay were more than happy to defend and live off scraps, Billy Bodin’s 20 yard effort being the most memorable, but that should be set against 2 James Constable efforts, one blasted over, the other well saved, and Sean Rigg’s header straight at the keeper.

Things looked worse after the break with Tom Craddock’s sore ribs precluding further participation. The loss of United’s form striker wasn’t keenly felt, as his replacement Jon-Paul Pittman had a fine 45 minutes, stretching the Gulls defence with runs pulling the centre halves out of the channels. United looked far more incisive, but again the final shot wasn’t quite there. Constable fired over, and Rigg had two shots saved, but there was a fright after 50 minutes when Ryan Jarvis headed home for Torquay but the effort was ruled offside.

But the United chances kept coming and kept being missed. Constable did the difficult thing, turning his marker beautifully, but failed with the simpler task, firing over from 10 yards out. There was and is an anxiety about the forward line, the chances get created, but things conspire to see them missed.

Squirrelled away in the warm at the back of the stand was a chap in a club’s coat. My sister didn’t recognise the badge when we spotted him cuddling his tea at half time. I did, the badge was Chesterfield’s and with Oxford playing there next Saturday I doubt if the report he sends back to Derbyshire will contain much that will worry the Spireites. But then what, if anything can you correctly predict at the moment where Oxford United is concerned?

The White Gloves Final

08 Thursday Nov 2012

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Wednesday 7th November 2012 ko 19.00

1872 FA Challenge Cup

ROYAL ENGINEERS 7 (Hubbard 8 Carter 18 Griffiths 20 Cottam 23 45 Ellis 33 Crame 86)

WANDERERS 1 (Flash 66)

Att 2,257*

Entry £10

Programme £2

There are grounds which are routine, there are grounds that are unusual, and just once in a while there are grounds that you drop everything and head over there. The Oval for a football fan is definately one of the latter. It was the site of the very first FA Cup final, in 1872 at the end of a competition in which 15 teams entered, and a full 3 years before the crossbar was introduced. The 2,000 viewing on that day were at the start of something special, 758 clubs entered this season’s competition! This game saw both sides wear similar colours to those in 1872, but playing to todays laws.

I’ve put an asterisk by the attendance, as I reckon around 800 were watching. The figure above is how many tickets were sold, but with the event being a fundraiser for the Royal British Legion, The Haig Housing Trust, and Lambeth Tigers FC, many had opted to simply use the ticket as a means of donating.

The Oval is of course a cricket venue, but unlike its more illustrious London test venue, Lords, has seen other sports regularly played on it. Last week saw an Aussie Rules game, and baseball has been played regularly here. The Wanderers used here as a home in the 19th century and between 1951 and 1962 Corithian-Casuals used the Oval for home fixtures. Apart from a one-off Corinthian-Casuals fixture in 1973 there’s been no more football at the Oval since. That’s a long time to wait between games!

It was a superb night out with the Long Room normally only open to members, displaying the current FA Cup together with the second FA Cup, a replica of the first version, famously stolen, found, then stolen all over again. The second trophy was used from 1896 to 1910, and is the property of West Ham United chairman David Gold, who presented it at the final whistle. It was noticable that all who handled it wore gloves, for obvious reasons!

Whilst in the Long Room I managed to meet a real hero of mine, Stuart Clarke. His work, “The Homes of Football,” is a massive influence on the pictures you see on this blog. His exhibition is now at the National Football Museum in Manchester and I cannot recommend it highly enough. He gets right to the heart of the game in away I’ve not seen any other photographer manage.

In the 1872 final the Wanderers won 1-0 courtesy of a goal by Morton Betts playing under the pseudonym AH Chequer, apparently due to his having played for the Old Harrovians. This was rather ironic given that the roots of The Wanderers lie in former pupils of Harrow School!

Since 1872 the two sides have had differing fortunes. The Wanderers disbanded in 1887, they’d declined rapidly after winning the FA Cup 5 times. Incidentally the reason why if a club wins the FA Cup 3 times in a row, they don’t keep the trophy is due to the Wanderers, as when they completed the feat in 1878 the trophy was returned to the FA on the proviso that no club would ever be able to win it outright. The club was reformed in 2009, and completes in the lowly Surrey South Eastern Combination, a far cry from their all-conquering past. For this game they had a guest manager, Bobby Gould, an FA Cup winner both as a player with West Ham in 1975 (as a non-playing subsitute) , and as a manager with Wimbledon in 1988.

The Royal Engineers have never entered a league; the practicalities of being a regiment on active service making it impossible. Nevertheless the club has maintained a team continously since the famous first final, and continues to be a major force in armed services football, in fact I saw them at Aldershot Military Stadium in January 2012.

https://laurencereade.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/name-rank-and-number/

With the club having been credited with inventing the passing game, rather than simply kicking the ball forward and charging, and some military fitness, a repeat of the 1872 final was never likely to happen. The Engineers had the first half entirely their own way, and ran up 6 unanswered goals, without having to really try.

But a drubbing really wouldn’t be cricket, so the Engineers replaced 7 players at half time, and at the risk of a bad pun- declared! The second half saw the Wanderers cheered on by their followers and many neutrals at least manage to register a goal from Daniel Flash, whose header, er, flashed past Sapper Luke Cairney in the Engineers goal.

That took nothing away from the Engineers victory, but I did feel sorry for one of their organisers Matt Surtees, who would have featured but is on active service. That was food for thought with Remembrance Sunday just round the corner.

Conference Days Revisited

07 Wednesday Nov 2012

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Tuesday 6th November 2012 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Craddock 60 65)

DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE 3 (Williams 36 Howell 54 Wilkinson 62) Maher sent off 70 (2nd booking)

Att 5,074 (77 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (including Oxford Mail)

For Oxford United’s season it’s very much a case of one step forward, then another back. After heartening wins at Wycombe, and Barnet this should have been a routine home win against a side debating whether to play a semi-fit goalkeeper Chris Lewington, or risk his 18-year-old understudy Jordan Seabright. John Still opted for Lewington, and it speaks volumes for Oxford United’s attacking presence that you didn’t realise there was a potential problem.

Where I sit, we have an in-joke that Oxford never score from a corner. Leaving aside James Constable’s goal at Barnet on Saturday (away goals don’t count we decided!) United have developed a real issue with defending set plays, and on this evening in particular, corners. Sam Williams headed home unopposed from the Daggers second corner, and the winner came in a similar fashion, this time it was Luke Wilkinson supplying the header. Add to that Luke Howell’s beating a leaden-footed Michael Raynes to a rebound from the crossbar after the excellent Dwight Gayle’s shot, and you are analysing a game that could, and should have been won. Did Oxford United look any more likely to win when Kevin Maher was sent off for collecting the only two cards issued to the Daggers’ team?

The dichotomy of it all that, is that the best OUFC player Sean Rigg got no goals, but the worst forward, Tom Craddock got two! Still if Craddock can play badly and score twice, I for one will have no issue. It reminds me of a lad at school who used to tell me an Oxford United forward was rubbish because, “All he does is tap the ball in from 2 yards out.” I used to reply, “Yes, around 30 times a season!” The forward’s name? John Aldridge! Those days are long gone, sadly.

On Saturday I watched United dispatch a side in Barnet I thought destined for relegation. Tonight they beat a side, Torquay who have real ambitions for promotion with Gulls manager complaining that player-coach Edgar Davids is getting special treatment! Not a division to stake money on is League 2!

Back in Oxford, this was a Conference game in all but name, and did remind me of OUFC’s stint a divison below. Frantic, and oddly watchable, in a car-crash kind of a way.

You wonder what sort of performance we’ll see when United take on, yes Torquay at Grenoble Road. Either way, this was a highly disappointing night against a club who admit to struggle with the financial and footballing necessities of League football. Oxford United are better than that, aren’t they?

The last train from High Barnet

04 Sunday Nov 2012

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Saturday 3rd November 2012 ko 15.00

FA Cup First Round

BARNET 0

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Constable 56 Rigg 80)

Att 2,246 (834 away)

Entry £21

Programme £3

Tea £1.50

Teamsheet FREE

I have connections with this part of North London, my grandfather grew up in Sebright Road, just a stone’s throw from Underhill. Back then Barnet was a village in Hertfordshire, set on the lip of the artesian basin that London itself sits in, and was connected to the metropolis by the Edgware, Highgate and London Railway. Nowadays Barnet is part of Greater London, swallowed up by the big city and the railway is a terminus of the Northern Underground line. As games are played at the local football ground the trains rumble in and out of High Barnet station above the pitch. Seeing an underground train from below is rather counter-intuitive, but does make a trip to Underhill unique. Continue reading →

The Coal Post

31 Wednesday Oct 2012

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Tuesday 30th October 2012 ko 19.45

Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division

COLNEY HEATH 3 (Thompson 10 Clarke 69 Armstrong 82)

HADLEY 0

Att 61

Entry & Programme £6

Tea 70

Cheese & Onion Roll £1.40

Anyone who’s travelled around the northern curve of the M25 will have been within a mile of the Recreation Ground, and this pretty village would be fairly unremarkable but for one historical detail.

The first essay I was asked to write at university in London, was seemingly simple – define London’s boundaries. You could use famous square mile of the city, or perhaps the man-made moat of the M25. I think I plumped for the M25, an imperfect solution, but I couldn’t think of a better boundary, but the discussion made for an interesting lecture slot when our marked papers were returned!

There was in fact another boundary, still further out and these are the coal posts, used to mark where a tax on coal entering London would be levied. The series of around 280, all from 12 to 18 miles out, were of various types, but formed an irregular loop around the capital from medieval times to the tax’s abolition in 1890. The remarkable thing about Colney Heath is that there were 4 posts for the village alone, and all are still standing, the one I’ve photographed is on the small green opposite the “Cock” Pub. It must have been an important point on the route into the capital, from the north.

The Recreation Ground is a classic example of a ground being adapted to suite grading requirements. I would imagine that in the past cricket was played, but now the extra space is used as a training pitch. Floodlights have been added, and the clubhouse roof extended forward to keep the requisite 50 or so seats from getting wet. The clubhouse, large and warm was the best facility, and plenty there desisted from watching this game, but who can blame them when Reading 5 Arsenal 7 is being televised in the warm?

Out in the cold, this was a game that entertained without ever catching fire. The script suggested that Hadley would steal a point, despite Colney Heath having by far the greater possession and taking the lead early on through Matt Thompson. As ever the script wasn’t followed, but it took Aaron Clarke’s goal was late as the 69th minute to put the tie beyond doubt. Paul Armstrong’s tap in afterwards was mere icing on the cake.

As I left, my friend James commented that I couldn’t have many clubs in this league left to do. I really hadn’t thought about it, but when I checked this morning he was correct. Just 4 grounds without lights in the bottom division. Knowing me, I’ll end up completing those without realising, such is life!!

 

King Edward, A Great Blogg, And The Crabs

28 Sunday Oct 2012

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Saturday 27th October 2012 ko 14.30

Anglian Combination Premier Division

CROMER TOWN 6 (Wilton 12 33 90 Matthews 33 84 Eves 45)

NORTH WALSHAM TOWN 2 (Jolly 68 Skipper 83)

Att 52 (h/c)

Entry £2

Programme £1

Tea 50p

Pie £1

It’s a shame this part of North Norfolk takes such a long time to get to from Oxford, as there’s so much to enjoy here. Cromer is a good example of this, with its narrow streets and quaint shops and yes, there are still many opportunities to buy the locally caught crabs; £2 each looked a real bargain! I took a walk along the wind-swept pier, and there was a gang of workmen carrying out repairs, while a hardy soul fished from the pier end, but I wanted to see what was at the near end.

Captain Henry Blogg is reckoned by many to be the greatest lifeboatman that ever lived, winning the Royal National Lifeboat Institution’s Gold medal 3 times, the Silver medal 4 times, together with the George Cross and the British Empire medal. One rescue involved the saving of 15 men over a 24 hour period from the wreck of the Swedish vessel “Fernebo,” Blogg and his crew rowing the Cromer Lifeboat by searchlight in quite appalling sea conditions. His memorial has a compass as its centrepiece and ribbons point to each of his rescues with details inscribed. Consider also that then, as is the case now, the lifeboatman are volunteers, amazing people.

Blogg’s heroics notwithstanding, my reason to be in Cromer was a visit to Cabbell Park to watch the local football team. Not that the back story is any less astounding than Blogg’s! The ground is named after Evelyn Bond-Cabbell who granted the club a lease on the ground in 1922. However, unknown to the club was a clause that the land would revert to the people of Cromer 21 years after the death of King Edward VII’s last grandchild. That was King Olav V of Norway, ironically a keen sportsman, who died in 1991, making the club’s position somewhat precarious. Negotiations are ongoing with Bond-Cabbell’s heir, Benjamin Cabbell-Manners who is keen to see the ground used for more general sporting use, but the latest news is that after spending £3000 on legal advice the club believe the last grandchild was George Lascelles, the 7th Earl of Harewood. The only sticking point here, is that he was “In Utero,” when the lease was signed!

On arrival what struck me was that there isn’t much room for anything other than a football pitch. The space is perfect for a floodlit non-league ground for a reasonably ambitious club but no more. There’s a gravel car park, a clubhouse, and a small covered area, and while there’s room for all of this to be expanded, it would be impossible to add additional sports.

The other thing I noticed was just how central to the community the club is. From the multiplicity of businesses advertising in the programme, to the wide cross-section of people who turned up to cheer their team on, this was very much an effort made by the entire town.

They had much to cheer as well, with The Crabs making short work of their near-neighbours struggling at the bottom of the division. Dale Wilton danced through the defence to open the scoring and was immediately booking for a rather unsporting celebration. It proved to be the only booking of the day, and once Cromer had scored twice in a minute, there was little prospect of a North Walsham revival.

Perhaps predictably Cromer eased off during the second half, and their visitors grabbed two late goals, but that served only to rouse the Crabs, who promptly nipped back with two more goals with Wilton collecting his hat trick with virtually the last kick of the game. This was a high quality encounter, utterly belying the clubs’s status 7 promotions from the supposed promised land of the Football League, but then when you’re this far from the rat race, you can work on your passion with little in the way of disturbance. Unless of course, your name is Henry Blogg!

The 22

24 Wednesday Oct 2012

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Tuesday 23rd October 2012 ko 19.45

FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round Replay

NEWPORT COUNTY 1 (O’Connor 43) Pipe sent off 66 (2nd booking)

YATE TOWN 3 (Knighton 72p Thomas 109 Groves 115)

AET

Att 1,463

Entry £13

Programme £2

Large Hot Dog £3

Tea £1

The City of Newport, has an undeserved reputation for being bereft of anything cultural. I have never found a port town that didn’t have something of interest and the city on the confluence of the River Usk, and Severn estuary has much to recommend it. Whether its the Peter Fink sculpture, “The Wave,” situated on the harbour, or the Newport Transporter Bridge, built in 1906 there’s something to catch the eye wherever you look. More recently, in 2007 the Newport City footbridge opened, and that provides a backdrop to proceedings at the local football club.

The travails of Newport County are an article in itself! I remember in the late 1970’s the bottom of the Football League always seeming to consist of Crewe Alexandra, Workington, and Newport County. Workington failed to get re-elected, Crewe found salvation with Dario Gradi and a vaunted youth system, and Newport found two lethal strikers in Tommy Tynan and John Aldridge. A renaissance followed and Newport as Welsh Cup winners went on a run in the European Cup Winners Cup in 1980-1 eventually losing in the quarter final over two legs to Carl Zeiss Jena. Thereafter it was a gradual decline in fortunes for the club, and they were relegated out of the league in 1988, and were bankrupt before completing their first season in the Conference.

You could argue that this was ony the start of the club’s problems. The club was quickly revived, but as a new club in Wales the Welsh FA wanted them to play in the Welsh pyramid, but the embryonic club’s sole aim was a return to the League- in England. It meant that the club started based over the border in Moreton-in-Marsh, and periods of exile followed in Gloucester, until the High Court found against the Welsh FA and County moved into Spytty Park, a multi-sport stadium, but crucially, in Newport.

The trouble is that the sight-lines across a running track were poor, and the pitch, shared with Llanwern worse. So for the next 3 years the club have agreed a groundshare of Rodney Parade with Rugby Union outfit Newport Gwent Dragons.

The ground has a unique flavour, being not just for rugby, but also being the base for the local bowls club. There’s two stands, the modern all seated “Bisley” stand, and the classic Hazell stand which only runs for around 3/4 of the pitch length. For football only the terrace in front is used. There’s an open terrace behind one goal, but the other has only the changing rooms, and a multi-storey hospitality block there. For football the capacity is 5,511.

With Newport being back in the Conference, there’s no lack of league experience in the playing ranks. Top goalscorer Aaron O’Connor has tasted League football with Rushden & Diamonds, but fellow striker Jefferson Louis takes well-travelled to extremes, this is his 25th club, and he’s still only 33!

With a lower than average crowd it made for a poor atmosphere, and County’s player did little to raise spirits. They’d had a real scare on Saturday with Yate, 3 relegations and bottom of the Southern League’s South and West Division, coming within seconds of a famous victory, Tony James header giving the Exiles, currently top of the Conference a barely deserved replay.

That final score never looked like being replicated, Newport continued to underestimate their part-time opponents, and may well have got away with it, Aaron O’Connor did give them the lead, but two bookings for pointless fouls saw Newport captain David Pipe take an early bath. Within 5 minutes goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley had flattened Mitchell Page; Pidgeley collected a booking and Tom Knighton levelled the game from the penalty spot. With a first round tie with Cheltenham Town the reward, the incentive was obvious but only Yate showed the requisite urgency.

In extra time it was Yate who looked the fitter, and the inevitable happened. A corner was swung in, the ball bounced back off the bar, and there was centre half Scott Thomas to head in from close range. As Newport finally began to push forward, more out of shock than belief, they were hit with a real sucker punch. Matt Groves exploited the gap where right back Pipe used to be to turn and fire home, in front of a band of delirious travelling fans. The Newport faithful turned, and silently made for the dark wet exits.