In Extremis

01 Saturday Oct 2011

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Saturday 1st October 2011

Midland Combination U21 League East/North

AUSTREY RANGERS 0

RUGBY TOWN JUNIORS 3 (Thomas 12 Linford 63 Gordon 76)

Att 16 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No Programme

Coffee 80p

Finger of Fudge 20p (!)

Austrey lies at the northernmost point of Warwickshire, just off the A42. A look on Google Earth shows Austrey Field to little more than, well, a field, but when I arrived it was a hive of activity. If you want to tick off Austrey you have no option but to watch age based football, there is no adult team, although I suspect this vibrant club will soon make that move as the eldest players get too old for youth football. With a clubhouse, and part railed pitch the infrastructure is already in place the such a move.

Other than my game there were U12 and U18 games going on, which gave Dutch (Utrecht) referee Erick van Vlet a problem- Continue reading →

Echoes

30 Friday Sep 2011

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Thursday 29th September 2011 ko 7.15pm (although it actually kicked off at 7.30)

Leicestershire Senior Cup First Round

HIGHFIELD RANGERS 2 (Jamu 51 Patrocinio 54)

ST ANDREWS 5 (Williams 11 Trevor 20 Connolly 42 48 Preston 87)

Att 41 (h/c)

Entry £3

No programme

Another trip to Leicester, this time to Gleneagles Avenue, home of this decidedly Afro-Caribbean club who ply their trade in the top division of the Leicestershire Senior League. A bit of a do at the gate as I tried to pay for Lee and I with a tenner, to discover that the gateman had precisely no change, it set the tone in a way…

The ground is typical of the league, railed, floodlit (but with quite a few bulbs missing), cover but no seats. There’s a decent enough clubhouse, and to be honest I’d have written off the whole thing as an unremarkable “tick” but then I found the echoes.

For a start this is the club that nurtured a young Emile Heskey before he moved on to Leicester City and stardom (of a sort). On gaining the teams I visited the officials room, and on the way discovered the quite wonderful graffiti-style art hidden to most. Add to that the visitors’ manager, Clem Dublin, Deon’s younger brother and you have a demonstration of the power of the community football club.

St Andrews are having a good season one level above Highfield, in the East Midlands Counties League and claimed a notable FA cup scalp of St Neots the previous weekend. Trouble is they had 9 out injured for this encounter. Nevertheless they soon rattled up a substantial lead, and then well you’ve read the script, they tried to sit on it. And Highfield gave it a real go, two goals in quick succession, and if one shot had have been just an inch or two lower, who knows……

3, 2, 1!

30 Friday Sep 2011

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Wednesday 28th September 2011 ko 7.30pm

Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Reg Davis Cup Final

GALA WILTON 3 (Hoskins 2 Hemming Bolton 27og)

STAR FC 2 (Gluyas 33 Conway 44)

Att 165 (h/c)

Entry & Programme £2 (but see below)

Match played at Glevum Park, Gloucester (Tuffley Rovers FC)

Consider if you will, a League Cup competition so well organised that it’s completed from start to finsh in September. Consider also, that this is a league where the top division sits a full 8 promotions from the football league. For this was one of the best organised cup finals I’ve ever attended, perhaps only surpassed by the Japanese Students Prime Minister’s Cup. The programme was excellent, it was easy to get the line ups and any piece of information was either in the programme or a simple question away. In fact the only thing that a few days after the event that still puzzles me is exactly how much was it to get in?

The front of the programme says £3, I was charged £2, but Lee West behind me was handed his programme and told he owed me a pound! Work that one out!

Glevum Park saw Hellenic Premier action comparatively recently, and it shows. Spick span, albeit with a lack of a bar area, it would quicky fall into the “bog standard step 5” category if isn’t wasn’t for that stand. I’ve never seen on of those before! In fact that only other ground I’ve seen seats like that were at North Leigh and they’ve long since been ripped out. I believe they call that “Progress.”

And what a game it was! After half an hour it looked like it would be a case of how may Gala could get but then the club formerly known as Eagle Star, found their feet. Yes they scored just the two, but hit the crossbar and missed when it looked a good deal easier to score, and don’t be fooled by the lack of goals in the second half either, this was a cracker from start to finish.

A game of one half

30 Friday Sep 2011

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Tuesday 27th September 2011 ko 7.15pm

Leicestershire Senior Cup First Round

AYLESTONE PARK 2 (G Seal 18 27p)

BIRSTALL UNITED 1 (Man-Klee 8 )

Att 54 (h/c)

Entry £2.50

No programme

Chips & Cheese £1.50

With the  Leicester based club having moved a full 400 yards to their new home, The Mary Linwood Recreation ground in Saffron Lane, this fixture attracted some of the big hitters of the groundhopping fraternity.

The ground reflects precisely the clubs needs and immediate ambitions. There are two pitches, so close that the dugouts are double sided, and the clubhouse is both large and impressive. However the sole spectator accommodation is still the same unseated Arena stand, salvaged from the old ground, and given a lick of paint. You question how far the club can progress with the ground as it is particularly when you consider that the club has the advantage of the demise of the Leicestershire Constabulary club which supplied both players and committee.

What we got was a cracking half of football. Birstall took an early lead, Aylestone stung by the threat to their 100% record responded, and with a penalty to take the lead we were set up for an exciting second half. I’d have even settled for extra time.

I turned up for the second half, I’m not sure the players did! What we got was a turgid half of ill-tempered hoofing, and a catalogue of unforced errors. By the end, extra time would have been a trial.

Gemini

25 Sunday Sep 2011

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Saturday 24th September 2011 ko 7.30pm

North Berkshire League Division One

AFC WALLINGFORD 0

CROWMARSH GIFFORD 2 (Hedges 42 79)

Att 157

Entry by Programme £3

Tea 60p

Badge £3

By the evening game, I was flagging a bit. Organising these hops is stressful enough, but doing so with a hernia made things just made things tougher. Still, I propped myself up, did what I needed to (deliver the badges, organise the team sheets, do the crowd count etc) then enjoyed a nice cup of tea.

I have time for AFC Wallingford, as life has been tough for them. From beating AFC Wimbledon to the Combined Counties League title in 2001-2 little or nothing as gone right for them since,and they’ve had real problems with their landlords. We’d annoyed them by bouncing a children’s party to host this late kickoff. Continue reading →

…Like hot cakes!

25 Sunday Sep 2011

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Saturday 24th September 2011 ko 4.30pm

North Berkshire League Division 2

SUTTON COURTENAY 4 (Foster 14 Oram 15 Pitson 64 Druce 71)

BERINSFIELD 1 (Stockford 80)

Att 182

Entry by Programme £3

Badge £3

Tea 50p

Homemade Cake 50p

Cheeseburger £2

By the third game I’d relaxed, it was obvious the crowds were going to be of an acceptable level, and the club I knew from a visit late last season were both keen and ready to host a hop game. I was relieved we’d hired a mini-coach as I’m not sure whether we’d have got a full sized vehicle down the Old Wallingford Road!

Once again a barbeque was in full swing, but the act of genius was in the clubhouse, where home made cake was on sale for 50p a slice! I had two pieces! Someone can bake in this corner of Oxfordshire. Again the teamsheet was pinned up in good time, but I still managed to watch the opening few minutes some distance from the pitch! I’d caught up with Jackie Cullen secretary of visitors Berinsfield, and a wonderful advert for the club who have overcome major problems in the past, to win both the League cup and division 4 last season, their first back in the NBFL.

I’d fully expected Berinsfield to win this one easily, but when Courtenay can boast players of the calibre of Luke Bennett (ex Oxford United) perhaps I should have known better. In a high quality game, Courtenay ran out worthy winners, but as organiser I was also pleased the large numbers of the NBFL committee present. One quietly told me he didn’t think I’d get this many people to the games, and how pleased he was to be proved wrong. Comments like that are appreciated!

Razzmatazz

25 Sunday Sep 2011

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Saturday 24th September 2011 KO 1.30pm

North Berkshire League Division 1

DRAYTON FC 3 (Curran 72 76 82)

HARWELL VILLAGE 1 (Hinchcliffe 90)

Att 168

Entry by programme £3

Tea £1

Cheeseburger £2.50

Cheese & Onion Roll £1

Old team shirt £2

Badge £3

The second game of the hop was a mere mile and a half from the first, at the Recreation Ground, off Lockway.

The previous evening I’d had a bit of a nose round, firstly to see where to put the coach, and to see how they’d cope with a crowd. It looked easy enough to secure, but other than the village hall there didn’t look to be much space.

I needn’t have worried as the club put on a super show, complete with a gazebo borrowed from Tilsley Park, in nearby Abingdon. The place was packed out, and one hopper Martin Heyden from Cheshire even decided to cycle between the first 3 grounds! The locals pocked their noses over their fences and whinged at the number of people present, again there was a roaring trade in badges, and burgers, and I was impressed at how hard the Drayton FC people worked at their 2 hours in the spotlight.

The game was a complete non event for 70 minutes, then portly striker Danny Curran entered the fray. 10 minutes later, and 3 chances, he’d collected the match ball, Drayton the 3 points, and all was left to do was watch Martin climb on his bike just after a goalkeeping howler gave Harwell Village their consolation.

Life was getting better every minute…..

Epicentre

25 Sunday Sep 2011

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Saturday 24th September 2011 ko 10.30am

North Berkshire League Division 2

STEVENTON 3 (Margetts 7 McArdle 18 Cooper 69)

MARCHAM 2 (Northcott 15 Banks 33)

Att 190

Entry by Programme £3

Badge £3

Tea and Bacon Roll £2.50

The North Berkshire League hop had been over a year in the making, and as organiser its never easy bringing a league and its clubs up to speed on what to expect and how to go about making the most of the day. The league were, and are a pleasure to deal with, but you never know…. until the coach drove past Steventon Green for the pick up at Didcot station , and there was the barbeque fired up, the pitch roped off and the the hoppers already tucking in.

I’d picked Steventon because of the league rule that all grounds have to be within 20 miles of Steventon Green, so why not start at the centre of things!

Raffle tickets were sold, the programmes sold out, and people enjoyed a cracking game, in the autumnal sun. Neither side seemed capable of defending which believe me hoppers love!  I’ve never met a hopper would didn’t like goals!!!

I did hear a lovely comment from one visitor when we announced the attendance, ” I bet that’s double what they normally get!” Little did they know, when I first visited Steventon FC, the attendance was 7!

I climbed back aboard the bus, knowing things were all going to work out nicely. Thanks guys!

The A3 Derby

22 Thursday Sep 2011

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Combined Counties League Premier Division

COLLIERS WOOD UNITED 1 (Davies 4)

HANWORTH VILLA 4 (Oakes 22 58 Preddie 43 Farnden 45)

Att 62

Entry £6

Programme £1

How many motorists have driven north along the A3 from the M25 and passed the ground not noticing the delights to be found at the Wibbandune Sports Ground, to their right? It really is a great little club to visit, once you’ve worked out how to park! The clever move is to park opposite and use the footbridge over the dual carriageway.

A friendly welcome awaits, as I discovered after a beast of a journey. I’d avoided the jams on the M25 and driven via Sheen and Kingston and got to the ground a full 30 seconds before kickoff. Nevertheless a programme was found, after a promise that if one couldn’t be found they’d print me one off. At half time I enjoyed a conversation about Queen’s Park FC.

The lineups were displayed on a blackboard, and updated with scorers and substitutions. Plenty for the student of the non league stadium with the quirky overhang to the clubhouse and the display of classic pitch rollers! Yes, there’s the Arena stand, to keep Colliers Wood at step 5, but it hasn’t ruined the feel of the place.

Sadly step 5 looks to be the height of the club’s ambitions at this ground. There’s a public footpath, it’s in no way enclosed and having a river at one end does mean games do get regularly waterlogged off.

On the pitch too Wood look a long way from  progressing further, despite Davies’ 35 yard blockbuster to open the scoring. From then on in their local rivals were always in control, and sadly for my excellent hosts, 1-4 was a fair reflection on the game.

I wholeheartly recommend a trip to this friendly little club, but do check if there’s been rain.

Mobile Teeth Whitening

22 Thursday Sep 2011

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Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division

ASHBY IVANHOE 2 (Willars 64 Chambers 90og)

BIRSTALL UNITED 4 (Seals 4 Man-Keil 37 Headly 71 Raye 84) Williamson sent off 50 (2nd booking)

Att 37 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No programme

Cheese/Bacon Burger £3

Tea 65p  from a mobile van

Hood Park is not the most exciting of venues, tucked away behind a leisure centre, like an embarrassment. The generator for the floodlights spluttered into life and occasionally belched a dark cloud into the dark skies. No cover save for the overhang of the leisure centre, and nothing to eat except from the burger van whose occupant turned of the internal light when not serving to allow a better view of the action.

But what action it was. Watching Ashby at Ratby last week revealed that they couldn’t defend, and they shipped another 4 completely avoidable goals. Even the dismissal of Williamson who managed to collect a booking for persistant infringement in the 28th minute, didn’t cramp Birstall’s style, although they did score a quite brilliant own goal to offer their hosts scant consolation.

Referee Rob Massey turned out to be the biggest personality on show. He had a fine game, but he told a lovely story to his linesmen as I jotted down the line ups. He’d just referreed a game at Repton Public school. He abandoned the game after 60 minutes after sending off 3 in 4 minutes! He also pointed out that Jeremy Clarkson is one of their most famous alumni!