The Apprentice

10 Saturday Sep 2011

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League 2

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Potter 45 Leven 52)

BURTON ALBION 2 (Richards 54p 66)

Att 8,043 (260 away)

I’m not going to blog every single OUFC home game, as you can only take so many pictures of the one ground, and after all this is a groundhopping blog!

What made this game different from every other League 2 fixture was that is was Bridle “Bonanza” day, when the club’s main sponsor put on entertainment prior to the game, giving me plenty to point my camera at!

As for the game, if all the patrons made a decision on whether to attend on the quality of the entertainment on offer, then the next home game will be a sell-out. This was a high quality encounter, with plenty of controversy. Should Burton have a a penalty in the first half, probably yes, but was the penalty given justified?  Probably not. Certainly former OUFC striker Justin Richards’ goading of the fans was infantile, but OUFC 2 up and cruising should never have given him the opportunity.

The game could easilty have gone either way, but the joyous scenes in the away end, spoke volumes, as much in fact as the locked home dressing room afterwards.

A great game for the neutral then, but how many of them were in the ground?

The Mickey Mouse Quotient

09 Friday Sep 2011

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Cheltenham Association Football League Division 2

TEWKESBURY TOWN 4 (Jordan 15 57 Halling 55 75)

NORTHWAY 1 (Higgins 24)

Att 47 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Nothing for Sale

Many groundhoppers have standards of football beyond which they won’t venture, a favourite measure is whether a programme is available. For others it’s a specific level, measurable by how many promotions it would theoretically take to reach the Football League.

As a result the Cheltenham League is off the beaten track for many, and it’s generally difficult to sell a game on a pitch behind a school, with no cover, and no facilities.  For all of these perceived difficulties this was an enjoyable evening out. It helped that the club were kind enough to phone me to offer directions and both sides gave information about the lineups and themselves freely. It was handy for the neutral also, that the two sides are local rivals, hate each other, and the two benches spent the encounter glowering at each other from opposite sides of the pitch. A division 4 game was taking place on the adjoining pitch to add more flavour.

So what was it like? Well the standard was predictably poor, but I’ve seen a lot worse, and at a far higher level, but it was always entertaining. We had the unusual sight of Northway’s Steve Prosser being booked for dissent, whilst a non playing substitute, but his side’s defence was notably more incompetent than their opponents’ and in  the second half the home side made that implied advantage count.

Walk on manhole covers

07 Wednesday Sep 2011

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United Counties League Premier Division

YAXLEY 0

PETERBOROUGH NORTHERN STAR 1 (Viera 79)

Entry £6

Programme £1

Yearbook £5

Yaxley, a small village near Peterborough has managed to avoid my attendance for far too long, and for no good reason. Whilst Leading Drove is hardly iconic, it is quirky, the locals are friendly, and they are justifiably proud of their brand new clubhouse and changing room block. That for the hopper is a cleft stick. Yes, the facilities are excellent, but it will mean that in time the quirks will gradually disappear. These include the club shop, PA box, and gatebox all rolled into one, the two cycle shelter stands and the hard standing which is in fact a series of concrete manhole covers! For me, its the quirks that attract me in the first place.

The game wasn’t quite as bad as the low scoreline would indicate. PNS should have won by far more, but it was a passing game, easy on the eye, and it was a pleasure to while away the time with James Rennie, an expert on this part of the world.

Another bonus is that opposite Leading Drove is the pitch used by Stilton FC, that’s my card marked!

Laconophilia

05 Monday Sep 2011

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Midland Combination Division Two

COVENTRY SPARTANS 2 (Kabongo 6p Dennisur 26)

ENVILLE ATHLETIC 1 (Poole 41)

Att 22 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Programme £1

Tea 60p

An interesting one this. Last season Coventry Amateurs played a few hundred yards way, down Westwood Heath Road. The reserves split from the first XI, and retained the name, so the firsts moved to the University Sports ground and renamed themselves Spartans. Crucially for the paperchasers, its Spartans who have continued to issue, although I doubt it they actually sold more than 5 on this occasion.

Spartans at kick off were rock bottom of the league, without a win, so you would have expected their visitors to have attacked from the off. Not a bit of it, they sat back allow Spartans to walk all over them. By the time they had scored with their only attack of the first half, the tie had already been settled. A shame as I felt that if Spartans had been tested, their spirit may well have been exhausted quickly.

Still, a good visit to a friendly club.