The Big Cheese

02 Thursday Oct 2025

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Saturday 26th July 2025 ko 14:45

United Counties League Division One

FCV GRACE DIEU 3 (Olajide-Oriowu 67 Halliday 75 Farouk 88)

Hallaci penalty saved 48

SHIREBROOK TOWN 0

Att 286

Entry £5

Programme £2

So there I was sat on the GroundhopUK coach with little idea where we were! I knew we were going to be watching Grace Dieu but it was only when we reached Thringstone that the penny droppped.

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Calling Elvis

28 Sunday Sep 2025

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Saturday 29th July 2025 ko 11:30

United Counties League Premier Division North

GRESLEY ROVERS 1 (Moore 57)

SHERWOOD COLLIERY 5 (Westcarr 13p 27p 41 60 Pearce 89)

Att 597 at the Moat Ground

Entry £8

Programme £2.50

Teamsheet 50p

I didn’t want to check Futbology, I knew it had been the best part of twenty years since I’d visited the Moat Ground. I’d actually visited after I’d given then Oxford United defender Scott Guyett a lift after he’d missed the team coach.

He also played for Gresley Rovers who are based in Church Gresley, near Swadlincote He pointed out that when Gresley won the Southern League in 1998 they were turned down for the Conference due to ground grading and were forbidden from using the Baseball Ground even through Derby County had moved out. The club that were promoted due to Gresley’s misfortune? Cheltenham Town.

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A Case Of Step 5

26 Friday Sep 2025

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Friday 25th July 2025 ko 19:45

United Counties League Premier Division South

COVENTRY UNITED 0

AYLESTONE PARK 1 (Samuels 70)

Att 490 at Butts Park Arena (Coventry RUFC)

Entry £7

Programme £2

I grabbed a seat at Butts Park Arena with plenty to think about. GroundhopUK have run events in the UCL for over 10 years, helped by the Peterborough & District League padding out the fixtures for the first few years, and the UCL’s footprint gradually drifting north. But we’re close to the end, and that does come with complications.

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The Rockets

26 Friday Sep 2025

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Saturday 19th July 2025 ko 15:00

Friendly

RAYLEIGH TOWN 2 (Acheampong 44 Philbrick 70)

missed penalty 10

FRENFORD 1 (13)

Att 58 at Rayleigh Sports & Social Club, London Road

Free Entry

To a groundhopper, one benefit of pre-season is that clubs who groundshare during the regular season tend to play “at home”. You may recall me visiting Benfleet well before they got Woodside up to Step 6 standards and you hope Rayleigh can do the same for their London Road home.

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The Conundrum

22 Monday Sep 2025

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Tuesday 15th July ko 19:15

James Chisnell Memorial Cup

EAST THURROCK COMMUNITY 0

GRAYS ATHLETIC 4 (Fitzer 22 Bantick 32 Lukaku 42p Shelvey 51)

Att 130 at Wyldecrest Sports Country Club, Corringham

Free Entry

On the face of it East Thurrock United always were a little unusual. They never actually played in Thurrock, rather in Corringham around 6 miles east, with the name apparently being because the Corringham name had already been taken! I, like no end of groundhoppers saw them at their final ground, Rookery Hill, but they folded in 2023 with owner Alfie Best blaming the club’s demise on “Historic Debt”

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The Lifeboat

15 Monday Sep 2025

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Saturday 5th July 2025 ko 14:00

Friendly

STOURBRIDGE 4 (Shaw 8 Campbell Freemantle 50 Bood 66)

DUDLEY TOWN 2 (Jae 20 Crook 30p)

Att 586

Entry £8

Programme £2

Any student of the non league game will tell you there’s something of a love/hate relationship between Stourbridge FC and their home at War Memorial Athletic Ground. On one hand, it is an icon of the West Midlands sporting scene, but since it is also a cricket ground the start and end of any football season is always an issue; I remember them playing early rounds of the FA Cup at Halesowen around 20 years ago.

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Back On The Normal Weird Stuff

08 Monday Sep 2025

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Tuesday 1st July 2025 ko 19:00

Friendly

STANWAY ROVERS 3 (Mardell 19 63 Nalbant 38)

HALSTEAD TOWN 1 (Travelle 44)

Att 56 at Spring Lane

Free Entry

While the trip to Sweden and Estonia had been both enjoyable and educational it was good to be back home. That said I wasn’t back in my comfort zone, my job had changed and I found myself back on the road with a company car and a fuel card. The Financial Controller was very keen to explain the tax implications, and advised me to make plenty use of both to make it worth my while. I was then asked whether I’d be likely to do much driving in my personal life? My boss has just about stopped laughing…

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Let’s Go ‘Ome

07 Sunday Sep 2025

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Saturday 14th June 2025 ko 12:30

Esliiga B

NARVA TRANS U21 3 (Besirgkis 3 Bahval 41 Reivik 72og)

PAIDE LINNAMEESKOND U21 0

Att 84 at Narva Kalev-Fama Staadion

Free Entry

I’ve always found borders fascinating, and I’ve little doubt that the border between Estonia and Russia is nothing if not interesting. Being based near to Tallinn’s main station, Balti Jaam was more than handy as our train left at 6.15am! The little K-kiosk near the platforms as ever was handy for an extremely early breakfast- there are no buffet cars on Estonian trains.

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Sportland

02 Tuesday Sep 2025

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Wednesday 11th June 2025 ko 18:00

Estonian “Tipner” Cup Round of 64

JK TALLINNA KALEV u21 6 (Lasn 28 Väjlas 60 Kirss 69 Oja 78 Tammepöld 80 81)

RL VANA HEA PUUR 0

Att 27 at Sportland Arena, Lilleküla Football Complex, Tallinn

Free Entry

We’d made good use of the Ühiskaart public transport cards. A combination of tram and bus had taken us roughly 6km north of Tallinn centre to the TV Tower in the village of Pirita. It was a fascinating place, built in 1980 to relay footage of the sailing competition of the Moscow Olympics based nearby!

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Balti Jam

29 Friday Aug 2025

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Tuesday 10th June 2025 ko 17:00

Estonia U19 Eliitliiga Esilliga

TALLINNA JK LEGION 1 (Blinov 82)

TARTU FC HELIOS 0

Att 73 at Wismari Jalgpallistaadion, Tallinn

Entry Free

It was interesting approaching Estonia having arrived from Sweden. I found myself making comparisons with Stockholm rather than the UK. There is a clear Scandinavian influence, but I was most interested in their past as being part of the USSR before their independence was regained in 1991. You’ll hear Russian spoken, roughly a quarter of Estonians speak it as their first language, but that percentage alters massively depending on where you are, as we were to find out later.

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