Jorvik

20 Monday Dec 2021

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Saturday 11th December 2021 ko 15:00

National League North

YORK CITY 1 (Wright 12)

Brown sent off 35 (serious foul play)

CHORLEY 1 (Cardwell 39)

Att 4,512 (156 away) STADIUM RECORD

Entry £5

Programme £2.50 

Teamsheet 20p

Back in 2010 I was at Wembley for the Conference Premier Play-off final to watch Oxford United regain their place in the Football League at the expense of York City. As an Oxford fan my sole thought at the time was that my side won, I must confess I thought little of York and their fans, save for a brief pang of regret for their then manager Martin Foyle, he was ex-Oxford after all! A glance at the Leagues would point to there being 3 divisions between 2 University clubs who’ve both left iconic grounds, and had lousy owners. But that’s only a superficial way of looking at York’s new ground. Continue reading →

Smallbrook

14 Tuesday Dec 2021

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Saturday 4th December 2021 ko 14:00

Wessex League Division One

NEWPORT (IW) FC 2 (Kelly 23 31)

ANDOVER NEW STREET 1 (Hooper 45)

Att 98 at Smallbrook Stadium

Entry £6

Programme £1.50

I have a nasty feeling I’m groundhopping ways of reaching the Isle of Wight! There’s been, so far, the Fastjet from Portsmouth for Cowes Sports, the ferry from Portsmouth for East Cowes Vics, the ferry from Southampton for Ventnor, and the hovercraft from Southsea for Brading and Shanklin, and there’s plenty more ways to come. No, I will not be trying to swim it! Continue reading →

Undercliff

08 Wednesday Dec 2021

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Tuesday 30th November 2021 ko 19:45

Southern Combination “Peter Bentley” Cup 2nd Round

SALTDEAN UNITED 3 (Pamment 2 Allen 6 Shelley 43)

ALFOLD 0

Att 62

Entry £5

Programme £1

It seems that I’m destined to complete the Southern Combination with a combination of the RUR Cup and the Peter Bentley Cup through those competitions’ midweek fixtures and yes, my ability to reach the grounds in 2 hours after work in Oxford. Continue reading →

Oh, my dear friend. How I’ve missed you.

07 Tuesday Dec 2021

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Sunday 21st November 2021 ko 11:00

Bridgend & District Sunday League

LITCHARD PARK 1 (Randall 41)

GARTH VADER 1 (Horrigan 74)

Roberts sent off FT (Foul & Abusive)

Att 5 at Pitch 4, Newbridge Fields, Bridgend.

Free Entry

I still have a theory that everyone who follows a big club ought to go and watch a game on a park pitch once in a while. I find it oddly cathartic to breathe cold Sunday morning air, to feel the grass give beneath my feet and even to watch the leaves fall like oversized rain drops from autumnal trees. So when my wife Robyn wanted to be in Bristol to see her former workmates on a Sunday morning I knew immediately what I wanted to do.

Continue reading →

Incognito

03 Friday Dec 2021

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Saturday 20th November 2021 ko 14:00

Gwent Premier League- Division One

P.I.L.C.S. 3 (Bown 28 34 39)

COED EVA ATHLETIC 5 (Perkins 35 55 Bloomer 72 Williams 76 88p)

Att 17

Free Entry

There was plenty going on before I even crossed the Prince of Wales Bridge. I knew I’d be based in Bristol for the weekend, with my wife Robyn watching Bristol City on the Saturday and seeing her girlie friends on Sunday morning. That gave me an opportunity or two, but we decided to have a Saturday evening family get-together at the ice hockey because the Bristol Pitbulls versus my hometown Oxford City Stars was too good an opportunity to turn down! Continue reading →

Velocity

02 Thursday Dec 2021

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Tuesday 16th November 2021 ko 19:45

Isthmian League Cup 1st Round

PHOENIX SPORTS 1 (Evans 40)

GREAT WAKERING ROVERS 3 (Jeremiah 14p Fuma 29 Gordon 87p)

Att 56

Entry £9

Programme -online

Teamsheet FREE

I’d just arrived at the Mayplace Ground, and was contemplating my first Bovril when my wife Robyn phoned. She asked where I was, and for once I swerved the opportunity to play the Smart Alec. It would have been oh-so-easy to have just said “Phoenix Sports” but chose to actually describe where I was. I said, “Barnehurst- or another way, that bit of South-East London that’s in Kent.” I hope that was sufficient an explanation! Continue reading →

The Mousetrap

26 Friday Nov 2021

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Saturday 13th November 2021 ko 14:00

Berks & Bucks Intermediate “Charles Twelftrees” Trophy 1st Round

CHOLSEY UNITED 1 (Spruyt 40)

READING YMCA 1 (Adams 22)

No extra time, YMCA won 3-2 on penalties

Att c30

Free Entry

Its funny how things work out. I knew in the morning I was going to be at the GP’s having a jab and that conveniently ended up being a vaccine in either arm. So I had no intention of travelling far, and as if by serendipity I received a message from Rob Tyler inviting me to watch Cholsey. We go back longer than either of us would like to remember, veterans of club coach travel to Oxford United away games during the start of our slide down the leagues. It means we both completed a fair chunk of the 92 without really trying but these days he’s on committee at North Berkshire League outfit Cholsey United. Continue reading →

Family

25 Thursday Nov 2021

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Tuesday 9th November 2021 ko 19:45

Somerset Premier Cup 2nd Round

BATH CITY 3 (Fletcher 8 Cooke 37 Smith 74)

PORTISHEAD TOWN 0

Att 476

Entry £8

Programme 50p

From a groundhopping perspective this didn’t make a whole lot of sense. I’ve been to Twerton Park on a number of occasions, to the point that I’ve seen Bath City, Bristol Rovers and even Team Bath all play home games here. And as lovely is the place is, and you can double that for a game under lights, why on earth would Robyn and I engage in a mad dash after work from Oxford to see this game? The answer is family.  Continue reading →

The Rock

24 Wednesday Nov 2021

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Saturday 6th November 2021 ko 14:30

East Cornwall Premier League

ROCHE AFC 3 (Rowe 2 20 Robinson 88)

PLYMOUTH MARJON 2NDS 0

Att c15

Entry £2

In my mind it was time to head off the beaten track again. There is a strong element amongst groundhoppers to be target driven- finish a division, league or even a level of non league. I’m target driven in my professional life so when groundhopping the only real rule for me is to go where the mood takes me. And on this occasion I fancied another trip to Cornish China Clay Country.

Continue reading →

Maverick

22 Monday Nov 2021

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Tuesday 2nd November 2021 ko 19.45

Sussex R.U.R. Cup 2nd Round

WORTHING UNITED 0

SELSEY 4 (Burns 6 North 17 O Clarke 65 J Clarke 90)

Att 35

Entry £6

Groundhopping does bring up some quirks and Worthing United for me was one of them. I’ve visited all but a handful of the Southern Combination’s grounds across the league’s 3 divisions, but somehow never watched Worthing United home or away, even to the point of visiting the “other” teams in the town Worthing FC and Worthing Town (Leisure) in the past. I suspect part of the reason was that an evening trip to Worthing is on the limits of where I can get to after work, and yes England’s motorways do need to co-operate which for once they did! Continue reading →