Returning Heroes

18 Friday Dec 2020

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Saturday 12th December 2020 ko 15.00

Southern Combination Premier Division

PEACEHAVEN & TELSCOMBE 2 (Benson 50 Webber 78)

STEYNING TOWN COMMUNITY 1 (Cousins 10)

Att 153

Entry £7

Programme online only

Lockdown #2 ended up lasting a couple of weeks longer than either Robyn or I planned, and the irony of both of us contracting Coronavirus during a lockdown isn’t lost on me. We were fortunate, very fortunate to contract only a mild strain of the disease and although we were pretty wiped out for a few days we quickly recovered, with fatigue being the last symptom to fade away. But that fact did influence where we went. I wanted to break up the driving a little, I wasn’t comfortable with the marathon stints I’ve taken on in the past. That brought an idea from the past into my head…. Continue reading →

Hindsight

11 Friday Dec 2020

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Friday 6th January 2006 ko 19.30

Welsh League Division One

BRIDGEND TOWN 0

BARRY TOWN 1 (Reddy)

Att c100

Entry £3

Programme 50p

My abiding memory of this game was arriving at Coychurch Road far too early, around 6pm as I didn’t know what time this game was to kick-off at. I knew nothing back then of course Coychurch Road had staged Southern League football, and Bridgend’s stint in English football had only ended in 1983, when the club had opted back into Welsh football.

The night’s visitors had been one of the “Irate Eight” who on the formation of the League of Wales in 1992 had wanted to remain in the English game. They’d played one season as Barri AFC playing out of Worcester City before returning to the Welsh game a season later. Perhaps that’s why they didn’t know what time kick-off time was either…

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The Other Abbot

07 Monday Dec 2020

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Friday 27th October 2006 ko 19.30

Devon Premier Cup – 3rd Round

NEWTON ABBOT AFC 2 (Friend 4 Vicary 6)

Ford sent off (violent conduct) 68

TAMARSIDE 1 (Knight 76)

Att c100

Entry £2

Programme 50p

I’m sure you all know about Newton Abbot’s football club, perhaps you ticked off Newton Abbot Spurs on the 2018 South West Peninsula Hop? But there was another team in the Devon Town, playing games at the Devon FA Ground in Coach Road. I was fortunate enough to watch them play, but it was only due to a benevolent piece of influence, from Sweden of all places! Continue reading →

The Alternative Groundshare

04 Friday Dec 2020

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Thursday 16th November 2006 ko 19.45

London Senior Cup 2nd Round

WELLING UNITED 1 (Cunha 13)

TOOTING & MITCHAM UNITED 2 ( Gibbs 55 Green 68)

Att c150

Entry & Teamsheet £6

On the face of it there are no end of clubs in groundshares; you really don’t need me to give examples! Suffice it to say the rule amongst groundhoppers is to tick off the ground for either the landlords, or of there isn’t one, then the primary tenant. But in a hobby that attracts those who like their rules to be both hard and fast there are a few exceptions! Continue reading →

The Cold Wind

29 Sunday Nov 2020

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Saturday 22nd March 2008 ko 10.30

Central Midlands League – Premier Division

NEWARK FLOWSERVE 1 (Sharpe 20)

BOLSOVER TOWN 1 (Robb 50)

Humphries sent off 44 (violent conduct)

Att 260

Entry £2

Programme £1

Sometimes organised groundhops get remembered for certain characteristics. One Welsh Hop got remembered as the “Dog Shag” hop after two dogs misunderstood the excitement on the pitch at Carnetown, and the 2018 South West Peninsula Hop was the “Wet Hop” as organiser Phil Hiscox had to switch one game on to Exwick Villa’s 3G to get the game played. But without question the 2008 Easter Hop in the Central Midlands League was the cold hop! Continue reading →

The 3rd Ground

25 Wednesday Nov 2020

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Friday 26th September 2008 ko 19.45

East Midlands Counties League

DUNKIRK 2 (Senko 51 Smith 78)

HEANOR TOWN 1 (Wells 81)

Att 113 at Ron Steel Sports Ground, Lenton Lane, Nottingham

Entry £4

Programme £1

When I wrote about Stockwood Wanderers a few weeks ago, I compared the 3 clubs cheek by jowl in southern Bristol as akin to the Lenton Lane treble of Bilborough Pelican, Dunkirk and Greenwood Meadows in Nottingham.  In terms of this blog there is a catch- if you’ve clicked the Dunkirk link you’d have spotted that that game was on Dunkirk’s second pitch. Since there’s time with 2 weeks worth of lockdown left, let’s put that right! Continue reading →

The Palace

23 Monday Nov 2020

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Saturday 31st October 2009 ko 10.30

Oxford University Middle Common Room League Division One

NUFFIELD COLLEGE 3 (Gallo 16 55 Strang 73)

WOLFSON ST CROSS 1 (Cockfield 22)

Att 7 at Worcester College, Oxford

Free Entry

So with another dose of lockdown, I’m both up-to-date with this blog and at a loose end. So while I can’t watch anything live, I’ll dip back into my photo archive and tell the tales from back when. To start with here’s one that involves a bone fide legend. Continue reading →

Fade To Black

19 Thursday Nov 2020

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Wednesday 4th November 2020 ko 19.45

Southern League Division One Central

DAVENTRY TOWN 3 (Hayward 18og Bowen 40p Orosz 68)

Jackson sent off 46 (2nd booking)

DIDCOT TOWN 0

Att 120

Entry £10

Programme- Online

With England’s second month-long lockdown due to start at midnight, Robyn and I knew we weren’t the only ones planning what was going to be at best our only live game in November and possibly longer. Continue reading →

The Kett Rebellion

12 Thursday Nov 2020

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Saturday 31st October 2020 ko 14.00

Anglian Combination Division One

WYMONDHAM TOWN 3 (Tuttle 62p 71 Woodcock 90)

NORWICH UNITED 2 (Diggens 57 Middleton 85)

Att 42

Free Entry

Just like in March I could feel the walls closing in, Oxford had just moved to the more restrictive Tier 2 Covid restrictions, and I ended up taking advice on firstly whether I could make this trip, and then whether I ought to. I ended up picking a game, like those that had gone before, that was in an area of low infection, and somewhere I could easily maintain social distancing. I also wanted a game without floodlights; with clocks now on GMT a 2pm kick-off would get Robyn and I  back to Oxford early enough to spend time with friends wrapped up against the cold, outside in the pub garden, for a beer or two . As the landlord put it at the time, with all the new restrictions it seemed easier to lock down altogether. 

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Dance With Me

07 Saturday Nov 2020

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Tuesday 27th October 2020 ko 19.45

Isthmian League Division One North

COGGESHALL TOWN 1 (Claridge 33p)

AVELEY 0

Att 126

Entry £10

Programme £2

I suspect it’s all too easy to see Coggeshall Town as the Olly Murs club; it was a reason why I delayed visiting West Street until Robyn could come with me! For those who didn’t know pop star Murs bought a 50% stake in the club and is responsible for the refurbishment of the clubhouse. 

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