After The Break

03 Thursday Sep 2020

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Tuesday 25th August 2020 ko 19.45

Friendly

SOUTHAM UNITED 1 (Coombes 25)

ATHERSTONE TOWN 4 (Naughton 45 61 80p Quinn 67)

Att c80 at Bobby Hancocks’ Park

Free Entry

It was a year late, and delayed by over a week more by Coronavirus restrictions, but finally Southam United’s new home has seen a game in front of an audience. I fully imagined visiting this time last year, and ended up seeing a game on Southam Juniors’ ground as the new ground wasn’t quite ready. Do have a read of that article before carrying on with this one; the background to the return of Southam United, and the building and delay to the new ground is there.

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Red, Gold & Green

01 Tuesday Sep 2020

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Saturday 22nd August 2020 ko 14.00

Friendly

HERSHAM FC 4 (O’Connor 28 Spencer 57 60 Long 86)
CLAYGATE ROYALS 2 (Heagney 48 Pitt 89)

Att c30 at Desborough Island, Walton-on-Thames

Free Entry

West of London there are no end of small islands in the River Thames, and given how easy it is to maintain privacy on any of them they do tend to be quite exclusive. Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour has a houseboat studio “Astoria” moored at Hampton and D’Oyly Carte Island, once home to Richard D’Oyly the original producer of the Gilbert & Sullivan comic operas, is close to my destination, Desborough Island. Continue reading →

The Duck Pond

28 Friday Aug 2020

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Thursday 20th August 2020 ko 18.30

Friendly

CHILDREY FC 5 (James 6p Triallist 23 28 Burgess 35 Austin 75)

KINGSCLERE 3 (Foster 52 Sopp 57 Murtagh 70)

Att 39 at The Mallards Nest, Froud’s Close, Childrey OX12 9NT

Free Entry

If you were to ask me what the quintessential North Berkshire League village ground would look like, I’d have always said Childrey, even if the village didn’t have a football club from 2013 to 2020. The village, just outside of Wantage lies alongside the likes of Challow and Letcombe who either have or currently stage North Berkshire League football. Continue reading →

Down The Road

26 Wednesday Aug 2020

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Tuesday 18th August 2020 ko 19.00
Friendly

KING’S SUTTON 2 (Walker 1 Moore 89)

HOOK NORTON 1 (Rickard 53)

Att c30 at Wheeler’s Rise, Croughton

If King’s Sutton had played this game at home I’ve little doubt I’d have been there. But with work taking place on the pitch, they’re playing their pre-season friendlies a few miles south-east at Croughton Playing Fields. Since there’s been no adult team at Croughton for a couple of years, it was enough to see some of the more senior groundhoppers take advantage of a rare opportunity to tick the ground.

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Down On The Farm

24 Monday Aug 2020

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Saturday 15th August 2020 ko 13.00

Friendly

HALSE UNITED 2 (Ingram 58 86)

BURE PARK 0

Att c20  at Halse Grange Farm

In groundhopper speak all too often a football ground lacking a ground is sometimes written off by the less experienced as being “Just a field.” Of course the ground isn’t a field, its a pitch without much around it- and you can accept it or reject it on its merits. But Halse United actually do play on a farm and their pitch is, literally, a field! Continue reading →

Hallions

21 Friday Aug 2020

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Thursday 13th August 2020 ko 19.00

Friendly

BICESTER HALLIONS 2 (Bone 10 Brooks 68)

BLETCHINGTON 2 (Godfrey 4 Deabill 17)

Att 33 at KEA Sports & Social Club, Bicester

Free Entry

I wondered if I needed to be there, let along ought. The heat was oppressive, the clouds threatening, and I really didn’t fancy my first soaking of the season. As add to the malaise the engine management light on my car was on, and as I headed passed Bicester Village the dash bleeped “Engine Malfunction” In for a quid…. Continue reading →

Station’s End

20 Thursday Aug 2020

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Tuesday 11th August 2020 ko 19.00

Friendly

WATLINGTON TOWN 0

ARDLEY UNITED DEVELOPMENT 2 (Casbierd 15 Hollister 84)

Att c20

Free Entry

When the North Berkshire League Hops ended at Appleton in 2017, there was one club that unquestionably missed out, and that was Watlington Town. When I tried to put together the 2018 edition all the other clubs that were left for us to visit either couldn’t host, didn’t want to, or in one instance complained that neither Phil Annets nor I hadn’t asked them to be on the very first hop! Continue reading →

A Route Forward?

16 Sunday Aug 2020

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Saturday 8th August 2020 ko 14.00

Friendly

OLD WINDSOR 4 (Farnan 12 25 49, May 80)

CHALVEY DEVELOPMENT 0

Att 33 at Old Windsor Park

Free Entry

Sunday 9th August 2020 17.00

Speedway British Youth Championship

500cc 1st Jordan Palin 

250cc 1st Max James

125cc (Group A) William Cairns

125cc (Group B) Billy Budd

Att 441 at Scunthorpe Speedway

Entry & Programme £6.50

Last weekend the UK saw what could easily be the only speedway meeting staged this year. It was the Scunthorpe Scorpions promotion that managed to get both guidelines and permission to stage what in the normal scheme of things would be a fairly low-key meeting. The 3 speedway leagues have had their 2020 seasons cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak so short of a few challenge matches this could easily be it for British speedway this year. With 2 sports events in 2 days to watch there was the added bonus of comparing how the events were staged, under what restrictions and for non league football the chance to assess a possible safety blueprint should supporters be allowed back into non league grounds from National League down to feeder league level. Continue reading →

Never A Step Backward

12 Wednesday Aug 2020

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Tuesday 4th August 2020 ko 19.15

Friendly

SILCHESTER FC 0

BADSHOT LEA (4 3 31 50 77)

Att c20 @ Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke

Free Entry

With a friendly lined up at an unusual venue in Basingstoke, and plenty of time to get there, I took the chance to stop and spend a few minutes at the Camrose.  Until 2019 the ground, gifted to the people of Basingstoke by Lord Camrose in 1945 was home to Basingstoke Town. Continue reading →

Garlic

07 Friday Aug 2020

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Saturday 1st August 2020 ko 14.30

Friendly

BASILDON TOWN 3 (O’Brien 5 Smith 56 Bradbourn 89)

BARNSTON AFC 1 (Rollins 85)

Att c50 at Basildon Sport & Leisure Club

I doubt I’ll manage a quicker trip between grounds all season. Just a fence separates the Post Office Sports Ground from the Basildon Sport & Leisure Club, and while the entities are entirely separate, the gap in the fence was handy! Continue reading →