Glory Box

28 Thursday Nov 2019

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Saturday 5th October 2019 ko 10.45

Western League Division One

PORTISHEAD TOWN 3 (Osmond 53p 64p Eastwood 72)

LONGWELL GREEN SPORTS 5 (Carter 31p 54 Mafini 60 Crubb 68 Britton 84)

Att 262

Entry £6

Programme £1

Sat at breakfast at the Almondsbury Interchange Hotel it was time for a little reflection. It was lovely to be back in the Western league, and once again try and maintain what the late Mark Edmonds started, and what Jules French has carried on. There’s always been a real sense of responsibility in making this event work. But all good things do have to come to an end, this hop saw us visit all the remaining clubs that hadn’t previously hosted, and that hadn’t featured on another (Dorset, Devon or South West Peninsula) hop. I’ve often said that the first hop of the series is the most difficult to organise, but the last does come with its own challenges. Continue reading →

The Tavern

26 Tuesday Nov 2019

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Friday 4th October 2019 ko 19.45

Western League Division One

LEBEQ UNITED 3 (Brown 7p 59 Sarr 13)

DaCosta sent off 55 (violent conduct)

RADSTOCK TOWN 1 (Rustell 14p)

Att 192 at Oaklands Park, Almondsbury (Gloucs FA Ground)

Entry £5

Programme £1

In a few ways the organised groundhop should have visited Oaklands Park far far earlier than this. Think back 15 or so years ago to the days of the Welsh Hellenic Hop, when GroundhopUk would spend August Bank Holiday Saturday in the South Wales Amateur League then spend Sunday and Monday in the Hellenic. Each and every year we traveled east across the Severn, and each time we failed to visit, but why? Continue reading →

The Tale of 3 “E’s”

21 Thursday Nov 2019

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Monday 30th September 2019 ko 20.00

Staffordshire County Senior League Division One

KEELE UNIVERSITY 1 (Gaisford 10)

CITY OF STOKE 4 (Sargeant 65 White 68 Johnson 71 79)

Att 8

Free Entry

When you see Keele what do you picture in your mind? I suspect most see the Services on the M6, and some would see the university. For me it’s definitely the latter. Continue reading →

16th February 1871

20 Wednesday Nov 2019

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Tuesday 24th September 2019 ko 19.45

National League Premier

MAIDENHEAD UNITED 1 (Whitehall 62)

DOVER ATHLETIC 2 (Cumberbatch 19 L’Ghoul 77)

Att 1,015

Entry £15

Programme £3

When Robyn moved to Oxford 3 years ago, it gave me the perfect excuse to revisit some of the more interesting grounds near her new home. It was hardly surprising the likes of Marlow and Metropolitan Police got quickly visited and the process got dubbed as a “Robyn Revisit” but a complete mystery was why Maidenhead’s York Road took so long for me to return to? Continue reading →

Goin’ Home

18 Monday Nov 2019

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Tuesday 17th September 2019 ko 19.45

Isthmian League- Premier Division

HORSHAM 2 (Harris 3 Smith 27)

WINGATE & FINCHLEY 1 (Kennedy 70)

Att 412

Entry £11

Programme £2

A new home for Horsham at Hop Oast has been one of this season’s good news stories. So much so that not only was my journey round the M25 straightforward, but I even had time to try to remember when it was I’d visited their former home at Queen Street? Continue reading →

Fritillaries

13 Wednesday Nov 2019

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Saturday 14th September 2019 ko 16.30

Witney & District League- Division Two

DUCKLINGTON 2 (Duthie 33 90)

WOOTTON SPORTS 3 (Spencer 51 78 88)

Att 178

Entry & Programme £4

Ducklington Sports Ground is the kind of place you can drive right past without knowing its there. I should know I spent 3 years as a sales rep in the Witney area and drive along the road from the A40 to Standlake and never once spotted the place. To make things worse I used to visit my friend Matt who once lived in Ducklington and still managed not to spot the place! Continue reading →

Hillgrove

10 Sunday Nov 2019

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Saturday 14th September 2019 ko 13.30

Witney & District League – Premier Division

MINSTER LOVELL 2 (Fletcher 30 Wright 39)

CARTERTON 3 (Threlfall 46 85p Rogers 61)

Att 126

Entry & Programme £4

I’d actually managed to relax on the journey from Milton-under-Wychwood as we slowly made our way south. We bumped our way down on Britain’s byways passing by Leafield; it seemed barely plausible that F1’s Arrows team used to be based here, and the plant is still a Formula 1 research facility. Continue reading →

The Groundhoppers Are Coming

07 Thursday Nov 2019

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Saturday 14th September 2019 ko 11.00

Witney & District League- Premier Division

MILTON-UNDER-WYCHWOOD 1 (Dady 3)

SPARTAN RANGERS 2 (Thompson 47 Murphy 85) 

Att 166

Entry & Programme £4

One advantage of the Witney & District Hop taking in one of the league’s outposts was the excuse to take the minibuses from Oxford out west along the A40 then heading north via Burford. You drive through the most wonderfully scenic Cotswolds countryside as you head north to what’s left of the medieval Wychwood forest. Continue reading →

Ale

05 Tuesday Nov 2019

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Friday 13th September 2019 ko 19.30

Witney & District League- Division Two

HOOK NORTON 5 (Street 11 Ingham 28 Babbage 34 Hemmings 37 Mair 65)

EYNSHAM SSC 0

Att 142

Entry & Programme £4

When the North Berkshire League Hop finished two years ago, I was in no doubt where I wanted to head next. Other than wanting to take the hop to Watlington Town the one remaining North Berks club that hadn’t hosted (but were willing and able to) it had been clear for many years that the North Berks slot was the Witney & District League’s to turn down. Continue reading →

Velocity

01 Friday Nov 2019

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Tuesday 10th September 2019 ko 19.45

Isthmian League Cup – Group 10

CHERTSEY TOWN 2 (Baxter 80 Cozens 84)

Bennell sent off (serious foul play) 41

CHIPSTEAD 3 (Hudson 26 55 Miller 63)

Att 110

Entry £9

Programme £1

The dichotomy of having visited well over 2000 football grounds is that although my options for a midweek tick are fairly limited these days, I have built up a huge database of wonderful grounds for me to take Robyn to see. A distinct advantage is also a trip to Surrey commuter belt from Oxford is a lot easier than some of my more far-flung destinations! Continue reading →