Way On Down South

18 Thursday Jul 2019

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Saturday 8th June 2019 ko 11.00

Division 6 Sydvästra Skäne

GISLÖVS IF 1 (O Idrizi 34)

VÄSTRA INGELSTAD IS 4 (Reuterskold 54 81 86 Wästerberg-Hertz 65)

Att 75

The Swedish Hop’s cost of £285 included all entry fees, programmes, coach travel, 2 bridge tolls on the Øresund Bridge and 2 nights’ bed and breakfast at the Clarion Magasinet Hotel in Trelleborg.

If Robyn’s I’s trip to Copenhagen over the previous 4 days had been about change then the same applied to the Swedish Hop afterwards. Leaving aside the fact that the hop had started in Denmark we awoke in the same hotel as for the previous two hops, the Magazinet in Trelleborg, but even that had switched from being a Best Western to a Clarion over the course of last year. Other changes though were more fundamental. Continue reading →

Lucky 13

16 Tuesday Jul 2019

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Friday 7th June 2019 ko 20.45

European Qualifying Round- Group D – Matchday 10

DENMARK 1 (Højberg 75)

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 1 (Duffy 85)

Att 34,610

The Swedish Hop’s cost of £285 included all entry fees, programmes, coach travel, 2 bridge tolls on the Øresund Bridge and 2 nights’ bed and breakfast at the Clarion Magasinet Hotel in Trelleborg.

Entry 350 DKK (approx’ £42.06)

Programme FREE

Even taking into account the vibrant history of the Swedish Hop the start of the 13th edition was a bizarre one. Four of us were at our hotel of the previous 3 days in the suburbs of Copenhagen awaiting the indefatigable Kim Hedwall couriering the Trelleborgs FF team coach en route from Kastrup airport to collect us. But how on earth was a proud Swede on a Swedish football team’s bus on a Swedish football tour in Denmark? Continue reading →

The Day After

14 Sunday Jul 2019

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Thursday 6th June 2019 ko 20.10 but delayed to 20.45 due to lightening

Copenhagen Series Division One

FC GRÆSRØDDERNE 4 (Juul Hansen 52 Frederickson 57 Pedersen 65 Haile 75)

ØSTERBRO IF (Olesen 80)

Att 22 at Ved Stadion, Gentofte Sportspark.

FREE Entry

We awoke to a slightly changed Copenhagen. Save for the fact that thunderstorms were going to arrive at some point that day there was the small matter of Denmark waking up to the results of a General Election. They’d opted for a change in government but as foreigners we were of course divorced from the realities of what it all added up to for the people of Denmark. So much so that what happened next surprised us, and quite honestly it shouldn’t have done.

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Hygge

08 Monday Jul 2019

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Wednesday 5th June 2019 ko 17.00

2nd Division Group 2 Promotion- Denmark

BRØNSHØJ BK 0

VANLØSE 2 (AK Jensen 61 JC Jensen 90)

Att 757

Entry 80 DKK (Approx £9.61)

Programme 20 DKK

With the Swedish Hop’s 13th edition being based once again in Trelleborg, and fiancee Robyn being a fan of all things Hans Christian Andersen it was remarkable that we hadn’t visited Copenhagen previously. Then there was the Danish concept of Hygge roughly translated as cosiness to consider too. The Danish are considered to be the world’s happiest nation, so as the plane touched down at Kastrup and I limped through customs I wanted to see if I could tap into the concept.  Continue reading →

Douglas

05 Friday Jul 2019

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Sunday 2nd June 2019 ko 16.10

Scottish Junior Cup Final

AUCHINLECK TALBOT 2 (McCracken 3 Samson 37)

LARGS THISTLE 0

Att 4,639 (1,950 Largs, 2,471 Talbot, Remainder- Hospitality)

At New Douglas Park, Hamilton Academical

Entry £10

Programme £3

Picture the scene, I’m stood at the corner of the two permanent stands at Hamilton Accies. In front of me are two lines of supporters both wearing predominantly amber and black, to my left the Largs fans and to my right the Auchinleck Talbot fans. Which team should I lend my support to for the afternoon? The problem was that I had a foot in three camps, if such a thing is possible? Continue reading →

The Burning Bing

03 Wednesday Jul 2019

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Saturday 1st June 2019 ko 14.30

East Region Junior FA Consolation Cup Semi Final

WHITBURN JUNIORS 8 (Russell 14 Liddell 18 28 72 75 Brass 61 McQuillan 83 Duncan 88)

GLENROTHES  JUNIORS 1 (Martin 80) C Schiavone sent off 65 (dangerous play)

Att c120

Entry £6

Programme £1.50

The idea hadn’t to visit West Lothian quite as soon as this. Of course the Scottish Hop had visited both Blackburn and Linlithgow at the end of March, but with Robyn and I in the Central Belt for the Junior Cup final on the Sunday we wanted another game, and this was by far the best bet!!

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Something On It

30 Sunday Jun 2019

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Saturday 18th May 2019 ko 14.30

South Devon League Division 4

ILSINGTON VILLA 0

GALMPTON UNITED 0

Att 66

Free Entry

Sometimes circumstances mean the cards fall neatly in your favour. Robyn and I knew we’d be visiting friends in Plymouth so a game on the way made sense. The issue was that in mid-May a lot of the leagues local to Plymouth or on our way would be finished so I looked more in hope than expectation. But then then I spotted something….

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Passing By

26 Wednesday Jun 2019

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Wednesday 15th May 2019 ko 18.25

East Berkshire League- Premier Division

FC BEACONSFIELD 3 (Peddle 39 76 Howell 76)

OLD WINDSOR 0

Att 12

Free Entry

A few years ago you could add your own points of interest to SatNav’s. That was handy, as you could add all kinds of things useful to groundhoppers such as football grounds, petrol stations, pubs and so on. I even knew one hopper who had a Little Chefs download!  My non-league football grounds download died along with my old SatNav but I remember the little football icon that I spotted every time I passed under the bridge on the M40 approaching Beaconsfield from Loudwater. As my OCD invitably takes me I always fancied visiting, but I had no idea who played there!
Continue reading →

The Four Timer

25 Tuesday Jun 2019

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Saturday 11th May 2016 ko 18.00

North Berkshire Cup Final

DRAYTON 1 (Dennis 87p) 

SAXTON ROVERS 2 (Stanley 7 Parry 19)

Att 469 @ Abington United FC

Entry & Programme £4

I sat having a meal in the Boundary House with the rest of the NBFL’s committee before heading over the road to the Northcourt. As ever it was a convivial hour or so before the job in hand, making the final and most important game of the NBFL season run like clockwork. Continue reading →

The Light Blue Side Of Things

23 Sunday Jun 2019

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Thursday 11th April 2019 ko 19.30

Cambridge University Association Football League- Cuppers Final

FITZWILLIAM 3 (Saunders 40 Ellis 103 Burrows 110)

PEMBROKE 1 (Ireland 69)

After extra time of 10 minutes each way

Att c300 at Grange Road (Cambridge University RUFC)

Entry & Programme FREE

If you haven’t scrolled passed this, and headed straight for the pictures you may be wondering what the appeal was here? You might assume that since I’m from Oxford that I was looking at this through some sense of rivalry but unless you’re involved at either city’s university there is no rivalry at all. As I blasted along the M11 the sense was far more about this being a “Cradle of the game” job. Continue reading →