Tag Archives: berkshire league

Ceueslaue

12 Sunday May 2013

Posted by in C

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

Saturday 11th May 2013 ko 15.00

North Berkshire League Division 5

CHALLOW FC 1 (McGowan 74)

BENSON LIONS RESERVES 2 (Swales 21 46)

Att 8

With an invite received from Long Wittenham FC to attend their end-of-season barbecue and watch the FA Cup final I needed to be somewhere nearby. I then realised there’s a club in the NBFL I’ve mentioned a few times, but knew nothing about, and that’s Challow.

There are only 3 first XI’s in the NBFL’s bottom division, so when on the last NBFL groundhop we featured Uffington United, I had a choice of either Challow or Appleton as the opposition. I plumped for Appleton, as I know them well, and have a soft spot for the gallant battlers that lose almost every week. The trouble is they were losing really heavily at the time, and there was concerns that the team wouldn’t be up for a beating in front of a large crowd. So Challow were on standby just in case, but as it transpired Appleton were happy to play, and made a lot of friends despite losing 12-0 on the night, as they didn’t ever give up. They will feature on a future hop, as will Challow, if for no other reason than just look at these pictures!

East Challow is a small village a mile or so west of Wantage. It’s cricket ground dominates, to the extent that its used for some Oxfordshire Minor Counties fixtures. There’s also the parish church of St. Nicolas to visit. It  was a Norman building of the 12th century, but the font and some masonry of the nave are now the only features surviving from this time. In the 13th century the chancel was rebuilt and the bell-cot and three-bay north aisle added. The Decorated Gothic south chapel was added early in the 14th century.

East Challow Rec’ is tucked away down a track off Hedge Hill Road, behind the local school. I parked up, started to walk down and stopped. I simply had to fire up the camera and record the simply stunning view. I reflected that I’d been a bit worried about the fixture actually taking place; Benson Lions are the team from the RAF base so if too many players are called away, the first team takes precedence so reserve games do have a tendency to get called off. You can’t really argue with a postponement due to the team being in Afghanistan!

I did have a bit of a steer on this one! With Benson Lions hosting the first game on this years NBFL hop I’d had a chat with club chairman Jon Radcliffe the previous evening. We talked about the arrangements for getting 150-200 hoppers through security at the base, it will definitely pay to have pre-booked ticket and be on the coach for this one, and he also confirmed that there would be enough players available for the reserves to fulfil their last game of the season.

That fact pleased Challow no end, as the two sides they’ve enjoyed the company of most this season has been Berinsfield Reserves, and the Lions. They’d decided to lay on some hospitality for the Lions at the manager’s pub, as “For all those lads do for our country its the least we can do…” A classy touch by a classy club.

Challow FC or Challow United, go back a long way, over a hundred years in fact. They folded a couple of years ago, over unpaid league fines and general apathy, but returned this season with a new team. There isn’t much to the ground, just a small changing room block and a fallen tree shaped so as to provide a seat. But what a view there is, with the Vale of the White Horse stretching out towards Faringdon and beyond. The club have tried to improve their lot. Some houses are being built on the edge of the village so the club lobbied for a new clubhouse as part of the planning gain. That gambit failed but there will be a new kit for the team for next season!

Challow started the season brightly and were top in September. Since then, results have rather tailed off, and going into this one they were seventh from twelve. And in all honesty they never looked like winning this one. The Lions were just that little bit stronger and smarter from the moment they scored their first, direct from a free kick from an acute angle. In fact it soon transpired that Challow’s best chance lay with the visitors lack of numbers, they had just the one substitute, he was used at half time, and throughout the second half players went down and were forced to carry on but as passengers.

It was fortunate that the Lions scored the second half early on in the second half, a penalty following one of those challenges that gives managers sleepless nights. It proved to be sufficient for the win, despite Challow’s Eammon McGowan wriggling through to reduce the deficit.

The standard wasn’t high, but what do you expect at this level? NBFL chairman Leroy Paddock popped over to see young referee Thomas Kelly who he mentors. Young Thomas had a fine game, Leroy’s obviously taught him well, and it was good to catch up with Leroy, who’s a thoroughly decent chap.

It summed a convivial afternoon’s entertainment, and it wasn’t long before I was at Bodkins field, for Long Wittenham’s barbecue. What better to watch the FA Cup final than at a grass roots clubhouse with a grilled burger, a £2 pint of real ale, and the North Berks Cup. Well done lads, and to everyone else, you’ll love the place come September!

 

No Folly

23 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in F

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday 22nd September 2012 ko 1.30pm

North Berkshire League Division One

FARINGDON TOWN 1 (Pill 50)

WOOTTON & DRY SANDFORD 0

Att 181

Entry & Programme £4

Badge £3

Food: Ham or Cheese Ploughmans

Beer: Arkells

With the first game at Coleshill there really was only one choice for the second, a trip to Faringdon’s Tucker Park. But have you ever thought about how the ground got its name?

Prior to World War I there was a Thursday Faringdon team, reflecting early closing on that day of the week. After the war the players returned to discover that 6 of them had lost their lives, and that half day closing was a thing of the past. The £30 left in the club’s kitty was enough to buy and re-badge a racing trophy, as the Faringdon Memorial Thursday Cup, and the Faringdon Town ground was named after one of the fallen 6 players, Michael Tucker. The clubhouse you see today is the result of the fundraising done by the Thursday cup competition, and the cup is still played for today.

In fact, the Memorial Cup was a reason to be nervous as organiser as a combination of a final where there’s always a programme, and the unusual day of the week that its played, meant that many of the more senior hoppers would have done the ground, and therefore would look elsewhere. I knew Faringdon are an ambitious club, with their aim being promotion back to the Hellenic, and are improving the ground accordingly. Fence posts have appeared since my last visit, and the club hope to get permission for floodlights in the future. They’re also at pains to explain they’re going about it the correct way; local players only and not spending money they haven’t got.

It was a lovely touch that the town mayor Mike Wise was there to welcome each and every person to his town’s game, and I was pleased to see him tucking into a Ploughman’s lunch later on! Those lunches went down a treat, especially with the small, but significant vegetarian contingent. As one of them correctly pointed out, ” A meat eater doesn’t have to eat meat at every meal.” As I chose the cheese version, I’m a good example. The tombola was a good money spinner too, with some bemused hoppers (me included) leaving with teddy bears!

This day was in marked contrast to the famous town Folly clearly visible above the far goal. The visitors were proudly carrying a 100% record coming into this game, and it was clear that what the game lacked in goalmouth action it made up for in tension and quality. It was hard to see this as Step 7 action.

It was Matty Pill who broke the deadlock firing home from 10 yards after good work from Dan Hoskin. Ultimately Wootton were to have to answer to this strike despite a lot of pressure late on. Luke Ingram should have done far better when clean through, and how Sam Paterson’s header hit the crossbar I’ll never know.

The celebrations at the final whistle were a reflection on what the win meant for Faringdon, and their ambitions for progress. I also felt it was a cheer for hard work earning a fair reward, both on and off the field.

Curds and Whey

09 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in C

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Saturday 4th August 2012 Ko 3.00pm

Western League Division One

CHEDDAR AFC 3 (Jones 16 Manning 82 R Lindegard 85 og)

SHERBOURNE TOWN 3 (Caines 33 46 Day 39)

Att 159

Entry £4

Programme £1

Tea-in-a-mug 50p

When selecting a game to see I’d pondered several ideas. Some hoppers went to see West Didsbury and Chorlton’s first game in the North West Counties League, others ticked off Loughborough University’s new ground. I selected Bowden’s Park for several reasons, firstly because the club are in the process of selling it to a supermarket chain who most be running out of local economies to ruin, and on a less controversial note, I fancied doing something touristy! As incidentally did North Berkshire League Press Officer Phil Annets.

I picked Phil up early, the idea being to visit Cheddar Gorge for at least a couple of hours before heading over to the ground. Its worth noting that there are 2 distinct areas of this Somerset village. There’s the gorge, a tourist trap with its caves, shops and cafes, but turn left at the bottom and there’s a quiet village, the only clue to its fame being the double yellow lines, forcing the tourists into the “Pay and Displays”

Cheddar Gorge is the largest gorge in the United Kingdom and includes several show caves. The gorge has been a centre of human settlement since Neolithic times, including a Saxon palace.  It is also the site of several limestone quarries. The village gave its name to Cheddar cheese and has been a centre for strawberry growing, with the crop being transported on the Cheddar Valley railway line, which closed in the late 1960s but is now a cycle path. It is now a major tourist destination with several cultural and community facilities, including the Cheddar Show Caves Museum.

It was a good job we left early, as mixture of driving rain, and heavy traffic left the M4 and M5 a virtually car park, and our 2 hour visit soon turned into a quick dash for a block of cheese each and some dreadful fish and chips before heading over to the ground.

Cheddar won last season’s Somerset County league, and with the huge advantage of already having floodlights the promotion to Western League football was secured. That said, there are obvious deficiencies with the ground. With two sides being formerly roped off only, they are now inaccessible. There’s no seats either, save for the picnic tables outside the large bar areas. What there is in abundance though is character, most notably to the right of the covered area by the half way line.

For there is a tiny tea bar run by two old timers. It’s a simple enough menu, tea or coffee in a mug for 50p. Phil and I stationed ourselves there, and were soon joined by 4 or so hoppers, including Terry the press officer at Dorchester Town, and one of my subscribers, Bob. We watched the game, chewed the fat, and Phil fielded questions on September 22nd’s North Berkshire League hop. And all the while a steady supply of tea was being supplied; you don’t get that in the professional game.

Ah, the game almost forgot! Well that was the best reason to be there. Sherbourne made the far better start, so when Adam Jones scored the Cheesemen’s first Western  League goal, it was a major surprise. Less surprisingly Sherbourne soon found space in a rather porous Cheddar defence (I couldn’t say holes, could I?) and were good value for their 2-1 lead at half time.

When Marc Caines gave Sherbourne a 3-1 lead soon after the re-start, it looked like the end of the game as contest. The game began to wide down, but with just 8 minutes left substitute Billy Manning’s 20 yard free kick sparked Cheddar back into life. The visitors goal was put under siege, and when George Booth’s misplaced shot was turned into his own net by Richard Lindegard, you didn’t begrudge Cheddar their point.

Powerwalking

07 Monday May 2012

Posted by in A, B

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Monday 7th May 2012 ko 2.30pm

North Berkshire League Charity Cup Final

ARDINGTON & LOCKINGE 0 James sent off 70 violent conduct

BERINSFIELD 2 (Ingram 40 Saunders 74)

Att 195 (h/c)

@Abingdon United FC

Entry and (8 page) Programme £3

It’s only about a mile from Abington Town to United, so I was in plenty of time for this one. In the car park I found a salutary reminder of the fact that no-one remembers a loser, a discarded runners up memento from the previous day’s Upper Thames Valley League Alan Alder Memorial Trophy.

If Abingdon Town has the cover, then United have both the clubhouse and the pitch. With only two areas of cover and a crowd over double that of my morning game, it was fortunate that the rain ceased, and the crowd could make use of all of the surround.

As is always the case, the committee was there en masse; why can’t other leagues do that for their blue riband events, and I witnessed the high levels of administrative efficiency as they made sure each player’s name did correspond to the number they were wearing.

And while all this was happening one person cut a nervous figure. Whilst Berinsfield’s AJ Stockford oozed confidence, club secretary Jackie Cullen paced nervously. Before the game, she kept busy putting up red and black balloons, during it she powerwalked round and round the pitch. So many finals, so many miles covered.

The game saw Berinsfield take on another Division 2 outfit more than capable of scoring goals. Ardington & Lockinge may be better known for racehorses, but they’re making their way back up the NBFL after spell away from the league. They made the brighter start too, Jonny James’ cross-cum-shot took a slight deflection and hit the bar. Berinsfield hit back as David Murphy fired  just over the bar after his intial effort was blocked by Ardington keeper Andrew Burt.

And as the half wore on Berinsfield worked out what would work for them. Captain Mark Ingram got an iron grip in midfield, and he fed AJ Stockford on the right who regularly outpaced his marker Ian Marshall. However, it was a different combination that created the opener. Brian Rawlings’ glorious cushioned lob bisected the Ardington defence and Ingram headed in, running through for a goal that would grace any stadium.

After the break Berinsfield made a fast start with Chris Murphy’s low drive grazed a post before the normally prolific David Murphy beat the offsite-trap to toe-poke the ball towards the goal. Burt somehow stretched behind to claw the ball away  then smother the loose ball just as Stockford was about to pounce. All the while Jackie paced…..

Although Berinsfield were very much in the ascendancy at 1-0 anything could have happened. The pivotal moment cam on 70 minutes when Jonny James chased a through ball, hugging the right touchline. He received close attention from Mark Ingram who shepherded him over the line none too gently. James’ reaction was to swing a punch at him. That missed, but it was not lost on either referee John Barlow, or linesman Adam Dewar, and James quickly was dismissed.

Luke Saunders replaced an exhausted Stockford and within 5 minutes he got Berinsfield’s winner. Again it was Rawlings who was the provider, his cross taking a slight deflection before finding Saunders who prodded the ball past a beaten Burt. The same combination saw Saunders’ bullet header hit the crossbar, before Burt saved brilliantly as Shane Harris followed up.

So the third trophy of the season, and as the final whistle went, the fans cheered, the players hugged, and Jackie finally stopped walking. She’ll have to go through it all again though, its the League Cup final. Same time same place, would you bet against Berinsfield making it 4?

Airplay

01 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in B

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday 1st May 2012 ko 6.45pm

North Berkshire League Division Two

BENSON LIONS 1 (Taylor 25)

BERINSFIELD 8 (Ingram 22 Stockford 24 49 Rawlings 44 Kenny 47 Saunders 62 73 Marshall 75)

Att 23 (h/c)

80 minute game

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale

It would be easy for the unitiatied to confuse Benson AFC with Benson Lions. There isn’t much distance between the two grounds, about a mile or so, but there’s one massive difference, the Lions are a Forces team, and play their football within RAF Benson. That of course means you have to get through security.

All it takes is a little forward planning. You need to produce photo ID at the guardhouse, and they’ll take your photo and issue you with a pass to flash at the gate. From there, it’s a short drive through the Domestic Site of the base to the sports ground on Lancaster Way. There’s football, rugby and cricket, as well as a fitness trail, and its as sick and span as you’d expect at a military base. This game was played on a different pitch than normal, as with cricket taking precedence, the football was shunted away from the clubhouse.

The security factor didn’t stop a fair few Berinsfield fans from making the short trip to follow their team, in fact one admitted she’d driven past her “Weightwatchers” class in Benson to attend this game. However I’ve been sworn to secrecy as to her identity!

With both sides normally wearing red, Lions opted to change their kit, only to discover their green change kit was dirty. So they decided to wear the RAF Benson team’s new 2nd XI kit. Have a look at the photos, it’s quite something!

The afternoon had seen the pitch used for an inter-base game. This had two impacts on our game. Firstly there was a small muddy pool in one goalmouth, the second proved pivotal. 4 Benson Lions players played in both fixtures, and while Berinsfield as befits the divisional champions were worthy winners, the fatigue had an obvious impact on the hosts.

Berinsfield took the lead, Mark Ingram’s deft flicked header, steering AJ Stockford’s cross from the left past Gillespie in the Lions’ goal. It was quickly 2-0 as Stockford’s cushioned volley after a quickly taken free kick wrong footed a Lions defence arguing that the free kick was taken in the wrong place. It was, but play to the whistle lads.

Lions, found a lifeline as Dan Dixon parried a shot right to Matt Taylor who stabbed in at close range. At half time the servicemen were unfortunate to be losing as they’d matched their visitors.

All that changed as the players visibly tired, during the second half. Simon Kenny fired home to make it 3, and Stockford tapped home to get himself a brace. Lions bad evening got worse when Steve Morley collected a second yellow for elbowing David Murphy, putting unnecessary strain on an exhausted team. The Lions bench had seen it coming, the assistant manager had offered a £20 bet. There were no takers, but they couldn’t substitute him as they has to prioritize the players who’d played in both fixtures.

Substitute Luke Saunders collected a late brace, both times Gillespie got something on his shot, but both times he watched the ball trickle agonizingly over the line. Ian Marshall’s late strike was a neat coda to a league season that’s seen Berinsfield lose only twice.

After the game I had long chat with Benson Lions about how they could host a NBFL groundhop game. The base does have procedures for open-days, but security isn’t something that can be compromised but that I’m sure that can be worked with, and the club have great plans for the visiting hoppers.

To finish, I need to correct one element of my previous reports on Berinsfield. They had let me know that they have only been asked to leave one league, not the three I previously mentioned. I apologise, and am happy to set the record straight.

On a Whing and a Prayer

20 Tuesday Mar 2012

Posted by in O

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Tuesday 20th March 2012 ko 7.45pm

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Morgan 57)

AFC WIMBLEDON 0

Att 6,366 (362 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail)

So, those of you who weren’t there will look at the score, and think, play-off side struggles to beat lower-table side, in a dour encounter. And you’d be right, except for the last 4 words. For at no point did this game look like ending nil-nil, as both sides played good passing football, but with a frustrating lack of end product.

As a little aside, the first time I watched AFC Wimbledon at Kingsmeadow they were playing AFC Wallingford in a Combined Counties League game. How times change, as Wimbledon have been promoted 6 times to reclaim the league place that had been stolen from them. Poor old Wallingford now languish at the bottom of the North Berkshire League’s top flight. By my reckoning, there’s now 7 promotions between the two clubs. And to square the circle, North Berkshire League Press Officer Phil Annets was watching the game from one of the executive boxes!

Oxford looked capable of tearing their visitors apart, but at times looked lopsided, with Dean Morgan looking lost for much of the first half. Not withstanding that, its was refreshing to see both sides play an attractive passing game, with Oxford’s Adam Chapman, and Andy Whing both going close with a free kick and close-range header respectively. For Wimbledon George Moncur’s shot was well smothered by Ryan Clarke.

Its was a little suprising that United made no change at half time, as they had looked a tweak away from looking really convincing. As usual Chris Wilder showed why he’s the manager and I’m sat typing this, as a glorious passing move led to the goal. After a series of passes, Scott Rendell moved the ball wide, and Asa Hall’s flicked back-heel found Morgan on the left. His shot seemed to come from nothing, and was from an acute angle, but it flashed past Seb Brown, and into the top right corner.

After that United looked happy to attack sporadically, and defend in numbers. Oli Johnson headed on to the bar following a quite wonderful Peter Leven free kick, and the visitors were limited to just two chances. Sammy Moore’s 25 yard shot found the car park when it should have found the goal, and the only real scare came at the end of injury time. Leven was adjudged to have fouled on the edge of the box, a decision that angered Chris Wilder sufficiently for him to be dismissed from the technical area. The shot was driven in, Clarke parried, and Andy Whing blocked twice to keep Wimbledon out.

And it was the popular full back/midfielder/centre half that summed the last few minutes to me. Not pretty, but wholly committed and always gets the job done. Cheltenham away, I suspect will be a different challenge all together.