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Football: Wherever it may be

~ Laurence's football travels

Football: Wherever it may be

Tag Archives: Cheltenham Association Football League

The Frogmill

14 Sunday Sep 2014

Posted by laurencereade in A

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Tags

Air Balloon Pub, Andoversford, Cheltenham, Cheltenham Association Football League, Cheltenham League, Football, Frogmill Inn, groundhopping, Marco Pierre White, Prestbury Rovers, Ted Mansell

Tuesday 9th September 2014 ko 18.15

Cheltenham League Division Two

ANDOVERSFORD 5 (R Cleal 41 57 Frewin 61 77 84)

PRESTBURY ROVERS 0

Att 16

Entry FREE

Programme NO

I suspect if you live to the east of Cheltenham, as I do, Andoversford is where you turn off of the A40 to head down to the Air Balloon Pub, then on towards Gloucester and the M5. Apart from passing the Marco Pierre White-owned Frogmill Inn, you do tend to by-pass the pretty village, which really is quintessentially Cotswolds in character. Continue reading →

51.872377 -1.973111

My £12 drainpipes

14 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by laurencereade in P

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Andoversford, Ashley Cleal, Ben Wright, Cheltenham Association Football League, Chris Jones, Keith Illes, Liam Davis, Luke Davis, Prestbury playing Field, Prestbury Rovers, Sonny Martin

Monday 10th September 2012 ko 6.00pm

Cheltenham Association Football League Third Division

PRESTBURY ROVERS 2 (Jones 25 Davis 77)

ANDOVERSFORD 3 (A Cleal 19 B Wright 24 70)

Att 3 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale

So why this one? Well it was on, and I could get to it. The Cheltenham League played on a Monday for no reason anyone could fathom, so I simply picked the game nearest to work, and I’ve no regrets on that decision.

The Gloucestershire village of Prestbury sits on the outskirts of Cheltenham, and the Playing Fields are tucked away off of New Barn Mews. The village is best known for Prestbury Park, known also as Cheltenham Racecourse, and the Horse Racing festival there represents a major annual boost to the local economy. According to The Penguin Book of Ghosts: Haunted England, Prestbury is the most haunted village in England.

Ghosts however isn’t what I’ll remember Prestbury for, no that will be the rain. I usually wear hiking trousers for hopping, as they dry quickly if it rains. A few months ago I bought a pair of blue drainpipe trousers from a supermarket for £12. They’re comfortable, they fit well, but when they get wet, they stay wet. So which trousers was I wearing when I parked in the middle of a rainstorm. No prizes I’m afraid!

My lack of comfort excepted, this was a hugely enjoyable visit. Andoversford took the lead direct from Ashley Cleal’s inswinging corner. Prestbury failed to learn that lesson and were two down when another inswinging corner was headed home unopposed by Ben Wright. This roused Prestbury and a minute later Chris Jones’ lofted drive from 20 yards was worthy of a far grander stage. Sadly it was to be his last meaningful contribution as he soon limped off with a thigh strain.

At 2-1 the game was highly competitive, taking into account this is the 12th tier of the non-league pyramid, and the winner when it came was of the highest quality. Ben Wright found himself on the right-hand touchline 25 yards out, looked up and his scorching shot whistled past Sonny Martin into the top left corner. That’s nothing against Martin, it would have beaten a far better keeper.

Of course Prestbury had to make the last few minutes interesting so as to make me forget my cold wet legs, Luke Davis notching for 2-3, but that was to be mere consolation. Mention too for referee Keith Iles who officiated with both common sense and humour; he and both teams made for a great evening’s entertainment and I wish all concerned good luck for the rest of the season.

There was to be a postscript though. As I drove back through Cheltenham I wanted to get to Oxford as quickly as possible to dry out. That of course is when my phone rang; it turned out it was someone wanting information, and a ticket for the North Berkshire League Hop. I found a lay-by, pulled in and got the enquiry sorted out satisfactorily, and 20 minutes later still with my £12 blue drainpipes soaking wet, I headed for home.




Daylight Robbery

14 Wednesday Sep 2011

Posted by laurencereade in N

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Tags

Cheltenham Association Football League, Division Two, Gould Playing field, Mike Lytheer, Northway, PRESTBURY

Cheltenham Association Football League Division Two

NORTHWAY 2 (33 89)

PRESTBURY 1 (59)

Att 25

Entry FREE

Nothing for Sale

They say that God helps those who help themselves (so why do shoplifters get arrested?) and my blasting through the countryside of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, was rewarded when I arrived 15 minutes late for a 6.00pm kick off when Referee Mike Lytheer arrived late and kick off was delayed until 6.25! Handy, we did get 90 minutes in, but it was mighty dark at the end!

Northway is a village just the other side of the M5 from Tewkesbury, although it looks less a village and more an industrial estate. Nothing too preposessing about the Gould Playing Field either, barely a tree to photograph, the only point of even minimal interest was the BMX equipment nearby.

Still all the ground ticks are the same size, even if the standard was poor and the first half instantly forgetable! In the gloom, Prestbury hit the crossbar, Northway counter-attacked and scored. But that’s something you can see at a far higher level!



The Mickey Mouse Quotient

09 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by laurencereade in T

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Tags

Cheltenham, Cheltenham Association Football League, Football, Halling, Higgins, Jordan, League, Northway, season, silly, Tewkesbury, Town

Cheltenham Association Football League Division 2

TEWKESBURY TOWN 4 (Jordan 15 57 Halling 55 75)

NORTHWAY 1 (Higgins 24)

Att 47 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Nothing for Sale

Many groundhoppers have standards of football beyond which they won’t venture, a favourite measure is whether a programme is available. For others it’s a specific level, measurable by how many promotions it would theoretically take to reach the Football League.

As a result the Cheltenham League is off the beaten track for many, and it’s generally difficult to sell a game on a pitch behind a school, with no cover, and no facilities.  For all of these perceived difficulties this was an enjoyable evening out. It helped that the club were kind enough to phone me to offer directions and both sides gave information about the lineups and themselves freely. It was handy for the neutral also, that the two sides are local rivals, hate each other, and the two benches spent the encounter glowering at each other from opposite sides of the pitch. A division 4 game was taking place on the adjoining pitch to add more flavour.

So what was it like? Well the standard was predictably poor, but I’ve seen a lot worse, and at a far higher level, but it was always entertaining. We had the unusual sight of Northway’s Steve Prosser being booked for dissent, whilst a non playing substitute, but his side’s defence was notably more incompetent than their opponents’ and in  the second half the home side made that implied advantage count.



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