Wednesday 4th April 2012 ko 6.15pm

Midland Regional Alliance Division 1

PASTURES 1 (Bridge 21)

PUNJAB UNITED 5 (K Aujla 16 Pattern 27 Breer 38 Lawrence 58 Webster 70)

Att 9 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale

I headed up to Long Eaton after work to meet Chris Berezai, as the next day would see the start of the Northern Counties East League groundhop we are organising, and that necessitated an early start the next day. When in the area the only logical thing to do of course is to take in a game!

Pastures play in Mickleover, near Derby and have the Mickleover Country Park as their base. There’s quite a backdrop with the the countryside and the Toyota plant to one side, but at the back of a terraced grass bank, there’s a church and a glasshouse, but what dominates is a huge building containing well-to-do flats. I asked what it was and was rather taken aback. It turns out that it used to be the Pastures Mental Hospital! It was built to a design by architect Henry Duesbury in the years 1848 to 1851 and opened in 1851. Above the doorway of the main entrance you will see the Roman Numerals MDCCCXLIX, meaning 1849. If you weren’t confused when you walked in…

For train buffs Mickleover was the site of a test track which was used by the research department of British Rail to test model trains for the future Channel Tunnel. It’s located near the old Mickleover railway station but is now disused.

I took time out to speak to both managers. Pastures were happy to get their excuses in early, “If I had my full team out we could win this,” but the Punjab bench seemed more upbeat. I joked with subsitute Simeon Lawrence how could the weather be so cold and wet when just a few days earlier I’d watched games in my shirtsleeves? “Because this is England innit!” he replied, and he was totally correct.

We were joined by the bard of Newhall United Dan Bishop, and watched as my first impressions proved to be correct. Punjab barely broke sweat in their Derby County strip (mind you it WAS cold!) as they tore their hosts to shreds. A goalkeeping error gave Pastures some consolation, but my new friend Simeon came on to score before a stunning strike from Courtney Webster ended the tie as a spectacle.

Easy tickings, albeit at a low level, and we were back in Long Eaton early for the lengthy day ahead.