Tag Archives: Football

Rat Trap

14 Wednesday Sep 2011

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Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division

RATBY SPORTS 4 (McKenzie 4 83 Jacquei 49 Brightmore 57)

ASHBY IVANHOE 4 (Pollard 15 Bray 43 Netter 69 Gibson 72)

Att 23 (h/c)

Entry £3

Programme NO (this is Leicestershire remember!)

Can Diet Coke 50p

Very much an evening of contrasts, even down to the village itself. A pretty village yes, but showing obvious signs of dereliction. Desford Road, is similar, tucked away neatly behind the cricket ground, has a brand new clubhouse, but it’s half finished,  there’s a solidly built stand, but there’s no seats and there’s signs of a fire at its back. The Junior pitch is perfect but the adult version is badly cut and lumpy. There’s even signs of a terrace, sadly overgrown.

I’d picked the game, and as a goal whoring exercise, Ratby having shipped a hatful even at this early stage of the season, but it didn’t quite turn out how I expected.

Ashby should have won this at at a canter, but to my delight and doubtlessly the annoyance of the teams’ management, it turned into an exercise into who had the least competant defence! The highlight? Bray’s excellent finish for the 3rd goal, past his own keeper! Great stuff, and a good tick.

The Mickey Mouse Quotient

09 Friday Sep 2011

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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.