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Football: Wherever it may be

~ Laurence's football travels

Football: Wherever it may be

Tag Archives: goals

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

30 Monday Mar 2020

Posted by laurencereade in C

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Cheadle Town, Football, goals, groundhopping, GroundhopUK, Maine Road, Manchester AFC, Manchester City, Non League, North West Counties League, NWCL, Park Road

Saturday 7th March 2020 ko 19.30

North West Counties League Division One South

CHEADLE TOWN 2 (Davin 17 47)

MAINE ROAD 1 (Mooney 86)

Att 380

Entry £5

Programme £2

The coach pulled into Park Road, and we got precisely what we expected- chaos! One massive advantage of having the clubs’ meetings a month or two before the North West Counties Hop. We knew we’d be trying to get 300-plus supporters to a ground with a small car park at the end of a cul-de-sac. It meant anyone driving there would either park close by and risk being blocked in, or park further away and walk the last few hundred yards. We in the coach could drop the party off then driver Ian could park up elsewhere. Continue reading →

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If Cornered Will Fight

21 Saturday Jan 2012

Posted by laurencereade in T

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Carterton Fc, Football, goals, groundhopping, League, Tower Hill Vixens, West Witney

Saturday 21st January 2011 ko 10.30am

Oxfordshire FA U14 Girls County Cup Quarter Final

TOWER HILL VIXENS 0

CARTERTON FC 2 (42 54)

Att 21 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No Programme

Refreshments Available

Since I let it be known that I would be attending this game, I’d had a few calls commenting that it shouldn’t count towards my records. I pondered that one, and came to the conclusion that its a game of football, so it counts. But why was I there at all?  That was down to Ali Haining, my boss many years ago, and manager of the Tower Hill side. We hadn’t had a chat since seeing each other at a funeral in 2004.  So there you go, these days I’m available for weddings, bar mitzvahs and U14 football matches!

The West Witney Sports Ground is to be found by the B4027 Burford Road, if you’ve ever visited Witney Town’s Downs Road Ground, chances are that you’ve passed here.

On a horrible wet cold, and windy morning the place was packed. I had to park on the grass verge outside, as a multipicity of games were taking place on the ground, on various sizes of pitches. I recognised the referee from my 10-10 at Islip a few months ago. https://laurencereade.wordpress.com/2011/10/02/the-i-was-there-game/

Tower Hill have no Saturday male team, that’s the job of West Witney of the Witney and District League. They have a reserve team, but every other team falls under the Tower Hill banner. I was reminded of my visit to SanFrecce Hiroshima back in the summer. Not for the stadium, or the conditions, but for the field outside where hundreds of children were learning about the game by playing and having fun.  Any snobbery I could have felt disappeared with that thought. https://laurencereade.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/the-big-day-at-the-big-arch/

The game saw the Vixens pitted against their counterparts from Hellenic League Carterton FC. I’d looked up “Vixen” for some inspiration before setting out. Obviously its a female fox, but I was rather taken with the comment, “Will fight if cornered.” It turned out to be  positive metaphor for the game, as the two sides worked extremely hard to both master the conditions and the opposition.

When watching the womens’ game you have to accept that the pace is slower, but once I got used to that, the game ebbed and flowed nicely. I thought an error would settle the contest, and as usual I was wrong. A corner was floated in and a forward was able to bundle the ball in. Soon after, a through ball found a Carterton forward; her shot cannoned off the defender’s foot to wrong foot the keeper for 2-0.

A little harsh on the hosts I thought, although Carterton had enjoyed marginally more possession. For all of that this was football in its purest form in some respects, played for the enjoyment only.




Circus

24 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by laurencereade in R

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Barnham, Football, goals, groundhopping, Hancock, Roffey, Sussex County League

Saturday 24th December 2011 ko 11am

Sussex County League Divsion Three

ROFFEY 0

BARNHAM 1 (Hancock 27)

Att 182 (ground record)

Entry FREE

Programme/Tea/Mince Pie £2

Bacon Roll £1.50

After 6 days out it was good to be back on the road, albeit rather slowly! If this game proved anything, its that when there’s nothing much else on, and there’s a programme groundhoppers will turn up in large numbers. Roffey hadn’t seen anything like it, and other than on organised hops I haven’t seen a crowd with a higher percentage of neutrals.

Roffey is a small village just outside of Horsham and is best known for its Parish Church, designed by Arthur Blomfield the architect for The Royal College of Music. The Chennells Brook ground is within Horsham itself, in Bartholomew Way, at the back of a new housing development.

This is Roffey’s first season in the County League and on current form (6 points all season) it may well be their last.

The club worked hard at their day, despite being completely unaware of the sheer task asked of them. With a normal attendance of 15 to 20 they produced 60 programmes. When they sold out within minutes, the secretary went home and printed off another 60. They too sold out rapidly, and eventually 4 print runs satisfied the masses. Even notorious hopper Barry the Tw@t had nothing to complain about.

The game failed to ignite, other than for the goal. The Barnham players had clearly understood the league table and believed that if they just waited the goals would soon arrive. One did, in bizarre circumstances. Harper’s shot hit the crossbar and rebounded out. Keeper Mitchell-Harris assumed the ball had already gone in and remonstrated with his defence, only to watch horrified a second later as Hancock had the easiest of tap-ins to open the scoring. Things like this happen when you’re bottom! Mind you, with opposition called Barnham and a player called Hancock perhaps comedy is invitable!

The second half drifted along pleasantly enough without any great incident. You hoped Roffey would find a moment of inspiration from somewhere, but it never looked likely and didn’t happen. I expect to see Roffey back in the Mid-Sussex League, next season, but hopefully today will have given the club a good financial boost.

Inside the clubhouse

Programme queue, 1st edition

Obligatory


These mist covered mountains………….

23 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by laurencereade in S

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Banditonce Kakokawa, FC Koga, Football, goals, groundhopping, J-League, Japan, Kansai League, Tojitsu Shiga, ZeZe

Monday 18th July 2011

at Big Lake Soccer Complex, Moriyama-Shi,  Shiga Prefecture.

Entry FREE

Programme for 2nd Game FREE (produced by the fans)

Drinks machines a plenty

12.30pm

Shiga Syakaijin League Divsion One

FC ZE ZE 5 (14 52 54 56 75)

FC KOGA 0

Att 2 (h/c)

@ Pitch A

2.30pm

Kansai League Divsion One

TOJITSU SHIGA 0

BANDITONCE KAKOGAWA 1 (14)

Att 66 (h/c)

@ Pitch B

So my last day in Japan, and the second with pouring rain! The first was the first. Now, this was possibly the first games I’ve ever done where I didn’t don’t quite know where exactly I was! Shiga prefecture, that’s easy, and the complex name was easy…. Well Peter drove on the freeway past Kyoto and north, but other than a Big Lake and mountains I was drawing a blank! Eventually with a lot of searching I found it, just copy this into Google Earth 滋賀県守山市服部町2439番地.  That’s the address in Japanese, and that should show you as to be near the small town of Sazukawacho

What was unusual was the shrine in one corner, but other than that a fairly standard complex, no cover but a main astro pitch with a terrace strangely called Pitch B, another astro pitch with a tiny viewing area, Pitch A, and a grass pitch that was regrowing. What was noticable was the clouds drifting on and off the mountains.

I started at pitch A and watched a Shiga Prefectoral game, which was easily the worst of the holiday. While its bad enough that FC Koga turned up with just the 9 players, but FC Ze Ze (named after a railway station in Otsu, the capital of Shiga) were far more to blame for simply thinking the goals would be scored by default. By the time they worked that one out the spectacle had been ruined. In the game’s favour was the high level of adminstration, as an obviously experienced referee took time to coach his trainee assistants.

Far more watchable was the second game on the main pitch and the bonus of a A4 sheet programme. Tojitsu have ambitions of the J-League, but the ground isn’t up to JFL standards, as there’s only one viewable side, but more pressing is the team. They’re honest, and hard working, but Banditonce had far too much and should have won by more. The ageing but still potent midfielder scored a fine goal before departing on the hour, and that was all that was needed.

So I departed my last ground tired sunburned, but utterly elated. 11 good ticks, and 12 games, and plenty of stories to bore you all with! A massive thanks once again to Peter, a life altering experience and one I’ll never be able to repay.

One final point, Peter found something on the FC Koga website, Its the last picture…

Pray to the Gods of footballing victory!

Coaching session for young linesmen



Water girl

grrrrrrrr!
Tifosi

The glum bow
Beware online translation tools!

Three Stadia and a botanical garden!

20 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by laurencereade in M, N, O

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Football, goals, groundhopping, Japan, Japan University Football Association, Meiji, Nagai, Number 2 Stadium, Osaka, Prime Minister Cup, Taiiko

With me just out of hospital after stomach surgery I’d thought I’d put some stuff on July’s Japanese tour. As usual it’s as much about the people and the places as it is about the football, as it should be. Enjoy, and I hope to be back on the road soon.

Thursday 7th July 2011 ko 2.00pm

Japan University Football Association Prime Minister Cup Semi Final

MEIJI 1 (Iwabuchi 73)

OSAKA TAIIKO 1 (Matzuzawa 19)

AET  Osaka won 4-3 pens

Att c150

@ Nagai Number 2 Stadium, Osaka

Entry, Programme and Teamsheet 1000 yen (about £8.50)

Nagai Park is southern Osaka is quite something. There’s the massive Number 1 stadium, used in the World Cup, the 20,000 Kincho, and the 10,000 Number 2 all within 100 yards. Potentially an easy triple, and there’s the Botanical gardens too! Continue reading →

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First Impressions

08 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by laurencereade in A

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Alton Town, Bass, Football, goals, ground, groundhopping, Moneyfields, Wessex

Tuesday 6th December 2011 ko 7.45pm

Wessex League Cup 3rd Round

ALTON TOWN 2 (Brown 34 Dyer 77)

MONEYFIELDS 4 (Slater 11 Hore 25 39 Asajelic 74)

Att 70 (h/c)

Entry £6

Programme NO (2 old copies FREE)

Tea 50p

Hot Dog £1.50

The Hampshire town of Alton, other than being a northern outpost of the Wessex League is probably most famous for being where the term “Sweet Fanny Adams” was coined. In  1867, an eight-year old girl, Fanny Adams, was murdered. Her assailant, Frederick Baker, was executed in Winchester and one of the original public notices advertising his forthcoming execution hangs in the Crown Public House in the town. The murder, so the story goes, coincided with the introduction of tinned meat in the Royal Navy, and the sailors who did not like the new food said the tins contained the remains of “Sweet Fanny Adams” or “Sweet F A”, hence the expression which for over a century has meant “Sweet nothing.” My first impressions of the local team were not far removed from that! Continue reading →

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The Bulldozer Looms

04 Sunday Dec 2011

Posted by laurencereade in B

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Alton Manor, Belper United, Central Midlands League, Football, Frank Harwood, goals, groundhopping, Sutton Town

Saturday 3rd December 2011 ko 2.00pm

Central Midlands League Southern Section

BELPER UNITED 1 (Wadsworth 72) Smith sent off 45 (violent conduct)

SUTTON TOWN AFC 2 (Buchanan 15 Hollingworth 38)

Att 45 (h/c)

Entry/Programme/Raffle £1

Tea £1

After the morning game at Loughborough University, the 30 mile drive to the Derbyshire town of Belper was straightforward. The town’s name is thought to be a corruption of Beaurepaire – meaning beautiful retreat – the name given to a hunting lodge, the first record of which being in a charter of 1231.

The industrialist Jedediah Strutt, a partner of Richard Arkwright, built a water-powered cotton mill in Belper in the late eighteenth-century: the second in the world at the time. With the expansion of the textile industry Belper became one of the first mill towns. In 1784 Strutt built the North Mill and, across the road, the West Mill. In 1803 the North Mill was burnt down and replaced by an new structure designed to be fireproof. Further extensions followed, culminating in the East Mill in 1913 – a present-day Belper landmark. Although no longer used to manufacture textiles the mill still derives electricity from the river, using turbine-driven generators.

In 1938, local firm A.B.Williamson had developed a substance for conditioning silk stockings – the introduction of nylon stockings after the Second World War seemed to make it redundant, but mechanics and fitters had discovered its usefulness in cleaning hands and it is still marketed by Deb Group as Swarfega.

However Paul and I’s reason to be there was simple, the town’s second football team will be moving off their ground at the end of the season, and Alton Manor isn’t being featured on March’s Central Midlands Hop.

You wonder what Alton Manor would have looked like before the housing estates that will eventually swallow it up were built. Its compact, and has seen earthworks to create enough pitch space from side-to-side. Its railed, with a cramped octagonal changing room block. The only toilet is within this, and it was locked during the game. To allow elevation from the Midland Regional Alliance to this season’s Central Midlands League a small shelter has been cobbled together from 4 sheets of corrugated iron, Catering was being provided by a burger van.

As part of the planning agreement the builders who will bulldoze the ground were to provide a replacement ground. A wrangle over land ownership means that this isn’t going to happen so United are eyeing a little used ground in town. Apart from a few other hoppers, two of which were looking to head for the second half at Holbrook after this encounter, also present was Frank Harwood, League chairman for the last 30 years, and who is helping out Rob Hornby with this year’s groundhop. He took great delight in telling Paul, at his first CMFL game, all about the league and its history.

The game was a bruising encounter, with language as violent as the challenges. The referee missed a blatant penalty for Belper early on, then Sutton scored with a curling shot from the right. The lead was doubled, direct from a free kick, but by this time it was clear that it would only be a matter of time before industrial football and a young referee would ignite this tinderbox. It happened on the stroke of halftime, when Belper’s Matt Smith was scythed down whilst running through. He got up and immediately punched his assailant, sparking a melee. Its was obvious he had to receive his marching orders, which he did, but how the referee failed to find another card I’ll never know!

This set the tone for the second half which was largely ill tempered and it was clear that the visitors believed the game was won. Belper did enough in midfield to have stolen (mugged?) a point and should really have equalised, wasting a string of chances including one that almost defied belief.
The home fans were increasingly upset at the referee, leading to some great comments. One one-eyed local called referee Ollie Bickle  “A useless bloody article” and then better still “You make a T*** look normal” Although I’m not sure what’s abnormal about one of those!

So an entertaining game but I’m not convinced that Frank Harwood would have wanted a game like this as Paul’s first ever game in his league!

Frank Harwood meets Paul Fergusson

You c***

Paul tries out the stand


melee! You can see Frank Harwood in the background

Sentiment

04 Sunday Dec 2011

Posted by laurencereade in L

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Football, goals, groundhopping, Loughborough, Midland, Midland Combination U21 League, Students, University, Woodbourne Sports

Saturday 3rd December 2011 ko 10.30am

Midland Combination U21 League East/North Divison

LOUGHBOROUGH STUDENTS 6 (Poole 7 31 Ali 26 Howard 49 Jardine 66 77)

WOODBOURNE SPORTS 2 (Douglas 47 Carter 56)

Att 15 (h/c)

Played on the “Paddock Pitch” Loughborough University

Entry FREE

No programme

Coffee (from vending machine in nearby “Pilkington” Library) £1

Once I’d pencilled in Belper United for the afternoon’s fixture, doing something in the Midland Combination U21 League was an obvious choice. Even more obvious was to see where Woodbourne were playing as I’d seen them back in October and been mighty impressed (https://laurencereade.wordpress.com/2011/11/12/the-right-way/). I then looked at where, Loughborough University…oh. Around 10 years ago I ferried my ex-wife there each month for tutorials during her study for her phD. I also attended the viva and graduation ceremonies there. We split up a year ago, so there are some mixed memories of the place for me. To add to it all, this was her birthday, so on one level it was the last place I wanted to be, but I’m a groundhopper, and this is Woodbourne after all.

For those thinking of visiting its worth noting that you will need to report to reception, off Epinal way, and that the Campus is huge! The Paddock pitch is more or less straight ahead from the main entrance, and is to be found on the aptly named University Road, at the western end of the site. Its not the site that Loughborough University’s adult side will be using, when they leave Loughborough Dynamo in Nanpantan.

And to be frank there isn’t a lot lot here. Just a roped off pitch with the Cayley One changing rooms a fair walk downhill. I’d brought along Paul Fergusson for his first Midland Combination game of any description, and while I knew Woodbourne would do things the right way, the welcome they gave Paul and I was most touching, I didn’t know how they would bear up to what was, on paper, a far stronger team.

What we got was a highly entertaining game, played to a very high standard. Woodbourne brought just the 12 players, the manager making copius use of the overage rule to name himself on the bench! All the while students walked alomg University Road, tripping a speed display (mostly at 3 mph), but oblivious to the entertainment on offer.

The students took the lead with a quite appalling piece of referreeing. Will Poole blatantly handled before his attemped cross sneaked in. Imagine Henry vs Eire and you get my point. The second was more straightforward, Woodbourne keeper Jake Gibbons dropped the ball in front of Gabriel Ali who just tapped in. Woodbourne fought hard against tough odds and an even tougher set of officials and I thought were a little unlucky to find themselves 3-0 down at the break.

Sports pulled a goal back soon after the break through Seb Douglas, but this produced an almost instantanous response, Nick Howard heading powerfully home from a corner. Still Sports wouldn’t give up, still playing good, passing footbball, and were rewarded with an excellent finish from Tom “TC” Carter. You hoped for a unlikely comeback, but it wasn’t to be. Subsitute Rob Jardine scored twice, the second a dribble through most of the defence, to post a rather unfair scoreline on the visitors.

We had just enough time for Ryan Shemwell to be booked for a frustrated trip, to which his mother shouted ” He’s no son of mine!” Priceless, and typical of a club, who to crib my previous title do things “The Right Way.” I think they’ve made another fan in Paul.





The Hard “G”

04 Sunday Dec 2011

Posted by laurencereade in G

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Dundee United, Football, Gillingham, goals, groundhopping, League, Shrewton United, Tannadice, Western League

Friday 2nd December 2011 ko 7.45pm

Western League Division One

GILLINGHAM TOWN 11 (Thomson 15 Murray 19 80 Gale 28 41 59 Ben Salem 34 49 Compton 68 Ruston 84 Bentall 87og)

SHREWTON UNITED 1 (Judd 37)

Att 93

Entry £4

Programme £1

Badge £2.50

For those not in the know this wasn’t a trip to the Medway town, rather a trip to a small market town 3 miles over the border from Wiltshire into Dorset. The misnomers don’t stop there either, the town is pronounced with a hard “G”- as in what fish breathe with!  The name implies a “homestead of the family or followers of a man called Gylla”, a model consistent with the occupation of Dorset by the Saxons from the 7th century.

In October 1348, fifty percent of the 2,000 people living in the town died of the Black Death in the space of  four months.

I’d pondered hard about whether to go. I’d had an asthma attack the day before, and from work in Banbury it did represent quite a drive, I wasn’t convinced I’d made kick off! Me being me I arrived at 6.30! Soon after the hoppers arrived…Firstly Lee and Gilly, and Jersey based John Treleven, then Calne based Paul Fergusson. It made for a convivial atmosphere, especially with real ale on tap!

Hardings Lane started life as an Continue reading →

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Flier

01 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by laurencereade in B

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Bedfont Sports, CB Hounslow, Combined Counties League, Football, goals, groundhopping, League

Wednesday 30th November 2011 ko 7.45

Combined Counties League Division One

BEDFONT SPORTS 6 (Watts 12 67 81 90p Kanani 43 Ventour 90)

CB HOUNSLOW 2 (Peters 59p Stewart 86og)

Att 31 (h/c)

Entry & Programme £4

Tea £1

Its almost a groundhopping rite-of-passage that when a visit is paid to Bedfont Town FC you place yourself at the far side and take pictures of planes flying low over the ground as they land at nearby Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 4. Incidentally the ground was used as base by the Unite Union during their dispute with British Airways.

Bedfont Sports play next door, albeit at right angles, and if, anything the potential for the aeroplane shot is even greater, as the planes seem to fly over the top of the clubhouse! Mind you on this occasion the potential was lower as it was dark! Nevertheless a regular occurance was the roar of a transatlantic jet coming into land. Continue reading →

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