Monday 1st April 2013 ko 18.15

Bedfordshire League Premier Division

BEDFORD HATTERS 2 (Grant 7 Simons 66)

CALDECOTE 3 (Boyd 6 45 70)

Att 30

80 minute game

Entry FREE

Programme NO

In groundhopping terms the last few weeks of the football season, when the clocks have gone forward are referred to as “Silly Season.” Its when there are a multiplicity of evening fixtures at clubs without floodlights, as the evenings are just about light enough to fit a game in providing the participants aren’t too fussy about fripperies such as 15 minute half time breaks!

It was a quirk that the Bedfordshire League was the only league to hold its Bank Holiday programme in the evening. The reason apparently was to attract hoppers, itself odd as the league has a groundhop each October to do precisely that! It takes all sorts I suppose!

The Meltis Sports and Social Club is tucked away in suburban Bedford, so with the both Bedford Town and Bedford FC playing out-of-town towards Sandy, it became my first game within town boundaries. Meltis were the manufacturer of Newberry Fruits, a fruit jelly sweet manufactured at a factory in Bedford. The firm were bust in 1996 and the name was bought by Hostas, and production was moved to Germany. Meltis Albion also play in the Bedfordshire League and use Pitch 1, nearest the clubhouse.

The use of Pitch 2 meant one thing to me, it was too darned cold and windy! Amongst the hoppers there, the number of grounds visited ran into the thousands, but not even the combined experience of all those miles could find a way of escaping the wind. That was a real shame, as the game was worthy of being remembered for reasons other than the cold.

The difference between the two sides was Caldecote’s Jack Boyd, who’s hat trick was a justified reward for a man-of-the-match performance. The Hatters worked hard, and managed to equalise twice through Ryan Grant and Jason Simons, but never looked liked getting more than a point. To be honest though, at the end of it all I was glad to get back to the car and put the heater on!