• About this humble little website

Football: Wherever it may be

~ Laurence's football travels

Football: Wherever it may be

Tag Archives: Milton United

Reviver

14 Sunday Apr 2019

Posted by laurencereade in A

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Abingdon Town, Culham Road, Football, hellenic league, Milton United, Non League

Tuesday 26th March 2019 ko 19.45

Hellenic League Division One East

ABINGDON TOWN 3 (M James 12 83 J James 45)

MILTON UNITED 2 (Powell 13 69) Beech sent off 90 (2nd Booking)

Att 50

Entry & Programme £5

It all felt like a catch-up. I’d watched Abingdon Town play the final game of the North Berkshire League’s 2015/6 season, and I remember leaving Culham Road worrying for their future. I always got on with their chairman Tom Larman, but the club’s problems seemed too deep-seated for Tom to cope with on his own. The club failed to even register with the Berks & Bucks FA for the next season, and when Tom died a few months later it seemed that the area’s oldest club had been lost. Continue reading →

51.667295 -1.277622

Intrigue

05 Thursday Oct 2017

Posted by laurencereade in M

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

berks and bucks fa, Football, GroundhopUK, Hellenic, League, Milton Heights, Milton United, North Berkshire Groundhop, North Berkshire League, Potash Lane, The Heights

Friday 15th September 2017 ko 19.30

Berks & Bucks Senior Trophy First Round

MILTON UNITED 2 (Morgan 23 Davies 75)

STANFORD-IN-THE-VALE 0

Att 91

Entry £5

Programme £1

It seems that part of the ritual of the North Berkshire League Hop is a precursor game. The tradition started in 2014 when I wanted to do something to help Abingdon Town, and despite the lack of floodlights in the league, just Uffington United this season we’ve managed to stage one every year since. Who could forget the Wally Bus? Continue reading →

51.614638 -1.304484

Finals Part 2

30 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by laurencereade in B, S

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Berinsfield, Charity Shield, Milton United, North Berkshire League, Saxton Rovers, Steve Phipps

Saturday 29th April 2017 ko 19.00

North Berkshire League Charity Shield

BERINSFIELD 5 (Rawlings 9 54  Lee 44 Palmer 75 Ingram 90p)

SAXTON ROVERS 3 (Haines 30 Parry 40 Cox 78)

Att 204 at Milton United FC

Entry & Programme £3

If you want value from your cup finals then the North Berkshire League seldom lets you down. Three quid, 8 goals, and your programme thrown in too! And just to make it even better, the ability to go to another game first, and a massive local derby to finish off your day! Continue reading →

51.614638 -1.304484

Lionesses Pride

05 Thursday May 2016

Posted by laurencereade in B

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Benson Lionesses, Benson Lions, Cup, Football, Milton United, Oxford City Nomads, Thames Valley Counties Womens League

Sunday 24th April ko 16.00

Thames Valley Counties Women’s League Cup Final

BENSON LIONESSES 0

OXFORD CITY NOMADS 3 (Frackiewicz 22 51 62)

Att c200 at Milton United FC

Entry £1

Programme £1

On one level I was at this one purely down to Jon Radcliffe and the Benson Lions. It you aren’t aware of him and them, they represent the absolute pinnacle of my time as a groundhop organiser. Benson Lions are the RAF side based on the base, and if you were at either of the games they hosted, you’ll know why I hold Jon and the club in such high regard. Continue reading →

Stand By Me

17 Friday Apr 2015

Posted by laurencereade in F, W

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Faringdon Town A, Milton United, North Berkshire League Cup Final, The Heights, Wallingford Town Reserves

Saturday 11th April 2015 k0 19.00

North Berkshire League Cup Final

FARINGDON TOWN “A” 0

WALLINGFORD TOWN RESERVES 2 (Bone 32 Marks 59)

Att 180 at “The Heights” Potash Lane, Milton Heights (Milton United FC)

Entry and Programme £3

I don’t think I’ve ever been so surprised as when an email from NBFL media officer Phil Annets plopped into my in-tray inviting me to present the trophies at this final. I mean, why.. yes I know I’ve been behind 4 successful groundhops in the NBFL, one in rather trying circumstances, but it is only 4 and the previous day I watched Bill Gosling present the trophies on the back of 50 years service!

But if it was the reward for those hops, then credit should go to the other half of GroundhopUK Chris Berezai, and all those committeemen, and the legions of volunteers who’ve made the idea come to life. I found myself thinking of the likes of Josh Nathanielz, Jackie Cullen, Jon Radcliffe, Taff Blackshaw, Ian Stonham and Lindsay Mudie as I parked up.

Continue reading →

51.608496 -1.311253

Lycidas

17 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by laurencereade in M

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Chris Hurst, Didcot Parkway, Division One East, Drew Fowler, hellenic league, Joe Parker, Milton United, North Berkshire League, Penn and Tylers Green, Wealdstone FC

Monday 13th August 2012 ko 7.45pm

Hellenic League Divison One East

MILTON UNITED 3 (Parker 13 Fowler 20p 56)

PENN & TYLERS GREEN 1 (Hurst 77)

Att 68

Entry & Programme £3

After a weekend of football I’d made a mental note to have a day off. However there I was at work, when firstly Peter Grant asked how to get from Didcot Parkway station to Milton Heights, then Chris Powell from Flint phoned for suggestions for good pubs in Oxford. The answer to the first was easy, get a lift from me, and second, I suggested the Turf Tavern (where Bill Clinton didn’t inhale) and the Bear, with its cut-off tie collection. It was clear my evening had been organised for me. Amongst others we were joined by Les Bull, the former Wealdstone FC kitman, and Phil Annets, press officer for the North Berkshire League. It was a most convivial evening Continue reading →

Fours & Fives

22 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by laurencereade in M

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Andy Smith, Daryl Harper, Didcot Casuals, Easr Hendred, Kevin Allen, Milton United, North Berkshire, North Berkshire League, oxford united.

Saturday 21st April 2012 ko 7.00pm

North Berkshire League Cup Final

DIDCOT CASUALS “A” 3 (Smith 66 Harper 68 71)

EAST HENDRED RESERVES 1 (Allen 27)

Att 126 (h/c)

At Milton United FC

Entry & Programme £2

Att 126

This for me was a complete bonus. I’d planned to take in the afternoon’s game at Stanford in the Vale, for quite some time, so with this one kicking off in perfect time for anyone doing an afternoon game in the area to call in, it really would have been rude not to!

I suspect quite a few groundhoppers will have visited “The Heights” when GroundhopUK finished off a day in the Hellenic League there. That was before I became involved, and I wasn’t there either, as I’d already done the ground, many times before! It’s a good example of how a village sports field can be improved to suit a club’s ambitions, and these days it reflects the club’s fortunes, as a side yo-yo’ing between the Hellenic Premier and Division One. It also reflects the league it originated in, the NBFL as there’s a fantastic view of Didcot Power Station! Until recently it was also used by Oxford United as a training base!

I should explain the title of the cup. It actually is the League Cup for teams that play in the bottom two divisions of the league. At present that’s Divisions 4 East and West, but it looks like that may revert to 4 and 5 for next season. With the majority of the teams in those divisions being reserves or “A” teams it was of no surprise that both finalists were not first XI’s.

There was a wonderful surprise when Jens from (near) Dusseldorf ambled up, beer in one hand, and fag in the other. Jens has over 5,400 grounds ticked, but approaches the hobby as I like to, with his tongue firmly in his cheek. I introduced him to League Press Officer Phil Annets, and oddly enough they got on like a house on fire! Don’t mention the War-Memorial Cup Final Phil!

If the Division 4 East table was to be believed this was an East Hendred banker, with the Casuals rock bottom with only 4 League wins all season! However the Casuals looked anything but a basement side, and looked secure in defence. Hendred did take the lead when Kevin Allen was at the end of a fine passing move to dink the ball over the on-rushing Nick Guiry in the Casuals goal. Hendred looked comfortable if unable to find a way though again, but everything changed during 5 mad second half minutes.

It all started with a goalkeeping howler, as Hendred keeper Roland Pacey’s misguided throw went directly to Casuals’ Andy Smith. His shot hit the bar, then down on to the goal-line, up on to the bar again in. Two minutes later, Casuals took the lead with a quite fabulous strike, a forty-yard blast of a free-kick from Daryl Harper. Three minutes after that, there was Harper again, tapping in after Pacey had done well to block a free kick played into the box.

A real turn-up for the books, and although Hendred pressed forward in the forlorn hope of redemption, they met with defence that didn’t look like it had shipped 47 goals in 20 league games. And in case you’re wondering whether players were shipped in for the final, not the case as the “A” side seem to run themselves separately from the rest of the club. Just one of those evenings when it all worked well for them.

The cup was presented by “Mr Milton United” John Cannon a real gentleman, who I’d had the honour to meet over a cup of tea at half time. A satisfying end to a great day’s football.



Jens and Phil



 

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 6,512 other subscribers

Look for stuff here folks!

Blogroll

  • Damage In The Box Chris Powell’s travels across the UK and Europe. The artist must frequently seen in the pub 0
  • FA Cup Factfile Phil Annets on all things to do with the World’s greatest cup competition 10
  • Football Club History Database Want to know where a club finished in what league and in what year? Richard Rundle’s site is a veritable goldmine! 0
  • Football Hopper “Fast” Eddie McGeown’s erudite perambulations around the nation’s football grounds 0
  • Gibbo's 92 As Atherton Colleries’ programme editor puts it, ” The best trips are random, unplanned and spontaneous.” 0
  • Groundhopping.se Per-Gunnar Nilsson’s trips around his native Sweden, and into Europe 0
  • Grounds for concern The late Mishi Morath’s picture blog. Obviously no longer updated but still a wonderful archive. 0
  • Kate Shrewsday. A thousand thousand stories Not about football, but beautiful writing, Kate can make words dance. 0
  • Modus Hopper Random Graham Yapp’s travels 0
  • Swedish Football History & Statistics Mats Nyström’s curates this site, which does exactly what you’d expect 0
  • The 100 Grounds Club Shaun Smith’s groundhopping football blog. The original internet ground logging website. 0
  • The Football Traveller The bible for every groundhopper. Non-League fixtures magazine delivered weekly. Published and edited by Chris Bedford 0
  • The Intinerant Football Watcher Peter finds the grounds other hoppers cannot reach. Top bloke too! 0
  • The66POW Rob Waite’s travels 0

Your very own calendar!

February 2023
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728  
« Jan    

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Football: Wherever it may be
    • Join 494 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Football: Wherever it may be
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...