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Football: Wherever it may be

~ Laurence's football travels

Football: Wherever it may be

Tag Archives: Non League

Pershall

31 Friday Mar 2023

Posted by laurencereade in E

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Tags

Barnton, Eccleshall, Football, groundhop, groundhopping, GroundhopUK, Non League, North West Counties League, Pershall Park

Saturday 4th March 2023 ko 19:45

North West Counties League Division One South

ECCLESHALL 2 (Pickup 82 Stanton 90)

Lewis sent off 86 (violent conduct)

BARNTON 1 (T Turkington 72)

T Turkington sent 86 (violent conduct)

Att 314

Entry £6

Programme £2

Memory is an oddity- I’d visited Eccleshall back in September 2008 and remembered it being far closer to the Stoke interchange on the M6 than this. Perhaps the difference was we were on our fourth game of the day… and that it was bitingly cold. In fact you’re a good deal closer to Stafford to Stoke, and you will pass by HMP Prison Drake Hall on the way there! Continue reading →

Hulton

29 Wednesday Mar 2023

Posted by laurencereade in A

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Abbey Hulton United, Birches Head Road, Cheadle Heath Nomads, Football, groundhop, groundhopping, GroundhopUK, Non League

Saturday 4th March 2023 ko 16:45

North West Counties League Division One South

ABBEY HULTON UNITED 0

CHEADLE HEATH NOMADS 0

Att 367

Entry £5

Programme £2

As the sun set so the temperature fell. It didn’t take long for us to reach the car park at Birches Head Road from Foley Meir. That was a task made easier by some well thought out traffic marshalling by the Abbey Hulton volunteers . But I was aware the coach was struggling, picking its way along narrow lanes and we were getting concerned we might have to delay kick-off slightly. Craig and I dashed into the ground, expecting to have to make ourselves useful.  We didn’t, the club were completely in control and the coach arrived well before kick-off. Continue reading →

Foley

27 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by laurencereade in F

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Chris Berezai, Foley Meir, Football, groundhopping, GroundhopUK, Maine Road, Non League, North West Counties League, NWCFL, Whitcombe Road

Saturday 4th March 2023 ko 13:00

North-West Counties League Division One South

FOLEY MEIR 0 

MAINE ROAD 1 (Keyworth 68)

Livesey (gk) sent off 13 (foul & abusive)

Att 303

Entry £6

Programme £1

For Saturday’s second game we headed to Stoke-on-Trent, for what was, for me at least, the most surprising visit on the hop. I’d visited Whitcombe Road back in 2010 when the club were still just Foley FC for a Staffordshire County League game. The ground was just as basic as it gets, albeit with a wonderful vista of Stoke from behind the near goal. I just couldn’t imagine that the club could get the place fit for pyramid football. I am wrong on occasion…. just ask my wife Robyn! Continue reading →

Gilbert

23 Thursday Mar 2023

Posted by laurencereade in R

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Football, groundhopping, GroundhopUK, Hillfield, JCB, Non League, North West Counties League, NWCFL, Rocester, Sandbach United

Saturday 4th March 2023 ko 11:00

North West Counties League Division One South

ROCESTER 0

SANDBACH UNITED 4 (Tatters 22 Fitzpatrick 44 Cope 48 Barton 85)

Att 356

Entry £6

Programme £1

I should start by answering the two most frequent questions asked about Rocester; it’s near Uttoxeter and its pronounced Roaster! We set off from Stafford knowing that we had 4 completely different grounds to visit. On a personal note, I knew 3 of them, and I fully expected Rocester’s to be my highlight, at least on architectural grounds. Continue reading →

Swedish Hop 2023

23 Thursday Mar 2023

Posted by laurencereade in S

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Football, groundhopping, Non League, Stockholm, Sweden, Swedish hop

WELCOME to the 14th SWEDISH GROUNDHOP

We’re back! After the pandemic and the ending of our time in Trelleborg we’re back in Sweden’s beautiful capital Stockholm, and staying both close to the National Stadium, and the birthplace of Ulrika Jonsson. 

The dates

FRIDAY JUNE 2nd to SUNDAY JUNE 4th 2023

The games

FIXTURES:

Friday

RÅGSVEDS IF vs. IFK HANINGE (Div 2) @ Hagsätra IP –

football started here in the 1960’s and situated in a beautiful part south of Stockholm.

Saturday

SOLLENTUNA FK vs NORDIC UNITED FC (Div 1) @ Sollentunavallen –

Action starts here 1969. Situated close to both the birthplace of Ulrika Jonsson and the hop hotel. Anders Limpar used to be assistant manager here.

HAMMARBY TFF vs. STOCKHOLM INTERNAZIONALE  (Div 1) @ Hammarby IP – built 1912-1915 and is Hammarby IF

first homeground, before moving to Söderstadion and now Tele2. Home of Hammarby Ladies team as well.

Sunday

TÄBY FK vs BODENS BK FF (Div 1) @ Vikingavallen – built years ago and have an upgrade in 2008. Täby FK sharing the ground with IK Frej, who also play their games here. This represents a massive trip for Boden, some 900 km, not exactly a local derby!

he information you need too

PRICE: £450 pp (excl. flights) and includes:

 * Pick up and drop off at Arlanda Airport (north of Stockholm)

* Transport to all football matches

* Accommodation at 4-star hotel (double room) for two nights incl. breakfast

* Tickets/admission for all games incl. programmes

An alternative

If you want to book your own accommodation, then the hop price will be £350,

but the pick-up point will be the hotel, close to Sollentuna Rail Station

FLIGHTS TO BOOK (not included in the price):

2 alternatives; 

FRIDAY 2/6

Norwegian from Gatwick Airport, UK 09:20

(Arriving Arlanda Airport, Sweden at 12:55 local time)

SUNDAY 4/6

Norwegian from Arlanda Airport, Sweden 17:45

(Arriving Gatwick Airport, UK at 19:35 local time) 

or

FRIDAY 2/6

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) from Heathrow Airport, UK 06:40

(Arriving Arlanda Airport, Sweden at 10:05 local time)

SUNDAY 4/6

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) from Arlanda Airport, Sweden 18:15

(Arriving Heathrow Airport, UK at 19:55 local time)

Payment

There are 2 options to pay the £450 (if you book your own accommodation £350):

1. You can pay to my account through a EuroTransaction:

The number to use at the bank is:

IBAN nr: SE4850000000052150011530 Switchcode: ESSESESS

Name: Joachim Hedwall

Bank address: SEB, S-10640, Stockholm, Sweden. Phone: 0046 771 365365

VERY IMPORTANT: You must state your name on the booking and send me an email

with the receipt to joachim.hedwall@srf.se , otherwise I don’t know who’s paid me.

If you need my address when you pay it is:

Joachim Hedwall, Lundagatan 8B, S-17163 Solna, Sweden

The money should be converted into Swedish Krona and allow approx. 3-4 working days.

This will cost you a small fee, depending what bank in UK you use.

2.    Pay to Laurence Reade. Cheque to be made payable to Mr. Laurence Reade for £460 

laurence_reade@yahoo.com

Laurence Reade

10 Ridgeway Road

Headington

Oxford

OX3 8DR.

Last day for booking and payment is APRIL 30th 2023

If you have any questions my email is  joachim.hedwall@srf.se

We look forward to welcoming you back!

Tack/ thank you!

Joachim “Kim” Hedwall

Borders

22 Wednesday Mar 2023

Posted by laurencereade in E

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Tags

Alsager Town, Beech Grove, Ellesmere, Ellesmere Rangers, Football, groundhopping, GroundhopUK, Non League, North West Counties League, NWCFL, Shropshire

Friday 3rd March 2023 ko 19:45

North-West Counties League- Division One South

ELLESMERE RANGERS 2 (Harris 62 Rogers 79)

ALSAGER TOWN 1 (Bebbington 34)

Att 272

Entry £5

Programme £1

It would be so easy to paint this as Robyn and I’s return to GroundhopUK duty, but in reality we hadn’t stopped, even after the final games in the SCEFL Hop. Robyn gradually took over social media duties, and you really couldn’t have failed to see her efforts on the @NWCLHop2023 account. That really helped us both to tease the hop, but also to update people too. Continue reading →

Gifford

21 Tuesday Mar 2023

Posted by laurencereade in S

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Tags

Football, groundhopping, Gloucestershire County League, Stoke Gifford, England, Hardwicke, Bristol, Non League, Stoke Gifford United, Stoke Gifford Stadium

Tuesday 28th February 2023 ko 19:45

Gloucestershire County League

STOKE GIFFORD UNITED 7 (McInevery 34 43 72 Weaver 38 72 90 Barry 45)

HARDWICKE 0

Att 39

Entry FREE

Programme £1

It does pay to keep an eye on the Gloucestershire County League. I tend to see it as a quasi-Step 6 league, the mandatory programme rule, and the reasonably stringent ground gradings to make for an experience unlike most at the level. It was though, an odd evening to be in Bristol.

On one hand Bristol City were at home to Manchester City that night in the FA Cup, but that only meant that the southern half of the city would be having cup fever. Stoke Gifford is in the northern suburbs, and well and truly in Bristol Rovers territory, so I expected and got studied indifference to the goings on at Ashton Gate. 

Of course there was an irony, Bristol City’s women played at Stoke Gifford Stadium prior to their move to the High Performance Centre for last season. I covered the fact that Bristol City Women used to be Bristol Rovers women in that article, and were Bristol Academy in between, and even had a men’s team too. They played at Stoke Gifford too, so I must admit when I saw Stoke Gifford had been promoted into the County League and were using South Gloucestershire & Stroud College too, I assumed they were using the same place. Well they aren’t… sort of!

The old Stoke Gifford Stadium is now 3G and laid out for American Football only, and as you work your way through the complex you’ll see the odd bit of signage for Bristol City, then the remains of turnstiles that were installed for Bristol City’s stint in the Women’s Super League. Stoke Gifford are using the pitch the other side of the changing room block and have improved their new home accordingly. If you’re the kind of person that sees this as part of the same then the complex then you’ll see my attendance as a revisit, if not, then you won’t!

Whatever your view Stoke Gifford are certainly friendly and the tea was much appreciated on a cold, dank evening. They’re also talented; there was nothing wrong with Hardwicke save for them having some key players missing, but they were taken to pieces by their hosts. I’ve not seen a beating this complete for a while. 

I don’t think this will be Stoke Gifford’s season to make the jump into the Hellenic League. They’re third, and the ground will need some sort of surrounding fence for Step 6, but I may have got slightly ahead of myself here. The fact is Stoke Gifford have a fine team, and a ground to match. 

Motorway

06 Monday Mar 2023

Posted by laurencereade in A

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Tags

Football, groundhopping, Bristol, Non League, Bristol and Suburban League, Avonmouth, St Nicholas

Saturday 11th February 2023 ko 14:00

Gloucestershire Senior Amateur Cup Quarter Final

AVONMOUTH 7 (Groves 13 29 30 89 Aldom 35 Pearce 43 O’Donovan 82)

ST NICHOLAS 1 (Slade 56p)

Att 42

Free Entry

One of the great advantages of having family in Bristol is the extra centre of gravity it gives my groundhopping. You’d expect me to have done a lot in around my hometown of Oxford, but 7 years of Robyn and I means regular visits west, and very slowly I’m uncovering some real Bristolian gems.  Continue reading →

Gills not Gills

02 Thursday Mar 2023

Posted by laurencereade in G

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Tags

Football, groundhopping, Western League, Dorset, Gillingham Town, Non League, Bishops Lydeard, Woodwater Lane

Tuesday 8th February 2023 ko 19:30

Western League Division One

GILLINGHAM TOWN 0

BISHOPS LYDEARD 1 (Willis 58)

Att 35

Entry £6

Programme £2

Perhaps the measure of what differentiates a genuine groundhopper from a general football fan is the Dorset town of Gillingham. My feeling is that a football fan will look at the name as immediately assume its pronounced with a soft “G” as in the EFL club of the same name, whereas the groundhopper sees the name “Gillingham” and wonders which county we’re in? Since this is Dorset, the “G” is hard, so the Gill is what fish have, not the girl’s name! Hope we’re clear on that one! Continue reading →

Colts

22 Wednesday Feb 2023

Posted by laurencereade in C, K

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Tags

Abingdon Road, Football, groundhopping, Kingston Bagpuize, Kingston Colts, nbfl, Non League, North Berkshire League, Wantage Town

Saturday 7th January 2023 ko 14:00

North Berkshire League Division 3

KINGSTON COLTS 2 (G Bailey 57 Sam Bailey 83)

WANTAGE TOWN A 2 (Dance 69 71)

Att c30 at Abingdon Road, Kingston Bagpuize

Free Entry

You may remember Robyn and I visiting the Kingston Colts before. Back in 2019 we saw them at their temporary ground at Dalton Barracks, near Abingdon. That was 6 miles from home at Kingston Bagpuize, the exile due to their pavilion back home not being ready. The distance proved to be their undoing as they dropped out of league soon after, with the club retreating to exclusively youth football.

Continue reading →

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  • 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

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