Tag Archives: North Bucks and District

Returns

15 Thursday Apr 2021

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Saturday 10th April 2021 ko 15.00

North Bucks & District League – Premier

TOWCESTER TOWN 5 ( Parker 9p Dixon 70 72 Kirby 82 85)

CITY COLTS 2 (16 37)

Att c25 at Islington Road, Towcester

Free Entry

I’m not sure why, but Lockdown Mark 3 seemed to have more of an impact on me than the other two. There was the salve of the UK’s successful vaccination programme which at least gave us some light at the end of the tunnel and it was gratifying to see news of so many of the hopping fraternity receiving their first jabs. Nevertheless I was saddened to hear of the death of Hull-based hopper Phil Grayson from Covid-19 during this period of lockdown- it showed that while we are heading in the right direction, we are still a long way from having this accursed virus beaten. Continue reading →

The Clansmen

18 Wednesday Jul 2018

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Tuesday 29th May 2018 ko 18.30

North Bucks & District League- Premier Division

STEWKLEY 1 (Howe 19)

POTTERSPURY 8 (Cole 6 A Kelly 14 75 Hall 25 74 90 Ord 66 Whittome 86)

Att 69

Free Entry

I suspect that the pretty Buckinghamshire village of Stewkley is more famous for cricket than football. Former England captain Alistair Cook was married at the local church here, and fast bowler Darren Gough had a playing stint at Stewkley CC whilst living here. Away from sport “Pub Landlord” Al Murray was born here, but why did an off-pyramid game at the far side of the cricket pitch attract quite so many groundhoppers? Continue reading →

Horwudu

19 Tuesday Jun 2018

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Wednesday 2nd May 2018 ko 18.30

North Bucks & District League Premier Division

GREAT HORWOOD 7 (Broom 20 Dixon 32 65 85 Tappin 36 Hawkins 60 Cronin 67)

WING VILLAGE 1 (Robinson 1p)

Att c15

Free Entry

This one definitely was one to salve my slice of OCD that tells me I simply have to watch a game at any ground I drive past more than once. Great Horwood lies on the main A421 between Buckingham and Bletchley, the village to your left and the Castlefields playing fields to your right. There’s been a village here since Saxon times, the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records this place as “Horwudu” meaning muddy wood in 792! Continue reading →

Metroland

22 Friday Apr 2016

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Wednesday 13th April 2016 ko 18.30

North Bucks & District League Division One

STEEPLE CLAYDON 4 (Wright 6 Davies 10 Gibbs 12 70)

WING VILLAGE 2 (D Farmer 14 84)

Att 19

There are no end of Claydons in this corner of Buckinghamshire. There’s Botolph, East, Middle and Steeple, and the great irony of watching a football match in Steeple Claydon is that you can’t actually see the steeple! But this part of the world has a more obscure claim to fame, that the London Underground used to run here. Continue reading →

This Sporting Life

14 Tuesday Apr 2015

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Wednesday 8th April 2015 ko 18.15

North Bucks & District League Premier Division

BRACKLEY SPORTS 0 Hirons missed penalty 27

SYRESHAM 3 (Markham 11 Watts 17 Allen 20)

Att 44

Entry FREE

Nothing for Sale

I do like visiting a town’s second club, you tend to either see a studied indifference to the bigger club or the frustration of a one-sided rivalry. In the case of Brackley Sports its the former, even though the floodlights of Brackley Town’s St James Park are clearly visible from Sports home at the Recreation Centre. Continue reading →

Rivetting

31 Thursday Jul 2014

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Saturday 26th July 2014 ko 14.00

Pre-Season Friendly

RIVETS 7 (Lane 1 Ithier 9 Tomlinson 20 82 Carter 45 Webb 45p Chiarello 67)

WING 0

Att 7

Entry FREE

Programme- They’d sold out; what do you think?

Every so often I like to go completely back-to-basics, and watch a game on a park pitch, stripping the game back to the only essentials, 22 people, two goals and a ball. This game certainly did that and satisfied the OCD part of me that simply has to see a game at somewhere I’ve passed by regularly. Continue reading →

A Thankful Village

27 Friday Apr 2012

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Thursday 26th April 2012 ko 6.45pm

North Bucks & District League Intermediate Division

STOKE HAMMOND WANDERERS 1 (M Read 30)

CITY COLTS 1 (Greening 12og)

Att 11 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale

Stoke Hammond is a small village about 3 miles south of Milton Keynes, and if you were deaf you’d never know you were near the new town! That’s because the village is right next door to the A4146 and the main northern railway line. The impact is a constant rumble, and a regular whoosh as the next pendolino blasts by. It is one of the 51 “Thankful Villages” which lost no men in the First World War, as first identified by the writer Arthur Mee in the 1930s.

The home team is a result of quite a merger. Stoke Hammond had a Sunday side but no Saturday side. Bletchley Trees (named after the Three Trees pub in the town) were dissatisfied with their home in a public park so merged with Woburn Sands Wanderers to become Stoke Hammond Wanderers. They decamped to Bragenham Side in search of better facilities, so I was surprised to see the visitors complaining at the size of the changing rooms. I had a look, and yes they were suitable for a tennis doubles competition! With City Colts having drafted in 4 reserve players, their reserve team manager Paul came along to watch, and spotted me from last week’s game at University of Buckingham and we had a good chat before kick off.

With a double rainbow above the ground, two sides with ambitions for the runners-up spot behind Great Horwood kicked off rather late I thought. As usual I was wrong as we got the full 90 minutes in with sufficient light.

Sadly the game failed to live up to the talents of both sides. Colts took the lead when a cross from the right was turned into his own net by Steve Greening. I fully expected the floodgates to open, but Colts were unable to kick on, and the game settled into a pleasant enough but ineffectual passing competition. Hammond equalised mid way through the first half, Michael Read evading his marker to fire home.

After that the main source of entertainment was club officials convincing the local constabulary that the alarm going off wasn’t the clubhouse one, and that therefore we were all there legitimately!

This draw will have gained little for either side, and for these two friendly sides another season in intermediate football beckons.

Gimme Shelter

19 Thursday Apr 2012

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Thursday 19th April 2012 ko 6.15pm

North Bucks & District League Division Two

UNIVERSITY OF BUCKINGHAM 0

CITY COLTS RESERVES 3 (Horwood 41 Chapman 45 Hinkley 51)

Att 16 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale

I suppose the first point to note is that the University’s playing fields aren’t in fact in Buckingham. They’re about 1.5 miles southwest, just outside of Gawcott, a village whose claim to fame is that it’s the birthplace of architect Sir George Gilbert Scott. He designed many iconic buildings in the UK. Amongst these are the Midland Grand Hotel by St Pancras Station in London, and Martyrs’ Memorial in Oxford. His grandson Giles Gilbert Scott designed Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral and famously the red “K6” British phone box!

The North Bucks & District League in theory feeds into the Spartan South Midlands League, and is split into 4 divisions. There’s Senior, then Intermediate Divisions, followed by divisions 1, and 2. I expected therefore, to be watching a game on little more than a park pitch, what I got was much more interesting. Continue reading →