• About this humble little website

Football: Wherever it may be

~ Laurence's football travels

Football: Wherever it may be

Tag Archives: Reading League

Dream Team

27 Sunday Jun 2021

Posted by laurencereade in H

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Aborfield Green Leisure Centre, Braybrooke, Dream Team, Football, groundhop, groundhopping, Harchester Hawks, Harchester United, Non League, Reading League, Thames Valley Premier League

Thursday 24th June ko 19:30

Thames Valley Premier League- Division 4

HARCHESTER HAWKS 1 (Rowing 77)

BRAYBROOKE FC 6 (Pearson 10 15 60 Gregory 25 65 Clough 40 )

Att c20

at Arborfield Green Leisure Centre

I’m not sure what drew me towards this one, perhaps it was no more than the proverbial groundhopper moth to the flame of a game. I don’t think I’d ever seen a game in the Thames Valley/ Reading League’s bottom division but there were a couple of questions I needed to ask. Continue reading →

The Pitch

14 Monday Jun 2021

Posted by laurencereade in M

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Finchampstead, Football, Gossmore Lane, groundhopping, Marlow, Marlow United, Non League, Pink House, Reading League, Ricky Gervais, Thames, Thames Valley Premier League

Monday 7th June 2021 ko 18:30

Thames Valley Premier League- Premier Division

MARLOW UNITED 1 (Austin 90)

FINCHAMPSTEAD 3 ( Vallance 9 J Day 14p Payne 33)

Att c64 at Gossmore Lane

Free Entry

I haven’t checked but over the last 15 or so years you could have watched Marlow United at home on at least 4 different grounds. There was Flackwell Heath, Marlow FC, Bisham Abbey and Loudwater that I can name off the top of my head. The reason for the first two was to allow the club two stints in the Hellenic League, including a two-season stint in the Hellenic Premier from 2008-10. The issue for the club is always the same, there’s no lack of ambition, but having few facilities of their own makes progression extremely difficult. Continue reading →

The Alternate

06 Thursday May 2021

Posted by laurencereade in A, F

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Arborfield Recreation Ground, Finchampstead, Football, groundhopping, Marlow United, Non League, Reading League, Thames Valley Premier League

Monday 3rd May 2021 ko 18:00

Thames Valley Premier League: Premier Division

FINCHAMPSTEAD 4 (J Payne 15p Vallance 22 Hunt 73 Day 77)

MARLOW UNITED 1 (Goode 65)

Att c42 at Arborfield Recreation Ground

Free Entry

I still have some affinity for this part of the world even though its been well over twenty years since I lived in Henley-on-Thames. Back then the modus operandi was driving through Wargrave and Twyford to Winnersh, then via Sindlesham to Arborfield. I suppose I associated Sindlesham with the Nirvana Health Spa that the ex-wife seemed to love going to but objected every time the monthly membership payment left her account! Continue reading →

Scandal

01 Tuesday Sep 2015

Posted by laurencereade in C

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Alfred Major Recreation Ground, Cliveden, Cookham Dean, Reading League, Thames Valley Premier League, Woodley Town, Woodley United

Wednesday 26th August 2015 ko 18.15

Thames Valley Premier League, Premier Division

COOKHAM DEAN 0

WOODLEY UNITED RESERVES 5 (Waller 10 Male 45p 68 Wilks 59 73)

Att 14

Entry FREE

No Programme

Most people have regrets, but John Profumo most have had more than many. If only he’d never met Christine Keeler, and Mandy Rice-Davies, or paid Cliveden House a visit… Actually the Taplow-based mansion could have been his salvation, if he’d only looked from a west-facing window and stared over the valley towards Cookham Dean. Continue reading →

51.554504
-0.725999

The Men From The Pru

03 Sunday May 2015

Posted by laurencereade in H

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

hellenic league, Highmoor Ibis reserves, Ibis Club, Marlow United, Reading League, Scours Lane, Thames Valley Premier League

Wednesday 29th April 2015 ko 18.00

Thames Valley Premier League- Premier Division

HIGHMOOR IBIS RESERVES 3 (Chowdhary 45 86 Reid 60)

MARLOW UNITED 5 (Mason 10 Nichol 14 Flint 56 Thomas 68 71)

Att 19

Entry FREE

No Programme

Many moons ago I paid a visit to Reading Town’s home in Scours Lane in Tilehurst. I endured a dreadful 0-0 draw vs Hartley Wintney and so bad was the game that I became very aware that there was another game going on next door at the Sports Club. I didn’t switch allegiances, even though the cheers indicated that a goal or two was scored, but when I returned to my flat in Henley-on-Thames, I asked my father-in-law who played there. Continue reading →

51.464731
-1.013945

Whitley Would

01 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by laurencereade in S

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Adam Kingsbeer, Basingstoke Road, Ben Lyden, bisham abbey, Cookham Dean, Football, groundhopping, John Lennon, reading half marathon, Reading League, South Reading, Whitley Wood, Xavi Etienne

Monday 30th April 2012 ko 6pm

Reading League Senior Division

SOUTH READING 3 (Lyden 37 86 A Kingsbeer 90)

COOKHAM DEAN 1 (Lennon 41)

Att 32 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No Programme

It’s fair to say that Whitley Wood isn’t the most salubrious part of Reading. In fact when I entered the Reading half marathon, and my ex-wife discovered that the race starts here, she commented that was because no-one in their right mind would run towards the place. Not that there’s anything much wrong with the facilities on the Basingstoke Road, a clubhouse, car park and a roped off pitch. At this level, what else do you need? There was also a the backdrop of Reading FC Madjeski stadium as a backdrop. I do like the small game/big ground visual gag!

This was a game with something riding on it too, as South Reading with 3 games left were 8 points from leaders Westwood, who’ve finished their fixtures. Also in the mix are Woodcote/Stoke Row who are 6 points behind with 2 to play. I’d seen South Reading before, winning easily away at Bisham Abbey against Marlow United. That day they’d featured former Farnborough bad boy Ray Spence, and they won that day at an arrogant canter. That was a division down, bizarrely called the “Premier Division” and it was clear at the outset that the arrogance has disappeared now they’re not winning every game easily. Spence incidentally is now at Reading Town.

In fact while this game was eventually won, and won well, it was as much down to profligate finishing from Cookham Dean then any great superiority on the hosts part. Chief culprit for the visitors was Xavi Etienne who miss a hat trick of gilt-edged  chances IN EACH HALF. Ben Lyden eventually opened the scoring for the hosts who were were almost immediately pegged back by Cookham’s John Lennon; it was all coming together nicely as a spectacle.

But then the ideas just stopped. The game needed an inspiration and it came from Ben Lyden. A decent cross arrived from the right, and he did well to steer the ball into the net. He was immediately substituted due to work commitments, and he just got changed when referee Peter Hitt gave a great advantage to allow Adam Kingsbeer to race through in stoppage time to give the score a slightly flattering feel.




 

The C Word

23 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by laurencereade in M

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Ahmet Tungy, Chowdhary, david jewell, Ed Bickerton, Football, Goal, groundhopping, Mike Davies, Mortimer, mortimer common, Park United, Reading League, tungy

Monday 23rd April 2012 ko 6.15pm

Reading League Senior Division

MORTIMER 2 (Chowdhary 5 Davies 60) Chowdhary sent off 25 (2nd booking)

PARK UNITED 2 (Tungy 10p Bickerton 32)

Att 37 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No Programme (old copy FREE)

Tea-in-a-mug 50p

I occasionally get asked what the aim of this blog is. For a time I’d say that there wasn’t one, but now I suppose its to answer the question, “Why would I want to visit there?” With what I saw tonight, you may find answering that question difficult.

Mortimer, just south of Reading is in fact Mortimer Common. You are very much in commuter belt, and expensive commuter belt at that. The village is named after the family of the same name, the most famous of whom, Roger de Mortimer, 1st Earl of March was for three years de facto ruler of England after leading a successful rebellion against Edward II, before being overthrown and executed in 1330 by Edward III, with his lands (including Mortimer) seized by the crown.

The Alfred Palmer Memorial Playing Field is to be found on the outskirts, and for its level, Step 7, is reasonable well-appointed. There’s a small clubhouse and bar, and the pitch is enclosed on three sites with what appears to be schoolyard metal fencing. The administration staff were notably friendly.

On the pitch, with Mortimer third and with a shout of the championship against Park United struggling, second from bottom, it looked like a home banker. Add to that that despite being from the next village along Burghfield Common, Park struggled to get 11 players there for kick-off. It was therefore no great surprise when Mortimer took the lead, Kaser Chowdhary finishing well from the left side of the 6 yard box.

It was in the 10th minute when the whole complexion of the game, and the 4 neutrals there’s evening changed. A Park forward was clean through and was taken out by goalkeeper Stuart Gosby. For me it was out of the box but a penalty was awarded by referee David Jewell , but Gosby was extremely fortunate to stay on the pitch as it looked to be a clear goalscoring opportunity. Whatever the facts of the matter, Chowhary was booked for dissent, before Ahmet Tungy tucked away the penalty.

What followed was utterly unacceptable. A diatribe of the ugliest possible language from the home bench resulted in the dismissal of Mortimer assistant manager Dave Hobbs. That seemed to involve him standing about a foot further back, and he and his colleagues continuing to hurl foul mouthed abuse at the officials. I’m certainly not prudish when it comes to swearing, but this was far beyond what an official should have to put up with.

It got worse on 25 minutes when Chowdhary went down rather easily in the box, and collected his second booking for diving. The bench went mad, and the term “Cheat,” was being hurled about freely. I can live with swearing but the club officials calling referees cheats is completely unacceptable. If I’d have been in charge, I’d have been tempted to have abandoned the game there and then.

As it was, the game took on a whole new slant when Ed Bickerton rifled home to give the visitors and unlikely lead. They held on quite comfortably until half time when we were treated to the Mortimer manager John Davies marching on to the pitch to confront the officials. As they home players trooped off one was heard to comment ” For f***s sake lads play the opposition, not the ref,” If only the management had taken heed.

It was a similar story in the second half, with the abuse eminating from the home dugout, and Mortimer having the lions share of possession but only managing an equaliser for all their superiority, Mike Davies firing home from 5 yards out. Manager Davies was soon dismissed for calling long-suffering Jewell a, “F*cking cheat,” again and gave an interesting insight on his priorities when a player complained about the latest dismissal. “Don’t f*cking shout at him, that’s my job,” before trudging away.

The fact that it finished 2-2 seemed utterly irrelevant at the final whistle. So lets revisit my earlier question, “Why would you want to visit Mortimer?” The answer sadly, is do so, but only when there’s a change of football management. I would refer those two to the poster I saw in the clubhouse at half time.





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

Join 6,521 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...