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Football: Wherever it may be

~ Laurence's football travels

Football: Wherever it may be

Tag Archives: Rugby

The Light Blue Side Of Things

23 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by laurencereade in C, G

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Cambridge University, Cuppers, Fitzwilliam, Grange Road, groundhopping, Pembroke, Rugby, University

Thursday 11th April 2019 ko 19.30

Cambridge University Association Football League- Cuppers Final

FITZWILLIAM 3 (Saunders 40 Ellis 103 Burrows 110)

PEMBROKE 1 (Ireland 69)

After extra time of 10 minutes each way

Att c300 at Grange Road (Cambridge University RUFC)

Entry & Programme FREE

If you haven’t scrolled passed this, and headed straight for the pictures you may be wondering what the appeal was here? You might assume that since I’m from Oxford that I was looking at this through some sense of rivalry but unless you’re involved at either city’s university there is no rivalry at all. As I blasted along the M11 the sense was far more about this being a “Cradle of the game” job. Continue reading →

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Mercury & Bismuth

28 Wednesday Nov 2018

Posted by laurencereade in W

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Barking RFC, Dagenham, Eastern Counties League, Eastern Senior League, Fire United, Football, Gale Street, groundhopping, May and Baker, Non League, Rugby

Tuesday 30th October 2018 ko 19.45

Eastern Senior League Division One South

MAY & BAKER 2 (Owuadey 6 Harvey 88)

FIRE UNITED CFC 1 (Dias 89)

Att 27 

Entry £5

Programme £1

With the creation of the Eastern Senior League, to fill a hole at Step 6 in Essex, a slew of new clubs have taken a step up in status to fill the league. For Fire United that meant a move from Hackney Marshes to the Terence McMillan Stadium in Newham, formerly home to London APSA. More on them later, but May & Baker’s story is fascinating. Continue reading →

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Gritstone

19 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by laurencereade in D

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

AFC Dronfield, Chaz Bradwell, Chesterfield, Crooked Spire, Dronfield, Gosforth Fields, Nico Digiralamo, northern counties east, northern counties east league, Rob Hornby, Rugby, Ryan Damms, sheffield fc, Staveley Miners Welfare, Steve Whitehead, Tony Gurnhill

Thursday 18th July 2013 ko 19.30

Pre-Season Friendly

DRONFIELD TOWN 2 (Bradwell 63 Whitehead 80)

STAVELEY MINERS WELFARE 3 (Damms 35 Digiralamo 39 Gurnhill 87)

Att 42 at Gosforth Fields 3G, Bubnell Road, Dronfield Woodhouse, Derbys.

Entry Free

No Programme

I think groundhoppers can be separated into 2 broad categories, the ones that are aware how daft the hobby can be and those who aren’t! Becalmed in M1 traffic half-way through a 130 mile drive to the northern-most tip of Derbyshire to watch a friendly on a plastic pitch in a cage, yes I did question my sanity! I’m sure fellow hopper Lee thought exactly the same thing, as he interrogated the traffic app on his iPhone to supplement the sat-nav’s directions.

The trouble is I quite like this part of the world, despite Notts-born Lee’s immediate prejudices against the county in general. I like the Church of St Mary and All Saints, Chesterfield famous for its crooked spire, caused apparently caused by the lead that covers the spire, which was added 300 years after it was built in 1362. When the sun shines the south side of the tower heats up, causing the lead there to expand at a greater rate than that of the north side, resulting in unequal expansion and contraction. This was compounded by the weight of the lead (approx. 33 tons) which the spire’s bracing was not originally designed to bear.

The scene changes when you reach Dronfield, the topography becomes more undulating as you reach the beginnings of the Pennines, and the characteristics of the town seem as much South Yorkshire as Derbyshire. That feeling is heightened when you pass the Coach and Horses ground of Sheffield FC, the oldest football club in the world.

These are exciting times for Dronfield FC. They won last season’s Central Midlands League North Division, and have been accepted into the Northern Counties East League. That means ground improvements, and as I write this the floodlights are being erected. Many groundhoppers will remember Stonelow Road from the excellent Central Midlands Hop game the club hosted http://wp.me/p1PehW-zz, although so far organiser Rob Hornby has not managed to convince me to try the local “Delicacy” Pork dripping sandwiches!

This game was played at the Gosforth Fields facility which is used by Dronfield’s reserves, AFC Dronfield, and Dronfield Rugby Club. Around the location there’s been a spate of house building which is proving to be something of a boon for the place as the bar area serves as a pub for the new community! And there are far worse things you can do on a warm Thursday evening than sit on a balcony with a beer and watch two decent sides play football.

I know Staveley from the Northern Counties East hop which I help organise. They were, and are a joy to deal with http://wp.me/p1PehW-EU and above all else I will remember my trip to Gosforth Fields as being the visit where both clubs and officials were notably friendly and willing to help with fripperies as line-ups.

And despite the fact that at half time there were 21 substitutions, it was a good game to watch. Staveley wore Chesterfield FC change kit in the first half and Spireites home kit in the second, and seemed to have a far stronger first half team. They were good value for their half time lead, but Dronfield took control in the second half, and when Steve Whitehead danced through the Staveley defence to equalise it was a fair reflection on the balance of play. That roused Staveley and Tony Gurnhill won the game with a well-taken strike from the right-hand side of the 18-yard box.

It not often I enjoy a trip to such a ground, maybe it was the company, Lee and I got to meet Sheffield-based hopper Mark Hartley, but this was a hugely enjoyable evening out. Maybe it would be a different story on a wet November Saturday?




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In Extremis

01 Saturday Oct 2011

Posted by laurencereade in A

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Austrey, Combination, Gordon, groundhopping, Juniors, Linford, Midland, Rangers, Rugby, Thomas, Town, U21

Saturday 1st October 2011

Midland Combination U21 League East/North

AUSTREY RANGERS 0

RUGBY TOWN JUNIORS 3 (Thomas 12 Linford 63 Gordon 76)

Att 16 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No Programme

Coffee 80p

Finger of Fudge 20p (!)

Austrey lies at the northernmost point of Warwickshire, just off the A42. A look on Google Earth shows Austrey Field to little more than, well, a field, but when I arrived it was a hive of activity. If you want to tick off Austrey you have no option but to watch age based football, there is no adult team, although I suspect this vibrant club will soon make that move as the eldest players get too old for youth football. With a clubhouse, and part railed pitch the infrastructure is already in place the such a move.

Other than my game there were U12 and U18 games going on, which gave Dutch (Utrecht) referee Erick van Vlet a problem- Continue reading →

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