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Football: Wherever it may be

~ Laurence's football travels

Football: Wherever it may be

Tag Archives: Uffington United

Diamond Lights

15 Sunday Oct 2017

Posted by laurencereade in D

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Chilton, Diamond Light Source, Drayton, Football, groundhopping, Harwell, North Berkshire hop, North Berkshire League, Rutherford Appleton, Uffington United

Saturday 16th September 2017 k0 10.45

North Berkshire League Division 3

DRAYTON 7 (Dennis 8 29 55p 68 S Bolton 15 C Bolton 51 Hughes 57)

UFFINGTON UNITED 1 (Harfield 66)

Att 112 at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Pitch, Chilton, near Harwell.

Entry by programme £4

In so many ways the North Berkshire Hop is the Hummingbird of the organised hops. We’re off pyramid, we’ve only ever been a one-day event, and we’ve even had another league schedule a rival “Hop” against us. But despite some folks turning up their noses up at us, and a few even telling us it wouldn’t work, just like the hummingbird, that the laws of physics say shouldn’t fly, we’re still here, and still doing things our way.  Continue reading →

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Those Lights

02 Sunday Oct 2016

Posted by laurencereade in U

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Fawler Road, GroundhopUK, MARCHAM, nbfl, North Berks, North Berkshire League, Uffington United

Friday 16th September 2016 ko 19.45

North Berkshire League Division 3

UFFINGTON UNITED 1 (Larman 49og)

MARCHAM 2 (Yallop 65 Larman 68)

Att 99

Entry & Programme £4

The North Berkshire League Hop has managed to produce plenty of memorable moments since we first visited Steventon back in 2011. Since then we’ve introduced minibuses called Rod, Jane & Freddy, been on two military bases, and seen off a Step 5 league who presumably thought that since we’re off-pyramid we don’t matter. Continue reading →

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Second Servings

01 Sunday May 2016

Posted by laurencereade in U

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Fawler Road, Grove Rangers, North Berkshire Groundhop, North Berkshire League, Uffington United

Wednesday 20th April 2016 ko 18.30

North Berkshire League Division 3

UFFINGTON UNITED 2 (Masterlez 19 Byrne 33)

GROVE RANGERS 2 (Cramp 31 Chalmers 46)

Att 7

Entry FREE

No Programme

For many groundhoppers the village of Uffington means one thing. It’s where in 2012 188 of us watched a NBFL Division 5 game. It was quite an evening, Uffington beat the now defunct Appleton 12-0, one player scored 8 and another scorer made the Chilli con Carne that sold in quite gargantuan quantities!  Continue reading →

Attitude In Adversity

08 Tuesday Apr 2014

Posted by laurencereade in A

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Appleton Stars, Bampton Town, Crowmarsh Gifford Reserves, Division 5, League, North Berkshire, North Berkshire League, North Berkshire League Division, Paul Nuckley, Sportsfield, Uffington United

I heard the sad news today that the Appleton Stars have folded, despite completing their North Berkshire League Division 5 programme. I always enjoyed their company, and admired their wonderful attitude despite taking a beating most Saturdays. I was pleased we were able to feature them on the North Berkshire League Hop, away at Uffington United, and it was a real shame that I was unable to give them a game as hosts as they’d left the Sportsfield, to groundshare at Hanney.

They never did have much luck. About a month ago Phil Annets, the league’s press officer, sent me a message that the Stars had just earned their first point in three years against Crowmarsh Gifford Reserves. On the Monday after, Crowmarsh’s reserves withdrew from the league, and Appleton’s point was expunged. There was Briony their manager who could find something positive to say even in moments of massive adversity, and Paul Nuckley their goalkeeper who never lost his sense of humour despite the deluge of goals that went past him.

I was fortunate to visit the Stars back in 2010, so please enjoy my text from then, and please remember a gallant little club that is no more. They stood for values far above mere sport, such as sportsmanship, friendship, and never ever giving up. I’ll miss them.

13th November 2010 ko 13.30

North Berkshire League Division 5

APPLETON STARS 1 (King 40)

BAMPTON TOWN RESERVES 7 (Reed 7 15 Oyston 13 54 Madden 27 Paintin 76 90)

Att 1

Entry FREE

Prog No

It can’t be easy being Appleton. A ground next door to the local sewage works with all the smells to match, and a playing record that takes some examination. They were reformed a few years ago as a youth side, but the players got too old. They entered the North Berkshire League last season, and were placed in Division 4 so at least they had some first teams to play against. They finished the season with the following record P20 W0 D0 L20 F13 A204 Pts 0, so were relegated into the basement Division 5 with reserves, A and even B sides. Their playing record this season?

P7 W0 D0 L7 F7 A47 Pts 0, so things are not improving and if you eliminate the two league officials and the clubs’ management, the attendance was me so the well to do village doesn’t care either.

Continue reading →

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Dancing With The Stars

23 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by laurencereade in U

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Appleton Stars, Ben Cousins, Jamie Glock, Keiran Watson, North Berkshire League, North Berkshire League Groundhop, Paul Nuckley, Uffington United

Saturday 22nd September 2012 ko 7.30pm

North Berkshire League Division 5

UFFINGTON UNITED 12 (Watson 2 20 33 43 59 70 82 87 Cousins 11 14 56 Glock 62)

APPLETON STARS 0

Att 188

Entry & Programme £4

Badge £3

Food: Meat and Veggie Chilli

Beer: White Horse Brewery

The final game of this year’s hop saw a trip to the pretty village of Uffington, best known for the 374 feet prehistoric “White Horse” carved into the chalk of the Berkshire Downs behind the village. It’s just about visible from the ground, but there’s more to the village than just that. Poet John Betjeman lived here during the 1930’s and Thomas Hughes, author of “Tom Brown’s Schooldays,” was born in the village.

Now if you thought a NBFL Division 3 game was trying something new, I’m not sure what the great hopping populace thought I was thinking planning this! I do what the Uffington committee thought, as they admitted to me at half-time; they thought I was absolutely stark raving mad when I presented my proposals at a club meeting at Tucker Park 2 years earlier!

The logic is simple, the ground at Fawler Road, has floodlights, and Uffington don’t seem to have played under them in living memory, With floodlit grounds at a premium in the NBFL this was an obvious closing game for the hop. That immediately raised another issue, that division 5 is primarily for reserve and “A” sides. Since hoppers by and large will not watch games involving reserve teams, my choice of opposition for Uffington was restricted to two, Challow and Appleton. Challow are new to the league this season, and so I knew nothing about them, but the Stars I know well.

The Stars re-entered the NBFL 3 seasons ago, and were placed in Division 4. They had a terrible season, and were relegated without registering a point. The next season they still finished bottom but at least registered 3 wins, but last season suffered from the league creating Divisions 4 East and West, and once again failed to register a point. With Uffington having finished next-to-bottom last season, I plumped to the Stars on the basis it might be competitive, and give the crowd some goals to view. I was correct on one count!

What surprised the visiting hoppers was just how well-appointed Fawler Road is. Apart from the fully railed off pitch, with dugouts and floodlights, there’s a second pitch (now there’s an idea!) and a clubhouse with ballroom. The latter proved to be handy as goalscorer Jamie Glock’s chilli sold like hot, well chilli. Common consensus was that it was delicious! NBFL media man Phil Annets went back for seconds, and he was not the only one!

I was worried about Appleton, and so were the NBFL committee. They’ve taken some real hidings over the last 3 seasons, and after a 15-0 drubbing at the hands of Benson Lions Reserves last Saturday we did have Challow on stand-by in case manageress Briony MacKellar decided this was a bridge too far for her team. I was wrong, and I should have known better, as I’ve seen Appleton a few times and they are a team in the purest sense of the word. They pull together, and even though they’ve taken some real beatings, including a 24-0 reverse, they play for each other and for fun. I had a brief chat with one of the players before the game, he admitted to me that the team was nervous so I found some hoppers and made sure they gave them a cheer.

I needn’t have bothered, as although Appleton shipped their first goal with less than 2 minutes on the watch, the crowd took to them as they gave the game a real go as they always do. And that’s where for me they avoided utter humiliation. Yes, Uffington are clearly a massive improvement on last season, but Appleton were not without attacking effort, forcing 3 corners and hitting the bar once. But you cannot be humiliated if you give it your best, and pull together. And that is what make me have a gigantic soft spot for the Stars.

Watching from the bench was Paul Nuckley. A veteran of Appleton’s previous stint in the NBFL, he was goalkeeper for most of the last 3 years, before opting to play for Stanford-in-the-Vale as he prefers to play left-wing. Nevertheless he decided to come along and support his former team-mates.

The difficulty he had as did everyone else there, was the floodlights were somewhat murky, perhaps I should have known as secretary Helen Wilkins did put in the excellent programme that the lights are, “Unique!” It ended up being a case of watch Uffington roll in yet another goal, and ask the bench who got it. The answer was ” Kieran, ” (Watson) a quite unbelievable 8 times! It made Ben Cousins’ hat-trick look positively tame! It broke all kinds of groundhop records, and after completing the crowd count, and saying thanks to the Uffington committee, I allowed myself the luxury of spending the second half on the Appleton bench, partly to check they were all right, and partly to indulge the part of me that is a fan.

And that concluded this year’s event. We produced an average attendance slightly up on last year, and tightened up on the little things that make a hop special. Two areas really pleased me; the clubs did excellent, varied catering, and I thought the 4 programmes were exceptional.

To finish I’d like to thank the NBFL committee, and especially Media Guru Phil Annets. Phil grasped the concept straightaway and his help makes my job so much easier. I’d also like to wish NBFL Chairman Leroy Paddock all the best as I know he’s going into hospital this coming week. I’d like to thank the clubs for their hard work, and at times indulging that bloke who kept sending them emails! The away clubs too, your time will come, as long as you want us there. Thanks also to everyone who attended any of the games, but especially to “Fast” Eddie McGeown who drove the other minibus. Lastly to Chris Berezai, normally I’m his deputy but for this one we swap places. We both know what sometimes you need a shoulder….

See you all next year, Benson Lions, Berinsfield, Long Wittenham and Didcot Casuals, you have a lot to live up to!


Paul Nuckley on the left, and the Appleton committee


;

A Preview

22 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by laurencereade in S

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Andy Goodchild, Ben Hummel, Cottage Road, groundhop, James Bowsher, James Stevens, Jamie Gregory, North Berkshire League, pam ayers, Stanford in the Vale, Uffington United, Wantage Town, white horse hills

Saturday 21st April 2012 ko 2.30pm

North Berkshire League Division 3

STANFORD IN THE VALE 1 (Gregory 76)

WANTAGE TOWN A 6 (Stevens 11 28 75 Bowsher 37 Hummel 40 Goodchild 54)

Att 36 (h/c)

Entry FREE

No Programme

Tea-in-a-mug 40p

The West Oxfordshire village of Stanford-in-the-vale is best known as the birthplace of poet Pam Ayers. I drove in via Pusey and what a beautiful part of the world it is, with the stone cottages set against a backdrop of the White Horse Hills in the background. I think its part of human nature that we tend to marvel at places we’ve travelled long distances to see, and ignore what’s on our doorstep.

Apart from the obvious attractions of a game of football, I wanted to visit Stanford as its the only ground provisionally on the 2012 NBFL hop I knew nothing about. With the hop visiting divisions at a level never featured on an organised hop, I wanted to be available to help the clubs make the most of next September 22nd.

I met club secretary Simon Jackson, and he told me all about the club. They’ve no qualms about accomodating 200 or so hoppers. The ground is enclosed, so they’ll have someone on each gate with a box of programmes, they’ve got a huge barbeque set so that’ll be handy, and since the White Horse Brewery is in Stanford, there’ll be real ales to try. It should be a great day out for everyone.

What a charming ground Cottage Road is too. The clubhouse is good enough to attract drinkers who aren’t there to watch Stanford, and the pitch is railed on the near side. There’s trees on two side, which proved to be helpful in the midst of a hail storm! I was struck by how well this Oxford United fan was well-treated by what appeared to be a club of Swindon Town fans, although I’m bound to point out that Stanford play in OUFC yellow and blue!

Simon had told me that Stanford were going into this game with 6 players missing due to injury and suspension, and that Wantage’s A team is very strong. Incidentally they play at the Wantage Leisure Centre, and not at Alfredian Park, so there’s somewhere else so me to visit! Simon’s fears were justified as Wantage ran out easy winners. Centre half James Stevens collected a hat-trick as Stanford failed to convince when defending any form of cross. James Bowsher, Ben Hummel and Andy Goodchild piled on the misery as the visitors were first to everything and had the better ideas.

But let’s not dwell too much on the game. I drove away afterwards, thinking “What a lovely little club” and “That’s club I don’t have to worry about next September.”

I took a little detour to visit Uffington United, as its only around 4 miles away. That’s set to be the finale of the hop under their lights. Forget their league position, they’re just as ready for the crowds as Stanford, and you’ll be amazed at the ground.





 

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