Tag Archives: Upper Thames Valley

XXX action

07 Sunday Apr 2013

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Sunday 31st March 2013 ko 13.00

Oxfordshire Football Association Sam Waters Sunday Cup Final

OXFORD SPORTS & SOCIAL 2 (McGlynn 45 McMahon 48)

KIDLINGTON ROYALS 3 (Curtin 8 66 Odhiambo 78)

Att c300

Entry & Programme £2

At Court Place Farm Stadium (Oxford City FC)

To be honest, I didn’t really fancy watching any football. I know regular readers of these articles will find that hard to believe, but 8 games in just over 2 days is hard going! In fact my reason for going was straightforward, Kidlington Royals asked me! In the days leading up to the game Royals came up with a novel way of advertising the game and its one I don’t think I’ll see again! They used Twitter to get British Continue reading →

The Swedish Connection

15 Monday Oct 2012

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Sunday 14th October 2012 ko 10.30am

Upper Thames Valley League Division 3

ABBA ATHLETIC 1 (Harwood 78)

FC HAGBOURNE 3 (Moon 19 Lawson 73 Wallsworth)

Att 12 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale

It was about time I did another Sunday League ground, and ABBA Athletic now play at Sunderland Drive Playing Field, in Bicester rather than at Kirtlington where I saw their Banbury & Lord Jersey side around 18 months ago. ABBA remain very much the baby of Tony Bagnall, one of the few stalwarts of local football to gain national recognition, being awarded an MBE 2 years ago. But why the name, I hear you ask? The club was originally formed as a revival of another Bicester club, Southwold but when the club was registered it was discovered that there were still unpaid fines due from the old Southwold club. Rather than face that liability the officials opted to choose another name who what to choose? It just so happened that “Money Money Money” by ABBA was playing on the radio at the time…… I’m just pleased Brian Hyland’s most famous hit wasn’t on the radio then!

ABBA, were set up and remain a real force for good. Half of all funds raised goes to charity, and Tony’s benevolent influence means the game is played for the right reasons, fun and fitness. To a backdrop of gliders taking off from Bicester Aerodrome, formerly RAF Bicester the two sides played an entertaining game, on a slippery surface. I can certainly report just how slippery, as I went flying when returning a ball!

There really wasn’t much between the two sides, besides slightly better finishing from the visitors. Jon Moon blasted home for the opener, before an exchange of goals from Andrew Lawson for Hagbourne and Wayne Harwood for ABBA maintained the one goal difference. A point would have been fair but Thomas Wallsworth stole in at the back post to give the game a slightly unrealistic margin of victory. Of course the real winners here are the legion of young people under Mr Bagnall’s guidance. Long may that continue.

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Reversal

10 Thursday May 2012

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Thursday 10th May 2012 ko 6.30pm

Northants Combination Premier Division

WELDON UNITED 1 (Fraser 64)

RINGSTEAD RANGERS 3 (A Wells 10 Tarr 17 Coles 83)

Att 23 (h/c)

Played at Ringstead Rangers

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale

To do this hobby well, you do need a good support group, and a lot of “Plan B’s!” This evening proved the point well. Plan A was Didcot Casuals at their Upper Thames Valley League ground, but Peter Hack phoned to say that was off. Then Chris Garner told me Lee West had found something in the Northants Combination, and it was Lee who’d discovered that Weldon had switched their game to Ringstead due to their own ground being waterlogged. Even as I headed north, Rob Tyler contacted me to tell me of another UTVL game at Saxton. James Rennie also let me know that he’d had a no-show at City Colts.  So, its a big thankyou to all of you, without your help I wouldn’t have chalked up ground 1,300 tonight.

Ringstead is about a mile from Raunds. If you’ve ever visited that town, and travelled there on the A45 you use the same junction, but travel in the opposite direction. The village was once a home to a large gravel works, that’s now been turned into lakes, which must set off the local flower festival rather nicely. I doubt if anyone noticed when local resident Alf Roberts left his birthplace to set up a grocer’s shop in Grantham. I would imagine they might have, many years later when his daughter Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister!

The ground is found at one end of Gladstone Street, and is functional. There’s just the one pitch, but there are signs that cricket may have been played too at one point. There’s a changing room block rather touchingly built by, “Players, Committee and friends.” The pitch is roped off and cover is provided by was looked to be a shed!

It was obvious that Weldon are a Corby side, judging by the Scottish accents, and names! On this occasion they looked second best to a side that lost their keeper to a dislocated shoulder after an hour. At that point they’d done well to get back in contention after being blown away in the first 20 minutes, with a well taken goal from Sean Fraser. However they failed to force a single save from stand-in keeper Glenn Turner, and with all substitutes used, the 10 men of Ringstead went up the other end to score a third, David Coles forcing in at close range.

It was, in truth typical end of season stuff, rather lackadaisically refereed by Scott Dempsey. What he couldn’t keep up with he didn’t see, and what he did he often didn’t give. How he failed to give Ringstead a penalty early in the second half I’ll never know.

So, Ringstead joins my group of 100th’s. Amongst these are, Holbrook MW (500) Darlaston (800) Cardiff City Stadium (900) Newbridge (1000) Dobwalls (1,100) and Blackstones (1,200). Wonder where 1,400 will be?

Powerwalking

07 Monday May 2012

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Monday 7th May 2012 ko 2.30pm

North Berkshire League Charity Cup Final

ARDINGTON & LOCKINGE 0 James sent off 70 violent conduct

BERINSFIELD 2 (Ingram 40 Saunders 74)

Att 195 (h/c)

@Abingdon United FC

Entry and (8 page) Programme £3

It’s only about a mile from Abington Town to United, so I was in plenty of time for this one. In the car park I found a salutary reminder of the fact that no-one remembers a loser, a discarded runners up memento from the previous day’s Upper Thames Valley League Alan Alder Memorial Trophy.

If Abingdon Town has the cover, then United have both the clubhouse and the pitch. With only two areas of cover and a crowd over double that of my morning game, it was fortunate that the rain ceased, and the crowd could make use of all of the surround.

As is always the case, the committee was there en masse; why can’t other leagues do that for their blue riband events, and I witnessed the high levels of administrative efficiency as they made sure each player’s name did correspond to the number they were wearing.

And while all this was happening one person cut a nervous figure. Whilst Berinsfield’s AJ Stockford oozed confidence, club secretary Jackie Cullen paced nervously. Before the game, she kept busy putting up red and black balloons, during it she powerwalked round and round the pitch. So many finals, so many miles covered.

The game saw Berinsfield take on another Division 2 outfit more than capable of scoring goals. Ardington & Lockinge may be better known for racehorses, but they’re making their way back up the NBFL after spell away from the league. They made the brighter start too, Jonny James’ cross-cum-shot took a slight deflection and hit the bar. Berinsfield hit back as David Murphy fired  just over the bar after his intial effort was blocked by Ardington keeper Andrew Burt.

And as the half wore on Berinsfield worked out what would work for them. Captain Mark Ingram got an iron grip in midfield, and he fed AJ Stockford on the right who regularly outpaced his marker Ian Marshall. However, it was a different combination that created the opener. Brian Rawlings’ glorious cushioned lob bisected the Ardington defence and Ingram headed in, running through for a goal that would grace any stadium.

After the break Berinsfield made a fast start with Chris Murphy’s low drive grazed a post before the normally prolific David Murphy beat the offsite-trap to toe-poke the ball towards the goal. Burt somehow stretched behind to claw the ball away  then smother the loose ball just as Stockford was about to pounce. All the while Jackie paced…..

Although Berinsfield were very much in the ascendancy at 1-0 anything could have happened. The pivotal moment cam on 70 minutes when Jonny James chased a through ball, hugging the right touchline. He received close attention from Mark Ingram who shepherded him over the line none too gently. James’ reaction was to swing a punch at him. That missed, but it was not lost on either referee John Barlow, or linesman Adam Dewar, and James quickly was dismissed.

Luke Saunders replaced an exhausted Stockford and within 5 minutes he got Berinsfield’s winner. Again it was Rawlings who was the provider, his cross taking a slight deflection before finding Saunders who prodded the ball past a beaten Burt. The same combination saw Saunders’ bullet header hit the crossbar, before Burt saved brilliantly as Shane Harris followed up.

So the third trophy of the season, and as the final whistle went, the fans cheered, the players hugged, and Jackie finally stopped walking. She’ll have to go through it all again though, its the League Cup final. Same time same place, would you bet against Berinsfield making it 4?

From Loftus to Arnold

26 Sunday Feb 2012

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Sunday 26th February 2012 ko 10.30am

Upper Thames Valley League Divsion 3A

WHITE HORSE ABINGDON 1 (Belcher 74)

NORTHWAY (BOYS & GIRLS) 2 (Yerwood 75 Hatt 76)

Att 1

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale

There is a team called Abingdon Exiles in the UTVL but they play at Abingdon United. The real exiles are White Horse Abingdon who play at the Louis Memorial Pavilion, Arnold’s Way in the west Oxford suburb of Botley.

Botley is one of those places that many will have passed, but few recognised. The A34 runs past the suburb’s main landmark, the Seacourt Tower, built as a car dealership, but known locally as Botley Cathedral, due to its spire!

The ground is basic, just a set of posts and a changing room block, but the welcome from manager John Clark was genuine. It transpired that the team moved here when they couldn’t get a pitch in Abingdon, this pitch having been vacated by Research Machines FC who have moved to Steventon FC. Co-incidentally this morning’s referee Andrew Caven was in charge of the North Berkshire Hop game, at yes Steventon! Its worth noting that the Arnold’s Way Ground hasn’t been used for Saturday football for some time.

Northway have a certain quirk in that both they and their reserves play in Division 3. The firsts in 3A and the reserves in 3B, and for the record both divisions are of equal stature. For White Horse, the quirk was in the form of defender Dan Lawrence who’s place of work the previous day was Queen’s Park Rangers! OK, he’s a cameraman for Sky Sports, but everyone enjoyed the Premier League connection.

I tried hard to get the attendance above well, me. A few walkers passed as a public footpath is situated at the back of the ground. Some stopped and watched for a few minutes, but none lingered, or asked the score. A shame as this was a decent honest game, which deserved watching.

The first half was notable for profligate finishing from both sides but particularly the hosts. Northway did get the ball in the net, but this was quickly ruled offside. Northway midfielder Kieron Jennings debated the point describing the decision as “A f*****g joke,” for which he received a red card, Caven explaining how in the pre-match talk how he would not tolerate foul language. That hurt Jennings more than Caven imagined. Jennings plays for Hellenic League outfit Thame United and I would not want to be present when he informs the club he’s now suspended! Unusually he did end up running the line, which I suspect isn’t entirely compliant with FA guidelines.

As the game wore on and I became increasingly nervous about collecting a 0-0, White Horse came more into the game, and the introduction of Matty Belcher seemed to have swung the game in their favour. His finish of a good move was no more than White Horse deserved, but the lead was to last barely a minute as Michael Yerwood smashed home at close range to equalise, then just a minute after that Rob Hatt’s low shot from 10 yards won the game for the visitors.

It was all rather harsh on White Horse, who had done little wrong other than shoot poorly. An interesting coda for them was the introduction of Youcef El Barhdadi, or to use his blogging title Moroccan Yellow. For a few minutes it was blogger watching blogger!

Here’s his site, it’s rather good!!!

http://www.moroccan10.blogspot.com/

The 5 Mile Drive

19 Sunday Feb 2012

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Sunday 19th February 2012 ko 10.30am

Upper Thames Valley League Devenney Cup Quarter Final

AFC JERICHO 1 (Matthews 65)

KINGS ARMS WHEATLEY 3 (S Jacob 38 Mapplethorpe 54 L Cuff 78)

Att 20 (h/c)

@ Oxford University Press Ground, Jordan Hill

Entry FREE

Nothing for Sale

The groundhopping purists would probably reckon I should have ticked this one off for OUP, who are the Saturday side here, playing in the top division of the Oxfordshire Senior League. Well, I hadn’t managed to do it in over 10 years of serious hopping so  I decided to do the Sunday team instead.

Jericho is a suburb in the north of Oxford. Its started life as a poorly drained slum, became briefly a red light district, and now is one of the most sought after areas in the city. It retains, however a decidedly bohemian feel, with cafes and the historic Castlemill boatyard. The Jericho Tavern has seen performances by bands such as Radiohead and Supergrass before they became famous.

Jordan Hill is in Cutteslowe, on the northernmost tip of the city, about a mile north of Jericho. It is so obviously a works ground, and is beautifully maintained. For me it was a 5 mile drive to get there, and a nearby street to the ground is would you believe, Five Mile Drive!

I was pleasantly surprised at the facilties on offer. From the cricket benches, the wooden dugouts to the post and roped off pitch, it was a pleasure to take in a game that when the weak sun managed to peak through the clouds, the scene was bucolic.

The game pitched Premier Division Kings Arms against their Division One hosts. When jotting down the lineups, I found myself recognising many of the visitors’ team. Just the eleven of them, but it transpired that they are on a Saturday, Headington Amateurs first XI! It did give an interesting measuring stick as to the quality that was on show.

The first half consisted of more or less continous home pressure, with Jericho missing chance after chance. They were made to pay when a neat move allowed Shaun Jacob to fire home on 38 minutes. It was Wheatley’s first meaningful attack and the home bench couldn’t believe it. It set the tone for the second half with Wheatley coming more and more into the game, as Jericho tired, and ran out of ideas. A glorious through ball put Francis Mapplethorpe in on goal and he made no mistake for 0-2.

The goal of the game was undoubtedly Kamen Matthews’ 25 yard free kick which sailed into the top right corner but this was to be mere consolation as the ever dangerous Luke Cuff pounced on a defensive howler to finish the game as a spectacle.

Pantomime season

18 Sunday Dec 2011

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Sunday 18th December 2011. ko 10.30am (scheduled) 12.00pm (actual!)

Upper Thames Valley League Division 3A

FOREST HILL 1 (Gonzalez 50) Matthews missed pen 17

CHATSWORTH BUCCANEERS 1 (Davies 45)

Att 15 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale

The small Oxfordshire village of Forest Hill lies about 5 miles east of Oxford. If you’ve ever driven from Oxford to London then you’ve probably passed the place. The poet John Milton, courted his future wife Mary Powell at the now demolished Manor house. The architect George Gilbert Scott ( Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras Station, the Albert Memorial ) redesigned the local church’s nave. It’s possible to see both the Beckley TV transmitter and Brill windmill.

The Forest Hill Recreation ground is to be found on the north-western tip of the village, on the B4027 Stanton Road. This bit was completely lost on referee Trevor Pitson, who as a late replacement for the injured Andrew Cotter got the wrong postcode and ended up in Great Milton, 8 miles away. He tried to contact the club, but the UTVL website had the wrong phone number. He’d returned back home to Faringdon by the time the club managed to contact him!

The advantage of this is that it gave a frosty pitch a chance to thaw. With the clubhouse having been destroyed in an arson attack in 2005, there was nowhere for the players to keep warm other than their cars, and I used the time to learn a little more. Forest Hill had a top flight UTVL side but the fire forced them off the ground, to Oxford’s Cutteslowe Park. The high fees charged by Oxford City Council proved to be too much, and the club folded after one season in exile.

This is the current club’s first season in existence and despite the name division 3A is as much the bottom division as 3B! Garsington based Chatsworth are having a dreadful season with just the one point so far.

The game turned out to be well worth the match-long wait as both sides used graft to make up what they lacked in skill. The memory I will have is the brilliance of the two goalkeepers Iain Locke for Forest Hill and Mike Webber for Chatsworth. Between them they produced 4 saves that a professional would be proud of. Webber’s reaction save to tip away a flicked header made up for a freezing conditions.

As much as anything else I enjoyed the company of two friendly clubs and some tremendous banter, particularly before the referee arrived.

“Well this ref can’t book us for a late challenge”

“The ref’s fee’s £30 lets go down the pub and drink it!”

You don’t get that in the professional game.

Check-mate

27 Sunday Nov 2011

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Sunday 27th November 2011 ko 10.30am

Upper Thames Valley League Division 2

CHECKENDON EXILES 0

KING & QUEEN WHEATLEY 3 (Thomas 18 Evans 54 80)

Att 6 

Free Entry

The village of Checkendon lies in South Oxfordshire, around 6 miles from Henley-on-Thames. The Henley influence is obvious, you do find yourself in Millionaires Row! The local boozer is a gastropub, and as the game progressed a regular sight in the background were Ocado vans, for those too lazy to actually travel to Waitrose!

Checkendon’s most obvious attraction is the Equestrian Centre but I was more taken with the Church of England parish church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul,  a 12th century Norman building. All but one of the windows were replaced later in the Middle Ages with Decorated Gothic and Perpendicular Gothic ones, and the Perpendicular Gothic west tower is also a later addition. Its offered a good backdrop to some of the photos!

About a mile away is Hook End Manor. In the 1960s Alvin Lee of Ten Years After fame sold it to Dave Gilmour. Gilmour recorded parts of Pink Floyd’s 1987 album, ‘A Momentary Lapse of Reason’ in a studio at the house. The band’s inflatable pig, first used to promote their “Animals” album a decade earlier was stored in one of the outbuildings.

The Manor was then bought by West Side Productions, who produced both Madness and Morrissey recordings there. In the 1990s, the Manor was purchased by producer Trevor Horn who was responsible for the high tech studio which is still in use today.

The Recreation Ground is shared with the village cricket club, but the only actual shared territory is the changing room, as the football pitch is tucked neatly away at the North-Eastern end of the ground. That helped to shelter me slightly on a blustery morning! Above two hawks circled, looking for prey.

This is an eastern outpost of the mainly Oxford based UTV League, the home team after all, were formerly known as Wallingford Exiles, and the club’s HQ is the Queens Arms in Goring-on-Thames, a town incidentally, that has George Michael as a resident! This factor may have something to do with why the game kicked off late as some the visitors got lost!

Perhaps that’s why it took King & Queen so long to get going. It became clear that Exiles were a side utterly lacking in either goal threat or confdence, this was their sixth game on the trot without scoring, and as the half progressed the frustration began to boil over. A midfielder and his club linesman disagreed over an overside call, and the two had to be seperated at half time, the linesman walking back to the changing rooms in high dudgeon. All King & Queen had to do was maintain a semblance of concentration to record an easy away win, and this they managed with just the odd lapse! Simon Evans’ winner, a thumping 25 yard drive was a good way to cap the victory.

Talking Points

30 Sunday Oct 2011

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Sunday 30th October 2011 ko 10.30am

Upper Thames Valley League Division Two

YELLOW EAGLES 3 (Little 19 40 Simpson 49)

SUTTON WANDERERS 1 (Richards 73)

Att 6 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Nothing for sale.

Its been 30 years since I last visited the Horspath Road Athletics Stadium, just outside Oxford city’s limits. I was right back as the 26th Oxford won the 1981 Headington District Cubs 11-a-side football tournament. I still have the medal but sadly it was the only award I ever won!

The two pitches used that day have long since gone, swallowed up by the landscaping for the new improved Continue reading →

The “I was there” Game

02 Sunday Oct 2011

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Sunday 2nd October 2011 ko 10.30am

Oxfordshire FA Sam Waters Cup 1st Round

RED LION ISLIP 10 (Thorne 21 90 Wells 22 39 41 110 White 76 90 Webb 89 Johnson 98)

NORTHWAY BOYS & GIRLS 10 (Lawrence 20 54 68 72 Muze 48 Martin 49 77 R Hatt 65 Cox 105 Hibbins 114)

AET Northway won 3-1 on penalties

Att 12 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Programme NO

Wow, where do I start with this one? My attendance was a last minute affair, my mate Pete said he was going, he didn’t turn up and will probably regret his decision for a long time!

Islip is a pretty village around 5 miles north of Oxford, and its claim to fame is that its the birthplace of St Edward the Confessor. The ground is to be found on Church Lane, virtually in the shadow of the village’s decorated gothic church, the parish church of St Nicholas. Like many places in the area the village saw action in the civil war, the battle of Islip Bridge being fought in 1645. The bridge is still in use and adjacent Swan pub car park nearby was used for moor boats taking parliamentary troops into Oxford. The other pub that gives the local side its name, used to boast former Oxford United, Third Lanark, Manchester United, Wolves and Banbury United striker Hugh Curran as its publican.

With the unseasonally warm weather it was a pleasure to sit in the sun, and be entertained on Sunday. The Sam Waters Cup is for Sunday sides affiliated to the OFA, which with the demise of  the Morrells Oxford Sunday League is almost an entirely Upper Thames Valley League affair. Islip play in Divsion 3 of the UTVL with Northway a division down in 3A.

But the game…. exactly as the scoreline would suggest. The opener was a quite wonderful effort, Marvin Martin’s pinpoint cross from the left found Dan Lawrence whose first time volley whistled past Franklin in the home goal.

But then Islip found a outlet, midfielder Adam Wells. No great movement, but a shot like an angry mule. Three shots, three goals, and while the second, the  keeper Partlett will want to forget, the third, a free kick nothing on earth was going to stop. So, at half time 4-1, and the Islip win looked assured. But Northway reorganised and significantly in midfield Justice Muze and Martin swapped places, and the former found real space out on the left. Wells was man-marked, and the game turned. Goal after goal went in as the sides worked out the only form of defence was attack and Lawrence duly collected the second hat trick of the game, and with two minutes left Northway found themselves 8-6 up. The finish? Not a bit of it, as Islip found it within themselves to notch twice in injury time to force extra time.

Sitting here typing I still have no idea how the sides managed to keep the pace going for another 30 minutes. Johnson’s thumping header at a corner was answered by full back Cox tapping in at the back post. Wells’ free kick, so powerful it dislodged the net from its moorings looked like the winner, but no side deserved to lose this. Neither side begrudged Northway’s equaliser, Carl Hibbins bundling in with 6 minutes left.

So to penalties, and would you believe the first two were missed! Wells thumped home his, but his proved be the only successful conversion for Islip. Make no mistake, I’ll make sure I’ll see both of these sides again. What a game!