Lo! a ripe sheaf of many golden days
Gleaned by the year in autumn’s harvest ways,
With here and there, blood-tinted as an ember,
Some crimson poppy of a late delight
Atoning in its splendor for the flight
Of summer blooms and joys
This is September.
Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) is best-known for her classic novel for children, Anne of Green Gables, set in Montgomery’s own country of Canada (on Prince Edward Island). But Montgomery was also a poet, and in this short poem about September (quoted above in its entirety) she pays tribute to the ‘late delight’ of the month.
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Saturday 2nd September 2023
Emirates FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round
Eastbourne United 2
Callum Barlow 49, Hayden Beaconsfield 89,
Epsom & Ewell 1
Ashley Snadden 79,
Referee: Billy Woods. Attendance: 144
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£8). Programme: FREE
After a superb repast at Bistrot Pierre, in the centre of town and next to a Steampunk festival taking place on the front, we repaired to The Oval, on Channel View Road, a well looked after arena with two seated stands and a standing covered area (all of the Meccano variety, but very suitable nonetheless) on a sunny and warm afternoon. There was confusion over the team lists, which bore no resemblance to the team board written up before the game and no-one, initially, appeared to know who the officials were. However, the stage was set for an FA Cup tie that was ….. underwhelming for the first hour, but which then produced three goals and a victory for the hosts. With Phil Evans and Giles Ashman.
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Tuesday 5th September 2023
Vanarama National League North
Tamworth 2
Dempsey Arnott-John 21, Kyle Finn 32,
Chorley 1
Jack Hazlehurst 90+2
Referee: Darren Rogers. Attendance: 921
Admission: OMGDS £14.00 (£18) Programme: £3.00
Eighteen years since my last visit and the obvious difference was the installation of a 3G pitch. Apart from that, it was the rip off prices that were charged! £14 for a concession to sit in the stand and that didn’t include £2.00 for the car park! Three pounds for the programme. A carton of curried chips was £4.50 and a cheeseburger was £6.00, not to mention the price of a pint of beer! The team sheets were free, however! As for the game, two early goals for the hosts rather settled the match but Chorley pulled one back in the 91st minute and were unlucky not to equalise a few minutes later.
On a very warm and humid evening, a drinks break was taken in each half as relegated Lightning continued their fine start to the season with a convincing victory over Notts County Women, who have yet to record a victory. With John Main.
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Saturday 9th September 2023
Toolstation Western League Premier Division
Nailsea & Tickenham 0
Manager dismissed 38 mins (foul & abusive language)
Barnstaple Town 2
Billy Tucker (c) 38, Harry Foster 45+6,
Referee: Rebecca Halford. Attendance: 118
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£7). Programme: On Line.
Just south of Bristol across the Avonmouth bridge and into the North Somerset villages of Tickenham (pop 900) and Nailsea (pop 15,500), although Tickenham has the more impressive parish church of SS Quiricus and Julietta and right on the edge of Nailsea is the football ground, formed as recently as 2015. Most of the facilities (changing rooms, bar, toilets, refreshment areas) are housed in portakabins and the only stand (and covered area) is a scaffolded structure with maybe fifty seats. The club has done well to reach these dizzy heights in just eight years, but they were undone today by a club who recently graced The Southern League. Two first half goals and the dismissal of the home manager for foul and abusive language was enough to clinch the victory for the visitors in desperately hot and humid conditions which necessitated two drinks stoppages in each half! With John Main.
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Monday 11th September 2023
Pitching-in Southern League Premier Division Central
Hitchin Town 3
Stan Georgia 48, Finley Wilkinson 58 (pen), Daniel Idiakhoa 80,
Nuneaton Borough 0
Referee: S Kyle. Attendance: 435
Admission: OMGDS £9.00 (£13). Programme: £2.50
It’s Monday, so it must be Hitchin and around 35 other hoppers joined me for this step three clash at their iconic Top Field stadium. The first half was fairly evenly matched and Borough maybe even shaded it, but they ran out of steam after the break and conceded three times to a rampant Canaries.
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Tuesday 12th September 2023
Servio Hampshire Senior Cup 2nd Round
Alton 3
Nasim Regragui 10, Luke Perkins 19, 33,
Aldershot Town 2
H. McKenna 58, Tommy Willard 61,
Referee: Ant Cross. Attendance: 562
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: £2.00
15.08 train from Corby to St Pancras (16.22)and then Waterloo (17.25) to Alton terminus at (18.31). The ground is a short (ten minute) walk from the station.
Not a fan of plastic surfaces and this one looked a tad worn. It played well, however, and a large crowd were treated to a well fought local derby in which the underdogs ran their visitors ragged in the first period and took a three goal advantage into the interval. After what must have been a tough half-time altercation, a far more determined Aldershot side came out for the second half, laid siege to the hosts goal, pulled two goals back, but, in the end, couldn’t manage to draw level. Excellent game, big crowd!
The reverse journey was a tad more complicated. 21.44 from Alton to Woking (22.21) and was there, supposed to transfer to a non-stop faster train to Waterloo. When I got to the platform, I found that it was eight minutes late! Hence I got into Waterloo five minutes later than if I had stayed on the original train! A fifteen minute wait on the platform at 23.15 for a Piccadilly line tube to St Pancras, but I got there in time for the 23.54 to Corby from which only two passengers alighted (including myself) when it arrived at 01.40.
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Wednesday 13th September 2023
Nottinghamshire Senior League Division 1
FCV Grace Dieu 2
Emiriu Hafeez 19, Danield Brooks 45,
Hucknall Town Reserves 2
Bradley Evans, 28, Kieran Orange 43
Referee: Dave Southern. Attendance: 59
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Named after a local 12th century Augustinian monastery close by (but sadly, now, no more than a ruin), this was the host’s first league match at their new home, in their first season in The NSL. By the end of a feisty opening session, all the goals had been scored and the second half was a bit of a let down. There was a goodly smattering of hoppers in attendance, John Main, Martin Hayden, Peter Abbott, Greg, the pencil man, and Kizz Everard! Quite why FCV chose to play in the NSL when they are a Leicestershire side, isn’t known, except that they may have been offered a higher status in The NSL than they might have achieved in The Leicestershire Senior League. The ground is very basic. Two good sized “dug-outs” on the far side and a metal barrier with mesh surrounding the pitch, with viewing down (mainly) one side, but plenty of scope for development for someone with deep pockets.
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Friday 15th September 2023
Premier League 2 League Cup Group G
Leicester City U21 3
Wanya Marcal 31, Amani Richards 56, Silko Thomas 90+4
BurnleyU21 4
Joe Wesley 45, 80, Basilio Sokoliche 61, Lewis Richardson 64
Victoria Park, the quaint home of The Poppies, Bournemouth’s “other” team, is situated in a quiet residential area and is relatively open on three sides, with the fourth side housing a stand to seat around 200 souls, a bar and clubhouse with minimal food options and changing rooms. Today, they were playing bottom of the table Lymington Town, recently of the Southern League. 3-0 at half-time and 5-0 until the ninetieth minute when, belatedly, the visitors pulled one goal back. With John Main.
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Tuesday 19th September 2023
Northants Senior (Hillier) Cup 1st Round
Desborough Town 2
Archie Elmore 74, Rico Duggan 81,
Bugbrooke St Michael’s 2
Johnny Carey 13, Eddie Panter 49,
Desborough Town won 5-3 on penalties.
Referee: Ben Bright. Attendance : 76
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: £1.00
Lovely evening with a cooling breeze at The Waterworks Field as Desborough Town who had taken the visitors apart on their own ground by 5-1, just three weeks ago, found themselves 0-2 down with but half an hour left! They clawed their way back into the match scoring two late goals and then despatched all five of their penalties, whilst the visitors missed their fourth! Good to see Stuart Long at the game. Won a box of chocolates in the raffle, but came out to a flat tyre on my car and had to summon the assistance of the RAC. Didn’t get home until 12.30am!
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The impressive old style floodlight pylons at The Waterworks Field
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Desborough Town Programme – priced at £1.00
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CRICKET:-
Sunday 3rd September 2023
ESCA (English Schools Cricket Association)
U-15 Schools T20 Finals Day at Arundel Castle
1st Semi-final:
Sedburgh School 115 for 8 (20 overs)
lost to
Trent College 116 for 0 (13.1 overs) by 10 wkts.
2nd Semi-final:
Whitgift School 164 for 4 (20 overs)
lost to
Kings College Taunton 168 for 2 (18 overs) by 8 wkts
FINAL:
Kings College Taunton 178 for 4 (20 overs)
defeated
Trent College 142 for 8 (20 overs) by 36 runs
An excellent day’s cricket at an iconic venue!
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picture courtesy of the Arundel CC Twitter page
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picture courtesy of the Arundel CC Twitter page
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picture courtesy of the Arundel CC Twitter page
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The score box, where a lot of recording of the day’s events took place
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Sunday 10th September 2023
East Midlands Women’s Cricket League
Division 2 South (at Nassington CC)
Nassington Women (won toss) 184 for 8 (35 overs)
lost to
Market Overton Women 185 for 3 (24.0 overs)
by 7 wickets
In a match affected by heavy rain, and thunder and lightning, at Nassington’s tight little ground on the banks of The River Nene and not too far from Peterborough, the visitors eventually cruised to victory against the plucky hosts, for whom Sophie Lawrence posted a not out score of 112 off 96 balls which included 16 fours.
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made.
Nine bean rows will I have there and a hive for the honey-bee,
And live all alone in the bee loud glade
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And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings,
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and moon a purple glow,
And evening full of linnet’s wings.
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I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore,
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I heat it in the deep heart’s core.
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William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939)
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Tuesday 1st August 2023
United Counties League Premier Division South
Desborough Town 0
GNG Oadby Town 1
Lamar Parkes 86,
Referee: Ryan Allison. Attendance: 89
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: £1.00
Fresh from a 5-1 thrashing at home to Godmanchester Rovers on the opening day of the season, GNG were in determined mood this evening. Ar Tarn started their season with a creditable 2-2 draw at Racing Club Warwick, but tonight in a tense, determined encounter, they lost to a Lamar Parkes 86th minute strike.
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The new stand built to replace the famous old structure and brought into use in August 2022.
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After the old stand and club house at the near end of the ground were destroyed by fire in 2009, a new structure was completed by 2014 and “bricks” were available for purchase and installation at the entrance to the new building
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Saturday 5th August 2023
Emirates FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Sutton Coldfield Town 3
Rhys Hilton 53, 69, Lamin Ceesay 90+3,
Wolverhampton Casuals 1
Max Lee 85,
Referee: Joel Kinghorn Attendance:- 125
Admission: OMGDS £7.00 (£10) Programme: £2.50
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Tuesday 8th August
Midland League Division 1
Sutton United 2
Joe Gildea (pen) 71,Thomas Cullen 90+1,
Nuneaton Griff 2
Archie Gallacher 16, Kaine Donald 45+3 (og)
Referee: Jake Richards Attendance: 109
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5) Programme: £1.50
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Friday 11th August 2023
Premier League 2
Aston Villa U21 0
West Bromwich Albion U21 3
Rayhan Tulloch23, Jamie Andrews 69, 83,
Referee: Andrew Humphries. Attendance: 298
Admission: £5.00. Free Teamsheet
The opening game of a strangely structured Premier League 2, with twenty six teams seemingly in one division. Villa were swept away by a powerful Albion side, but were not helped by a two yellow card dismissal just after the hour mark. With John Main.
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John Main at Bodymoor Heath
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Monday 14th August 2023
Premier League 2
Leicester City U-21 2
Amani Richards 34, Zach Booth 45+7,
Derby County U-21 1 Owen Oseni 82,
Referee: David Richardson Attendance: 201
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5) Free Team Sheet
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Tuesday 15th August 2023
Hertfordshire Senior County League Premier Division
Cuffley 0
Hinton 2
Cameron Hough 32, Fabian Brown 87,
Referee:- Les Moody. Attendance:- 56
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
These two teams are barely five miles apart, the hosts near Potters Bar and the visitors from Enfield. The rivalry is intense, but there was only one winner and with a goal in each half, the visitors, comfortably, took the victory and the spoils!
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Wednesday 16th August 2023
Noerthern Premier League Division 1 Midlands
Corby Town 0
Shepshed Dynamo 1
Reece Morris 89,
Referee: Harley Hetherington. Attendance: 570
Admission: OMGDS £6.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
A large gathering watched the hosts striving mightily to make an impression on this game and they kept the visitors penned in their own half for long periods without ever looking likely to score. Smash and grab in the 89th minutes and the visitors went away considerably the happier!
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Saturday 19th August 2023
Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round
Stockton Town 2
Adam Nicholson 73, Kevn Hayes 90+6,
Ashington 1
Jordan Summerly 53,
Referee: Sam Ross. Attendance: 321
Admission: OMGDS £7.00 (£9). Programme: £2.00
A modest 3G caged arena that nonetheless boasts two seated stands down one side and a hospitality suite as well as a small covered area behind one goal. Two cans of beer/lager/cider for a fiver was a bonus! Today, the hosts were a tad fortunate. They fell behind to a 53rd minute strike which looked likely to win the game, huffed and puffed to equalise with ten minutes remaining, and scored the winning goal in the 97th minute after their opponents had been reduced to ten men.
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Thursday 24th August 2023
Anglian Combination Premier Division
Aylsham 0
Yelverton 2
Jack Watson 13, Dan King 81,
Referee: Leon Howard. Attendance: 94
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Aylsham first played at their new home – Youngs Park – in the 2016/17 season and already plans are afoot for a £1.25 million 3G stadium to be constructed adjacent to the present site. After tonight’s performance and a pointless three game opening to the season, they may have been relegated from the premier division when they take possession of their new arena! Paul Proctor, Martin Hollands and mxhornet were also in attendance for this league match, unusually played on a Thursday.
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Saturday 26th August 2023
Isuzu FA Vase 1st Qualifying Round
Sutton Athletic 1
Jack Kirby 27,
Pagham 1
Dan Simmonds 57,
Sutton Athletic won 4-3 on penalties
Referee: Bruno Marques. Attendance: 59
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
Unusual to find such a rustic arena so close to the capital and just over the Thames crossing at Dartford. There was a small scaffolded covered area down the near side and seating (also scaffolded) for around 100 souls on the far side. A small club house, (with changing rooms)and bar completed the amenities. Not a great advert for teams from The SCEL and The SCL, this was a dour contest of few opportunities and the penalty lottery shoot-out was won by the hosts!
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Monday 28th August 2023
Hellenic League Division 1
Tytherington Rocks 1
Kyle Head 43,
FC Bristol 2
Rick Davis 14, Kristian Miller 77,
Referee: Simon Turner. Attendance: 88
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme: On line
Tytherington, a small village in south Gloucestershire of less than a thousand souls, does very well to support a step six club. The ground, visible from the M5, is situated at the end of a very narrow single track road, with a moderate stand of maybe 50 seats and a small club house with changing rooms and a bar behind the far goal. Today’s visitors, FC Bristol, we’re formerly known as Lebeq and play at the Glos FA HQ in Almondsbury. Today, they had the measure of the hosts and won more easily than the score suggests. The referee added on a total of 25 minutes added time!
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John Main at the entrance to The Harwicke Playing Field
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Tuesday 29th August 2023
Peterborough & District League Premier Division
Stanground Sports 5
Louie Venni 14, 38, 48, 75, James Stainsby 72,
Ramsey Town 0
Referee: Neil Smith. Attendance: 52
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
A railed pitch with substantial dug-outs and a minimum of cover from the persistent precipitation. The hosts were in total command throughout with three second half strikes to add to their 2-0 half time lead. With John Main.
On their 3G pitch on the night of the super moon, the hosts were given a footballing lesson from a very composed GNG side. The 38th minute sending off, for a second yellow card, of the home captain contributed to the heavy defeat, but in truth, the visitors were always the better side. With John Main.
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CRICKET
Tuesday 1st August 2023
District Pathway Cricket at Wellingborough Old Grammarians CC
Kettering & Corby U-11 211 for 7 (35 overs)
defeated
East Northants U-11 (won toss) 61 all out (17.4 overs) by 150 runs
District Pathway Cricket at Rushden & Higham Town CC
East Northants U13 (won toss) 77 for 6 (20 overs)
lost to
Kettering & Corby U-13 78 for 4 (16.1 overs) by 6 wickets
Umpires: Keith Timpson & Eddie McGeown
In a rain affected match reduced fro the original 35 overs per side, East Northants U=13 were worst affected as the had already completed 10.1 overs when persistent rain showers reduced the match overs.
Northants U11 Girls 118 for 2 (16.4 overs) by 8 wkts.
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Northants U11 Girls 125 for 4 (20 overs)
lost to
Herts U11 Girls 128 for 5 (18.1 overs) by 5 wkts.
Umpires: Alan Pearce and Eddie McGeown.
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Barby is on the Northants and Warwickshire border, and their main team play in The Warwickshire League Division 2. They do, however, amongst their many other teams, have a side in Division 13 of the Northamptonshire League. It is a lovely ground with two full sized pitches separated by a line of trees, a club house with changing rooms and a bar and a substantial score box. Today’s matches were played by enthusiastic sides from Herts and Northants and it was fitting that each team had a victory. Better than that, it was good to see so many talented and enthusiastic young cricketers!
My first football match for thirty-two days! A fairly regulation victory for the home side in The Premier Division of the Southern League, over their Spartan South Midlands League rivals. First time that I’ve seen the (comparatively) new 3G surface at Westwood Road (this is only the second season it has been operational). Each side sported a rash of “trialists”. Enjoyed a fine bottle of the local brew!
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Tuesday 11th July 2023
Pre-Season Friendly
Lutterworth Town 5
Nuno Gomes 21, 32, 48, 65, Bruno Capella 79,
Nuneaton Griff 0
Referee: Sam Anderson. Attendance:- 64
Admission: F.O.C. Programme:- NONE
Lutterworth gave away free admission to this match, calculating that the bar receipts would cover expenses. Down one side of the pitch, the covered standing area had its roof removed and new hard standing installed in preparation for an extension. On the field, the step five side predictably dismantled the step six team with four goals from Nino Gomes, but it was a very entertaining tussle with the interjection of a half-time monsoon!
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You can just see the outlines of the covered area that is being re-developed
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Saturday 15th July 2023
Pre-Season Friendly
Hythe & Dibden 1
Krysztof Kruztafowier 38,
Basingstoke Town 3
James Clark 9, Bradley Wilson 17, Paul Hodges 52,
Referee:- Derek Pratt. Attendance:- 116
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: NONE
Having arrived reasonable early after the 150 mile journey, we dined quite reasonably at “The Hunt” in Dibden Purlieu. Fish and chips was on the menu and I had a couple of glasses of (red) wine. A couple of miles away was the ground we had come to at the end of last season, only to find that the match had been called off and we had to hurry down the road to take in Fawley v Petersfield Town (April 15th 2023). The visitors, today, two steps higher in the pyramid, were by some distance the better side, but they failed to make the most of their chances. Two up in the opening quarter, they allowed the home side to get back into the game before half-time. The hosts were well organised and fought hard until a shower of second half substitutes killled off the match – and the scoring! With John Main.
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The author sits in the only chair in the covered area down the near side of the ground!
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Thursday 20th July 2023
Pre-Season Friendly
Thurlow FC 1
Aidan Leach 73,
Thaxted Rangers 0
Referee: Stuart Watson Attendance: 26
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Thurlow’s Wratting Road ground in Great Thurlow, is actually just inside Suffolk, but they play in The Cambs County League. Last season, they were undefeated in the fourth tier and won promotion as champions to the third tier, whilst tonight’s rivals play in the second tier of the same league. Despite the paucity of goals, this was a good game and the hosts fully merited their narrow victory.
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Saturday 22nd July 2023
Pre-Season Friendly
AFC Stoneham 1
Jake Thompson 57,
Camberley Town 1
Charlie Oakley 79,
Referee: Derek Pratt. Attendance: 54
Admission: £5.00. Programme: NONE
Heavy rain fell on the 3G surface all the way through this public practice game at The home of Hampshire FA. In an evenly contested match between Wessex League Premier and Combined Counties League Premier, the spoils were shared.
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Tuesday 25th July 2023
Pre-Season Friendly
Desborough Town 1
Adam Randall 86,
Kettering Town 0
Referee: Kevin Seckington. Attendance: 250
Admission: £4.00 Programme: NONE
Back to one of my very favourite grounds for the first time in two years. A truly traditional and magic ground. However, gone is the graceful old stand and, in its place a 100 seater Meccano replacement. Tonight’s match was to mark the official opening of the new stand (it has actually been in situ for a season!). To be fair the new stand is perfectly functional and the old one was riven with asbestos. Pretty good match, despite the paucity of goals and the hosts were good value for their win against a side two divisions higher in the pyramid, the only goal arriving in the 87th minute.
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Thursday 26th July 2023
Pre-Season Friendly
Whitchurch United 3
Ash Neal 15, Harry Long 60, Louis Wilson 73,
Newbury 1
Jamie Goddard 86
Referee: Neil Hussey Attendance: 64
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Longmeadow Sports Centre contains this small ground with character. A hundred seater wooden bench stand and a mini covered area in front of the bar (but none of the bar proceeds benefit the club). A slight slope from right to left and lots of additional pitches beyond the ground on the far side. It was an easy victory for the hosts, one step higher than their visitors in the pyramid. Good game!
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Saturday 29th July 2023
Southern Counties East League Premier Division
Snodland Town 2
Ben Davisson (pen) 12, and an own goal on 29,
Stansfield 0
Referee: Simon Cutler. Attendance: 239
Admission: OMGDS£6.00 (£8). Programme: £2.00
A first ever match for Snodland Town at step 5, after entering The SCEL in 2015, at their neat little Potyns Field ground. We were welcomed like royalty by some very friendly officials and, early though we were, we decided to enjoy the tea bar offering rather than repair to a local hostelry. There is a hundred+ seater stand and an extensive bar, hard standing on three sides and (sadly) plans to install 3G. They won today’s match at a canter without really extending themselves! With Paul Proctor and John Main.
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CRICKET
Saturday 1st July 2023
T20 Competition at Peterborough Town
Peterborough Town 161 for 8 (20 overs)
defeated
Burton Latimer 144 for 8 (20 overs)
by 17 runs
Umpires: Chris Dunn & Eddie McGeown
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Stony Stratford (won toss) 165 for 5 (20 overs)
defeated
Burton Latimer 130 all out (19.5 overs)
by 35 runs
Umpires:: Simon Clark & Eddie McGeown
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Stony Stratford 177 for 6 (20 overs)
defeated
Peterborough Town 46 all out (11.4 overs)
by 131 runs
Umpires: Simon Clark & Chris Dunn
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Sunday 2nd July 2023
East Midlands Women’s Cricket League
Premier Division (at Burton Latimer)
Burton Latimer 81 all out (23.3 overs)
lost to
Spondon (won toss) 82 for 5 (27.2 overs)
by 5 wickets
Umpires: Martyn Dobbs & Eddie McGeown.
Title chasing Spondon had the hosts on the ropes with four wickets in the first four overs and they never really recovered. Burton Latimer did battle hard in defence of their meagre total, capturing five wickets and extending the contest into the twenty-eigthth over.
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Tuesday 4th July 2023
Northants Schools U-15 FINAL
at Burton Latimer CC
Bishop Stopford School U-15 182 for 6 (20 overs)
defeated
Northampton School for Boys U-15 150 all out (18.4 overs)
A day of unpredictable weather and rumbling thunder at Horton House’s beautifully appointed arena, just outside Northampton, saw rain affected matches, but also, some powerful batting and determined bowling.
Kettering Town Women (won toss) 153 for 4 (18 overs)
abandoned
Thrapston Women (Yellow) 98 for 1 (12 overs)
Umpire: Eddie McGeown
Match abandoned after twelve overs of the second innings following a serious injury to the Kettering wicket-keeper who was inadvertently hit in the face by the Thrapston player’s bat. NHS East Midlands First Aid responder attended and the keeper was later taken to hospital.
Cutthorpe Women (won toss) 103 all out (29.5 overs)
by 79 runs
Umpires: Kate Marshall & Eddie McGeown
Rain threatened at the start, but the afternoon turned out increasingly sunny and warm as the hosts, invited to bat, racked up a very respectable 182 all out. The visitors started their innings diffidently reaching 64 for 2 by the halfway mark. An excellent spell of seven wickets for twelve runs from Anna Stevens in the next ten overs, saw the visitors subside to 103 all out!
Jack Wright 25, Jake Gosling 36, Joe Spalding 43, 64,
Irish Defence Force 1
Adrian Rafferty (pen) 23,
Referee: Martin Mitchell (RAF). Attendance: 133
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
On a chilly Leicestershire evening, these two armies played, incongruously, for The Friendship Trophy! The Irish started very positively and kept the UK penned in their own half. They scored first after 23 minutes, but couldn’t hold onto the lead and by half-time, TheUK had scored three times in reply. In a substitute littered second half, only one further goal was scored and The UK Armed Forces took the trophy with a convincing victory …. but not quite as convincing as the women’s team who won their match against the Irish earlier in the day by 4-0. With John Main.
Former cricket clubs, East and West Haddon and Guilsborough combined to form Haddon CC and they play at the War Memorial Ground in East Haddon. Rushden & Higham are also a combined club and today, they proved too strong for the hosts in a very competitive match and stretched their lead at the top of the table.
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A lonely fielder under the tree that overhangs the ground – a six if you hit it on the full!
Northants Cricket league Division 1 (at Thrapston)
Thrapston (won toss) 118 all out in 34.5 overs
lost to
Haddon 123 for 4 in 23.4 overs
by six wickets.
Umpires: Chris Dunn & Eddie McGeown
Thrapston CC share their ground with Thrapston Town FC, as the floodlights bear testimony. On a pitch with a bit of softness in it, the toss was a difficult choice and, perhaps, the hosts paid the price. 74 for three after 21 overs, 102 for five after 28 overs and 118 all out ten overs later. Haddon polished of the target in 24 overs, finishing with a big six into the woods.
Couple of good games this weekend at Stamford School, the first a mini Ashes fixture, the second a tight, tense and cagey encounter between two evenly matched local rivals. The sun shone heartily on both matches!
A drive up to Shirley and a reasonable repast at The Drawbridge Inn and then, straight across the road (taking a peek at the ducks on the canal), to The Holloway, home (rented for £18,000 per year!) of Wake Green Amateurs. They sit in fifth place in the table, but champions elect, Coventrians, were the visitors and the superior side, despite being a goal down at the interval. Two goals (the first, a penalty), around the hour mark from skipper, Nathan McGarrity sealed the victory. There was a goodly smattering of hoppers in attendance!
Already promoted Milton thrashed mid-table Thaxted with four of their goals coming in the second half. The Sycamores Recreation Ground in Milton, which is just off the A14 past Cambridge, has a small club house serving drinks and snacks and the cricket pitch is between the pavilion and the football pitch which is surrounded by woods. Very helpful officials, who ensured that I had the team sheets ….. and then, I realised that I had been here before! In fact, it was earlier this season, last August, when Milton beat Tottenham by 2-1. How could I have forgotten it?
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Thursday 4th May 2023
Coventry Alliance Premier Division
Whitnash Town 4
Tommy Clarke 42, 47, Aaron Whitmore 43, Ryan Butler 89,
Coundon Court OB 1
Connor Haynes 83,
Referee: Michael Kalisz. Attendance:- 42
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Nothing happening at The Heathcote in Whitnash, when I met up with John Main. Eventually, we discovered that the match had been switched to Ajax Park, home of Central Ajax of Midland League Division 3, some five miles away in Warwick. We got there with minutes to spare. Top of the table Whitnash swatted away second placed Coundon, as if despatching a troublesome bluebottle and took the points and the League title.
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Wednesday 10th May 2023
Nottinghamshire Senior League Division 3
Trent Vineyard 1
Rory Lewis 90+5,
The Rossoneri 3
Tizi Maninga 78, Adam Ahmed 86, Michel Locko 90+7,
Referee: Chris Jackson. Attendance: 12
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Down by The river Trent in Beeston, Nottingham, even the changing rooms,adjacent to the pitch are on stilts in case the river floods right by the weir. Indeed, for much of this match, watching the river would have been far more exciting than following the football. Despite a myriad of opportunities, it took the visitors 78 minute to open the scoring. A second arrived after 86 minutes followed by a goal to each side, deep into added time at the end. With John Main and Dave Wooding.
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Thursday 18th May 2023
Coventry Alliance Division 1
Fillongley 0
Bedworth Liberal 4
Adam Woods 16, 21, 77, Ryan Jones 59,
Referee: Dave Gibbons. Attendance: 15
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
These two clubs are maybe five miles apart in North Warwickshire and almost within spitting distance of the M6 motorway. Nigel Winterburn, the Arsenal and England defender, started his football career here and his mother, Mavis, takes care of the club’s kit and has done so for the last seventy-three years! Paul Cashmore, club Secretary, is part of a small, hardworking committee who ensure that football continues in this tiny village, but none of the players are actually from here. Tonight, with nothing at stake, the visitors dominated with two goals in each half and scored a resounding victory.
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The church of St Mary peeps through the trees and overlooks the children play area adjacent to the pitch
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Saturday 20th May 2023
Herts Senior County League Division 3
Croxley Green 4
Harry West 22, Alex Hilton 27, Alex Morgan 54, Henry Hindley 71,
Sun Sports 1
Stephen Such 79
Referee: Les Moody. Attendance: 39
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Fine repast with Phil Evans at The Harvester close by The Croxley Danes School, where the match was supposed to be played, but, of course, it wasn’t and it was Phil, a native of the metropolis, who tracked it down via knowledgeable grandson to St Joan of Arc School in Rickmansworth. It was a pretty new 3G pitch inside a cage! The hosts had an eight point advantage at the top of the table, the visitors were in second place and comprehensively dismantled by the rampant champions elect.
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Tuesday 23rd May 2023
Herts Senior County League Premier Division
Belstone 3
Joel Bell 12, Louis Lobjoit 88, Ryan Hope 90 (pen),
Cuffley Seniors 1
Dan Jones 43,
Referee:- Robert Poole. Attendance: 60
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: Not today! However, there usually is a programme on match day, and previous match programmes were available, free of charge.
Medburn Sports Ground, just outside Radlett, is pretty impressive with hard standing on three sides, a small covered stand and a pitch you could play bowls on! The hosts lie third in the league, started impressively, scored and then, just before the interval, gave away a howler of a goal. The second half looked particularly frustrating for the hosts, but two goals in the 88th and 90th minutes gave them the victory and the points. A goodly gathering of hoppers included Andy English, Andy Smith, Martin Hayden, Alan Pople, Russell Cox and John Main amongst others.
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John Main outside the small stand at Belstone, prior to the match
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My train to Radlett at Corby Station!
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Wednesday 24th May 2023
Herts Senior County League Premier Division
Ware Sports 0
Michael Appiah s/o 26,
Bush Hill Rangers 5
Rocheim Stewart 26 (pen), 60, Michael Akin 39, Jordan mcKenzie 43, Hamza Abdulle 67.
Referee: Andy O’Brien. Attendance:- 65
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
We had hoped that this evening might have brought the third of Wodson Sport Centre’s pitches into action, but it was not to be and instead, it was a revisit to the ground where Wodson Park used to play. With this victory, Bush Hill took the Herts Senior County League Premier Division championship. It sounds a thumping victory – and it was – but it all started with a penalty after 26 minutes and a home player dismissed. 0-3 at half-time and the hosts suffered a further loss when their goalkeeper went off injured and there were no substitutes left. The Rangers Ultras kept up a vibrant support for their team, and they were not disappointed. With Martin Hayden and a host of hoppers!
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26th minute penalty scored by Rocheim Stewart.
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One of the many aeroplanes coming into land at Luton airport.
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Wednesday 31st May 2023
Herts Senior County league Division 3
Allenburys Sports 4
Chris Wells 45, Jordan Gill 50 (pen), 89 (pen), George Lacey 90+5,
Harpenden Colts 1
Charlie Ashard-Weldon 26,
Referee: Phil Gardner. Attendance: 15
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
On a chilly evening at Allenburys Sports & Social Club in Ware, these two teams played out the last fixture in this season’s Herts Senior County League. It was cold and miserable in the shadow of the thunderous A10, but the hosts could conceivably gain promotion if they won by five clear goals. The final score flattered them. 1-1 at the interval and 2-1 going into the final minute, the hosts grabbed two extra time goals, but it wasn’t enough to complete a successful promotion challenge! With Brian Buck and Chris Collins.
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Other Matches:
Tuesday 9th May 2023
Leicestershire & Rutland FA Saturday Trophy FINAL at Holmes Park
Community FA 1 Rogue Elite 1 (Rogue Elite won 4-2 on penalties) Attendance: 202
Northamptonshire Cricket League Division 2 (at Kettering 11.00am start)
St Crispins & Ryelands (won toss) 183 all out (48.2 overs)
Kettering 185 for 7 (34.4 overs)
Kettering won by 7 wickets
Umpire: Eddie McGeown
It was a pretty wet day and we completed the match only with great difficulty. Both captains and players were very positive throughout! Three weeks later St Crispin & Rylands pulled their first team out of Division 2 of The Northants Cricket League and consequently, the result of this match was expunged!
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Sunday 7th May 2023
Rutland League Division 1 (at Barnack 12.30pm start)
Peterborough Town 66 all out (22 overs)
lost to:
Barnack (won toss) 69 for 3 (14.5 overs)
by seven wickets
Umpires: Andy Watson and Eddie McGeown
It was a pity that the weather was so lovely this afternoon, this match deserved to go the distance, but it was not to be, a combination of penetrating bowling and some curious batting lapses led to an early Peterborough demise and the hosts cleaned up in less than fifteen overs!
The wicket was damp and soft, especially down my end, but it played quite well with no uneven bounce and not an awful lot in the way of spin or turn. The hosts rather threw the game away, Thrapston’s modest total should have been overhauled, but by the time they were 64 for 5 and then 87 for 7, they decided to try and shut up shop and played for the draw, but even that they couldn’t achieve.
A titanic struggle in the grounds of Burghley House, home of the famous Burghley Horse Trials, and a cracking game of cricket in Stamford. It was a shame that there had to be a loser!
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Burghley House in the background built by William Cecil, Lord Burghley in the 1570s
Down the right hand arm of “The Dusty”, crossing Corby Road, and the field opposite, to enter the gloom of The Plantation, emerging into an avenue of hawthorn, flanked by brackish pools of water before espying a birdwatch (or maybe a deer watch) shelter ……. and, there, in the distance, a small muntjac unawares, about to beetle off into the undergrowth. More brackish pools and a “pepperpot”, a tower taking air into the railway tunnel 150 feet below. Up on the escarpment, a wonderful view across the valley to Caldecott and then, emerging halfway down Rockingham hill, a castle entrance, whilst next door, the church of St Leonard points it’s tower heavenwards, with the battlements of Rockingham Castle behind it. Onwards, briefly skirting Great Easton, to the church of St John the Evangelist in Caldecott (always open) and then back across the verdant fields, rich with sheep and buttercups, towards Gretton Weir, running quite low and then, the climb back up into Gretton, passing the parish church of St James. Eight stiles and 10.33 miles.
The Shooting Field at Steyning has a 3G pitch, a couple of seated stands for maybe a hundred spectators, a covered standing area along the same side but no cover elsewhere, although there was hard standing all round. Little Common, becalmed in the lower reaches of the table, scored first against play-off hopefuls, Steyning, and then, despite the dismissal of one of their defenders, held on until the second minute of added time at the end of the match, when a somewhat fortuitous penalty was awarded to the hosts, who gratefully grabbed the lifeline! Free entry, it was said, because they had no-one to man the gate! With John Main and several other hoppers!
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Sunday 2nd April 2023
Papa Johns Trophy FINAL at Wembley Stadium
Bolton Wanderers 4
Kyle Dempsey 4, Dion Charles 10, Elias Kachunga 49, Gethin Jones 63,
All the sons and grandsons (and Gary Miller!) came to see grandad’s team playing – and winning – at Wembley. Long before the final whistle, the vast majority of Argyle’s faithful had left the stadium and were well on their way home as the Wanderers decisively and comprehensively dismantled the opposition in this one sided encounter with the biggest ever result in EFL Cup Final history. Lovely day, tremendous atmosphere and we all went home happy!
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Liam, Gary and Mike with Sonny to the right at the front, in the Brazilian / Argentinian cafe before the match.
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Jim, with Sonny (top) and Kingsley
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We had lunch in the shadow of the great arc of Wembley, a Brazilian/Argentinian style lunch, very enjoyable
From left: (rear): Liam, Gary Miller, Jim, Mike, Ed (front): Kingsley, Freddie and Sonny
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The view from our excellent seats (absolute pain getting into the ground – we had to queue for twenty-five minutes!
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Basking in the sunlight, the Bolton Wanderers faithful enjoying their moment of triumph.
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By the end of the match, the vast majority of Plymouth Argyle supporters had left the ground and only the congratulations to Bolton Wanderers sign remained!
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Monday 3rd April 2023
Spartan South Midlands League Division 2
AFC Caddington 1
Callum Moore 6,
Sarratt 2
Dan Ormsby 31, Richard Vercesi 77 (pen)
Referee:- Connor MacKay. Attendance:- 59
Admission : F.O.C. Programme: NONE
On a chilly evening, just outside Luton in the Bedfordshire village of Caddington, with aeroplanes, low flying overhead, coming in to land at Luton airport, and a goodly gathering of hoppers, these two sides from the lower echelons of the division, played out a fairly feisty encounter on a cow field of a football pitch. The hosts, newly arrived back in The SSML this season, scored first, but were pegged back before the interval and then undone by a 77th minute penalty.
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Tuesday 4th April 2023
Uhlsport Hellenic League Division 2 South
Letcombe 3
Josh Fowler 18, 78, Jordan Davies 52,
Farringdon Town 0
Referee: Michael Cofie. Attendance: 41
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Letcombe Regis in darkest, deepest Oxfordshire (population: 578), hosts a quite scenic recreation arena with cricket and tennis and far out at the back, a football ground with a fifty seater stand, hard standing and access to the rustic club house with a couple of excellent real ales available. Tonight, top of the table Letcombe, were taking on local rivals, Faringdon Town, who were themselves occupying third place with a game in hand, but it was no contest. Farringdon never really looked like scoring, whilst the hosts bagged a couple of second half strikes to add to their eighteenth minute opener. It was pretty dark at the end!
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Thursday 6th April 2023
Spartan South Midlands League Division 2
Sarratt 4
Connor Wagner 66, 76, 81, Richard Vercesi 80 (pen),
Buckingham United 3
Ashley Urquhart 39, 56, Matt Cruse 70,
Referee:- Mark Bowring. Attendance: 23
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
The King George V playing Field (Sarratt) was drenched by heavy rain prior to this encounter, but the pitch, whilst greasy remained bumpy and uneven. The hosts, becalmed in mid-table were lacklustre for much of this match. They went into the interval a goal down and wih ten minutes remaining, were 1-3 down and third from bottom Buckingham had hopes of a rare victory. Three goals in a rousing final five minutes retrieved the situation and consigned the visitors to yet another defeat.
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Germany April 2023
Another foreign visit and the second to Germany this year! Son Mike and grandson Freddie were joined by Mike’s brother-in-law, Alan Eathorne and his son, Albie, and Gary Miller, perennial and brilliant organiser of these German trips. Me? I just tag along for the ride and enjoy getting to as many grounds as possible!. Our flight left Stansted at 07.25 and we were in Cologne for 9.30am (CET). The first day was split up. We were all staying at The Mercure Hotel in Dusseldorf, but the rest of them were going to see Bayer Leverkusen. As I had already been there, I chose to go, instead, to Duisburg, despite the fact that the match in Liga 3 was against Borussia Dortmund seconds! So, when they got off the train at Dusseldorf to go to the hotel, they took my bag with them, but I stayed on the train to Duisburg.
Saturday 8th April 2023
Deutsche Bundesliga 3
MSV Duisburg 0
Borussia Dortmund II 5
Antonio Papadopoulos 25, Nijnmah 57, Michael Eberwein 67, Marvin Senger (og) 70,Franz Pfanne 75,
Referee:- Jonas Brombacher. Attendance:- 11,073
Admission:- €27.00. Programme:- NONE
Quite an impressive stadium, though barely a third full and only a small gathering of away fans, maybe a little over a hundred. Lots of BVB fans at Duisburg station going to their home match with Union Berlin! Neither of these two teams are proving successful, this season, though the hosts are higher in the table. However it was the visitors who stole the show, started slowly, a single goal to the good at the break, but a stunning second half saw them strike four more times and, at the end, they ran to their fans in the away end, ecstatic and pretty well pleased with themselves. Many of the home fans did stay, but many also left before the end!
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The away contingent at MSV Duisburg
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Sunday 9th April 2023
Deutsche Bundesliga
Borussia Monchengladbach 2
Nathan Ngoumou 34, Marcus Thuram 63,
VfL Wolfsburg 0
Referee:- T Gerach. Attendance:- 51,127
Admission:- €31.90 (re-sale). Programme:- NONE
The usual German efficiency, free bus service to and from the Hauptbanhof to the stadium. However, after the match, whilst I enquired which bus went back to Hauptbanhof, the rest just jumped onto the first available bus and it WAS NOT GOING to Hauptbanhof! They had a merry ride before being dropped off somewhere nearer the station, whilst I was already back in Dusseldorf! Magnificent arena, plenty of legroom in this ground, less than 20 years old and a victory for” Die Fohlen” – the foals, named after the very successful young team of the seventies.
I was sat next to Joachim Gnatzky, who was from Monchengladbach. He to was a football hopper, though perhaps not on the grand scale, but he was knowledgeable and he mentioned an U-19 tournament taking place in Dusseldorf over Easter, and suggested that I might go and see one of the matches.
Today’s game was cat and mouse. The visitors had by far the better possession, but went in a goal adrift at the interval. The hosts, who rarely squandered more than three players in attack, stole another breakaway goal midway through the second half and strode away with an unlikely victory!
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From the left: Albie, Freddie, Gary, Mike and Alan