Not an easy wicket at East Carlton (mid-way between Market Harborough and Corby) and in a low scoring match, the hosts squeaked through, in an entertaining encounter in which fortunes swung throughout the afternoon.
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Monday 2nd June 2025
Derbyshire Summer League
Smithfield Uttoxeter 4
Red Lion 2
Referee: Elliot Newman. Attendance: 30
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
A new ground in The Summer League, at Oldfields Middle School in the town. The pitch was narrow, bumpy and completely unshorn in one corner. The visitors, who are propping up the table, started with ten men (no substitutes) and took the lead within two minutes. The hosts pulled level by half-time, and, in the second half, imposed their authority to gain a convincing victory. Hoppers, including John Main, Martin Hayden and Tony Morehead, made up about half of the spectators present!
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The Smithfield hotel in the centre of Uttoxeter, which sponsors the football team
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Wednesday 4th June 2025
Northants Women’s Midweek League (at Geddington)
Haddon Women 134 for 3 (20 overs)
defeated
Geddington Women 117 for 2 (20 overs)
by 17 runs
Umpire: Eddie McGeown
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Saturday 7th June 2025
Northants Cricket League Division 1
(@Thrapston)
Thrapston 111 all out in 30.5 overs
lost to
Brixworth (won toss) 112 for 7 in 26 overs
by three wickets
Umpires: Rowland Patterson & Eddie McGeown
A good toss to win and The visitors took full advantage, aided by some injudicious shots from the home batsmen, who nonetheless managed a tenth wicket stand of twenty-six. Brixworth captured a nervous victory after spirited bowling from the hosts.
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Monday 9th June 2025
Derbyshire Summer League
Royal Oak 1
Ed Rowbotham 43,
Pavilion 5
Sam Handley 1 (pen), Leon Tranter 13, Aaron Russell 25, 39, Tom Thornley (go) 42,
Referee: Glyn Owen. Attendance: 52
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
This match was played at rustic Mayfield’s recreation pitch which slopes from goal to goal and dips quite severely over the far touchline. The hosts, I presume, have some affiliation with the Royal Oak hostelry on the A52 outside the village and Pavilion play their home games in Ashbourne a mile or two down the road. Tonight, the visitors were dominant. They started with a first minute penalty and scored four more and had one disallowed before the hosts struck right on half time. The second half – which also brought the rain – was a non event compared to the rip-roaring opening period. Many thanks to both sides for supplying teams and substitutes. With John Main.
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The hosts in fluorescent green with a sloping black shoulder, black shorts and green socks.
A very rural location with an active tractor in the field behind.
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Tuesday 10th June 2025
National Schools T20 Knock-out Cup Regional Final (at Stamford School)
Trent College(Nottingham) 185 for 8 (20 overs)
defeated
Stamford School 156 all out (19.3 overs)
by 29 runs
Umpires: Martyn Dobbs & Eddie McGeown
The regional final turned out to be a fiercely competitive match. Stamford School won the toss and invited Trent College to bat on a benign wicket and the visitors took full advantage, starting with a six from the first ball of the innings. They made the most of the power play, reaching 54 for 1 off the first six overs. It took them twelve overs to reach one hundred runs, but they also lost four wickets. They kept the nine an over rate all the way to the end of the innings. Stamford started disastrously, losing a wicket in the first over and four more by the end of the power play to leave them struggling on 45 for 5. It took them until the fifteenth over to reach one hundred runs, but they were 8 wickets down. The ninth wicket produced a stand of 61 runs, but it was never going to be enough and the last wicket fell to a brilliant single-handed running catch on the boundary to seal victory for Trent Collage with three balls remaining and cue noisy and raucous celebrations!
I cannot tell you how it was, But this I know: it came to pass Upon a bright and sunny day When May was young; ah, pleasant May! As yet the poppies were not born Between the blades of tender corn; The last egg had not hatched as yet, Nor any bird foregone its mate.
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I cannot tell you what it was, But this I know: it did but pass. It passed away with sunny May, Like all sweet things it passed away, And left me old, and cold, and gray.
by Christina Rossetti (1830 – 1894)
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Saturday 3rd May 2025
Northern Premier League Midlands Division 1
Play-off FINAL
Corby Town 1
Reuben Marshall 86,
Worcester City 2
Hayden Reeves 78, Zac Guinan 82,
Referee: David Hinton. Attendance: 2,766
Admission: OAP £7.00 (£14). Programme: £2.00
A comparatively huge crowd (and lots of fireworks) for this promotion decider at Steel Park and a good gathering of away aficionados. A cagey first half, where the ball spent more time in the air than on the ground, followed by a similar spell in the second period, but then two quick strikes around ten minutes from the end put the visitors in control and only a late consolation goal for the hosts to end a hugely (for them) disappointing afternoon and end of season!
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Sunday 4th May 2025
Under 11s Cricket @ Oundle School
Derbyshire U11 167 for 6 (40 overs)
defeated
Northants U11 115 all out (32.3 overs)
by 52 runs
Umpires: Steve Griffiths & Eddie McGeown
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Tuesday 6th May 2025
Northants Combination Division 1
AFC Towcester 8
Adam Kelly 4, 31, 69, 74, McAuley Copping 15, Harvey Cambridge 27, Alex Waynforth 81, Richard Parker 90,
Crick Athletic 0
Referee: Jakub Gierczyk. Attendance: 31
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
I wish I’d been able to visit Towcester’s original ground opposite the racecourse! Tonight’s encounter was played on the town recreation ground, an open park without even a boundary rope. Tonight’s victory and a win at bottom placed Finedon Volta a week on Saturday, will guarantee the championship and promotion for the hosts.
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Wednesday 7th May 2025
Northants Women’s Midweek Cricket League (@ Thrapston)
Holmes Park is the headquarters of The Leicestershire & Rutland FA and fittingly hosted the final of the county’s premier cup competition. It was sad that there was such poor support for this final. On the same evening, The Sussex Senior Challenge Cup Final attracted an attendance of 3,055. The students were eventually subdued by a superior Nomads side who scored two goals in each half and successfully resisted a strong second half comeback from the students, who reduced the arrears initially, but were eventually a well beaten side. With John Main and John Hague et al.
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Saturday 10th May 2025
Midland League Division 2
Coventrians 2
Romano Graham 45+2, 90,
Lane Head 2
Jack Fox 31,Joe Clay 90,
Referee: Luca Cozza. Official Attendance: 92
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Twice before I had visited The Coventry Colliery Sports Ground and on each occasion, the match had been postponed. Since my last visit, a vast housing estate has appeared adjacent to the ground. The venue is little more than a field with a metal rail around it and a small pavilion housing changing rooms and a bar and refreshment facilities. The visitors, rock bottom of the division, hail from Walsall and play their home matches at the ground of former Bloxwich United. Despite their lowly position, it was they who opened the scoring. The hosts equalised before the interval and went ahead with barely ten minutes remaining. Back came the visitors to draw level with a strike in the 90th minute.
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Sunday 11th May 2025
East Midlands Women’s Cricket League
Premier Division (at Thrapston)
Thrapston Women (won toss) 187 for 9 (45 overs)
lost to:
Spondon & Eastwood Women 189 for 1 (23.4 overs)
by nine wickets
Umpires: Jeff Beal & Eddie McGeown
A strong performance by the visitors, whose captain Megan Pittman scored an unbeaten century in the victory. The hosts, too are to be commended for a battling performance against one of the early contenders for the league title. Beth Talbot, the home side’s outstanding bat, amassed 97 runs before unluckily falling, bowled, close to the end of the innings. The sun shone and there was a welcoming breeze.
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Tuesday 13th May 2025
Leicestershire County League Division 1
Kibworth Town 2
Dom Powell 3, 71,
Leicester Rangers 1
Callum Sankey 86,
Referee: Stewart Walker. Attendance: 132
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
A long dusty track leads up from the Fleckney Road to the Kibworth Town playing fields, which could easily accommodate three or four full sized pitches. There are changing rooms and a small seated area, off pitch, but no bar or refreshments. One of these two teams would be promoted as champions, but only if they won and were able to overtake Old Aylestone. A draw would have seen Old Aylestone take the title. The hosts opened the scoring in the third minutes, but on a bright breezy evening, not a lot happened until they doubled their lead with twenty minutes remaining. Back came the visitors and their consolation, five minutes from time, sparked a hectic and frantic close to the fixture. Kibworth deserved the victory and the spoils. With John Main, Jack Warner, Martin Hollands, Steve Ruff and a host of hoppers!
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Wednesday 14th May 2025
Northants Women’s Midweek Cricket League (@Thrapston)
Brixworth 86 for 6 (20 overs)
lost to
Thrapston Yellow 88 for 0 (12 overs) by 8 wickets.
Umpire: Eddie McGeown
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Thursday 15th May 2025
Northants Combination Premier Division Cup FINAL
Blisworth 2
Dan Lyons 9, Morgan Littlejohn 90+2,
Harpole 0
Referee: Keith Lawrence. Attendance: c500
Admission: £5.00. Programme: F.O.C.
Fernie Fields, home of Sileby Rangers of The UCL, is a superb arena, beautifully maintained and a fitting venue in Northampton for this evening’s cup final. Blisworth, Premier Division champions and now knock-out cup winners, once graced the UCL themselves, but were removed through lack of floodlights. This evening’s match was very one sided. Blisworth scored on 9 minutes, squandered a plethora of opportunities to increase their lead and it wasn’t until the second minute of added time at the very end of the match that they doubled their lead for a deserved victory.
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Saturday 17th May 2025
Gwent County FA Senior Cup FINAL
Cwmbran Town 1
Aysa Al-Doori 54
Monmouth Town 1
Daniel Lee Macdonald 71,
After extra time. Cwmbran Town won 5-4 on pens.
Referee: Robert Rosen. Attendance: 386
Admission: OAP £2.00 (£3). Programme: F.O.C.
Lovely, sunny and warm, late Spring day and a pretty good crowd at Larkfield Park (home of Chepstow Town) for this Gwent Cup Final between Gwent league champions and third placed Monmouth Town. It was a poor match, however, full of niggles and constant interruptions by the geriatric arbiter. Two second half goals were shared and after extra time, it took fourteen penalties before the league champions completed a league and cup double. Good day out with John Main and Paul White.
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Tuesday 20th May 2025
Leighton & District League Premier Division
Cup FINAL (at Westoning Rec, Flitwick, Beds MK45 5JD)
Club Lewsey 5
James Lauder 52 (pen), Bernie Christie 54, 78, Terry Offeh 80, Sonny Newbury-Barr 90+3
Luton Celtic 0
Referee: Tim Patis. Attendance: 205
Admission F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Both of these clubs are from Luton, so it was a tad strange to find the final being played some thirty miles north in Flitwick. The Westoning Social Club made a killing on beer and beefburgers and a healthy gathering turned out to view the spectacle. No goals in the first half, but a sending off for Lewsey for a second bookable offence. A second sending off just after the break – again for two bookable offences, evened up the numbers once again but Club Lewsey took the lead from the resulting penalty. Lewsey dominated thereafter and the referee did well to keep a lid on burgeoning passions. A thumping victory in the end and well deserved, too! With John Main and Chris Walker.
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The main line rail service from St Pancras to Nottingham and Sheffield ran behind the far goal.
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Teamsheet for Club Lewsey
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Teamsheet for Luton Celtic.
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Wednesday 21st May 2025
Northants Women’s Midweek League (@Thrapston CC)
Haddon Women 124 for 4 (20 overs)
lost to
Thrapston Green Women 128 for 2 (15.5 overs)
by 8 wickets
Umpire: Eddie McGeown
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Thursday 22nd May 2025
Leicestershire Intermediate Cup FINAL
Loughborough Students Dev 4
Gafar Abari 30, 90, 90+3, Ashden Shortland 45+8,
Houghton Rangers 3
Jake Bates 9, 45+4, Nathan Benjamin 42,
Referee: James Brennan. Attendance: 147
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£6). Programme: On line
Holmes Park, in Leicester, home of The Leicestershire & Rutland FA, hosted yet another final with five goals in the first half and a slight advantage to Houghton Rangers, the second half looked likely to be goalless until a double strike in the 90th and 93rd minutes completely turned the game around and the students claimed the trophy! With John Main and Jack Warner.
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Sunday 25th May 2025
FA Premier League
Ipswich Town 1
Nathan Broadhead 52,
West Ham United 3
James Ward-Prowse 43,Jarrod Bowen 55, Mohammed Kudus 87,
Referee: Tim Robinson. Attendance: 29,771
Admission: OAP £37.00 (£39). Programme: £3.50
Last day of the Premier League season and I was lucky to get a ticket when I turned up at the ticket office and was told that only season ticket holders, members and supporters with a history of purchase could obtain tickets. I got in eventually with an excellent seat on the half-way line! My first visit since 2010 and Ipswich were pretty awful. West Ham, having a pretty dismal season, too, dominated possession, scored just before the break, conceded just after the break, but then went on, imperiously, to score two further goals for a convincing victory.
‘Is there anybody there?’ said the Traveller, Knocking on the moonlit door; And his horse in the silence champed the grasses Of the forest’s ferny floor: And a bird flew up out of the turret, Above the Traveller’s head: And he smote upon the door again a second time; ‘Is there anybody there?’ he said. But no one descended to the Traveller; No head from the leaf-fringed sill Leaned over and looked into his grey eyes, Where he stood perplexed and still. But only a host of phantom listeners That dwelt in the lone house then Stood listening in the quiet of the moonlight To that voice from the world of men: Stood thronging the faint moonbeams on the dark stair, That goes down to the empty hall, Hearkening in an air stirred and shaken By the lonely Traveller’s call. And he felt in his heart their strangeness, Their stillness answering his cry, While his horse moved, cropping the dark turf, ’Neath the starred and leafy sky; For he suddenly smote on the door, even Louder, and lifted his head:— ‘Tell them I came, and no one answered, That I kept my word,’ he said. Never the least stir made the listeners, Though every word he spake Fell echoing through the shadowiness of the still house From the one man left awake: Ay, they heard his foot upon the stirrup, And the sound of iron on stone, And how the silence surged softly backward, When the plunging hoofs were gone.
by Walter de la Mare (1873 – 1959)
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Tuesday 1st April 2025
Velocity Wessex League Division 1
Totton & Eling 0
Fawley 3
James Clifton 46, Declan Hartigan 50, Indrit Elezi 90+4
Referee: Ryan Thomas. Attendance: 78
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£6). Programme: NONE
Miller Park is a tiny venue tucked in behind the much more impressive stadium of AFC Totton. There is a hundred seater stand and cover behind one goal with hard standing all round and a small and basic cafe – pies, chocolate and hot drinks. Both of these teams are in serious danger of demotion. The hosts sit one place above the relegation places and the visitors are one off the foot of the table … or they were until this impressive victory. A player from each side dismissed right at the end of the opening period which produced no goals. The visitors then struck twice in the first four minutes of the second half and added a third in added time at the end of the match. With John Main.
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Wednesday 2nd April 2025
Spartan South Midlands League Division 1
Long Buckby 2
D’Lanie James 81, 90+2,
Desborough Town 3
Faruq Usman 3, Iain Blake 44, Josh Drain 47,
Referee: Ariel Ward. Attendance: 51
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£5). Programme: £1.00
This fixture, in my football experience, has always belonged to the UCL Premier division and if At Tarn win this league, they will return to the UCL Premier. They were given a huge fright tonight. Coasting at 3-0 up, early in the second half, they brought on all of their five substitutes and suddenly found themselves hounded by a rejuvenated home side who scored two goals in the final ten minutes but were unable to find an equaliser! With John Lee and John Clarke.
Sadly, since my visit, it has been announced that Long Buckby have resigned from The Spartan South Midlands League.
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Saturday 5th April 2025
Southern Counties East Premier Division
Lydd Town 1
Ryan Smith 48,
VCD Athletic 0
Referee: A Gillespie. Attendance: 118
Admission: OAP £6.00 (£8). Programme: £1.50
Beautiful sunny day at Lindsey Park somewhat spoiled by a sharp blustery wind. The timbered structures of the clubhouse contrasted with the seated and covered terracing down the far side. The hosts are in serious relegation trouble. VCD (Vickers Crayford Dartford), in mid table obscurity, were, by far, the more accomplished outfit, but it was a plucky display by the hosts and a single goal right after the re-start that gained them a precious victory in their relegation battle.
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The Power Station at Dungeness right on the south Kent coast and clearly visible (around three miles away) from the ground.
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Monday 7th April 2025
Premier League 2
Leicester City U21 0
West Bromwich Albion U21 0
Referee: Aaron Jackson. Attendance: 249
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£5). Free Team Sheet
As goalless matches go, this was not a bad game between two skilful sides, both committed and determined. A draw was a fair result!
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Wednesday 9th April 2025
Bedfordshire County League Premier Division
Marston Shelton Rovers 3
Elstow Abbey 0
Referee: Darren Knox. Attendance: 41
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Lovely sky – and sunset – at Marston Playing Fields just off the A421 and south of Bedford, but it was a chit billy and even more so as the match wore on. All the action took place in the first half. Second placed Rovers struck three times against their sixth placed rivals. The second half was a yawn! Plenty of hoppers there!
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Italy 2025
It was only a short visit. We flew from Stansted, early in the morning, to Bologna airport and the monorail took us into the main city train station from whence we departed for Reggio Amelia for the first game.
Saturday 12th April 2025
(Italy) Serie B
AC Reggiana 0
Pisa SC 2
Alexander Lind 24, Matteo Tramoni 44,
Referee: Eemanno Feliciani. Attendance: 12,039
Admission: €43.00. Programme: F.O.C.
Lovely weather and a beautiful ground with four separate seated stands. The hosts are struggling, but they were up for this and in a tetchy encounter, class decided the outcome. Second placed Pisa with a huge following were much too good for the hosts and this is the easiest 2-0 I have ever seen! The hosts had seven bookings and two sendings off – but not players on the pitch – an unused substitute and a home coach were both dismissed for inappropriate language. Very entertaining, but the hosts are now in serious relegation trouble!
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Grandson, Freddie and Albi Eathorne at Reggiana.
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Freddie, Albi, Mike and Ed at The Mapei Arens Reggio Amelia
This time it was the League leaders coming to town, in what might be described as a local Derby. Lovely ground, but the seats were a bit cramped and a bird dropped its load on number two son! Great game! Modena in tenth gave it all they’d got against the league leaders, but were eventually outclassed by a team recently relegated from Serie A. Lovely ground and a great atmosphere!
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Sunday 13th April 2025
(Italy) Serie A
Fiorentina 0
Parma 0
Referee: Gianluca Manganiello. Attendance: 21,355
Admission: €47.00. Programme: F.O.C.
There is substantial development going on at The Stadio Artemio Franchi and there was minimal cover for the monsoon conditions. The precipitation was unremitting and fell like stair rods on our totally uncovered seating, rendering ALL clothing sodden and uncomfortable. The game was a pretty damp squib, too with Parma easily thwarting any attempt at goal scoring by the hosts. Parma also won the yellow card count by 5-0! A thoroughly miserable afternoon.
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The players came up from underground behind this goal where all the modernisation was taking place!
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The author, thoroughly miserable and thoroughly wet through!
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Grandson, Freddie in Florence before the match!
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Eddie, grandson, Freddie and son Mike, outside the Duomo in Florence.
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It was a brilliant weekend despite the monsoon conditions on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Here are a few memories that will linger long In the time frame:
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Ed and Freddie near Duomo in Florence
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The City Wall of Florence.
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The Ponte Vecchia
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Ed, Mike and Fred.
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On The Ponte Vecchia a stare of: Benvenuto Cellini, Master Goldsmith of Venice.
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Freddie with an ice cream!
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South West Peninsula League ‘Hop’, Easter 2025
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John Main and I hired a small iron-grey Volkswagen Golf (GF72 OHO) and drove down to Newquay on Thursday 17th April for the start of The South West Peninsula ‘Hop’ organised by Phil Hiscox of The SWPL. It was an event free journey and we even had time for a walk down to the front before the match.
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Thursday 17th April 2025
South West Peninsula League West Division k.o.: 7.30pm
Newquay AFC 5
Louis Price 18, 31, 65, Callum McOnie 82, Alex Cole 90+1
Wendron United 0
Referee: Andrew Hobbs. Attendance: 1,854
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£6). Programme: £3.00
First match of the South West ‘Hop’ and “The Peppermints” had a rare opportunity to gain promotion to The Western League for the first time ever if they could avoid defeat in their final game of the season. That, they did with relish and a flourish, knocking five goals past hapless, mid-table Wendron United. The attendance above is correct, however, the announcer added an extra ten to the total!
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Friday 18th April 2025
South West Peninsula Leahue West Division k.o.: 11.30am
St Day 3
Kyle Marks 16, Josh Storey 25 (og), Jacob Cleverly 33,
Penzance 1
Curtis Smith 57,
Referee: Andrew Barnett. Attendance: 416
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£6). Programme: £1.00
Heavy overnight precipitation continued well into the morning, but by kick-off, a thin watery sun endeavoured to break through at Vogue Park, St Day’s quite pretty and modern arena. There was a very friendly welcome and an array of enticing cakes and pasties. The ground is basic with floodlights and hard standing on two sides and a small stand for maybe fifty souls. St Day, struggling in the lower reaches of the division, surprised fourth placed Penzance with a three goal first half salvo. A more steely response from the visitors, but they were only able to pull one goal back after the break. Entertaining tussle and a very enjoyable visit.
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Friday 18th April 2025
National League South k.o.: 3.00pm
Truro City 0
Torquay United 1
Matt Jay 65,
Refere: Daniel Baines. Attendance: 3,306
Admission: OAP £12.00 (£17) Programne: £3.00
Compared to two other new grouds I’ve seen this season (Cambridge City and Guernsey), this arena came a very distant third! Cover was negligible and seats were all taken. Refreshments were a rip off and there was a long queue (in the rain) for a programme.
However, as viewing was difficult with such a large crown and no terracing, there were TWO television screens showing the match – one of them inside the bar. It was a pretty poor game, looking odds on for a 0-0 outcome, until a 65th thunder blaster from the visitors settled the tie deservedly in their favour!
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Saturday 18th April 2025
South West Peninsula League West Division k.o.: 7.00pm
Wadebridge Town 1
Matt Lloyd 82,
Camelford 1
Cam Bidgood 79,
Referee: Adam Leigh. Attendance: 427
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£6). Programme: £2.00
Another wet one! In fact, it took a brave referee to give it the go ahead and in the second half when the precipitation substantially increased and great pools of water decorated the pitch, we weren’t even sure it would finish. Reminded me of Football League games back in the sixties! The first half was desultory, but the intensity increased after the break and, eventually each side produced a strike and the spoils and the points were shared and a great deal of credit goes to both sides AND the referee and his colleagues!
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Saturday 19th April 2025
St Pirans League Division 1 East k.o.: 11.00am
Nanpean Rovers 6
Callum Oldham 6, 38, Scot Brown 36, Leo Best 85, 86, Scott Forster 90,
Roche 0
Referee: Thomas Milburn. Attendance:432
Admission: OAP £2.00 (£3). Programme: £3.00
Victoria Bottoms, Nanpean Rovers ground is a wonderfully quirky, eccentric stadium nestling in a leafy fold with an atmosphere all of its own. Greek columns compete with corrugated iron roofs at opposite ends of the ground, no floodlights and no hard standing but plenty of perilous routes around the playing area. In second place on goal difference, they were playing a side rock bottom of the league with but one win and one draw from their 25 games. They were out played and outclassed by the hosts, who may have (eventually) scored six, but missed a plethora of easy opportunities.
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Saturday 19th April 2025
South West Peninsular League West Division k.o.: 2.30pm
Bodmin Town 0
Dobwalls 3
Oscar Larrieu 1, Dan Tate 42, Adam Kenyon 49,
Referee: Ryan Dennis. Attendance: 316
Admission: oAP £4.00 (£6). Programme: £2.00
A fine seventy year old stand dominates the ground. But there is not a lot else except a wire fence enclosure and hard standing on three sides. The team weren’t up to much, either. They were stung by a goal in the first minute and tamely subsided to a three goal defeat.
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Adam Kenyon (number 19) scores the second goal of the match in the 42nd minute.
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Saturday 19th April 2025
South West Peninsula League West Division k.o.: 6.00pm
Launceston 0
Callington 1
Finley Skews 33,
Referee: Ryan Dennis. Attendance: 603
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£6). Programme: £2.00
There was nothing photogenic about this small ground hidden away in the centre of an industrial estate. A low seated stand down one side and hard standing all round, whilst outside was a fairly substantial club house. Launceston are propping up the league and are certain to claim bottom spot. They huffed and puffed against mid-table Callington who took the win and the points with a single goal midway through the opening period.
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Sunday 20th April 2025
South West Peninsula League East Division k.o.: 12noon
Honiton Town 0
Sidmouth Town 2
Craig Veal 31, Louis Splading 83,
Referee: Graeme Martin. Attendance: 444
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£6). Programme: £2.00
Honiton, at last, managed to stage a ‘hop’ match on their own ground at the third attempt! It is a ground shared with the local cricket club and so has hard standing on only two sides and pitch side furniture down only one side (dug-outs and a seventy odd seater stand as well as a smaller covered terrace). Sidmouth are champions elect and easily disposed of their mid-table opponents, but they were unimpressive and, in large part, the match was a dull, torrid affair with a goal in each half to the visitors, but little else to inspire.
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Monday 21st April 2025
The Royal Albert Bridge which crosses The River Tamar at Saltash was designed and built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel between 1854 and 1859. A hundred and two years later, a road suspension bridge was opened to carry traffic from Devon to Cornwall and back. Both are very impressive structures!
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Monday 21st April 2025
Jewson Western League Premier Division k.o.: 3.00pm
Saltash United 1
Ben Goulty 2,
AFC St Austell 2
Ryan Downing 16, Matt Searle 90+6,
Referee: Dillon Gascoigne. Attendance: 137
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£7). Programme: NONE
Kimberley Stadium, home of Saltash United, is a pleasantly situated arena with most of the pitch side furniture down one side. There is hard standing all round, a seated stand and a covered standing area are complemented by a bar and refreshment facilities and right in the corner is a covered picnic area. The hosts were unlucky today. They scored after two minutes, conceded an equaliser twenty minutes later and the winner was scored in the seventh minute of added time at the end of the match. With John Main.
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Tuesday 29th April 2025
Northern Premier League Midlands Division 1 Play-off Semi-final
Corby Town 1
Jack Keeble 62,
Long Eaton United 0
Referee Alex Rolfe. Attendance: 1,496
Admission: OAP £7.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
A huge crowd – almost, but not quite – delayed kick-off and the atmosphere was terrific throughout at Steel Park. The actual match, however, was nothing to write home about. Too many high clearances and too little skill and creativity and the only goal came just after the hour mark for the hosts, which brought great joy to the home faithful, but I fear for any further progress when they meet Worcester City, here, in the final on Saturday.
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Northern Premier League Midlands Division 1 attendances 2024/25
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Wednesday 30th April 2025
Bedfordshire County League Premier Division
Riseley Sports 1
Alex Taylor 17 (pen),
Clanfield United Reserves 2
Sean Byrne 3, James Manning 9,
Referee: Shaun Hoyte. Attendance: 60
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: On Line
On a beautiful warm and sunny evening – so much so that the substitutes didn’t feel the need to don their shirts – these two teams played their last league fixture of the season. All the goals came in the first fifteen minutes and after the visitors had taken a two goal lead in nine minutes, the hosts pulled one back with a dubious penalty award. Thereafter, much huffing and puffing but no further strikes! Excellent pint of finest Bedfordshire ale to toast the completion of the premier division of this league.
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live 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 noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the 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 hear it in the deep heart’s core.
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by William Butler Yeats (1865 – 1939)
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Saturday 1st March 2025
Cambridgeshire County League Premier Division
Witchford 96 1
Chris Hall 18,
Hardwick 0
Referee: Giavanni Marasca. Attendance: 58
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Witchford, a village of just over 2,000 souls, lies around two and a half miles west of Ely. The Recreation Ground has a pitch railed along each side and substantial changing rooms and bar facilities. The football team are not performing well this season with just nineteen points from nineteen games before this match. The visitors were better placed but no more than mid-table. Chris Hall, the home striker was the difference between the teams. He scored the only goal on 18 minutes, smote the post when it would have been easier to score and was denied a fairly blatant penalty. Several other hoppers in attendance!
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Monday 3rd March 2025
Premier League 2
Leicester City U21 2
Amani Richards 41, Logan Briggs 45,
Tottenham Hotspur U21 0
Referee: Andrew Humphries. Attendance: 356
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£5). Free team sheet
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Tuesday 4th March 2025
Western League Division 1
Mendip Broadwalk 0
Avonmouth 3
Kyle O’Donovan 19, Charlie Aldom 23, Mitch Wise 65,
Referee: Alex Setchell. Official Attendance: 41
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£6). Programme: on line
Both these clubs are newly promoted to The Western League and, perversely, in view of tonight’s result, it is the hosts who are better placed in mid table. Their ground, and the refreshment facilities outside the ground are a work in progress (to put it charitably), but the welcome was genuine and spontaneous. Sadly, the hosts, whose ground is but a stone’s throw from Ashton Gate in Bristol, failed to perform this evening and two first half strikes followed by a third in the second period, garnered the victory for near neighbours, Avonmouth. With John Main.
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Saturday 8th March 2025
Velocity Wessex League Division 1
Fleetlands 1
Curt Robbins 55,
New Milton Town 2
Barney Stone 51, Brad Snelling 88,
Referee: Charlie Hardingham. Official Attendance: 93
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£6). Programme: £2.00
A bright, bracing day beside the sea in deepest Hampshire at Powder Monkey Park (in deference, no doubt, to The Royal Navy of old), the home of Fleetlands, a whimsical quirky ground with hard standing on three sides, a fifty seater stand and other assorted covered areas, including a stand, tiny enough to challenge the one at Esh Winning for the smallest in the country. The visitors bestride the league and brought a healthy following to this match. The hosts in fifth place lost this encounter to a goal two minutes from time after a turgid opening period and a swift exchange of goals early in the second period. With John Main.
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Tuesday 11th March 2025
It has not been a good week. Charlotte has had an operation on her right hand for Dupuytrens Fasciitis, a condition that means that her fingers are drawn in towards her palm. The operation was successful (although she may need a similar procedure on her left hand at some time in the future), however, her arm is likely to be in a sling for ten days and I will be doing rather more heavy lifting than I am used to! Look on the bright side. The operation was a success and in a month, or three weeks at best, she might be getting back to normal. In the meantime, football sorties have been severely curtailed, although I may get to a reasonably local match this weekend (and meet up with sons and grandsons!). Sadly, I have had to miss the Scottish “Hop”, which starts today. Very jealous, but getting Charlotte well, is more important!
Saturday 15th March 2025
Northern Premier League Midlands Division 1
Racing Club Warwick 1
Connor Taylor 45+1,
Corby Town 2
Jack Keeble 41, Rhys Kelly 78,
Referee: Michael Pattison. Attendance: 325
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£8). Programme: £2.00
First visit to Townsend Meadow for twenty-six years and, although improved for spectators with extra seating and cover, I am not a fan of plastic pitches! This was a poor game. Neither side could find any rhythm or continuity and the result was a bit of a lottery where The Steelmen held the winning number. A goal each in the first period with the winner coming from Rhys Kelly after 78 minutes. Lunch beforehand in The Roebuck Inn in the centre of town with son, Mike and grandson, Freddie. Son, Jim and grandsons, Sonny and Kingsley were not able to make the meal, but we met up with them at the match.
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Tuesday 18th March 2025
Western League Division 1
Shirehampton 2
Luke Marshall 83, Dillan Tate 90+4,
Wells City 2
Luke Wilkinson 30, Ali Sen 87,
Referee Steve Redman. Official Attendance: 68
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£6). Programme: on line
Penpole Lane is a quintessentially atmospheric venue, bedecked with floodlights highlighting the bare branches of trees surrounding the ground. Changing rooms in the cricket pavilion at one side of the ground and refreshment facilities outside the ground on the other side with hard standing access on three sides and a small 100 seater stand adjacent to a tiny covered standing area. This was a strange encounter. The visitors led from a strike on half an hour and nothing much else happened until the final five minutes. An equaliser from a hopeful forty yard punt which somehow eluded the visiting custodian, but then two more goals, both of which questioned the keepers capabilities and ensured that the match ended in a draw! With John Main.
“Strength in Depth”
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Programme cove. Programme was ‘on line’ only.
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Wednesday 19th March 2025
Bedfordshire County League Premier Division
Wootton Blue Cross 3
Mason Marsh 15, 17, Ryan Aka 39,
Queens Park Crescents 0
Referee: Stephen Quirke. Attendance: 177
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
In the olden days (nineties and early years of this century), Blue Cross graced the Premier Division of the UCL. Now they have every chance of a return to that league by winning their present division, but they haven’t applied for promotion! They were too good for fifth placed Crescents who conceded three first half goals. However, the visitors then made a spirited second half response, but even when the hosts had their goalkeeper dismissed, Crescents never actually looked capable of scoring. Good to see Brian Buck and Dave Higgins amongst a healthy turnout of ‘hoppers’.
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Saturday 22nd March 2025
North West Counties League Division 1 North
AFC Blackpool 1
Jacob Gregory 6,
Daisy Hill 3
Alexander Dodd 26, Liam Sheppard 68, Jake o’Brien 71 (pen),
Referee: David Boston. Attendance: 71
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£6) programme: NONE
FREE team sheet
Jepson Way, home of AFC Blackpool (formerly Blackpool Mechanics) is a pretty impressive venue. Cover and hard standing on all four sides and seating down each touchline. They took an early (sixth minute) lead and then tamely subsided as Daisy Hill took control, equalising in the first half and adding two further strikes in the second period. The hosts had their goalkeeper sin-binned after half-time (first time I’ve seen that happen!) and although they were six points and four places better off than their rivals, they succumbed to a lacklustre defeat. With John Main.
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Tuesday 25th March 2025
Southern Combination Division 1
Storrington 2
Alec Wilkinson 32, 43,
Copthorne 2
Oscar Wendell 55 (pen), 90+7,
Referee: Richard Pringle. Attendance: 53
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£6). Programme: on line
Deep in Sussex is the thriving village of Storrington where The Swans ply their football trade at a pretty basic ground, railed off and with hard standing on two sides and a club facility with around fifty seats which are useless because twenty yards in front, spectators block the view as they stand at pitch side. Oh, and there is a community sports facility adjacent, which provides a bar and some sustenance. These two teams are enjoying a torrid season, with the hosts slightly better placed. They led 2-0 at the interval and that seemed to be that, but Copthorne, who play their home games at Horsham YMCA, came out all guns blazing and grabbed a point with a 97th minute equaliser!
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Wednesday 26th March 2025
Northern Premier League Midlands Division 1
Corby Town 2
Fletcher Toll 21, Reuben Marshall 22,
Lye Town 1
Josh McKenzie 90+5
Referee: Sam Wesson. Attendance: 457
Admission: OAP £7.00 (£10.00). Programme: £2.00
It all looked rosy for The Steelmen when two early first half strikes put them firmly in control. The second half was a different story. The hosts were under substantially more pressure, but held out until the fifth minute of added time, when the visitors notched their consolation Goal. They might have had more!
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Friday 28th March 2025
Guernsey FNB Priaulx League
Guernsey Wanderers 1
Tiago Camera 90,
Northerners AC 5
Dave Rihoy 14, Ryan Lamb 42, Simon Marley 45+1, Paris Pereira 45+5 (pen), Tyrese Kelly 68,
Referee: George Jennings. Attendance: 22
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
A choppy crossing from Poole and our first choice match at The Track ( home of Belgrave Wanderers and adjacent to Guernsey FC’s new stadium) was OFF. So, we trekked over to The KGV club for this match on a very chilly evening. The hosts had won one and lost fourteen of their matches this season and on tonight’s showing, it was easy to see why! Very basic ground, a plastic pitch inside a metal cage. With John Main.
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Choppy seas on the entrance to St Peter Port on Guernsey.
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The castle at St Peter Port Harbour, Guernsey.
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Saturday 29th March 2025
Isthmian League South Central Division
Guernsey 1
Ross Allen 45+1 (pen)
Westfield 1
Manolis Goons 67,
Referee: Scott Crowhurst. Attendance: 2,207
Admission (seated) £9.00. Programme: £3.00
Pretty impressive new stadium with 3G pitch, seated stands down both sides and cover behind each goal. Besides FA funding, one Guernsey benefactor sank £8 million into this project. Westfield were the better side but lacked a marksman and on the stroke of half-time a quixotically eccentric referee awarded the hosts a penalty for a foul by the goalkeeper on a forward. Ross Allen, the Guernsey skipper, became the first goal scorer at the new stadium. Westfield deservedly equalised midway through the second period and a draw was probably the right result. With John Main.
Prenton Park is a fine looking stadium much changed since my first visit in September 1967, when Colchester were also the visitors – but lost that match by 4-2! Excellent hospitality with seats in the directors box right on the half-way line. Great to meet up with family and friends! Tranmere were not at the races today and Colchester barely had to move out of second gear to claim a straightforward victory. Two first half strikes, the first from the penalty spot and a further second half goal after the hosts had pulled one back shortly after the interval, garnered a richly deserved victory.
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Penalty scored by Lyle Taylor for Colchester United after nine minutes.
Very much an old fashioned ground and I can remember nothing from my first visit in 1967!
Sonny, Freddie and Kingsley in the dugout!
from left: Alan Eathorne, Gary Miller, Aman Singh and Mike McGeown
Chris Berezai and Phil Evans
From left : Mark Sumner, Francesca Parkin,Matt Knowles and Chris Berezai
Eddie with Man of the match, Saidou Khan
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Monday 3rd February 2025
National League South
Hemel Hempstead Town 3
Brandon Barzey 15, 82, Oliver Lynch 55,
Boreham Wood 4
Femi Ilesanmi 4, Kwesi Appiah 27, Tom Whelan 44, Matt Rush 88,
Referee: Ashley Clarke. Attendance: 681
Admission: OAP £10.00 (£15). Programme: £3.00
I didn’t realise that Hemel had installed a plastic pitch (a couple of seasons ago, said one of the stewards). My last visit was twenty years ago when they were a Southern League team. Tonight’s rumbustious affair was rightly decided in the visitors favour. They were the better side and presently occupy top spot in a very congested promotion race. They were however, made to work very hard for their victory. 1-3 down at the interval, the hosts staged a fighting comeback to draw level, only to see the visitors snatch victory in the 88th minute. Eight minutes of added time were played, but The Tudors couldn’t draw level again.
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Tuesday 4th February 2025
Southern League Premier Division Central
Banbury United 1
Harry Reilly 19,
Kettering Town 0
Referee: Daniel Lamport. Attendance: 602
Admission: OAP £10.00 (£14). Programme: on line
Kettering Town’s promotion ambitions were severely dented by a solid defensive display from The Puritans. The hosts scored a rare thunderblaster after only nineteen minutes and then fended off all Kettering’s attenpts to secure an equaliser. The attendance this evening was boosted by a large following of away supporters. Good match!
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Wednesday 5th February 2025
Eastern Counties League Division 1 North
Parson Drove 1
Gerson Dos Reis 31,
FC Peterborough 1
Vitor Vaz 74 (pen),
Referee: Ceredig Cattanach-Chell. Attendance: 45
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£5). Programme: ON LINE
On a bitterly cold evening deep in the Cambridgeshire fenlands, these two teams served up a tasty encounter. The visitors are vying for a play-off spot, whilst the hosts are languishing in lower mid-table. It was the hosts who took the lead after half an hour and they held onto it doggedly until FC Peterborough were awarded a soft penalty with fifteen minutes to go. A draw was probably a fair result, but the referee inexplicably played twelve minutes of added time at the end of the match!
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Thursday 6th February 2025
Leicestershire Midweek Floodlit Youth League
Southern Division
Lutterworth Town u18 1
George Coulthard 56 (pen),
GNG Oadby Town u18 2
Joe Walton 20, Jaiden Jones 67,
Referee: Toby Smith. Attendance: 17
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
A bitterly cold evening and a pretty flaccid encounter. The visitors were worthy winners. With John Main.
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Saturday 8th February 2025
Southern Combination Division 1
Seaford Town 2
Callum Connor 59 (pen), Marcus Richmond 78,
Godalming Town 0
Referee: Harvey Howe. Official Attendance: 106
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£6). Programme: £1.00
A sloping pitch from side to side, very soft underfoot and in a public park, with hard standing all round and good bar and refreshment facilities, made this a very pleasant visit. Seaford top the division with the visitors in the play-off places, this was a keenly contested encounter, tempestuous at times and after a goalless opening period, the hosts took control, scoring on the hour mark from the penalty spot and adding a second some twelve minutes from time. With John Main.
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It was a very “heavy” pitch as can be seen from this photograph, with the author striding towards the camera to the left of the picture (courtesy of John Main)
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Wednesday 12th February 2025
Lincolnshire Senior Trophy Semi-final
Bourne Town 2
Brad Marshall 2, Zac Munton 63,
Blackstones 1
Will Bestwick 76,
Referee: Nick Elliott. Official Attendance: 310
Admission: OAP £5 (£6). Programme: NONE
A wet, cold and thoroughly miserable evening at Abbey Lawns, where FA Vase quarter-finalists and UCL premier division high fliers, Bourne Town, were expected to defeat near neighbours, Blackstones of UCL Division 1. When they scored in the second minute, it looked like it might be a rout and for most of the first period, the hosts ran their neighbours ragged, but it wasn’t until just after the hour mark that they added a second goal. A flurry of substitutions by both sides worked in Blackstones favour. They came back strongly and scored in 76 minutes, but despite their growing dominance, they were unable to garner an equaliser. Good game!
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GERMANY 2025
We were a large party this year, flying from Stansted to Nuremberg on the Friday afternoon and returning (most of us) on Monday afternoon. Having reached Nuremberg, we then entrained for Augsburg.
Friday 14th February 2025
Bundesliga
FC Augsburg 0
RB Leipzig 0
Referee: Sascha Stegemann. Attendance: 28,260
Admission: €35.00. Programme: €1.00
Bitterly cold at The WWK Arena in Augsburg and, arriving 45 minutes early it took another half hour’s melee to negotiate past the bag and clothes check. The ground is some 16 years old and nine years ago, hosted Liverpool in a Champions League knock-out phase match. Great seat on the half-way line, but the game was poor. Two teams going through the motions, neither posing much of a threat and precious few chances throughout the ninety minutes. Then it was back to the scrum to get on a tram back to town!
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Saturday 15th February 2025
Bundesliga
VFB Stuttgart 1
Nick Woltemade 72
VfL Wolfsburg 2
Tiago Thomas 76, Mohammed Amoura 87 (pen),
Referee: Tobias Welz. Official Attendance: 58,000
Admission: €60.00. Programme: F.O.C.
Magnificent stadium which holds just over 60,000 spectators and passionate aficionados urging on their heroes, but the first half was drab and colourless, much like last night’s encounter. So too, was the first portion of the second half, but the game livened up considerably in the final quarter, including an equalising penalty for the visitors for which the referee lingered long over the tv screen. Sad to miss the morning U19 match due to rail delays, but this encounter ended up tasty and feisty!
My match day ticket was refused at the turnstile and I had to go to the ticket office to get it verified. However, they said that it was a false ticket and I was forced to spend €60 on a new ticket to get into the ground.
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from left: Adam, Jim (behind), Rory Clark (in front), Liam (in front), Dave (hidden behind), Kevin, Billy (behind), Gary Miller, Daz, Mike and Alan Eathorne
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Sunday 16th February 2025
Bundesliga 2
FC Nuremberg 2
SVV Ulm 0
Referee: Richard Hempel. Official Attendance: 29,355
Admission: €35.00 Programme: NONE
Another bitterly cold day and a poignant and timely morning visit to the Nazi Congress hall before adjourning to the stadium, much changed since it hosted SS rallies in the 1930s. The visitors are in serious relegation trouble and were not helped by a 59th minute dismissal. It was a dour match where the hosts found it difficult to break down a well organised defence. Both goals came in the final four minutes. With sons, Jim, Mike and Liam and friends!
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Pre-match drinks: on the left from front: Alan Eathorne, Adam, Kevin, Rory Clark, and Daz. On the right from the front: Billy, son Liam, Gary Miller, and son James
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Large swathes of the ground were closed, as can be seen from the above photo. The capacity of the ground had been raised to just over 50,000 for the World Cup in 2006, when half a dozen matches were played at the stadium.
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Wednesday 19th February 2025
Northants Senior (Hillier) Cup Semi-final
Corby Town 3
Danny Gordon 25, Spencer Edwards 56, 60,
Peterborough Sports 0
Referee: Luke Scott. Attendance: 339
Admission: £5.00. Programme: NONE, teamsheet 50p
The Steelmen are two divisions below their rivals from National League North, but neither team was at full strength, even for a semi-finals and entry prices were reduced to a fiver. Last Saturday, Peterborough Sports drew an attendance of 190 for a National League North match! A very even first half saw the hosts gain a single goal advantage direct from a corner after 25 minutes. Two early second half strikes, taking advantage of fairly elementary defensive errors, killed the game off until a player melee in added time saw a lenient official award but two cautions!
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Note the error on the above display. This match was NOT a Northern Premier League match!
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SPAIN 2025
Friday 21st February 2025, Vueling Flight 6302 from Gatwick to Bilbao, Jonny had hired a car and booked accommodation in the city. This evening’s match is in Lezama a small district to the north of Bilbao, where Athletic Club play their B team at The Santa Maria Stadium. It was raining when we got there and it rained pretty much all the way through the game but it was considerably milder than in England.
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Friday 21st February 2025
Primera Division RFEF Grupo 1
Athletic Bilbao B 2
Iker Varela 59, Jon De Luis 88,
CD Lugo 2
M. Ochoa 27, Ceberio 50,
Referee: Jaime Ruiz Alvarez. Attendance: c2,000
Admission: €10.00. Programme: NONE
Athletic Bilbao play their B team at Estadio Santa Maria, a few miles outside Bilbao at Lezama. It is a vey impressive stadium with a capacity of only 3,250 and there was a healthy attendance for this match tonight at the third tier of Spanish football. Lugo are precariously placed, just above the relegation dogfight, but this evening they took the match to the hosts and, shortly after the interval, held a two goal advantage. Bilbao plugged away, they were technically the better side but were finding goal scoring opportunities few and far between. They pulled one goal back on the hour mark, but had to wait until the 88th minute to find an equaliser. Good game, with son, Jim, and Jonny Crane and Mark Sumner.
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Saturday 22nd February 2025
La Liga
Deportivo Alaves 0
RCD Espanyol 1
Fernando Calero 86,
Ref: Juan Luis Pulido Santana. Attendance: 17,068
Admission: €33.00. Programme: NONE
Vitoria-Gasteiz, some forty miles south of Bilbao is the county town of the Basque region and the site of a famous Peninsular War victory by Wellington in 1813. It is also the home of Deportivo Alaves, currently struggling against relegation from La Liga. The ground is compact and holds just under twenty thousand spectators. For 86 minutes this was a boring score draw, until the visitors struck. Jonny had strategically commandeered tickets at the heart of the Espanyol travelling faithful and the jubilation was positively volatile. In truth, however, it wasn’t the best of matches! With son, Jim, Jonny Crane and Mark Sumner
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The Cathedral in the centre of town
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The monument in the town square to commemorate the famous Peninsular War victory by Arthur Wellesley.
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Saturday 22nd February 2025
Primera Division RFEF Grupo 1
Sestao River Club 1
Marcos Bustillo 63,
SD Amorebieta 0
Referee: Victor Peraza Perez. Attendance: 1,650
Admission: Seated €22.00 (€17). Free Team Sheet
Just north of Bilbao in the small town of Sestao lies its football club hidden behind the houses and a church. Tonight’s visitors were only half an hour’s drive away, but on the south side of Bilbao. Both teams are deep in the relegation mire at this third tier of Spanish football and the pitch was in keeping with the positions of the two sides. I learnt that in this division, all the players are full time and the minimum annual salary is €25,000 (although some are reputed to earn in excess of €300,000 per annum!). The only goal came from a savage second half strike from the home side playing down the slight slope in the second half. With son, Jim, Jonny Crane and Mark Sumner.
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Sunday 23rd February 2025
The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao
What an experience! Was initially underimpressed on the ground flour with the giant metal shapes, but once you interact they hit all the senses, echoing mazes and challenging balance and coordination. Some of the art work on the other floors was beyond me – or crap – but it was a top level experience both inside and out!
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Outside the Guggenheim Museum was a giant hedge statue of a dog!
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Sunday 23rd February 2025
La Liga
Athletico Bilbao 7
Mikel Jauregizar 11, Nico Williams 35, 66, Marian Sannadi 43, Oihan Sancet 45+2, Gorka Guruzeta 70, Inaki Williams 86,
Real Valladolid 1
Mamadou Sylla 47,
Stanko Juric s/o 56, (Second yellow card).
Referee: Cesar Soto Grado. Attendance: 47,715
Admission: €60.00. Programme: NONE
Beautiful day, warm and sunny and an impressive stadium. Estadion San Mames was completely rebuilt some twelve years ago and is now a state of the art arena. Poor old Valladolid were given a severe drubbing, 0-4 down at the interval, they actually pulled a goal back at the very start of the second period, but then had a man dismissed for a second bookable offence and conceded three more to leave them nine points adrift at the bottom of the table!
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Sunday 23rd February 2025
La Liga
Real Sociedad 3
Arsen Zakharyan 12, Takefusa Kubo 48, Jon Ander Olasagasti 81,
Leganes 0
Referee: Francisco Maeso. Attendance: 22,533
Admission: €37.00. Programme: NONE
Another lovely ground in the seaside town of San Sebastián, aesthetically pleasing and well equipped with comfortable seating! On a balmy evening, the hosts put on a confident and commanding display, dismantling a very average visiting side and richly entertaining the home faithful in the process. Good match, with son, Jim, Jonny Crane and Mark Sumner.
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Monday 24th February 2025
Premier League 2
Leicester City U21 2
Logan Briggs 54, 75,
Derby County U21 1
Darren Robinson 90,
Referee: Kirsty Dowle. Attendance: 239
Admission: OAp £3.00 (£5). Free Team Sheet
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Wednesday 26th February 2025
Eastern Counties League Premier Division
Downham Town 3
Dylan Edge 4, 44 (pen), 45+2,
Brantham Athletic 2
James Lee 31, Billy Wales 76,
Referee: Stuart Jessop. Attendance: 150
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£7). Programme: £1.00
There was a lot of rain in this part of the world, today, but the match survived at The Memorial Playing Field and the pitch played pretty well. Currently top of the division, it is hard to see how this ground might make the grade for step 4. There is hardstanding on only three sides, the ground is shared with the local cricket club and only around 100 seats (some of them very comfortably upholstered, mind you)! Brantham Athletic are in 5th place and competed very well. A goal down in four minutes, they battled back to equalise, only to concede two more before the break. In the second period, they battled hard but were only able to pull one goal back. Good game and a very partisan crowd!
Remember, the time of year
when the future appears
like a blank sheet of paper
a clean calendar, a new chance.
On thick white snow
You vow fresh footprints
then watch them go
with the wind’s hearty gust.
Fill your glass. Here’s tae us. Promises
made to be broken, made to last.
by Jackie Kay (1961 – )
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New Years Day Wednesday 1st January 2025
Northern Premier LeagueMidlands Division 1
Loughborough Students 1
Aiden Brazil 81,
AFC Rushden & Diamonds 1
Charlie Green 40,
Referee: Thomas Hales. Official Attendance: 233
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£8). Programme: ON LINE
The bad weather across the country defeated all our best intentions and we ended up at the solidly reliable Holywell Park. The rain eventually stopped and these two relative under achievers put on a competitive encounter which looked for long periods to be going the way of the visitors after a first half strike. The students pulled back the arrears late in the second period and the draw was probably a fair result. There was a healthy gathering of away support and the crowd looked more substantial than the official attendance indicated. With John Main.
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Saturday 4th January 2025
EFL Championship
Norwich City 2
Amankwah Forson 90+1, 90+5,
Coventry City 1
Milan Van Ewijk 24,
Referee: James Bell. Attendance: 26,682
Admission: OAP £21.00 (£31). Programme: £4.00
Smash and grab! Only my sixth visit since 1968 when Blackpool were the winners and, as a student in Liverpool, I drove down overnight for the match. For long periods in this match, after Coventry’s 24th minute opener, this game drifted into infinity and …. suddenly woke up in added time right at the very end when The Canaries grabbed two goals (91 & 95 minutes) to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. With sons, Jim and Mike and grandson, Freddie.
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Pre match lunch in The Gunn Club – from left: Mike, Ed, Jim and Freddie
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Grandson, Freddie and Grandad, Ed
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Ed at the front with Freddie next to him and Jim and Mike beyond!
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Brilliant day out! Jim drove us all to Peterborough and we caught the 10.40 train to Norwich, arriving at 12.11. It was only a ten minute walk to the stadium and we were booked into The Gunn Club for lunch at 12.30pm. Excellent meal, good seats in the stand, Coventry City should have won! Norwich after a lacklustre performance for ALL of normal time, redeemed themselves with two goals in added time at the end of the match. Then it was the 17.50 back to Peterborough, Jim drove us back to Corby and got himself home to Banbury before the snows arrived!
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Tuesday 7th January 2025
Spartan South Midlands League
Division 1 Cup Quarter-final
Moulton 1
Matty Long 20,
Desborough Town 5
Will Russell 25, 44, 46, Iain Blake 70, Kai Magee 83,
Referee: Jakub Gierczyk. Attendance: 71
Admission: oAP £4.00 (£7). Programme: FREE
It wasn’t a chit billy, it was absolutely Baltic. I had to scrape the ice off my car after the match! Good game, though, on Moulton’s state of the art plastic pitch. These two teams are seriously challenging for promotion and it was the hosts who took the lead after 20 minutes. Back came Ar Tarn with two goals of their own to take the lead at the interval and three second half strikes completed a comprehensive dismantling of the home side!
There was an incident in the thirty second minute when the referee awarded a free kick to the home side but the away team player remained on the ground. I couldn’t see very well from the other side of the pitch, but a visiting side substitute came onto the pitch and shoved (the referee allegedly said: “head-butted”) a player from the home side. The substitute was sent off without ever kicking the ball! On his way off the pitch, he told me that one of the home players had stamped on the head of the player lying on the ground. The incident added ten minutes to the first half.
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Friday 10th January 2025
Premier League 2
Leicester City 0
Crystal Palace 2
Ademola Ola-Adebomi 15, Hindola Mustapha 82,
Referee: Alan Dale. Attendance: 173
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£5). Free Team Sheet
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Saturday 11th January 2024
Jewson Western League Division 1
Sturminster Newton United 2
Buddy O’Shea 45+2, 84,
Mendip Broadwalk 1
Rhys Hickery 1,
Referee: David Kemnery. Official Attendance: 133
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£7). Programme: £2.00
This is the first season in The Western League for both of these clubs. The Cherries, mind you, can trace their history back to the 1870s and an FA Cup encounter with the legendary ‘Wanderers’. The ground is spartan, with hard standing on two sides and a small covered standing area on one side. The concrete base for a seated stand is further along the same side. There is a large club house with catering facilities and a bar. The match began explosively with a goal after only 40 seconds to the visitors. They hung onto this lead until added time at the end of the first half, when the hosts equalised. A second goal to the hosts six minutes from time gave them the victory, but not before a sending off for the visitors in the eighth minute of added time and tense contretemps between player and spectators on his way to the dressing room! With John Main.
Monday 13th January 2025
Walsall Senior Cup Quarter-final
Coleshill Town 0
Rushall Olympic 0
Referee: Alex Rolfe. Official Attendance: 101
Admission: oAP £8.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
Coleshill Town won 4-2 on penalties after 90 minutes
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Tuesday 14th January 2025
Northern Premier League Midlands Division 1
Rugby Town 1
Harrison Nee 24,
Loughborough Students 1
Hussein Issa 63,
Referee: Jason Porter. Official Attendance: 143
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
Butlin Road is an impressive stadium with hard standing throughout, cover on all four sides, crash barriers and substantial terracing behind each goal. It was a pity that only a smattering of spectators were there to witness the encounter. Rugby Town’s average attendance this season is 288, but less than half of that turned up tonight. Relegation threatened Rugby, under new management, enjoyed the better of the first half and took a 1-0 lead into the interval. The students responded well in the second period and struck on the hour mark to level the score … and a draw was probably the right result! With John Main.
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Wednesday 15th January 2025
West Herts St Mary’s Challenge Cup Quarter-final
Tring Athletic 2
George Carbery 56, 80 (pen),
Tring Corinthians 1
Harry Robertson 67,
Referee: Robert Poole. Attendance: 141
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£9). Programme: NONE
Both of these teams grace The Spartan South Midlands League, but there are two divisions between them, with hosts, Athletic in mid-table in the premier division and Corinthians in mid table in division 2. It should have been a massacre, but the hosts were woefully profligate and the visitors plugged away doggedly. After a goalless first half, Athletic took the lead just before the hour mark, Corinthians equalised some ten minutes later with an outrageous free kick and, out of nowhere, the hosts won it with a penalty five minutes from time! Heavy fog rolled in midway through the second half!
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Saturday 18th January 2025
Southern Combination League Division 1
Billingshurst 0
Worthing United 2
Danny Kingston 15, Dan Hills,
Referee: Oliver Westgate. Official Attendance: 102
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£7). Programme: ON LINE
I do hate unnecessary tautology. Surely a “league” is a “ combination”! No need to say it twice! Jubilee Fields is a good walk from Billingshurst Station – even when the postcode is correct! The ground is very basic. A grass pitch with hard standing on three sides and a seated stand with around 75 seats. There is a wire fence surrounding the arena and there were spectators who watched for free on the outside of it. The club house is shared with the cricket club. These two sides are aiming for the play-off places and fifth placed Worthing were deserved victors with a goal in each half against the seventh placed hosts.
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Monday 20th January 2025
Northants Senior Youth League North Division
Blackstones U18 5
Will Pearce-Smith 6, Joe Johnson 15, Johan Coughlan 57, Henry Moxley 73, Finn Seggie 79,
Corby Town U18 2
Lionel Gazire 29, Kyle Hutchison 79,
Referee: Junior Jones. Attendance: 73
Admission: OAP £1.00 (£3). Programme: NONE
Good match at Lincoln Road in Stamford, where the hosts were playing joint leaders from Corby, both teams having suffered but one league defeat all season. Blackstones were two ahead inside fifteen minutes, but Corby pulled a goal back before the interval. After the break, Blackstones struck three more times before the young Steelmen grabbed a late consolation to make the score more respectable. Excellent entertainment on a very chilly evening!
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Southern League Division 1 Central
Tuesday 21st January 2025
North Leigh 0
Harley Vazza s/o 87,
Hertford Town 2
Benjamin Herd 17, Adeniyl Gbolahan 77,
Referee: Samuel Lee. Attendance: 44
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£10). Programme: ON LINE
Lovely rustic setting at Eynsham Park, but the hosts, representing a village of under 2,000 souls are punching well above their weight! Not for much longer, however, bottom of the table and fifteen points from safety, they were well beaten tonight, a goal in each half and a penalty saved to keep the score respectable. The hosts also had a man dismissed in the final three minutes for a second yellow card. With son, Jim and grandsons, Sonny and Kingsley!
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Wednesday 22nd January 2025
United Counties League Premier Division North
Melton Town 1
Kairo Edwards-John 48,
Bourne Town 2
Tom Siddons 10, Paul Malone 83,
Referee: Thomas Kennedy. Official Attendance: 159
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£7). Programme: £2.00
Top of the table Bourne Town are chasing consecutive promotions, whilst mid table Melton Town are on a bad run of seven defeats. The hosts have made substantial improvements to their stadium, including a 3G pitch, addditional hard standing all round and a pretty impressive lounge and catering area behind the goal. Tonight, they were unlucky. The visitors were clearly unhappy on the 3G surface and for long periods were outplayed by the hosts. However a goal at each end of the game gave The Wakes the victory despite an equaliser immediately after half-time.
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Saturday 25th January 2025
Northern Premier League Midlands Division 1
Corby Town 1
Callum Milne 90+2
Bedworth United 0
Referee: Grace Lowe. Attendance: 538
Admission: OAP £7.00. Programme: £2.00
Bedworth came to spoil and frustrate, and to waste time. They very nearly succeeded. In a scrappy encounter, The Steelmen were ineffectual and largely clueless, but they managed a goal in the 92nd minute, which was more than they deserved, but just what Bedworth deserved!
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Wednesday 29th January 2025
Southern League Division 1 Central
Kidlington 0
Thame United 2
Tom McElroy 18, Ty Deacon 32 (pen),
Referee: Samuel Olhausen. Attendance: 91
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
This was my first visit in ten years to Yarnton Road and not a lot had changed in that time. The car park was still full of potholes and the ground still had that feel of genteel decay. The team are in serious trouble, too, and might easily drop out of the Southern League at the end of the season. Despite all of this, they certainly enjoyed vociferous support! Visitors, Thame United scored twice in the opening period, however, the hosts were much more determined after the break, but never really looked like scoring.
Admission: Concession: £5.00 (£7). Programme: on line
The wind and the rain increased in ferocity as the afternoon wore on. The National League North match on the adjacent (grass) pitch fell to the weather, but, on the 3G, the match went ahead. The hosts, with but one victory in twenty one league outings this season, went ahead after only three minutes, but were behind at the interval and, despite a spirited second half performance, were killed off by a third goal from the visitors three minutes from the final whistle!
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Tuesday 10th December 2024
Isthmian League Division 1 North
Cambridge City 0
Brentwood Town 1
Mekhi McKenzie 51,
Referee: Oliver Morris-Sanders. Attendance: 322
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£10). Programme: £3.00
Impressive new arena, but a great deal still to be done. Plenty of refreshment facilities, but only a portakabin wherein to enjoy them. Cover on all four sides and an impressive 500 seater stand. Sadly, the team couldn’t match the facilities and subsided to a single goal defeat which which was more emphatic than the scoreline suggests. With John Main, Dave Wooding and Martin Hollands.
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Friday 13th December 2024
Northern League Division 2
Washington FC 0
Ryton & Crawcrook Albion 5
Matthew Hayton 20, Fergus Lynch 22, Glenn Caygill 24, Louis Calvert 45 (pen), 57 (pen),
Referee: Lewis Chirnside. Attendance: 93
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£5). Programme: NONE
A comfortable club house festively decked out, but the rest of the ground was fairly basic. A substantial plastic rail surrounded the pitch with hardstanding all round. A small 50 seat stand and an even smaller covered terrace were the only other furniture. Bottom of the table and eight points adrift, Washington were plucky in defence, but well placed Albion scored four first half goals and rounded off with a fifth on the hour mark to complete a comprehensive rout.
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Saturday14th December 2024
Northern League Division 1. kick-off 12 noon
West Allotment Celtic 0
Easington Colliery 5
Thomas Hunter 2, Christopher Trewick 28, Bradley Hird 54 (pen), James Fairley 90+2 (pen), Reece Kenney 90+7,
Referee: Ben Whitfield. Attendance: 104
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£7). Programme: £2.50
West Allotment Celtic have a ground containing hard standing on three sides a metal fence around the pitch and two fifty seater stands down one side and a covered terrace behind one goal, with additional catering facilities outside the ground. It was a cold midday kick off and the hosts were never at the races. A goal down inside two minutes and two down by the interval, they conceded three second half strikes interrupted by a medical emergency when the father of one of the players collapsed and had to be hospitalised.
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Saturday 14th December 2014
Northern League Division 2 kick-off: 3.00pm
Prudhoe Youth Club 0
Jarrow 0
Referee: A Duffy. Attendance: 82
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£6). Programme: FREE
Kimberley Park is an old fashioned stadium at the bottom of the hill below the town of Prudhoe and with a pronounced slope from goal to goal. There is hard standing all round and covered seating for around one hundred souls and further standing cover. The matchday programme comes free with entry which is a bonus for an OMGDS like me! No goals, today. Second in the table, Jarrow had the better of the encounter, but were unable to break down a determined home defence. With John Main.
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Monday 16th December 2024
Premier League 2
Leicester City U21 1
Harvey Godsmark-Ford 89,
Everton U21 1
Omari Benjamin 83,
Referee: Adam Bancroft. Attendance: 249
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£5). Free teamsheet
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Tuesday 17th December 2024
United Counties League Premier Division North
Bourne Town 4
Zak Munton 46,Will Bird (pen) 63, Zac Allen 84, Tom Siddons (pen) 87,
Newark & Sherwood 0
Referee: Istvan Modd. Attendance: 226
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£6). Programme: on line
It is five years since my last visit – at a time when the FA were demoting them to Division 1 because the ground wasn’t enclosed. Last season they were Division 1 champions and this season, they sit in second place, four points behind leaders, Eastwood CFC, but with two games in hand. The first half was pretty turgid, with the best of very few chances going to the visitors. A goal one minute into the second period changed the tenor of the game and the hosts added three more (two of them penalties) to run out convincing winners.
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Thursday 19th December 2024
Friendly
Leicester City U21 2
Olympique de Marseille B 0
Referee: Andy Humphries. Attendance: 189
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£5). Programme: NONE
A 6.00pm start for this friendly match on a very cold evening and not a match that will live long in the memory. With John Main.
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Saturday 21st December 2024
Spartan South Midlands League Division 2
Padbury Village 4
Milon Keynes Irish Reserves 2
Referee: Ron James. Attendance: 35
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Padbury is a small hamlet on the road from Buckingham to Aylesbury, with a population of just over 800. This was the last ground I needed to complete the SSML and for such a small place, it had a neat, well set out playing area with hard standing on two sides and a clubhouse serving drinks and chocolate. The hosts are struggling, having lost eleven of their opening fourteen games. This was their second league victory and it was well deserved. Four goals were shared during a wet and windy opening twenty minutes and the hosts scored a third just before the interval. They dominated the second half, playing up the slope, but with the wind in their favour. However they were only able to add a single strike to their total. With John Main.
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Boxing Day Thursday 26th December 2024
Jewson Western League Division 1
Avonmouth 2
Charlie Aldom 37, Josh Pearce 69,
Shirehampton 2
Ben Adam 63, Ciaran Greening 90,
Referee: Joseph Drew. Official Attendance: 528
Admission: OAP F.O.C. (£6) Programme: £2.00
In the shadow of The M5 motorway, this was a thud and blunder local derby on a heavy pitch in misty murky conditions. Both teams are recent additions to The Western League and their grounds are barely a mile apart. The King George V Recreation Ground has had quite a lot of improvements, including state of the art floodlights but have yet to start building on a required stand. Hard standing on two sides, coffee for £1, pastie/pie £2 and pensioners allowed in free! This was a mid=table clash with the visitors slightly better placed and with games in hand. The hosts led twice, but were pegged back for a second time in the ninetieth minute. A draw was a fair result! With John Main.
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Saturday 28th December 2024
Southern League Premier Division Central
Harborough Town 4
Ben Stephens 9, Luis Rose 55, Connor Kennedy 86, Joel Carta 89,
Leiston 0
Referee: Dario Mathewson. Attendance: 404
Admission: OAP £6.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
A murky, dank day at The Harborough Community Stadium. Since last season, they have opened up a whole length of the ground with covered terracing along most of that side. Leiston were the better placed of the two teams with the hosts a bare three points off the dreaded trapdoor, but it was they who started the more positively and they went ahead after only ten minutes. Leiston huffed and puffed, but tired in the second period, when the hosts struck three more times, two of them in the last five minutes. With son, Jim and grand sons, Sonny and Kingsley.
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Monday 30th December 2024
Northern Premier League Midlands Division 1
Anstey Nomads 2
Jordan Annable 71, Kyle Tomlin 88,
Quorn 3
Cain Noble 19, Luca Alonzi 57, Silvio Bello 90+7,
Referee: Gareth Davis. Official Attendance: 569
Admission: OAP £6.00 (£10). Programme: on line
On a chilly evening in Leicestershire, a healthy turnout (including not a few ‘hoppers’) enjoyed an entertaining local ‘derby’ where the visitors, who are runaway leaders of the division, were made to work very hard for their victory. They led 1-0 at the interval and doubled their lead around the hour mark, but back came Nomads with two late goals, the second in the 88th minute, only for Quorn to snatch a winner in the seventh minute of added time. With John Main, Dave Woodings, Tony Morehead and good to see Magret Hanke and Jens-Uwe Hanssen over from Germany for a short visit.
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Photograph courtesy of Magret Hanke. The grumpy old man with a beef burger behind the goal at Anstey Nomads.
Jeremy Monga 10, Louis Page 13, Henry Cartwright (pen) 23,
Aston Villa U21 1
Brad Burrowes 90+2
Referee: Paul Cooper. Attendance: 342
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Free Team Sheet
Three goals in the first twenty-five minutes gave the hosts a somewhat flattering interval score line. Villa spurned several gilt edged first half chances and then spent the second period encamped in the Leicester half with only a single strike for their efforts and that in the second minute of added time. With John Main.
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Saturday 2nd November 2024
North West Counties League Division 1 North
Maghull 3
Harrison Worden 36 (pen), Darren Brannigan 45+1, Jacob Till 90+1,
Route One Rovers 5
Anees Younis 16, 27, Muhammed Arshad 41, Zakariya Khan 82, Mohammed Hasnain 89,
Referee: Joshua Mitchell. Attendance: 138
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£6). Programme: NONE. Free team sheet.
Pleasantly impressed with Maghull’s Hall Field ground which they share with the local cricket club. There is secure fencing and hardstanding all around the pitch, a small covered, terraced standing area, but no seating unless you include the tiny number of picnic tables. Well stocked bar and a tight but imaginative food gallery serving Chinese chicken curry and “Scouse and crusted bread”. The parish church of St Andrew peeps above the tree line and The Leeds Liverpool Canal runs behind the far goal. The local railway station recently won station of the year across the whole country!
The visitors ground-share with Steeton in West Yorkshire and are presently mired deep in the relegation morass, but they were much the better side on the day. Five goals shared in the opening period gave them a single goal lead at the break, but after heavy home pressure in the second period, the visitors added two more before a last minute consolation to the hosts. Good game, helpful officials (providing free team sheets!) and friendly supporters of both sides! John Main and I came, not expecting much, but leaving pleasantly surprised. A very entertaining afternoon and well worth a visit.
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Monday 4th November 2024
Northants Senior Youth League North Division
Desborough Town U18 4
Owen Shepherd 18, 45, 58, 73,
Kettering Town U18 6
Ellis Chapman 22, Adam Barnett 37, 90+3, Tom Williams 65, Elvis Allen 86, Gedminas Grevishes 90+6
Referee: Aaron Lloyd. Attendance: 110
Admission: £3.00 Programme:- NONE
Tough night for Desborough on their return season in The Northants Senior League, playing against a strong Kettering Town side. They led twice in the first half, but had to be content with honours even at the break. They led twice more in the second period and with fifteen minutes to go, they held a slender 4-3 advantage. Three more goals from the visitors, two of them in added time swept the match away from a very young home side, who, nonetheless competed effectively and enthusiastically.
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Tuesday 5th November 2024
Eastern Counties League Division 1 North
Needham Market U23 1
James Coton 30 (pen),
Haverhill Rovers 5
Ryan Twinn 16, Shaun Avis 23, Brandon McKay 31, 58, Tom Head 48,
Referee: Henry Harvey. Attendance: 81
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£7). Programme: NONE
A wasted journey of nearly a hundred miles, hoping to take in the 3G pitch at right angles to the main pitch, where Needham Market U23s usually play, but not, apparently, for midweek games. Tonight, they played on the main pitch. A young home side, next to bottom in the league with but one victory from sixteen games, were comprehensively demolished by second in the table, Haverhill Rovers. Officially, there were 36 fee paying spectators, but I counted a crowd of 81.
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Saturday 9th November 2024
Velocity Wessex League Division 1
Ringwood Town 3
Lee Vint 64, 90+4, Joe Petty 82,
Cove 3
Luke Edmondson 3, Nathan Connolly 11, William Peters 26,
Referee: Ole Underhay. Official Attendance: 69
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: On Line
A couple of miles outside the town of Ringwood and in the middle of nowhere is The Ringwood Community Hub recently developed with substantial financial support from AFC Bournemouth, whose women’s team play at the stadium. The pitch has been move around two metres (goal to goal), but the old stand remains in place, a new metal fence surrounds the pitch and a substantial complex including changing rooms and clubhouse has been erected (but without a bar or hot food). These two teams nestle just outside the play off places, but the visitors dominated the first half, scoring three times and missing several more opportunities aided by a constant stream of invective from their bench. The second half was a different story. Three goals in the final twenty five minutes, with two visiting players sin-binned, saw the game turned on its head and the draw was a pretty fair outcome. With John Main.
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Sunday 10th November 2024
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From “My November Guest” by Robert Frost (1874-1963):
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My sorrow, when she’s here with me,
Thinks these dark days of Autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walked the sodden pasture lane.
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A short stroll out of the village, past the farm and down the track, where the fields are dotted with wooden frames and the aging ruin of a boundary wall lies amongst the remains of the recent harvest and a glittering autumnal array of leaves. A strange accoutrement bedecks the hedge along the way, before the farm returns to view and, beyond, the towering golden spread in the pocket park followed by the reverent homage to the fallen at village green and churches. With Charlotte, 5.04 miles and no stiles.
A cold, sharp evening and the visitors cut to the quick with two early, first half goals, and, they could have had more. The hosts were a different side after the interval and pressed forward determinedly, but it wasn’t until the second minute of added time and after the dismissal of the visiting striker, that they eventually claimed the equaliser.
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Friday 15th November 2024
Northern League Division 2
Horden CW 4
Philly Angus 10, 46, Taylor Campbell 32, Jack Pounder 40,
Chester-le-Street Town 0
Referee: Alex Bourner. Attendance: 230
Admission: OMGDS £2.00 (£5). Programme: £2.00
A real old fashioned ground with some steep terracing on three sides and a row of terraced houses overlooking the pitch, but … a pretty new, one hundred seater stand on the opposite side. Sadly, there was no indoor facility for spectators once inside the ground and, on a chilly evening, that would have been very welcome! The hosts regained top spot in the division with this victory and avenged their only league defeat this season, way back in August, when tonight’s visitors won 2-0. Three goals to the good playing down hill in the first period, the hosts scored a fourth within a minute of the restart and the game died a little thereafter with numerous substitutions and The Marras content to run the time down to the final whistle.With JohnMain.
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Saturday 16th November 2024
Sunderland & District Over 40s League Division 1 (k.o. 10.30am)
South Shields Vets 6
Steven Graham 54, 59, 71 (pen), 75 (pen), Johnny Wightman 70, Stuart Smith 73,
CSSC Darsley Park Vets 0
Referee: David Hogg. Attendance: 15
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
The very pleasant arena at Harton and Westoe was the venue for this clash between highly placed hosts and next to bottom visitors. Surprisingly, there were no goals in the first period, but the hosts struck six times after the interval to score a league double over their opponents, having won by 4-3 at Darsley Park. I once visited this ground – ten years ago in April 2014 – with another groundhopper, Dave Rush. We were on a Northern League ‘hop’ and just before the morning match on that day we drove past and stopped for a look at Harton & Westoe’s ground. We both promised each other that ONE DAY, we would come here for a match. I don’t think either of us believed that we would, and, certainly, I never believed that ten years later, completely by accident, I would be watching a match here!
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Saturday 16th November 2024
Northern League Division 1 (k.o.: 3.00pm)
Blyth Town 1
Dan Wilson 18,
Easington Colliery 1
Dylan Elliott 67,
Referee: Jack Whitfield. Official Attendance: 128
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£7). Programme: ON LINE
Blyth Town are a recent addition to football in the town, only arriving on the scene in 1998. Their ground is a cage with a grassed pitch, hardstanding all round and a seated stand for around a hundred spectators, but no other cover! There are good catering facilities and a large bar. The team sits in second place in the table with hopes of promotion to The NPL. The visitors, whilst not threatened by relegation, occupy a lowly position. It was no surprise when the hosts took an 18th minute lead, but never looked like being able to build a bigger cushion. Midway through the second period, their opponents struck an equaliser and were good value for the draw and their point. The official attendance seemed low, I would have said a figure nearer to two hundred was more accurate!
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Sunday 17th November 2024
“November” by Thomas Hood (1799-1845)
No sun – no moon!
No morn -no noon –
No dawn – no dusk – no proper time of day.
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No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member –
No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees,
No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds! –
November!
A short walk on a mild morning down The Dusty and across the fields to Kirby Hall, silent and bare in the Autumnal stillness. Onwards up the driveway, espying a tree harbouring what appeared to be a ball of mistletoe. Along Kirby Road, where Rockingham Motor Speedway lined the horizon, to the junction with Gretton Brook Road and along the farm track, through newly ploughed fields, both claggy and clarty, with a silent tree, encircled by bushes to guide the way. The heavy mud clung like a ball and chain until, reaching The Dusty again and up Southfields, along Kirby Road and back to base! With Charlotte, 5.23 miles and five stiles.
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Monday 18th. November 2024
Northern Premier League Midlands Division 1
Coleshill Town 4
Isaac Idegoke 19, Alex McSkeane 69, 71, 88,
Corby Town 0
Referee: Benjamin Stott. Attendance: 135
Admission: OMGDS £8.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
Quite amazing that even a relatively small crowd turned out on such a filthy night – including the thirty or forty who made the sixty mile trip from Corby. They were well beaten on the night. The hosts scored a solitary first half goal, but a second half hat trick completed the rout. With sons, Jim and Mike, grandson, Freddie and John Main.
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Friday 22nd November 2024
Premier League 2 Cup Group B
Leicester City U21 0
Hull City U21 2
Referee: Aaron Jackson. Attendance: 262
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Programme: Free Team Sheet.
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Saturday 23rd. November 2024
Southern Combination Premier Division
Bexhill United P
Crawley Down Gatwick P
Referee: Ryan Calver. Attendance: N/A
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£7) reimbursed Programme: £1.00. Match OFF!!!!
Bexhill United was called off five minutes after I arrived at 2.40pm -waterlogged pitch they said, it looked fine to me!!
Mind you the rain was lashing down and the winds were very strong and I am now soaked wet through having walked to the ground and back from the station.
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Tuesday 26th November 2024
Hinchingbrooke Cup 1st Round
Godmanchester Rovers 1
Deeping Rangers 3
Referee: Andrew Hitchcox. Attendance: 60
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£7). Programme: on line
Bearscroft Farm is all built up, now, with new houses all around it. The Hinchingbrooke Cup is a competition for clubs historically associated with Huntingdonshire, a county that no longer exists. Theses two clubs play in parallel divisions of The UCL – Deeping in the premier division north and Goddy in premier division south. Both are struggling, the hosts are rock bottom and, in their division, Rangers are one place off the bottom. The visitors ran away with the first half and went into the break with a 3-0 advantage. The hosts came out all fired up for the second half, but only a single goal resulted from their onslaught!
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Wednesday 27th November 2024
Essex Senior League
Athletic Newham 2
Leonardo Luis De Carvalho Pedro 67, Charlie Campbell 77,
Great Wakering Rovers 3
Dominic Locke 5, 55, Ben Search 33,
Referee: David Moreno-Rojas. Attendance: 54
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£7). Programme: ON LINE
Played on one of the three 3G pitches at Parsloes Park in a cage with viewing on three sides a few Meccano structures down one side and behind one goal and minimal refreshment facilities (hot drinks and sausage rolls). The visitors were the more highly placed and strolled to a 2-0 interval lead, which they increased to 3-0 by the hour mark. The hosts were unfairly denied TWO nailed-on penaltiy decisions in the second period, and fought back well, reducing the deficit to a single goal margin at the finish …. and, deserved better! Good to see Peter Miles in attendance!
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Saturday 30th November 2024
Velocity Wessex League Division 1
New Milton Town 3
Brad Snelling 35, 85, Adam Pattison 56 (og),
Totton & Eling 1
Jamie Craven 75,
Referee: Stephen Fall. Official Attendance: 174
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme: £1.00
Fawcett’s Field is a council owned ground with a fine 262 seater stand, hard standing all round and a substantial pitch surrounding fence. However, there was no other cover or furniture. Adjacent to the ground is a bar and catering facilities. The hosts sit proudly at the top of the table. This was their sixth victory in a row and twelfth game unbeaten, but they made hard work of a workmanlike Totton & Eling side. Beautiful sunset followed by a rolling mist as the game glided towards a close. With John Main.
Family day out with hospitality for all my sons and three of my grandsons at Bolton Wanderers inaptly named “Toughsheet Stadium”. The hospitality was excellent, but the hosts first half performance was woeful and they found themselves two goals adrift. The second half was an immeasurable improvement, parity was restored, but the deserved winner proved elusive despite the heavy assault.
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Sonny, Daz and Ed outside the ground
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From left: Mike, Liam, Jim and Daz, the sons and son-in-law
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Grand sons: Kingsley, Sonny and Freddie
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Sonny and Kingsley under the statue of one of Bolton Wanderers “Greats”, Nat Lofthouse.
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Monday 7th October 2024
Northern Premier League Division 1 Midlands
Coleshill Town 0
Sporting Khalsa 2
Andre Landell 12, Simeon Cobourne,
Referee: Brandon Scaife. Attendance: 138
Admission: OAP £8.00 (£10). Programme: ON LINE
Not much of a game to write home about on the 3G at Pack Meadow. These two mid-table teams fought a dour duel and it was the visitors who triumphed with two goals in the first twelve minutes. We might just as well have gone home at that point! With John Main and Mike Dean.
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Tuesday 8th October 2024
Hellenic League Floodlit Cup
Ludlow Town 6
Harry Jones 19, Ryan Lewis 28, 71, Ryan Clarke 43, Sean Evans 84, Kieran Dover 90,
Wellington 0
Referee: James Whittington. Attendance: 73
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£5). Programme: ON LINE
A pretty impressive stadium at Bromfield Road which included a two sided stand so that matches could be watched on the 3G ground adjacent to the main pitch. The stand included a substantial bar and catering facility and upstairs viewing from a balcony. The hosts were just too good for the visitors, scoring three goals in each half and even having a penalty well saved by the opposition custodian.
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Wednesday 9th October 2024
Northern Premier League division 1 Midlands
Corby Town 0
Quorn 2
Ryan Berwick 31 (pen), Paddy Webb 76,
Referee: Jamie Stevenson. Attendance: 594
Admission: OMGDS £7.00 (£12). Programme: £2.00
A short trip down the road to Steel Park for a top of the table clash (1st v 2nd) that fizzled out into a damp squib in front of a healthy congregation. Quorn were far superior and kept a tight control on the game scoring a goal in each half. The Steelmen were largely clueless and paid the price for maintaining only one striker for the majority of the match. The game would have benefited from a stronger referee.
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Saturday 12th October 2024
Velocity Wessex League Premier Division
Portland United 2
Freddie Beale 3, Greg Northwick 37,
Hamble Club 4
James Johnson 69, Harry Hamilton 74, William Gange 81, 90+3
Referee: Karl Stephens. Attendance: 201
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£7). Programme: £1.00
Portland is on a tiny nipple of land extending into The English Channel south of Weymouth. The Camp and Satherley Stadium (named after former players) is a neat and pleasantly arranged arena with a hundred seater stand down one side and a sixty seater stand behind the near goal. Steep grassed banking opposite the main stand has benches for a scenic view of the match and there is a large club house with an extensive bar and refreshment facilities. Special mention for the programme, only £1 and very informative with a free team sheet as an added insert. The hosts dominated the first half, striking as early as the third minute and adding a confident second eight minutes before the break. The score remained so until twenty minutes from time, when Hamble Club suddenly woke up and punished their complacent hosts with a barrage of four goals. With John Main.
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Monday 14th October 2024
Walsall Senior Cup 1st Round
Coleshill Town 2
Joe Palmer 24, 65,
Walsall 0
Referee: Greg Rollason. Attendance: 124
Admission: OMGDS £8.00 (£10). Programme: £2.00
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Tuesday 15th October 2024
FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round Replay
Peterborough Sports 0
Rushall Olympic 0 after extra time
Referee: Robert Ellis-May. Attendance: 621
Admission: OMGDS £11.00 (£15). Programme: £3.00
Rushall Olympic won 5-4 on penalties.
The hosts ramshackle stadium was heaving this evening with their biggest crowd of the season and there were high hopes of a first appearance in The FA Cup first round proper. It was not to be. After 120+ minutes of dour struggle and very few opportunities – and a sending off to each side, Sports had their fifth penalty saved and Olympic gleefully shot home all of their five spot kicks, to take the tie by the narrowest of margins and to welcome Accrington Stanley in the first round proper.
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Italy
I drove down to Stansted airport on the morning of Monday 21st October with son, Mike, grand son, Freddie and Alan Eathorne who is Mike’s brother-in-law and Freddie’s uncle. We caught the 07.40 Ryanair flight to Milan Bergamo and arrived after a trouble free crossing to catch a bus (seven euros) to Verona, a journey of over two hours! We don’t realise just how big Italy is! Beautiful city with extensive Roman remains and, of course Shakespearian connotations. We had a tiny Airbnb off the main roads and a bus ride away from the stadium.
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Monday 21st October 2024
(Italy) Serie A
Hellas Verona 0
Monza 3
Dany Mota 9, 74, Alessandro Bianco 79,
Referee: Federico Dionisi. Official Attendance: 23,500
Verona, founded by Greek students in 1903 and it was their professor who asked them to add the word “Hellas” (Greece) to the title of the club. They won The Scudetto (Italian Championship) exactly forty years ago (1984/5) but have flirted with Serie B and even Serie C during this century. The city of Romeo and Juliette has some amazing Roman remains and the weather was more akin to mid June than mid October. Monza scored their first victory of this season’s campaign with a consummate and commanding victory striking in the first half and two more in the second period against their mid-table hosts to the great delight of the 347 travelling supporters.
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from left: Ed, Freddie, Mike, Alan Eathorne.
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Freddie and Dad,Mike
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Tuesday 22nd October 2024
European Champions League Phase
AC Milan 3
Christian Politic 34, Tijjani Reijnders 61, 71,
Club Bruges 1
Kyrian Sabbe 51,Raphael Onyedika s/o 41
Referee: Felix Zwayer. Attendance: 58,649
Admission: €37.00. Programme: NONE
The Rossoneri (“red and black”) fans were not happy this evening and, indeed, the attendance was some 10/15,000 down on league fixtures. Milan have raised ticket prices for the next home match against Napoli, so that the cheapest ticket will be €100 rising to €479. There were long periods of silence in the stadium as the supporters showed their ire. There is still some dispute about replacing the iconic San Siro Stadium with a smaller version, but one that will have considerably more hospitality facilities! Now why does all this sound familiar??? As for the match, a 41st minute dismissal for the visitors was key to a home victory, but only after a ten man equaliser and a spate of substitutions. Good match! With son, Mike, grand son Freddie and Alan Eathorne.
All of the eight divisions in Serie D had afternoon kick-offs today and The Stadio Communale in Palazzolo Sulli Oglio hosted the highest scoring game in Girone B! There was plenty of cover on both sides of the pitch, which was useful because the precipitation was heavy and unremmitting. Some friendly locals shared their knowledge, apparently all the teams in this league have full time players, others refused admission to the stand on the opposite side of the ground. The opposition scored first, but found themselves 3-1 down at the interval. The scoring was similar in the second period and, by the end, Crema were a well beaten side. Mario Balotelli’s brother came on for the hosts as a 71st minute substitute. With son, Mike, grand son, Freddie and Alan Eathorne.
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from left: Freddie, Ed, Mike
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Freddie and dad, Mike with the “Steelmen on Tour” banner!
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It was a magical three days in Italy. We enjoyed Verona immensely, the city of Roman remains and Romeo and Juliette. Milan, of course we were re-visiting, but the accommodation was reasonably priced and comfortable in both Verona and Milan. It was good to see my sister, Maggie, albeit for a far too short a period and I am hoping to return in February, for another visit!
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The Colosseum in Verona
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Our Airbnb in Verona was just up a side street on the right of this picture.
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The River Adige in Verona was swollen form recent heavy rainfall in parts of Norther Italy.
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Ed and Freddie
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Freddie on the train
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Wednesday 30th October 2024
Notts Senior League Junior Cup 2nd Round
Trent Vineyard 5
Ross Adamson 11, 55, 57, Immanuel Dube 25, James Beavan 80 (pen),
Pegasus 4
Charlie Jones, 53, Joe Orville 60, 64, Charlie Wilson 82,
Referee: Simon Watt. Attendance : 16
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
On a dank, drizzly evening, the 3G cage at Carlton le Willows Academy in Gedling near Nottingham served as the home venue for Trent Vineyard, whose own ground has no lights, but is situated by the weir on the banks of The River Trent. In a rip roaring encounter. The home goalkeeper with three injured fingers, played up front and acored a hat trick. His replacement as custodian, fumbled the ball at every opportunity! Good match, but not much to see inside the cage. With Chris Berezai and several other hoppers.
Scarborough College(won toss) 162 for 7 (20 overs)
defeated
Shrewsbury School 136 for 6 (20 overs)
by 26 runs
Umpires: Matt French & John Tomsett. Scorer: Eddie McGeown
Second Semi-final
Harrow School 161 for 4 (20 overs)
defeated
Kings College Taunton 116 all out (15.2 overs)
by 45 runs
Umpires: Terry Barstow & Martin Bodenham. Scorer: Eddie McGeown
FINAL
Harrow School (won toss) 195 for 8 (20 overs)
defeated
Scarborough College 132 all out (17.0 overs)
by 63 runs.
Umpires: Matt French & John Tomsett. Scorer: Eddie McGeown
A fine day’s cricket, with Harrow School (perhaps not unexpectedly) head and shoulders above the rest of the competition. The day was overshadowed by the passing of Richard Somerford. He worked for ESCA for many years, nationally, regionally and also for Surrey and Norfolk.
Richard played an important part in the running of the National School rounds. He was well liked and respected for all his hard work. Despite not being in the best of health, he was determined to attend Finals day, but sadly passed away during the competition.
He was a valued member of The National Executive and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
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Tuesday 3rd September 2024
National League NORTH
Brackley Town 0
Chorley 2
Jack Sampson 53 (pen), 85 (pen),
Referee: Harry Wager. Attendance: 535
Admission: OMGDS £14.00 (£18). Programme: £3.00
Chorley gained some small measure of revenge this evening at St James’ Park in Brackley for their play-off defeat in May. In a closely fought contest, two second half penalties were enough to gain victory and the points for the visitors. With son, Jim and grand sons, Freddie, Sonny and Kingsley.
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Thursday 5th September 2024
FA Youth Cup Preliminary Round
Leicester St Andrews 0
Aylestone Park 3
Evan Kane 31, Saxon Nicholls 43, Bayem Onelum 82,Evan Kane s/o 72
Referee: Otis Mgundire. Attendance: 365
Admission: OMGDS £2.00 (£4). Programme: NONE
The last time I was here, some fifteen years ago, the attendance was nineteen and that was for a UCL match! Much has changed in the meantime. There is a new club house, cover behind the goal and down the far side, a seated stand for maybe two hundred souls and a marquee pitch side for half-time refreshments. The club have also added “Leicester” to the front of their name. This may have been the FA Youth Cup, but there was a great deal of local pride at stake as both clubs come from the Aylestone area of Leicester. The visitors had the edge against a determined and enthusiastic home side and with two first half strikes and a third eight minutes from time, they garnered the victory despite the dismissal of their number seven with twenty minutes to go. With John Main..
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Saturday 7th September 2024
Wessex League Division 1
Romsey Town 4
Alex Wilson 11, Craig Bryant 63, H Russell 73, Robbie Stapleton 84,
Cove 2
Armani Riley 26, George Usuwu 90+1,
Referee: Lee Nowacki. Attendance: 80
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£7). Programme: on line.
A fine repast at the superbly appointed hostelry: “The Duke on The Test”, just outside the town of Romsey (pop: 15,000), in Hampshire. The Bypass Ground is full of character – if a little eccentric – with cover on three sides and seating along each flank. There is an adequate club house and a refreshment hut. In a dull opening period, both sides managed a single strike, but the second half perked up considerably. The visitors were down to ten men around the hour mark following a bad tackle. The hosts capitalised five minutes later and almost immediately, the visitors captain was invited to warm the bench for ten minutes after a furious altercation with the referee. The hosts extended their lead before his return and scored a fourth six minutes from the end. The visitors had the last word, however, with a strike deep into added time. With John Main.
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Monday 9th September 2024
Midland League Division 1
Chelmsley Town 0
Coton Green 3
James Henry 27, Matt Hunt 75, Luke Fox 79,
Referee: Okran Beedre. Attendance: 175
Admission: £6.00. Programme: NONE
Chelmsley Town are the tenants at Pack Meadow, home of Coleshill Town of the NPL. Tonight they were thoroughly outclassed by a workmanlike Coton Green who struck once before the interval and twice after half-time. The hosts had their chance to reduce the first half arrears but had a penalty saved four minutes after the break. With John Main, Lee West and Mike Dean.
Another visit to the Holywell Sports Complex at Loughborough University. It is a majestically impressive stadium, but the students are finding the step up to the NPL difficult to adjust to, with three defeats from their four league games. Until tonight, that is. Rugby were cut to ribbons by some swift and incisive counter attacking from the hosts in a fine game of flowing football and if they keep this up, their position in the league will be secured! With John Main.
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Wednesday 111th September 2024
United Counties League Premier Division South
Rugby Borough 1
Cyrus Bruce 64,
Lutterworth Town 2
Louis Samuels 82, Abdul Summon 86,
Referee: Ali Cera. Official Attendance: 156
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£7). Programme: £2.00
Ten years ago, there was very little on this site, now, it is virtually impossible to get a parking place, even on the vastly enlarged car park. All the clubs pitches are in full use late into the evening in what seems to be a highly profitable enterprise. The first team had a chance to go top of the league this evening and they blew it. After an hour’s dour struggle, the hosts took the lead, then had a player sin-binned for an over enthusiastic conversation with the referee. During his period off the pitch the visitors struck twice and claimed the victory!
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Isle of Man
We – John Main and I – boarded the ferry from Liverpool on Friday 13th September for the three hour crossing to Douglas on The Isle of Man. Whilst the primary object of the list was the football matches, it would be churlish not to include some of the island’s attractions.
The Liver Birds
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The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company entrance
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A small castle (folly?) in the bay off the beach at Douglas
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The horse drawn tram
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The magnificent sweep of Douglas Bay
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One of the electric trams
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Saturday 14th September 2024
Isle of Man League Premier Division
Onchan 0
Josh Kennedy s/o 44,
Peel AFC 5
Ben Woodbridge 4, Tomas Brown 37, 81, Rhys Oates 45, Daniel Pickering 89,
Referee: Peter Greenhill. Attendance: 57
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
A morning spent on horse drawn and electric trams to Laxey and its giant wheel and then onto Nivision Park for this fixture at a stock car racing venue. Onchan (pronounced”Onkan”) are newly promoted to the premier division, but they were no match for their seasoned premier division rivals from Peel on the other side of the island. They were three goals and a man dismissed by the interval. The only question is how did the visitors only managed two second half strikes? With John Main.
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The Laxey Wheel, viewed from the station at Laxey
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The Manx Electric Railway to Laxey
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The excellent horse drawn tram on Douglas Bay.
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Saturday 14th September 2024 k.o.: 6.00pm
North-West Counties League Premier Division
FC Isle of Man 2
Stephen Whitley 4 (pen), 20,
Cheadle Town 0
Referee: Sam Leonard. Attendance: 795
Admission: Hospitality£90 included return ferry from Liverpool, burger & chips, a beer and a programme and team sheet. Programme: included (£2)
The King George V Bowl is the IoM’s national stadium built recently for the “Island Games”. It is nominally an all seater stadium, but there was a lot of standing this evening and with only half the ground covered, lots of empty spaces in the rain! The game was pretty ordinary. Two first half goals and a sending off for the home manager (a technical offence – delaying the restart of play). In the second half, the away team manager was booked, but not much else happened. With John Main.
Peel, on the west side of the island is the third largest town, with a population of 5,700. There is a castle and a lifeboat station and a football ground full of character and quaintly appointed just outside the town. Today’s encounter in the island’s women’s league was a huge mismatch. The opposition were demolished, but the defeat should have been much greater. Friendly welcome and plenty of enthusiastic effort, but only one team in it, really.
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The castle at Peel
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And then ……………… like a whirlwind hurtling on, the weekend was over! We stayed the night, but on walking down to the beach the following morning after breakfast in the hotel, the horse drawn tram was not working. It seemed that all the tourism was closing down for the season and we were swept away on the afternoon ferry, back to Liverpool. and the onward journey back to. the Midlands!
But it hadn’t all been football. We especially enjoyed the horse drawn tram and the electric train ride to Laxey, where we caught a glimpse of The Laxey Wheel – apparently, the largest working wheel in the world! We took a bus ride to Peel and explored the area around the castle, and we walked. It must have been a mile and a half along the see front at Douglas and we walked that a few times! Excellent weekend.
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Wednesday 18th September 2024
United Counties League Division 1
Blackstones 0
Gedling Miners Welfare 1
Courtney Hastings 51 (pen),
Referee: Richard Doorbar. Official Attendance: 65
Admission: OMGDS £4.00 (£6). Programme: £2.00
The “other” team in Stamford, formerly known as Mirrlees Blackstone after the engineering company, is a wonderfully atmospheric arena, especially at evening games in the Autumn with the floodlights peeping out of the trees like John Wyndham’s triffids. Both these teams are doing well this season, however, in a dour, but entertaining encounter, the visitors were narrow victors with a somewhat dubious penalty five minutes into the second period.
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Saturday 21st September 2024
FA Vase 2nd Qualifying Round
Rochester United 4
Tom Loynes 13, Mack Reilly 55, 67, Lucas Payne 58,
Welling Town 0
Referee: Lee Jarvis. Attendance: 73
Admission: Concession £5.00 (£8). Programme:£2
Bit of an uphill hike for nearly two miles from the station, Rochester United’s homely ground on Rede Court Road was a welcome sight. A stand with some two hundred seats, a small covered terrace and hard standing on three sides with a small bar and refreshment facilities. On a warm afternoon, the hosts swatted their opponents away like dealing with an annoying wasp. One goal in the first period, but three more after the interval saw them into the next round of The Vase.
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Monday 23rd September 2024
Premier League 2
Leicester City U21 3
Josh King 25, 29, Old Ewing 78,
Middlesbrough U21 1
Haleem Bakre 4 (pen),Harley Hunt s/o 64,
Referee: Jason Richardson. Attendance: 174
Admission: concession £3.00 (£5). Free Team Sheet
Unremitting precipitation shrouded the host’s victory, but they went a goal behind early on only to bounce back for an interval lead. A dismissal for the reds and a final goal for the blues wrapped it all up!
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Tuesday 24th September 2024
Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division
Hartpury University 4
Tomos Shyamapant 24, Cheick Kone 70, Luke Salter 72, Louis Manning 90,
Hereford Pegasus 1
Carlos Moreira 3,
Referee: Richard Wood. Official Attendance: 268
Admission: OMGDS £5.00 (£8) Programme: on line
At least the weather had improved and the pitch, despite the recent heavy rain and flooding, was in good condition. The students were back for the start of term and their numbers swelled the attendance (224 students and 44 paying customers!). These two teams are hovering in the play off positions and Pegasus took a very early lead. The sides were level by the interval, but three second half strikes by the increasingly rampant students saw them claim a decisive and well deserved victory. With Jack Warner and Graeme Holmes.
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Saturday 28th September 2024
Southern League Division 1 South
Bideford AFC 2
Finn Roberts 27, Jack Windsor 31,Jack Windsor s/o 88
Evesham United 1
Levi Steele 68,
Referee: Luke McFarlane. Attendance: 267
Admission: OMGDS £6.00 (£8). Programme: £2.50
The Sports Ground in Bideford, home to the hosts for over a century, is a vast arena with covered seating on both sides of the ground, but no other cover. The floodlights are products of a bygone era, four mighty pylons dominate the stadium. However, Bideford AFC are languishing this season with four defeats out of their opening five league matches. The visitors are riding much higher in fifth position, but found themselves two goals adrift by the interval. They were much more effective after the break and pulled a goal back after the hour mark. However, despite heavy pressure, and a man dismissed for the home side, they were unable to draw level and the hosts took the victory and the spoils.
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Wednesday 2nd October 2024
Devon St Luke Challenge Cup 2nd Round
Cullompton Rangers 4
Aiden Horne 7, Harry Varnas, 37, Lucas White 66, Lewis Hill 86,
Teignmouth 3
Ashley Donohue 31, 42, 57,
Referee:: Dillon Gascoigne. Attendance: 56
Admission: OMGDS £3.00 (£6). Programme: NONE
Rangers’ neat and welcoming home just off Duke Street, has hard standing all round a solidly fenced pitch, a seated stand on the far side of the pitch with seating for maybe sixty souls, but no other cover, except for a canopy outside the impressive bar and refreshment facilities. Behind the near side touchline, Express trains from Paddington to Exeter, thunder past. The hosts are enjoying this season from their lofty position atop the league table, but this evening they were made to work very hard for their victory. 2-2 at the interval, the visitors twice coming from behind … before they took the lead, early in the second period. The hosts regained parity just after the hour, but it took a goal four minutes from time to seal the victory and all the efforts of the visitors hat-trick hero, Ash Donohue, were in vain! Great Match!
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These last two matches were taken in during an annual holiday which this year was at Yarford in Somerset some four miles north of Taunton. Besides the football, we also took in Hestercombe House and Gardens, Dunster Castle and The West Somerset Railway from Bishops Lydeard to Minehead as well as visiting Watchett and Pitney where there was a farm shop. So I have kept them together even though they are in separate months!