Winter
Winter when your warm breath smokes
In the bitter morning chill
Night brings frosts that creep and crisp.
Trees are stretching black and still
Etching patterns where the bright
Robin dares a whistling trill.
by Jo Peters (1937 – 2001)
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Saturday 1st February 2025
EFL League Two
Tranmere Rovers 1
Kristian Dennis 50,
Colchester United 3
Lyle Taylor 9 (pen), 33, Owura Edwards 63,
Referee: Scott Oldham. Attendance: 5,166
Admission: Hospitality (£84.00). Programme: incl. (£3.50)
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!
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