MAY
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)
Thrapston Women Green 111 for 2 (16 overs)
lost to
Thrapston Women Yellow 115 for 3 (14 overs)
by 5 wickets.
Umpire: Eddie McGeown
Thursday 8th May 2025
Leicestershire & Rutland Challenge Cup FINAL
Anstey Nomads 4
Drew Lowe 22, Zayn Hakeem 36,Jacob Fenton 65,James Tague 79,
Loughborough Students 1
Josh Strouts 77,
Referee: Olly Mackey. Attendance: 240
Admission: OAP £5.00 (£9). Programme: ON LINE
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.
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