Surrey Elite Intermediate League

Saturday 28th October 2017

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.03

N.P.L. 1 A.F.C. Spelthorne Sports 2,  attendance 22

28’ 0-1

40’ 0-2

79’ 1-2

@ N.P.L. Sports Club

Queens Road

Teddington

TW11 0LZ

No Admission or Programme.

N.P.L. stands for National Physical Laboratory. I arrived here to find a game in progress,(another one followed it at 3pm) on a pitch to the right of the entrance, The main pitch here is to the left, being nearest the cricket pavilion, clubhouse and football changing rooms. There are also tennis courts beyond the far touchline.

This was a mid table battle, being 7th v 8th. Spelthorne just about edged it, although they did survive a 90th minute penalty miss, that was well saved by the ‘keeper and a ridiculous eleven minutes of stoppage time, to take the points.

Arthurian League

Arthur Dunn Cup 1st Round

Saturday 28th October 2017

Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.05

Old Sennockians 2 Old Cholmeleians 1,  attendance 3

3’ 0-1

57’ 1-1

66’ 2-1

@ Barn Elms Sports Centre, Pitch 5

Queen Elizabeth Walk

Barnes

London

SW13 9SA

No Admission or Programme.

This was probably my last Saturday double until March, unless I take in a floodlit match as part 2, but I prefer to save those grounds for midweek. The league website had the venue as Barn Elms Playing Fields, but that is the first set of pitches along the driveway on the right. The game was actually at the Barn Elms Sports Centre, which is a mixture of rugby and football pitches and is 100 yards further along the road. There was another noon kick off on the adjacent pitch, as well as four more games due to kick off at 2pm. There were also 6 rugby games, one of them being Barnes first XV, where there is a small seated stand. Clearly visible, on the other side of the Thames, is Craven Cottage, home to Fulham F.C. Despite it not getting dark until around 6 o’clock, the floodlights were on at 1.30pm, as they were hosting Bolton Wanderers at 3pm.

The main event, as far as I was concerned, was 5th in Division 3 v 5th in Division 1, the hosts only having the bare eleven players, whilst the visitors at least managed a substitute, although apparently he was injured, although he did come on for the last twenty minutes. Two very poor sides, lacking in many of the basics. The game was won when a defender hacked a clearance from near the halfway line and it sailed over the ‘keeper who appeared to totally misjudge where he was and had he taken a step backwards, could have easily tipped it over. We were spared extra time when the visitors smashed an effort off the crossbar with the last kick of the match.