Peterborough & District League

Premier Division

Saturday 28th July 2018

Kick Off 16.30 Actual 16.29

Sutton Bridge United 5 Peterborough Polonia 3,  attendance 337

20’ 1-0

35’ 1-1

43’ 1-2

56’ 2-2

67’ 3-2 (pen)

69’ 4-2 (pen)

74’ 5-2

90’ + 3, 5-3

@ Sutton Bridge Memorial Park

Bridge Road

Sutton Bridge

PE12 9SA

£4 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by Groundhop UK.

This was just 6 miles drive from Tydd St. Giles and was the last game of the day for me as I had already visited the evening match at Sleaford Town which was where the Hop was heading next.

It is rare to see proper away supporters at this level of the game, but Polonia had a fair number with them, decked out in the club shirts and scarves. One of them also had a drum, to which a couple of women ‘supporting’ Sutton Bridge took exception to. The older woman was soon mouthing off at him, before the younger one wrestled it from him and following a bit of a scuffle, managed to puncture the skin. This sort of thing doesn’t reflect well on the home club at all, not that they seemed to care.

On the field, it was certainly the game of the day. It was finely balanced at 2-2, when all hell broke loose. There was a very heavy downpour, sending the majority of the crowd looking for shelter under the surrounding trees, during which Sutton Bridge scored two penalties, the second seeing the Polonia ‘keeper dismissed for the foul, then adding a fifth goal to lead 5-2, in little more than a seven minute spell. The 10 men scored a stoppage time goal to round off the scoring.

Below photo : Sutton Bridge open the scoring from a 20 yard free kick.

Peterborough & District League

Premier Division

Saturday 28th July 2018

Kick Off 13.30 Actual 13.27

Tydd 2 Moulton Harrox 3,  attendance 342

28’ 0-1

51’ 0-2

58’ 0-3

59’ 1-3

90’ + 3, 2-3

@ Broad Drove East

Tydd St. Giles

PE13 5LN

£4 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by Groundhop UK.

Just eleven miles from the first match and we were in the village of Tydd St. Giles, to see the club who were previously named Tydd St. Mary (the village where they were based), but are now just plain ‘Tydd F.C.’ following their ‘move’ here. Well, they are apparently going to be moving here, but perhaps not until next season, playing matches at Wisbech F.C. for the time being, so this was something of a one off venue.

Tydd are newly promoted and looked up for it early on, but Harrox got on top and it never looked like being anything other than an away win. The final score line really flattered the hosts.

Peterborough & District League

Division 2

Saturday 28th July 2018

Kick Off 10.45 Actual 10.47

Whaplode Drove 1 Rippingale & Folkingham 3,  attendance 227

34’ 1-0

50’ 1-1

73’ 1-2

76’ 1-3 (pen)

@ Parsons Lane

Whaplode Drove

PE12 0GB

£4 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by Groundhop UK.

So, the first competitive games of the season for me in England, taking in the first 3 matches today of this years United Counties League/Peterborough & District League Groundhop, well, the Peterborough League ones, as I have already seen matches at the four grounds that are to be visited in the United Counties League.

This is one of the hops not run by the league themselves, so I always make a point of ‘paying on the gate’, ensuring that the admission cost (matches at this level are normally free) goes to the club. After all, it is supposed to be about helping them raise much needed funds and I can’t see why leagues and clubs can’t/won’t set things up themselves, therefore maximising their profits.

I was surprised how poor the standard of football was in this league, after the rubbish I witnessed last year, but, although the first half today was dire, the second half was a vast improvement. Playing competitive matches in July doesn’t really do the players any favours at all, but at least the weather is more favourable for spectators, with the majority of the grounds being nothing more than roped off pitches.

Below photo : The visitors make it 1-3 from the penalty spot.