United Counties League

Division 1

Wednesday 29th March 2023

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.47

Hucknall Town 1 Southwell City 1, attendance 283

44’ 1-0

82’ 1-1

@ RM Stadium

Aerial Way

Hucknall

NG15 6DW

£6 Admission

£2 Programme, 32 pages, very poor value.

So, for the second successive night, I did a floodlit ground, despite teams without lights now scheduling early mid week kick offs. Most of my choices fell foul of the weather and my first choice game at Nantyglo, in the Gwent Premier League, did start, but was abandoned at halftime, due to a waterlogged pitch!

Hucknall Town have moved into their new ground here in Aerial Way this season. It is only a hundred or so yards across the opposite side of the B6009 from their former home, which I had visited way back in August 2006. There has been little thought put into the design here though. The covered end is flat standing, so of little use and as with so many new build grounds, the roof doesn’t keep the front couple of rows of seats in the stand dry when it rains, which it did tonight from about fifteen minutes in. The pitch here was perfect (not that the club bothered replying on Twitter as to whether there was a pitch inspection or not) despite the rain (thankfully light, rather than the 2 hours heavy rain forecast from 5-7pm) and looked no worse at the end of the match than it had at kick off.

The match was 3rd versus 14th in the league table, with Hucknall very much in the shake up for play off places. I haven’t been too impressed with games I’ve seen in this league over recent years, but this was pretty entertaining and Southwell probably did enough to have even nicked the three points. Hucknall broke the deadlock just before halftime, when a diagonal cross in from the left was headed into his own net by a Southwell defender trying to head clear from just inside the six yard box. The deserved equaliser came eight minutes from time, when a cross from the right was headed in from 6 yards.

This just leaves me with tonight’s visitors as the only ground not visited in this league. As usual, the journey home wasn’t smooth. Problems on the M1 meant a diversion via A43 and M40 back towards London and a single file section on the M25 near Junction 9 was also slow. Oh the joys of midweek football!

Somerset County League

Premier Division

Tuesday 28th March 2023

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.32

Mendip Broadwalk 2 Stockwood Wanderers 3, attendance 76

29’ 0-1

59’ 1-1

73’ 2-1

85’ 2-2 (pen)

86’ 2-3

@ BBS Park

Filwood Playing Fields

Creswicke Road

Knowle West

Bristol

BS4 1UA

No Admission or Programme.

I had been to a game at Filwood Playing Fields before, when I saw Broad Plain House beat Totterdown P.O.B. 3-1 in a Gloucestershire County League match back on 13th April 1999. There were two railed pitches here, with that game played on the one that runs widthways in front of the car park. The other pitch, in the left hand corner, to the left of the clubhouse/changing room building, ran the opposite way and is where Mendip Broadwalk play their home games. It is now fully enclosed with wooden fencing and has also got newly installed floodlights as well, in readiness for their hopeful promotion up to the Western League at the end of the season.

Mendip Broadwalk came into this sitting third in the league table, nine points behind leaders Chilcompton Sports (no floodlights) having also played two games more. More crucially for them though, is the fact that they are five points behind second placed Middlezoy Rovers (also having had floodlights recently installed) with a game in hand, so tonight was a really vital game, especially with Middlezoy visiting here next week.

It was a very even match throughout. There was little between the sides during a very lively first half. The visitors opened the scoring just before the half hour mark, when a cracking 25 yarder seemed to deceive the ‘keeper as he attempted to tip it over the crossbar. The hosts levelled just before the hour, heading in from a corner on the right and with seventeen minutes left they went in front, with a cracking free kick into the far top corner from just outside the angle of the 18 yard box. Stockwood pushed for an equaliser and were rewarded when they scored from the penalty spot to make it 2-2 with five minutes left. Within a minute, they got what turned out to be the winner, when a diagonal free kick was met with a looping header that beat the ‘keeper from the edge of the box.

This now completes visits to all the top division grounds in this league and a good night was rounded off with no closures on the M4, M3 or M25 coming home!

Surrey County Intermediate League (Western)

Premier Division

Saturday 25th March 2023

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.04

Shottermill & Haslemere 2 Worplesdon Phoenix 2, attendance 26

12’ 1-0

61’ 1-1 (pen)

71’ 2-1

73’ 2-2

@ Haslemere Recreation Ground

Old Haslemere Road

Haslemere

GU27 2NN

No Admission or Programme.

When I last saw Shottermill & Haslemere play a home game, it was in a Haslemere Hospital Trophy group match, where they drew 3-3 versus Liphook United, which was played on a Sunday afternoon back in March 2006. That game was at Woolmer Hill Sports Ground, but this season they have moved to Haslemere Recreation Ground, home of the local cricket club and the only ground I hadn’t previously visited in this league.

The match was 7th versus 4th (out of 9) in the league table. Bottom club Merrow have now pulled out of the league, so I assume only one club will now be relegated at the end of the season, so it is very much a three way battle between today’s hosts, plus Hambledon and Manorcroft United to avoid the drop.

Shottermill should really have taken the three points here, having had enough chances to have sewn the game up. As it turned out, the point may go a long way to ensure their survival. They went ahead early, chesting down a cross and finishing with a first time shot into the far top corner. They could have doubled their lead within a minute, but missed a one on one chance that the ‘keeper saved. Worplesdon had a chance to level, but missed a penalty on twenty five minutes, shooting wide of the target. Just after the hour mark they did level it up, this time converting from a penalty that was awarded for a foul. Shottermill edged back in front ten minutes later, when a diagonal free kick was headed back across the six yard box and nodded down into the far corner. They were only in front for a matter of minutes though, when a free kick was chested down and finished high into the roof of the net, to make it 2-2.

Lowland League

Saturday 18th March 2023

Kick Off 17.00 On Time!

Tranent Juniors 1 Bo’ness United 1, attendance 607

48’ 0-1

89’ 1-1

@ Foresters Park

Lindores Drive

Tranent

EH33 1JB

£8 Admission

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

Next match was again heading west along the A1, where a journey time of twelve minutes saw the arrival at Foresters Park, home of Tranent Juniors, who despite having left junior football for the senior ranks in 2018, still retain ‘Juniors’ as part of their name. There was no need to rush though, as the gates weren’t even open yet, which seemed very short sighted with hoards of hungry hoppers to feed before kick off!

This evenings match was 4th versus 10th in the league table, Tranent dropping vital points, as they now drop to fifth, trailing leaders Spartans by five points, both having played the same number of games. There was not much to set the pulses racing in a very dull first half, where a free kick from the visitors, which hit the top of the crossbar just before halftime, was about the only thing of note. Thankfully, the visitors broke the deadlock within minutes of the restart and the game opened up. They almost doubled their lead shortly afterwards, but the ‘goal’ was disallowed for offside. Tranent will be happy to have got a point in the end, equalising a minute from time, when a corner wasn’t cleared and a ricochet from an attempted tackle saw the ball diverted back over the goal line. A minute later they almost nicked it, but a volleyed effort was tipped over the bar and then, with the last chance of the match, saw the visitors ‘keeper claw a header away from on the line.

Thankfully, I had already been to Musselburgh (where the ‘hop was heading for game 4 of the day) and had probably had enough by this time anyway. Three in a day is plenty! I was also pleased that I had already been to the planned Sunday morning ‘hop game at Penicuik as well. Instead, I drove a couple of hours south to my overnight hotel in Carlisle. I was then breaking up my journey home from here by taking in a rugby league match on my way home.

East of Scotland League

Premier Division

Saturday 18th March 2023

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.04

Haddington Athletic 1 Dundonald Bluebell 3, attendance 462

11’ 0-1

31’ 0-2

74’ 1-2

86’ 1-3 (pen)

@ Millfield

Tynebank Road

Haddington

EH41 4DB

£7 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one on any event organised by Groundhop U.K.

It was an easy 18 minute drive west along the A1 to Haddington for game two of the day, where 5th hosted 8th in the E of SL Premier Division. No chance of getting a space in the car park, but ample street parking just a few minutes away.

Dundonald broke the deadlock eleven minutes in, when a long ball was controlled and lifted over the ‘keeper from 12 yards. Haddington went close when they had an effort blocked on the line following a corner, before a failure to clear a corner at their own end, saw them go 0-2 down just after the half hour mark. Twenty minutes into the second half Haddington went close again, hitting the crossbar from close range, before finally making it 1-2 with sixteen minutes left, volleying in from 6 yards. Dundonald had a goal disallowed for offside within a minute, but did make it 1-3 with four minutes left, through a penalty. Three minutes into stoppage time the visitors had a man red carded for violent conduct, but too late to make any difference to the result.

East of Scotland League

Division 1

Saturday 18th March 2023

Kick Off 11.15 On Time!

Dunbar United 0 Coldstream 1, attendance 553

76’ 0-1

@ New Countess Park

Kellie Road

Dunbar

EH42 1RF

£7 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one on any event organised by Groundhop U.K.

Thankfully, I had been to the last ground of the day on the hop itinerary, so I was only doing the first three games today. First up was an East of Scotland League Division 1 game, where league leaders Dunbar United were hosting 14th placed Coldstream. It wasn’t the greatest of games, especially in the first half, largely due to a red card for Dunbar after twenty three minutes, which meant Coldstream could happily sit back and see if they could nick a point. Chances were at a premium. Dunbar went close with an effort just over the crossbar midway through the second half, before Coldstream won it just minutes later, when a cross into the box wasn’t cleared and fell perfectly for a Coldstream striker to finish with a shot on the turn. The goal did spark a bit of life into the final minutes and Dunbar had a great chance to level it up when they were awarded a penalty three minutes after falling behind, but the kick was saved by the ‘keeper. He made another vital save in the last minute as well, tipping a free kick over the crossbar. A bad day was compounded for the hosts when they had a second player red carded in stoppage time.

East of Scotland League

Premier Division

Friday March 17th 2024

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.43

Tynecastle 2 Sauchie Juniors 3, attendance 448

1’ 0-1

45’ + 2, 1-1

60’ 1-2

68’ 1-3

77’ 2-3

@ Meggetland Sports Complex Stadium

4, Meggetland Wynd

Edinburgh

EH14 1XN

£8 Admission

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

After staying overnight in Wakefield it meant it was only a four hour drive up the north east coast to Edinburgh, for what was the opening game on the Scottish Groundhop. Tynecastle play at Meggetland Stadium, home of Boroughmuir R.U.F.C. a ground which has a capacity of 4,388 and seats around 500. Tynecastle are never likely to get crowds to test that, but tonight was a good turnout, well above their normal attendance. It was a surprise to find that parking in the car park was free, as the ground is on a main route into the city.

The match was 12th versus 3rd in the league table and got off to a flying start when the visitors scored within a minute of the kick off. We were only three minutes in when the first red card of the night was shown, for what appeared to be for dissent by a Sauchie player. The second soon followed, this time for a foul by a Tynecastle player, so it was now 10 v 10 and we had only been playing twelve minutes! Tynecastle hit the post and Sauchie missed a one on one chance, before the hosts levelled the scores in stoppage time at the end of the half, finishing off a corner at the far post. On the hour mark Sauchie went back in front, cutting inside and beating the ‘keeper at the near post.Eight minutes later it was 1-3, coolly finishing past the ‘keeper and they almost added another soon after, just heading wide. Tynecastle pulled it back to 2-3, powering in a header from a corner with thirteen minutes left, but never looked like getting an equaliser.

Northern Counties East League

Division 1

Wednesday 15th March 2023

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.48

Horbury Town 3 Retford 1, attendance 71 (official 88)

3’ 1-0

30’ 1-1

72’ 2-1

75’ 3-1

@ Slazenger Sports Club

Southfield Lane

Horbury

WF4 5BH

£5 Admission

£1 Programme, 12 pages.

Tonight’s match saw a visit to the only ground I hadn’t previously visited in this league, where 6th hosted 8th in the league table. It started raining just as the M1/M6 splits near Rugby, as I headed north to Yorkshire and continued to do so for the rest of the evening. Thankfully, it was only drizzle/light and the pitch looked in reasonable condition. There is also quite a side to side slope here, which perhaps helps with drainage.

Horbury Town are newly promoted this season and the ground is gradually being brought up to standard. Unfortunately, they have put their seated area right behind the dugouts, which means there is a huge blind spot in one corner of the pitch. There is a smaller concrete base, along with a second section of seats ready to go in place, but it is on the other side of the dugouts, which again will give a blind spot, but in the opposite corner! Surely it is time that the ground grading criteria is changed to stop this. Seating numbers should only be counted by the actual number of seats where you can see the whole pitch from, unobstructed. The simple solution would be to move the dugouts to the other side of the pitch.

Anyway, back to the game….and what a good one it was! Horbury were ahead after just three minutes, when a through ball was finished with a lob over the ‘keeper from the edge of the box. It could have been 2-0 just before the half hour mark, but Horbury missed a penalty, courtesy of a great double save from the ‘keeper, diving to save the first shot, before somehow stopping the follow up as well. Just two minutes later Retford were level, when a cross from the right was headed back across the six yard box and swept in from six yards out.

The second half flowed from end to end. Retford hit the post with a free kick and Horbury could have gone ahead when a striker rounded the ‘keeper, but then missed the target with his shot. Eighteen minutes from time Horbury edged back in front, when a long ball over the top saw the ‘keeper collide with his own defender, leaving the striker to finish with a cool lob from outside the box into the empty net. There were good chances at each end, before Horbury wrapped up the three points with fifteen minutes left, when another long ball saw the ‘keeper miss kick his attempted clearance and Jack Kelly rolled it into an empty net from 25 yards to complete his hattrick.