Middlesex County League

Premier Division Cup 2nd Round

Saturday 23rd September 2023

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.03

Feltham 4 London Tigers 2, attendance 40

4’ 1-0

20’ 1-1 (pen)

35’ 1-2

37’ 2-2

64’ 3-2

84’ 4-2

@ Spelthorne Sports Club, Pitch 2

296 Staines Road West

Ashford Common

Sunbury-on-Thames

TW15 1RY

No Admission

Programme free, 12 pages.

It was way back in 1995 that I saw Feltham beat Reading Town 8-2 in a Combined Counties League match at the Feltham Arena, complete with one of the original dreadful ‘plastic’ pitches. After a number of mergers, the ‘Feltham FC’ name has now been resurrected, firstly as a youth set up, but now back as an adult team and today was the first game at their new home here at Spelthorne Sports Club and it would also complete visits to all the current Middlesex County League top division grounds for me. I had been here before, having seen Spelthorne Sports lose 1-3 to Virginia Water in a Surrey Elite Intermediate League match on a Bank Holiday morning fixture in December 2010. That game was played on the main stadium, to the right as you enter the car park off the A308, but today’s game was on Pitch 2, which is to the left, behind the clubhouse and running widthways, on the far side beyond the cricket square. It is part roped along the near side, where the majority of the crowd watched from and tightly hemmed in on the other three sides by bushes and hedges. The substitutes and coaches were stationed on the far side.

Neither side have had a great start to the season. As far as league positions go, it was bottom versus third bottom. Both have managed just one win each. Oddly, both achieved against Cricklewood Wanderers, who are mid table. At least they could forget about league points today as a place in the next round of the cup was up for grabs.

Feltham went ahead early, closing down a back pass to the ‘keeper, before squeezing in a shot from a tight angle. London Tigers levelled from the penalty spot, awarded for an handball and went in front shortly afterwards, although the goal looked well offside on the final pass to the scorer. Feltham hit back immediately, flicking in following a free kick that was headed back across the box. Just after the hour mark Feltham went 3-2 up, following a cool finish when played clear and six minutes from the end they made the game safe, when they added a fourth, when a long ball forward was controlled, before shooting on the turn, sending it looping over the ‘keeper from the edge of the box.

Arthurian League

Division 5

Saturday 23rd September 2023

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.16

Old Canfordians 2 Old Cheltonians 2, attendance 8

44’ 0-1

61’ 0-2

70’ 1-2

81’ 2-2

@ Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub, South Grass Pitches

Popes Lane

Acton

London

W3 8LQ

No Admission or Programme.

My only previous visit here was back in December 2021, when I saw a game on Pitch 1 of what are two parallel 3G pitches here, but todays game was on one of the ‘South Grass Pitches’. It was in the far left corner of the complex when looking from the main hub building, as far from the car park as it could possibly be, with the left hand touchline flanked by a rugby pitch and the far goal end bordered by trees that separate the field from Lionel Road North beyond the mesh perimeter fencing.

Division 5 is the lowest level of the Arthurian League (it starts from Premier Division downwards) and today was a rare opportunity to see a game this far down that was involving two first teams. Even better, it was 2nd versus 1st in the table, although that perhaps says more about how poor the others are, rather than this being the cream of the crop!

As is customary in this league, the kick off time was not adhered to, finally getting underway sixteen minutes late, with quite a few Cheltonians players getting changed pitch side. It certainly took a while for the game to come to life. There were a couple of near misses, but it took until the last minute of the first half for the deadlock to be broken, when a 25 yarder dipped over the ‘keeper to give Cheltonians the lead. Just after the hour they added a second, scoring at the far post following a cross not being cleared. Canfordians pulled one back when a miss hit clearance was intercepted and finished with a first time shot and they levelled it up at 2-2 with nine minutes left, heading in at the far post from a corner on the right. They nearly won it when a free kick came back off the crossbar, hit the ‘keeper on the back of the head and rebounded inches over the top of the goal.

Anyone intending coming here by car should be aware that parking is free for thirty minutes only. Otherwise it’s £1 an hour and not payable by cash.