East Sussex League

Premier Division

Saturday 8th February 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.05

Jesters Town 2 The Junior Club Tackleway 3, attendance 23

6’ 1-0

49’ 1-1

62’ 2-1

64’ 2-2

72’ 2-3

@ Hailsham Community College, 3G Pitch

Battle Road

Hailsham

BN27 1DT

No Admission or Programme.

Yet another Saturday where the weather had a bearing on my destination. I had a choice of three matches. The one in Gloucestershire did take place (reply came too late to make it), but the other two (in Essex and West Sussex) were both off, although not showing as such when I left home. Anyway, I decided on playing safe with a 3G option and a ground that would be a ‘double tick’ for me. Apart from completing the East Sussex League Premier Division and with it the entire league, it is also a venue used by Crowhurst, in the top division of the Mid Sussex League, which would also see that division polished off. It’s just a basic cage and although there is no designated spectator area, it was no problem watching from inside the fence. The pitch is ridiculously narrow and barely 5 yards from the edge of the 18 yard box to the touchline. There were kids matches taking place beforehand, which was probably the reason for the mobile catering van being present and it closed up shortly after the kick off of our game. The main building, which also housed the changing rooms, was open for the use of the toilets.

The match was a mid table clash, as 7th (out of 10) hosted 6th. Jesters took an early lead, finishing into the top corner from the angle of the 18 yard box, but had their ‘keeper to thank for them still holding that lead at halftime, making a number of decent saves, as well as a bit of luck when another shot hit the crossbar. Tackleway equalised four minutes into the second half and despite looking the better side, fell behind again just after the hour mark, through a first time finish after a one two on the edge of the box. Two minutes later it was 2-2, courtesy of a tap in from six yards and having regained their momentum, Tackleway grabbed the winner with eighteen minutes left, flicking in a near post header, from a long throw, that found the far bottom corner, with the win seeing them climb to fourth in the table.

Bedfordshire County League

Division 2 North

Saturday 1st February 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58!

F.C. Haynes 4 Wixams Wanderers 4, attendance 8

6’ 0-1

12’ 0-2

31’ 1-2

35’ 1-3

43’ 2-3

55’ 3-3

57’ 3-4

74’ 4-4

@ Haynes Playing Field/Village Hall

Northwood End Road

Haynes

MK45 3QB

No Admission or Programme.

This hadn’t been on the radar for today, but with my first choice game being postponed at 11.15 (on Twitter) due to a waterlogged pitch, I had to find an alternative. I wanted a game on grass and preferably between two first teams, but I was obviously limited by time. A phone call to the Haynes manager confirmed the game was going ahead, but I was told it was 14.00 kick off, rather than the 14.30 shown on F.A. Full Time (still down as 14.30 on results page), which I would still make, but without too much leeway. I pulled into the car park at 13.52, with the teams doing their warm ups and a couple of minutes before the ‘new’ kick off time, we were underway. The ground here is as basic as it gets. It’s just two parallel pitches, running lengthways away from the car park, with todays game played on the one that backs on to the village hall/changing rooms.

The match was 3rd versus 7th in the league table, the two villages being just six miles apart, to the southeast of Bedford. Wixams were 0-2 up after just twelve minutes and it looked like this might be a comfortable away win. Haynes headed in a cross from close range to pull it back to 1-2 just after the half hour mark, but a misplaced back pass led to Wixams restoring their two goal lead minutes later, finishing from a tight angle. A couple of minutes before halftime Haynes made it 2-3, when another cross from the left was headed in from 6 yards.

Ten minutes into the second half we were level at 3-3, where the Wixams ‘keeper spilled a long range effort that was followed in from close range, but it only took the visitors two minutes to regain their lead, when a shot from the edge of the box took a deflection and totally wrong footed the ‘keeper. Wixams had a man sent off with eighteen minutes left, picking up a second yellow card for diving and it only took Haynes two minutes to take advantage of the extra man, when a long ball was flicked on and finished one on one against the ‘keeper.

Arthurian League

Premier Division

Saturday 1st February 2025

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.07

Old Cholmeleians 4 King’s College School Old Boys 2, attendance 6

35’ 0-1

37’ 1-1

39’ 2-1

44’ 3-1

57’ 4-1

67’ 4-2

@ Christ’s College Finchley, 3G Pitch

East End Road

Finchley

London

N2 0SE

No Admission or Programme.

Another week where numerous games fell victim to waterlogged pitches, despite a couple of dry days, but at least I got a ‘new’ ground visit out of it, with Old Cholmeleians switching their game from their own ground to the 3G pitch here at Christ’s College Finchley. It’s just a standard cage set up, with no designated spectator area, but there was no problem with watching from inside the fence. You could have watched from the raised grass banking behind the near goal if required, which as well as seeing the game, also gives a view of the Wembley Arch in the distance. Plenty of parking here too, even with the hoards of parents turning up to collect their kids from their training session on the pitch beforehand, which, as is normal, caused our game to kick off slightly later than scheduled.

This was 7th versus 4th in the league table and was certainly a slow burner. Nothing happened of note until KCS opened the scoring after thirty five minutes, with a finish from the edge of the box. It took just four minutes for Cholmeleians to turn it around though and just before halftime they made it 3-1, with a good finish into the top corner from the angle of the 18 yard box, lobbing the ‘keeper and going in off the far post and another edge of the box finish saw them go 4-1 up just before the hour mark. KCS did pull it back to 4-2 with just over twenty minutes left, with a 25 yarder that seemed to deceive the ‘keeper, but that was it as far as the goal scoring was concerned, although Cholmeleians did hit the bar in the last minute with a 30 yard lob.