@ William Perkin Centre for Youth Sport Development, 3G Pitch
Legion Road
off Oldfield Lane North
Greenford
UB6 8XG
No Admission or Programme.
With Harrow United’s normal home venue being unavailable, this match was switched to the 3G pitch at William Perkin Centre, just north of the A40, where the pitch runs parallel to Western Avenue. It’s a standard cage set up, with a designated spectator area on three quarters of one side. Car parking is available inside the complex and there are toilets for use inside the changing room building.
The match was 11th versus 4th in the league table and certainly didn’t go the way that the respective league positions would suggest. A one on one finish saw the hosts ahead after just four minutes and by the time we’d played ten minutes they’d made it 3-0, intercepting a miss kick by the ‘keeper for the second goal, before making it three with a free kick from wide on the left that was touched in from close range, possibly off a defender. Another one on one finish saw them make it 4-0 after sixteen minutes and at this point it looked like they’d run up a cricket score. Larkspur did reply with a goal of their own midway through the half, when a cross from the right was squeezed in at the near post and surprisingly the score remained 4-1 at the break. Larkspur did have a header cleared off the line early in the second half, before Harrow rounded off the scoring, with another one on one finish with twenty four minutes left.
The 42 mile journey there, via M25, M4, A312 and A40 took a ridiculous 92 minutes, not helped by 40-50 mph speed reductions on all bar ten miles of the motorway section. Thankfully, a totally traffic free drive on the return took under fifty minutes.
I came to a midweek game here at Neath Sports Centre in January 2008, when Llansawel beat Giants Grave 3-2 in a West Wales F.A. Senior Cup Quarter Final tie, which was played on the stadium pitch. Tonight’s game was on an outside grass pitch, which is known as Cwrt Herbert Playing Fields. They still get changed in the Neath Sports Centre building and the bar there was open throughout and was also available for toilets. There’s ample free parking here too. There are three grass pitches here, with tonight’s game on the one that runs parallel to the rugby pitch that runs lengthways in front of the buildings.
The match was 3rd versus 1st in the league table and attracted a good crowd, with three quarters of them being with the visitors. Leaders Cimla, still unbeaten (W11 D1), were four points ahead of second placed Cwmaman United Reserves, who they’ve still to visit. Tonna were also four points adrift, but have played a game more than the top two, so it’s still a three way fight for both title and promotion places.
When Cimla dominated the early exchanges and went ahead after thirteen minutes, I thought this might turn into a one sided stroll for them, but it turned out to be nothing of the sort. A free kick was flicked on and finished first time into the bottom corner to make it 1-1 midway through the half, but a shot in off the post saw Cimla go back in front eight minutes later. Ten minutes before halftime the hosts levelled the scores again, courtesy of an own goal and it remained 2-2 at the break.
Two minutes into the second half a penalty saw Tonna go 3-2 up, but their lead lasted just two minutes, following a low angled shot into the far corner. It looked like Tonna had won it, beating the ‘keeper low at his near post, when they made it 4-3 with two minutes left, but right on ninety minutes Cimla grabbed an equaliser, heading in powerfully from a long throw in that dropped on the edge of the six yard box, preserving their unbeaten record in the process.
An excellent game to kick off ‘silly season’, where clubs without floodlights now try to cram in their remaining fixtures to meet league completion deadline dates. No traffic problems in either direction either and nice to still have a bit of daylight for the drive home too. We’d kicked off a couple of minutes early, with a five minute halftime, where everyone stayed on the pitch and were done and dusted for 19.33.
The drive north to Lincolnshire took about an hour and forty minutes, arriving over half an hour before kick off. It was about twenty nine minutes earlier than needed, as it’s an awful venue and there can’t be too many Step 7 grounds worse than this and certainly not the best of grounds to complete the top division of this league at! It’s just a pitch in a school playing field, with a pair of wooden dugouts and roped along the side backing on to some netball courts. Thankfully, it was dry as it’s really exposed and despite being sunny, there was a really chilly wind blowing, which spoiled the game slightly, as both teams struggled to come to terms with it.
It was 14th (out of 15) versus 6th in the league table. Stamford Belvedere came into this only needing to win one of their remaining seven games to finish above second bottom Leverington Sports, who’ve already finished their fixtures, so are still in with a good chance of avoiding relegation.
Stamford had the wind at their backs first half and got off to a good start, breaking the deadlock after eight minutes, scoring with a goal on the break after defending a corner. Sawtry had the chance to level the scores ten minutes before halftime, but saw a penalty smack against the crossbar and a minute later it was 2-0, when Sawtry lost the ball trying to play out from the back and a striker nipped in between ‘keeper and defender to lob the ball in from just outside the 18 yard box.
Within four minutes of the restart, Sawtry had levelled the score at 2-2, both goals being long range wind assisted efforts and it looked like they’d go on to comfortably take the points as they were well on top. Midway through the half Stamford poked in from close range to regain the lead, but within a minute Sawtry were back on level terms, when another wind assisted shot, this time from a free kick, gave the ‘keeper no chance. The winning goal for the visitors came with thirteen minutes left, when another shot came back off the post, but was put in on the rebound. Despite having a man sin binned late on, they hung on to take all three points.
Old Albanians 2 Old Berkhamstedians 3, attendance 12
6’ 1-0
48’ 1-1
59’ 1-2
61’ 2-2
73’ 2-3
@ The Woollams Playing Fields (Old Albanians R.U.F.C.)
160 Harpenden Road
St. Albans
AL3 6BZ
No Admission or Programme.
When I came here for an Old Albanians game in October 2023, they used Pitch 1 on the St. Albans School section of the playing fields. Today’s game was played on a pitch which is part of the Old Albanians R.U.F.C. section of the complex, on the right hand side as you enter off Harpenden Road, the furthest of the three pitches that run parallel to each other, running lengthways away from the driveway.
The match was 7th versus 6th in the league table and was the final game of the season for Albanians. A win would guarantee them staying in this division next season, but any other result would leave them hoping Lancing Old Boys and Old Brentwoods II fail to pick up a win in their remaining games, which would see them leapfrog them and send them down with already doomed Old Cholmeleians II.
They got off to a great start, going ahead after just six minutes. They had another effort hit the crossbar and saw a shot from the edge of the box tipped around the post in the dying seconds of the half, but it remained 1-0 at the break. It only took Berkhamstedians three minutes of the second half to draw level, when a partially cleared corner was lobbed back over the ‘keeper into the far corner of the net. The visitors went ahead just before the hour mark, following in on an initial shot that came back off the crossbar, but within two minutes Albanians pulled it back to 2-2, finishing with a 20 yarder low into the bottom corner. An unmarked finish from the edge of the box, low into the far corner, saw Berkhamstedians regain the lead with seventeen minutes left and despite pushing hard for an equaliser, Albanians were unable to get back into it, with the nearest they came to drawing level being an in swinging corner that hit the crossbar.
Despite having kicked off eight minutes late, with everyone staying out on the pitch for a very short halftime interval, it was all over by 12.45, so plenty of time to head off for an afternoon match.
Swillington Saints 4 Mount St. Mary’s 1, attendance 16
23’ 0-1
34’ 1-1
37’ 2-1
60’ 3-1
82’ 4-1
@ Swillington Sports & Social Club
Floodlit Football/Rugby Pitch
Wakefield Road
Swillington
LS26 8DT
No Admission or Programme.
Swillington Saints use two different pitches here at Swillington Sports & Social Club to host home games. On Saturdays, they use the railed pitch furthest from the clubhouse/changing rooms, but for midweeks they have use of the floodlit pitch that runs parallel to it, which also has rugby posts in situ, nearer to the clubhouse (open for hot and cold food and drinks) and railed on three sides, one touch line sharing the rail of their main pitch.
I’d had an almost instant reply from the home club that the game was being played here, so headed up the M1, just to the east of Leeds, where 10th were hosting 13th (out of 15) in the third (bottom division) level of the West Yorkshire League. It was the visitors who broke the deadlock midway through the first half, sweeping in from close range after a cross from the right wasn’t cleared. A far post header, from a diagonal free kick, saw Swillington draw level eleven minutes later and another header, nipping in front of the ‘keeper to nod in a cross from the right, then saw them take the lead eight minutes before halftime. Unusually for a midweek game, especially with a bitingly cold wind, everyone stayed on the pitch at halftime, with the interval lasting just six minutes. On the hour mark Saints made it 3-1, when a near post corner was helped into the net by the ‘keeper, as he attempted to flick the ball over the crossbar at the near post and they rounded off the scoring with eight minutes left, tapping in at the far post from a cut back that went right across the six yard box without being cleared.
The journey north was totally trouble free. The journey home wasn’t. Diverted off the M1 between J33 and J31 and again coming off at J15a, via A43 and M40, due to a closure of the M1 lower down between J9 and J8. M25 then closed from J15 to J14 and down to a single lane from J11 to J9.
A.S. Rawreth (it stands for Academy Soccer) play at The Warren, which is a very good set up for what is notionally Step 11 football. There are a number of small sized pitches here and two full sized ones. There was a Veterans game taking place on Pitch 2, whilst the main pitch runs lengthways away from the clubhouse/changing rooms behind the right hand goal as you enter. It’s fully railed and has a pair of wooden dugouts on the car park side of the pitch. A tea bar was in operation throughout the game.
The match was 6th versus 1st in the league table, with visitors A.T.F. (Achieve Thrive Flourish) needing a point to guarantee the title. They got off to a good start, going ahead after nineteen minutes, when a throw in was flicked on and tapped in at the far post. Their lead only lasted eight minutes though, when an attempt from a defender to play a ball across the 18 yard box was intercepted and finished with a low shot into the bottom corner. A.T.F. grabbed what turned out to be the winning goal in stoppage time at the end of the half, when an attempted defensive header back to the ‘keeper fell short, enabling a visiting striker to nip in and poke the ball into the corner of the net. Rawreth thought they’d equalised midway through the second half, but the ‘goal’ was ruled out for offside.
Unusually for a Saturday no traffic problems whatsoever in either direction at Dartford Crossing, so journey times were just over an hour.
When I last saw Newport County host a Football League game, back in April 1988, they were at their former Somerton Park ground, now under housing. They were doomed to relegation by then and lost 1-3 to Wolverhampton Wanderers, in a game that clinched promotion for the visitors, on their way to the title and it also saw two goals for their striker Steve Bull, the second of which was his 50th goal of the season. I did see Newport play at Somerton Park again before it was bulldozed, when they were now known as Newport A.F.C. losing 0-1 to Stroud in a Southern League Midland Division match in September 1990. I also saw them play a home game at Gloucester City in 1993 (a 1-3 loss to Rushden & Diamonds), while they were in exile and again the following September, in a 4-1 win versus Melksham Town in an F.A. Cup 1st Qualifying Round match played at Newport Stadium. By the next time I saw them, in October 2012, they’d reverted to the name of Newport County and were now playing here at Rodney Parade, home of the town’s rugby club. They beat Ebbsfleet United 1-0 in the National League that night, but today was a chance to tick them off as a ‘92 Club’ visit.
The ground hasn’t changed in the intervening fourteen years. Only the two sides are in use for games, unless there’s a big cup tie which necessitates using the full capacity. Last time here I was on the terrace on the East Stand side, but tonight I opted for the other side, where the West Stand seats run the length of the pitch. I’d parked on this side of the ground, less than ten minutes walk away, where there were no parking restrictions once you cleared the immediate vicinity of the stadium and was also the right side for the ticket office.
As with my last Football League visit, Newport are in danger of dropping back into non-League. They’ve picked up a few points though recently and came into this in 21st place (4th bottom, with two relegated) in the table, sitting on 31 points with nine to play, including tonight. Below them were Crawley Town 30 points, Barrow 29 points (with a game in hand) and Harrogate Town on 27 points. Bromley, on the other hand, were top and unbeaten in 19 games coming into this, although they were missing top scorer Michael Cheek due to injury. Newport matched them well and if they had someone up front who could actually score a goal or two, might have even won it, as they did have the visitors pinned in their own half for long periods.
Bromley came nearest to breaking the deadlock in a goalless first half, with a header from a diagonal free kick tipped round the post. Newport hit the post on the hour mark, but never really looked like scoring. Having looked awful for most of the game, Bromley really stepped things up late on. They had a header from a corner cleared off the line with fourteen minutes left and a couple of minutes later saw a near post header go narrowly over the crossbar. As we entered the dying minutes, ex Newport player Corey Whitely shot low into the far corner to win it for Bromley. It was the first time there had been any noise coming from the 162 fans in the away section, situated in the far end block of my stand.
The win keeps Bromley top of the table, five points clear of second placed Milton Keynes Dons and nine clear of Notts County, just outside the automatic promotion places. Newport now drop to 22nd, leapfrogged by Crawley, both on 31 points and only separated only by goal difference. Harrogate Town climbed off the bottom with a win at fifth bottom Tranmere Rovers and are now on 30 points. Barrow are now bottom, a point adrift, but with a game in hand on all the others. Newport certainly have it in their own hands to avoid the drop. They’ve still to host Crawley Town and Harrogate Town, before a potentially huge match on the final day of the season, when they make the trip to Barrow!
The journey to Gwent was trouble free. Coming back saw a closure of the M4 back into England, meaning diverting onto the M48 instead, where there was also a closure, but at least it only meant going down the slip road to immediately rejoin at the same junction, followed by the M25 being down to one lane from J12-J9, but still home for midnight.
Programme available, but I won’t buy one on any event organised by Groundhop U.K.
This game rounded off my weekend north of the border and was about twenty minutes drive from my hotel in Glenrothes. I arrived early and although there’s a small car park here, it was best avoided and I parked in Rose Lane, about fifty yards from the ground entrance. There’s not much here, but it’s a work in progress. The pitch is fully railed, with mesh infil and a pair of dugouts on the right hand touchline, whilst the changing rooms are behind the near goal end, raised up slightly. A tea bar operated from a hatch in the wall, with the pitch viewable when queuing, which is always a plus. I didn’t bother with food though as it was too soon after breakfast.
The match was 7th versus 5th in the league table, played with a fair wind blowing down the pitch, on a day that started off brightly, with rain arriving during the second half, which is never good at a venue with no cover. It was Central who broke the deadlock after thirty five minutes, having gone close twice in a couple of minutes leading up to the goal. Their lead lasted just two minutes though, when a corner from the right swerved inside the near post, aided by the wind. There was little between the two sides, but Newburgh managed to snatch the winner with seventeen minutes left, with a low angled shot into the far corner. The result leaves Cowdenbeath Central seventh in the table, but Newburgh are now up to fourth and have at least two games in hand on all three teams above them.
At the final whistle a large number of car drivers were racing off to get in an extra game, with a 3 o’clock kick off at Paties Road in Edinburgh. Thankfully I’d seen Edinburgh United lose 1-2 to Clydebank in a Scottish Junior Cup match there in 2005, so was able to head straight off home. The journey back south took 7 hours 58 minutes, not helped by a SatNav diversion off the M6 between J19 and J17 and the normal crawl further down from J11a to the M5 interchange, but still home in time to watch Match of the Day 2. Good to get all my planned games in and one thing’s for certain….there’ll be no scotch pies on the menu for a while!
Below photo : for those not interested in watching the football (there’s dozens on the hops!)….there’s always a bit of train spotting….
St. Andrews United 2 Sauchie Juniors 1, attendance 374
39’ 0-1
69’ 1-1
88’ 2-1 (pen)
@ The Recreation Ground
Langlands Road
St. Andrews
KY16 8BN
£10 Admission
Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by Groundhop U.K.
After an hour and a half relaxing at my hotel, it was time to head for game three of the day, in the coastal town of St. Andrews, more famous for its golf course (regularly hosts The Open Championship) and university (it’s where Prince William and wife Katherine were educated), rather than its football club. The Recreation Ground is to the south of the town, about a mile west of the beach and I’d arrived early enough to grab street parking right opposite the entrance. The ground is fully enclosed, with the clubhouse behind the south end goal. There’s a small section of covered standing beyond the dugouts, with the changing rooms in the corner at the far end, with a notable slope on the pitch towards here and is obviously floodlit. Kick off was nine minutes late, owing I believe to the later than expected arrival of the circus bus, as their earlier match had been delayed due to problems with the pitch (according to the Referee) which meant it got underway twenty minutes later than scheduled.
The match was 10th versus 16th in the league table, Sauchie having been dumped bottom following previous incumbents Hutchison Vale having won last night. Only a point separates the bottom three, with Glenrothes making up the battle to avoid relegation, as none of these three are likely to catch fourth bottom Whitburn, who are 14 points clear of the drop at present. It was Sauchie who broke the deadlock six minutes before halftime, meeting a corner from the right that sent a looping header over the ‘keeper. The hosts were reduced to ten men on the hour mark, a player picking up a second yellow card, but numbers were levelled up at 10 a side eight minutes later, when a Sauchie player was red carded too. Within a minute of the restart St. Andrews drew level, with a stooping header at the near post from a corner on the right. It looked like heading for a draw, but with two minutes left St. Andrews were awarded a penalty, which they duly dispatched to take all three points.
Auchtermuchty Bellvue A.F.C. 0 Leven 0, attendance 47
@ Low Road Park
Stratheden Place
off Low Road
Auchtermuchty
KY14 7AU
No Admission or Programme.
The Groundhop U.K. fanfare headed off to Lowland League club Cowdenbeath for their next game. I’d seen them lose 0-1 to Albion Rovers back in September 1993, in what was then a Scottish League Division 2 fixture, in front of a crowd of just 228, so headed elsewhere. Although I’d yet to visit the late afternoon game at Lochore Welfare, I chose to head further east into Fife, taking in a second level match in the Fife Amateur League instead, which would give me time to check in at my overnight hotel and time to relax, before heading further east to St. Andrews, for the final game of the day on the organised ‘hop.
The ground here at Auchtermuchty is just a pitch, roped along most of one side. There’s a raised changing room building, set away from the pitch, but still the chosen viewing point for a few of the crowd. There was a decent backdrop beyond the far touchline and thankfully, apart from a very brief rain shower, it remained dry throughout with occasional blue sky and sunshine breaking through and we even had a late appearance of a rainbow too.
The match was 7th (out of 14) versus 2nd and despite failing to produce a goal, was an excellent contest that kept the interest right to the final whistle. Leven shaded the first half, but going in level was a fair reflection of how the game had gone. Surprisingly, for an afternoon match, everyone stayed out on the pitch at halftime, meaning the interval lasted only five or six minutes. It was more of the same in the second half and despite Leven looking the better side, it was Auchtermuchty that came closest to breaking the deadlock. A header from a corner came back off the post with fifteen minutes left and a minute later a long throw in was met with a glancing header that was cleared off the line.
The draw sees Auchtermuchty remain seventh in the table and although Leven retain second place, they now trail leaders Benarty Astros by three points, having played three more games and are now just three points clear of third in the table Kirkcaldy/Dysart Y.M.C.A. who have two games in hand.
