Hampshire Premier League
Senior Division
Saturday 14th September 2024
Kick Off 12.30 Actual 12.32
Hook 1 Bishops Waltham Dynamos 1, attendance 40
60’ 1-0 (pen)
90’ + 5, 1-1
@ King George V Playing Field
Hook Common (A287)
off London Road
Hook
RG27 9JJ
No Admission or Programme.
I had hoped this would be part one of a double today. I’d intended going to league newcomers Rushmore Community at 3pm, but when checking the ground address on my spreadsheet this morning, I realised I’d already visited the ground for a Farnborough North End home game played there back in January 2012, when they were in the Surrey Elite Intermediate League. I decided to stick with the 12.30 kick off anyway, as it gave insurance against games being called off and would leave me the maximum alternatives if needed. This is one of the first grounds to suffer postponements during the wetter months, so it was one that needed visiting in dry weather, which was certainly the case today. I failed to get to a game here last season, but did see them host a home game played at Papermill Avenue in February. At least leaving early, I’d avoid the worst of the traffic, although queuing from M25 J10 all the way to M3 J4A meant the 44 mile drive (42 miles of motorway) took ninety five minutes…a sure sign that the kids school holidays are over!
Hook share the ground here with Hook & Newnham Cricket Club. Entering off London Road, there is a small car park, just about big enough to cope, with the grass verges on each side of the lane doubling capacity. The football pitch is on the right, roped off, with a pair of dugouts to the right. The changing rooms are on the far side of the cricket square, where there also appeared to be hot drinks available inside.
The match was 11th versus 15th (out of 16) and had plenty of effort, but very little quality. The only thing of note in a really poor first half was a shot from the visitors that hit the post. The game did improve after Hook took the lead with a penalty on the hour. Two minutes later BWD had a penalty of their own, but it was saved by the ‘keeper. It looked like it would end 1-0, when five minutes into stoppage time, a diagonal ball into the box was spilled by the ‘keeper, resulting in an easy tap in for the equaliser.
Oddly, the four grounds I’ve yet to visit in this league now (2 Senior Div, 2 Div 1) are all 3G pitches, one of which is today’s visitors, who are due to be at home this coming midweek.
