London Tigers U19 0 Eastleigh Yellows U19 15, attendance 8
@ Spikes Bridge Park, 3G Pitch
West Avenue
Southall
UB1 2AR
No Admission or Programme.
This game was so typical of what you get in this league and is a reminder why I don’t bother with it very much. The only attraction today was that I wouldn’t have to waste a Saturday afternoon coming here to do a Middlesex County League match in a cage and the noon kick off meant the battle with traffic on the M25 coming home should be a little easier than if it was the normal 2 o’clock start.
Typically there was the late kick off. They couldn’t get a Ref, so it was refereed by one of the London Tigers officials, and the home team only had 10 players at the start and their ‘keeper looked like he had never played in goal before. He was probably injured as well, as not one of his kicks from out of his hands managed to reach the centre circle in the entire match. Needless to say, we ended up with the obligatory mismatch. It is hard to see what Eastleigh would have got out of this apart from a place in the next round of the cup, but they were ruthless and didn’t even get out of second gear.
Surprisingly, after 40 minutes it was only 0-4 and Tigers even played the last few minutes of the half with a full compliment of eleven, a late arrival making up the numbers. By the hour mark it was 0-6 and Tigers were shortly back down to 10 men when they lost a player to injury. Double figures was hit with ten minutes left, before a further five goals came in the last eight minutes. Not a great watch, but at least the rain stayed away. Despite there being no official spectator area it was no problem standing inside the cage to watch.
Wimborne Town 0 Weston-super-Mare 3, attendance 250 est (abandoned 39 minutes, waterlogged)
18’ 0-1
28’ 0-2
32’ 0-3
@ New Cuthbury
Ainsley Road
Wimborne Minster
BH21 2FU
£12 Admission
£2.50 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.
£1 Car Park. It is free to park in the road and no parking restrictions.
The ground here was far better than I was expecting. As well as the two seated kit stands, both ends are fully covered, with the end to the right when looking from the clubhouse having stepped terracing as well. The other end is smaller and flat standing only. It is an improvement on their old Cuthbury ground, at least as far as facilities go, but the pitch may become an issue for them. Yes, it was raining, but it wasn’t very heavy. It looked worse due to the wind, but there was already standing water on the pitch at kick off and it hadn’t started raining until after six o’clock. It soon became obvious that the game would struggle to finish and sadly, that turned out to be the case.
What action there was, before the Referee brought things to a premature halt, was pretty much one way traffic. Wimborne were very poor and WsM were by far the better side. The first goal came courtesy of a deflection, but goals two and three were real quality finishes. It wasn’t too long after the visitors made it 0-3 that the game was brought to an end. Apparently, there was an area of concern just outside the six yard box, at the end Wimborne were defending, where the ball was starting to hold up. It wouldn’t have been a problem in the second half, especially if Wimborne had continued the same way as they had so far, as they wouldn’t have got the ball that far forward anyway!
What was baffling about the decision to call it off though, was that at no time did anyone make an effort to do anything about it. No forks or brooms appeared, but then again, at 0-3 down, the hosts were hardly going to do anything that might see the match continue. If they had continued playing until halftime, they could then have worked on it during the break and the Referee could have made a decision then. Things would probably have been different if the home team had been in front.
At the end of the day, both Wimborne Town and the Referee would still get their money tonight, so it wont have bothered them in the slightest that the game was called off. WsM not only lost out on three points, but now face another trip here, which is an extra expense they will have to pay for themselves. Hopefully, when the game is finally played, WsM will get the three points and some justice will be done. Maybe Wimborne Town could donate the gate receipts to cover the transport costs….
I notice from my records that I went to the old ground on 27th August 1994, for a 2-2 draw versus Horndean in a Wessex League match and having come here tonight, I thought my visits to Wimborne Minster would be over. I’m in no hurry to return. It’s not as if they’re going anywhere soon.
Larkspur Rovers 4 Pitshanger Dynamo 2, attendance 12
5’ 1-0
9’ 1-1
11’ 1-2
48’ 2-2
63’ 3-2
87’ 4-2 (pen)
@ Lord Halsbury Memorial Playing Fields
Priors Farm Lane
Northolt
UB5 5FE
No Admission or Programme.
Second game of the day saw 5th place in the league table host 7th. It was a match that was in the balance throughout and could have gone either way. The game actually kicked off ten minutes late, as neither team, nor the Referee, seemed interested in getting the game started and we also had a minutes silence before kick off as well.
Larkspur went in front within five minutes of the start, but it was 1-1 just four minutes later. The blistering start continued and two minutes later Pitshanger edged in front, with what turned out to be the goal of the game. A diagonal cross field ball was chested down on the corner of the 18 yard box and hammered high into the top corner of the net, giving the ‘keeper no chance at his near post. It was a goal worthy of a far higher standard of football than Step 7. It was quite surprising that there were no more goals in the first half, as both teams attacked at every opportunity.
Larkspur were out of the blocks quickly in the second half as well, levelling it up at 2-2 within three minutes, with a clever lob from just inside the box. Just after the hour mark it was 3-2, when an angled shot found the far corner of the net and the game was finally killed off when a penalty made it 4-2 in the dying minutes. I thought Pitshanger were well worth a draw.
I suppose it was going to happen one day. I finally did a match on a Saturday where I was the only spectator (it’s happened before at a midweek University match I think?). Apart from the Old Wykehamists ‘manager’, that was it, although oddly, there is a post on the Non League Matters forum by someone claiming that they were also at the match. Even the III’s had a ‘crowd’ of 2 for their game versus Old Shirburnians, played on a pitch the other side of the trees, down on a lower plateau to the main pitch. One of them did have the look of a ‘hopper, watching from behind the far goal on the III’s pitch, about 70 yards away. Perhaps it was him? (Edit ; Yes it was him. He has since posted a photo of the III,s match that he watched, plus one of the 1sts match, which was taken from the position where he watched the other game from. In a huge sports field like that, with just three spectators present, it is not hard to work out who is watching which match. Perhaps it takes a little more intelligence to work out which match is being played on which pitch?)
Anyway, as for the match, it was 10th (bottom) versus 3rd in the league table. Old Harrovians had lost all four of their matches so far, failing to score, whilst conceding twenty four goals. Old Wykehamists had two wins and two draws from their four matches.
Despite going behind, Old Harrovians soon levelled the score and were competing very well and were making a real game of it. They were unfortunate to trail 1-2 at the break, but Old Wykehamists had gone close on numerous times in the half, so it perhaps wasn’t too surprising. Eight minutes into the second half it was 1-3, with the OW No.7 completing his hat trick. Ten minutes later he added a fourth to make it 1-4. Twelve minutes from time OW lost a player to injury and with the substitute having already come off injured, had to continue with 10 men. Six minutes later they picked up another injury, which left them with just nine players. It didn’t affect them too much though. Their No.7 broke clear to curl in his fifth goal of the day to make it 1-5 in the first minute of stoppage time. Old Harrovians then volleyed in from a corner to pull it back to 2-5 and there was still time for OW to make it 2-6 in the fourth minute of stoppage time. No prizes for guessing who scored it. Yes, the No.7 to complete his double hat trick. He could easily have scored ten, as he also forced a number of saves from the home ‘keeper and had hit the crossbar with an effort in the first half.
With the game over at 12.45 it left ample time to head off for a second match.
South Liverpool 5 Pilkington 1, attendance 241 (Official 204)
13’ 1-0
16’ 2-0
46’ 3-0
50’ 4-0
62’ 5-0
80’ 5-1
@ Jericho Lane Sports Hub, 3G Pitch 1
Otterspool Drive
Liverpool
L17 5AR
£5 Admission
£1 Programme, 24 pages.
The journey north had been horrendous. With the M6 closed at Junction 16 it meant there were reports of thirteen mile tailbacks and subsequently all the surrounding routes were gridlocked. It had taken just under six hours driving time. You do question whether it is worth the effort, for yet another of these dreadful 3G caged grounds, but if you want to visit every ground in the league, then these are the sort of places you end up at, and as each season goes by, more and more of the clubs being promoted into Step 6 play on them. Yet another of those cages that are only accessible on three sides, but as well as covered standing there is a small seated stand behind the near goal. Unfortunately, the pitch has the multi coloured markings for smaller size matches as well.
I never made it to Holly Park, home of South Liverpool from 1935 until 1990, but did make it to The North Field, in Jericho Lane, seeing them beat Waterloo Dock 1-0 in a Liverpool County Combination League match on 2nd September 2003. They played there from 1999 up until 2018, when they moved a few hundred yards to the current ground and this season sees them begin life in the North West Counties League, having been promoted from the West Cheshire League.
Tonight’s match certainly didn’t go to form. It was 12th versus 2nd in the league table, but you would have thought the two teams were in opposite places. South Liverpool were two up after just sixteen minutes and never allowed Pilkington to get into the game. It was still 2-0 at halftime, but three goals in the first seventeen minutes of the second half saw the hosts go 5-0 up. Pilkington did get a late consolation goal to pull it back to 5-1, but a bad night was compounded for them when they had a player sent off in the last minute.
I assume that the announced crowd of 204 was for tickets sold, rather than actual spectators present, as it was thirty seven fewer than my head count.
Ilkley Town 1 F.C. Halifax Town 3, attendance 227 (official)
10’ 0-1
36’ 0-2
40’ 0-3 (pen)
87’ 1-3
@ Ben Rhydding Sports Club, 3G Pitch
Coutances Way (A65)
Ben Rhydding
LS29 8AW
£6 Admission
£2 Programme, 16 pages.
The North West Counties League, which Ilkley Town are newly promoted into this season, is sadly becoming synonymous with clubs joining the league who play on these dreadful 3G caged ‘grounds’. In the last few years I have visited such places as St. Helens Town and Lower Breck and as well as Ilkley Town, I also have the delights of South Liverpool and Steeton to look forward to. If that isn’t bad enough, Burscough have also moved to a new 3G ground, although I don’t think that is a caged pitch.
The ground here is awful for Step 6 football. It is only accessible on three sides to spectators, with the far side, where the dugouts are situated, being reserved for club officials. The only cover is for around 25-30 people, unless you are tall enough to see over those stood against the rail, as it is flat standing only. There didn’t even appear to be electricity in the pay hut, as all transactions were carried out under torch light. Not very impressive for a new build.
This is the first game Ilkley Town have played in this competition, as they are now eligible for the Senior Cup, since their elevation to Step 6. They have struggled somewhat at the higher level, currently sitting 16th in Division 1 North. The visitors are the complete opposite. They are riding high in the National League, which is five levels above the hosts, sitting third in the table, just three points behind leaders Grimsby Town.
To say there was a gulf in class is a total understatement. According to Twitter there were 5 first team players named, with the rest being made up of the youth team. Even with this being the case, it was a total mismatch and the first half was as one sided a game as you’re likely to see. It was a surprise that it was only 0-3 at the break, but Halifax had got the game won by then. The second half was all Ilkley, but the visitors had long taken the foot off the pedal by then. Ilkley had a couple of efforts hit the post and at least they got a consolation goal in the dying minutes, a left foot shot through the legs of the ‘keeper as he tried to narrow the angle at his near post.
It was a good crowd tonight and my head count was only two fewer than the official attendance.
Killingworth 3 Winlaton Community 1, attendance 62
14’ 1-0
28’ 2-0
37’ 3-0
86’ 3-1
@ Amberley Playing Fields
Garth 21
Killingworth
NE12 6PJ
£3 Admission
£1 Programme, 12 pages.
Having watched the team second in the league table last night, today it was a visit to the home of the league leaders. Killingworth (now minus the A.F.C. prefix this season) had a 100% winning record from their opening ten matches, whilst Winlaton Community arrived here in fourth place.
As with last night, this was all over as a contest well before halftime. The opening goal was stabbed in at the far post after the ball was cut back from the right, before a ball over the top was lobbed over the ‘keeper to make it 2-0 just before the half hour mark. The third goal was less clear cut. A corner from the right was headed goal wards but blocked on the line before being cleared. It looked like a hand had been used to stop the ball, but the linesman signalled it had already crossed the line, so the hosts went into the break 3-0 up. Winlaton had the better of the second half, but failed to capitalise. They did get a consolation goal four minutes from time though, when a shot came back off the crossbar and fell kindly for them to give an easy tap in.
The win sees Killingworth re-establish their eight point lead over second in the table Newcastle Blue Star.
Above : The white board could do with a spell checker!
Newcastle Blue Star 4 Ponteland United 0, attendance 951 (official)
7’ 1-0
11’ 2-0
17’ 3-0
75’ 4-0
@ Scotswood Sports Centre
Denton Road
Scotswood
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE15 7HB
£3 Admission
£1 Programme, 8 pages, waste of money.
With the Saudi Arabian takeover at Newcastle United being announced this week, Newcastle Blue Star had a promotion offer whereby Newcastle United season ticket holders could gain free admission tonight. Even so, to pull in a crowd of 951 (announced over tannoy)at Step 7 is superb. Admittedly, many of those present would have watched very little of the match, and those that did would have struggled to get a decent view as it was packed. Social distancing was non-existent and It didn’t help that one end of the ground and a small section of each side was closed off to spectators. Even the parts of the ground that were open contained part built areas of cover, in a ground that is certainly being improved at a fair pace and will surely be hosting Northern League football next season.
The match was 2nd versus 12th in the league table. It didn’t last long as a contest. Blue Star were 3-0 up in just seventeen minutes, courtesy of an Ethan Bewley hat trick. Ponteland only managed a couple of half chances and never looked like getting anything from the game. Bewley scored his fourth goal of the night, with a deflected shot from the edge of the box, to make it 4-0 with fifteen minutes left. The game felt like it was lacking somewhat, but then you had to remind yourself just what level of football this actually is, as the ground and size of crowd made it feel of a much higher standard than it is.
Blue Star have reduced Killingworth’s lead at the top of the league table to five points, even if it is only until tomorrow afternoon, when the leaders play their match and could open the gap back up.
Formartine United 4 Clachnacuddin 2, attendance 89
32’ 0-1
47’ 1-1
59’ 2-1
66’ 2-2
68’ 3-2
90’+ 4, 4-2
@ North Lodge Park
Oldmeldrum Road
Pitmedden
AB41 7PA
£10 Admission
No Programme.
Tonight, I finally completed a matchday visit at every ground in the Highland League, having started my quest at Inverness Thistle 1 Ross County 4, in a League Cup Preliminary Round match on 4th August 1993. I should have completed the league 10 years ago, at this very same ground. I came here on 17th September 2011, but Formartine United called their match off. Apparently the pitch was waterlogged, but it was a lovely dry, sunny day and it was the only game called off in the area. Luckily, having arrived in plenty of time, I was able to make it to the nearby town of Inverurie, where I saw Colony Park lose 1-2 to Whitehills in a S.J.F.A. North Region match. At least it wasn’t a wasted day, but to say I wasn’t impressed with Formartine is an understatement.
Anyway, having waited 10 years, where this has been the only ground needed for the duration, tonight was the ideal time to finally complete the league. If I wasn’t impressed with Formartine back then, I think even less of them now. The mobile phone contact number for the the club on their website didn’t reply to a text sent early this morning, enquiring as to whether the match was going ahead after the deluge yesterday. The phone wasn’t even answered on numerous attempts during the day. The ground phone number wasn’t answered either, despite phoning every hour from 12 o’clock right through to 7 o’clock. Their only mention of the game was on their Facebook page, which had been posted the day before, with heavy overnight rain falling in the meantime. They didn’t even bother replying on Twitter either, but neither did Clachnacuddin, although they did at least post a tweet early this morning saying that they were playing at Formartine tonight. In the end I had to take a chance, going on the assumption that ‘they haven’t said it’s off’, so ‘it must be on’? I actually had a back up game at Banks O’Dee tonight, in a S.J.F.A. North Region Super League match, but as it was kicking off half an hour earlier than the game here, then there was a chance I might not get a game at all after heading here.
I was convinced that the game would be off when I arrived, as the weather had been far worse than when I attempted to tick the ground off here before. As I headed towards Pitmedden I was losing hope of getting a game, but finally, with the SatNav showing just 50 seconds to arrival, the floodlights came into view. What a relief. It was on, or at least it would be in half an hours time.
I normally watch matches as a neutral, but this wasn’t the case tonight, as I would be hoping for a Clachnacuddin win. After all the stress of the day, caused by a lack of information from the hosts, it would certainly round off the day nicely, as far as I was concerned, to see them lose. It never happened though, despite Clachnacuddin opening the scoring and leading 0-1 at halftime. The second half saw Formartine level the scores within two minutes of the restart and they went 2-1 up before the hour mark. One of the Clachnacuddin coaches was yellow carded for dissent following the goal, but calm was restored and the visitors drew level seven minutes later, a blocked shot rebounding kindly for another striker to smash the ball in from 10 yards to make it 2-2.
Formartine regained the lead within two minutes. A quickly taken free kick, on the corner of the 18 yard box, found the bottom corner of the net as the ‘keeper was still setting his defensive wall. Once again the Clachnacuddin bench were not happy. This time one of their coaches was red carded. The visitors had chances to draw level, but Formartine added a fourth goal deep into stoppage time to round off a 4-2 win.
The quality of the Highland League has dropped considerably since I first did a game in it. It is hardly surprising though, as the league have lost Inverness Thistle, Caledonian, Ross County, Elgin City, Peterhead and Cove Rangers in that time, being replaced by clubs of much smaller stature, as far as support and resources go. With the introduction of the Lowland League, which is the equivalent Level 5 league in the southern regions of Scotland, it is debatable if the Highland League is even the best league at it’s level anymore.
Edinburgh University 1 Berwick Rangers 4, attendance 146
25’ 0-1
41’ 0-2
44’ 1-2
62’ 1-3
81’ 1-4
@ East Peffermill
Peffermill Road
Edinburgh
EH16 5LT
£6 Admission
£1 Programme, 16 pages, free Team Sheet.
I had been here previously, when I saw Edinburgh University draw 1-1 versus East Fife in a pre season friendly on 8th July 2006. That match was played on a pitch to the south of the railway lines, accessed via a tunnel from the main playing fields. The main ground used is in the north of the complex and is entered via it’s own entrance gate, rather than through the general entrance to central point of the hub.
It had rained heavily for eight hours during the day, so I was concerned that I might have to use one of my back up choices for tonight, although one of those, Dunbar United, had already been postponed early on in the afternoon. Thankfully, Berwick Rangers tweeted that the game here was definitely going ahead, following the pitch passing a 4 o’clock inspection and around half an hour later the rain finally stopped. It has to be said, that despite the amount of rain that had fallen, the pitch was in superb condition and never even cut up during the match.
The thing that drew my eye to this match was that Berwick Rangers are a former Scottish League club, having been relegated in 2019. It was 15th versus 11th as far as league positions go. Edinburgh University look more likely to be in a battle to avoid relegation, whilst Berwick may fall short in their quest to regain their league status, as they currently trail league leaders Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic by 15 points.
It was a bright opening by Edinburgh University, but Berwick slowly took control. They went ahead on 25 minutes, winning the ball in their own half, then breaking quickly and a defence splitting pass saw the ball smashed into the roof of the net from 15 yards. A shot on the turn saw the lead increased to 0-2 on 41 minutes, but a minute before the break the students pulled it back to 1-2, with the goal of the game, a right footed shot curled into the top corner of the net. I was surprised how loud the cheer was that greeted the goal, as it appeared at first that most of the crowd were with the visitors.
The second half saw Edinburgh University push for an equaliser, but it was Berwick who grabbed the next goal, making it 1-3 just after the hour mark. The visitors ‘keeper pulled off an excellent triple save as the hosts pushed forward, but the points were wrapped up when it became 1-4 with nine minutes left.
