Essex & Suffolk Border League

Division 2

Saturday 11th September 2021

Kick Off 12.30 Actual 12.31

Kelvedon Social 2 Tiptree Jobserve Reserves 4, attendance 18

14’ 1-0

15’ 1-1

45’ + 1, 1-2 (pen)

53’ 2-2

80’ 2-3

90’ + 1, 2-4

@ Kelvedon Recreation Ground

The Chase

Kelvedon

CO5 9AB

No Admission or Programme.

My original plan for today had been to do a treble in the Cheltenham League, but that was reduced to a double, when the 16.15 kick off at Pittville United was showing as postponed on Friday. However, when this match was reversed (no one seemed quite sure why it wasn’t being played at Tiptree), it threw up a more preferable double for me, so I headed to Essex instead.

The match was 11th versus 9th in the league table and what it lacked in skill, was certainly made up for with effort and commitment. It was good entertainment throughout. Kelvedon volleyed in from a corner after fourteen minutes to go 1-0 up, but a fumble by the ‘keeper was followed in to level it up within a minute. Tiptree led 1-2 at the break following a stoppage time penalty.

The second half was set up nicely eight minutes in, when a cross from wide on the left eluded the ‘keeper and sailed into the top corner of the net to make it 2-2. Both sides went close on a number of occasions before Tiptree went 2-3 ahead with ten minutes left, when a defence splitting pass was neatly lifted over the ‘keeper from 12 yards. A fourth goal, following a save that saw the rebound smashed into the net, made the points safe for the visitors in stoppage time.

I had forty minutes to get to a second game, but chose to visit a ground less than ten minutes drive from here…..

Cheltenham League

Division 1 South

Thursday 9th September 2021

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.18

Whaddon United 5 Southside Star 0, attendance 16

11’ 1-0

49’ 2-0

60’ 3-0

79’ 4-0

85’ 5-0

@ Whaddon Recreation Ground

Whaddon Road

Cheltenham

GL52 5NE

No Admission or Programme.

Whaddon Recreation Ground, which is across the road from the ground of Cheltenham Town F.C., has hosted a number of clubs over the years. As well as Whaddon United (their Reserves play at nearby Clyde Crescent Recreation Ground) it is also home to Division 3 club Newton.

Tonight’s match was between two clubs who’d had contrasting results from their opening matches. Whaddon United had beaten F.C. Lakeside Reserves 6-2 at home, whilst Southside Star had lost 0-5 at home to Leckhampton Rovers, which suggested this might be a comfortable home wim and it certainly turned out to be just that.

Whaddon totally dominated the first half, but only managed a single goal to show for it. Southside Star did have three good chances, that came in a five minute spell late in the half, but were unable to make any of them count. An early second half goal saw Whaddon go 2-0 up and the visitors had no answer to a constant wave of attack after attack. It was a surprise that it was only 5-0 in the end, but Southside Star battled well and it would have been harsh if they had taken a really big thrashing.

The game kicked off three minutes late and there were frequent showers throughout the match. During the heaviest rain that fell in the first half, it went so dark we thought the game might not finish, but thankfully the full ninety minutes were completed, even if it was pitch black when the game finished at 19.53.

Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League

Premier Division

Wednesday 8th September 2021

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.12

Houghton Main 2 Swinton Athletic 4, attendance 62

43’ 0-1

52’ 0-2

54’ 0-3

62’ 0-4

78’ 1-4 (pen)

90’ 2-4

@ Houghton Main Sports & Social Club

Middlecliffe Lane

Middlecliffe

S72 0HN

No Admission or Programme.

So, for the second successive night, I was visiting a ground in the Sheffield & Hallamshire County Senior League. As with last night, this is a very nice ground for Step 7 football, with a seated stand and the pitch railed off on three sides (only the cricket pitch side not having a barrier), but this had a more cared for feel, helped by the fact that the grass around the perimeter had been cut.

Houghton Main had opened the season with a 4-1 defeat away at Penistone Church Reserves, whilst Swinton Athletic had won 7-0 at Jubilee Sports, maintaining a 100% winning run stretching back to April 2019 (last defeat was 4-1 away at Wombwell Main on 24th April) although it isn’t as good as it sounds, as they’ve only actually played nine league matches in that time due to COVID-19 disruptions!

The first half was absolutely turgid, but when Swinton broke the deadlock just before halftime, it kicked the game into life. The second half saw the visitors score three times in the opening seventeen minutes, to go 0-4 up, and the game was won. Houghton Main reduced the arrears with a late penalty and added another goal with the last kick of the match to make it 2-4. The score line flattered them and it was only because Swinton eased off that they got anything from the game at all.

Despite the match kicking off twelve minutes late, the 3 match officials still went back to the changing rooms at halftime (on the far side of the cricket pitch), whilst both teams remained on the pitch. The game ended at 19.51 and the light was beginning to fade quite rapidly.

Surrey Premier County League

Saturday 4th September 2021

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

A.F.C. Walcountians 2 Spartans Youth 3, attendance 37

42’ 0-1

45’ + 3, 0-2 (pen)

55’ 1-2

73’ 1-3

84’ 2-3 (pen)

@ Walcountians Sports Club

Carshalton Road

Woodmansterne

SM7 3HU

No Admission or Programme.

I decided to head north, back up the M23, for my second game of the day, where a 26 minute drive saw me arrive at the only ground I hadn’t visited in this league. A.F.C. Walcountians are new into the Surrey Premier County League (formerly Surrey Elite Intermediate League) having been promoted from the Surrey South Eastern Combination League. They had won their opening match at the higher level 4-2 at home to N.P.L., whilst this was the first match of the season for Spartans.

The ground here hosts a number of sports. As well as football, there is also hockey, rugby and cricket (there were two matches going on today, one behind each goal end) with the football pitch being a fair distance from the changing rooms, which will prevent them rising up the pyramid any further as things stand.

The two teams were very evenly matched and it was one of those games that looked like it might not produce a goal, as the defences were certainly on top. However, just before halftime, the deadlock was broken when Spartans went in front. A corner was blocked at the near post, but the rebound was put in from close range. They then doubled their lead in stoppage time, scoring with a penalty.

Ten minutes into the second half the hosts pulled it back to 1-2, but a mix up between a defender and the ‘keeper saw Spartans regain their two goal lead with seventeen minutes left. Walcountians reduced the arrears with a penalty of their own, to make it 2-3, and they came close to equalising, when a shot smashed off the crossbar with the ‘keeper well beaten, but Spartans hung on to take the three points.

Mid Sussex League

Division 3 North

Saturday 4th September 2021

Kick Off 12.30 Actual 12.31

Horley A.F.C. 4 Forest Row Reserves 1, attendance 8

1’ 1-0

6’ 2-0

32’ 3-0

45’ 3-1 (pen)

54’ 4-1

@ Court Lodge Playing Fields

Thornton Close

Horley

RH6 8RJ

No Admission or Programme.

This was an early kick off due to the Reserves also being at home today (there are two other pitches here, but they are both narrower than the main one) and meant an opportunity to take in a second game later in the afternoon, even if it would be a very limited choice, as the majority of lower level leagues kick off at 2 o’clock around these parts. After the long drive back from Mid Wales last night, it was nice to only have to drive sixteen minutes to get to this game.

Horley scored with the first attack and a cracking finish from the edge of the box saw them double their lead after just six minutes. I feared this would become a real thrashing, but despite scoring a third goal, just after the half hour mark, they failed to add to it and Forest Row pulled it back to 3-1, scoring a penalty in the last minute of the half. Nine minutes into the second half it was 4-1, when a diagonal free kick was swept in at the far post and that was it as far as where the three points were heading.

Mid Wales League

East Division

Friday 3rd September 2021

Kick Off 18.30 On Time !

Newtown Wanderers 3 Forden United 3, attendance 32

3’ 0-1

11’ 0-2

43’ 1-2

61’ 2-2

70’ 3-2

81’ 3-3 (pen)

@ Trehafren Fields

off Park Lane

Newtown

SY16 1EN

No Admission or Programme.

It is baffling how this ground can possibly be classed as good enough to host tier 4 football. The players get changed at Latham Park, home of Newtown F.C. and having walked across the car park, they then head down a track towards the river. Here they reach an overgrown area, where there are a couple of very small sized goal posts set out around 200 yards apart. They turn left here and walk into a second area, beyond a hedge, where there are two more pitches that run lengthways, end on end, with the pitch furthest away being the one in use. There is nothing here, bar a rope at one end and along the side that runs parallel to the footpath.

Newtown Wanderers have not had a great start to the season, having lost six of their seven games so far, with their only points coming from a 9-1 win away at bottom club Llanfyllin Town. Forden United had done little better, managing just 7 points from their opening seven matches.

Two defensive mistakes by Newtown saw Forden go 0-2 ahead after eleven minutes and they were well in command. An absolute scorcher for Newtown, that flew into the top corner, pulled it back to 1-2 just before halftime. By the hour mark it was 2-2, as the Forden ‘keeper seemed to totally misjudge a 25 yarder that looked an easy save and ten minutes later Newtown completed the comeback to edge 3-2 ahead. Nine minutes from time Forden equalised from a penalty to make it 3-3. A draw was probably a fair result overall.

The journey up was trouble free, but 40 minutes were lost on the return (we ignored the SatNav, deciding not to take the £7 rip off on the Toll Road). The M6 was closed for bridge work at Junction 10, meaning queuing up the slip road and across the roundabout, before rejoining the other side, then just south of Junction 7 the Police stopped the traffic for 15-20 minutes. There was no evidence of anything having happened, as we were finally allowed to continue on our way.

Cheltenham League

Division 1 North

Thursday 2nd September 2021

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.13

Prestbury Rovers 2 Bishop’s Cleeve Reserves 2, attendance 21

5’ 1-0

73’ 2-0

76’ 2-1

78’ 2-2

@ Prestbury Playing Fields

New Barn Close

Prestbury

GL52 3LP

No Admission or Programme.

Having already planned to come here, it was disappointing to see that the match was off according to The Football Traveller magazine. However, the F.A. Full Time website was still listing the fixture, so a text to the very helpful Prestbury Rovers secretary was required and he confirmed that the game was indeed on. Not sure where TFT got the wrong information from, but it shows it can’t be trusted and confirmation of matches from more reliable sources is a safer bet.

Prestbury took an early lead, but failed to add any further goals during an even first half. When they went 2-0 up with seventeen minutes left it looked like the game was safe, but three minutes later an own goal gave BCR hope, and within a couple of minutes they had levelled it up at 2-2. A decent night’s entertainment and glad we checked that the game was still on!

Stroud & District League

Division 1

Wednesday 1st September 2021

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.17

Wickwar Wanderers 2 Kingswood 3, attendance 55

20’ 0-1

25’ 1-1

40’ 1-2

41’ 1-3

73’ 2-3

@ King George V Playing Field

The Downs Road

Wickwar

GL12 8NE

No Admission or Programme.

Wickwar had managed a win and a defeat from their opening two games, whilst ex-Gloucestershire County League club and league leaders Kingswood had won three from three, scoring 15 goals and conceding just 1 in the process.

It was Kingswood who went ahead on twenty minutes, with a superb strike into the top corner from 25 yards, that gave the ‘keeper no chance. Within five minutes Wickwar were level, when a striker cut in from the left and fired in a shot off the inside of the far post. Five minutes before halftime Kingswood went 1-2 up when a free kick wasn’t cleared and the ball was smashed in from 12 yards and a minute later it was 1-3, with the ball lobbed in from near the touch line. The first half was as good as anything I’ve seen this season and was such a contrast to last night’s match.

The second half was never going to be as good as the first, but it didn’t fall far short. Wickwar did pull it back to 2-3, with a good finish from a defence splitting pass and they were unlucky not to get a point from the game as they were well on top for the last quarter of an hour. The final whistle came as a huge relief to Kingswood, but they held on to maintain their 100% winning start to the season.

Trowbridge & District League

Division 1

Tuesday 31st August 2021

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.14

Semington Magpies 1 Freshford United 0, attendance 28

59’ 1-0

@ Little Marsh Playing Field

Cross Roads

Little Marsh

BA14 6JE

No Admission or Programme.

Living in the South East means there are very few non floodlit matches played at the start of the season, but there are plenty of options if you head westwards. This was the first game I had ever watched in the Trowbridge & District League, with Division 1 being the top tier.

I don’t know what was more disappointing, the fact that the Magpies didn’t play in black and white, or just how poor a standard the football was. It was dreadful, which perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise given that the two teams had only one win between them from their opening nine matches. It didn’t help that the pitch was far too wide (70 yards) for this level of football. Unbelievably, the game somehow managed to produce a goal, which was a lob over the ‘keeper from the corner of the 18 yard box. One goal was always going to be enough to win the game.

It was certainly not the greatest match to mark my 5,555th ground visit.