East Cornwall Premier League

Wednesday 9th September 2020

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.32

Roche 0 St. Stephen 1, attendance 59

80’ 0-1

@ Roche Sports & Social Complex

Trezaise Road

Roche

PL26 8HD

£2 Admission

No Programme.

After last night, it was good to see that the Referee here had the sense to play 2 x 40 minute halves to avoid problems with the light, especially after we started a couple of minutes late. in fact, it even meant there was time for both teams to go back to the changing rooms at halftime. Even though there is only one entrance into the ground there was no track & trace in operation tonight, despite the fact that cash was the only way to pay your admission.

St. Stephen had lost their opening game 7-0 away at Mount Gould on Saturday, whilst this was the season opener for Roche. The game could have gone either way, with both sides going close a number of times in a very even contest. I had resigned myself to seeing a second successive goalless match, which would have been a third in four games, when St. Stephen snatched a last minute winner. The ‘keeper dribbled the ball out about 30 yards and hoofed a long ball towards the box. Striker Courtney Rowe controlled the ball and turned to shoot low into the far corner of the net from 20 yards.

The game was over at 20.01, still light enough to be able to see without any problems, but we wouldn’t have got away with a great deal longer. This brought down the curtain on the midweek early kick offs for non floodlit clubs for me. Roll on the end of March! Not a bad place to sign off at. Although the ground itself is nothing special, a large granite outcrop in the north east corner of the ground that hosts a ruined chapel means the backdrop certainly is.

East Cornwall Premier League

Tuesday 8th September 2020

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.29

St. Newlyn East 0 Foxhole Stars 0, attendance 61

@ St. Newlyn East Playing Field

Cargoll Road

St. Newlyn East

TR8 5LB

No Admission or Programme.

St. Newlyn East were sitting in second place in the Duchy League Premier Division when Covid-19 brought football to a halt in March, but were promoted into the East Cornwall Premier League for this season. They had started life in their new league with a 3-2 win away at St. Dominick on Saturday, with tonight being their first home game. Foxhole Stars were fourth when last season ‘ended’, but opened up the season with a 0-4 loss at home to Newquay Reserves on Saturday. Due to a combination of Covid-19 restrictions and refurbishment works going on, neither the changing rooms, stand or dugouts were in use tonight and the teams got changed at the side of the pitch. Track & Trace details were taken at the entrance.

With the match kicking off a minute early, then having just six minutes for halftime, all looked to be going well as far as getting the game in before darkness descended. Remarkably, with 36 minutes having been played in the second half, the Referee blew his whistle for full time, saying that it was too dark to complete the match. We only had nine minutes left to play, which would have been no problem, and if he thought it was indeed going to be the case, then why hadn’t he just decided to play 2 x 40 minute halves and be done with it. Apparently the teams had been informed at halftime that it would be a shorter second half.

Anyway, as for the game, it wasn’t too bad considering that there were no goals. St. Newlyn East had the better of the early exchanges, but Foxhole got stronger as the game went on and should really have won it on balance of play overall. Both teams seemed happy with a point each and there were very few complaints about the missing nine minutes at the end of the game.

Jack Forsdick Cup

Sunday 6th September 2020

Kick Off 10.30 Actual 10.32

Charlwood Village 4 Charlwood 3, attendance 41

8’ 0-1

34’ 1-1

36’ 2-1

40’ 3-1

44’ 4-1

57’ 4-2

80’ 4-3

@ Charlwood Recreation Ground

The Street

Charlwood

RH6 0BY

No Admission or Programme.

The Jack Forsdick Cup is played annually between the two clubs from the village, to honour the memory of Charlwood’s former groundsman, played at the ground shared by the two.

Charlwood Village play in the Redhill & District Sunday League Division 1 (top tier) with Charlwood making their debut yesterday in the Southern Combination League Division 2 (tier 3) having moved laterally from the fellow Step 7 Mid Sussex League Premier Division for this season.

Charlwood opened the scoring against the run of play, but Village hit them with a four goal burst late in the half to lead 4-1 at the break. Charlwood were much the better side in the second half, but could only claw back two of the three goals that they needed to draw level.

Kent County League

Premier Division

Saturday 5th September 2020

Kick Off 14.45 Actual 14.43

Peckham Town 0 Borden Village 0, attendance 159

@ Menace Arena

Dulwich Common

London

SE21 7EU

£3 Admission

£1 Programme, 12 pages.

It took around fifty minutes to drive the 11 miles from this morning’s match. I arrived to see that Track & Trace was in operation at the entrance due to the Covid-19 pandemic, although the fact that you had to write down your own contact details, with just one pen available to do so, meant it rather defeated the object! It also meant that the queue to get into the ground took the first twelve minutes of the match to clear!

Peckham Town certainly have the feel of a club very much on the up and the ground is developing along nicely. According to their club Twitter feed the crowd of 159 ( I counted 142) was a club record at the ground. Plenty of their supporters were in club shirts and scarves as well. The tea bar was up and running, but the clubhouse remained closed.

As far as the game went, the less said the better. It was really poor, not helped by both sides lacking any attacking flair whatsoever. It became obvious very early on that this would end goalless. The only time it looked like the deadlock may have been broken, was a late chance for Peckham, where a shot was deflected, but the ‘keeper got down well to turn it round the post.

Today’s visit means I have completed the top division of the Kent County League for the first time. Any trip to Peckham wouldn’t be complete without a mention of ‘Only Fools and Horses’ and sure enough, the theme tune was played over the tannoy at halftime!

Arthurian League

Premier Division

Saturday 5th September 2020

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 10.56

Old Carthusians 3 King’s College Wimbledon Old Boys 0, attendance 5

38’ 1-0

43’ 2-0

74’ 3-0

@ Commons Extension Sports Ground, Pitch 3

Robin Hood Way

London

SW15 3QF

No Admission or Programme.

This game was played here due to Old Carthusians normal home ground at Charterhouse School being unavailable due to Covid-19 restrictions. The match was played on Pitch 3, which is the furthest of the three parallel pitches when looking from the changing room building, which are separated by a hedge from another eight pitches beyond.

Old Carthusians are regularly challenging for the Arthurian League title and on today’s evidence this season will be no different. A stubborn King’s defence were finally broken down when a shot on the turn found it’s way into the bottom corner of the net seven minutes before the break, with a second goal, courtesy of a header, making it 2-0 shortly afterwards. The only goal of the second half, scored from a rebound, gave Old Carthusians a comfortable 3-0 win.

The game was over by 12.37 so plenty of time to head off for a second match.

Friendly

Thursday 3rd September 2020

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.13

Whistle Stop 6 Liss Athletic Reserves 3, attendance 32

34’ 1-0

37’ 1-1

42’ 1-2

50’ 2-2

57’ 2-3

71’ 3-3

75’ 4-3

90’+ 1, 5-3

90’+2, 6-3

@ Hawkley Pitches

Hawkley Road

West Liss

GU33 6JP

No Admission or Programme.

Whistle Stop are a new team in the Meon Valley Sunday League Division 1, whilst Liss Athletic Reserves play in the East Division of the Hampshire Combination & Development League.

Whistle Stop played in ‘West Liss F.C.’ kits (probably their name last season ?) and had the usual Sunday League look, where a couple of players had the wrong colour shorts, and another two in non matching socks, but as far as ability goes, they looked a decent side. For good measure, they even had substitutes coming on and putting on the shirt of the player they were replacing. Not very hygienic, especially with Covid-19 in our midst!

It was a good end to end game, that was in the balance until Whistle Stop killed the game off with two goals in stoppage time. I was surprised how light it was when we finished at 19.52, considering the thick cloud overhead.

Hampshire Premier League

Division 1

Wednesday 2nd September 2020

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 17.58

Silchester 4 Kingsclere 0, attendance 84

7’ 1-0

41’ 2-0

58’ 3-0

59’ 4-0

@ Silchester Recreation Ground

Pamber Road

Silchester

RG7 2PH

No Admission or Programme.

After watching twenty three friendlies since football returned, it was finally down to a competitive fixture. Silchester (apparently they have dropped Village from their name this season) were making their debut in the Hampshire Premier League Division 1 tonight, having played in the Basingstoke & District League last season. Kingsclere were sitting in mid table, in what was their first season in the league, when football was brought to a halt in March due to Covid-19.

Silchester didn’t have to wait long for their first goal at this level, a volley from 30 yards giving the ‘keeper no chance. Cameron George swept in the second goal, following a left wing cross, just before the break to give them a 2-0 lead, then he completed his hat trick, with two goals in a minute as we approached the hour mark.

Fair play to the Referee, and both teams, in getting underway a couple of minutes early, which meant the game finished at 19.40 and no problem whatsoever with the light.

Friendly

Tuesday 1st September 2020

Kick Off 19.15 Actual 19.17

Finchampstead 2 Yateley United 3, attendance 24

13’ 0-1

36’ 0-2

43’ 0-3

56’ 1-3

59’ 2-3

@ Arborfield Green Leisure Centre, 3G Pitch

Sheerlands Road

Arborfield Garrison

RG2 9GB

No Admission or Programme.

I had started the evening intending to watch Old Windsor (East Berkshire League) versus F.C. Dionysus (Thames Valley Sunday League) but it soon became apparent that this may be something of a ‘joke’ match, with the visitors ticking all the boxes when it comes to how many people perceive Sunday League football to be, so I bailed out in the hope of something better. When Dionysus started warming up, I noticed their players were wearing eight different colours of shorts and an even higher number when it came to the socks, although they did have matching shirts! A few minutes before the scheduled six o’clock start there was still no Referee either. At least I had back ups. It was a forty minute drive to my chosen game, which was a new ground for me, or I had the option of a later kick off for a revisit at an F.A. Cup tie, although that would be subject to actually being able to get in, such are the current limits on crowd numbers and advance tickets and so on.

The ground here at Arborfield is a pretty new set up, built as part of a huge housing development on what was once a Military base. Both clubs had advertised the match as being at The Bohunt School, which is next door, but very much a separate venue.

The match was between two Step 7 teams, Finchampstead playing in the Thames Valley Premier League Premier Division and Yateley United in the Hellenic League Division 2 East. It was very much a game of two halves. Yateley dominated the first half, building up a three goal lead, with Finchampmstead getting the better of the second period, but not quite able to get back on level terms.

Friendly

Sunday 30th August 2020

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 10.58

Barcombe 3 Burgess Hill Albion Reserves 0, attendance 13

14’ 1-0

42’ 2-0

61’ 3-0

@ Barcombe Recreation Ground

School Gardens

off School Path

Barcombe Cross

BN8 5DR

No Admission or Programme.

This was an unusual time and day for two Saturday teams to play a match. What was more strange though, was the fact that these two are in Mid Sussex League Division 4 South (Step 12) and they open up their season with this exact fixture this coming Saturday!

Barcombe took the honours today, courtesy of being the more clinical with their chances. Come Saturday, it could be a totally different outcome.

Friendly

Saturday 29th August 2020

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.59

Larkfield & New Hythe Wanderers 2 Eastbourne Town 4, attendance 83

12’ 0-1

33’ 0-2

40’ 0-3

66’ 0-4

75’ 1-4

87’ 2-4 (pen)

@ New Hythe Lane

Larkfield

ME20 6PU

No Admission or Programme.

I only made it here with a couple of minutes to spare. In fact, I was still giving in my Covid-19 track & trace details at the ground entrance when the game got underway a minute early. At least the pitch was in full view!

This match was only arranged on Friday, after both teams had been let down by their intended opposition pulling out at short notice, so it fitted the bill perfectly. Larkfield & New Hythe play in Division 1 Central & East of the Kent County League (Step 8) whilst Eastbourne Town play three levels higher, in the Premier Division of the Southern Combination League.

Eastbourne were well on top, although they were made to work hard. They were cruising towards a comfortable win, easing off towards the end, which enabled Larkfield & New Hythe to grab a couple of late goals that made the game look closer than it was.

So, the treble worked out fine in the end and the best ground of the day, as expected, was saved until last. To be fair, there can’t be too many grounds anywhere in the country better than this at Step 8.