Wiltshire Senior League

Division 1

Tuesday 20th August 2024

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.29

Down Ampney 20 (Twenty) Purton 0, attendance 32

@ Broadleaze

The Butts

Down Ampney

GL7 5QX

No Admission or Programme.

Well, what can you say about this…before we’d even played half an hour it was already 7-0, which was too much for the Purton ‘keeper, who walked off the pitch, not to return. They’d already made two substitutions by then and continued playing with a man short, with their third substitute, another outfield player, taking over in goal. By halftime the dozen had been notched up and the half finished with a few questionable challenges and I feared the game may have been called to a halt. To their credit (sic) Purton came out for the second half and managed to complete the first six minutes without conceding, by which time a late arriving player then saw them back to the full compliment of eleven, but unfortunately goal number thirteen arrived within seconds of him joining the action. There was a brief respite, where they only conceded twice in the next fourteen minutes, but Down Ampney just never eased off. At 16-0 the hosts were awarded a penalty, but it was well saved by the stand-in ‘keeper, although a couple of minutes later it was indeed 17-0. Three goals in the last four minutes finally brought up the twenty….my record score, but sadly, a game that will only remain in the memory because of how farcical it all was, rather than a game of note to grace the occasion. Not sure if Purton will recover from this, after having lost their opening game 1-5….we will see.

Down Ampney are new in the Wiltshire Senior League this season, having finished mid table in the Swindon & District League Premier Division and had come into tonight’s game having won two of their first three games at the higher level. They play at ‘Broadleaze’, on the left hand side of the road heading north out of the village towards Poulton. There is a small car park and changing room building, whilst the pitch is through the hedge, (more parking around the perimeter) railed on three sides and backing onto open farmland behind the far goal end. There are a pair of dugouts with a very small section of cover adjacent (see below…can’t be many smaller than this?)

Hampshire Premier League

Division 1

Saturday 17th August 2024

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.01

Crofton Saints 5 Silchester Village 0, attendance 22

55’ 1-0

59’ 2-0

62’ 3-0

70’ 4-0

87’ 5-0

@ Seafield Park

Illustrious Road

Hill Head

PO14 2BN

No Admission or Programme.

Today’s game was between two of the newly promoted sides to this league. Crofton Saints had won the Southampton League Premier Division, losing just once all season, whilst Silchester Village had finished second in the Basingstoke & District League and were making a return to the higher level, a couple of years after being relegated and I’d visited them in 2020, before they added Village to their name. Crofton had started this season with two wins and a draw, whilst Silchester had lost the only game they’ve played so far.

It was not a great first half, with very little in the way of goal attempts, bar a Silchester header that was well saved. It certainly changed once Crofton broke the deadlock ten minutes into the second half. Two more in the next seven minutes made the game safe. Goal number four, a tap in after a cross wasn’t cleared came with twenty minutes left. Late on they saw a lobbed effort come back off the crossbar, followed by another shot that hit the crossbar following a corner, before finally making it 5-0 with three minutes left, finishing with a shot on the turn from the edge of the box.

Crofton play at Seafield Park in Hill Head, to the south west of Fareham and only a couple of hundred yards from the beach. Entering the ground off Illustrious Road, there is a car park and changing room building, with the main pitch at the far end, running widthways and roped on three sides.

Peterborough & District League

Premier Division

Wednesday 14th August 2024

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.36

Deeping United 0 Wittering Premiair 3, attendance 37

57’ 0-1

65’ 0-2

76’ 0-3

@ Werrington Leisure Centre (Extension)

Staniland Way

Werrington

PE4 6NA

No Admission or Programme.

I’ve always looked upon this league as one of the worst Step 7 leagues in the country and on the evidence of tonight, that opinion looks justified. I certainly can’t recall such a poor venue for this level and it is nowhere near meeting the minimal requirements. It is just a pitch in a large field. It’s not even roped off and even worse, there were no changing rooms! The players just got changed at the side of the pitch and left their bags in a heap next to where they set up their ‘benches’…not that there actually were any! To cap things off…both teams had near identical shirts. Luckily, the Referee was sensible and wanted to get the game played and the visitors wore orange bibs (at least two different shades) over their shirts, which, although not ideal, meant at least we had a game.

It was a match that looked destined to finish goalless, with Wittering having a penalty saved seven minutes before halftime and Deeping hitting the crossbar in stoppage time, followed by Wittering then hitting the post with the last kick of the half. The second half started in the same vein as the first, with Deeping sending a penalty high and wide only five minutes after the interval. Just before the hour mark Wittering broke the deadlock, when a ball pulled back from the left was finished with a downward header at the far post. Seven minutes later the same player scored his second, cutting in from the right before shooting left footed into the far corner and fourteen minutes from the end they made it 0-3, cutting inside to beat the ‘keeper low inside the near post. They almost added a fourth, when a speculative 25 yarder looped over the ‘keeper, but came back out off the post.

Peterborough & District League

Premier Division

Tuesday 13th August 2024

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.31

Sawtry 5 Chatteris Town 1, attendance 75

10’ 1-0

22’ 2-0

37’ 3-0

72’ 4-0

76’ 5-0

82’ 5-1

@ Greenfield Sports Pavilion

Straight Drove

off Old North Road (B1043)

Sawtry

PE28 5XN

No Admission or Programme.

I’d attempted to see a match here back in 2017 (7 years and 2 days ago to be precise), but despite both teams being there, the building was locked, there were no goal nets and the main pitch wasn’t even marked out (it got played on Pitch 2 in the end, apparently), so I bailed out and headed for Hedinghams United in the Cambridgeshire County League instead. No such problems tonight though. I arrived about an hour and a quarter before kick off, just in case I needed to divert elsewhere, but was pleased to see the nets up and corner flags out, as well as players starting to arrive.

The ground is to the east of the village, on the other side of the A1(M). The pitch, which is railed along one side and about 10 yards from the corners towards the goals, runs widthways in front of the changing room building, with a pair of dugouts on the halfway line at the same side. A tea bar was in operation throughout, selling hot and cold drinks and sweets and crisps.

Sawtry had lost their opening game 4-3 away at Stanground Cardea Sports on Saturday, whilst this was the first game of the season for Chatteris. It only took Sawtry ten minutes to break the deadlock, with a 20 yarder curled in off the far post and they added two more before halftime, both coming after beating an offside trap that the visitors still need to work on. In the last twenty minutes Sawtry added goals number four and five, heading in at the far post, before a one-two on the edge of the box was finished by rounding the ‘keeper and scoring from a tight angle. At least Chatteris rounded off the scoring for the night, when a ball in from the right was side footed in from close range.

It was a sweltering 28 degrees when I arrived at the ground, which meant a drinks break for the players in each half and it was still 21 degrees at the final whistle. At least the rain that was forecast to be heading east across the country never arrived.

West of Scotland League

Premier Division

Saturday 10th August 2024

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

Johnstone Burgh 3 Troon 0, attendance 350

52’ 1-0

77’ 2-0

85’ 3-0

@ Keanie Park

56 Auchenlodment Road

Johnstone

PA5 9PE

£9 Admission

No Programme.

I rounded off the two week trip north, by visiting the last of the traditional big old skool grounds of the Scottish Juniors I’d never seen a game at, Keanie Park, home of Johnstone Burgh, twice winners of the Scottish F.A. Junior Cup back in the 1960’s, during which a record attendance at the ground saw a reported 13,000 for a game versus Greenock. The ground is still impressive today. It is set in a bowl, with grass banking around the sides. There is an old covered stand on the far side, oddly offset from centre, whilst a small ‘homemade’ cover is on the changing room side, where there is also a small section of concrete terrace on the corner nearest the entrance. As with most grounds at this level, a tea bar selling hot pies and drinks doing a brisk trade. Even the old ‘gents’ is still in use….a wall that you go behind to do your business! The warm weather will have helped with a good sized crowd, including a small group of Burgh ultras, complete with flags and drum and the occasional chanting. No doubt pleased to meet up with their mates during the school holidays.

The game was 7th versus 4th in the league table, both teams having played three games so far, Burgh with a win and two draws and Troon two wins and one loss. A very disappointing first half, with little of note at either end, not surprisingly finished goalless. Burgh broke the deadlock seven minutes into the second half, when a cross in from the left was met with a stooping header that found the bottom corner from eight yards. They had a first time shot come back off the crossbar, before finally getting their second goal with thirteen minutes left, when a cut back from the right was controlled and finished into the bottom corner and they rounded off the scoring when they curled one in off the far post with five minutes left.

So, another successful trip north was complete. As well as the two English grounds visited during the first couple of days, another dozen were managed in Scotland. The new season is well and truly under way……As you can tell by the number of photos taken, I liked this ground! Even better, the 438 mile drive back from Renfrewshire was trouble free (apart from a diversion off the M25 between J11 and J10) arriving home just before 11pm.

Club Academy Scotland

U18 Elite League

Friday 9th August 2024

Kick Off 15.00 On Time!

Queen’s Park U18 3 Motherwell U18 1, attendance 68

26’ 1-0 (pen)

49’ 1-1

75’ 2-1

89’ 3-1

@ Lochinch Sports Pavilion, 3G Pitch

Pollok Country Park

Dumbreck Road

Bellahouston

Glasgow

G41 4SN

No Admission or Programme.

The Lochinch Sports Pavilion, a former police sports ground, is a new training base for Queen’s Park, located within Pollok Country Park. Today’s game was played on the 3G pitch immediately in front of the clubhouse/changing room building (there are also grass pitches here). It is fully railed off and unusually, has three dugouts (24 seats ) situated either side of the halfway line. In front of the clubhouse are some raised steps, but the view is slightly obscured from here. Although there is access around the full pitch, all spectators remained on the clubhouse side. A phone call to the home club this morning confirmed venue and kick off time and no problem gaining access to watch.

It was very windy, which didn’t help the game as a spectacle, as the pitch is very exposed to the elements and having started off in under blue skies, the rain finally arrived with about five minutes left. The only goal of the first half was a penalty for the hosts. Motherwell levelled four minutes into the second half, riding two tackles before beating the ‘keeper with a shot into the far corner. Queen’s Park went back in front with fifteen minutes left, when a ball pulled back across the box was finished into the roof of the net from six yards and they made the game safe in the dying minutes, finishing with a first time shot into the bottom corner after a misplaced back pass was intercepted on the edge of the D.

Friendly

Thursday 8th August 2024

Kick Off 18.45 Actual 18.51

Bridge of Earn A.F.C. 3 Luncarty A.F.C. 2, attendance 45

18’ 1-0

31’ 1-1

67’ 2-1

81’ 2-2

86’ 3-2

@ Victory Park

Main Street (A912)

Bridge of Earn

PH2 9PL

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight’s friendly was Kingdom of Fife F.A. League versus Perthshire Amateur F.A. League. It had rained quite hard in the hour up to kick off and there was light drizzle for the majority of the match, but the pitch here at Victory Park was in superb condition. It is located on the left hand side of Main Street, as you enter the village on the A912, when coming off Junction 9 of the M90. It is just an open pitch, but enclosed on all four sides and there’s a brick changing room building on the Main Street side of the ground.

Bridge of Earn opened the scoring courtesy of an own goal, but Luncarty levelled it at 1-1 scoring at the second attempt after a corner wasn’t cleared. Midway through the second half Bridge of Earn went back in front, when a free kick to the far side of the box was controlled and finished with a shot that took a slight deflection. Luncarty made it 2-2 with nine minutes left, finishing from just inside the box, but there was still time for Bridge of Earn to grab a late winner, when a free kick on the angle of the 18 yard box sailed over the ‘keeper and found it’s way in off the far post.

East of Scotland League

Division 1

Wednesday 7th August 2024

Kick Off 19.15 On Time!

Kinnoull 1 Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts 2, attendance 84

17’ 0-1

20’ 0-2

73’ 1-2

@ Tulloch Park

Tulloch Road

Perth

PH1 2SN

£6 Admission

No Programme.

Tonight’s game was 8th versus 14th (out of 16) in the league table, with Kinnoull having one win and one defeat from their opening two games, whilst Inverkeithing had managed a draw and a defeat from their two played. It was the visitors who got off to the better start, opening the scoring after seventeen minutes, with an angled shot into the far corner. They doubled their lead three minutes later, when a cross from the right was volleyed in from inside the six yard box. They dominated the first half and could have been further ahead, but were unable to add to their tally and it looked like their job would be much easier when Kinnoull had a man red carded for dissent five minutes before halftime.

Although Inverkeithing did the majority of the attacking in the second half, Kinnoull remained in the game and they pulled it back to 1-2 with seventeen minutes left, bundling in a corner at the far post, but never really looked like adding to it and the visitors deservedly hung on to take the three points.

Kinnoull play at Tulloch Park in Perth. Entering behind the goal, the changing rooms/tea bar are in the near left hand corner, where there is cover and a few benches, but set back too far from the pitch to afford decent viewing. The pitch is fully railed and runs lengthways away from the building, with a pair of dugouts on the left hand side. There are also floodlights, but they looked to be more for training use.

S.J.F.A. North Region

League Cup Group 3

Tuesday 6th August 2024

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.32

Cruden Bay 0 Bridge of Don Thistle 10, attendance 33

6’ 0-1, 10’ 0-2, 22’ 0-3, 27’ 0-4, 32’ 0-5

51’ 0-6, 56’ 0-7, 67’ 0-8, 78’ 0-9, 83’ 0-10

@ Watson Park

off Auchiries Road

Cruden Bay

AB42 0PJ

£6 Admission

No Programme.

I was expecting a big away win here, although perhaps not by the double figure score that it ended up. Cruden Bay had finished bottom of the Championship last season, losing all 26 league games and even finished on minus three points, due to fielding an ineligible player in one of those matches, whilst Bridge of Don Thistle had finished second to champions Culter in the Super League. As far as the early group games in the League Cup go, it had been two defeats out of two for Cruden Bay (0-4 v Colony Park and 1-5 v Maud), but they were unlikely to pick up any points anyway, as they are a division below the three other teams. Bridge of Don Thistle had won their two games (1-0 v Colony and 3-2 v Maud), so only needed a draw tonight to guarantee them topping the group and advancing to the quarter finals.

The game was done and dusted after ten minutes, by which time it was 0-2. By halftime it was 0-5 and it was a case of when, rather than if, a double figure score would be achieved. In the end they managed it when they hit goal number ten with seven minutes left. It could easily have been at least another six, such was their dominance and the fact that they never took their foot off the pedal, even though the win was secured well before halftime.

Watson Park is to the north of the village, turning right off the road towards Auchiries, along what is basically a farm track, with the ground about 100 yards on the right. There is a small car park, which just about coped with tonight’s crowd, with changing rooms/tea bar/committee room to the left as you enter. The pitch runs lengthways. It is fully railed and has a small seated stand on the left hand side, with the dugouts opposite.

S.J.F.A. North Region

League Cup Group 4

Saturday 3rd August 2024

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

Stonehaven 3 Deveronside 0, attendance 63

17’ 1-0

27’ 2-0

74’ 3-0 (pen)

@ Glenury Park

Mineralwell

Stonehaven

AB39 2SP

£6 Admission, including 4 page programme.

Today I decided to visit the most southern based club in the S.J.F.A. North Region, at the Glenury Park home of North Premier League side Stonehaven, who were hosting Championship club Deveronside, one level below them. Both sides had won their opening group matches, Stonehaven winning 1-0 away at Buchanhaven Hearts and Deveronside beating Sunnybank 6-1 at home, with Owen Christie scoring five of the goals.

Stonehaven had the game sewn up within half an hour. They opened the scoring after seventeen minutes, heading in a cross from the left from 8 yards out and goal number two followed ten minutes later, when a free kick from the edge of the D was bent round the wall into the bottom corner. Deveronside had a great chance in the closing minutes of the half, missing an easy chance when through on goal, shooting high over the crossbar. Unfortunately for them, the chance didn’t fall to Owen Christie. In fact, he never really had a look in all afternoon and was well marshalled by the home defence for the entire ninety minutes. Any chance Deveronside had of getting anything out of the game disappeared when they had a defender sent off nine minutes into the second half. His offence was calling the Referee ‘a clown’ following an award of a free kick against them. As expected, Stonehaven were well on top for the remainder of the game, but were only able to add one more goal, which came from the penalty spot after a foul on the corner of the six yard box.

Glenury Park has the changing room building/tea bar (plenty of hot food on offer) behind the entrance goal end. The pitch is railed off and there’s a pair of dugouts on the left hand side. No cover here, but not needed on a glorious afternoon. Approaching the ground along a lane running alongside the river, you first come to a cricket ground, where there was a match taking place, before reaching the football club. At the far end of the car park there is a 3G pitch, which was also hosting a match, presumably a friendly, that kicked off half an hour before the Stonehaven game.