Texas State High School Play Off Semi Final
Division 6A, District 2
Saturday 12th December 2015
Kick off 14.00
Lake Travis High School Cavaliers 49 Mansfield High School Tigers 21, attendance 3,500
@ Waco I.S.D. Stadium
1401, South New Road
Waco, TX 76711
$9 admission
No programme.
The stadium was opened in 2000 and has a capacity of 11,500. As at last weeks game, it wasn’t really close, this time Mansfield coming up short.
National Basketball Association
Wednesday 9th December 2015
Tip off 20.30
Dallas Mavericks 95 Atlanta Hawks 98, attendance 19,936
Mavericks Starters ;
Zaza Pachulia, 11 pts, 17 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl
Deron Williams, 18 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast,
Wesley Matthews, 17 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 blk
Dirk Nowitzki, 13 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk
Raymond Felton, 11 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl
Playing Reserves ;
Dwight Powell, Chandler Parsons, Devin Harris, J.J. Barea, Charlie Villanueva, Jeremy Evans
Hawks Starters ;
Al Horford, 14 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk
Paul Millsap, 20 pts, 11 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl, 1 blk
Kyle Korver, 8 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 blk
Jeff Teague, 14 pts, 2 reb, 6 ast,
Thabo Sefolosha, 7 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk
Playing Reserves ;
Kent Bazemore, Dennis Schroder, Lamar Patterson, Tiago Splitter, Mike Muscala,
@ American Airlines Center
2500, Victory Avenue
Dallas, TX 75219
Admission free, corporate guest in VIP Box, including free Gold Car Park Pass.
Programme free, 36 pages.
Watching a game from a VIP Box is certainly different. Yes, there is the free food and drink flowing freely and the car park is under the stadium , so you arrive by elevator onto the middle level of the arena and into your box, where there are 16 very comfortable seats, set in two rows, but although it is open, you somehow feel detached from what is going on around you and it feels a bit strange. Sadly, the Mavs were pretty poor so the atmosphere felt flat. I had quite fancied a Season Ticket here, but the cost is astronomical.
The AAC was opened in 2001 at a cost of $420 million. Capacity for Basketball is 19,200 which obviously doesn’t include the VIP seats judging by the attendance tonight. The Dallas Stars of the NHL also play home games here.
Texas State High School Play Off Quarter Final
Division 6A, District 2
Saturday 5th December 2015
Kick off 14.00
Mansfield High School Tigers 44 John H. Guyer High School Wildcats 7, attendance 2,500
@ Dragon Stadium
1085, South Kimball Avenue
Southlake, TX 76092
$8 admission
Programme free, 4 pages, produced by Mansfield H.S.
My first taste of High School football, so not sure what to expect. I have to say the whole package was pretty impressive and run as if it was a professional event. It was just a pity the game itself wasn’t more closely run as Mansfield were just too strong.
Dragon Stadium has a capacity of 11,000 and is owned by Carrol Independant School District.
The stadium has also hosted MLS games as Dallas Burn played here for their 2003 season and the bleachers at the East Endzone are a reminder of their days here as they remained when the soccer departed back to The Cotton Bowl.
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I
Thursday 3rd December 2015
Tip off 19.00
University Texas Arlington Mavericks 90 University North Texas Mean Green 67, attendance 6,107
@ College Park Center
600, South Center Street
Arlington, TX 76019
$10 admission
Programme free, 16 pages.
Opened in February 2012 at a cost of $78 million, having a seated capacity of 7,000. Tonight’s attendance has only been bettered once for a Mavericks home game, when 6,228 attended the opening match at the arena versus UTSA Roadrunners on 1st February 2012.
One thing you certainly notice here is the fantastic atmosphere the fans generate. Well worth the admission money and nice to park for free in the multi storey car park less than 100 yards walk away.
Following photos of poor quality due to camera malfunction.
National Basketball League
Wednesday 25th November 2015
Tip off 19.30
Los Angeles Clippers 91 Utah Jazz 102, attendance 19,060
Clippers Starters ;
Blake Griffin, 40 Pts, 12 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk
Chris Paul, 24 Pts, 5 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl
DeAndre Jordan, 8 pts, 11 reb, 3 stl, 4 blk
J.J. Redick, 3 pts, 1 ast, 1 stl
Wesley Johnson, 0 pts, 1 reb
Playing Reserves ;
Jamal Crawford, Austin Rivers, Josh Smith, Lance Stephenson, Paul Pierce, Luc Mbah a Moute
Jazz Starters ;
Gordon Hayward, 33 pts, 7 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl
Rudy Gobert, 10 pts, 11 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk
Derrick Favors, 22 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl
Rodney Hood, 13 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast
Paul Neto, 10 pts, 1 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl
Playing Reserves ;
Alec Burks, Trevor Booker, Trey Burke, Joe Ingles, Chris Johnson, Trey Lyles, Jeff Withey
@ Staples Center
1111, South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Admission $35 + $8.50 fees.
Team sheet, free.
The arena was opened in October 1999 at a cost of $375 million. It is shared with fellow NBA team Los Angeles Lakers and is also home to NHL team Los Angeles Kings. Oddly, the capacity for Clippers games is 19,060, whereas it is only 18,997 when the Lakers are playing host.
It is the only arena in the NBA shared by two teams from the same league and one of only two North American professional sports venues hosting two teams from the same league, the other being MetLife Stadium, in East Rutherford, home to New York Giants and New York Jets of the NFL.
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I
Monday 23rd November 2015
Tip off 18.00
University Southern California Trojans 96 California State University Northridge Matadors 61, attendance 2,764.
@ Galen Center
3400 South Figueroa Street,
Los Angeles, CA 90089.
Admission $15
Programme $5, covers all home November games, 84 pages.
The arena was opened in 2006 having cost $147 million to build. The capacity is 10,258, which was sold out for the record attendance versus the Arizona Wildcats in January 2008.
On 10th May 2014 the arena staged the World Boxing Council Heavyweight title fight between Chris Arreola and Bermane Stiverne.
National Football League
Sunday 22nd November 2015
Kick off 13.05
San Diego Chargers 3 Kansas City Chiefs 33, attendance 65,837
@ Qualcomm Stadium
9449 Friars Road
San Diego, CA 92108
Admission $56 + $10.99 fees (resale) print at home ticket.
Programme free, 16 page newspaper.
This was my first ever game in the NFL. KCC were far too strong and could have won by a much greater margin.
The stadium was opened in 1967 as San Diego Stadium, before becoming the Jack Murphy Stadium and in 1997 it took on the sponsors name. The San Diego State University Aztecs also play their home games here and it has staged three Superbowls, the last being in 2003.
The capacity here is 70,561 and being situated very near to the freeway it means a trouble free getaway. At least it was for us, as we parked in the tailgate area of the car park, for $25, and were soon away as most of the others here seemed in no rush to leave and in less than 5 minutes it was back on the freeway heading north back to LA.
U.S. Open Cup 2nd Qualifying Round
Saturday 21st November 2015
Kick off 19.30 actual 19.40
Los Angeles Wolves F.C. 2 Cal F.C. 1. attendance 85.
21′ 1-0
42′ 2-0
75′ 2-1
@ Toyota Sports Complex
555 Maple Avenue,
Torrance, CA 90503
$5 admission
No programme.
The venue here is basic to say the least. Just two artificial pitches running parallel, both with floodlights and tonight’s game was on Pitch 1, which is nearest the entrance and the only building on site, a toilet block. The players change elsewhere and come to the ground kitted out ready for action.
Both sides play in the United Premier Soccer League and the main difference between the sides was LAW player Sam Higgins who scored both their goals and looked a good prospect.
National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I
Saturday 14th November 2015
Tip off 19.00
Southern Methodist University Mustangs 85 Sam Houston State University Bearkats 50, attendance 6,852.
@ Moody Coliseum
6024 Airline Road
University Park, TX 75205
Admission free, borrowed Season Ticket.
Programme free, 4 pages.
Moody Coliseum has been home to SMU since December 1956. The arena has held as many as 10,276, but after four upgrades over the years capacity is now 7,000.
Excellent seats along the side of the court and even better when they are free as we were offered 2 season tickets by friends who couldn’t make the game.
Surprised to be sat opposite former U.S. President George W. Bush and wife Laura, an SMU graduate, who live locally and are regular visitors to the Moody Coliseum.
National Collegiate Athletic Association
Football Bowl Subdivision
Conference USA
Saturday 31st October 2015
19.30 kick off
University North Texas Mean Green 30 University Texas San Antonio Roadrunners 23 attendance 10,292
@ Apogee Stadium
1251, South Bonnie Brae Street
Denton, TX 76207
$12 admission
Programme free, 56 pages.
Apogee Stadium was opened on September 10th 2011, where the record attendance of 28,075 was set versus University Houston Cougars, some way short of the 30,850 capacity. Parking is across the other side of the I-35, next to the old stadium, with access via a footbridge. It certainly makes for a better getaway after the match as there is only one set of traffic lights before hitting the freeway.
This was the first time since arriving in the States that I had to wear more than a t-shirt as a cold wind was blowing. Suppose it’s not bad to get this far into the year before the cold sets in !
Halftime entertainment followed the Halloween theme, where around 100 members of the College Band performed ‘Thriller’ in full fancy dress costume. Better than the match !
