F.A. Youth Cup 4th Round

Friday 14th January 2022

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.04

Leicester City U18 1 Crewe Alexandra U18 0, attendance 448

90’ 1-0

@ Leicester City F.C. Training Ground, Stadium Pitch

Park Hill Lane

Seagrave

LE12 7NG

£3 Admission, plus £1-50 booking fee, Print at Home Ticket

Team Sheet, free.

I was surprised to see last Sunday that tickets for this game had gone on general sale. It was the perfect opportunity to visit the club’s brand new training facility and guarantee that the game would be played on the Stadium Pitch here, which has a 499 seat stand. Apparently there were 448 tickets available for the match and they had all sold by Wednesday evening. As with the training grounds of most Premier League clubs theses days, it is an impressive set up, which along with numerous other pitches, there is also a full size indoor one as well. It is a far cry from their Belvoir Drive Training Ground in Aylestone, where I saw their U18 side draw 1-1 versus Birmingham City, in a Midland Youth League match back on 19th September 1992.

It was advertised that there was limited parking at the site, but on arrival at 17.45, it was clear this wasn’t the case and there were plenty of spaces and everything was well organised. The only problem there would be tonight was the weather. It was very foggy and there were doubts that the game would reach the ninety minute mark, let alone extra time and possibly penalties. It certainly looked bleak approaching halftime, as the fog began to descend again, but thankfully, it started to lift early in the second half.

The first half wasn’t great. Crewe hit the crossbar early on and Leicester never looked like scoring. The second half improved. If there was to be a breakthrough, then it was the hosts that looked to be the more likely to achieve it, especially as they piled on the pressure in the last 15 minutes. The winner came with just 57 seconds of normal time remaining. Joe Wormleighton flicked the ball over one defender, then beat a second, before playing the ball across the 6 yard box for Jack Butterfill to net the winner. What a relief. I certainly didn’t fancy having to watch another half hour of what had been a poor game overall.

National League U19 Alliance

Division B

Wednesday 12th January 2022

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.02

V.C.D. Athletic U19 3 Charlton Athletic Trust U19 2, attendance 8

2’ 0-1

14’ 1-1

45’ 2-1

77’ 2-2 (pen)

90’+ 3, 3-2

@ Kidbrooke Playing Fields, 3G Pitch

Dursley Road

Kidbrooke

London

SE3 8PB

No Admission or Programme.

The ground here is home to Long Lane J.F.C. which perhaps explains why the pitch is so narrow, as it is only about 7 yards from touchline to 18 yard box. Spectator access is limited to one side only, but at least it is the entire length and there is a seated Atcost stand on the halfway line, but the sight lines are not good, which is why no one sat in it. There is a railed off grass pitch running the opposite way beyond the far goal, where Long Lane play on Division 2 West of the Kent County League, so another visit beckons one day to see a game on there as well.

Charlton took an early lead, but V.C.D. levelled through an own goal before we were quarter of an hour in. It was a good end to end, free flowing match, with V.C.D. edging 2-1 in front right on halftime, flicking the ball past the ‘keeper after a headed clearance from a free kick was put back into the box. The second half pattern followed that of the first and Charlton looked to have got a point, when a penalty made it 2-2 with thirteen minutes left, but V.C.D. nicked it in stoppage time, scrambling in from close range following a long throw into the 6 yard box.

Premier League 2

Division 2

Monday 10th January 2022

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.29

Aston Villa U23 1 Middlesbrough U23 2, attendance 200

21’ 0-1 (pen)

66’ 0-2

82’ 1-2

@ Bodymoor Heath Training Ground, Stadium Pitch

Bodymoor Heath Road

Bodymoor Heath

B78 2BB

£5 Admission, e-ticket.

Team Sheet, free.

I was quite surprised on Sunday to notice that tickets for this match had gone on general sale, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic causing a number of top clubs to close their training grounds recently due to outbreaks. It just required registering to obtain a fan I.D. number to enable buying a ticket online.

I had actually seen a match at Bodymoor Heath before, when I saw Villa U18 beat their Wolverhampton Wanderers counterparts 3-1 in a Midland Youth League game, back on 17th December 1994. In those days the ground was immediately to your left (it is still there) as you turned in off Bodymoor Heath Road. Another 400 yards along the driveway is a section of the new training complex that has 4 pitches along with an indoor training centre, then another 3-400 yards further on is where todays game was played. There are a number of full and small sized pitches in this section, as well as a 3G pitch that backs on to the main Stadium Pitch.

The league table suggested this might be a home win, as Villa were fifth, having taken 22 points from their 13 games, whilst Middlesbrough had won just 4 of their fifteen games, losing the other eleven. It certainly went against form. Boro were the better side for long periods, taking a first half lead with a penalty scored by Calum Kavanagh. The same player added their second, rounding the ‘keeper when put through, before finishing from a tight angle. A late 20 yarder from Finley Thorndike, that the ‘keeper should really have saved, was too little, too late, as far as Villa getting anything from the match went. The second half had deteriorated badly, not helped by the constant time wasting from Boro, which was happening for the entire half. Unfortunately, we had a Referee who was too weak to put a stop to it.

Herts Senior County League

Division 1

Saturday 8th January 2022

Kick Off 15.00. On Time !

Oracle Components 2 Bovingdon Reserves 0, attendance 12

26’ 1-0

75’ 2-0

@ Richard Hale School, 3G Pitch

Peg’s Lane

Hertford

SG13 8EN

No Admission or Programme.

I’m not a fan of doing 3G grounds on a Saturday afternoon, or watching games with Reserve team opposition, but the late kick off at my earlier match left me with little option. At least it meant I would complete the top two divisions of the Herts Senior County League by finally getting this one done and it had the look of a decent game, as it was 3rd versus 5th in the league table. Unlike earlier, there was a spectator rail along almost three quarters of the near side, and with the opposite side and the far goal end being enclosed by wooden fencing panels, rather than the standard see through mesh fencing, meaning it didn’t really feel like a cage,(apart from the small sized goals all over the place) which is certainly a plus.

I was surprised at how good the football on show was, from both teams. It certainly seemed a better standard than other matches I have watched in this division (tier 2) over the years. The game was decided by a goal in each half for the hosts. A right wing cross was headed in at the far post for the opener, before another header, finding the top corner of the net from 10 yards, with fifteen minutes left, made the points safe.

The win sees Oracle Components leapfrog Hinton into second place in the table. They trail leaders Hertford Heath by eight points, but do have two games in hand, as well as hosting them here later in the season, so they are in with a great chance of taking the title.

Arthurian League

Junior League Cup 1st Round

Saturday 8th January 2022

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 12.02

Old Albanians S.A. 4 Old Johnians 4 (6-7 pens), attendance 2

9’ 1-0

19’ 2-0

20’ 2-1

45’ 3-1

47’ 3-2

82’ 3-3

90’ 4-3

90’+ 2, 4-4

@ St. Joan of Arc Catholic School, 3G Pitch

High Street

Rickmansworth

WD3 1HG

No Admission or Programme.

I came here for this fixture back on 11th December, but neither team turned up. Apparently it was postponed due to the visitors being unable to fulfil the early kick off slot. It was a pity that the F.A. Full Time website hadn’t been updated to show this. Today offered a second opportunity to see a game here, (it’s just a standard cage, with no spectator area, but no problem watching inside the fence) but not without the drama/farce of a double booking of the pitch, which finally saw the game kick off 62 minutes late!

The match was 3rd in Division 4 versus top of Division 2. Albanians took an early lead, before two cracking 25 yarders, sandwiched by Johnians pulling a goal back, saw the hosts lead 3-1 at the break. Johnians dominated the second half, but despite pulling a goal back within minutes of the restart, it wasn’t until eight minutes from time before they deservedly drew level at 3-3. Albanians went back in front as the clock hit ninety minutes, but were immediately down to ten men, as the scorer picked up a second yellow card in a matter of minutes, the first for a foul, then the second for taking his shirt off during the goal celebrations. There was still time for Johnians to make it 4-4, heading in a corner at the far post a couple of minutes into stoppage time.

It was straight to penalties. The first 12 kicks were scored, before Albanians missed the next one. Their ‘keeper never looked like getting near any of the penalties, diving when the ball was already past him (rather like Peter Shilton for England at Italia 90), so it was no surprise that Johnians won it with the next kick, taking the shootout 6-7. (wrongly shown as 4-5 on pens on F.A. Full Time)

The late kick off meant my planned double for today was now down to just two options. It was just a case of whether I chose the 15.00 or 16.00 kick off, both of which were 3G pitches.

Stroud & District League

Presidents Cup 2nd Round

Monday 3rd January 2022

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.59

Minety 3 Rodborough Old Boys 1, attendance 29

12’ 1-0

48’ 1-1

49’ 2-1

82’ 3-1

@ Badminton Memorial Hall

Haye’s Lane

Badminton

GL9 1DD

No Admission or Programme.

I had a few new ground options today, but this was the safer bet, as I had three other all first team matches in this league, as well as one in the Somerset County League, so I had enough back ups in case of weather or late Covid-19 call offs. Minety tweeted early on that their match was going ahead and that the pitch ‘would take a stud’, so it was all systems go. They are playing this season in the village of Badminton (more famous for it’s horse trials, than it’s football) due to the poor condition of their own pitch back in Minety, some 17 miles to the east of here. The ground is where Badminton Picksons played in the Hellenic League for six seasons, up until 1987, although it may have been a different pitch back then. It was also home to cricket, but that is no longer played here, but the old scoreboard and pavilion remain, if a little worse for wear.

The match was second in Division 2 versus top of Division 1. Minety took an early lead, heading in with the visitors ‘keeper lay on the floor, claiming he had been fouled when trying to punch the initial cross clear, but the Referee was having none of it. The game was end to end and the visitors pushed hard for an equaliser. It didn’t come until three minutes into the second half, but they were only level for a minute, a shot from the edge of the 18 yard box seeing Minety regain the lead to go 2-1 up. The game was in the balance until the hosts added a third goal with eight minutes left to make the game safe.

National League South

Sunday 2nd January 2022

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.01

Ebbsfleet United 1 Dartford 0, attendance 2,566

85’ 1-0

@ Kuflink Stadium

Stonebridge Road

Northfleet

DA11 9GN

£15 Admission

£3 Programme, didn’t bother buying.

When the York City match was postponed due to Covid-19, it left me without a new ground option for today, so I again revisited somewhere I hadn’t been to for years. It was back on 5th September 1992, well before the ground had a sponsored name and in the days that the club was still known as Gravesend & Northfleet. They beat Witney Town 2-1 in a Southern League Southern Division match in front of 492 spectators. I remember being impressed with the size of the ground, but I don’t think I really appreciated just how good it was. I was still only just getting into serious non-league ground hopping at the time (this was ground number 319) and most of the grounds I visited back then were pretty decent. It was well before the days of ‘standing in a field’ every week! The ground still oozes character, but ‘improvements’ and updates to the old place are slowly taking over. Thankfully, it hasn’t been too spoiled yet!

The match was 3rd versus 4th in the league table, for a North Kent derby that is one of the oldest fixtures in football (according to the stadium announcer) having first been played in 1906. It attracted a decent crowd of 2,566, the biggest league attendance for this fixture for 62 years, which if the current quoted stadium capacity is correct (4,769) was just over half full. There is no way you could have got another 2,203 in here.

As with yesterday, it was a poor game. It is safe to say that defences were on top. Dartford had three great chances, but failed to hit the target with any of them. Ebbsfleet had a deflected effort that went past the far post, but offered little else. It looked to be heading for a 0-0 draw, when Ebbsfleet conjured a chance with five minutes left, Ben Chapman firing past the ‘keeper when put through on goal.

Isthmian League

Division 1 South East

Saturday 1st January 2022

Kick Off 15.00. On Time !

Hastings United 1 Lancing 0, attendance 2,017

69’ 1-0

@ The Pilot Field

Elphinstone Road

Hastings

TN34 2AX

£12 Admission

£2.50 Programme, 36 pages.

I only had three new ground options in England today. It was too risky with the prospect of late call offs due to Covid-19, to attempt either Goonhavern or Rosudgeon in Cornwall (both played) and I just didn’t fancy Stroud United in Division 4 of the Stroud & Distict League, as the opposition were Stonehouse Town 3rds.

I opted instead for a revisit at a ground I last visited on 17th January 1997, when I saw Hastings Town lose 1-3 to Salisbury City in an F.A. Trophy 1st Round match, in front of 389 spectators. It is now Hastings United that play here and they came into this top of the league table, whilst the visitors were third from bottom. The club were hopeful of attracting their biggest crowd of the season so far, having already topped four figures on five occasions this season, the best of which was 1,303 versus Ashford United. They absolutely smashed it, as an incredible 2,017 turned up, which included very few, if any, with the visitors. It wasn’t just a season best, but was their highest attendance ever for a league match, eclipsing the 1,834 that saw them host A.F.C. Wimbledon in 2005. Surprisingly, it didn’t even feel cramped, with plenty of space in the standing areas, although the seated stand looked pretty full. These old style grounds have much more character than the boring modern builds will ever have, even if they are a bit rough around the edges.

Unfortunately, the game itself was dreadful. In fact, it wasn’t even that good! Lancing came for a 0-0 draw and offered little. Hastings were awful. It certainly doesn’t say much for this league if they are top. The only goal came from a scramble in the box, that saw Joe Dixon fire in off the underside of the crossbar from 10 yards, with just over twenty minutes left. Ten minutes from time Hastings had a chance to make it 2-0 from the penalty spot, but the effort was easily saved by the visitor’s ‘keeper. Despite kicking off on time, the game didn’t finish until 16.57.

Saturday 1st January 2022 (Non match day visit)

Elphinstone Road

Hastings

TN34 2AY

On 18th January 1997 I saw St. Leonards Stamcroft lose 0-1 here to Newport A.F.C. in an F.A. Trophy 1st Round match in front of 501 spectators. The ground can no longer host 11 a side games, as a small 3G pitch has been built at one end, meaning it is too short to fit a full length pitch here now. 25 years on from my visit here and there is a surprising amount of evidence that a high level of non-league football was played here up until 2004. It is now just used for training.

Gloucestershire County League

Tuesday 28th December 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.59

Ruardean Hill Rangers 0 Broadwell Amateurs 2, attendance 299

12’ 0-1

63’ 0-2

@ Ruardean Hill Sports Club

Highview Road

Ruardean Road

GL17 9AR

£2 Admission, including Programme, 24 pages.

Today’s match saw a trip to Ruardean Hill, which at 920 feet above sea level, is the highest point in the Forest of Dean, according to the excellent match day programme. This was the only game scheduled in the Gloucestershire County League over the festive period and they were well rewarded with a bumper crowd of 299, against their local rivals who are just ten minutes drive to the south west of here.

It was 11th versus 4th in the league table and was a fully committed derby. The visitors went ahead after twelve minutes, but struggled to get the all important second goal to kill the game off. Just after the hour mark Kieran James scored his second goal of the game, cutting in from the right, beating two players in the process, before superbly chipping the ball over the ‘keeper to make it 0-2.

Today’s visit leaves me with just Rockleaze Rangers to complete the league. As it is a 3G pitch, then I certainly won’t be rushing there. It also brought down the curtain on my football ground visits for the calendar year. After last year (with the enforced shutdown due to COVID-19, where there were five complete months with no football for me) where I managed just 90 new ground visits, it was good to round off this year with 173, despite there being no games until April. I can’t see the 396 new grounds done in 2014 being troubled any time soon.