Arthurian League

Premier Division

Saturday 27th November 2021

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.04

King’s College Wimbledon Old Boys 2 Old Wykehamists 1, attendance 7

68’ 0-1

73’ 1-1

87’ 2-1

@ Imber Court Sports Club

Ember Lane

East Molesey

KT8 0BT

No Admission or Programme.

Imber Court Sports Club is also home to Southern League Premier Division South club Metropolitan Police F.C. They play on the stadium pitch here, whilst there are three parallel pitches on the open part of the sports ground, behind the left hand goal, with this morning’s game taking place on the furthest of the three from the entrance, which has a more enclosed feel than the other two.

Today’s match was 7th versus 3rd in the league table. It was a little disappointing that Wykehamists turned up with just ten players, although an eleventh did make up the numbers three minutes before halftime. An even first half finished goalless, but there had been plenty of chances.

Wykehamists broke the deadlock midway through the second half, the striker who scored all six of their goals when I saw them win at Old Harrovians a few weeks ago, firing his shot left footed across the ‘keeper into the far corner of the net. King’s were level within five minutes, when a one-two on the edge of the box was poked past the ‘keeper and they won it late on, when a free kick was headed back across the box and nodded in from close range. The win sees King’s leapfrog Wykehamists in the league table.

British Universities & Colleges Sport

South Eastern 6D

Wednesday 24th November 2021

Kick Off 14.00. On Time !

London South Bank University 7 University Greenwich 3rds 3, attendance 5

2’ 1-0

11’ 1-1

26’ 2-1

29’ 3-1

30’ 3-2

32’ 4-2

42’ 4-3

64’ 5-3

80’ 6-3

84’ 7-3

@ Peckham Rye Park

Colyton Road

Peckham

London

SE22 0NP

No Admission or Programme.

I had seen London South Bank University play at home before, when they lost 2-3 to Canterbury Christ Church Univesity, in a game played at Dulwich Sports Ground in Turney Road, back on 18th March 2009. They have dropped three levels since then and can’t drop much further (there are 7 tiers in the SE section). The ground here at Peckham Rye Park is basic, to say the least, and very poor by comparison to many university set ups, but it was a bonus that there are no parking restrictions, or charges, in the roads surrounding the park. At least they had goal nets today (I know someone who did their last home game and they played without nets!), although not enough pegs to pin them down at both ends. They didn’t have corner flags either.

These two had played each other last week at Greenwich, with South Bank winning 12-2, so I was expecting a few goals today. When South Bank scored with their first attack, after just two minutes, I feared this might be a real thrashing, but it turned out to be a really entertaining game. A very even first half saw South Bank lead 4-3 at the break. The second half was less competitive, but despite being well on top, South Bank only added three more goals, to give them an emphatic 7-3 win.

North West Counties League

Division 1 North

Tuesday 23rd November 2021

Kick Off 20.00 Actual 20.01

Steeton 1 Pilkington 4, attendance 86 (official 78)

24’ 0-1 (pen)

26’ 0-2 (pen)

34’ 0-3

43’ 1-3

54’ 1-4

@ Marley Stadium

Marley Playing Fields

Marland Road

off Airevalley Road

Keighley

BD21 4BD

£5 Admission (if you book in advance, paying online, it is £5.61. Why would anyone bother?)

£2 Programme, 44 pages.

I first saw Steeton play a home game back on 15th May 2002, when they lost 3-4 versus Hall Green United in a West Riding County Amateur League Division 1 match, which was played at Doris Wells Memorial Field in Summerhill Lane, which is in the village of Steeton itself. They now play here at Marley Stadium (on yet another 3G pitch that are all too common in this league) which is part of Marley Playing Fields, where I saw Phoenix beat Field 4-1 in a West Riding County Amateur League Premier Division match back on 3rd September 1999, which was played on the railed off pitch that runs parallel to the stadium pitch.

Tonight’s game was 14th versus 4th (out of 19) in the league table (the programme didn’t even have a league table in it!). A few weeks ago I had seen Pilkington get hammered 5-1 away at South Liverpool, where they were absolutely awful and a time when they were two places higher up the league table than they are now. They were the complete opposite tonight, winning the game without having to get out of first gear.

Two penalties, in a three minute spell midway through the first half, saw them go 0-2 up and it was soon 0-3 as they totally dominated. A corner from the right was headed in to pull it back to 1-3 just before the break, but Steeton never looked like ever pulling back the two goal deficit. Pilkington sewed the game up when they made it 1-4 early in the second half and apart from an effort that bounced down off the underside of the crossbar, before being cleared, Steeton produced very little and were deservedly beaten.

This completed the North West Counties League grounds once more. It would be nice if the next new ground in this league actually has a grass pitch, rather than a boring caged pitch, but somehow, I doubt it…..

Essex Alliance League

Senior Division

Saturday 20th November 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.10

F.C. Baresi 1 Chadwell Heath Spartans 2, attendance 13

17’ 0-1

35’ 1-1

48’ 1-2

@ Britannia Playing Fields

Academy Way

off Billet Road

Walthamstow

London

E17 5BF

No Admission or Programme.

This season the Essex Alliance has gained Step 7 status. Although I have done a few grounds of clubs that play in it, this was the first time I had actually seen a match in this league and with this being 6th versus 1st in the Senior Division, which is the top level (the Premier Division being the second level), then it seemed as good a place as any to start at. It wasnt the greatest first impression though, as just like this morning’s match, it kicked off late, but for no apparent reason.

The pitch is the middle of three pitches, in what is a large playing field, with their U23’s playing on the pitch nearest the changing rooms. The car park is small and with two games taking place simultaneously, finding a space is impossible. Parking restrictions in the surrounding area mean you can’t park between 0800 and 1830, unless you have a permit, so I parked at Sainsbury’s, on the other side of the A406 North Circular, where you can park free for 3 hours, with the walk back to the ground taking twelve or thirteen minutes.

The standard of play was decent, but the game as a package was more what I would expect at Sunday League football. The home team should have concentrated more on the football side of things, but seemed to want to turn it into a physical contest and both teams argued every single decision made by the match officials, where every other word was an expletive. Even the home ‘bench’ stood a yard or two onto the pitch most of the time.

Chadwell Heath went ahead when a corner was headed in at the far post, but Baresi levelled it up ten minutes before halftime, a cross chested down and finished left footed into the bottom corner of the net. The visitors got the winner three minutes into the second half, when the home ‘keeper totally misjudged a 30 yarder that looked a straight forward save. He jumped too early, coming down as the ball got to him, so only got his fingertips to it and the ball ended up crossing the line before he could recover it.

There had already been a mass brawl on the other pitch. Not to be outdone, the same thing happened here, just as we went into stoppage time. It was sparked by a player kicking out in an off the ball incident and ended up with the visitors having a man sent off. It could easily have ended with the game being abandoned.

Arthurian League

Division 1

Saturday 20th November 2021

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.11

Old Cholmeleians 3 Old Rugbeians 2, attendance 3

2’ 0-1

43’ 0-2

71’ 1-2

75’ 2-2

85’ 3-2

@ Old Cholmeleians Sports Ground

Hendon Wood Lane

Highwood Hill

London

NW7 4HR

No Admission or Programme.

Today’s match was 2nd versus 5th in the league table, which kicked off eleven minutes late due to Rugbeians stalling for time as their players arrived in dribs and drabs, four of them getting there after the scheduled start time. It didn’t affect them too badly though, as they were ahead just two minutes in, when a shot from the edge of the box went in off the post. They had a chance to double their lead a couple of minutes later, but spent the rest of the half hanging on desperately to their advantage as Cholmeleians were controlling the game. Out of nothing Rugbeians broke away to go 0-2 up just before halftime.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, Cholmeleians attacking at will and Rugbeians defence standing firm. The hosts finally made the breakthrough with nineteen minutes left and when they headed in an equaliser four minutes later, it was just a matter of time until they got the winner, which came five minutes from time.

North Riding F.A. Senior Cup

2nd Round

Wednesday 17th November 2021

Kick Off 19.30. On Time !

Kader 3 Redcar Athletic 3 (1-4 pens), attendance 73 (official 75)

28’ 0-1

41’ 0-2 (pen)

45’+ 2, 1-2

69’ 2-2

73’ 2-3 (pen)

78’ 3-3

@ Outwood Academy Acklam, 3G Pitch

Hall Drive

Acklam

Middlesbrough

TS5 7JY

£6 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

I had been here before, when it was known as Hall Garth School, seeing Whinney Banks lose 1-3 versus North Ormesby in a Teesside League Division 2 match, which kicked off at 11 o’clock, on 13th December 2003. The game was played on a grass pitch, which is still there, but building work has gone on, as well as a renaming of the facility, since then. Kader have their own clubhouse and cafe here, but the walk from the buildings/changing rooms to the pitch is a good 150 yards. At least the cage had a designated spectator area, the centre section of the near side, with the dugouts opposite.

Kader are struggling this season, sitting second bottom of the North Riding League Premier Division table (Step 7). Redcar Athletic are thirteenth in Northern League Division 1 (Step 5), coming into this having suffered four consecutive defeats.

Redcar went in front just before the half hour mark, when a quick free kick from 30 yards sailed into the corner of the net, with the ‘keeper stood at the opposite side of the goal, still setting up the defensive wall. When they made it 0-2 from the penalty spot just before halftime, it looked all over, but Kader scored in stoppage time to make it 1-2 at the break and set it up nicely for the second half.

Halfway through the second half it was 2-2, when a long throw was flicked on and the ball was hooked in with an overhead kick. Four minutes later though, Redcar were back in front, when Matthew Bell converted his second penalty of the match, completing his hat trick in the process. Not to be outdone, Charlie Paterson made it 3-3 with twelve minutes left, scuffing a shot into the far corner to also complete his hat trick. With no further goals, it was straight to penalties to decide the tie.

Redcar took the first kick (Bell scoring his third penalty of the night) and having scored their first three, they found themselves in with a chance of winning it with their fourth one, as Kader had missed their first two, before dispatching their third. Redcar duly scored their next one, winning the shootout 4-1.

British Universities & Colleges Sport

Premier North

Wednesday 17th November 2021

Kick Off 13.00. On Time !

Loughborough University 0 University Stirling 2, attendance 32

57’ 0-1

78’ 0-2

@ Holywell Park, Pitch 7

Holywell Way

Loughborough

LE11 3QF

No Admission or Programme.

This was the third time I’ve been to Loughborough University for a game. On my first visit, back on 9th March 2005, I saw them beat M.M.U. Cheshire 5-0 in a Championship Play Off Quarter Final, which was played on Cayley No.1 pitch, which was on a part of the Haslegrave Cricket Ground, in the extreme east of the campus. My next visit was for the stadium pitch, where I saw them beat Dunkirk 3-1 in a Midland Alliance League Cup 2nd Round match on 6th November 2012. Then today it was for Pitch 7 on Holywell Park, which is on the extreme westerly edge of the campus. You can’t get any further apart than today’s pitch and the one I did at Cayley and it is a good 700-800 yards from the stadium pitch.

These two teams play at a reasonable level of football on a Saturday, as well as the top level of the University leagues. Loughborough are in the United Counties League Premier Division North, which is Step 5, whilst Stirling are in the Lowland League, which is level 5 in Scotland, one level below the Scottish Professional League.

As for today’s match it was 4th (out of 6) versus 2nd. Stirling looked to have the edge, but it took them nearly an hour to make the breakthrough, when a shot was curled into the top corner from the angle of the 18 yard box. The second goal came twelve minutes from time, finished from close range after Loughborough failed to clear a corner.

The game was over by 14.44, so ample time to head north east for my second game of the day.

Surrey F.A. Intermediate Cup

2nd Round

Saturday 13th November 2021

Kick Off 13.30Actual 13.32

Knaphill Athletic 1 Lyne 5, attendance 21

12’ 1-0

56’ 1-1

60’ 1-2

68’ 1-3

74’ 1-4

90’ 1-5

@ Waterers Park

Barley Mow Lane

Knaphill

GU21 2HX

No Admission or Programme.

This was 11th in the Surrey County Intermediate League (Western), which is Step 8, versus 8th in the Surrey Premier County League, which is Step 7, so the perfect ingredient for a cup tie.

It looked like there was a chance of an upset when Knaphill went ahead after twelve minutes, the ball being cut back from the right and swept in off the far post. They rode their luck as Lyne had efforts that hit both post and crossbar and their job looked even harder when their captain was sin binned in stoppage time at the end of the first half. Lyne then had a goal ruled out for offside with the last effort of the half, but it remained 1-0 at the break.

Having survived the opening eight minutes of the second half a man short, their resistance was broken just three minutes after they were back to full strength, a cracking 20 yarder curled into the top corner to make it 1-1. Four minutes later it was 1-2, this time a cross headed in from close range. Lyne dominated from here, scoring two more in the next quarter of an hour, before making it 1-5 in the dying seconds. It was a little harsh on Knaphill as they played their part in a really entertaining game.

Arthurian League

Division 4

Saturday 13th November 2021

Kick Off 10.00 Actual 10.04

Old King’s Scholars 1 Old Ardinians 4, attendance 2

12’ 0-1

26’ 0-2

74’ 0-3 (pen)

75’ 1-3

84’ 1-4

@ King’s House Sports Ground

Riverside Drive

Chiswick

London

W4 2SP

No Admission or Programme.

I had done a game here at King’s House Sports Ground before, when I saw Old Carthusians beat Old Salopians 3-2 in an Arthurian League Premier Division match on 11th May 2017, which was played on the 3G pitch. Today’s match was on grass. Looking from the clubhouse, the 3G is to the right, with a rugby pitch running widthways in front of you. The pitch used today is beyond this, offset at an angle to the rugby, due to it being bordered by three cricket squares. I will hopefully return here for a third time, as Civil Service have their own designated pitch within the complex, which has a seated stand. It is in the far right hand corner of the complex, beyond a floodlit training area.

Today’s match was between two teams with contrasting form. King’s had only picked up one point from their opening six matches, whilst Ardinians had a 100% winning start from their three games played. When Ardinians went ahead after just twelve minutes, it looked like this might be a comfortable away win, but the scorer injured his hamstring as he put the ball in. With no substitutes available, it meant they would have to play the remainder of the game with ten men. It didn’t make any difference to the eventual outcome, but it certainly made the game more of a contest. The turning point came early in the second half, when King’s had a penalty saved when it was 0-2. If it had gone in things could have been so different. Ardinians were far too strong, even with a man short, and were well deserved winners.

It was finished by 12.38, so plenty of time to get to a second match.

British Universities & Colleges Sport

Northern Conference Cup 2nd Round

Wednesday 10th November 2021

Kick Off 13.00 Actual 13.34

Leeds Trinity University 3 University Hull 1 (AET), attendance 22

23’ 0-1

81’ 1-1

93’ 2-1

113’ 3-1

@ Leeds Trinity University, 3G Pitch

Brownberrie Lane

Horsforth

Leeds

LS18 5HD

No Admission or Programme.

I had done a game here before, when I saw Trinity & All Saints College (now named Leeds Trinity University) beat University Huddersfield 3-0 on 26th October 2005, a game which was played on the pitch inside the old cinder running track, which is still there.

I chose this match today for two reasons. Firstly, it was an early kick off and secondly, if the game finished promptly, there was a chance of making it to a second game, as University Derby were kicking off at 17.00. Any chance of doubling up soon disappeared and it looked like the game here might not take place, so Derby was looking like it might become the only game today……

Hull only arrived at 12.46, but that was good compared to the Referee. He turned up at 13.19 and following a lot of faffing about, plus a minutes silence for Armistice Day, meant we finally kicked off thirty four minutes late!

The game was Tier 2 versus Tier 3, but both were evenly matched. Hull went ahead midway through the first half, against the run of play, and decided to just sit back and hope their luck would hold out. It nearly did, but the inevitable late equaliser for the home side came nine minutes from time, but rather than push for a winner, they settled for extra time. As is so often the case, a goal arrived early, when Trinity went 2-1 up just three minutes into the first period of extra time and they finally killed the game off with a third goal midway through the second period.

Three minutes into stoppage time a bad challenge by a Hull defender led to a huge melee on the touch line, which also included another of the Trinity teams who were due to have kicked off at 16.00 following this game. It ended up with two red cards for Hull and one for Trinity. The match finally finished at 16.15 and had taken 2 hours 41 minutes to reach it’s conclusion. Just the second period of extra time lasted a ridiculous 29 minutes!

The photo below shows the pitch Trinity played on back in 2005, pretty much unchanged.