Northern League

Division 1

Tuesday 9th November 2021

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.31

West Allotment Celtic 1 Sunderland Ryhope Community Association 0, attendance 137 (official 125)

70’ 1-0

@ East Palmersville Sports Pavilion

Palm Court

off Great Lime Road

Palmersville

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE12 9HW

£6 Admission

£1 Programme, 20 pages.

I first visited West Allotment Celtic back on 30th October 2002, when I saw them lose 1-2 to Blyth Spartans in a Northumberland F.A. Senior Cup 1st Round match, which was played at the Blue Flames Sports Ground at Whitley Park in Benton. This is now the Northumberland F.A. ground. They left here and played at The Wheatsheaf Sports Ground in Woolsington, which I had already visited for Newcastle Blue Star 2 Chester-le-Street-Town 4, in a Northern League Division 1 match on 25th September 2001. This ground is now known as Druid Park and has had a 3G pitch installed. They have now moved here to East Palmersville Sports Pavilion, where they share the ground with Forest Hall Celtic of the Northern Alliance League.

West Allotment Celtic had been rooted to the bottom of the league table, but having won three of their last four games, they have climbed above Penrith and Bishop Auckland to now sit third bottom and tonight they were looking to win a third consecutive match. Sunderland R.C.A. came into this in tenth place.

The best way to describe this is that it was a tight affair. Neither side really got on top and it had 0-0 written all over it. The only goal of the game came twenty minutes from time, when a shot across the ‘keeper was blocked, but was followed in to finish from close range. A minute later, Celtic had a shot that came back off the inside of the post, with the ‘keeper well beaten, but that was as close as we came to getting another goal.

The win now sees Celtic move up another place in the table and having played fewer games than everyone else, a climb to mid table is well within their reach.

East Sussex League

Premier Division

Saturday 6th November 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.57

Hawkhurst United 2 Crowhurst 7, attendance 31

6’ 0-1

28’ 1-1

31’ 1-2

40’ 2-2

43’ 2-3

49’ 2-4

63’ 2-5

64’ 2-6

90’ 2-7

@ King George V Playing Fields

The Moor

Hawkhurst

TN18 4QB

No Admission or Programme.

This was 7th versus 2nd in the league table and the last ground I hadn’t visited in the Premier Division. Crowhurst played some really good football, which was of far higher standard than you’d expect for Step 8 football. They went ahead three times in the first half to lead 2-3 at the break, in a half where Hawkhurst only had three chances, converting two of them, the second goal coming direct from a corner, in off the far post.

An early second half goal saw the visitors go 2-4 up, before they scored twice in a minute, just after the hour mark, to race into a 2-6 lead. They coasted for the rest of the game, adding a seventh goal in the last minute to round things off, a 20 yarder that gave the ‘keeper no chance.

Arthurian League

Premier Division

Saturday 6th November 2021

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.02

Old Tonbridgians 4 Old Carthusians 2, attendance 11

18’ 1-0 (pen)

29’ 2-0

32’ 3-0

50’ 4-0

78’ 4-1

84’ 4-2

@ Tonbridge School Centre

London Road

Tonbridge

TN10 3AD

No Admission or Programme.

I had previously seen Old Tonbridgians play a home game at the 3G pitch at Wrotham School, where they beat Old Salopians 1-0 in an Arthur Dunn Cup match, back on 24th February 2018. This season they are playing home matches at Tonbridge School Centre. I had seen Tonbridge School at home in an Independent Schools F.A. Cup match in 2011, which was also played here, but it was in a different part of the complex, a few hundred yards from the pitch used by Old Tonbridgians.

Today’s match was 4th versus 1st in the league table, Carthusians having a 100% winning start from their six matches played. When Tonbridgians went ahead from the penalty spot after eighteen minutes, it set the game up perfectly for the neutral. However, when they added two more goals with little more than half an hour on the clock, it was certainly not going to form. When they made it 4-0 five minutes into the second half, there was to be no comeback for the visitors, although they gave it a good go, scoring twice in the last twelve minutes, but they had left themselves with too much to do.

Essex Senior League

Friday 5th November 2021

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.49

Woodford Town 1 Little Oakley 2, attendance 242 (official)

27’ 0-1

33’ 1-1

66’ 1-2

@ Ashton Stadium

598 Chigwell Road

Woodford Green

IG8 8AA

£7 Admission

£2 Programme, 24 pages.

I came to a friendly at Ashton Playing Fields (a 2-2 draw between Epping Town and Jolof Sports), which is behind the stadium pitch, back on 1st August 2020, which was the first day back for non-League football following the first COVID-19 shutdown. I walked across the pitch in the middle of the athletics track and couldn’t believe how poor a state it was in and it is remarkable how good it looked tonight. The only addition here since then is the kit stand, which is set back and too low to give a decent view. It is particularly bad here though, as apart from the 8 lane track, there are also the long/triple jump pits to look across as well.

It was hard to enjoy the match, as you are too far away from the action and it feels like you’re not really a part of it and it doesn’t help that you can’t really hear the shout of the players. There is no atmosphere, unless you count the annoying gaggle with a drum, who took over one end of the stand. It was interesting to see on Twitter that they were hoping to get a 500 crowd tonight! They actually announced there were 242 there, but there were no more than 180 present.

Little Oakley went in front just before the half hour mark, with a lob over the ‘keeper from well outside the box. Woodford levelled six minutes later with an effort into the bottom corner from twenty yards. The winner came for the visitors midway through the second half, the player cutting in from the left before shooting low into the bottom corner.

British Universities & Colleges Sport

South Eastern Division 4C

Wednesday 3rd November 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

University Greenwich 3 University Essex 2nds 4, attendance 8

13’ 0-1

19’ 1-1

29’ 1-2

53’ 1-3

57’ 1-4

74’ 2-4

77’ 3-4 (pen)

@ University of Greenwich Avery Hill Campus, 3G Pitch

Avery Hill Road

Avery Hill

London

SE9 2UG

No Admission or Programme.

Despite being a 3G cage, it didn’t feel like one. Perhaps it was due to it also having a rugby pitch also marked out, so there was a fair gap between the goal ends and the fences. There was also around 6 yards from the near touch line to the spectator barrier and coupled with the fact that the spare goals were put away into areas behind the barrier, then it actually gave good sight lines along the full pitch length. If only all caged pitches were designed like this.

Essex were the better side throughout and two late goals for Greenwich made it look far closer than it really was. After going 1-2 up, Essex hit both the post and crossbar, and once 1-4 ahead, had another effort off the woodwork

A mass brawl three minutes into stoppage time saw Greenwich end the game with ten men (both teams could easily have lost two players each) and three minutes later Essex also had a man sent off, this time for picking up a second yellow card.

North West Counties League

Premier Division

Tuesday 2nd November 2021

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.44

Burscough 2 Northwich Victoria 0, attendance 131 (official)

37’ 1-0

87’ 2-0

@ The Community Ground

Bobby Langton Way

Burscough

L40 0SW

£6 Admission

£2 Programme, 28 pages.

I had visited Victoria Park, the former home of Burscough, back on 28th November 1994, when I saw them lose 1-4 to Atherton Laburnum Rovers in a Lancashire F.A. Trophy 1st Round match. The ground was in Mart Lane, only one hundred yards from the new ground and already replaced by a new housing estate. I don’t remember much about the ground, but it couldn’t have been anything like the soulless place that they now call home.

The new ground is dreadful. To say it is basic, considering it hosts Step 5 football, is an understatement, but this is the type of ground synonymous with the North West Counties League these days. There is just a kit stand, oddly offset from the halfway line, and a few portacabins. The other three sides are just mounds of mud. I suppose you could say it’s a work in progress, evidenced by the JCB digger in the corner of the ground. The only catering is from a mobile food wagon, which was quite slow for service, but of decent quality and was reasonably priced.

The game itself was a good contest, between two mid table teams, as 8th hosted 11th in the league table. Burscough went ahead eight minutes before halftime, somewhat against the run of play, a shot on the turn from the angle of the box finding the bottom corner of the net. The second half wasn’t as good as the first and Northwich never looked like getting an equaliser. When they had a player red carded with thirteen minutes left, their chances of getting anything from the game were gone. Burscough pushed forward trying to kill the game off. They had two efforts, one off each post, that could have sealed it, before finally making it 2-0 with three minutes left, an angled shot that the ‘keeper got a hand to, but couldn’t keep it out.

It was good to see another accurate attendance declared. My headcount being just one fewer than the official total.

Bedfordshire F.A. Senior Trophy

2nd Round

Saturday 30th October 2021

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.03

A.F.C. Oakley 3 Queens Park Crescents 2 (abandoned 59 mins, player injury), attendance 94

18’ 0-1

23’ 1-1

41’ 1-2

54’ 2-2

59’ 3-2

@ Oakley Sports & Social Club

Church Lane

Oakley

MK43 7RJ

No Admission

Programme free, 32 pages.

There are three Step 7 leagues I rarely bother with, apart from the odd midweek game, when there is little choice to go at, these being the Northants Combination, the Peterborough & District League and the Bedfordshire County League. However, the latter of these three had thrown up a decent looking tie in the Bedfordshire F.A. Senior Trophy, where an all Premier Division clash would see 2nd in the league table host 3rd.

Oakley are unbeaten so far this season and will go top of the table if they win their game in hand over leaders Caldecote. QPC have only lost once themselves and if it wasn’t for a point being deducted from their total, then they would be level on points with Oakley, albeit having played one match more. The two looked evenly matched and that was just how it turned out.

QPC went in front, when an angled shot across the ‘keeper found the far corner of the net, but Oakley were level within five minutes, stabbing in from close range after a cross wasn’t cleared. QPC regained the lead four minutes before halftime, their No.9 grabbing his second goal, superbly controlling a cross from the left with one touch, before smashing it past the ‘keeper.

Oakley piled on the pressure from the start of the second half and drew level nine minutes in. The winger beat two men and pulled back a cross that was headed in at the near post. Five minutes later they went in front, the ball finding it’s way into the net following a scramble in the 6 yard box. Unfortunately, the scorer, Matt Barnes, remained on the ground, clutching his leg. From the reaction of the players in the vicinity, it was obvious it was a bad injury.

An ambulance was called and amazingly it arrived just ten minutes after the injury occurred. The Referee had abandoned the game a few minutes earlier, but I don’t think either team wanted to continue anyway, such was the severity of the injury. Hopefully the player will make a full recovery and from the club Twitter feed, it appears he has already undergone a first operation and is ‘doing well’.

Arthurian League

Arthur Dunn Cup 1st Round

Saturday 30th October 2021

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.14

Old Merchant Taylors’ 1 Old Shirburnians 2, attendance 3

26’ 0-1

39’ 1-1 (pen)

83’ 1-2

@ Merchant Taylors’ School

O.M.T. Colts Cricket Club Pitch

East Drive

off Sandy Lodge Lane

Northwood

HA6 2HT

No Admission or Programme.

Considering this is the most prestigious cup competition played for by the Arthurian League clubs, this was very low key. It was played on a pitch as far away from the changing rooms as it could possibly be, hemmed in by three cricket squares. The home team only had the bare eleven players and we kicked off fourteen minutes late, due to the Referee only arriving pitch side six minutes after we should have got underway. It didn’t attract much of a crowd either, with two of the three spectators being ground hoppers. There were 35 watching a schools match on another pitch, and as far as I could tell, none of them appeared to think they were watching the 1st team match, but with the goings on of recent weeks at Arthurian League matches I’ve attended, you never know.

The match itself produced something of an upset, at least as far as league positions go. Old Merchant Taylors’ are second in Division 2, whilst Old Shirburnians are top of Division 4. The visitors were well worth the win and should really have won more comfortably. They took the lead just past the midway point of the half, finishing one on one with the ‘keeper having been played clear. O.M.T. levelled from the penalty spot shortly before halftime.

The second half remained evenly contested. O.M.T. did hit the post, but that was as close as they came to edging ahead. The tie looked to be heading for extra time, but a one-two in the box was finished with a shot under the ‘keeper, to win it for O.S. with seven minutes left.

Despite the late kick off, the game was still over by 12.52, which left ample time to take in a second match.

British Universities & Colleges Sports

Midlands Division 2B

Wednesday 27th October 2021

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.59

Cambridge University 2 University East Anglia 2, attendance 9

32’ 1-0

42’ 1-1

50’ 1-2

84’ 2-2 (pen)

@ King’s College & Selwyn College Sports Ground

Fulbrooke Road

Cambridge

CB3 9EE

No Admission or Programme.

U.E.A. were the better side in the first half, but it was Cambridge who went in front, a through ball finished one on one with the ‘keeper. Just before halftime U.E.A. drew level with a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. When they went in front five minutes into the second half, it looked like they would comfortably go on to win it, but they only had a couple of half chances after the goal. Cambridge pressed hard for an equaliser. They had a penalty saved, with nineteen minutes left, but when they were awarded a second one late on, they made no mistake this time, levelling it up at 2-2.

National League North

Tuesday 26th October 2021

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.44

Boston United 2 York City 1, attendance 2,018 (220 in away end)

10’ 1-0 (pen)

17’ 1-1

83’ 2-1 (pen)

@ The Jakemans Community Stadium

Pilgrim Way

Wyberton

PE21 7NE

£14 Admission (contactless card payment at turnstile)

Programme available, didn’t bother buying as £3 is scandalous for tier 2 non-League.

When it comes to non-League grounds, as far as I’m concerned, there will never be one to beat Boston United’s former York Street home. It was (still is, as it’s still there, currently used by a Sunday league team) superb, right down to the four corner floodlights. I first went there on 13th January 1990, seeing them draw 0-0 versus fellow Conference club Macclesfield Town, in an F.A. Trophy 1st Round match in front of 1,924 spectators. By the time I made my second visit, on 19th March 2003, they were a Football League Division 3 (4th level) club. They beat Darlington 1-0 that night in front of a 2,186 crowd.

This season has seen them move into their new stadium, built to the south of Boston, just off the A16, in the village of Wyberton. It is very impressive for a club playing at the second level of the football pyramid, but will look better once they build a stand at the south end of the stadium, as the ground is currently three sided. Tickets were on sale at the stadium, where it was cash sales only in the club shop, or the much more convenient contactless card payment at the turnstiles. Car parking is not available on site to the casual visitor, but there is free parking in the new housing estate on the other side of the A16 from the stadium, maybe a five minute walk away. The whole feel to the night had ‘Football League’ written all over it. It helped that York City are also an ex-League club. They also have a new ground this season, so a trip there beckons.

The two clubs came into this separated only by goal difference, as 8th hosted 7th in the league table, the visitors occupying the final place for the promotion play offs. Boston went ahead with a penalty after ten minutes, but York were level seven minutes later, a long throw flicked on and volleyed in at the far post. It was still 1-1 at the break. It looked more likely that if there was to be a winner, then it would be the visitors that would get it, as they made the better chances in the second half. Having created very little, against the run of play, Boston won it when they scored their second penalty of the night late on.

Tonight’s crowd was the biggest so far at the new stadium, but with tonight’s win lifting them up to fifth in the table, it won’t be long before that figure is beaten.