Belgium

Brabant Provincial 1 V.F.V.

Sunday 25th February 2018

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

K.F.C. Strombeek 0 Sporting Club Hoegaarden-Outgaarden 4,  attendance 142

1’ 0-1

50’ 0-2

75’ 0-3

87’ 0-4

@ Stadion Singel

Singel 65

1853 Strombeek- Bever

€8 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

Pocket size Season Fixture Card, free.

Once again, it was a day being dropped at a different ground to that of the driver as I had already visited F.C. Naninnois (Namur Provincial) which was his choice for today. As it turned out, all three passengers chose the option of being dropped off at Strombeek, which is just inside Brussels Ring Road, to the north of the capital.

The ground has hosted Belgian League football in the past and is still a pretty impressive venue, especially the main stand that seats around 550 on bench seating, with old terracing on the other three sides taking the capacity up to 3,000. What would have been the away supporters section behind the goal still has the imposing fences in place, giving an indication of what it was like to be caged in as a visiting fan in the good old days.

Todays match was 13th versus 11th. Hoegaarden got off to a perfect start, scoring in the first attack of the match. Having gone two up early in the second half they began to take control. Strombeek had a man red carded on the hour mark, which meant it was pretty much game over for them.

We were picked up shortly after 17.30  having walked 15 minutes back to the nearest motorway junction and back at The Tunnel in time to be offered an earlier train than we were booked on, making it onto the 20.06 departure. Our outbound crossing was only two minutes late this morning, so perhaps Eurotunnel are finally getting the hang of things !

Kent County League

Premier Division

Saturday 24th February 2018

Kick Off 14.45 Actual 14.48

Fleetdown United 2 Peckham Town 1,  attendance 30

28’ 1-0

35’ 1-1

58’ 2-1

@ Heath Lane (Lower)

Dartford

DA1 2QE

No Admission or Programme.

It was an easy twenty minute drive north from Wrotham School. This was a ground I had been to before, but on that occasion I never got to see a match, as the league website had the incorrect kick off time advertised, being an hour and a quarter later than they were showing, so I went elsewhere, rather than hang around.

Fleetdown looked to be in danger of finishing in a relegation place a couple of months back, but they have steadily picked up points to edge towards mid table, whilst Peckham looked to be challenging for the title, but a dip in form has seen them slip to sixth place in the league table, although they do have games in hand, but no longer look like doing any better than managing third place.

The match turned in a two minute spell just before the hour mark. Peckham missed a penalty, fired high over the crossbar, with Fleetdown regaining the lead a couple of minutes later.

Below photo : Fleetdown open the scoring.

Arthurian League

Arthur Dunn Cup Quarter Final

Saturday 24th February 2018

Kick Off 11.45 Actual 11.52

Old Tonbridgians 1 Old Salopians 0,  attendance 13

84’ 1-0

@ Wrotham School, 3G Pitch

Borough Green Road

Borough Green

Sevenoaks

TN15 7RD

No Admission or Programme.

An early kick off, which also allowed for extra time and penalties, meant another double opportunity. Normally, games in the Arthur Dunn Cup are played at the school from where the Old Boys are derived, but if unavailable, games are played at the regular venue used for league matches, which is at Wrotham School, which is also home to Ide Hill of the Kent County League.

Both teams are in the Premier Division of the Arthurian League, this being 2nd versus second from bottom in the league table, although it was very hard to tell which way round this was, as there was little difference between the two sides. Salopians should have won it, but their No.9, having twice rounded the goalkeeper, managed to hit the side netting each time, with the goal gaping, before the inevitable goal came for Tonbridgians, courtesy of a far post header by the smallest player on the pitch.

Cambridgeshire County League

Premier Division

Friday 23rd February 2018

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.47

Foxton 0 Hemingfords United 8,  attendance 45

30’ 0-1

43’ 0-2

56’ 0-3

63’ 0-4

69’ 0-5

83’ 0-6

85’ 0-7

88’ 0-8

@ Cambourne Sports Centre, 3G Pitch

Back Lane

Great Cambourne

CA23 6FY

No Admission or Programme.

I had seen a game here at the Sports Centre previously, but on a grass pitch that is used by Cambourne Rovers (2-0 versus Fowlmere Reserves in a Bambridge Cup match on 13th May 2011). That pitch is to the right of the driveway that runs behind the Sports Centre. To the left, which was just wasteland on the last visit, there are 3 new tennis courts, then beyond that, a new 3G football pitch.

Foxton moved this weekends fixture from their own ground to the new facility here. They are struggling near the bottom of the league table, currently third from bottom, whilst the visitors are in tenth place. The difference between the two sides was the clinical finishing from the Hemingfords strikers, with the first seven goals being scored from no more than ten yards out, before the goal of the night was curled in from the corner of the box to round off a resounding win.

British Universities & Colleges Sports

South Eastern 2A

Wednesday 21st February 2018

Kick Off 17.10 Actual 17.15

University Portsmouth 1 St. Mary’s University College 2,  attendance 80

21’ 1-0

47’ 1-1

86’ 1-2

@ Langstone Campus, 3G Pitch

Furze Lane

Portsmouth

PO4 8LW

No Admission or Programme.

It was a comfortable 45 minute drive from Winchester to here and street parking was available on the road leading along to Furze Lane. I had been to see a match here previously, on the grass pitch that runs end on to the 3G pitch. Oddly, back on 4th March 2009, I saw the exact same fixture, which Portsmouth won 6-0. I also did a double that day as well, heading across to The Isle of Wight afterwards, where I saw Brading Town beat Lymington Town 2-0 in a Wessex League Premier Division match.

Todays match was 1st v 2nd in the league table. Portsmouth had won all eight of their games so far, with St. Mary’s having 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat (at home to Portsmouth) from their first six fixtures. This could have gone either way, but the visitors nicked it with just four minutes left, when a cross was converted from close range, but Portsmouth argued the ball hadn’t crossed the line, but the Linesman, who was right up with play, signaled the goal immediately, so that was that, the 100% winning record gone.

Although this was just a cage with spectator access along one side, it did have a couple of small sections of benches that had 3 rows of seating, which made it a little different.

British Universities & Colleges Sports

Western 6A

Wednesday 21st February 2018

Kick Off 14.00. On Time !

University Winchester 3rds 3 University Winchester 4ths 3,  attendance 32

5’ 1-0

15’ 1-1

52’ 2-1

61’ 2-2

63’ 3-2

84’ 3-3

@ King George V Playing Fields

Milland Road

Winchester

SO23 0QA

No Admission or Programme.

Well, this certainly wasn’t what I intended to watch today. I had actually come to watch Winchester 1sts v Winchester 2nds in Western 4A, but having arrived at The Garrison Ground, where the game was due to be played, it soon became obvious that there was not going to be a match there. The pitches were marked and the goal nets and corner flags were out, but there were no players warming up.

I enquired in the reception at The Garrison Stadium, which is where the SatNav actually took me with the postcode advertised and confirmed that the pitches next door, to the right, were indeed where I should be. They were still expecting the game to be on, but were surprised no one had arrived yet !

One member of staff suggested I try ‘next door’, beyond the 3G pitch, as he had opened the gates there and there were certainly games being played there today and perhaps that was where the 1sts might be playing. King George V Playing Fields are indeed next door, entering by a driveway of their own to the left of the entrance of The Garrison Stadium. As I drove in, I was pleased to see two teams warming up, both in identical shorts and socks, so it looked like all was okay. I saw the Referee coming out of the pavilion, but when I asked him if he was doing the 1sts v 2nds, he told me that it was off, as one of them couldn’t raise a team, but that he was doing the 3rds v 4ths, which was the two teams that were on the pitch.

Rather than have a wasted afternoon, I decided to stay and watch the match. I could have gone straight on to my second match, but I would have got there far too early. As it turned out, it was pretty entertaining and a far better standard than I was expecting and the weather improved as the day went on. Watching non first teams of the Universities is not something I would actually do by choice, but having already driven there, it was better than nothing and it got me a match on a ground that I doubt I would ever do otherwise as the 1sts never play their games here.

Checking the B.U.C.S. website, it shows that Winchester 1sts have failed to play three of their last 4 matches now, including both home and away fixtures versus their own 2nds !

Mid Essex League

Premier Division Cup Semi Final

Saturday 17th February 2018

Kick Off 16.00. on Time !

Canvey Town 66 3 Braintree & Bocking United 0,  attendance 23

2’ 1-0

9’ 2-0

25’ 3-0

@ Moulsham High School, 3G Pitch

Brian Close

Chelmsford

CM2 9ES

No Admission or Programme.

This was the first match I have ever watched in the Mid Essex League. Both Premier Division Cup Semi Finals were being played here, with the other tie preceding this at 2 o’clock.

It certainly didn’t look to be two levels lower than the match I saw earlier this afternoon, perhaps helped by the fact that this was third versus top, as far as league positions go. There were also three officials for this, which I would think is not the case for their league matches. Canvey Town started off at a blistering pace, which Braintree & Bocking just never recovered from.

Essex Olympian League

Senior Division 1

Saturday 17th February 2018

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Great Baddow 2 Runwell Sports 0,  attendance 17

24’ 1-0

62’ 2-0

@ Great Baddow Recreation Ground

Baddow Road

Great Baddow

Chelmsford

CM2 9RL

No Admission or Programme.

I picked this match purely for the fact that it would make it possible to do a double. It was second in the league table versus bottom, although Runwell would not be bottom if it wasn’t for a 2 point deduction. The visitors lost their ‘keeper to injury after just sixteen minutes, being replaced by an outfield player, but it didn’t have any bearing on the outcome of the match. Runwell battled well, but didn’t really look like scoring, whilst Baddow took their chances and also hit the crossbar with a couple of other efforts. The win puts  Baddow top of the league, leapfrogging Buckhurst Hill, who didn’t have a match today.

The match was played on the pitch furthest from the clubhouse, on the far side of the cricket square. The pitch outside the building has slightly smaller dimensions and was hosting a match involving the Veterans team. Being on the far side of the park also meant that everyone stayed on the pitch for halftime and with the fact that we kicked off a little early as well, this was all over by 15.37, which left me more time than I was expecting to do the six minute drive to my second match of the day.

British Universities & Colleges Sports

Midlands Conference Plate Quarter Final

Wednesday 14th February 2018

Kick Off 13.00 Actual 13.14

Brooksby Melton College 6 University East Anglia 3rds 1,  attendance 6

13’ 1-0

17’ 1-1

39’ 2-1

53’ 3-1

66’ 4-1

68’ 5-1

78’ 6-1

@ Brooksby Melton College, 3G Pitch

Brooksby

LE14 2LJ

No Admission or Programme.

Brooksby Melton College have a link up with League Two club Mansfield Town, which means they have players that are far too good to be playing at the level in the B.U.C.S. competitions that they are currently at.

They are top of Midlands 6A, having won every match they have played this season in league and cup, including wins of 14-0, twice, 12-0 and 10-0 in their home games, with away wins of 5-0, 4-0 and 4-1. With the visitors being in Midlands 5C, one level higher than the hosts, I thought this might be a harder test, which it was, until the score went to 3-1 and then it was a case of just how many B.M.C. would score.

Welsh Premier League

Phase 2 ‘Top Six’

Sunday 11th February 2018

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.36

Cardiff Metropolitan University 0 Connahs Quay Nomads 2,  attendance 154

35’ 0-1

60’ 0-2

@ Cyncoed Campus, 3G Pitch

Cyncoed Road

Cardiff

CF23 6XD

£6 Admission

£1 Programme, 24 pages

Team Sheet, free.

I had visited Cyncoed Campus for a match previously, when the club were known as University Wales Institute Cardiff ( 3-2 versus Goytre United, Welsh League Division 1, 23rd October 1999). That day the match was played on a grass pitch, which is still there, with the new 3G pitch running parallel.

Back in November, these two played each other here in the league, again on a Sunday afternoon, but as it was a weekend where the M4 was closed due to roadworks, I decided to give it a miss. Good decision as it turned out as it finished 0-0 !

Today, the match was in Phase 2 of the league, being a Top Six play off. Although The New Saints will probably go on to win the title yet again, there are still places up for grabs in the U.E.F.A. Europa League for the clubs finishing behind them. These two were still in with a shout for those slots, as this was 5th v 3rd in the league table.

Nomads took the lead through Michael Bakare, who celebrated his goal by running over to the corner flag and slapping the pole with his hand. Unfortunately, he managed to snap it off at the base, earning himself a yellow card in the process and causing a delay of just over two minutes whilst a replacement was found. When Nomads scored their second, on the hour mark, it was game over. Met were pretty toothless up front and a poor day was rounded off for them when striker Adam Roscrow was sent off for dissent a couple of minutes from the end.

This once again completes visits to all the grounds in the Welsh Premier League.