South West Peninsula League

Division 1 East

Tuesday 16th October 2018

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.33

Axminster Town 3 Crediton United 1,  attendance 94

5’ 1-0

18’ 1-1

60’ 2-1

63’ 3-1

@ Tiger Way

Axminster

EX13 5HN

£4 Admission, including Programme, 20 pages.

I last saw a match at Axminster Town back on 7th December 2003, when they beat Dowlish Wake 7-0 in an Axminster Hospital Cup 2nd Round game. In those days they played in Sector Lane, but they moved to their new ground, here in Tiger Way, back in 2015.

Despite looking very impressive, it does suffer like so many new builds, where the seated stand and cover in front of the clubhouse are set too far back from the pitch, therefore giving an awful view, especially when 90% of the crowd stand pitchside against the rail.

There can be no complaints as far as the programme goes though, as it is a really good effort and great value when included in the admission price. It certainly puts many clubs to shame who charge £2 for a pathetic 4 or 8 page token effort that is nothing but a waste of both, their time producing it, and the punters money when buying it. Nice to see a club who don’t hoodwink everyone by inflating the attendance figure either. The official figure was only four less than I had counted.

The match itself was 8th versus 13th in the league table and was a really enjoyable game to watch, as both teams played some nice football. The two goals in a four minute spell just after the hour mark finally killed off the visitors.

It was nice to attend a game that kicked off at the ‘old’ time of 19.30, albeit a few minutes late. Done and dusted by 21.20 and in the house for midnight.

Belgium

Brabant Provincial 1  A.C.F.F.

Sunday 14th October 2018

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.04

Stade Everois Racing Club 3 R. Racing Club Boitsfort 1,  attendance 108

9’ 1-0

21’ 2-0

29’ 2-1

45’ + 8, 3-1

@ Parc St. Vincent

Rue Stroobants 75

1140 Evere

€7 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

The journey from our overnight stay was less than an hours drive west for this Brussels derby. The driver was doing Bertem Leefdal, also in Brabant Provincial, but having already been there, I chose to be dropped off at another one of the clubs I never visited that were local to me when I lived in Brussels, this being the third nearest at the time.

The match was 6th versus 2nd in the league table, with Everois putting the game out of reach by halftime. Boitsfort missed a penalty early in the second half and never looked likely to get back in the game from that point. The win lifts Everois to third place, with Boitsfort dropping to fourth.

With the game kicking off four minutes late, plus a drinks break in each half, due to the mid 20 degree heat, as well as an injury to a Boitsfort player late in the first half, we had no more than five minutes wait after the game before being picked up. Easy journey back to Calais and on the 19.50 crossing back to Folkestone.

Belgium

Limburg Provincial 1

Saturday 13th October 2018

Kick Off 20.00 Actual 19.58

K.F.C. Alken 0 Zonhoven V.V. 1,  attendance 315

52’ 0-1

@ Langveld

Langveldstraat

3570 Alken

€8 Admission

No Programme.

It was 105 miles south from Lienden, across the border to Alken, which saw us arrive around 40 minutes before kick off.

There had been a number of youth matches going on here beforehand, which meant a very large crowd. Also, it meant there would be hot food available, in the form of a mobile catering wagon, which is a real rarity at a Belgian match.

Alken are newly promoted into Provincial 1 this season, currently sitting in 11th place in the league table. Zonhoven are top and they won this with a close range shot early in the second half to maintain their position.

It has to be said that the floodlights here are absolutely shocking and are nowhere near good enough to be hosting night matches in the top level of the Belgian non league game. They certainly don’t help with taking photos !

Netherlands

Tweede Divisie

Saturday 13th October 2018

Kick Off 15.30. On Time !

F.C. Lienden 3 Rijnsburgse Boys 1,  attendance 700

35’ 1-0

51’ 2-0

69’ 3-0

73’ 3-1

@ Sportpark De Abdijhof

Molenstraat 18

4033 AV

Lienden

€10 Admission

€1 Programme, 8 pages

Team Sheet, free.

Season Magazine, free, 44 pages.

Today, we headed 65 miles south east from Zaandijk to the town of Lienden, where we would take in a match in the third tier of Dutch football. It was 16th (3rd bottom) versus 3rd in the league table, but the performance on the pitch looked more like these two were in opposite positions.

Rijnsburgse Boys had won all their away matches this season, whilst Lienden had only won once in their opening seven matches, so this was a surprise result. In the end Lienden should have won more comfortably, as they also hit the post twice during the first half as well as missing a couple of sitters. Having gone 2-0 up, they then lost the scorer of the goal through injury, which he sustained during the celebrations !

After the match we were heading south into Belgium for our second match of the day.

Netherlands

Eerste Divisie

Friday 12th October 2018

Kick Off 20.00. On Time !

Jong A.Z. 2 Jong F.C. Utrecht 2,  attendance 550

12’ 1-0 (pen)

51’ 1-1

68’ 1-2

75’ 2-2

@ AFAS Training Complex

Zuiderweg 72A

1456 NH

Wijdewormer

€5 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

A.Z. or to give them their full title, Alkmaar Zaanstreek, stage their reserve matches here, rather than at their AFAS Stadium. There was no problem with buying tickets for this match (from a booth at the entrance) as it was against a fellow reserve team, but the ground only has a capacity of 2,383 so it may be different against a well supported club, especially one with a ‘hooligan’ reputation. Before taking on the sponsor name AFAS, the ground was known as Sportpark Kalverhoek.

The Eerste Divisie is the second tier in the Netherlands, with this match being 15th versus 19th (out of 20) in the league table. The first half was pretty dull, but Utrecht seemed like a different team in the second half and this resulted in a really good open match. Both teams had chances to win it, but A.Z. will probably feel it was two points lost, rather than one gained.

This was the first match of a 4 game long weekend in the Netherlands and Belgium. We had taken the 10.20 Tunnel to Calais, from where it was a 242 mile drive to just north of Amsterdam. We stopped overnight in the adjacent town of Zaandijk, from where it was a 35-40 minute walk to the ground.

Independent Schools F.A. Cup

3rd Round

Thursday 11th October 2018

Kick Off 13.30 Actual 13.29

Harrow School 1 Alleyn’s School 1 (AET) (3-0 pens),  attendance 36

92’ 1-0

96’ 1-1

@ Harrow School, Park Lake Field

Garlands Lane

Harrow

HA1 3EA

No Admission or Programme.

This match was absolutely dreadful. When Harrow took the lead two minutes into the second period of extra time, which in this competition is thankfully only ten minutes each way, they should have seen the game out. Instead, they went for a second goal and conceded an equaliser on a quick breakaway.

In the penalty shoot out Alleyn’s had their first two efforts saved, with the third blazed high over the bar and with Harrow dispatching all three of theirs, that was it.

Independent Schools F.A. Cup

3rd Round

Wednesday 10th October 2018

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.31

Royal Russell School 6 Brentwood School 2,  attendance 22

2’ 1-0

9’ 2-0

15’ 2-1

24’ 3-1

38’ 4-1

49’ 5-1

73’ 5-2

80’ 6-2

@ Royal Russell School, North Field Pitch 1

Coombe Lane

Croydon

CR9 5BX

No Admission or Programme.

Royal Russell are always one of the strongest teams in the competition. Going 2-0 up in under ten minutes meant it could have been game over very early, but Brentwood scored next, keeping the game interesting for the neutrals, but that just meant Royal Russell went up another gear. The home win was never in doubt, but Brentwood were not a bad side and certainly didn’t make it easy.

Spectators were made very welcome here, with free tea/coffee and biscuits available in the pavilion behind the goal.

Eastern Counties League

Division One Knockout Cup

2nd Round

Tuesday 9th October 2018

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.51

May & Baker Eastbrook Community 3 Burnham Ramblers 2,  attendance 56

24’ 0-1

42’ 1-1

44’ 2-1

55’ 3-1 (pen)

67’ 3-2

@ Barking R.U.F.C.

Gale Street

Dagenham

RM9 4TX

£5 Admission

£1 Programme, 12 pages.

I arrived here quite comfortably in the end, although it took 1 hour 40 minutes to cover the 18 miles drive from Dulwich. I even had a few extra minutes to spare, as the Referee didn’t even get the players out of the changing rooms until after the scheduled start time, so it was six minutes late kicking off.

Burnham had lost 8-1 here in the F.A. Vase earlier in the season, so I thought this might be a comfortable win for the hosts. Far from it, as they trailed until two goals in the closing minutes of the first half saw them lead 2-1 at the break. Even when they went 3-1 up they were unable to kill the game off, but Burnham could only manage to pull back one goal, so it finished 3-2.

This is the second season that  May & Baker have been playing here, having moved from their original base at the M & B Club in Dagenham Road, which I visited on 8th November 2008. The ground here looks impressive for the level, but it is in fact officially one sided, for football use anyway. The 200 seat stand on the far side is out of bounds, although at least half a dozen watched the match from there and I walked round unchallenged when going to take a few photographs from that side of the ground. The pitch is also poor, which is probably to be expected when it is shared with rugby.

Independent Schools F.A. Cup

3rd Round

Tuesday 9th October 2018

Kick Off 15.30 Actual 15.49

Dulwich College 0 Winchester College 3,  attendance 130

40’ 0-1

40’ + 2, 0-2

79’ 0-3

@ Dulwich College Sports Field

Dulwich Common

London

SE21 7LD

No Admission

Programme, free, 4 pages.

I had previously visited Dulwich College for a match in this competition back on 8th October 2008, when the school used the Trevor Bailey Sports Ground to host the game, which is a couple of hundred yards further along the same road.

The match today eventually kicked off 19 minutes late, due to the incompetence of Winchester, who didn’t arrive until just after 3.10 pm. Despite already being changed, they then spent 18 minutes in the changing room, before coming out and going through a 15 minute warm up !

Once we got going, it looked like this would be an easy home win, but Dulwich failed to take advantage of their dominance. Winchester only attacked three times in the whole of the first half, hitting the post with their first chance, before scoring twice in the last couple of minutes of the half. Neither side looked like adding to the scoring after the break, until the visitors broke away in the last minute to make it 0-3.

The late start meant I might struggle to make it in time for my intended evening match, which although only 18 miles away, it was north of the River Thames, so it would be touch and go whether I’d make it, although I did have two and a quarter hours to play with…….

Belgium

Brabant Provincial 1 A.C.F.F.

Sunday 7th October 2018

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.01

Racing Club Villers-La-Ville 1 F.C. Genappe 0,  attendance 243

84’ 1-0

@ Plaine Des Sports

Rue Emile Leger 15

1495 Villers-La-Ville

€7 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

This was 1st versus 12th in the league table, with VLV only failing to win one of their matches so far, when they drew 0-0 at second placed Stade Everois Racing Club last week. It looked like being a second successive scoreless match for them, but they won it with just six minutes left when a right wing corner was headed in from six yards.

With the visitors being just six miles away, there was a good crowd here today for the local derby. If VLV are promoted into the Belgian League next season, then the ground will be one of the worst in the league, as it is only really two sided and couldn’t cope with a very much larger crowd than today’s.

The Tunnel once again failed to run to schedule. Our 0820 outbound crossing was re-timed to 0850, but still managed to leave two minutes late. Despite announcing that due to technical problems the train would also be running at a slower speed, it did in fact cross in the normal 35 minutes. At least the return journey was on time.