Hampshire Premier League

Senior Division

Saturday 17th August 2019

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.14

Chamberlayne Athletic 6 Sway 3, attendance 14

13’ 0-1

14’ 1-1

29’ 2-1

38’ 3-1

45’ 4-1

50’ 4-2 (pen)

68’ 5-2

75’ 5-3

84’ 6-3

@ College Playing Fields

Baron Road

Hamble-le-Rice

SO31 4RN

No Admission or Programme.

So, yet another Hampshire Premier League match being played on a temporary ground to the one the club call ‘home’. Chamberlayne Athletic are newly promoted from the Southampton League and are supposed to be playing at the ground of Netley Central Sports, but as that is unavailable until September, they are playing their home games elsewhere.

According to the F.A. Full Time website, today’s match and their next one would be played at Satchell Lane in Hamble-le-Rice. This was also where Sway had been told the match was, which I also confirmed with their Secretary just over an hour before kick off. On arrival there, at around 14.35, it soon became obvious that the match wasn’t being played here, as there was a youth tournament taking place. I rang the Sway Secretary back again to check that I was in the right place and he confirmed I was, although he also mentioned ‘College Fields’, but all he knew was that it was somewhere in Hamble, but had no postcode. I struck lucky by finding someone at the youth tournament who knew where it was and his directions were spot on……go into Hamble, pass the shops on your right and when you see the Fire Station, turn first left and the ground is at the end of that road…..

As I turned into Spitfire Way, which led to Baron Road, which was where the ground was, I noticed that the three cars I followed into the car park were full of what looked like footballers. A good sign, and even better, they were all changed in their red kits. It was Sway F.C. as were the next two car loads to arrive. At least I had found the right place, but there were no goals up, but at least the pitch was marked out. Within five minutes the Referee and Chamberlayne Athletic also arrived, also in full kit. Apparently they had got changed at ‘Hamble College’, wherever that was, and had then driven here. Sway were less than impressed and were enquiring as to whether they could be awarded the game.

By 14.50 two sets of goal posts were carried onto the pitch and then nets and corner flags appeared. It was looking like there would be a game after all, even if there was no chance of it kicking off on time!

Chamberlayne have struggled since their promotion, having lost their opening four games. Sway are certainly a team to watch if you like plenty of goals, although not necessarily all scored by them! I had seen them lose 0-6 at home to champions Bush Hill in midweek, which meant there have been 25 goals in their first 4 games!

Sway took an early lead, but the hosts were level within a minute. A run of the mill foul on the Chamberlayne No.9 shortly afterwards saw a totally unnecessary reaction from him which turned the feel of the game from competitive to having a very nasty undercurrent. The incident ended with the home Captain being booked for blasting the ball into a group of Sway players. The intimidation tactics from here worked, as Sway buckled under the pressure and by halftime it was 4-1. Sway then pulled it back to 4-2, when they scored a penalty five minutes into the second half and they were starting to get on top and looked like they might be able to turn things round, but in the sixty third minute, all hell broke loose……..

Following an exchange of words, the home club ‘Linesman’ walked onto the pitch and head butted the Sway No.10, who then returned the compliment and everyone piled in. Another Chamberlayne player then attempted a head butt on the Sway No.6, but he managed to grab the player by the throat with two hands to prevent it. When a bit of calm was restored, not helped by a couple of the Chamberlayne players suggesting that Sway ‘stay behind after the match and we can get this sorted properly in the car park once everyone else has gone’, we ended up with three red cards. Sway lost both No.10 and No.6, whilst Chamberlayne had their Captain dismissed for his second yellow card, issued for his involvement in the scuffle. The instigator of the whole thing got away with it though. As the ‘Linesman’ was not a named substitute on the team sheet, he couldn’t be sent off, although the Referee did relieve him of his duties for the remainder of the match.

With it now being 10 versus 9, the game became very stretched and the players were visibly struggling with the extra space to cover. Chamberlayne at least get their first points on the board, but it is not a very nice way to have done so and teams like this will do nothing to enhance the reputation of the league.

By the way, for those that may be interested…….F.A. Full Time website is still showing that the match was played at Satchell Lane.

Football League Youth Alliance

South West Conference

Saturday 17th August 2019

Kick Off 12.00. On Time !

Portsmouth U18 3 Plymouth Argyle U18 0, attendance 68

20’ 1-0

32’ 2-0

58’ 3-0

@ Portsmouth F.C. Training Ground

442 Copnor Road

Portsmouth

PO3 5EW

No Admission or Programme.

There was no problem getting in at this one, but you are restricted to standing behind one goal end. Scouts etc. are in the near corner to the entrance, whilst all ordinary spectators are in the other corner.

Portsmouth had already had a penalty saved before they broke the deadlock after twenty minutes and they had also hit the post and crossbar with two further efforts. They added another goal before halftime and made it 3-0 just before the hour mark. Both sides hit the woodwork again and if it wasn’t for a couple of decent saves by the Argyle ‘keeper, then the score could have been much higher.

Anglian Combination League

Division 2

Friday 16th August 2019

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.29

Freethorpe 1 Martham 0, attendance 28

18’ 1-0

@ School Road

Freethorpe

NR13 3NZ

No Admission or Programme.

A trip to Norfolk on a Friday evening is not the best idea. A tedious journey, which took four and a half hours, is something that makes you wonder why you bother with midweek matches, as the roads are so clogged up nowadays that even local journeys are a pain. At least it only took 2 hours 35 minutes to get home!

Thankfully, the seven hours of heavy rain from lunchtime onwards, that was forecast for this area by the BBC Weather team, was inaccurate. It did rain a bit, but it was windy enough to move it on swiftly. The pitch certainly wasn’t troubled by the rain and was in superb condition.

Despite kicking off a minute ahead of schedule, the Referee decided to play 2 x 40 minute halves, due to it being a poor night weather wise, which didn’t impress the visitors Manager too much and they were still arguing about it at halftime. He played an additional minute in the first half and then three more at the end of the second and there was still plenty of light when the game finished at 20.04.

The game itself never really hit any heights. Plenty of effort, but not that many chances created. Freethorpe won it with the only goal of the game after 18 minutes, when their No.9 was played through and he slipped the ball into the corner of the net past the onrushing ‘keeper.

Cambridgeshire County League

Senior B Division

Wednesday 14th August 2019

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.22

Thaxted Rangers 5 Duxford United 2, attendance 24

5’ 0-1

17’ 1-1

27’ 2-1 (pen)

28’ 3-1

62’ 4-1

67’ 5-1

84’ 5-2

@ Thaxted Recreation Ground

Newbiggen Street

Thaxted

CM6 2QT

No Admission or Programme.

Despite having rained for most of the day and a light drizzle falling for the majority of the match, the pitch here was perfect. Newly promoted Duxford opened and finished the night’s scoring, but in between, it was Thaxted that held the upper hand and they should have scored more than the five goals they did manage.

The Duxford ‘keeper twice handled the ball outside his 18 yard box, but each time it was punished with just a free kick and not even a yellow card. Both teams also had a player sin binned, in separate incidents, and a Thaxted player who was booked late on thought he had been sin binned as well, but it became apparent it was a ‘proper’ yellow card, which resulted in him sprinting back onto the pitch when he realised, much to the astonishment of his Manager!

Hampshire Premier League

Senior Division

Tuesday 13th August 2019

Kick Off 18.45 Actual 18.53

Sway 0 Bush Hill 6, attendance 49

19’ 0-1

21’ 0-2

26’ 0-3

33’ 0-4

36’ 0-5

69’ 0-6

@ Jubilee Field Sports Ground

Station Road

Sway

SO41 6BE

No Admission or Programme.

This must be the away match that all clubs dread having to do for an early kick off in midweek, as the traffic getting through Lyndhurst during rush hour is horrendous. First to arrive at the ground was the Referee, just before 6 o’clock, then the players arrived over the next half hour or so. It was quite a surprise that we only kicked off eight minutes late in the end.

Bush Hill are the reigning champions and they came into this having won their opening three matches. Sway are very erratic, as far as their two previous home matches have gone, having lost 0-5 and won 8-2 so far, and they also lost their away match at Lyndhurst 1-3. The opening stages tonight were very even, but when Bush Hill opened the scoring after nineteen minutes it was very much one way traffic. They scored at will and were well in command by halftime. The second half just never got going, but the visitors did manage to make it 0-6, when a cut back on the right was turned into his own net by the ‘keeper to round off an easy win.

Hampshire Premier League

Senior Division

Saturday 10th August 2019

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.58

Clanfield 4 Locks Heath 1, attendance 25

19’ 0-1 (pen)

21’ 1-1

58’ 2-1

65’ 3-1

74’ 4-1

@ East Meon Recreation Ground

Workhouse Lane

East Meon

GU32 1PD

No Admission or Programme.

Having been at Meon Vale for my last match, the ‘Meon’ theme continued, as it was a trip to East Meon for today’s game, although the two villages concerned are over 100 miles apart. As with the match on Thursday, this is not the normal home venue for the club, with Clanfield playing this match, plus one other, here in East Meon as their own pitch recovers from damage caused by moles.

In very windy conditions, where the wind was blowing down the pitch, it was pretty even early on. Locks Heath went ahead with a penalty, but Clanfield were level within two minutes. With the wind in their favour for the second half, Clanfield totally dominated and were well worth their three goal winning margin, which gave them their first win of the season from the opening three games. Locks Heath are one of four teams that are yet to pick up a point.

Stratford-upon-Avon Alliance League

Stratford Hospital Cup 1st Round

Thursday 8th August 2019

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.32

Welford on Avon 2 South Redditch Athletic 3, attendance 18

16’ 1-0

49’ 1-1

56’ 2-1

57’ 2-2

80’ 2-3

@ Meon Vale Leisure Centre

Bailey Avenue

Meon Vale

CV37 8QW

No Admission or Programme.

With their own ground in Welford-on-Avon still being used for cricket, it meant this match was switched to the relatively new complex here in Meon Vale, some 5 miles south of there. Despite having changing rooms on site, they were not used tonight, so the players got changed in the main Leisure Centre building and walked across the road to the pitch.

Welford looked well in charge, scoring the only goal of the half early on, and South Redditch were resorting to very heavy handed tactics. Two of the visitors strikers moaned at every decision and threats were made to the home club Linesman, which the pathetically weak Referee did nothing about. A minute before halftime one of them was ‘sin binned’ following two head butts and a third attempt at another. At the start of the second half, the 10 men, who had substituted the other moaner by now, looked a much better team and started to play some decent football. They soon levelled it up at 1-1 and even though they went behind again, it was level at 2-2 within a minute. Welford then had their ‘keeper sent off for handling the ball outside his area and it was then a case of just how long it would take South Redditch to score a winning goal, which they finally did with ten minutes left.

Friendly

Wednesday 7th August 2019

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 18.37

R.A.F. Regiment 10 Thetford Town 1, attendance 144

7’ 1-0

16’ 2-0

33’ 3-0

38’ 3-1

45’ 4-1

59’ 5-1

66’ 6-1

72’ 7-1

76’ 8-1

78’ 9-1

89’ 10-1

@ R.A.F. Honington

Heath Road

IP31 1EE

No Admission

Programme, by donation, 8 pages, 1 blank.

This match was played to raise funds to help send Jordon Brown to the U.S.A. to receive medical help that is more advanced than that available to him in the U.K. There was a decent turn out, for what was a real stroll in the park for the R.A.F. team. With Thetford Town having played an Eastern Counties League match last night, the squad tonight was mainly made up of the Reserves. The only reason most of them play for the Reserves, is because they have no Third Team! They were dreadful.

Southern Combination League

Premier Division

Tuesday 6th August 2019

Kick Off 19.45. On Time !

Broadbridge Heath 2 Loxwood 2, attendance 330

29’ 0-1

57’ 1-1

67’ 1-2

89’ 2-2

@ High Wood Hill Sports Ground

Wickhurst Lane

Broadbridge Heath

RH12 3YS

£6 Admission

£1 Programme, 32 pages, poor quality blurred colour printing.

I had been to watch Broadbridge Heath twice before. The first time was on Boxing Day 1998, in a Sussex County League Division 1 match, versus East Preston, which was abandoned at halftime due to a waterlogged pitch, with the score 0-2 at the time. I returned on 20th March 2012, when I saw them beat Uckfield Town 3-2 in a Sussex County League Division 3 match in front of 43 spectators. According to my notes that day, admission was £2, which included the programme.

Tonight was the first match at their new ground, which is only 100 yards or so from their old ground, which is still in use as an athletics arena. As with all new builds, it is bland and dull, with no thought gone into it whatsoever. At least it has a grass pitch, rather than 3G, although this looked in a really poor state and could do with some water on it. I really don’t like doing floodlit matches during the ‘early kick off’ time of the season, but with my only alternate choices for a new visit being a minimum 450 mile round trip, then why not, and it is only half an hours drive from home!

With it being the first match at their new home it attracted plenty of ‘hangers on’ and loads of kids. Add to that at least 30 ground hoppers and you see how they got a very impressive attendance of 330. Once the novelty value wears off though and the kids go back to school, they will more than likely go back to their normal 40-50 crowds for night matches.

Loxwood took the honour of scoring the first goal on the ground, somewhat against the run of play, to lead 0-1 at the break. Broadbridge Heath headed level, but their ‘keeper was beaten with a shot from a good 40 yards to see Loxwood regain the lead. As we approached the dying minutes, Broadbridge Heath levelled it up at 2-2, with a goal aided by a good advantage played by the Referee, following a foul in the build up.

Central Midlands League

Chairman’s Cup Final

Saturday 3rd August 2019

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.01

Pinxton 5 Bakewell Town 1, attendance 269

20’ 1-0 (pen)

32’ 2-0

33’ 3-0

57’ 3-1

66’ 4-1

87’ 5-1

@ Burton R.U.F.C.

Peel Croft

Lichfield Street

Burton upon Trent

DE14 3RH

£5 Admission

Programme available, but I won’t buy one at any event organised by or involving Groundhop U.K. in any capacity.

Although this was called the Chairman’s Cup Final, which was the League Challenge Cup winners (Pinxton) versus Division 1 Cup winners (Bakewell Town), it was really only a glorified friendly. It was part of a double header, with the ‘Invitational Cup Final’ between Netherseal St. Peters (Midland Regional Alliance League) and Renishaw Rangers (Central Midlands League North Division) having taken place at noon.

The fact of whether it was a competitive fixture, or a friendly, was of little importance. The main objective was to see a football match played on the ground used by Burton Swifts and then Burton United (a merger of Burton Swifts with Burton Wanderers) in the Second Division of the Football League between 1892 and 1907.

Apart from the fact that the crowd was largely made up of ground hoppers, it didn’t really have the feel of a normal ‘groundhop’ match. The catering was well below par and seemed to be what would be on offer for a rugby union matchday. The food was well overpriced and after two bites, what was left of the £3.50 hotdog I purchased was deposited in the bin. It was disgusting.

The match itself wasn’t great, not helped by the fact that the grass hadn’t been cut and was far too long to try and play football on and it was too one sided to hold the interest. Pinxton were just far too strong for Bakewell, which was perhaps to be expected.

Two years ago Burton R.U.F.C. announced that they would be leaving Peel Croft and moving to an out of town new build. We passed it on our way to St. George’s Park this morning and it really does look a soulless place. Sadly, Peel Croft’s day’s are numbered and yet another wonderful ground that oozes character will soon be no more and it will become a retail park once the rugby club move out.