Kent County League

Premier Division

Saturday 5th September 2020

Kick Off 14.45 Actual 14.43

Peckham Town 0 Borden Village 0, attendance 159

@ Menace Arena

Dulwich Common

London

SE21 7EU

£3 Admission

£1 Programme, 12 pages.

It took around fifty minutes to drive the 11 miles from this morning’s match. I arrived to see that Track & Trace was in operation at the entrance due to the Covid-19 pandemic, although the fact that you had to write down your own contact details, with just one pen available to do so, meant it rather defeated the object! It also meant that the queue to get into the ground took the first twelve minutes of the match to clear!

Peckham Town certainly have the feel of a club very much on the up and the ground is developing along nicely. According to their club Twitter feed the crowd of 159 ( I counted 142) was a club record at the ground. Plenty of their supporters were in club shirts and scarves as well. The tea bar was up and running, but the clubhouse remained closed.

As far as the game went, the less said the better. It was really poor, not helped by both sides lacking any attacking flair whatsoever. It became obvious very early on that this would end goalless. The only time it looked like the deadlock may have been broken, was a late chance for Peckham, where a shot was deflected, but the ‘keeper got down well to turn it round the post.

Today’s visit means I have completed the top division of the Kent County League for the first time. Any trip to Peckham wouldn’t be complete without a mention of ‘Only Fools and Horses’ and sure enough, the theme tune was played over the tannoy at halftime!

Arthurian League

Premier Division

Saturday 5th September 2020

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 10.56

Old Carthusians 3 King’s College Wimbledon Old Boys 0, attendance 5

38’ 1-0

43’ 2-0

74’ 3-0

@ Commons Extension Sports Ground, Pitch 3

Robin Hood Way

London

SW15 3QF

No Admission or Programme.

This game was played here due to Old Carthusians normal home ground at Charterhouse School being unavailable due to Covid-19 restrictions. The match was played on Pitch 3, which is the furthest of the three parallel pitches when looking from the changing room building, which are separated by a hedge from another eight pitches beyond.

Old Carthusians are regularly challenging for the Arthurian League title and on today’s evidence this season will be no different. A stubborn King’s defence were finally broken down when a shot on the turn found it’s way into the bottom corner of the net seven minutes before the break, with a second goal, courtesy of a header, making it 2-0 shortly afterwards. The only goal of the second half, scored from a rebound, gave Old Carthusians a comfortable 3-0 win.

The game was over by 12.37 so plenty of time to head off for a second match.

Friendly

Thursday 3rd September 2020

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.13

Whistle Stop 6 Liss Athletic Reserves 3, attendance 32

34’ 1-0

37’ 1-1

42’ 1-2

50’ 2-2

57’ 2-3

71’ 3-3

75’ 4-3

90’+ 1, 5-3

90’+2, 6-3

@ Hawkley Pitches

Hawkley Road

West Liss

GU33 6JP

No Admission or Programme.

Whistle Stop are a new team in the Meon Valley Sunday League Division 1, whilst Liss Athletic Reserves play in the East Division of the Hampshire Combination & Development League.

Whistle Stop played in ‘West Liss F.C.’ kits (probably their name last season ?) and had the usual Sunday League look, where a couple of players had the wrong colour shorts, and another two in non matching socks, but as far as ability goes, they looked a decent side. For good measure, they even had substitutes coming on and putting on the shirt of the player they were replacing. Not very hygienic, especially with Covid-19 in our midst!

It was a good end to end game, that was in the balance until Whistle Stop killed the game off with two goals in stoppage time. I was surprised how light it was when we finished at 19.52, considering the thick cloud overhead.

Hampshire Premier League

Division 1

Wednesday 2nd September 2020

Kick Off 18.00 Actual 17.58

Silchester 4 Kingsclere 0, attendance 84

7’ 1-0

41’ 2-0

58’ 3-0

59’ 4-0

@ Silchester Recreation Ground

Pamber Road

Silchester

RG7 2PH

No Admission or Programme.

After watching twenty three friendlies since football returned, it was finally down to a competitive fixture. Silchester (apparently they have dropped Village from their name this season) were making their debut in the Hampshire Premier League Division 1 tonight, having played in the Basingstoke & District League last season. Kingsclere were sitting in mid table, in what was their first season in the league, when football was brought to a halt in March due to Covid-19.

Silchester didn’t have to wait long for their first goal at this level, a volley from 30 yards giving the ‘keeper no chance. Cameron George swept in the second goal, following a left wing cross, just before the break to give them a 2-0 lead, then he completed his hat trick, with two goals in a minute as we approached the hour mark.

Fair play to the Referee, and both teams, in getting underway a couple of minutes early, which meant the game finished at 19.40 and no problem whatsoever with the light.

Friendly

Tuesday 1st September 2020

Kick Off 19.15 Actual 19.17

Finchampstead 2 Yateley United 3, attendance 24

13’ 0-1

36’ 0-2

43’ 0-3

56’ 1-3

59’ 2-3

@ Arborfield Green Leisure Centre, 3G Pitch

Sheerlands Road

Arborfield Garrison

RG2 9GB

No Admission or Programme.

I had started the evening intending to watch Old Windsor (East Berkshire League) versus F.C. Dionysus (Thames Valley Sunday League) but it soon became apparent that this may be something of a ‘joke’ match, with the visitors ticking all the boxes when it comes to how many people perceive Sunday League football to be, so I bailed out in the hope of something better. When Dionysus started warming up, I noticed their players were wearing eight different colours of shorts and an even higher number when it came to the socks, although they did have matching shirts! A few minutes before the scheduled six o’clock start there was still no Referee either. At least I had back ups. It was a forty minute drive to my chosen game, which was a new ground for me, or I had the option of a later kick off for a revisit at an F.A. Cup tie, although that would be subject to actually being able to get in, such are the current limits on crowd numbers and advance tickets and so on.

The ground here at Arborfield is a pretty new set up, built as part of a huge housing development on what was once a Military base. Both clubs had advertised the match as being at The Bohunt School, which is next door, but very much a separate venue.

The match was between two Step 7 teams, Finchampstead playing in the Thames Valley Premier League Premier Division and Yateley United in the Hellenic League Division 2 East. It was very much a game of two halves. Yateley dominated the first half, building up a three goal lead, with Finchampmstead getting the better of the second period, but not quite able to get back on level terms.