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.

Radnorshire Cup

2nd Round

Sunday 24th October 2021

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.28

Radnor Valley 8 Brecon 1, attendance 66

22’ 1-0

30’ 2-0

55’ 3-0

59’ 3-1

67’ 4-1

70’ 5-1

73’ 6-1

79’ 7-1

83’ 8-1

@ A44 Kington Road

New Radnor

LD8 2AZ

£3 Admission

No Programme.

I had seen Radnor Valley play at home before, which was also a Radnorshire Cup 2nd Round match played on a Sunday, when they beat Presteigne St. Andrews 3-1 (AET) back on 10th November 2002. In those days they played at a ground in School Lane, but having lost the use of it, they have now moved to a new ground to the north of the A44, about half a mile east of the village. In a very short space of time they have turned it from being a field growing crops, into a somewhat typical ground found in Mid Wales at this level. It is still a work in progress. The new changing rooms are not completed yet, so the players get changed at the old ground, then drive in full kit to the new one.

Radnor Valley are in the Mid Wales League East Division (Tier 4 in Wales), currently in fifth (out of 15) place in the league table, following a 2-1 win away at Llansantffraid Village yesterday. Brecon play one level lower, in the Mid Wales League (South). They are third in the table, having won all three of their matches so far, including a 2-1 win this weekend away at Presteigne St. Andrews, which was moved to Friday night, to enable them to have a recovery day before playing today’s match.

The first half was a reasonable contest, with Radnor Valley looking the better of the two teams. They opened the scoring midway through the half, when a cross from the left was finished off with a diving header at the far post. On the half hour mark they added a second, finishing from close range, after a free kick into the box wasn’t cleared. A side foot finish at the far post saw them increase their lead ten minutes into the second half, but a quick reply from Brecon pulled it back to 3-1. The next goal would be decisive, and when it went the way of the hosts, it was game over. The last twenty minutes was one way traffic. Brecon gave up and 4-1 soon became 8-1. Radnor Valley didn’t even bother celebrating the goals. They certainly didn’t have to work for them.

It was a late decision to head to this match. I left home without being able to confirm the game was definitely going ahead. The home club did reply via Twitter that everything was okay, but I was already 100 miles into the journey by then! The SatNav took me two different routes. It was M40, M42, Droitwich, Tenbury Wells and Presteigne going, then back via the shorter route of Hereford, Gloucester, Swindon, M4, then Bracknell and onto the M3 coming back.

It wasn’t until I was adding my weekend matches to my spreadsheet that I realised that this was my 400th ground I’ve seen a match on in Wales.

Middlesex County League

Premier Division

Saturday 23rd October 2021

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.29

A.V.A. 1 Stonewall 2, attendance 4

29’ 1-0

32’ 1-1

84’ 1-2

@ Kingsbury High School, Upper School

Princes Avenue

Kingsbury

London

NW9 9JR

No Admission or Programme.

A.V.A. are newly promoted into the Premier Division. They are a team made up entirely of Romanian players and take their name from the initials of the coach who founded them.

It was 8th versus 15th (bottom) in the league table and was a really good game to watch. It was A.V.A. who went in front, with a dipping shot from 25 yards that found it’s way into the bottom corner of the net. Stonewall levelled it up at 1-1 within three minutes, the ‘keeper fumbling the ball which was then put in from a tight angle. The second half saw both teams going for the win and it was the visitors who took all three points when they grabbed the winner with six minutes left. A cross from the left wasn’t cleared, and it fell nicely for their winger, who hit a first time shot that was deflected into the opposite side of the goal to which he was aiming, giving the ‘keeper no chance.

Overall, a draw would probably have been a fair result, but Stonewall have now won two games on the trot, and having started the day propping up the table, they have now climbed up five places with this win.

Arthurian League

Division 5 North

Saturday 23rd October 2021

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.01

Old Millhillians 4 Old Merchant Taylors’ II 0, attendance 2

11’ 1-0 (pen)

12’ 2-0

41’ 3-0

82’ 4-0

@ Whitmore High School, 3G Pitch

Porlock Avenue

Harrow

HA2 0AD

No Admission or Programme.

Today’s match was only a couple of hundred yards from The Philathletic Ground which I had visited last Saturday morning. At least here there could be no confusion as to which match was being watched, even for the less intelligent of ‘hoppers amongst us, as this is the only pitch here! It is just a caged pitch, with no spectator area, but there was no problem standing inside the fence to watch. It also has the wires across the pitch, used to hold the netting to divide the area into smaller sections. Unusually, at no time did the ball hit either of them, which is not normally the case.

Old Millhillians have only restarted their team this season and have made a decent start, coming into this third in the league table, one place above the visitors. Two goals in the first twelve minutes had them well in command and it was quite obvious that they were going to win this comfortably. By halftime it was 3-0. During the match they also hit the post three times, as well as having another effort disallowed for offside. The goal of the game came eight minutes from time, making it 4-0, with an unstoppable 25 yarder into the top corner. The win now sees them go top of the table.

With the game done and dusted by 12.39 there was ample time to get to a second match. The other spectator was heading to Milton Keynes, but I was staying more local, ticking off another of the new clubs in the Premier Division of the Middlesex County League.

South Wales Alliance League

Premier Division

Friday 22nd October 2021

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.03

Llanrumney United 2 Blaenrhondda 1, attendance 94 (official 125)

24’ 1-0

59’ 2-0

90’+ 4, 2-1

@ Cardiff University Sports Field, 3G Pitch

Mendip Road

Llanrumney

CF3 4JN

No Admission or Programme.

I had visited Llanrumney United on 17th August 2017, when they beat Cardiff Cosmopolitan 3-1 in a South Wales Alliance League Division 2 match. That game was played at Riverside Park, but this season they have moved to the 3G Pitch at the Cardiff University Sports Field, over the hedge from their previous ground and where the visitors that day also play their matches.

I’d been to the university ground before, having seen Newport County U18 lose 1-2 to Plymouth Argyle U18 in a Football League Youth Alliance match on 29th January 2005, but that was played on a grass pitch, parallel to the 3G cage, but separated by a rugby pitch and still in use for football. Tonight’s match was brought forward to Friday night to enable a number of the back room team at Llanrumney to attend a scattering of ashes ceremony tomorrow afternoon.

The match was a mid table clash, with 10th hosting 8th. Llanrumney led 1-0 at the break, a cross from the left headed in from 6 yards. Just short of the hour mark it was 2-0. The winger turned the right back inside out, before rifling a left foot shot high into the net at the near post. The visitors scrambled one in from close range, to make it 2-1, but it was too late, the Referee blowing the full time whistle as soon as the game restarted.

National League U19 Alliance

League Cup 2nd Round

Wednesday 20th October 2021

Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.08

London Tigers U19 0 Eastleigh Yellows U19 15, attendance 8

@ Spikes Bridge Park, 3G Pitch

West Avenue

Southall

UB1 2AR

No Admission or Programme.

This game was so typical of what you get in this league and is a reminder why I don’t bother with it very much. The only attraction today was that I wouldn’t have to waste a Saturday afternoon coming here to do a Middlesex County League match in a cage and the noon kick off meant the battle with traffic on the M25 coming home should be a little easier than if it was the normal 2 o’clock start.

Typically there was the late kick off. They couldn’t get a Ref, so it was refereed by one of the London Tigers officials, and the home team only had 10 players at the start and their ‘keeper looked like he had never played in goal before. He was probably injured as well, as not one of his kicks from out of his hands managed to reach the centre circle in the entire match. Needless to say, we ended up with the obligatory mismatch. It is hard to see what Eastleigh would have got out of this apart from a place in the next round of the cup, but they were ruthless and didn’t even get out of second gear.

Surprisingly, after 40 minutes it was only 0-4 and Tigers even played the last few minutes of the half with a full compliment of eleven, a late arrival making up the numbers. By the hour mark it was 0-6 and Tigers were shortly back down to 10 men when they lost a player to injury. Double figures was hit with ten minutes left, before a further five goals came in the last eight minutes. Not a great watch, but at least the rain stayed away. Despite there being no official spectator area it was no problem standing inside the cage to watch.

Southern League

Premier Division South

Tuesday 19th October 2021

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.32

Wimborne Town 0 Weston-super-Mare 3, attendance 250 est (abandoned 39 minutes, waterlogged)

18’ 0-1

28’ 0-2

32’ 0-3

@ New Cuthbury

Ainsley Road

Wimborne Minster

BH21 2FU

£12 Admission

£2.50 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

£1 Car Park. It is free to park in the road and no parking restrictions.

The ground here was far better than I was expecting. As well as the two seated kit stands, both ends are fully covered, with the end to the right when looking from the clubhouse having stepped terracing as well. The other end is smaller and flat standing only. It is an improvement on their old Cuthbury ground, at least as far as facilities go, but the pitch may become an issue for them. Yes, it was raining, but it wasn’t very heavy. It looked worse due to the wind, but there was already standing water on the pitch at kick off and it hadn’t started raining until after six o’clock. It soon became obvious that the game would struggle to finish and sadly, that turned out to be the case.

What action there was, before the Referee brought things to a premature halt, was pretty much one way traffic. Wimborne were very poor and WsM were by far the better side. The first goal came courtesy of a deflection, but goals two and three were real quality finishes. It wasn’t too long after the visitors made it 0-3 that the game was brought to an end. Apparently, there was an area of concern just outside the six yard box, at the end Wimborne were defending, where the ball was starting to hold up. It wouldn’t have been a problem in the second half, especially if Wimborne had continued the same way as they had so far, as they wouldn’t have got the ball that far forward anyway!

What was baffling about the decision to call it off though, was that at no time did anyone make an effort to do anything about it. No forks or brooms appeared, but then again, at 0-3 down, the hosts were hardly going to do anything that might see the match continue. If they had continued playing until halftime, they could then have worked on it during the break and the Referee could have made a decision then. Things would probably have been different if the home team had been in front.

At the end of the day, both Wimborne Town and the Referee would still get their money tonight, so it wont have bothered them in the slightest that the game was called off. WsM not only lost out on three points, but now face another trip here, which is an extra expense they will have to pay for themselves. Hopefully, when the game is finally played, WsM will get the three points and some justice will be done. Maybe Wimborne Town could donate the gate receipts to cover the transport costs….

I notice from my records that I went to the old ground on 27th August 1994, for a 2-2 draw versus Horndean in a Wessex League match and having come here tonight, I thought my visits to Wimborne Minster would be over. I’m in no hurry to return. It’s not as if they’re going anywhere soon.