Somerset County League

Division 1

Saturday 31st December 2022

Kick Off 13.00 Actual 13.01

Uphill Castle 4 Somerton Town 1, attendance 35

2’ 1-0 (pen)

27’ 2-0

60’ 3-0

72’ 3-1

74’ 4-1

@ Weston-super-Mare F.C. 3G Pitch

Winterstoke Road

Weston-super-Mare

BS24 9AA

No Admission or Programme.

Rather than risk a grass pitch, I rounded off the year by once again playing it safe by doing a 3G pitch. Uphill Castle play on the 3G cage that runs parallel to the main Weston-super-Mare F.C. ground (which I had visited on 27th October 2004 for a 3-0 win in a National League South match versus St. Albans City). On 10th May 1997 I had seen Westland United lose 1-2 to Shirehampton in a Somerset Senior League Premier Division match that was played on a grass pitch here, but that was beyond a line of trees that are still in situ, clearly visible to the left of the car park as you enter the complex.

The cage is unusual, in the fact that the only designated spectator area is at the goal end where you enter. There is a small bit of overhang off the changing room building in one corner, but the view of the pitch is through the mesh fence, so not really much use!

The match was 2nd (W9 D4 L1) versus 5th ( W6 D3 L1) in the league table and was a good advert for this level of football. Uphill Castle were ahead from the penalty spot after just two minutes. Somerton had a goal disallowed for offside in the opening ten minutes and were gradually getting on top, but conceded a second goal just before the half hour mark, with an angled shot into the far corner, to go in trailing 2-0 at the break.

Uphill Castle dominated the second half and the visitor’s keeper was forced to tip a curling shot round the post, but was beaten again soon afterwards, as a first time shot made it 3-0 on the hour mark. Somerton headed in from a corner to pull it back to 3-1 with eighteen minutes left, but there was no hope of a comeback, as Uphill restored their three goal lead two minutes later.

Today’s match leaves Mendip Broadwalk as the only ground not visited in the top two divisions of this league now. After a year (and life for that matter!) that nearly ended so abruptly for me in July, it is nice to be back on the circuit. I’m pleased to have managed 140 new ground visits (lowest total since 1998, not counting the badly affected Covid-19 year), although my back to back best year totals of 343 and 396 (2013-2014) are now unlikely to ever be challenged, but never say never….

National League South

Thursday 29th December 2022

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.59

Braintree Town 1 Chippenham Town 1, attendance 728

52’ 0-1

75’ 1-1

@ Dunmow Group Stadium

Clockhouse Way

off Cressing Road

Braintree

CM7 3DE

£15 Admission

Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

Today completed the final part of the jigsaw in my recovery from the cardiac arrest that I suffered in July….I actually drove to the match on my own, although I did meet a mate here. My only previous visit was in March 1992, when I saw Braintree beat Witney Town 1-0 (att.174) in a Southern League Southern Division match. It is now a nice neat and compact ground, where you are certainly close to the action. It seemed strange that it was an afternoon kick off, as it wasn’t a Bank Holiday, but it pulled in a decent crowd, with a fair number of ‘hoppers present, although I thought the crowd was probably a couple of hundred fewer than the official figure announced.

The match was 9th versus 22nd (out of 24) in the league table. To be fair, It wasn’t great. In fact, it was turgid at times. It was no surprise to see it was still goalless at halftime. It was the visitors who broke the deadlock seven minutes into the second half though, when Jordan Young scored with a shot into the far corner from the angle of the 18 yard box. Braintree were level with fifteen minutes left, Kyran Clements shooting first time into the bottom corner, after a long throw was only cleared as far as the edge of the box. Three minutes later Braintree had Jack Cawley sent off for picking up a second yellow card and the game slowly drifted to a conclusion. Neither side deserved more than a point.

Southern Combination League

Division 2

Tuesday 27th December 2022

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.01

Copthorne 3 Charlwood 2, attendance 63

6’ 1-0

17’ 1-1

27’ 1-2

39’ 2-2

76’ 3-2

@ The Camping World Community Stadium (Horsham F.C.)

Hop Oast

Worthing Road

Horsham

RH13 0AX

No Admission or Programme.

This wasn’t my intended match for today. I was heading for the Midland League game at Sutton United, but arrived home 90 minutes after setting off, having only made it to Esher. The M25 was queuing from the M40 back to Junction 9, which subsequently meant all the surrounding roads also became gridlocked and what should have been a two and a quarter hour drive to Solihull, was now going to take over 4 hours according to the SatNav!

I had visited Copthorne for a home match back in March 2013, when they beat Barcombe 5-0 in a Mid Sussex League Mowatt Challenge Cup Quarter Final (att.15), which was played on the 3G pitch at Hassocks Sports Centre. Then in April 2017 I saw them beat Forest Row 5-0 in a Mid Sussex League Premier Division match (att.36), this time played at King George V Playing Field, in the village of Copthorne itself.

The move up to the Southern Combination League has now seen them move to play home games at the ground of Horsham F.C. The crowd was certainly up on my two previous visits to see them play home games, but it was quite surprising to see there was no admission charge or even a programme on sale, as it can’t be cheap to play games here, although having club linesmen would help keep the costs down a bit.

The quality of football on offer was very good for the level, as 3rd hosted 4th place in the league table. Leaders Jarvis Brook are ten points clear of second placed Capel at the top, but second place is certainly achievable for either of these two, especially on this showing. Copthorne were ahead after six minutes, but Charlwood drew level eleven minutes later, rounding the ‘keeper before finishing from a tight angle. The visitors soon went in front, breaking down the left and pulling the ball back to see the rebound put away following a save by the ‘keeper. Copthorne levelled it up at 2-2 before halftime, with a cracking free kick into the bottom corner from 30 yards. Charlwood nearly went back in front immediately, but having gone round the ‘keeper, the finish from a tight angle came back off the post.

Five minutes into the second half Charlwood had a man sent off, for bringing down a Copthorne player as he went through on goal. Playing with a man light didn’t seem to affect them too much and it wasn’t noticeable at all. Both teams had chances, but it was Copthorne who nicked the winner, heading in unmarked from 6 yards out, following a cross from the right with just under fifteen minutes left.

Unsurprisingly, there were no changes to the ground from when I was last here, back on 22 October 2019, when I saw Horsham draw 1-1 with Cray Wanderers (att.481) in an Isthmian League Premier Division match.

Isthmian League

South Central Division

Monday 26th December 2022

Kick Off 15.00 On Time!

South Park Reigate 1 Merstham 1, attendance 208

30’ 1-0

84’ 1-1

@ King George’s Field

Whitehall Lane

South Park

Reigate

RH2 8LG

£9 Admission

Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

I had started making regular midweek visits to watch South Park (they have now added Reigate to their name since then) before moving to live in Belgium back in 2013, with this taking me into double figures, but this was my first visit here since April of that year, when they lost 0-2 versus Guernsey in a Combined Counties League Premier Division match. I would have gone more often, but games were regularly called off at short notice, due to a pitch that suffered with water logging. There are no such problems nowadays though, following the installation of a 3G pitch. Unfortunately, the all too familiar/bland green mesh fencing, that seems to come with having an artificial pitch, means the ground totally lacks character and would easily be at the top of many a ‘worst ground’ list for clubs at this level. Even the two seated ‘kit’ stands are plonked at one end, which give an appalling view of the action.

The match certainly didn’t go to form. Merstham came into this bottom of the league table, having taken just 9 points from their opening 17 games, whist South Park were 5th, with 31 points from 17 games, six points behind leaders Northwood, but with a game in hand. It was a game of few chances. South Park went ahead after half an hour. A corner from the right was headed down and scrambled off the line, but was followed in from close range. They never looked like adding a second and were made to pay when Merstham levelled the score with six minutes left. Again it was from a corner on the right, this time cleared to the angle of the 18 yard box, but volleyed back into the far top corner of the net.

Somerset County League

Division 1

Saturday 24th December 2022

Kick Off 12.00 On Time!

Castle Cary 2 Wrington Redhill 3, attendance 40

3’ 1-0

29’ 1-1 (pen)

32’ 1-2

46’ 1-3

51’ 2-3

@ Donald Pither Memorial Ground

Catherines Close

off Ansford Rd

Castle Cary

BA7 7AH

No Admission or Programme.

This fell perfectly for me, as I had a back up game on a 3G pitch that was kicking off an hour later. At the moment that looks like my only New Years Eve game, so I was glad this went ahead as planned.

10th hosted 3rd in the league table and there was very little between the two sides. Castle Cary went ahead after just three minutes, with a left footed finish from the edge of the box that gave the ‘keeper no chance and nearly doubled their lead when they saw an effort come back off the crossbar. The visitors levelled with a penalty just before the half hour mark and added a second goal within minutes, beating the offside trap before finishing left footed to make it 1-2 at halftime.

It soon became 1-3. Wrington broke away to score within seconds of the restart, but Castle Cary pulled it back to 2-3 when a cross from the right was touched in at the near post six minutes later. I thought the hosts did enough to get a point overall, but just fell short in the end.

Midland League

Division 3

Saturday 17th December 2022

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.04

Solihull Sporting 1 Leamington Hibernian 2 (abandoned 83 mins, player injury), attendance 19

16’ 0-1

34’ 0-2

61’ 1-2

@ Tudor Grange Academy Kingshurst, 3G Pitch

Cooks Lane

Chelmsley Wood

B37 6NU

No Admission

Programme free, 4 pages.

The freezing conditions covering most of the country meant finding a game on grass was going to be a challenge today, so when I was offered a lift to this game, my choice of match was sorted. The club had tweeted the fixture yesterday, but never replied to a number of tweets today as to whether the game would definitely go ahead. In the end it wasn’t until we were at Warwick Services on the M40 that a phone call was returned and indeed the game was going ahead as planned. Phew! If the game had been scheduled for the adjacent grass pitch here it would have had no chance of taking place. It was rutted and like walking on concrete. Once again the artificial option paid dividends.

The match was 7th versus 11th (out of 13) in the league table. Leamington were the better side, especially in the first half. They opened the scoring after sixteen minutes, when a long ball was played down the right, and having cut inside, the striker beat the ‘keeper with a shot at the near post, which should really have been saved. He had no chance when the visitor’s doubled their lead on 34 minutes though, beaten by a cracking 25 yarder.

Solihull did come back into it. They had one disallowed for offside late in the first half, before a deflected shot off the inside of the post saw them pull it back to 1-2 just after the hour mark. Unfortunately, with seven minutes left, the home ‘keeper collided with one of his own defenders when trying to clear a through ball, which resulted in the latter sustaining a head injury. He remained on the floor and was unable to be moved. An ambulance was called, but there was little chance of one being able to respond, at least within a reasonable time, so the Referee was left with no option but to abandon the match.

F.A. Sunday Cup

3rd Round

Sunday 11th December 2022

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.04

F.C. Beaconsfield 1 Highgate Albion 4, attendance 70

17’ 0-1

41’ 1-1

53’ 1-2

90’ 1-3

90’ + 6, 1-4

@ Buckinghamshire College Group Wycombe Campus 3G Pitch, Spring Lane, Flackwell Heath, HP10 9HE

No Admission or Programme.

This game was played at the venue where the Saturday team of F.C. Beaconsfield play their home games in Hellenic League Division 2 East, so I was able to complete the league without wasting a Saturday coming to a now all too familiar cage set up.

Beaconsfield play in the Thames Valley Sunday League Premier Division, whilst Highgate, who lost to Baiteze in the Sunday Cup Final at Millwall F.C. last season, are in the Barnet Sunday League Premier Division.

Highgate went ahead early, which pretty much set the tone for the game. They were well in control, but the nearest they came to adding to their first half tally was having an effort disallowed for offside. Out of nothing, Beaconsfield levelled four minutes before the break, cutting in from the left and beating the ‘keeper at his near post. Highgate regained the lead eight minutes into the second half, when a cross field pass was controlled and finished with a shot through the ‘keeper’s legs. They should have added a third on the hour mark, but hit the crossbar with the goal gaping and it wasn’t until the dying seconds that they finally made it 1-3, going on to add a fourth deep into stoppage time, rounding off a resounding win.

It was bitterly cold, with blue sky appearing during the second half. Once again the 3G paid dividends, as there is no way this would have been played on grass. It started snowing when passing Cobham Services/J10 M25 on the way back, which was close on an inch deep on arriving home.

Sevenoaks Senior Charity Cup

2nd Round

Saturday 10th December 2022

Kick Off 13.30. On Time !

Leigh 0 Cuxton ‘91 2, attendance 16

10’ 0-1

90’ 0-2

@ St. Gregory’s Catholic School, 3G Pitch

Reynolds Lane ( vehicle access via St. John’s Rd)

Tunbridge Wells

TN4 9XL

No Admission or Programme.

With a hard overnight frost, it meant a game on an artificial pitch was the safest option today. I opted for this match, where Step 11 was hosting Step 8, as third place in Sevenoaks & District League Premier Division (P5 W4 L1) faced fourth place in Kent County League Division 1 Central & East (P9 W8 L1).

In the end the gap in playing levels between the two clubs was just too much for Leigh to overcome. Cuxton went ahead after ten minutes, finishing left footed with a shot into the bottom corner of the net from just inside the 18 yard box. They never really looked like relinquishing the lead and despite only adding to their tally in the last minute, curling a shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards, they comfortably coasted through to the next round.

This now completes the top division of the Sevenoaks & District League for me. Hopefully Leigh will return to their village ground one day, where I never saw them play. It currently only stages their reserve team matches.

West Sussex League

Premier Division

Saturday 3rd December 2022

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Lavant 5 Petworth 2, attendance 19

8’ 1-0

19’ 2-0

42’ 2-1

43’ 3-1

48’ 4-1 (pen)

68’ 5-1

83’ 5-2

@ New Raughmere Park

Pook Lane

Lavant

PO18 0AH

No Admission or Programme.

I first visited Lavant on 22nd October 2012, when they lost 2-3 versus Bosham (att. 22) with the game played at Raughmere Park, situated about 300 yards further west along Pook Lane, where they got changed at the village hall and arrived by car. That ground is now under a new housing development. Then on 26th February this year I saw them draw 2-2 (att. 12) with today’s visitors Petworth, which was played at Florence Park in Chichester, which they used temporarily whilst the finishing touches were completed at their New Raughmere Park ground, which is on the opposite side of the road to Lavant Village Hall (where they have also played home games in the past, although not somewhere I managed to see a game at). It means they can now use their pitch all year round, as it is solely used for football, rather than shared with the local cricket club as previously. They still get changed across the road (same changing rooms used for all three grounds here) and walk across to the new pitch.

I wouldn’t normally pick a game like this, although it did complete the top division for me, as it was 2nd versus 10th (bottom) in the league table, but today I was missing my driver, so was reliant on a lift, or even god forbid, having to use public transport. In the end I was offered a lift, but had to get myself to Dorking to be picked up. I didn’t fancy risking a train (seem to be continually on strike?) so opted for the bus (first time I’ve used one in England since my teens!) which conveniently had a stop only a few hundred yards walk from the house. It wasn’t busy…just 6 other passengers on the way and just me on the return! At least they ran to time.

As for the game, it was far better than anticipated. They had played the reverse fixture last Saturday, which Lavant had won 6-2, but Petworth competed throughout and if they were to pick up a win from their games in hand on the two teams above them, they could climb to third bottom and out of the relegation zone.

The game went to form. Lavant were ahead after just eight minutes and were 2-0 up after nineteen. Three minutes before the break Petworth pulled one back, but the two goal lead was restored within a minute, when a cross from the right was tapped in at the far post. A penalty for Lavant saw them go 4-1 up three minutes into the second half and it was one way traffic for much of the second half. As we reached the hour mark the hosts had a goal disallowed for offside, then saw a header hit the crossbar a minute later. A cross from the left was slid in at the far post to make it 5-1 with just over twenty minutes left and a neat finish from just inside the corner of the 18 yard box saw Petworth pull it back to 5-2 with seven minutes left.