National League South

Saturday 9th March 2024

Kick Off 19.30 On Time!

Truro City 1 Chelmsford City 4, attendance 176

4’ 0-1 (pen)

11’ 1-1

33’ 1-2

42’ 1-3

55’ 1-4 (pen)

@ TigerTurf Stadium (New Meadow Park)

Sudmeadow Road

Gloucester

GL2 5HD

£11 Admission

Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

With Truro City currently not playing in Cornwall and their ground share pitch at Taunton Town being waterlogged, they came up with the ground of Gloucester City as the best alternative they could find (just a mere 194 miles from Truro) to get this game played. The reason for the evening kick off was that Gloucester City had been at home to Boston United (they lost 3-7) at three o’clock.

I’d seen Gloucester City here in December 1990, when they beat Weymouth 2-0 in an F.A. Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round Replay (att. 682), but major work has undergone here in the intervening years, resulting in Meadow Park (pre-sponsor name) now becoming ‘New’ Meadow Park. The ground is in close proximity to the River Severn and regularly suffered from flooding in it’s original form and after being hit by the weather once again in 2007, the club vacated their home of just 22 years, resulting in ground shares at Forest Green Rovers, Cirencester Town, Cheltenham Town and Evesham United, before returning to their own ground in 2020.

The pitch has been moved about 35-40 yards from its original position and raised considerably to combat the rising water levels that caused the flooding of the past. I believe the clubhouse is from the original set up, but the ground itself is all new. Two decent sized seated stands and cover behind each goal, whilst the far side is open to the elements and of course, there is now a 3G pitch. I’d arrived in plenty of time from my afternoon game at English Bicknor, with the gates here still open from the earlier game, so was able to venture inside and get a few photos whilst there was still some daylight. I’d also managed to park right outside the ground too, although it appeared that there was no problem parking in the car park at the entrance end of the stadium. There was also time to venture beyond the far goal end too, just to see to what extent the ground had actually been shifted, as the photos below show…..old terracing still remains and the new pitch is elevated well above it’s original height.

The match itself was 18th (out of 24) versus 2nd and was a decent game to watch as a neutral. An early penalty saw Chelmsford go in front, but Truro levelled the scores after eleven minutes, when an attempted clearance from the ‘keeper, following a back pass, was charged down, resulting in the ball rebounding into the far corner of the net. Chelmsford were totally dominant and if it wasn’t for a number of outstanding saves by the Truro ‘keeper, this game would have been decided much earlier than it was. Chelmsford saw a header come back off the post as well, but finally edged back in front after 33 minutes, when a free kick was swung in from the right and finished from close range, with possibly the final touch coming right on the line, just before the ball went in? Goal number three for the visitors came just before halftime, cutting in from the left before finishing right footed into the bottom corner from the edge of the D. Any chance of a comeback disappeared ten minutes into the second half, when Chelmsford made it 1-4, with their second penalty of the game, this time in off the underside of the crossbar. They nearly added a fifth late on, but a 20 yard curler came back off the post.

It was nice to tidy this one up and do it with two other games in the area, saving me a 250 mile round trip, even though the match didn’t involve the actual home club and there probably haven’t been too many occasions where I’ve travelled fewer miles to watch a game than the two teams involved

Gloucestershire Northern Senior League

Division 1

Saturday 9th March 2024

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 14.59

English Bicknor 2 Tredworth Tigers 3, attendance 44

24’ 1-0

47’ 2-0

61’ 2-1

67’ 2-2 (pen)

85’ 2-3

@ Worral Hill Recreation Ground

Main Road

Worral Hill

GL17 9QF

No Admission or Programme.

I had only visited English Bicknor as recently as December 2021, when they played in the village itself, but they are now based at Worral Hill, no more than a couple of miles away as the crow flies, but just over four miles by road. I’d actually planned on coming here back in August, when they moved one of their fixtures to a Friday night, but unfortunately as I was thinking about setting off, the SatNav was showing over an hour of hold ups on the M25, let alone any problems on the M4, so I reluctantly gave up.

When heading south west along the A4136 from Gloucester, the ground is visible on the right, where you then turn in towards the village, with the entrance to the small car park about 100 yards along on the right. I’d made the 18 mile journey from Gloucester comfortably, arriving just under half an hour before kick off.

The clubhouse/changing rooms are in the near corner, next to the car park, with the pitch running lengthways away from here. The pitch is fully railed and has a set of dugouts on the right hand side, whilst opposite are two wooden dugouts, set back from the pitch slightly, which were used as seating for spectators. English Bicknor had seen their home game postponed last Saturday, but no such problems today, confirmed in a quick reply to a text message to the Secretary, sent during my earlier game.

The match affected both ends of the league table, as 14th (3rd bottom) hosted 2nd. If you’d turned up not knowing which team was in which position, you’d have assumed it was English Bicknor who were the team going for the title as they looked the better side from the off. They took the lead midway through the first half, finishing from close range, after a corner from the right wasn’t cleared and although Tredworth created a few chances, it remained 1-0 at the break. Rather oddly, considering the changing rooms are right by the pitch, both teams and Referee all stayed out at halftime. Even more strange was the fact that we had a rain shower for the entire duration and we were back underway by 15.53.

Within two minutes of the restart it was 2-0, when a ball down the right saw the striker just win the race against the ‘keeper, before hooking the ball across the face of the goal for an easy finish from another player in support. Tredworth pulled one back just after the hour, cutting in from the left before finishing into the bottom corner from 18 yards. Six minutes later it was 2-2, as the visitors converted a penalty, awarded for a foul just inside the box. Minutes later the Referee somehow failed to award another penalty to Tredworth, which looked absolutely nailed on! Neither side were settling for a point and both had chances to win it, but in the end it was Tredworth who grabbed the winner, with just five minutes left, when a through ball from inside the centre circle played a player clear and having had one touch to steady himself, he finished with a shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

The defeat leaves English Bicknor three points from safety, whilst Tredworth leapfrog Longlevens Reserves at the top of the table, with the latter now two points behind, but with two games in hand. So, with Division 2 already completed, I’m left with just reigning Division 1 champions Chalford to complete all ground visits in this league now….hopefully on the main pitch this time, rather than the adjacent one they used on a Sunday morning kick off back in March 2004, when I saw them lose a Stroud Charity Cup Semi-Final on penalties to Brockworth Albion, after a 0-0 draw at ninety minutes.

Cheltenham League

Senior Charity Cup Quarter Final

Saturday 9th March 2024

Kick Off 12.15 Actual 12.16

Kings 0 Montpellier 5, attendance 15

19’ 0-1

36’ 0-2

57’ 0-3

64’ 0-4

79’ 0-5

@ Oxtalls Sports Park, 3G Pitch

Plock Court

off Tewkesbury Road

Gloucester

GL2 9DW

No Admission or Programme.

First up today was a game in the Cheltenham League’s Senior Charity Cup and a Quarter Final tie between two teams in Division 1 (second of three divisions), with 7th hosting 2nd as far as league positions go. Montpellier are unbeaten in the league this season (12 wins, 1 draw) and are favourites to take the title, as they trail leaders Cheltenham United, the only team they didn’t win against, by just two points and have five games in hand, as well as a far superior goal difference. Today’s game went to form, but Kings certainly made them work hard for it, especially early on. Montpellier were 0-2 up at halftime, both goals coming from corners and finished from close range.

When the visitors made it 0-3 just before the hour mark, there was no way back for the hosts. Goal number four arrived shortly afterwards, following a quick break down the right and the scoring was rounded off eleven minutes from time, when a ball over the top sent the striker through on goal and he finished with a shot into the bottom corner.

The complex was very busy, as you’d expect on a Saturday morning, with car park spaces at a premium, although good to see there were no charges. There are three caged pitches here. The first one, on the left as you enter, was hosting hockey, with the next one, on the right, marked out for rugby, with the main football one being the furthest, behind the building and running the opposite way to the other two. It is a standard set up, with spectator viewing along three quarters of one side and a pair of dugouts on the other.