Isthmian League

Premier Division

Tuesday 15th October 2024

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.48

Cray Wanderers 1 Chatham Town 4, attendance 532

36’ 0-1

38’ 0-2

41’ 0-3

44’ 1-3

47’ 1-4

@ Flamingo Park Sports & Leisure

Sidcup By-Pass (A20)

Chislehurst

BR7 6HL

£12 Admission

£3 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

I’d visited Cray Wanderers at their former ground in Oxford Road, Sidcup back in May 1994, when they lost 0-2 to Sheppey United in a Kent League match. I’d also seen them play a friendly at home to Crockenhill in 2011, which was played at Hoblingwell Wood Recreation Ground, in St. Paul’s Cray. The ground in Sidcup is still there, now hosting Kent County League matches, but a lack of floodlights meant Cray moving out in 2011, using the ground of Bromley FC in order to meet ground grading requirements, before finally moving into their own ground here at Flamingo Park at the start of this season. Despite having a 3G pitch, it is a proper ground. There’s spectator access on all four sides, with a 300 seat stand being the only cover at present and a large clubhouse behind one goal, which also had a viewing balcony. Plenty of hot food on offer too. Entrance to the ground is off the A20 dual carriageway, on the left hand side when heading in towards London when coming off the M25. Plenty of car parking (free of charge!) and the only downside, is that on exiting, you have to travel half a mile in towards London before the first set of traffic lights, where you’re able to get onto the eastbound carriageway.

It wasn’t the type of game that you’d normally pick as a neutral, with bottom of the table Cray (won just once in 7 games) hosting fifth bottom Chatham (one place outside the relegation zone), who’d only picked up 8 points from their eight games so far, but at least it was a match where both teams would have fancied their chances of picking up a much needed win. It had been pretty uneventful before Sid Nelson broke the deadlock for the visitors nine minutes before halftime, heading in from a corner on the left. Two minutes later Freddie Sears (ex England U19/U20/U21 international and plenty of Football League experience with spells at West Ham United, Colchester United and Ipswich Town) smashed in the second from close range after a corner had been flicked on at the near post and three minutes later he made it 0-3, finishing from close range after the ball was pulled back from the right. There was still time for Stefan Ilic to give Cray hope for the second half, volleying in at the near post to make it 1-3 at the break. We’d only played three minutes of the second half, when Sears completed his hat trick, to put Chatham 1-4 up and there would be no way back for Cray from here.

On Saturday there were over 1,200 here for the F.A. Cup tie versus Tonbridge Angels, but tonight there were ‘only’ 532, with at least a couple of dozen ‘hoppers in attendance and a good turnout from Chatham. I was surprised how quick it was to exit the car park and I was home just before 10.30. So, that’s Step 3 complete once again, leaving just the new Truro City ground (Step 2) required in the top eight levels in England.

Essex Olympian League

Premier Division

Saturday 12th October 2024

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.04

Toby 1 Old Southendian 2, attendance 32

42’ 0-1

43’ 1-1 (pen)

49’ 1-2

@ Mansion Sports Club

Barleylands Farm (Site 2)

Barleylands Road

Noak Bridge

CM11 2UF

No Admission or Programme.

I wanted to be home to watch the Rugby League Grand Final between Wigan Warriors and Hull Kingston Rovers, which was kicking off at 6 o’clock and this game fitted the bill perfectly. It was the only ground I hadn’t visited in the Essex Olympian League Premier Division and it pitted 13th (out of 14) against top of the table and the only unbeaten team, who’d won 7 of their first nine games and led second in the table Runwell Sports by six points, as well as having a vastly superior goal difference.

Although Toby have won just once so far this season, they have only suffered one heavy defeat (1-5 v Runwell), with three of their defeats being by just a single goal. They certainly made Old Southendian work hard for the three points today and it took until three minutes before halftime for the visitors to break the deadlock, cutting in from the right and pulling the ball back for a first time finish into the bottom corner from 12 yards. Straight from the restart Toby punted the ball forward and their striker won the race with defender and ‘keeper to nip between them and finish from a tight angle. However, the Referee disallowed it and after much discussion with the Linesman, awarded a penalty instead, which was duly dispatched to make it 1-1. Four minutes into the second half Old Southendian were back in front, when a cross from the right was finished with a diving header at the far post. I expected them to comfortably go on and win it by a few goals from here, but Toby never gave up and although they applied pressure in the last ten minutes, they were unable to break down a very resilient defence and the visitors hung on to take all three points.

The ground here at Mansion Sports Club is new for Toby this season, with this being their third game here. It’s not easy to find. If you head north once leaving the A127, then turn left up Barleylands Road, you need to turn left into the ground of F.C. Redwing, where you drive past some pitches on the right before finally getting a few small signs pointing to Toby F.C. About another 200 yards further on you reach the car park. There is a roped off pitch in front of you, with the clubhouse/changing rooms to the right, with the main pitch beyond. It is also fully roped through plastic posts and apart from the trees along one side, there is no other shelter, although they served their purpose during the worst of the rain midway through the second half. Although I didn’t venture inside, I noticed hot drinks did appear to be available from the clubhouse.

Surprisingly trouble free journey in both directions, with the usual 8-9 mile queue towards the Dartford Crossing not even encountered outbound and back home for the Grand Final with an hour to spare.

Middlesex F.A. Intermediate Cup

1st Round

Saturday 5th October 2024

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.05

Actonians 2 Pitshanger Dynamo 0, attendance 12

33’ 1-0

69’ 2-0

@ Actonians Sports Club

Gunnersbury Drive

Acton

London

W5 4LL

No Admission or Programme.

The drive west from my morning game took eleven minutes. Although there were a couple of spaces in the very compact car park here at Actonians Sports Club, I decided to park on the road outside, bagging the last space, where there are no Saturday parking restrictions. It is somewhat typical of these large sports grounds around the capital, catering for rugby, cricket, tennis and bowling, as well of course, football. The pitch runs lengthways in front of the cricket pavilion/changing rooms, bordering the cricket square on one side and tennis courts on the other, whilst houses back onto the far goal end. The pitch here was in superb condition and a credit to the groundsman. Yet again, totally blanked by both clubs Twitter accounts (if ever something was in a state of decline, then this is surely it) in trying to confirm the venue and kick off time for this, but text messages to both clubs contact numbers were answered within minutes of each other.

I’d expected it to be far busier here than it was, as there was a type of fun day also taking place. The crowd there was even smaller than the dozen watching the football and there were a few enjoying a drink in the sun, sat at the tables outside the clubhouse, where hot food was also available. The game was in the opening round of the Middlesex F.A. Intermediate Cup, where 5th in Southern Amateur League (not part of the football pyramid) were hosting Step 7 side Pitshanger Dynamo, currently sitting bottom of Middlesex County League Premier Division, having lost all five league games they’ve played so far this season.

The first half saw plenty of chances at both ends, with the only goal of the half going the way of Actonians just after the half hour mark, courtesy of a 25 yarder that went in off the post. The crucial second goal came with just over twenty minutes left, when a deflected cross fell perfectly for an angled shot into the far corner. Pitshanger had a man sent off in the last minute, following what looked like a stamp on a home player, but the game was already decided by then.

Arthurian League

Division 5

Saturday 5th October 2024

Kick Off 11.30 Actual 11.37

Old Oundelians 0 Old Wykehamists II 7, attendance 5

11’ 0-1

39’ 0-2

52’ 0-3

66’ 0-4

72’ 0-5

74’ 0-6

90’ 0-7

@ Club Des Sports, 3G Pitch 3

The Park Club

East Acton Lane

London

W3 7HB

No Admission or Programme.

I’d seen a game here back in December 2018, which was played on the main pitch, right next to the clubhouse. Since then they’ve added a second 11 a side 3G pitch, albeit a dreadful cage with no designated spectator area, although no problem watching from inside the fence. There were even a number of chairs to sit on, left inside, after the hordes of parents had left at the end of the kids training sessions that were on the pitch beforehand. Unlike my previous visit, I avoided the extortionate parking charges, choosing instead to park in the road opposite the entrance, where there are no restrictions on a Saturday, even if it meant a 50 yard walk!

Although part of Club Des Sports, the new pitch is quite a hike. You either wander round the side of some tennis courts, entering the outfield of the adjoining cricket field, or walk through the David Lloyd car park, where you gain access via a gate in the fence. Surprisingly, the cage here has its own changing rooms and clubhouse (probably due to the cricket) and the cafe was open throughout.

With two games scheduled here this morning (10.30 and 11.30) I was guaranteed of seeing one of them played on the new pitch. The near useless F.A. Full Time website can’t be relied upon for accuracy when it comes to which pitch games are on, even if they do give the information, but they don’t even bother stating the pitch numbers for here! I arrived just before 10.30, just to be safe. The early match was being played on the pitch I’d already done, so I had a hour to kill before the Division 5 (bottom level of league) game, where 9th were hosting 3rd in the league table. It was actually quite even during the first half, with OW leading 0-2 at the break. An early second half goal made the points safe and it was very much one way traffic for the last half an hour, where they added four more without reply, with the final goal coming with the last kick of the match.