National League

Tuesday 30th September 2025

Kick Off 19.45 On Time!

Truro City 0 Eastleigh 2, attendance 1,993

40’ 0-1

45’ + 1, 0-2

@ Truro Sports Hub

Langarth Close

Threemilestone

TR4 9AN

£19 Admission

£3.50 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

I’d seen Truro City play home games twice previously, back in 2002, at their former Treyew Road ground and in March last year, when they staged a Saturday evening game at the ground of Gloucester City, whilst their new Truro Sports Hub ground wasn’t yet open. A few weeks later they did move into their new home and tonight was the perfect opportunity to visit. It’s to the west of Truro itself, in the village of Threemilestone and is part of the Park & Ride set up for the city, so there’s ample car parking and it’s free too and took less than five minutes to exit afterwards. To say the stadium’s underwhelming is an understatement. There’s a good sized seated stand on one side, with cover behind each goal, but viewing is dreadful and even with a crowd tonight, which was way below the stated capacity, getting a decent spot to watch the match from was a challenge. Throw in gangs of kids roaming about, with no interest whatsoever in the football and their newly acquired ‘bandwagon’ fans and you soon get an idea of what kind of experience you’ll get. There were quite a few catering outlets, with large queues and even larger prices! Oddly, on the official Truro City Twitter feed, they thanked the 34 visiting fans for their attendance. Not sure where they came up with this number from though, as the game had no segregation in operation, so there was no way of telling who anyone there was supporting and the visitor’s had cancelled their planned supporters coach, due to insufficient interest, according to their website.

Truro’s rise to National League level has seen them become the highest ranked team ever to come from Cornwall, but on tonight’s showing, that will be short lived. They came into this sitting second bottom in the league table, having beaten bottom club Morecambe 5-0 here on Saturday. Now, if I thought Truro were poor, just what does that say about Morecambe? Eastleigh were hardly great, but they never looked like failing to take all three points here, even if it did take them until just before halftime to break the deadlock, when a cross from the right saw a header cleared off the line, but the clearance was knocked back across the six yard box and fired into the roof of the net from seven yards by Temi Eweka. A minute into stoppage time at the end of the first half they doubled their lead, when a through ball from just inside the centre circle split the defence and the ball was crossed to the far post where it was poked in by Aaron Blair. At no time did Truro ever look like creating anything going forward, let alone score a goal. The win sees Eastleigh remain in twelfth place, whilst Truro are still above Morecambe on goal difference at the bottom, but have played three games more and are only one goal behind Sutton United on goal difference, with the bottom three all on seven points. Fourth from bottom (four go down ) Braintree Town have a four point cushion over the stragglers.

I’d had a totally trouble free journey down to Cornwall. It was an overnight stop for this one and a leisurely drive back on Wednesday morning, rather than battling the overnight roadworks. This once again completes the National League for me and leaves just Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium for completion of the top seven tiers in the English pyramid.

Gloucestershire County League

Saturday 27th September 2025

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.03

Tewkesbury Town 1 Totterdown United 0, attendance 57 (official 78!)

14’ 1-0

@ Northway Playing Field

Northway Lane

Northway

GL20 8GL

No Admission

Programme available by pre-order.

It was just over twenty minutes drive from Cheltenham to my second game of the day at Tewkesbury Town. They don’t play in the town itself, but in the village of Northway, a couple of miles to the east, separated by the M5 motorway. It’s a very basic set up for Step 7. There’s a small car park, with a brick built changing room building on the right as you enter, which also housed a tea bar and toilets. The pitch is beyond, running lengthways. It’s only roped off, which is very poor for this level and has a pair of temporary dugouts on the right hand side. The pitch itself is in a dreadful state, due to failed efforts in improving the drainage and one that will probably suffer from postponements as the wetter weather kicks in. They’re due to be moving to a new sports hub venue, but not sure how far off that is. At least there were no problems today, as far as the weather was concerned, remaining dry throughout.

The game was 16th versus 8th (out of 17) in the league table. It certainly wasn’t one of the best games I’m likely to see this season and that couldn’t all be blamed on the pitch. There was plenty of effort and we should be grateful that it actually produced a goal. It went the way of the hosts, when a through ball saw a mix up between defender and goalkeeper and the ball was put into the net at the second attempt, after the ‘keeper kept the initial effort out. They had another effort hit the crossbar minutes later and also had a header bounce down off the crossbar, but not cross the line too, but that was about it. The hosts finished the game with ten men, having a player red carded six minutes into stoppage time, picking up his second yellow card.

The game surprisingly attracted a dozen hoppers and with no traffic problems I was home just after seven o’clock.

Cheltenham League

Premier Division

Saturday 27th September 2025

Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.12

Montpellier 1 Bishops Cleeve ‘A’ 1, attendance 27

18’ 0-1

57’ 1-1

@ Priors Playing Fields

Imjin Road

Whaddon

Cheltenham

GL52 5JU

No Admission or Programme.

A noon kick off here meant an opportunity of a double today. Due to there already being two youth matches underway, the car park was full, but no problem finding a space in the road outside. There is a two storey brick built changing room building, set down on a lower level than the pitches, with a clubhouse/bar on the top floor, which apparently would be open after the game. The main pitch is nearest the building, running widthways in front and has the old style square posts, which I thought had been outlawed these days. It was roped along the near side for the youth game, but that was taken down once they’d finished, which was behind schedule, causing our game to kick off twelve minutes late.

The match was 2nd versus 1st in the league table, both unbeaten after their opening two games, with Bishops Cleeve holding a two point lead, having won both their games. There was little to choose between them. Bishops Cleeve played the better football, but Montpellier had a big No.9 up front and a long throw expert, which was a weapon they used from every throw in taken within 40 yards of the opposition goal. It was the visitors that went ahead after eighteen minutes, when a ball pulled back from the right was tapped in from six yards. Montpellier hit the crossbar shortly afterwards and Bishops Cleeve had a goal disallowed for offside late on, but it remained 0-1 at the break. Twelve minutes into the second half Montpellier equalised, when a knock down from yet another long throw was poked in from close range. Both teams had chances, but that was it as far as the scoring went and probably a result that the visitors will be more happy with.

Despite having kicked off late, a halftime interval where everyone stayed out on the pitch, meant the game was only running a couple of minutes behind schedule when it finished just before 13.50 and ample time for me to head off to a second game.

South Wales F.A. Senior Cup

1st Round

Tuesday 23rd September 2025

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.03

Trelewis Welfare 1 A.F.C. Wattstown 2, attendance 82

39’ 1-0

59’ 1-1

66’ 1-2

@ Afon Taf High School, 3G Pitch

Yew Street

Troedyrhiw

CF48 4ED

No Admission or Programme.

This game was postponed on Saturday and re-arranged to be played on the 3G pitch at Afan Taf High School in Troedyrhiw. The pitch has only been open a matter of weeks, having been laid on top of what was previously a grass pitch. It’s a good couple of hundred yards walk from the car park/changing rooms, past a floodlit running track and a number of tennis courts. It’s a cage set up, but one with a bit of thought put into it. Spectator access is along the near side and behind the left hand goal end, with a pair of dugouts on the far side, with a totally unobstructed view of the pitch, which is set about 5 yards in from the barrier, which also helps. At the halfway line the hard standing has a recessed area that would easily fit a kit stand, which may be what is planned in the future? The added bonus of tonight’s game being a 7pm kick off meant there was still daylight for a good portion of the first half, so you even got the chance to see the scenic backdrop too, which certainly adds to the experience. If train spotting is your thing, the Cardiff-Merthyr Tydfil line runs behind one end, although only two or three trains passed during the match.

The game itself was 4th in Merthyr League (Tier 7) versus 8th in South Wales Premier League Championship Division (Tier 5), with little to choose between them. Wattstown had an early effort disallowed for offside, before suffering a double sin bin after twenty four minutes. They survived with their goal intact whilst down to nine men, but conceded six minutes before halftime, when a ball over the top beat the offside trap and was finished with a low shot into the bottom corner. A shot from the edge of the D, that found the bottom corner, saw Wattstown draw level just before the hour mark and seven minutes later they got what turned out to be the winner, when a break down the right saw a one two on the edge of the box that was crossed to the far post for an unmarked tap in. Any hope Trelewis had of getting back into it disappeared when they had a man red carded with eighteen minutes left, having retaliated to a foul.

Journey down to Wales was trouble free, via A449 and A465 Heads of the Valleys Road once crossing the border. Back via A470 to the M4 on the return. Good journey until arriving at the M3/M25 junction which was closed (not advertised on overhead signs or picked up on SatNav) meaning a twelve mile diversion and then half a mile before getting back on the M25, the overhead signs were showing that the M25 was closed from J10 to J9….just a few weeks after the new junction works had been ‘completed’ after twelve years!

Mid Sussex League

Tester Cup 1st Round

Saturday 20th September 2025

Kick Off 13.30 Actual 13.27

Poets’ Corner 5 Forgewood 0, attendance 16

27’ 1-0

58’ 2-0

76’ 3-0

84’ 4-0

90’ 5-0

@ Nevill Playing Field

Eridge Road

Hove

BN3 7QD

No Admission or Programme.

It was a trip to the south coast today, to see a game at a ground used by two different clubs. Nevill Playing Field is about 100 yards west of Brighton & Hove Greyhound Stadium and is host to football, cricket and hockey. The main football pitch runs widthways in front of the clubhouse/pavilion, with the cricket square butting up to the far touchline and the pitch slopes side to side, down towards the direction of the sea. Even though there was hockey and a youth football match also taking place, there was just about enough parking, with the added bonus of the clubhouse being open throughout, where hot and cold food and drinks were available.

The Tester Cup is competed for by the teams in Divisions 4 and 5, with this being Division 5 South versus Division 5 North, the lowest levels of the league. The only goal of the first half was a shot on the turn into the bottom corner, which gave the hosts a twenty seventh minute lead. They doubled their lead just before the hour mark, when a superb lob from the halfway line caught out the ‘keeper, who was too far off his line. Forgewood nearly pulled a goal back with eighteen minutes left, but the ‘keeper made a fingertip save onto the crossbar and just four minutes later Poets’ touched in a cross at the near post to make it 3-0 and wrap the game up. A four on one attack saw them add a fourth goal with six minutes left, before a volley from six yards rounded off the scoring in the last minute. Despite no rain being forecast, it actually started raining just before halftime, stopping about ten minutes before the end of the match.

With the game having kicked off three minutes ahead of schedule and a halftime interval where everyone stayed out on the pitch, which is very unusual for a Saturday match, this was all over by 15.05, meaning back home about ten to four.

Nottinghamshire F.A. Senior Cup

1st Round

Tuesday 16th September 2025

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.47

Stapleford Town 1 Dunkirk 1 (abandoned 87 minutes, player injury) attendance 183

3’ 1-0

5’ 1-1

@ Hickings Lane Recreation Ground, 3G Pitch

Hickings Lane

Stapleford

NG9 8PJ

£8 Admission

Programme (apparently there was a free one, but never saw one).

After the club entered a ground share arrangement in order to gain promotion to Step 6, they are now back at their own ground in Hickings Lane. They used to play on a railed off grass pitch, which is still here, to the right of the car park as you enter the complex. They have now developed a 3G caged pitch, to the left, behind an impressive two storey clubhouse/changing room building, which although open, is not yet fully kitted out. The new pitch runs lengthways away from here and unusually for a cage, has spectator access behind the near goal end and along the left hand side. There’s the usual two kit stands, one seated, but as is often the case with these set ups, awful to view from, whilst the dugouts are opposite.

The match pitted two teams from United Counties League Division 1 (Step 6), with 9th hosting 15th, as far as league positions go. It started off brightly, but deteriorated very quickly. Stapleford opened the scoring after just three minutes, when a player was played through, riding a challenge, before firing a shot high into the near top corner. Dunkirk levelled it up within two minutes, when a diagonal cross in from the left was headed back across into the far corner. There was very little of note in the next eighty two minutes, until a bad challenge on the far side of the pitch resulted in an injury to a home player, who was too badly hurt to be moved and after about ten minutes of dithering, the Referee called the game off.

There were no real problems on either the M25 or M1 in either direction, although the A217 into Reigate was closed just after exiting the motorway, which resulted in a three mile diversion to get home.

Neath & District League

Premier Division

Saturday 13th September 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Clydach Sports 2 Glynneath Town 8, attendance 23

7’ 1-0

10’ 1-1

23’ 1-2 (pen)

38’ 2-2

39’ 2-3

49’ 2-4

62’ 2-5

71’ 2-6

79’ 2-7

90’ + 3, 2-8

@ Coed Gwilym Park, Pitch 2

Pontardawe Road

Clydach

SA6 5NS

No Admission or Programme.

I’d originally planned to do Ardal League club Clydach this afternoon, until it was hijacked to be part of the Groundhop U.K. schedule as this afternoon’s match, so it was a case of hunting for an alternative. The Clydach Sports game fitted the bill perfectly, as they play on the adjacent pitch to Clydach and at least it guaranteed they’d be on the second pitch here. Contact with the home club last night confirmed this to be the case, although the game was in doubt due to the pitch suffering from the heavy rain and more was forecast overnight. I received a text message about ten o’clock, stating that there was a pitch inspection taking place an hour later and heard nothing more. If it was off, I’d have to do the game on the main pitch, but thankfully, I arrived to see the teams warming up and all was good. The main pitch runs lengthways, immediately behind the buildings, with Pitch 2 to the left, running parallel, but offset by around half a pitch length and separated by about 10 yards, with a length of tape acting as a divider.

The match was 4th versus 1st in the league table and was an excellent advert for the league. I’d been impressed when I’d seen Glynneath in the Welsh F.A. Cup a few weeks back and they certainly did nothing other than enhance that view today. Glynneath had a goal disallowed in the opening minutes, before a seventh minute diving header put Clydach Sports ahead. Three minutes later Glynneath levelled the scores. They had a shot that hit the post, before a penalty saw them go 1-2 ahead midway through the half. Clydach Sports missed the chance to level things up again, when a penalty hit the crossbar, but did come up with an equaliser a minute later, when a striker nipped in front of the ‘keeper to head in a diagonal cross from the left. Straight from the restart Glynneath made it 2-3, which remained the halftime score. The killer fourth goal for the visitors came just four minutes into the second half, courtesy of a cracking 25 yard free kick and it was then a case of how many more they’d get, as the visitors rarely threatened after this. Clydach Sports had a man sin binned with twenty minutes left, conceding another two goals while down to ten, before another free kick, this time from a good 30 yards out, rounded off the scoring for Glynneath in stoppage time. The win maintains their 100% winning start to the season, with the hosts dropping down to twelfth place.

Another clear run on the return journey and home just after seven, which rounded off an excellent day. A visit back here to see a game on the main pitch awaits and it will be on a day without the circus of the Groundhop U.K. bandwagon being in town. All the better for that!

West Wales Premier League

Saturday 13th September 2025

Kick Off 11.00 Actual 11.01

Llangennech 2 Dafen Welfare 2, attendance 224 (official)

8’ 1-0

17’ 1-1

38’ 2-1

64’ 2-2

@ Llangennech Recreation Ground

Station Road

Llangennech

SA14 8UY

£5 Admission, including Programme, 20 pages.

Having left home ridiculously early, I arrived in Llangennech, to the northeast of Llanelli, over an hour and a half before kick off. Ordinarily, the car park here would be enough to cope with the crowd, but as this was part of an official ground hop, it was a better bet to park in the road outside. The club were well organised and both teams were already here. The ground is basic for Tier 4, with a wooden fence enclosing the pitch and a pair of portable dugouts flanking a section of uncovered seating. The brick built changing room building, which also housed the tea bar and toilets, is in the near right hand corner as you enter the ground from the car park. Being an organised event, the crowd was well up on a normal day, although the official crowd of 224 can be best described as generous. It certainly felt like there were fewer present. It was also noticeable how many of the regular faces hadn’t bothered this year, too.

Considering it was 13th versus 16th (bottom) in the league table, it was a decent game, where both teams would have fancied their chances in taking the three points. Llangennech took an early lead, when a cross wasn’t cleared from the box, leading to an easy finish, but Dafen Welfare levelled within nine minutes. The hosts went back in front seven minutes before halftime, with a shot from the edge of the box that the ‘keeper got a hand to, but couldn’t keep out. Midway through the second half Dafen levelled the scores again, with a left foot finish into the bottom corner. The visitors might have won it, if a double sending off for Llangennech, following a bout of pushing and shoving, had come earlier than the first minute of stoppage time, but overall, a draw was probably about right.

Perry Street & District League

Division 1

Wednesday 10th September 2025

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.12

Merriott Moretti 0 Donyatt United 0, attendance 43

@ Merriott Recreation Ground

Broadway

Merriott

TA16 5QH

No Admission or Programme.

Tonight was the last of the early evening kick offs scheduled for clubs without floodlights and saw a second successive match in Division 1 of the Perry Street & District League. The village of Merriott is sandwiched between the A303 to the north and the town of Crewkerne to the south, with Merriott Moretti playing at the local recreation ground, behind the village hall. The changing rooms are in the cricket pavilion, with the pitch on the far side of the cricket square, running widthways, with a pair of dugouts on the far side, where a concrete path acts as hard standing and there’s a small bit of cover tucked away in the corner behind the right hand goal end too.

Both clubs play their home games here, so it was a bit of a surprise to see them turn up for the game with near identical kits, which resulted in Moretti playing with yellow bibs over the top of their shirts. As with last night’s game in this division, it was played as 2 x 40 minute halves, which actually kicked off three minutes ahead of schedule and saw a seven minute halftime, where everyone stayed out on the pitch. It was a decent game, where chances were few and far between, where the defences certainly had the upper hand. The nearest we came to seeing a goal in the first half was when a 20 yarder from Donyatt smacked against the crossbar after just three minutes. Three minutes from the end of the game they saw the best chance of the second half cleared off the line, before the follow up was headed out for a corner. All over by 19.40 and no problem with the light.

As with last night’s trip to Somerset, another clear run in both directions and once again arrival back home was just before ten o’clock.

Perry Street & District League

Division 1

Tuesday 9th September 2025

Kick Off 18.15 Actual 18.14

Kingsbury Episcopi 0 Barrington 2, attendance 27

18’ 0-1

19’ 0-2

@ Kingsbury Episcopi Recreation Ground

Thorne Road

Kingsbury Episcopi

TA12 6BG

No Admission or Programme.

A trip down to Somerset and a game in a league that are traditionally one of the few in the south who regularly schedule midweek games in the second week of September. Kingsbury Episcopi Recreation Ground is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s just an open pitch, where the grass could do with a mow and large brick built changing room building adjacent to the car park. If you arrive early enough, or choose to visit on a Saturday afternoon, you’ll find the cafe open, which is situated within the same building.

These two were playing their second game of the season, Kingsbury Episcopi having opened with a 5-0 win away to Charmouth, whilst Barrington had lost 0-1 at home to Forton Rangers Reserves. It was a dull evening, with a threat of rain in the air and despite kicking off a minute ahead of schedule, the Referee decided on playing 2 x 40 minute halves, rather than risk any problems with fading light. It was played with full commitment throughout, as you’d expect from a local derby, with the two villages just four miles apart. It was a game of few decent chances. Barrington broke the deadlock after eighteen minutes, with a 25 yarder that went straight through the ‘keeper’s legs and doubled their lead a minute later, when a shot from the edge of the D was lashed into the bottom corner. At no time did it look like being anything other than an away win from this point.

Having kicked off a minute early and with it being an 80 minute match (1 minute stoppage time in first half and three in the second) and a very quick turnaround at halftime, where everyone stayed on the pitch, we were done and dusted by 19.43. A totally trouble free return journey, with no overnight roadworks yet underway, meant arrival home was just before ten o’clock.