Northamptonshire Combination League

Premier Division

Saturday 18th November 2025

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.32

Kettering Nomads 0 Medbourne 0, attendance 36

@ Isham Cricket Club

Orlingbury Road

Isham

NN14 1HW

No Admission or Programme.

I decided to head for a game in the top division of the Northamptonshire Combination League for my afternoon match, as the two clubs I’d yet to visit were both at home (Earls Barton United on their recently installed 3G pitch being the other). I chose Kettering Nomads, about half an hours drive away, as they play at a cricket ground, which means they very rarely play midweek home games at the start or end of season, invariably switching to alternate venues. This was certainly the case when I saw them host a midweek game versus Wollaston Victoria at The John Lowther Football Centre in Glendon, back in August 2023.

The car park and pavilion (open for drinks and snacks) back onto Orlingbury Road, with the football pitch on the far side of the cricket pitch, running widthways and roped off on all four sides. This looked like it would be a good game too, as 6th hosted 3rd in the league table. Despite being goalless, it was an enthralling match, very keenly contested and one that could have done with a far stronger Referee, who seemed well out of his depth and struggled to keep the players from both teams under control and it was lucky there were no serious injuries suffered, as some of the tackles that were going unpunished could have proved very costly to those on the receiving end. Nomads had a lob over the ‘keeper cleared off the line four minutes before halftime, before Medbourne had a man sin binned two minutes later, but it was no real surprise to see it remain 0-0 at halftime. The best chance of the second half came eleven minutes after the restart, when a Medbourne player rounded the ‘keeper, but his shot was cleared off the line and that was it as far as getting anything looking like a goal went.

In the end, it was probably a good point for the visitors, lifting them up to second place in the table, level on points with leaders Harpole, while Nomads drop a place to seventh.

Arthurian League

Arthur Dunn Cup 1st Round

Saturday 18th October 2025

Kick Off 11.00 On Time!

Old Kimboltonians 2 Old Cholmeleians 0, attendance 28

66’ 1-0

89’ 2-0

@ Kimbolton Preparatory School

Tilbrook Road

Kimbolton

PE28 0JJ

No Admission or Programme.

Traditionally, Arthur Dunn Cup matches are played at the main school of the clubs, but with Kimbolton School being unavailable, due to an Army Cadet training event taking place there, this tie was played at Kimbolton Preparatory School, a fact we only find out about on arrival. It’s about a mile to the west, on the left hand side of the B645 as you head out of the town. There’s a number of football pitches here, as well as a cricket pitch and tennis courts, with the wooden pavilion used as changing rooms.

The match was 6th in Division 1 versus 3rd in Premier Division, between two teams surprisingly well matched. There were very few chances in the first half and when Kimboltonians had a goal ruled out for offside just after the hour mark, it had the feeling of a nailed on nil-nil. However, four minutes later they did make the breakthrough, when a corner from the left was headed in from three yards. With just over a minute left they made the game safe, when another corner from the left was finished with a flicked volley at the near post.

With everyone staying out on the pitch at halftime, this was done and dusted just before 12.40, leaving ample time for myself and the other five ‘hoppers present to head off to an afternoon match.