Brighton, Worthing & District League

Saturday 29th November 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.02

St. Marys 4 Boys Brigade Old Boys 4, attendance 13

11’ 0-1 (pen)

21’ 1-1

45’ + 1, 1-2 (pen)

47’ 1-3

67’ 2-3 (pen)

81’ 2-4

87’ 3-4

90’ 4-4

@ Durrington Recreation Ground

Cuckfield Crescent/Rogate Road

Salvington

BN13 2ED

No Admission or Programme.

Last Saturday I failed in my attempt to see a St. Marys home game, having turned up at Pond Lane Recreation Ground, which is their home venue according to the F.A. Fulltime website, but it was totally deserted, so I headed elsewhere and a result subsequently appeared later that evening. I’d noticed on the BBOB Instagram page yesterday that this game was listed as being played at Durrington Recreation Ground (still down as Pond Lane Recreation Ground on Full Time) and I managed to confirm this with the very helpful away team manager around noon and that the game was definitely going ahead, following yet another Friday evening of heavy rain.

The ground here at Durrington Recreation Ground is very basic. The only access is on foot, via a pathway off either Rogate Road or Cuckfield Crescent. I opted for the latter, where you enter next to the brick built changing rooms. The pitch runs lengthways away from here, with a second pitch at the far end, which runs the opposite way. I was told by a home official that St. Marys play all their home games here, as do table toppers T.M.G. who Full Time also wrongly show as using Pond Lane.

The match was 8th versus 6th (out of 9) in a league that must be living on borrowed time and will surely be absorbed into the Mid Sussex League before too much longer. It had become noticeably drier as I headed down the A24 and blue sky started appearing once I was south of Horsham. There were plenty of games off in Sussex today, but the pitch here was fine, apart from a puddle in the near goalmouth, scooped away using a bucket as the nets were being put up. The Referee only arrived about fifteen minutes before kick off, so no time to carry out any type of inspection, but thankfully no problems.

Neither team could be questioned for their efforts and despite not being the highest of quality, it was certainly entertaining. An early penalty put the visitors ahead and despite losing their captain to injury after nineteen minutes, St. Marys drew level a couple of minutes later. They then found themselves playing with ten men for the last ten minutes of the half, when one of their players went off injured (he obviously wasn’t ‘really’ injured though, as he took over as linesman for the second half) and he wasn’t replaced until the start of the second half. Very odd, especially as they went behind to a second penalty in stoppage time while still a man short.

Two minutes into the second half BBOB made it 1-3, with a low angled shot into the far corner, but wasted numerous chances to kill the game off. Another penalty saw the hosts pull it back to 2-3 with twenty three minutes left and ten minutes later they had a goal ruled out for offside. Nine minutes from the end the visitors added a fourth, finishing one on one after beating the offside trap and the three points looked safe. A chance out of nothing was fired high into the roof of the net as St.Marys made it 3-4 with three minutes left, before a ball over the top was smashed past the ‘keeper, hitting the inside angle of post and bar on it’s way in, to make it 4-4 right on ninety minutes and the full time whistle went immediately after the game restarted.

So, that’s the Brighton, Worthing & District League wrapped up for this season. By my reckoning, there’s just six more required (could be 7 depending on who/if anyone uses a grass pitch at Eastbourne Sports Park where I’ve already done the 3G pitch) to complete the Sussex pyramid now.

Brighton, Worthing & District League

Saturday 22nd November 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Lancing Athletic 6 Rottingdean Village 0, attendance 8

10’ 1-0

15’ 2-0

32’ 3-0

54’ 4-0

58’ 5-0

83’ 6-0

@ The Sir Robert Woodard Academy, 3G Pitch

Upper Boundstone Lane

Sompting

BN15 9QZ

No Admission or Programme.

What seems like an endless task, in my attempt to see a game on all the first team venues in the Sussex football pyramid, once more led me to the south coast. This wasn’t my intended game today. I’d turned up at Pond Lane Recreation Ground, in Durrington, the home of St. Marys, the only other ground I needed in the same league, only to find the pitch freshly marked out, but the place totally deserted (the Referee at my second game said he’d heard the home team have been struggling for players recently). It meant a five mile drive east for my backup game, where third in the league table Lancing Athletic were hosting bottom of the table Rottingdean Village, former members of the Sussex County/Southern Combination League’s.

The ground here at The Sir Robert Woodard Academy is just a 3G caged pitch, which despite having no designated spectator area, there was no problem watching from inside the fence, with quite a bit of room between here and the touchline. Lancing had the wind at their backs for the first half and made the most of it, racing into a 2-0 lead in the first quarter of an hour, the opener coming after a corner wasn’t cleared from the box and the second a long punt forward that saw the bounce totally misjudged by the ‘keeper and it cleared his fingertips as he stretched desperately to atone for his error. The third goal was curled into the far corner just after the half hour mark and it remained 3-0 at halftime.

The rain arrived right on the halftime whistle, so it was a surprise that both teams stayed out on the pitch, but at least it meant we were back underway by 14.50. Rottingdean only had the bare eleven players at kick off, with one substitute arriving late in the first half and a second one after we’d played an hour, by which time it was 5-0 to the hosts, with a long range shot followed in after a fumble by the ‘keeper making it four and a deflected effort adding to the tally just minutes later. Rottingdean had a man sent off with fifteen minutes left, picking up a second yellow card, before another deflection saw Lancing make it 6-0 with seven minutes left.

The rain got worse as the game wore on and it was pretty gloomy by the end of the match, where despite there being floodlights, they remained unused. Plenty of spray and standing water on the journey back up the M23/A23. Luckily for me, the last remaining ground I’ve yet to visit in this league, also hosts the matches of second in the league table T.M.G. so I’ll look to do them at home, rather than trust St. Marys again, especially as a result of 0-3 has now appeared on F.A. Fulltime for today’s game! It was obviously played elsewhere.

Taunton & District League

Rowbarton Charity Cup 2nd Round

Monday 17th November 2025

Kick Off 19.30 Actual 19.33

Dulverton Town 3 Bridgwater Sports 5, attendance 34

5’ 1-0

16’ 2-0

32’ 2-1

40’ 3-1

42’ 3-2

43’ 3-3

90’ + 1, 3-4 (pen)

90’ + 3, 3-5

@ Bridgwater & Taunton College Sports Zone, 3G Pitch

College Way

off Bath Road

Bridgwater

TA6 4PZ

No Admission or Programme.

The Taunton & District League is an odd one as far as my ground hopping visits go, as I’ve only ever done games for midweek cup matches. The reason for this is that a lot of their cups are staged on neutral 3G venues. I’d done three such venues previously…Bridgwater College Academy (3.10.18), Richard Huish College (4.10.23) and 1610 Castle Sports Centre (15.12.23) and they’ve now added Bridgwater & Taunton College into the mix. The ground is next to that of Western League club Bridgwater United, running end on. It’s a typical cage set up, but has spectator access along the entrance side, where there’s also a pair of wooden dugouts, as well as behind each goal, stretching from the near corner to the far edge of the 18 yard box, whilst the far side backs onto the railway line and is out of bounds.

The match was 3rd in Division 2 versus 2nd in Division 1. It was Dulverton that got off to the better start, going ahead with a shot into the bottom corner after five minutes, before doubling their lead eleven minutes later, with a shot that went in via the post. Just after the half hour mark Bridgwater Sports had a goal ruled out for offside, but did pull one back a minute later, hooking in at the far post following a corner on the right. Five minutes before halftime Dulverton restored their two goal lead, heading in a diagonal cross at the far post. Two minutes later it was 3-2, when Bridgwater netted the rebound from a penalty that was saved and within a minute they were level, when a cross from the right was smashed past the ‘keeper from just inside the box. The all action first half certainly didn’t match the second. There was hardly a decent chance created by either side and it looked all set to be heading for a penalty shoot out, when a minute into stoppage time Bridgwater were awarded a penalty, for a trip on the edge of the box. It was duly scored and a couple of minutes later they broke down the right and crossed into the box, where the ball was controlled and hit low into the bottom corner with what was the last kick of the match.

It was a trouble free journey down to Somerset, via M3 and A303 and the only roadworks encountered were on the M25 coming home, between J10 and J9, where there were lane closures.

Kent County League

Division 2 West

Saturday 15th November 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.59

The Charcoal 3 Rotherhithe 2, attendance 26

41’ 1-0

42’ 1-1

48’ 2-1

86’ 2-2

90’ + 4, 3-2

@ The Oaks

Starbuck Close

off Green Lane

New Eltham

London

SE9 2TD

No Admission or Programme.

I chose this game, as I had an easily reachable back up game on 3G, although I’d confirmed with the home club manager that the game was going ahead as scheduled, so not really needed. The Oaks has three pitches, all of which staged games this afternoon. Behind the clubhouse, to the right of the car park, is a railed pitch that was formerly home to Eltham Town. My game was on a pitch to the left, running parallel to the car park. It’s fully railed, with a small area of cover (The Lenny Piper Stand) on the near side, where hard standing ran from here to the near corner. A pair of dugouts are on the far side, backing onto a pitch running lengthways away from here, which was hosting a veterans match.

Today’s game was 2nd versus 8th (out of 11) in the league table, with The Charcoal unbeaten in their opening seven matches (5W 2D), having been promoted from the Bromley & South London League, having finished second to Old Roan in the Premier Division of that league last season, whilst Rotherhithe came up from the same division, despite only having finished in fourth place.

It was an excellent game, on a pitch that looked none the worse for the rain we’ve suffered in the last couple of days. It was end to end right from the off and it was a bit of a surprise that it took until four minutes before halftime for the opening goal to arrive, which went the way of the hosts, finishing left footed into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Within a minute the visitors levelled the scores, when a long ball over the top was touched past the on rushing ‘keeper and finished from a tight angle, low into the far corner, just eluding a defender on the line who couldn’t keep it out. Three minutes into the second half The Charcoal went back in front, cutting in from the right and beating the ‘keeper at his near post. Rotherhithe replied with a 25 yarder that smacked against the post, followed seconds later by another effort from the same player, this time hitting the crossbar, with the ‘keeper getting nowhere near either of them. With four minutes left Rotherhithe grabbed a deserved equaliser, following in from close range, after a fumble by the ‘keeper. It looked like ending in a draw, but four minutes into stoppage time The Charcoal broke down the right and crossed to the far post for an easy tap in to take all three points.

A lot of leagues struggle for match officials these days, but no problem here. There were three appointments for this, which I believe is the norm in this league, despite it only being Step 9 on the football pyramid. Thankfully, there was nothing worse than a very brief threat of rain during the second half, which soon petered out, but it was pretty gloomy when the game finished at 15.45.

Belgium

Brabant Provincial 1 A.C.F.F.

Sunday 9th November 2025

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.03

F.C. Moreda Uccle 0 R. Racing Club Etterbeek 7, attendance 57

30’ 0-1

48’ 0-2

50’ 0-3

56’ 0-4

70’ 0-5 (pen)

73’ 0-6

84’ 0-7

@ Complexe Sportif André Deridder

Rue des Griottes 26

1180 Uccle

€8 Admission

No Programme.

It was an 04.30 alarm this morning, heading down to Dover to get the 08.15 P&O ferry across to Calais. We had been expecting the new finger print checks to now be underway at Border Control, but it is delayed still further, at least as far as car passengers go, so we could have had an extra half hour in bed….oh well. The boat left on schedule, leaving ample time to make the 130 mile drive to Uccle, just south west of Brussels.

The ground here is pretty basic. It’s a caged 3G pitch with spectator access along one side, with a pair of dugouts opposite. There’s a small bit of cover, consisting of three steps of concrete, with the back two rows having wooden planks for seating. The clubhouse is to the right as you enter the complex and actually did have bar snacks too, rather than just crisps that are more the norm. The changing rooms were in the basement of this building.

The match was 15th (out of 16) versus 3rd in the league table. It was a pretty uneventful first half, which Etterbeek dominated, but were caught offside at least half a dozen times, breaking down the majority of their chances. They’d had a ninth minute effort chalked off for offside, but did make the breakthrough on the half hour mark, when a diagonal free kick from the right was met with a stooping header at the near post. Within five minutes of the second half starting, they’d increased their lead to 0-3 and with the points safe, it was a case of just how many more they’d score. It turned out to be another four, one of which was a penalty. They also hit a post too, but they’d declared at 0-7, when the final goal of the game arrived with six minutes left, finishing a through ball with a dink over the ‘keeper from the edge of the box.

We had plenty of time to kill after the game, so went for a meal in Gistel on our way back to Calais. Our 22.25 ferry left four minutes early, arriving back in Dover around eleven o’clock, with a ten minute wait to then disembark. I was dropped off in Barming, to collect my car and was home for 00.30, exactly twenty hours after my alarm had gone off this morning.

East Sussex League

Division 3

Saturday 8th November 2025

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Burwash 4 Sedlescombe Rangers 1, attendance 22

6’ 1-0

37’ 2-0

47’ 2-1

76’ 3-1

83’ 4-1

@ Burwash Playing Field

Swan Meadow

Ham Lane

Burwash

TN19 7ER

No Admission or Programme.

Another trip to East Sussex today, where 4th (out of 10) hosted 6th in the league table. I’d confirmed the game was going ahead okay with the home club just before eleven o’clock and a traffic free drive saw me arrive in Burwash, west of the A21, roughly midway between Royal Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, about an hour before kick off. The car park here is very small, so I parked in the High Street instead, no more than one hundred yards away.

The ground is shared with cricket, with the square behind the goal nearest the entrance and the pitch slopes down towards the far goal, which has a couple of tennis courts beyond. A large brick built changing room building is in the near left hand corner, with the pitch taped off from this corner to just beyond the halfway line, with both ‘benches’ setting up on this side.

Burwash kicked up the slope in the first half and were ahead after just six minutes when a pull back from the right was finished with a first time shot that went in off the far post, via the ‘keeper’s foot. Midway through the half they had a 20 yarder deflected onto the crossbar, quickly followed by an effort for Sedlescombe, that rebounded off the crossbar before the rebound was volleyed wide. Eight minutes before halftime Burwash doubled their lead, cutting in from the right before finishing left footed into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Sedlescombe pulled it back to 2-1 two minutes into the second half, when a through ball that beat the offside trap was finished one on one. Burwash had a man sin binned with eighteen minutes left, but playing with a man short didn’t hinder them. They had a goal ruled out for offside a couple of minutes later, before going 3-1 up just seconds later, when a cross from the right was controlled at the far post and finished low into the bottom corner. Sedlescombe had a headed goal from a corner ruled out for a foul with nine minutes left, then conceded an own goal to make it 4-1 a couple of minutes later. Both teams hit the woodwork in stoppage time too, but there were no more goals.

Gwent Premier League

Division 2

Saturday 1st November 2025

Kick Off 14.30 On Time!

Thornwell Red & White 1 Riverside Rovers 2, attendance 20

14’ 0-1

29’ 0-2

55’ 1-2

@ Tenby Lane

Thornwell

NP16 5GH

No Admission or Programme.

This hadn’t been my original choice of destination today, but my intended game of F.C. Tredegar, in the division above, who were playing their home game on the rugby stadium next door to their normal home venue, was called off due to a waterlogged pitch. The village of Thornwell is just across the border into Wales, with the M48 and the old Severn Bridge clearly visible through the trees on the far side of the ground. The pitch is fully railed, painted in the club colours of red and white, although now very faded. The pair of brick dugouts however, are freshly painted and very striking. There’s a small changing room building, on the near right side and a pavilion behind the near goal, but that remained shut. Oddly, the pitch had been partially mowed. The near end was short, but the other half was a good six inches, making passing on the ground difficult.

The match, between the only two teams I hadn’t yet visited in this division, saw 9th (out of 12) host 11th in the table, with both teams only having won a single game each so far. It was the visitors that made the better start, opening the scoring after fourteen minutes, when a corner from the left was cleared to the edge of the box and returned with a first time shot that hit the underside of the crossbar, but bounced down behind the line. They doubled their lead just before the half hour mark, this time heading in at the near post, again from a corner on the left. Thornwell pulled a goal back ten minutes into the second half, when a diagonal free kick from wide on the left was bundled in at the far post. They should have drawn level with seventeen minutes left, when an attack saw the initial shot saved by the ‘keeper, but the follow up effort was hit straight at him, as he scrambled back to his feet, with the goal gaping. Any chance of Thornwell getting an equaliser disappeared when they had a man sin binned with five minutes left and Riverside easily held on to take all three points.

Apart from a very brief rain shower midway through the first half, it remained dry. No trip these days ever seems to go without some sort of traffic problems. SatNav diverted me off the M4 between J18 and J19 outbound and J14 and J13 coming back, with quite lengthy hold ups averted in both cases.