Northern Counties East League

Division 1

Tuesday 29th September 2026

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.46

Field Olympic 6 Immingham Town 0, attendance 97

44’ 1-0 (pen)

45’ + 1, 2-0

50’ 3-0

53’ 4-0

56’ 5-0

76’ 6-0

@ Olympic Park

354 Harrogate Road

Eccleshill

Bradford

BD10 0HT

£7 Admission

Programme available, but sold out well before kick off.

Tonight saw a trip to Eccleshill, northeast of Bradford, for one of this season’s Step 6 newcomers. The ground is on the right hand side of the A658 when heading towards Harrogate. It’s a ground that formerly hosted rugby league and tonight was the first game under the new floodlights. Car parking is as you enter off Harrogate Road, with the pitch running widthways in front of you, set down below. There’s a clubhouse/changing room building outside the ground, where the only toilets were available. Once through the turnstiles there’s a tea bar serving hot and cold food and drinks. I had the pie and peas, which was tasty, but the portion size was minuscule (about half the size of a Gregg’s steak bake) and worth about a fiver less than the £7 charged! Beyond this is the pitch, which was absolutely immaculate. Spectator access is limited to the entrance side and left hand goal end only, but a raised position offers a decent view. A small section of cover and a few plastic chairs, open to the elements, offer the only facilities at present, but it’s still a work in progress. This was their first game under the new lights, which attracted around half a dozen ‘hoppers.

The match was 2nd versus 2nd bottom in the league table and although it ended up being a comfortable win for the hosts, it looked like the visitors would get something out of the game, but once they went behind they totally collapsed. The opening goal didn’t arrive until a minute before halftime, courtesy of a penalty and they doubled the lead a minute into stoppage time, with a shot from the edge of the box that took a deflection. Five minutes into the second half they added a third, following that with another two in the next six minutes and it looked like it could end up with a cricket score. Twenty minutes into the second half the floodlights went out, but after a six minute delay they came back on, initially with a bulb on each side still out, but we were back to the full complement a few minutes later. The break did Immingham a favour, knocking Field out of their rhythm, but they did score a sixth goal with fourteen minutes left, when a mishit shot fell to one of their own players and he finished with a shot on the turn.

The win sees Field now leapfrog Brigg Town at the top of the table on goal difference, both having taken 31 points from their twelves games played. Immingham remain second bottom. The journey north was fine. The only delay being on the Leeds ring road heading west towards Bradford. Seven separate sections of lane closures on the M1 coming back, along with a closure of the M25 from J17 to J16, weren’t as bad as they could have been and arrived home 01.40.

This leaves me just fellow newcomers Hemsworth Miners Welfare to complete this league now. I visited them in May 2000, but they’ve now developed a new pitch within the same complex….just waiting for them to get their floodlights up and running!

Mid Sussex League

Mowatt Cup 1st Round

Saturday 26th September 2026

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.57

Oxted & District 2 Welcroft Park Rangers 4, attendance 16

7’ 0-1

17’ 0-2

28’ 1-2

76’ 1-3

82’ 1-4

88’ 2-4

@ Oak Farm Playing Field

Crawley Down Road

Felbridge

RH19 2RN

No Admission or Programme.

With their Master Park ground, in the village of Oxted itself, suffering pitch damage due to hosting a car boot sale on it, Oxted & District have had to play a couple of games elsewhere, with the ground here in Felbridge being chosen. I never got here when it was used by Felbridge, up until dropping out of the league towards the end of the 2023/24 season, so this was perfect for me. They’d played last week’s game here too, but a double in Norfolk was preferred then, but with today being the only other game, at present, scheduled here in Felbridge, then it was a must do game for me in my seemingly never ending quest to watch a game on every first team venue used in Sussex.

The ground is on the left hand side when heading out of Felbridge towards Crawley Down, adjacent to Felbridge Bowling Club. It’s just a single pitch, tree lined on three sides, with a small car park and changing room building and there are three tennis courts bordering the near touchline, just past the building.

The match was Division 1 North hosting Division 1 South. It was Welcroft who took a seventh minute lead, breaking quickly down the left and crossing for an unmarked finish from 6 yards. Ten minutes later they added a second, with an angled shot from the corner of the 18 yard box finding the far corner of the net. Oxted pulled one back before halftime, latching on to a long clearance, rounding the ‘keeper and rolling the ball into an empty net. Welcroft made it 1-3 with fourteen minutes left, breaking down the right and crossing for a tap in at the far post. Six minutes later they added a fourth, turning on the edge of the D and beating two defenders before shooting low into the far corner. Oxted did pull it back to 2-4 with a couple of minutes left, but it was nothing more than a consolation.

As you’d expect from a drive of barely half an hour, without use of motorways, no traffic problems in either direction.

Lowland League West

Wednesday 23rd September 2026

Kick Off 19.45 On Time!

Renfrew 3 Beith Juniors 0, attendance 209

20’ 1-0

35’ 2-0

85’ 3-0

@ New Western Park

1 Argyll Avenue

Renfrew

PA4 9EF

£12 Admission

No Programme.

Having visited my penultimate ground in this league last night, tonight would see completion of the Lowland League and leave Highland League newcomers Invergordon as the only ground not visited in the top five levels of the Scottish football pyramid. I’d visited Renfrew for a home game previously, back in 2004, when they beat Arthurlie 5-1 in a S.J.F.A. West Region League Cup group match. They were playing at their original Western Park ground then, which was about half a mile nearer the town centre than where they play now. They left that ground in 2015 and moved into their new home in the August of the same year. It’s certainly lacking the character of their old place, but is a better base for them going forward. It’s a 3G pitch, with spectator access limited to most of one side, behind one goal end and along to the edge of the 18 yard box on the dugouts side of the pitch. Changing rooms/tea bar are behind the entrance end goal and the only cover here is by way of a drop in section of six steps at the halfway line, but it’s set back from the pitch and one of the floodlight pylons obstructs your view. Despite having arrived only about fifteen minutes before kick off, there were still spaces in the car park, about fifty yards from the entrance.

The match was 15th versus 13th (out of 17), with Renfrew only outside the bottom two relegation spots courtesy of them having a better goal difference than second bottom Newton Stewart. Renfrew went ahead after twenty minutes, when a 25 yarder from Fife was hit left footed into the top right hand corner. They doubled their lead ten minutes before halftime, when a corner from the right was met with a glancing header from Healey at the near post, sending it low into the net. Beith almost pulled one back right on halftime, but a header from a corner was well saved by the Renfrew ‘keeper down near the far post. Renfrew finally added a third goal five minutes from the end, when a ball played through from the edge of the box was finished with a low shot into the far corner by substitute Argyll McCoist, son of Scotland and Rangers legend Ally.

The journey back south was done the following day. SatNav came up trumps, diverting off the M6 at the last minute, leaving at J39 and going cross country down to J38. Rejoining the motorway, the accident causing the diversion was visible just north of the exit slip road. The motorway had been closed in both directions and was still shut five hours later on arrival home!

Scottish Challenge Cup

League Stage

Tuesday 22nd September 2026

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.46

Clydebank 2 St. Mirren ‘B’ 1, attendance 624

4’ 0-1

66’ 1-1

75’ 2-1

@ Holm Park

Dock Street

Yoker

Clydebank

G81 1LX

£13 Admission

No Programme.

Needing just three grounds to complete the top five levels in Scotland, meant the chance to do two of those on successive days was too good an opportunity to miss, with the long drive north done yesterday, with an overnight stop near Carlisle. I’d first done Clydebank when they were members of the Scottish League and still playing at their now gone Kilbowie Park ground. They drew 1-1 with Falkirk on the final day of the season in May 1994, which secured the title for the visitors in front of a crowd of 6,616. Clydebank merged with Airdrieonians in 2002, forming Airdrie United and relocating to Airdrie in the process. Fans strongly opposed the move and a new phoenix club was formed a couple of years later, starting in the Scottish Junior F.A. West Region and I saw them beat Petershill in a West Region Cup Winner’s Cup match in May 2007, winning on penalties after it finished 1-1 at ninety minutes, which was played at Glenhead Park in Duntocher, which was the home ground of Drumchapel Amateurs. The ground share was terminated the following year and Clydebank moved into Holm Park, the ground of Yoker Athletic, with the two clubs still existing side by side to this day.

The ground is on the left hand side of the A814 when travelling towards Clydebank from Glasgow. It’s an old ground, that’s slowly undergone a makeover and now has a 3G pitch, rather than grass. The old barrel roofed stand that once stood on the far side is no longer, having been replaced by a modern section of cover, with open terrace to one side. The other side, backing onto the A814 has a seated stand running towards the centre from the corner flag and a section of cover beyond. Towards the far corner is some open terracing. Although both goal ends are accessible to spectators, viewing from here is poor. There was a mobile caterer behind the entrance goal end doing burgers, chips etc. A small group of ultras offered their encouragement all evening, accompanied by a drummer. Oddly, he remained outside the ground, hidden behind fencing and trees. I can only assume he’s banned from coming inside?

Clydebank have started off the season well in this season’s Lowland League and are currently second in the table. They’d had a good start to their Scottish Challenge Cup group games too, with a 4-0 win versus Hibernian ‘B’ here, followed by a 2-4 win at Kelty Hearts, before picking up a 1-1 draw here versus Alloa Athletic in their third match. I thought they’d be far too strong for St. Mirren’s second string and despite coming out on top, it was a game in which they had to come from behind to win. A cracking individual goal from Thompson, running from the halfway line and beating three men, before rounding the ‘keeper and rolling it into an empty net saw the visitors take the lead after just four minutes. They almost added a second a few minutes later, heading against the crossbar from a free kick on the left. Clydebank drew level twenty one minutes into the second half, when a one two on the edge of the box was fired high into the roof of the net by Rossiter. They got the winning goal nine minutes later, when a cross from the right was met with a stooping header at the far post from Dolan.

Norfolk F.A. Junior Cup

1st Round

Saturday 19th September 2026

Kick Off 14.30 Actual 14.23

Earsham 4 Downham Town Reserves 0, attendance 25

33’ 1-0

55’ 2-0

68’ 3-0

70’ 4-0 (pen)

@ Earsham Playing Field

The Street

Earsham

NR35 2TZ

No Admission or Programme.

The nearest afternoon option for me was this Norfolk F.A. Junior Cup match, retracing my steps 12 miles back along the A143, just to the west of Bungay. It took sixteen minutes, arriving fourteen minutes before the scheduled start. It was a good job it wasn’t a journey that was cutting it fine though, as we got underway seven minutes early. Earsham play at the playing field in the village. There’s a brick built changing room building, which also housed a tea bar, with the pitch running widthways in front of here. Dugouts are on the near side, with a small section of cover to the right, with the pitch roped along this touchline. As with my earlier game, the pitch was in superb condition. It would put many to shame much further up the pyramid. Apparently there is a link here to an underground well, so the pitch has been well looked after through the recent drought. Even so, someone still has to put in the effort to actually carry out the work and turn the sprinklers on.

The match was top of Anglian Combination League Division 3 South versus North West Norfolk League Division 1. I wouldn’t normally bother with a higher level team hosting someone from a lower level, especially if a reserve team is involved, but as it was part of a double……… Earsham opened the scoring after thirty three minutes, when a cross from the left was volleyed in at the far post. A corner from the left, headed in at the far post, saw them double their lead ten minutes into the second half. It was game over with just over twenty minutes left, latching onto a misplaced back pass to the ‘keeper that fell short, nicking the ball past him and finishing from the corner of the 18 yard box into the far corner to make it 3-0. A penalty, awarded for a handball, rounded off the scoring three minutes later and they almost scored a fifth late on, but they hit the post with a header.

A rare traffic free drive home too, rounding off a good day out.

Anglian Combination League

Premier Division

Saturday 19th September 2026

Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.04

Norton Athletic 2 Thetford Rovers 2, attendance 36

5’ 1-0 (pen)

43’ 2-0

53’ 2-1

64’ 2-2

@ The Highfield

Loddon Road

Norton Subcourse

NR14 6RY

£3 Admission

£1 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

A noon kick off here meant an ideal opportunity to get two games in today, albeit with a very limited afternoon choice, not helped by the majority of the lower leagues around Norfolk kicking off at either 14.00 or 14.15, but a nearby 14.30 kick off in the Norfolk F.A. Junior Cup meant a double was indeed on. A totally trouble free drive via M25, A12, A14, A140 and A143, which is more direct than it sounds, saw me arrive in the village of Norton Subcourse about an hour and a quarter before kick off. The ground is to the west of the village, out in the middle of nowhere. It’s a great set up for this level, with the club officials having the car park well marshalled (there was another game afterwards and I didn’t want to get blocked in), with late arrivals directed to a nearby overflow car park, rather than the normal non league capers where the ignorant late comers just block everyone in and are normally totally oblivious to this fact, often being the last ones to return to their vehicles after the match.

There’s a pay gate at the entrance, where programmes were readily available. The changing rooms are to the right, just beyond the clubhouse and there’s a tea bar beyond that. The pitch runs lengthways away from here, with a small section of cover on the left touchline and a pair of dugouts opposite. The pitch was in superb condition and is a real credit to the groundsman.

Both teams had lost their opening games in the league, Norton losing 3-4 at home to Norwich CEYMS, whilst Thetford had lost their opener 3-0 at Scole United and today’s match was a repeat of the Norfolk Senior Cup tie that was played here just two weeks ago, where Norton ran out 7-1 winners. That day Norton led 2-0 at halftime and it was the same again today. A penalty after five minutes set them on their way, before they doubled their lead two minutes before halftime, when a Thetford defender trying to cut out a cross could only divert the ball into his own net. The visitors pulled one back eight minutes into the second half, when a through ball was controlled and finished with a low shot into the far corner. Eleven minutes later it was 2-2, when a ball over the top was taken round the ‘keeper and slotted in from a tight angle, despite the best efforts of a defender on the line trying to keep it out. That was it as far as the goals went, but we did have a double sending off with a couple of minutes left and Norton also had a man sin binned during the same incident, all caused by an initial reaction by the home ‘keeper to a challenge between him and a visiting player, in which he considered he’d been fouled.

Despite the game not finishing until 13.57 I knew I’d easily reach my intended afternoon game, as I’d driven right past the ground on my way here.

Cheshire League

Premier Division

Wednesday 16th September 2026

Kick Off 19.00 Actual 19.16

Whalley Range 6 Denton Town 0, attendance 56

8’ 1-0

35’ 2-0

37’ 3-0

46’ 4-0

60’ 5-0

68’ 6-0

@ Hough End Leisure Centre, 3G Pitch 1

480 Princess Road

Manchester

M20 1HP

No Admission or Programme.

I’d seen Whalley Range play a home game at their Kings Road ground in Charlton-cum-Hardy back in May 2001, when they beat Ashton Athletic 1-0 in a Manchester League Division 1 match, but tonight’s game, along with another one next midweek, was being played at Hough End Leisure Centre. I’d seen Manchester Metropolitan University play here in October 2007, on what was then (and still possibly is) Pitch 15, which is not where the two new 3G caged pitches have been built. They’re right next to the building, parallel and running lengthways away from it, with Pitch 1, where tonight’s game was played, being the western one of the two. Both have a spectator area running the full length of one side, but rather annoyingly, there’s a dugout on each side of the pitch, therefore blocking the view in large areas of the spectator side, especially with management and players standing in the way, rather than sitting in the dugouts. The sports centre cafe did hot food as well as hot/cold drinks and the usual chocolate/crisps and at reasonable prices too.

The match was 5th versus 6th in the league table, which suggested they’d be evenly matched, but it certainly didn’t pan out that way. A one on one finish set Whalley Range on their way after just eight minutes and they doubled their lead ten minutes before halftime with a 25 yarder into the bottom corner. When they made it 3-0 a couple of minutes later the points were safe. It only took the hosts a minute of the second half to make it 4-0, with a fifth goal scored on the hour mark and the scoring rounded off with a sixth goal coming eight minutes later, breaking quickly from defending their own box and crossing from the right for an easy finish in the centre of the goal.

With the game kicking off sixteen minutes late, due to the pitch being used beforehand, it meant there were time restraints to then get the game completed, with the bare forty five minutes played in each half and everyone remained out on the pitch for a truncated halftime. All a bit unnecessary, as both teams had warmed up on the grass pitches well before the scheduled start time, so should never have taken so long to get underway. The situation in this division remains as it was prior to tonight….just Denton Town’s ground left to visit for completion.

The usual shenanigans from the Highways Agency to contend with coming home.The M40 was closed between J11 and J10 (a ten mile stretch), which SatNav picked up, but wasn’t advertised on the overhead gantries and then a double whammy on the M25. Closed again from J15 to J14 and J11 to J10, with SatNav taking me cross country between J13 and J10, rather than getting back on for a few miles in between.

Midland League

Division 1

Tuesday 15th September 2026

Kick Off 19.45 On Time!

Anstey Town 1 Stapenhill 1, attendance 109

35’ 1-0

90’ + 5, 1-1

@ Beaumont Park

Bennion Road

Beaumont Leys

Leicester

LE4 1DE

£6 Admission

£1 Programme available, didn’t bother buying.

When I first visited Anstey Town, back in May 1999, they were playing at a ground in Leicester Road, Thurcaston. Having been ground sharing since leaving their former home, they’ve now moved to a ground in Beaumont Leys, the other side of the A46 from the town of Anstey itself. The new venue is somewhere I’ve previously seen a game. There’s a 3G pitch here, where I saw Leicester Nirvana host Oadby Town in a United Counties League Division 1 match in 2018, but Anstey Town are using the grass pitch to the right of the clubhouse. It’s railed off on three sides and has a 113 seat stand and a small section of cover just beyond it, on the right hand touchline, whilst there’s a pair of dugouts opposite, backing on to another pitch running parallel. Oddly this pitch is also railed on three sides, but there’s no barrier running between the two on this side. Parking is at the adjacent car park of Leicester Lions Speedway track, about five minutes walk from the ground.

Even this early in the season, this had a ‘relegation battle’ feel, with third bottom hosting second bottom in the league table, with each team having won just a single game each from the combined seventeen matches played so far. Sometimes though, these sort of games are better from a neutral point of view, as at least both teams will see it as a real possibility of picking up all three points. The only goal of the first half saw Anstey open the scoring after thirty five minutes, when a long ball over the top was controlled and finished low into the far corner from twelve yards. Midway through the second half Anstey saw a point blank header saved by the ‘keeper and Stapenhill had a lobbed effort from thirty yards tipped over the crossbar with twelve minutes left. Five minutes into stoppage time the visitors grabbed an equaliser, when a diagonal cross from wide on the right was met with a downward header at the far post. So, it’s as you were as far as league positions go, but Anstey are just two points adrift of Saffron Dynamo now and still have a game in hand. Stapenhill are two points further back, but still have games in hand on the two above them.

This re-completes the league once again and now leaves me with a round half dozen grounds to visit at Step 6 now. Journey north saw heavy traffic on the M25 from the M4 to M40, but clear otherwise. Not so good coming back, with a couple of lane closures on the M1 and the M25 closed from J16 to J15 and again from J11 to J10.

Mid Sussex League

Tester Cup 1st Round

Saturday 12th September 2026

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.57

The View 2 Maresfield Village 2 (3-1 pens), attendance 10

38’ 1-0

45’ + 3, 1-1

55’ 2-1

58’ 2-2 (pen)

@ Buckingham Park

Upper Shoreham Road

Shoreham-by-Sea

BN43 6BA

No Admission or Programme.

This game was never on my radar, until I noticed just before midnight last night that it was switched from The View’s normal home venue at Nevill Playing Fields, to here at Buckingham Park. It was an opportunity to tick off yet another venue hosting first team football in the Sussex pyramid, which certainly appealed. Sadly, it’s not a great venue, being an open pitch in a huge field. There’s plenty of parking inside the complex, with the changing rooms hidden away behind the bowling club. The game was played on a pitch at the northern end of the field, one of five full sized pitches here and despite having a side to side slope, it was the flattest of the lot!

The game was between two teams in Division 4 South of the league, with both still yet to make a start on their league fixtures. It was certainly not a game of much quality and one of those matches where you question what on earth you’re doing there. The View hit the crossbar early on, with a 30 yard free kick and opened the scoring seven minutes before halftime, when a 25 yard shot gave the ‘keeper no chance. Three minutes into stoppage time Maresfield drew level, when a ball pulled back from the right was finished with a stooping header from six yards. Four minutes later they had a chance to go in front, but a penalty awarded for a foul was blazed over the crossbar. No idea where the Referee found nine minutes of stoppage time from, but it remained 1-1 at the break. Ten minutes into the second half The View went back in front, when a cross from the right resulted in a shot, but it was straight at the ‘keeper, but it rebounded kindly and was put away second time. Three minutes later it was 2-2, when Maresfield were awarded another penalty and this time they made no mistake from the spot. Despite the Referee adding on five minutes of stoppage time, neither side could get a winner and we went straight to penalties. Maresfield went first, scoring with their first kick, but having a shocker with the next three, being saved, hit wide and saved again. The View were much better. They scored their first two and despite having their third one saved, scored their fourth one to win it. You don’t get many penalty shoot outs finishing 3-1 (the league website has it wrongly showing as 4-2), but it about summed up the match.

A very easy traffic free drive that took just forty five minutes in each direction, via M23 and A27.

The park has a military history too, according to the sign on display inside the entrance.

Cardiff Combination League

Premier Division

Thursday 10th September 2026

Kick Off 18.00 On Time!

Pontprennau Pumas 7 Caerau Ely Community 2, attendance 11

2’ 0-1

21’ 0-2

41’ 1-2

47’ 2-2

54’ 3-2

63’ 4-2

67’ 5-2

75’ 6-2

78’ 7-2

@ Heol Pontprennau

Pontprennau

CF23 8LL

No Admission or Programme.

To round off my final non floodlit midweek game for the early part of this season, I headed once more to Wales. Pontprennau is to the north east of Cardiff, exiting the M4 at J30, with the ground on the right as you head along Heol Pontprennau. It’s got a very small car park, with loads of double yellow lines on the surrounding roads. I managed to park in one of the new housing estates about five minutes walk away. The players get changed next to the primary school, then access the pitch up some steps at the rear. It’s fenced in with mesh fencing, making it feel enclosed. There are three wooden structures on the near touchline, two used as dugouts and the middle of the three given over to spectators.

It was 2nd versus 3rd in the league table, both on six points, along with leaders K & H Forever Young, who’ve got a game in hand on the chasers. It was Caerau who took the lead after just two minutes, beating the ‘keeper high at the near post and they doubled their lead after twenty one minutes, chasing down a through ball where a challenge on the edge of the box saw the ball loop up and over the ‘keeper. Pumas pulled one back just before halftime, scrambling in after a couple of blocked attempts following a corner. Caerau had a man sin binned right at the end of the first half and just two minutes after the restart they conceded an equaliser. Just as they were about to get back to the full compliment Pumas scored again, heading in from a corner to make it 3-2. Just after the hour mark Pumas made it 4-2, before another header from a corner saw them increase the lead to 5-2 four minutes later. With fifteen minutes left they added a sixth and rounded off the scoring a few minutes later, when a shot from the edge of the box went straight through the ‘keeper’s legs.

It had rained non stop throughout the game and despite a prompt kick off, along with a halftime interval taken pitch side, it was getting very gloomy when the final whistle sounded at 19.38. The journey down had been fine until just past Leigh Delamere Services on the M4, where the motorway was down to two lanes, meaning a SatNav diversion getting off at J18 and back on at the M32 intersection. Even the diversion was bumper to bumper, so probably didn’t save much time. The return journey was totally clear, with arrival home just after ten o’clock, which was an hour and a half quicker than going!