Arthurian League

Premier Division

Saturday 8th December 2018

Kick Off 12.30. On Time !

Old Wykehamists 2 Old Bradfieldians 0,  attendance 7

50’ 1-0 (pen)

77’ 2-0

@ Club Des Sports, 3G Pitch

The Park Club

East Acton Lane

Acton

London

W3 7HB

No Admission or Programme.

It is nice to see that not all venues that have 3G Pitches installed have to have them inside soulless cages, with little or no spectator access. In fact, if it wasn’t for the spare sets of goal posts dotted around the inside of the rail, you could watch this match without really noticing that it wasn’t being played on grass. The only downside here, is the fact that you have to pay to park your car inside the barriered car park, at a cost of £1.50 per hour, with payment only possible by bank card. As I only arrived at 12.20, at least I was only charged for 2 hours parking.

The game, which was 7th versus 2nd in the league table, didn’t go the way the league positions might have suggested. Old Bradfieldians offered very little, but Old Wykehamists (they are from Winchester College) didn’t look capable of actually winning the game themselves, as they were limited to a few long range efforts that never looked like ever going in. When they went ahead, with a penalty, it gave them something to hold on to, but they were never really put under any pressure and they wrapped it up with an angled shot into the far corner of the net with thirteen minutes left on the clock.

As this finished at 14.07, it meant I was able to head off to my first choice match for my afternoon entertainment. I had the back up of Lampton Park, who play at the Middlesex F.A. Ground, in Northolt, but as my preferred game was well within reach due to the prompt finish here, then it would be a hopefully traffic free journey out of London on the A40, before heading clockwise round the M25……