British Universities & Colleges Sports

South Eastern 2A

Wednesday 7th February 2018

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 14.01

Brunel University 0 St. Mary’s University 4,  attendance 19

14’ 0-1

57’ 0-2

77’ 0-3

84’ 0-4

@ Brunel University Sports Park Athletics Track

Kingston Lane

Uxbridge

UX8 3PH

No Admission or Programme.

St. Mary’s won this with four goals of real quality. Even if Brunel had scored with a penalty that was easily saved, when it was only 0-2, it probably wouldn’t have affected the outcome of the match.

Wessex League

Division 1

Tuesday 6th February 2018

Kick Off 20.00. On Time !

Hythe & Dibden 4 East Cowes Victoria Athletic 0,  attendance 41

26’ 1-0

42’ 2-0

68’ 3-0

83’ 4-0

@ Clayfields Sports Centre

Claypits Lane

Dibden

SO45 5TN

£5 Admission

Programme free, 16 pages.

Hythe & Dibden moved here in 2014, having previously played at Ewart Recreation Ground, which I had visited on 20th January 2004, when they lost 2-4 versus Portsmouth Royal Navy in a Hampshire League, Trophyman Cup 3rd Round match.

Tonights match was moved to an 8pm kick off at the request of the visitors, to better suit the ferry times from the Isle of Wight. It was a basement battle, with it being third bottom versus fourth bottom in the league table, although the win lifts the hosts a couple of places. It was pretty comfortable once the deadlock was broken and the third goal of the night was the pick of the bunch, when a poor clearance was hit back over the ‘keeper from 40 yards.

Belgium

Division 2 Amateurs  A.C.F.F.

Sunday 4th February 2018

Kick Off 15.00 Actual 15.02

R.F.C. Meux 1 Solieres Sport 0,  attendance 142

28’ 1-0 (pen)

@ Stade des Vert et Blanc

Rue Janquart 16

5081 Meux

€10 Admission

Team Sheet, free.

This was another trip where the driver was going to a match at a ground I had already visited, his destination being A.S.E. Chastre (20th February 2014, 1-1, versus F.C. Limelette, Brabant Provincial 3B) in Brabant Provincial 1. As R.F.C. Meux were the nearest Belgian League Ground to Chastre that I still hadn’t been to, I decided to be dropped here, as did the other two passengers, and it would only be a 25 minute wait until we were picked up afterwards.

The match was 13th v 8th in the league table and it could have been more comfortable for the hosts had they been more composed on a couple of break away attacks towards the end of the match, but the penalty they scored, just before the half hour mark, was enough for them to take a valuable three points and edge them away from the relegation places at the foot of the table.

For the first time in ages, The Tunnel ran on time both ways !

Below photo : The only goal of the match.

Surrey Elite Intermediate League

Saturday 3rd February 2018

Kick Off 15.00. On Time !

Tooting Bec 1 Chessington Kings Centre 2,  attendance 4

3’ 0-1

19’ 0-2

44’ 1-2

@ Tooting & Mitcham F.C. 3G Pitch

Imperial Fields

Bishopsford Road

Morden

SM4 6BF

No Admission or Programme.

It took around 35 minutes to drive here from Hampton. The 3G pitch is behind the main stadium of Tooting & Mitcham F.C. with the changing rooms for the synthetic pitch being in the building beneath the main stand.

Tooting Bec were unbeaten in the league before today, with 10 wins and three draws, from their first thirteen matches. Chessington were far better than their 10th position in the league table suggests, although it was very much backs to the wall for most of the second half, including eight minutes of added time, but they hung on for a deserved, if not expected, win.

Bec now trail league leaders Royal Holloway Old Boys by 5 points, but do have three games in hand.

Arthurian League

Division 1

Saturday 3rd February 2018

Kick Off 12.00 Actual 12.08

Old Bradfieldians 6 Old Malvernians 2,  attendance 1

7’ 1-0

12’ 2-0

15’ 3-0

21’ 4-0

39’ 5-0

45’ 6-0

48’ 6-1 (pen)

87’ 6-2

@ Hampton Sports Centre, 3G Pitch

Hanworth Road

Hampton

TW12 3HB

No Admission or Programme.

With it already raining by 10 o’clock and the forecast for it to continue until the early evening, I decided to settle for an easy option and do a couple of matches on 3G pitches.

Old Bradfieldians kept up their 100% winning start to the season with their twelfth win, in a game that was over as a contest in the first quarter of an hour. Old Malvernians remain second bottom in the league table.

For the second time this season, I was the only spectator at the match !

British Universities & Colleges Sports

Western 1A

Wednesday 31st January 2018

Kick Off 20.00 Actual 20.13

University Bristol 3 University Exeter 0,  attendance 60

23’ 1-0

45’ 2-0

82’ 3-0

@ Coombe Dingle Sports Complex, 3G Pitch

Coombe Lane

Coombe Dingle

Bristol

BS9 2BJ

No Admission or Programme.

It took around thirteen minutes to drive here from the match at University West England. I had done a match here at Coombe Dingle  back on 31st October 2009, when I saw Rockleaze Avonside lose 3-6 to Chipping Sodbury Town, in a Gloucestershire County League match. That match was played on a grass pitch, which is to the right of the reception building when entering the complex. With no 3G pitch showing on Google Maps that was marked for football, it was a case of turn up and see where the game tonight was taking place, hoping that the pitch I had previously seen a game on was not now a new synthetic pitch.

Entering the driveway, it was pleasing to see the area to the right of the reception was in darkness, but that there were floodlights on, to the left of the complex. The 3G pitch is sandwiched between the cricket pitch and a synthetic hockey pitch and as well as now being marked for football, it also has Rugby and American Football markings.

It soon became apparent that it would be a late kick off, due to the University Bristol Women’s football running late, finally finishing at 20.06. I needn’t have worried about being tight for time anyway, as the Referee for our game turned out to be the same one who had just done the game I watched at U.W.E. !

Exeter had won all 7 of their matches so far this season, but second placed Bristol were well up for this, backed by a noisy bunch of supporters, which is rare for a University match, although being an evening match would have contributed to this. Two goals from outside the 18 yard box put Bristol in command, in a superb first half.   Exeter rarely threatened in the second half, but the third Bristol goal made the score line look more comfortable than it actually was.

So, the ‘treble’ all fell nicely in to place. The first two matches kicked off pretty much on schedule and the traffic in between behaved itself. Just a pity it was so cold at the last two matches.

British Universities & Colleges Sports

Western 1A

Wednesday 31st January 2018

Kick Off 17.30 Actual 17.32

University West England 0 Bournemouth University 2,  attendance 11

67’ 0-1

80’ 0-2

@ Lockleaze Sports Complex, 3G Pitch

Bonnington Walk

Stoke Gifford

Bristol

BS7 9XY

No Admission or Programme.

The 60 mile journey from Worcester saw me arrive here around 25 minutes before kick off. This is a brand new complex that is being built on the site of an old playing field. The only part constructed so far, is the building that houses the reception/changing rooms/bar, the latter of which is upstairs, but is still not fully kitted out. Either side of this building are 3G pitches, one each for rugby and football, with good views of both from a shared balcony area.

Despite plenty of chances, this looked to be heading for a certain nil-nil , but Bournemouth finally broke the deadlock and should have added a couple more after they scored their second goal.

This was done and dusted by 19.22, which gave me ample time to head just over 4 miles west, for what I hoped would be my third new ground of the day at 20.00.

British Universities & Colleges Sports

Midlands 2A

Wednesday 31st January 2018

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.59

University Worcester 3 University Nottingham 2nds 1,  attendance 16

29’ 0-1

38’ 1-1

56’ 2-1

89’ 3-1

@ University Worcester St. John’s Campus, 3G Pitch

Henwick Grove

St. Johns

Worcester

WR2 6AJ

No Admission or Programme.

This was hopefully going to be the first of three matches today, all on previously unvisited grounds. With the pitch being easily accessible from the main road it meant being able to park in the road outside the campus, which was limited to 2 hours to non permit holders, with a walk of a couple of hundred yards to the pitch, saving on the pay & display cost of the car park on the campus.

The match was in the balance right to the end, when Worcester sealed it with a goal on the break. Even with added time for stoppages, I was back in the car at 15.44, so ample time to head south down the M5 for my next match.

Kent County League

Premier Division

Saturday 27th January 2018

Kick Off 14.00 Actual 13.58

Faversham Strike Force 2 Tudor Sports 2,  attendance 10

61’ 0-1

81’ 0-2

90’ + 1, 1-2 (pen)

90’ + 3, 2-2 (pen)

@ Sittingbourne Community College

Swanstree Avenue

Sittingbourne

ME10 4NL

No Admission or Programme.

With rain falling from lunchtime, on pitches already saturated, I decided to head east where the rain wasn’t forecast to arrive until around 4 o’clock, so I could be guaranteed of getting a game in (with the hosts playing on an artificial pitch), as well as staying dry. However, on arrival, it became apparent that the match wasn’t being played on the 3G pitch, but on a grass pitch that was around 50 yards away, but running parallel. There was no problem whatsoever with the pitch, but unfortunately the rain arrived an hour and a half early.

It was second bottom versus third from top, in the league table. It looked very much like ending scoreless, but Tudor edged in front just after the hour mark, then looked to have sewn it up when a corner was headed into the net with nine minutes left. A minute into stoppage time Faversham scored a penalty, awarded for a foul, then two minutes later scored their second spot kick, awarded for a handball to block a shot.

Southern Counties East League

Division 1

Tuesday 23rd January 2018

Kick Off 19.45 Actual 19.47

Fisher 3 Phoenix Sports Reserves 0,  attendance 83

33’ 1-0

66’ 2-0

90’ + 2, 3-0

@ St. Paul’s Sports Ground

Salter Road

Rotherhithe

London

SE16 6NT

£7 Admission

£2 Programme, 24 pages.

I had visited the original Fisher Athletic at their old Surrey Docks Stadium, diagonally across the other side of the road from the current ground, now built upon, on 17th February 1990 (1-2 versus Merthyr Tydfil, Conference, attendance 387).

Following the former clubs demise, a newly formed Fisher F.C. was elected into the Kent League for the 2009/10 season, playing games at Dulwich Hamlet F.C. I had seen two ‘home’ matches for the new club before tonight, both for pre season friendlies…..5th August 2011, 4-2 versus Lewisham Borough (Community), at Bacons College 3G, and 24th July 2012, 3-0 versus Bethnal Green United, at Burgess Park 3G. Fisher played their first game at their new St. Paul’s Sports Ground in July 2016.

Having been relegated last season, Fisher are looking to bounce back immediately, currently in third place in the league table. The visitors, who are in fourteenth place, never offered much resistance. Two minutes after Fisher went 2-0 up, through a neat chest down and volley from 12 yards, Phoenix had a very poorly struck penalty saved, and that was their chance of getting anything from the game gone.

This completes visits to all the Southern Counties East League grounds. It also takes the number of grounds required at Step 6 down to seven.